I came back and got involved for my son first and foremost, but also for myself. It’s not about me: it’s about my son and the youth. It’s about imparting to them what I learned. It’s about giving them the tools to create the lifelong friendships that I have. To do this I’m heavily involved (my wife would sometimes say to involved). To give the youth the best experiences, I have to improve my own experiences.
I have been through leader specific training, BALOO training to get a refresher on the skills I once knew really well. I went to WoodBadge* for “corporate level leadership training in the realm of Scouting”. I am soon to go on a follow up course to that back at Philmont.** I have been a Den Leader and I am soon to be a Cub Master. Those are simply the “official” titles I will hold. I have been volun-told (a term in Scouting signifying that you are volunteering for something but you don’t have a choice and sort of expected, told, to do it. Very common with adult leaders.) for a number of other positions since I’ve been back in it.
*I’m not going to bore you with the history of WoodBadge here. That’s a story for another time.
**Philmont, again more stories for another time.
Sure it’s a lot of work, but it’s also a lot of fun. If I can encourage one scout to continue their journey into a troop. If I can encourage that one scout to continue their journey in the troop and achieve the rank of eagle, than my job is done. Really it’s a lot simpler than that. If I can encourage my scouts to be better people overall because of the friendships and the lessons and the skills that scouts teaches them, and they use those friendships and lessons and skills to make the world a better place and make themselves better people in the process, than I have done my job. My legacy will live on.
It has nothing to do with the fact that I wanted to get back to Philmont in anyway that I could. Like I said though, Philmont is more stories for another time.
Inevitably, at all points through out my Scouting journey:
As a youth - You’re a Scout? How close are you to Eagle?
When I applied for jobs - You were a Scout? Are you an Eagle?
As I got back into it with my son - Who has any experience in Scouting? (raise my hand) Great, did you earn your Eagle?
If at any point you mention that you were or are currently involved in Scouting, you get asked if you earned your Eagle.
Whenever I’m talking to others who were/are involved in Scouting it’s one of two things: “I am an Eagle” or “I was in Scouts for awhile but quit before I got my Eagle”.