We could put it away carefully in a very safe place, so that no one
would use it,
or drop it and break the lead.
But if we did that then
it wouldn't be of use to anyone.
Alternatively we could use that pencil to write a letter to someone to cheer them up.
Everyone likes to get letters from family and friends.
We could even write a list of all the things we need to do, and tick
them off as we do them.
We could use it to write out mum's shopping list for her, or we
could draw a picture,
perhaps even mark out the outline of some
handcraft project we wanted to work on.
In doing all these things the pencil would be very useful indeed.
But we must look after it and keep the point nice and sharp, ready
for use,
for when the lead is blunt the lines become thick and ugly,
and our work is untidy.
If, by misuse, we break the lead, we can't
make any sort of mark at all.
The pencil is quite useless till we take the care to sharpen it again.
Our Law and Promise is just like that pencil.
We can learn it when we first come into Cubs, so that we can be
invested.
We then put it aside, not thinking about it, or using it, even perhaps
forgetting some of the words.
That would be like the pencil we carefully put away, of no use to us
or anybody else.
Our Law and Promise needs to be something we use and think
about every day,
so that it becomes very much a part of our lives.
If a boy says "Cubs Honour" just to get something, and really
doesn't mean what he says,
he is like the pencil with the broken
lead.
His words mean nothing.
So when we put our Law and Promise
into action it's like sharpening the lead of the pencil.
We are always useful, and we make ourselves and those around us,
very happy.