Out with the old?

[Eamonn 61]

Her Who Must Be Obeyed is on the loose!!

At supper tonight. Which was not at our usual time thanks to OJ being a budding thespian and the school play starting in two days. He was rushing out to a Council Camping meeting and I was meeting with our Boatswain's Mate to get her application for SEAL started.

Anyway at supper Her Who Must Be Obeyed was telling me about the plans for the Council Recognition Dinner. It seems that as chairman she volunteered not only my services as MC, but also volunteered the services of the Ship.

This year the Dinner committee want to recognize new leaders, people with one to five years service who are trained.

I think this is a good idea and I'm all for it.

But...

She went on to say that it is time the old timers like me and she went on to name a handful of people who I think do wonderful work in and for the Council.Stood down and gave new people the opportunity to lead the Council..

I pointed out to Her that I no longer serve at the District level and I'm not sure if after the meeting tomorrow if I will still be on the board any more? In fact I might just be a Sea Scout Leader and a Council Member At Large.

I think maybe she hurt my pride!! Or maybe my ego.

Anyway it started the little gray cells working.

The meeting OJ was going to was the Program Group Meeting. Presided over by the Council Vice President of Program. They normally meet as one big group and then break off into: Training, Advancement, Activities, Camping, and I forget what else. The Council Chairs meet with the District Chairs.

It seemed odd for me to drop OJ off and not be part of the action!!

As I drove to the door there was a real old timer. A super nice fellow but to be honest he can be a bit of a pain. He goes on and on about how it used to be. He hates any sort of change and I don't think he has been around youth other than at OA weekends (When he tells everyone how it used to be and what a bad job the youth Officers are doing.)

He was standing all alone outside of the school where the meeting was being held.

OJ, seen him and said "It's old name."

I thought back to Her That Must Be Obeyed and her comments at supper.

I couldn't help but wonder if the day will come when people think of me the same way as I think of this poor old soul?

Already I'm hearing comments that I'm not doing enough for the District (Heck my term only ended 30 days ago!).

To be really honest I'm having a great time with the Ship and I'm really loving working with the Scouts again.

I have a couple of years left on the Area Committee, but I could very easily and would be happy to let any new person or group take on any of the things I used to do.

I do think that Her Who Must Be Obeyed has a point. In fact as I look at the 17 and 18 year olds in the Ship, I can see them one day doing their bit. I see the up and coming new Council and District leaders. Many of them I trained!! I know that they will do things that I might not like or would have done a different way. I promised myself that I will on no account voice my opinion.

While I know that I'm very lucky to have the Ship and the Scouts in the Ship. We have a lot of people who serve the Council well and have done so for a very long time. I don't think just replacing them to make room for new blood is such a good idea and it wouldn't be very kind.

And then there is the question about who will MC her darn dinner??

Eamonn.

[lynncc 10]

My husband and I are part of the "new" we are by no means "young" but we are new to scouting. Our son joined in January of his tiger year and is now a Bear. Each year we have done more and more. We are now in a great pack. I am co-den leader and DH is the Pack advancement person.

 

My husband has been banned from ever going to another district banquet. Last year he ended up being Cubmaster for our little dying pack. New people are running it now. Younger and with more contacts then us. Anyway...THIS year he got to talking to the DE and the Camp director whose wife is activities chair and day camp program director.(They are wanting to retire from these positions. Well the next thing I know I am now the activities chair and day camp program director. DH said he would help me. Team work you know. Well he is going to be the camp director next year. Found that out by looking at the rooster and they had listed him as "camp director in training" Still not sure how all that happened. DH gets to talking and the next thing you know.....

 

This weekend I am off to daycamp school. This one hour a week thing is taking more hours then my paying job.

 

Most of the old guys are adaptable to change. We do hear the occasional...well now...that is certainly "thinking outside the box".... My friend got the campfire changed from Saturday to friday night. An Opening campfire instead of a closing campfire. A large percentage of people always left before the campfire.

 

Of course this is a fireless campfire as we are under a burn ban.

 

lynncc

 

[John-in-KC 311]

Eamonn,

 

The day that we are not in Scouting to help raise up great young men and women is the day we should pack up and join Rotary, Kiwanis, Masonic, or (insert other service group here).

 

As long as:

- We are current on our training...

- We understand "the rules" and business practices change over time...

- We can take ourselves with a grain of salt...

 

Then all will be well.

 

Your bride is also looking at one other vital factor: Scouting needs a constant infusion of fresh adults. One opening at the top can trickle down to 15 or twenty in the trenches.

[SemperParatus 1]

"None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm" ~ Henry David Thoreau

 

He Who Reads Your Posts says you are doing just fine.

[Cubmaster Jerry 10]

Eamonn writes: "She went on to say that it is time the old timers like me...Stood down and gave new people the opportunity to lead the Council.. "

 

A sure sign of the fact that you were successfull as a Scout leader in instilling the Core Values and Leaderships skills in scouts that you led. Congratulations!

 

Jerry

[seabear 10]

Eamonn,

From one old Rover Scout "It's Service"