I KNOW it makes a difference!

[Scoutfish]

Tonight, I went to my first District Scout Banquet dinner.

 

Pretty much what I thought it would be too.

 

HBut first I have to give props to the North East Cape Fear District ( of Cape Fear Council - NC) Pack 220 for cooking a great dinner!

 

Anyways, after the banquet, I had to run over to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things.

 

So there I was, in my full CubMaster uniform and with my red jacket and had barely made it through the outer doors when a man who appeared to be in his 40's walks up to me, holds out his hand and shakes it. He said : "Thanks for all the great memories!". We talked a few minutes and he tells me he's originally from Fla ( I live in NC)and had a blast as a scout as a youth.

 

WEll, it's obvious that he's a "little bit" older than me, so we know I didn't influence/mentor him. But a scouter is a scouter ,right?

 

So I walk farther into the store and at the jewelry counter, another guy walks up, asks me if I am an Eagle Scout, and I say no, I'm just a CM, etc...

 

He walks over and shakes my hand. Says he was an Eagle Scout, started as a Tiger and ended up in the Marine Corps. Has 2 boys who were scouts and 1 grandson who is a Wolf.

 

He then says to me: " I just want to thank you because it's people like you who made me what I am."

 

Aparently, he lived in a low income/ high crime/ gang area as a kid, and scouting kept him away from that influence.

 

In the electronic dept, I met another guy who said that he was proud of me for making my contribution and that scouting was great for him. He had to be at least 20 years older than me.

 

 

So..3 different guys who are total strangers and as old as or older than me , but stepped out of their way to thank me -

even though I never met them or worked with them.

 

The only tie was scouting and they were proud and admiresome of the fact that I was in scouts too.

 

 

Does Scouting make a difference?

 

You bet it does!(This message has been edited by scoutfish)

[83Eagle]

Nice!

[SSScout]

Thank you! Fun anecdote.

 

So I am in the local burger place with family (wife and Scoutson) and another family sits down at the table next to us. Dad has on a camp Tshirt from a place in Florida. Mom and boys, one about my son's age and size, one a little younger.

I lean over and say "welcome to Maryland". Other dad says "thanks" and then notices my antique (red on green) Scout cap. And we talk.

And our sons are suitably embarrassed. Ha! Wives exchange knowing glances.

As we leave, we shake hands and everybody says goodbye, even Scoutson.

[jhankins]

Great stories!

 

I took my cubs to sing Christmas carols at the local veterans home. The boys in Christmas hats and uniforms, and the moms in yellow cub shirts. No sooner did we finish but a very tall elderly gentleman hobbled his way over to us, carrying his Troop 1 Gilwell hat in his hand. He shook all the hands of every boy, then gave every mom a kiss on the cheek. He said he never got to do that for his den mother, and he could have sworn she saved his life when he was in Korea, just by being a voice of reason in his head.

 

Wow.