The Passage Of Time

[Eamonn]

Have just returned from dropping Junior off at Scout Camp. Me thinks it will be his last. Next year he is off to the Jamboree, he wants to do the OA Trail Crew at Philmont.

He was really keen to see the back and the going of his Mother and me.

We had stopped and had a nice lunch, he had managed to get yet another $20.00 out of me and inform me that he had taken my radio, my sleeping pad and that he would need a big bag of ice when we return on Wednesday.

The troop has 30 Scouts attending Summer Camp, along with 10 Adults. OJ, is SPL. He spent half the night mapping out how the color guard was going to raise and lower the Flag. The other half looking for a troop hat that wasn't his, but belongs to another Lad who has his.

He has been gone for two hours and already I miss him. Sure I know that he will be fine and have a grand time. But I'm one of those weird parents who really looks foreword to the summer and having him home. We do a lot of stuff together and I really enjoy his company. We can talk for hours about nothing and everything.

On the drive home I couldn't but help think about his first camporee with the troop. He had just crossed over from the pack and it was cold. He looked so small, lost amid all the big Lads.

I remembered something that I had posted a week or so back about giving our kids roots and wings.

Next month he gets his driving permit and I suppose that we will soon get less time to spend together and the $20.00 will become $50.00.

Still I can't help feel proud of him, mainly because he is a good kid.

I know that He isn't going to want to spend much time with me when I go up for parents night and when I pick him up on Saturday, he will be asleep before we reach the main road. Still I look forward in the weeks to come of hearing his account of summer camp 2004.

Eamonn.

[boleta]

Nice post. My son gets his driver permit next month too. He and I have been accepted as Sub-camp staff at the National Jamboree next year- medical. He has lost interest in regular troop meetings and activities and moved on to Venturing. He is not going to Scout camp this year, but he did go to a tennis camp and is on a swim team now. I was very pleased that he did well in Scouting while he was active.