There are Dragons Out There...
St. George and Helping Youth Prepare for Spiritual Combat
It was long ago, though not so far away. It was October 1976. I was six years old and in the first grade. My Cub Scout Pack was holding a costume party with the theme "The Knights of the Round Table." Pack 11 was sponsored by the American Legion, and many of its members were Catholic. The party was held at the gymnasium of St. Mary’s Academy.
I wanted to be a knight. In my mind, I imagined someone like Sir Lancelot or perhaps Sir Percival. Instead, I ended up being Saint George, the knightly saint. I remember having mixed feelings about it at first, but later I learned to play the part.
It happened after being asked what I wanted to dress up as, and my mother, not quite knowing how to pull it off. My dad thought about it and decided I should be St. George the dragon slayer. At first, I was not convinced St. George fit among the Knights of the Round Table, but I slowly gave in. The reason was simple: the costume began to look like something a real person might wear into battle, not merely a cardboard box with a hole cut out for your head. It was going to look real enough, and I was going to become a dragon slayer. Let the adventure begin.
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My grandparents became involved in the project. They knew something about our genealogy and had information about what our family crest looked like from either France or England. Suddenly, things were becoming real to me. Look out, dragon! I had a shield with my family crest on it and a sword, all made from cardboard, aluminum foil, and Scotch tape.
As a child, I was enchanted by stories about dragons. As an adult, I have come to understand how those stories continue to live on.
Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, used the medieval legend of Saint George, the patron saint of England, to inspire young boys. Baden-Powell wanted Scouts to understand courage, patience, sacrifice, duty, and noble character. The Scout Law strongly overlaps with the older qualities of knighthood: trustworthy, loyal, helpful, brave, and reverent. In many ways, Baden-Powell imagined Scouts as a kind of modern knighthood, shaped not by armor and swords, but by character and service. Through that symbolism, Saint George became the patron saint of Scouting. Baden-Powell used the dragon as a symbol for the dangers and struggles people face in life, especially those that test courage and character. You would often see those ideas and images in older Boy Scout books.
The closer I came to becoming an Eagle Scout, the more I found myself looking toward mentors. One of them, who shared the name of the Patron Saint of Scouting, was George. Though he was never my Scoutmaster, he became one of the men who helped shape my understanding of Scouting, character, and life itself. George had been a Scoutmaster to many Eagle Scouts and was also a lifelong friend of my father. He was a great history teacher. I know because he is a good storyteller.
George often spoke of dragons. “Be careful,” he would say, “there are dragons out there.”
The dragons he spoke of were not the mythical beasts that I imagined as a Cub Scout. George was warning me to stay alert and protect my character. Not everything in the world is good-hearted or safe. Some people spread destruction, manipulate others, feed on conflict, exploit weakness, or corrupt what is good. They may not breathe fire, but they can twist words, create chaos, and slowly damage the people around them
Over the years, George taught me that some people gradually become dragons through bitterness, fear, pride, resentment, trauma, or the pursuit of power. He also warned me not to become the dragon myself.
George shared stories of his own battles with dragons; when to stand and fight, when to lie low, and how sometimes surviving the battle is its own kind of victory. From George, I learned that character and faith are what help a person face the dragons in life.
I rarely ask Saint George to pray for us or the Scouting movement here in America. It might be a good time to do so now. Perhaps Scouting itself is being tested. My go-to saint is St. Hubert. I’m an avid outdoorsman and enjoy bow hunting as did St. Hubert. Having been raised Catholic in a small-town Catholic school, I’ve asked Our Lady to pray for us. I have faith in Jesus, and I am thankful for all the gifts I have received. Yet I’m far from being a perfect Catholic. I pray for grace. I might want to ask St. George to help me see what is lurking in the shadows. There are spiritual struggles in life that test courage, character, and faith. Perhaps we should ask Saint George to pray for us, that we may preserve courage, virtue, mentorship, and character. Would he intercede for Scouting?
As a child, I imagined dragons as creatures from old stories. Growing older has taught me why those stories endure.
Written by the first son of Ron Hadden
Scout Prayer to St. George
St. George, soldier, Patron of our Movement, you fought the good fight and won the victory of your salvation. Help us in our struggle against sin and in our fight for virtue. Under your protection, may we progress in our Scouting, live and die as soldiers of Christ, and win for ourselves a crown of glory in heaven. Amen.