Same mountain, different trail

[ScoutLass 10]

I've had a long day today. Cleaned out my office here at home. I have a small desk I actually work at, the rest had become a catch-all for pinewood derby cars, stomp rocket launchers, construction paper and glue, chunks of wood, leather working tools and all the other flotsam and jetsam that makes our pack go. I got everything organized and inventoried for next year, packed away in the basement storage room my husband sat aside just for the scouting things.

 

On my desk sets two forms I must drop off at the scout office tomorrow. The first registers my youngest son in scouts as a brand new Tiger cub. The other form registers the same son for his first every trip to cub day camp and registers my oldest for his last day camp as a cub. One trail ends, another begins. Except I'm still climbing the same mountain and my eldest is moving on to higher peaks.

 

I have at least another 5 years ahead of me in the cub program. My eldest held my hand as we took our first steps up the mountain, gradually pulling ahead and letting go, before finally leaving me behind so he could climb at his pace. It's gonna be different with the younger one. He's already chomping at the bit and ready to leave me in his dust. He can't remember a time when scouting wasn't part of this family. When the pack wasn't his family. He's been looking at the calendar each day, waiting for June 1st. Wakes up each morning and asks, "Is it the first yet? Am I a real Tiger yet?"

 

I can't wait to see what path he etches on the mountain ahead of us. Man, I love this scouting stuff!

 

 

[CCbytrickery 10]

Aww, ScoutLass. you made me shed a little tear. (Easy enough to do these days, but still..)

[SeattlePioneer 144]

When camping, parents start by carrying most or all the load to camp. As the years advance, the boy carries more.

 

But just when the parent might expect a little help from junior---- he doesn't want to be seen in the company of the old man any more!

[Eamonn 61]

In many ways I envy you.

Scouts and Scouting were for the longest time something that everyone in our home seemed to live for.

My son, now 22 aged out. He talked about becoming more involved, but with all that is going on, him being a volunteer Fireman, volunteer medic and working shifts, he hasn't been able to find the time.

Over the past few years I have cut back more and more each year. It started when HWMBO found out that she had cancer and later when it spread to the lymph nodes and the Doc. said that most people have about seven years. I kinda cut myself off. Even though HWMBO keeps urging me to get out of the house and do more. This big black cloud is always there. Even just not being home for a few hours has me feeling like I should be at home.

Add to this that things change and if your not there and able to be part of the changes, the feeling of things not being the same is at times daunting.

I feel the same way about my home town London. I dearly love London. I like to think that I know every road, street, short cut, you name it! But London has changed. The church I used to attend and was married in was an Irish stronghold. The church is still there but the Irish have gone and been replaced by a Portuguese congregation. It's strange going to mass there now that the mass is being said in Portuguese. While I don't feel unwelcome. I know that I don't know or understand a lot of whats going on.

This is like what has happened to me and Scouting.

I don't know if it's just me? But many of the new leaders just don't seem to have the same drive and the same passion that I thought was there in the past.

I'm saddened to see the decline in membership. I look back for the days when the District Committee was able to get things done and while maybe not perfect there was at least some service coming from the Commissioners. I'm really saddened when I see that all of this and fail to understand how this can be acceptable.

While I was posting this our District Chair. Called me on the phone. As ever we had a long chat. He has lost heart. Saying that there isn't ten active units in the District. Not so long back there was over 40. His term is just about over.

I think he was feeling me out to see if I'd take his place.

He didn't ask me. Just skirted around the subject. So I didn't volunteer.

I don't think, when they do ask! That I'm willing to take on what seems to be an uphill thankless task.

My days on the trail are about over.

It's time for new faces on the top of the mountain.

Ea.