Scouting, Volume 99, Number 4, September-October 2011 Page: 22
64 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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ETHICS
No Laughing Matter
Do your Scouts know how to behave when they're home alone?
IN THE COMEDY FILM Home Alone, the
parents of 8-year-old Kevin McCallister
mistakenly leave him behind when
they fly to Paris for a Christmas
holiday At first, Kevin revels in the
chance to watch whatever he wants
on TV and eat all of the junk food
in sight Then two burglars intrude,
bringing his fun to an abrupt end.
It's a far-fetched concept—or is it?
Like young Kevin, teenagers left home
alone usually enjoy the freedom to
play their music loud, leave dirty dishes
in the sink, and invite friends over to
play video games. But the fun can end
quickly if the friends get out of hand.
Situations like these test the balance
between loyalty to family and loyalty
to friends, and they show what little
control teens have over other people's
actions. When presented as ethical
dilemmas, they can also help your
Scouts explore the limits of friendship
and the fragility of parental trust.
The Dilemma
Fifteen-year-old Sam Nguyen, an only
child, has spent plenty of time home
alone. For the first time, though, his
parents have decided to leave him
overnight. They need to visit Sam's
grandparents, who live about two
hours away, and Sam has a required
lacrosse practice the next morning.
While Sam's dad packs the car,
his mom orders the boy a pizza and
makes sure he has a ride to practice.
Then his dad comes in to say good-
bye. "Call Mrs. Huggins next door if
you need anything," he says. "I trust
you, bud."
A few minutes later, Sam is
vegging out on the couch, eating
pizza, and watching TV There's not
much on, so he calls his friend Alex
from the lacrosse team. They talk for
a while, and then Alex invites himself
over. Sam wonders how he would get
there since he doesn't have a car, but
Alex says his older brother, Tommy,
can drop him off.
Tommy does more than drop off
Alex. He comes to stay, bringing along
his girlfriend and a 12-pack of beer.
Soon, two more carloads of teens pull
up, and Sam realizes that the Nguyen
house has become party central.
Before long, the party is in full
swing, and the house is a complete
mess. A lacrosse player breaks a lamp,
a girl Sam doesn't even know gets
sick on the floor, and Tommy and his
girlfriend disappear into the master
bedroom. Sam does his best to get the
uninvited guests to leave or at least
settle down, but they just ignore him.
In fact, the party doesn't break up
until 3 a.m., when the police, called by
Mrs. Huggins next door, show up at
the door.
When he's finally alone again, Sam
surveys the damage. He doesn't know
how he'll get the mess cleaned up
before his parents come home. Even if
he does, Mrs. Huggins is bound to tell
his parents about the party.
22
SCOUTING * SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 99, Number 4, September-October 2011, periodical, September 2011; Irving, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth299175/m1/24/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.