Commitments

I'll be there.  I promise. On my honor.  We use these phrases all the time.  It is important that we don't make commitments lightly.  If we have no intention of keeping a commitment, then don't make the commitment.  People count on us all the time.  Our word is our bond.

Reputations are funny things.  Our actions create our reputation far more often than our words.  If we tell someone we are going to do something, they will believe us.  Right up to the time we don't do what we said we would.  Once can be forgiven and worked around. Make it a habit of giving lip service to people ... tell them what they want to hear, and not following through, we get a reputation of being unreliable.  As scouts, we promise, to do our best, and that means doing our best to keep commitments.

As parents of scouts, our job is to make sure that our child's commitments are kept unless extraordinary circumstances prevent it. They learn that if their commitments aren't important enough for you to help them keep their commitment(s), then their commitment(s) aren't important enough to keep.

BSA stands for Boy Scouts of America.  It does not stand for Baby Sitters Anonymous.  When there is work to be done, most of the time, the scouts could use support from adults.  As an organization, we are about to embark on family scouting, welcoming both boys and girls into our movement.  The requirements are exactly the same.  As our children work toward the highest scout rank, that of Eagle Scout, the scouts will learn to rely on each other.  We should have a very deep bench of parents and other interested adults to help fill in where dedicated, trained volunteers need a bit of help.  Next time you think about dropping off your scout for 1.5 hours, consider staying and finding out what the leaders are doing, and what your scout is learning.  You might find it's fun.  

For those parents who have stepped up, thank you.  For those parents who may have something more important than staying 1.5 hours on a Monday evening, when your scout gets into the car, ask them about their evening.  What did they learn?  Did they have fun?  Did they make any commitments to help someone out?  And find out details.  If commitments were made, that cannot be kept, let someone know. Your scout's word is their bond.

For those parents who have had scouts go through the program, we know this program really works, and the movement turns out well rounded young people.  Those who are active in the scouting movement tend to be more self reliant, and resilient when dealing with adversity.  They learn how to trust and work as a team. They learn that service to others can be as rewarding as getting things for themselves.  We all need to work together to make sure each and every scout has the opportunity to go as far in the movement as they wish.  It's their program to work, but adult support is critical.

We take this pledge at every meeting.  We promise to do our best to do our duty.... We describe our ideals in the scout law, and leading the list is "A Scout is Trustworthy".  We keep the commitments we make.  We help each other out.  If your scout has the determination to work the program and become an Eagle Scout Candidate, you will want other scouts to help your scout with their Eagle project. That's how this works.  If your scout signs up for a project, make sure they get there.  

If they get the message that their word is their bond, and that their commitments matter, everyone has a very good day indeed.

End of Summer Thoughts

Well, here we are.  Another summer unofficially over.  The 2018 Autumnal Equinox isn't until September 22 this year.  Labor Day weekend is, for many folks, our last summer hurrah.

Just as the leaves are changing, we look around and find our scouts are changing too.  Pay attention, and you will find, they are a little taller, a bit more confident, and perhaps, starting to have ideas of their own.

With any luck, they will be growing in maturity as well as in stature.  For some, they will grow into the phase where you just want to slap them for walking in the room.  Hopefully, they will get through this phase quickly.  In any event, your scouts will be changing just as as surely as the annual leaves on the trees change in a blaze of color.

Slow down and notice.  You will find that your scouts will have only a few (at least it seems like a few) seasons where they have noticeable changes.  Eventually, your scouts will go from being as cute as a button, to a very handsome young man.  Enjoy every moment with them, even the ones where you really do want to slap them for just walking in the room. 

Each change will only happen once, but at the same time their changes will keep happening. Some day, in the not too distant future, you will wonder what happened.  You will be looking at an adult who will be amazing in their own right.  It's so hard to let go.  Just as the trees let go of their leaves so the tree can change and grow stronger every season, we need to let our kids grow up.  But it's hard.

I've learned a lot with the scouting movement.  Our son learned a great deal for sure, but I had not counted on learning my own self.  Our family is so much more resilient, and ready for the future, that I cannot imagine what we would be like if we had skipped the scouting experience.

As the seasons change, take a moment to enjoy nature, and your family, as they both grow and get ready for another year. Excitement for this year is right around the corner. Enjoy it while it lasts.

If you do...it will always be a good day.

Order of the Arrow

It's that time of the year again.  Congratulations to all our scouts who were elected to the Boy Scouts Honor Society, the Order of the Arrow (OA).

Now it's time for newly elected candidates to complete their Ordeal.  Here in Colorado, we can attend a cony party to complete the Ordeal, and become members of OA.  By now, candidates have received information via email, and facebook on how to sign up.

The Ordeal is a personal achievement earned by every Arrowman, and once achieved, they have earned the right to wear a white sash with a red arrow across their chest.  Each scout who earns their place among other members, stands a bit taller, a bit more proud, and more handsome than ever.

For those who have completed their Ordeal already this spring, congratulations!  For those who were elected, but haven't signed up for a cony party yet, please do so soon.  If you miss the window this year, you will have to go through the qualification and election process all over again.  And finally, for those who completed their Ordeal at least 10 months ago, it's time to seal your membership by completing your Brotherhood.  Brotherhood can be completed at any of the cony parties, and is completely different from the Ordeal.

For those of you who have completed your Brotherhood already this spring, congratulations! For those of you who haven't signed up yet for your Brotherhood, please do so soon.  You can select either Peaceful Valley, or Tahosa for your cony party.  As spring moves into summer, your choices will be fewer, so act now.

It's a great time of the year to be a scout.

Court of Honor Thoughts

I just love going to our Troop's Courts of Honor, and tonight's celebration was no different.  Our Scouts achieved new ranks, earned merit badges, and even our adults were recognized for their efforts in helping out the troop.

My scout is in college and wasn't able to attend, but it never fails to amaze me when I find myself rooting for each and every scout achievement.  I think back to this year's Scout Sunday. In that service, the scouts delivered a message to the congregation as part of the service.  Here is a little reminder of part of that message:



"..Cub Scout, Boy Scout and Venturing programs work with the scouts as individuals and as members of a team.  The beauty of the program(s) is that no scout must lose for another scout to win.  It is no accident that when everyone is trying their best, scouts experience the most learning, the most growth, and the most fun.

With these simple but meaningful concepts, we can look inward at ourselves, and outward at the wonder and beauty that nature holds.  We are so fortunate to be in this area of the United States, with our great Rocky Mountains and the vast high plains.  We have lots of places we can camp, fish, hike, and go on all kinds of adventures.

We are lucky enough to have parents and volunteer leaders who will take us safely to places. We don't thank the adults often enough for the love, attention, and care to get us outdoors to enjoy the nature that God has prepared for us.  We also learn how to take care of the outdoors, and have a legacy of leaving destinations better than we found them.  We also learn how to give to others by doing good turns and service projects.  We learn the concept of servant leadership, in which we can help others outside of our pack, or troop, and our crew, as we practice being leaders..."


Now, I would like you to go back and re-read that section, carefully this time.  I'll wait.........Good, now that we are all caught up, we can continue.

Troop Courts of Honor is a time to celebrate each and every scout who is working his/her way through the program.  Scouts take different approaches to working "their" program.  Sometimes scouts have other outside interests and those interests compete for the time available to do scouting.  Sometimes scouts can juggle scouting and all their outside interests and work their way through the program and never miss a beat.  Other times, unfortunately, we lose scouts to those outside interests.  Sometimes, scouts find that they are actually quite good at the scouting program, and concentrate their energies on working "their" program.  And they seem to finish each challenge with speed and ease, and sometimes they make it look too easy.

The scouting movement is designed to make sure the scouts actually do the work.  They learn life skills (Tenderfoot - 1st class) then they have to learn how navigate the paperwork associated with merit badges.  And once again, scouts have different approaches to the paperwork.  Some do the fun ones first, some work the Eagle required merit badges first, and some mix fun with required.  It doesn't matter, as long as they stick with it, and get the required ones in before turning 18.

Then...they have to learn even more skills.  There is the Eagle Project, and those requirements are a whole other blog entry.  Lets just say, that the project is a good opportunity to learn even more life skills.  Some scouts, don't want to deal with it at all.  Some scouts don't want to put the effort in to organizing or documenting the work.  Little do they know, that most jobs we have today, require some level of organizing, and some level of documenting results.  And about 7% of scouts actually complete the program prior to their 18th birthday, and become Eagle Scouts.

How many of us know kids (of any age) that can do whatever they have in front of them without a reminder or two, or three?  Yeah, not many.  It is so important for the scouts to have support from their family, and from volunteers working with the troop.  At some point in time, the scouts will grow into the all knowing  all seeing teen agers we all know.  When they stop listening to their parents, many successful scouts will still listen to helpful questions and hints and tips from adult volunteers. At least we hope they continue to listen.

Have I met scouts who became Eagles who I wouldn't have recommended?  Yes I have.  But it isn't because I thought they didn't do the work.  Those few Eagles that I wouldn't have recommended (and there were very few) was because I didn't see them as living the scout oath and law.  Those scouts were smart enough not to ask me for a recommendation letter, or to sit in on their Eagle board of review.  So, the entire process worked the way it was supposed to.  It didn't matter what I thought, it mattered that the scouts did the work, and went through the entire process successfully.  And good for them.  I have not ever met an Eagle scout who skated through the program, or was passed through the program.

I'm reminded again tonight, how well this program works, for each and every scout, on their own journey.

Thanks for hanging in their on this unusually long musing on my part.  Once again, it was a very good day.