In motion

[Eamonn 61]

My boss along with a handful of inmates and myself were shooting the breeze the other day. The topic of conversation was a familiar one. Who is getting out? When are they going?

Some of the inmates were "Maxing out". Having served their full sentence, others were hoping or waiting for parole.

When the inmates left, I reminded my boss that when I had started working for the Department of Corrections that he had shown me an Excel File on his computer, with page after page full of names of inmates that he had worked with in the 12 years he'd been on the job.

He said that it was strange to think of the number of lives we touch just doing our job.

This got me thinking of the number of lives we touch, just by being Scouting volunteers.

Many of us can name the Scouts who went on to become Eagle Scouts or the Lads who just couldn't seem to help it but seemed to have a knack for landing in hot water.

Somewhere between these two groups are a lot of other Lads who were maybe only around for a little while, maybe Lads we only worked with for a very short while? Scouts who maybe we took to a Jamboree or worked on a Merit Badge with, Scouts who quit Scouting after a year or two.

Nearly all the Scouts I have had come before an ESBOR have said that they think that in time they will return to Scouts either as some kind of a leader or just as a parent.

I know that they might have a long road ahead of them before that ever happens and that life has a way of getting in the way of even the best of intentions.

At times when I think of the responsibility that we take on working with these young people and trying to set a good example. I get a little scared! I know that I'm not that good.

Most of the time, I tend to get so caught up in what we are doing that any of the good stuff and all the "Purpose" gets pushed back. I'd like to say to a back burner, but the truth is, sometimes it doesn't even get to the stove!

Now in my early fifties (Man that hurts!!) I'm starting to think that I'm becoming set in my ways.

I'm not as easy going as I like to think I am, I'm not as open minded or adaptable as I like to be. I'm not a lot of the things I'd like to be. I'm just left being me.

Last Sunday we were out flying kites in the hope of recruiting new Tiger Cubs.

The little fellows looked so darn cute. They were so excited with the cheap kites! I laughed at the mother who was trying to help get her son's kite up, running through the wet and slightly muddy grass with four inch heels on!

I of course have no idea if these little guys will stay the course or not? I don't know if maybe they will find something in Scouting that will spark their interest and this interest will lead to??

It's kinda nice to think that for almost 100 years, volunteers have tried to do their best to help kids become better people.

It's kinda scary to think of the number of lives we touch, just doing what we do.

Eamonn.

[HICO_Eagle 94]

You're absolutely right. I think what I enjoy most isn't coming across the boys I helped get to Eagle but rather the boys that say, "Hey, Mr. XXXXXX! Nice to see you! You know, my boy is in Cubs/Boys Scouts now and I'm trying to do for him what you did for me." Not all of them are Eagles either but they ARE men who got some measure of their evolution to manhood from their time in Scouting.

[Eagle92 110]

Yep we do make a difference. One of the best moments for me was seeing a few young men who I recruited to be Cub Scouts become Eagle. I was a DE and started their unit. Seeing them grow up an be positive influences is awesome.

 

The really interesting thing is this. Look at BP, and his idea that started with 20 boys and his nephew on Brownsea Island in 1907. Look at all the lives impacted by BP, either directly or indirectly. We as leaders are part of that legacy, and we will continue to make an inpact on youth long after we are gone by influence we had on the next generation.