Runaway Cash

I never would have imagined…, that one quiet, cool evening, while out on patrol, as tiny tree frogs were chirping, the night would lead to a moral dilemma challenging our most solemn oath and commitment to the Scout Law.

Adult and youth members show their Scouts' Values within the seven Scout laws:

1. A Scout is to be trusted.
2. A Scout is loyal.
3. A Scout is friendly and considerate.
4. A Scout belongs to the worldwide family of Scouts.
5. A Scout has courage in all difficulties.
6. A Scout makes good use of time and is careful of possessions and property.
7. A Scout has self-respect and respect for others.

We were newly minted tweens, having reached the age to join the local 1st Southampton 7th Bermuda Boy Scout Troop. My younger brother Alvin, my two first cousins Kevin and Woody, and I had been invited to be admitted as new members.

That night our Troop of fifteen, led by our Troop Leader, Mr. Lynn Hall, (a Sergent in the Bermuda Police Service) was on a five-mile night hike to earn our first badge. As we walked along the dimly lit road, Alvin noticed a small pile of papers lying on the pavement.

"Hey, what's that?" he asked, pointing.

We all looked over. There was a slight breeze swirling along the road that night, and it blew the apparent leaflets up and down, across the street. Alvin ran over to investigate and picked up one of the pieces.

"Guys, it's money!" Alvin shouted, wide-eyed.

"What?" Kevin exclaimed, rushing over. "No way!"

Woody and I quickly joined them, and sure enough, the paper leaflets turned out to be cash. Someone had lost it while traveling home that evening.

"We're rich!" Woody cheered, starting to scoop up the bills.

As we raced around in circles to collect all the cash, visions of new bikes, video games, and candy danced in our heads.

"Hold on, boys!" Mr. Hall called out, his voice cutting through our excitement.

"Remember, you're Boy Scouts first. We have to honor the Scout Law."

We all stopped in our tracks, clutching handfuls of money, and looked at him, confused and disappointed.

"But it's finders’ keepers, right?" Kevin asked, his voice tinged with hope.

"Normally, yes," Mr. Hall nodded, "but we have a responsibility to try to find the owner first.

Let's head back to the Scout Meeting Hall, and I'll explain."

We gathered in the hall around Mr. Hall, who had spread the cash out on a table.

"According to the law, we have to place a notice in the local newspaper announcing our findings and wait for the owner to claim the cash," he explained.

"If no one responds after a year and a day, then the money is yours."

"A year and a day?" Alvin groaned. "That's forever!"

"I know it seems like a long time," Mr. Hall said sympathetically, "but it's the right thing to do.

We have to give the owner a fair chance to claim their lost money."

As the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months, we often talked about what we'd do with the money if no one claimed it. We even checked the newspaper regularly for any notices about lost cash.

Finally, a year and a day passed. On that day, Mr. Hall called us all together.

"Well, boys," he said with a smile, "no one has come forward to claim the money.

It's yours now."

The room erupted in cheers. The lesson in patience and doing the right thing had paid off, and we were more excited than ever to share the money and make our dreams come true.

And so, what started as a quiet, cool evening on patrol turned into an adventure that taught us the true meaning of honor, duty, and integrity.