The Joys of Scouting. Happy thoughts.

[Jay K 15]

What a joy it is to lead Scouts in the field!

[skeptic 997]

Yes!!

[Eagle92 110]

Why are you leading them, isn't that the SPL and PL's jobs

 

Seriously though, yes it is a great feelign being in the outdoors with Scouts. I visited a troop this weekend as they were camping at the location I'm doing IOLS/WeLOT next month. It was what the doctor ordered as I was going through outdoor withdrawl, since I haven't been camping since Oct.

[raisinemright 13]

I agree 100%. Lead by walking behind.

 

Got my fix this weekend. We did a cabin camput but I pitched my tent. I snore real bad and wanted my boys and my ASM's to get a good nights sleep, plus I wanted to try out a new insulated air mattress. Got down in the low 20's. We did some geocaching, cooked up a trash can turkey, had all the families to the cabin for a potluck and had a COH.

 

All in all, a near perfect weekend.

[Tampa Turtle 1011]

Yes, I remember's this years newbies' 1st camp-out. As 1st adults are getting up they have their patrol box set up, stove going, and breakfast for 6 well under way --sausage, pancakes, milk, OJ, and eggs. Figured out who was cooking and who was cleaning. A few older boys came over to poach and they circled the food and started deal-making. One of the boys from the established patrols looked sadly on as they ate their pop-tarts...

[Eamonn 61]

Sadly my days of "Active Scouting" are about over with.

In fact I'm thinking that next year will be my last as a member.

Looking back at the past almost half century I know that I've been blessed.

As a youth I was blessed in having people who were willing to take their time and devote it to myself and a group of kids like myself.

As a leader on both sides of the big pond, I was honored that young people were willing to give up the most precious thing they had, their youth and spend it with me.

I met some really wonderful kids a few little so and sos, but about his time of year when my mail box fills with cards from my (Yes I said my and not the Scouts I serve!) Scouts along with notes from them them saying what's new.

I really do feel blessed.

I was never sure how good or how bad a Scout Leader I was?

But I always tried to act like an older brother and a good friend, even when I was telling them off for doing or not doing something.

Scouts have a way of knowing and being able to see who really cares and who doesn't.

I pride myself that I did care.

I'm man enough to be able to admit that when I seen kids get hurt by the passing of a parent or end up in juvenile detention, I cried like a baby.

I've had a truly wonderful run.

I got to see the faces of a group of Scouts who mostly came from the flats (The projects.) As they woke up on a train as we crossed the Swiss Alps.

I've had Scouts who when anything and everything has gone wrong come up to me and say "Ea this is great!"

I've ha a fight on a Air Iran 747 when some twit tried to hit one of my Scouts. (Back when all the DC10's were grounded and we nearly all got stuck in New York.)

I've watched and followed little fellows as they became big Lads and the became men. Just this week one of my P/L's emailed me to say that his son was now a P/L.

The Scouts I've known have touched my soul.

Along the way I've also met some wonderful adults.

In fact today just about all my best friends are people that I got to know through Scouts and Scouting.

I never ever led with a rule book at hand.

I led with my heart.

I like to think that even at my worst I did my best to set a good example.

My goal was to try and install a feeling of caring for others, while also having fun.

Thanks to Scouts and Scouting I know that I've had more than my fair share of laughter and fun.

While maybe things in the organization will change, some for the better and some maybe not so much for the better? I feel sure that there are enough good people, people who understand boys and what it's like to be a boy to fill my shoes and take my place.

The world is full of people who really do care and boys that want to have fun.

Ea.

[Jay K 15]

Aw, Ea, ya choked me up. That's what I'm talking about, and what I was trying for when I started this thread.

 

[ramblinrosey 12]

Eamonn,if you are anything like my Dad (he's 91+) you will still be "active" even if ,like my Dad become the "Troop Relic"(as he refers to himself with a chuckle) His wisdom and advice and tales of his being an aide to Uncle Dan are still being passed on whenever he has the chance(I'm still on the receiving end as are his Great Grandsons)

Your involvement and commitment to the values and ideals of to scouting will live on through that boy you mentored and now turned Father and onto his Son. You will never be "not involved"

Wow, 50 yr's of giving and caring!!!

 

[Reasonable Rascal 8]

Eamonn,

 

I can't say how much I envy - yes, that is the correct word: envy - you the joy of still hearing from former Scouts years later. I have had only one boy other than my son ever thank me, and I always thought that I didn't accomplish that much with that troop at that time (90's, my first troop as SM back in Iowa).

 

Our troop's "relic" just left, a 60+ year Scouting veteran. He's going to run this week's meeting while Mrs. Scoutmaster and I go visit my former Scoutmaster (my Dad) and my First Aid MB counselor (Mom, an RN back when) for a couple of days. They are semi-snowbirds, only coming to AZ for a few weeks at both ends of the winter season but returning to Iowa for the worst of it.

 

"Doc", as our relic likes to be called (former Navy Corpsman, assigned to the Marines) doesn't camp with us but he has hiked a time or two and walks parades with us, is our Advancement Chair and counsels several MB's, and attends almost every weekly meeting without fail, and participates in our fundraising efforts.

 

My first SM passed away this fall, without my ever getting a chance to tell him thanks for all he did. Though I left his troop when another was founded it remains the only active troop in that town of the 4 that existed when I was a youth. He must have done something right over the years. They've been around for well over 60 years now.

 

I don't know about the rest of the folks here but the experiences I had as a youth have enriched my life and enhanced my values, and they continue to do so as I serve with my present troop as SM.

 

Whatever your present state I would suggest that if possible you try to make it a full 50 years. Doing so can be an inspiration to those youth you serve now, and to those other adults who may be inclined to just put in their time and fade away when their own sons age out.

 

RR