Introduction
Bob Condon (rec@EPOCH.COM)
Mon, 8 Aug 1994 10:14:29 +0500
I am Bob Condon and been involved in scouting many years as
an adult and only a few as a boy.
Most recently:
1987 - Joined the Cub Scout program when my son joined Tigers with
a group of neighborhood boys.
1988 - 1990 Became Cubmaster of pack 99, Westford, Mass because no one
"had the time". I good friend said that he would be the assistant if
I took the lead. (Last contribution he made... Never showed up for another
meeting) 8-(
It was a GREAT experience and I had lots of fun [and got the scouter bug].
1990 - Moved to my home town of Acton, Mass (for a better school system.
Westford had some real problems that they have now resolved).
Led 2 years of Webelos with 3 other adults. We got most the
Webelos Arrow of Light complete (purposefully) by Jan of the second
year and then got the kids completed geared up and excited for Boy
Scouts. One of the leaders is an Eagle Scout. he is very active
in climbing, hiking etc so it was easy to get the kids engerized.
ALL the boys joined Troop 1, Acton (there are 4 active troops in town)
which was my old troop when I was a boy in 1968-69. [ok, my age is
now beginning to show]. I immediately became an Assistant Scoutmaster,
with 5 other leaders. Steve, Our Scoutmaster was 23 years of age,
his Dad, Paul was the Committee Chair. Steve is into Hiking, Caving,
Skydiving, Photography, Skin and Scuba diving so the boys REALLY
like him.
Steve has felt a bit overwhelmed so over the last year he has asked me to
take over the leadership of the troop which I have.
It is a GREAT experience.
I have 2 boys. John, 13 years old, is Life rank, just voted into the OA
and is investigating Eagle projects. He has done ALL the work on his own
and he impresses the heck out of me. He wants to be a Doctor (MD) when he
grows up, has looked at colleges and is almost a straight A student.
He is a wonderfully easy child to have. My wife's father was an Eagle
in the late 40s but passed away several years back. My wife's mother
has offered her husband's sterling silver eagle when John completes
his Eagle rank. (John has held that Eagle and he really wants it!)
Jeffrey, 8 years old, is a second grader. He is a good student and just
"full of life" {as his teachers stay ?!} My wife Margery and I coodinated
the Tigers cub den last year and will run the Bobcat/Wolf den this year.
Jeff is very excited about being in scouts mostly because we get to spend
a bunch of time together. He wants to follow in Johns footsteps so I
need to be careful not to promote John too much.
Right now, I am working with Paul (Committee Chair) on two Eagle reports.
One was done very well, with tremendous planning by a 16 year old.
The other was done last minute with only a couple of days left before his
18th birthday. I have never been put in such a hard position. Everything was
last minute. He did what he said he would do but the execution wasn't great.
The report was awful. After pounding on him for 3 hours to get the report
restructured and cleaned up, we actually have a pretty good product.
(The last report would have not been accpeted by Council, in our
opinion so the investment in time was for the boy.) He will be 18 in
2 days and has moved to California to go to school.
=======
As a child, I did not get much support for Scouting from home.
1968-69 I made Tenderfoot the first weekend I joined and Second Class
about 1/2 a year later. I only had Semiphor or Morse code to
pass and I could not get through it.
I became Patrol Leader much too early and became completely
frustrated. I dropped out a year later and began working
[for the rest of my life].
Oh well, Thats who I am.
The Boys and I have a lot of work to do this year..
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| Bob Condon Phone: (508)-836-4711 Ext 393 |
| SM Troop 1, Acton, Ma. Fax: (508)-836-4884 |
| rec@epoch.com |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
