At Webelos Weekend in 2014, I was given this pin as an adult leader. I still wear it on my uniform today. Occasionally, someone will ask "What's up with the starfish?". This is the story I tell (it came on the card with the pin):
A well known author and poet was working and
vacationing on the southern coast of Spain. One early morning, he was walking along the
beach - the sun was rising, the rain had ended, the rainbows were magnificent, the sea was
calm. While enjoying the beauty around him, he glanced down the beach and saw a lone
figure dancing about. Fascinated by this person celebrating the new day, he moved closer.
As he drew nearer, he realized that the person was not dancing, but in one graceful motion
was picking up objects from the beach and tossing them into the sea. He approached the
young man and saw the objects were starfish. "Why in the world are you throwing
starfish into the water?" "If the starfish stay on the beach, when the tide goes
out and the sun rises higher, they will die," replied the young man as he continued
tossing them out to sea. "That's ridiculous! There are thousands of miles of beach
and millions of starfish. You can't really believe that what you are doing can possibly
make a difference!" The young man picked up another starfish, and tossing it into the
waves, said, "It makes a difference to this one."
So after recanting the story, I tell them "I wear the pin to remind myself that I make a difference. Not just in scouting, but in liffe".
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