A Second Chance"

By Jan Lankford

Are you the older mom? Are you afraid of connecting with Scouting because of it? Do you stand back and watch others get involved because they are younger? Are you not participating because you might not be able to master a skill as quickly as the younger leaders? If you can answer yes to any of these questions then my friend, you are missing out on a chance of a lifetime. Not only does being the "older mom" give you credibility, it gives you something the "young" aren’t even aware of yet. Experience, knowledge and wisdom. These are very important skills when working with youth.

After I finished my years in Scouting, I never in my wildest dreams imagined I would return to Scouting again. Here I am 10 years later and starting all over again. I now have a Tiger Cub to bring up through the ranks. I consider this a privilege and honor of being allowed a second time around. Not only have I learned, and hopefully remember (some anyway) the past, I can share the future with these boys.

Being at camp again has brought back wonderful memories and given me a new outlook on life. I may be the "older mom" but I can still feel the same excitement. Watching as these little guys learn new skills and test their wings. I actually believe I appreciate it more than I did when I was younger. So what if I don’t move as fast, or respond as quickly as someone else, I can now call myself "proportionately rated". That means my age, size, and speed all equal each other now. It took me a long time to arrive at this place in my life and I am proud of it. I wonder if they give a badge or something for this?

Just think we have had twice as long to master things as the younger moms have. In some cases it may be fair to even say three times as long. Let my age keep me away from having fun and learning....... no way.