A FOND MOTHER WATCHES HER BOY WHERE HE STANDS,
APART FROM HIS COMRADES TONIGHT,
AS THEY PLACE ON HIS CAMP-BATTERED TUNIC A BADGE,
AN EAGLE, THE EMBLEM OF RIGHT.
IT SEEMS JUST A FEW SHORT MONTHS HAVE PASSED
SINCE HE JOINED WITH THE YOUNGSTER NEXT DOOR.
HOW PROUD HE WAS THEN OF THIS TENDERFOOT PIN
AS HE TOLD HER THE MESSAGE IT BORE.
BUT THE YEARS HAVE GONE AS HE STRUGGLED ALONG
TO LEARN WHAT THE SCOUT LAW'S ABOUT
HE PRACTICED THEM DAILY, THE OATH AND THE LAW
UNTIL NOW HE'S AN EAGLE SCOUT. YOU MAY SMILE IN WORLDLY OLD WISDOM AT THIS
AND SAY WHY IT'S ONLY A PIN.
BUT I TELL YOU NO HONORS HE'LL GAIN AS A MAN
WILL MEAN JUST AS MUCH TO HIM
THE RED, WHITE AND BLUE OF THE RIBBON YOU SEE
ARE THE SYMBOLS OF HONOR AND TRUTH.
HE HAS LEARNED HOW TO VALUE THESE FINE ATTRIBUTES
IN THE GLORIOUS DAYS OF YOUTH
AND THE OUT-FLINGING WINGS OF THE EAGLE THAT REST
ON THE BREAST OF THIS KNIGHT OF TODAY
ARE THE THINGS THAT WILL LIFT HIM ABOVE PETTY DEEDS
AND GUIDE HIM ALONG THE RIGHT WAY.
YES, IT'S ONLY A PIN, JUST AN EAGLE SCOUT BADGE,
BUT THE HEART THAT BENEATH IT BEATS TRUE
AND WILL THROB TO THE LAST FOR THE THINGS WHICH ARE GOOD.
A LESSON FOR ME AND FOR YOU
