A while back we discussed the seven deadly sins, and that was fun. At some point we may do the seven virtues (or even the seven dwarfs…seven lends itself to all manner of foolishness). But I’ve been involved hands-on in a lot of Girl Scout-related virtue of late, and I gotta say, I’ve enjoyed it. As the nice philanthropists note in A Christmas Carol, “at this festive season of the year…it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the poor and destitute, who suffer greatly at the present …” Well, some things haven’t changed.

All this explains why on Monday Avocado and I spent the day at Borders, wrapping gifts for tips, as part of a Girl Scout service project. The money goes to buy gift-cards for the teenagers in foster-care for whom “Toys for Tots” programs don’t really cut it. The week before the girls in the troop had spent a morning buying presents–books and toys–for younger kids. And there are the “stockings for the homeless” that the girls spent an evening stuffing: tube-socks filled with toiletries, candies and other small nicenesses (whenever I go to a convention I bring back the hotel shampoos and lotions in preparation for this Christmas project). And at the end of the week Avocado’s troop will rally at 7:45 am at the food bank to buy food which they will then prepare and serve to 200-300 homeless people.

That’s a lot of virtue for one kid, but I have to say that Avocado eats it up. As do I, as her escort and co-conspirator in all these projects. But Girl Scouts won’t last forever (I mean, the Scouts may, but Avocado’s involvement with them very likely won’t). So I’ve begun to realize that I want to find opportunities to do this sort of thing without tagging along with Avocado’s troop. In the meantime, what with life being chaotic and stuff, it’s cool to have this sort of opportunity come to us.

One of the things about having kids is the necessity of moral education. Which isn’t just the right-n-wrong stuff–the “what would you do if you found a wallet on the street” sort of ethics–but also the “no man is an island” civic involvment thing. San Francisco, with its large and highly visible homeless population, makes a great lab for this…if you’re willing to do more than hand over the occasional dollar bill and scurry by. So, at this festive season of the year we’ll be frosting cupcakes for the homeless and, as importantly, smiling and making eye contact.