Brag Thread

[SagerScout]

Tell me about your proudest moments as a Scout leader or parent - either proudest ever, or recent proud moment -

 

Watching my son volunteer to teach six dozen Webelos how to tie knots at day camp this year was a recent proud moment.

 

Can't decide on proudest ever - maybe watching him at a very stormy summer camp last year - dealing with his lightning phobia. Or it might have been when he made Star. Or perhaps when he helped his buddy with HIS spider phobia. I dunno.

 

[berkshirescouter]

Great Thread

Here is mine

My son who is a Life Scout (15 at the time)is also a Den chief. Last year spent a whole Cub meeting teaching the boys about the Jewish Holiday Hanukkah Watching him on the floor playing dradle with these boys (who are not Jewish) was just a joy to see.

[evmori]

The night my son and his SM at the time came home from his Eagle BOR and he said "I did it"!

 

Ed Mori

Scoutmaster

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[SR540Beaver]

hmmmm, since we've only been in scouting less than a year, I'll have to expand outside of that a little.

 

I have been blessed repeatedly with my 10 year old son. Literally every teacher/coach/scout leader he has had has always commented on his maturity, attitude, intelligence, attentiveness and politeness. They have all said they would take a class/team/den full of kids like him. He makes me proud all the time.

 

While no big thing, just this last week he shocked his mom and me and made us proud. My mother has been keeping him this summer during the day. She had to have back surgery, so he got to stay home alone for about 2 weeks. He called and asked permission to fry some bacon for breakfast. We went over the danger and the care he needed to take to get the job done. It went off without a hitch. When I got home, I found that he had actually washed the dishes by hand instead of putting them in the dishwasher and had even made bean and cheese nachos for dinner in the microwave for himself. He is 10 years old for pete's sake! We had kids at resident camp the week before who couldn't even keep up with their own swimsuit for 24 hours because mommy wasn't there to do it for them.

 

The kid always amazes me. I like to think it is my superior parenting skills!!! LOL

[Rooster7]

My middle son completed his Eagle BOR of review about two months ago. Three of the six members on his board called my home that night. Each told me the same message - that they had done numerous Eagle BORs, and my son was by far, the most mature and well-spoken young man that they had encountered. Leaves a lump in my throat even now...

[eisely]

In 1995 on the trail at Philmont two members of our group ran into trouble. One with altitude sickness and the other with a pulled muscle. We had a long way to go, several hundred feet yet to ascend, and were carrying four days worth of food. We had no choice but to off loadas much as we could from the two injured trekkers. One obnoxious kid, who had been criticizing my own son for going to slow, absolutely refused to carry anything more. What this other kid did not know was that my son was still recovering from a sprained ankle. Well everybody but the obnoxious kid took more weight. My son at the time probably weighed no more than 80 lbs soaking wet, ended up cheerfully carrying close to his own weight, and set the pace up the rest of the ascent. I didn't think he had it in him, but he sure taught me something that day.

[purcelce]

As a parent: When my daughter crossed over from Daisy Scouts to Brownies back in March.

 

As a Scouter: When I attended an Eagle Ceremony earlier this year. When I went up to offer my hand in congratulations, the new Eagle refused my and and gave me a big hug instead.(This message has been edited by purcelce)

[purcelce]

As a parent: When my daugher crossed over from Daisy Scouts to Brownies back in March.

 

As a Scouter: When I attended an Eagle Ceremony earlier this year. When I went up to offer my hand in congratulations, the new Eagle refused my and and gave me a big hug instead.

[saltheart]

Many, many years ago...when our youngest son, at his Eagle Ceremony, just prior to the presentation of the award, asked that his older brother (an Eagle), his father, (an Eagle), and his grandfather (an Eagle), join him before the gathered crowd, and had his award presented by his grandfather.

 

Very proud family that day.

 

And one extremely proud grandfather...that he was asked, and remembered...

[eagle90]

every single time I present a Scout with his Eagle badge is a most proud moment for me. But recently, as his Eagle project one of my scouts collected used (and misused!) bicycles, reconditioned them, and donated over 30 like new bicycles to the Illinois Masonic Children's Home. The looks of joy and amazement on these kids faces when they realized these were THEIR new bikes was, as the commercial says, PRICELESS.

[mk9750]

I've told this story before, so I'll try to do the short version.

 

At summercamp, my oldest son and 4 of his buddies all took on too many tough MBs. One night, they were all trying to finish their 500 word reports for Env. Sci., and there was a rumor the counselor had a scanner and word processor he was using to count the words. My son held the flashlights while everyone else wrote their reports. When it came time for him to do his, they all pooped out and he never finished. On Sat., he checked the blue cards and his was signed off as complete. On the car ride home, one of his buddies was wondering why he partialed Env. Sci. I could see a serious look coming over my son. When we got back home, he asked to see my requirements book. He said the requirements his buddy didn't get signed off were the ones he thought he didn't do. I asked him if he understood the ramifications of what he was saying, and he said he knew that he would have to do Env. Sci over completely. He still went to our SM and told him the story, and asked if we could put him in contact with a local Env Sci counselor.

We found a counselor, who after hearing the story, gave my son's buddy full credit for the badge, and my son only had to do the two requirments that were not signed off on the other boy's blue card. But he came forward thinking he was going to have to redo the entire MB.

 

At that moment, I knew he would be an Eagle Scout. It took him another 5 years to complete the rest of the requirements, but I've known all along that whenever he got there, the ranks of Eagle Scouts would improve because he was there.

 

My youngest son's experience was much more simple. He sacrificed a day at an amusement park (free) to help my mom, just because she called and asked. My mom still doesn't know that my son cancelled his plans. I think the same thing now about my youngest as I did my oldest: He will be an Eagle, no doubt in my mind.

 

Mark

[fboisseau]

My proudest moment so far in Scouts with my boy is when as a 2nd year Webelos getting ready to move on to Boy Scouts we were having an impromptu discussion about the Scout Law and what it means. He gave the best explanation I had ever heard of the cuff including that it applied even out side of Scouts. It was at that point that I understood that he had gotten it.

[SR540Beaver]

sager,

 

Can we also turn this around and say what a father did to make us proud when we were kids? The list would be too long to tell all the sacrifices and things my dad did for us kids. He was a good husband, father, son, brother, grandad, friend, neighbor, worker, deacon, etc. He was liked by everyone and never knew an enemy. He died in Oct 2001 at the age of 76. I never knew of my dad to take a single drink of alcohol or ever utter a curse word. He had the patience of Job.

 

One of the small things my dad did that made a big impression on me as a child was when a clerk at a store gave him too much change. It was a small amount, just a few coins. He realized it after getting home. We packed back up in the car, went back to the store and he returned the extra change. I was proably between the age of 5 and 10 and that single act of honesty has always stayed with me.

 

My dad was never a scout, but he lived the scout law everyday of his life.

[dsteele]

KWC -- Great segway to what I had in mind.

 

My proudest moment in Scouting came to me when I was a Scout.

 

With my father's hand on my shoulder, we walked into a dark southwestern Michigan night. I knew the path well. Three times in the darkness I turned to him and asked him a ritual question. He answered correctly each time.

 

In the night, I and others asked him questions as he tended a fire. Alone and in deep thought.

 

In the morning I looked him in the eye and asked him a final question.

 

And then he was able to join me in the Vigil Honor of the Order of the Arrow.

 

For a change, I had been HIS guide. It was also cool that I was the Chief of the Fire as well as his Vigil Guide that night.

 

I don't think he's worried about me ever since. In a way, his vigil was, to me, the passage into manhood. To him, I think his vigil was an awakening that his son was fully "hatched" and ready to make his way in the world.

 

It was a pivital experience for both of us. I love my Dad.

 

Thanks for the memory. May you be able to benefit from the experince of your son and may your son benefit from leading you for a change . . .

 

Have a nice evening. I'm going to dream of his fire and mine . . . from different perspectives.

 

DS

[Eamonn]

Not sure if there is a moment or event.

In fact I'm not sure if I would use the word proud.

There are so many things and people that I am very grateful for.

The Big Guy up in Heaven, has given me more then my fair share of blessings.

I tend to be very emotional, so things have a way of getting to me.

Everytime I hear the song "Proud To Be An American" I think back to the fireworks display at the end of the last jamboree, and think what a great time those boys had. - And I'm pleased to have played a small part in making it happen.

When I put my uniform on.I am thankful for everything that Scouting has done and is still doing for me. One day soon I will live up to that Law and Promise, but for now I will keep on just doing my best.

I look at the pathes and knots, and while deep in my heart, I know that there are so many people who are or were far more deserving then I. It is still nice to think, that some people thought that highly of me. - Now all I have to do is live up to it.

My Wood Badge; Everytime I put it on. There are memories. Memories of good times and great leaders.

I look at my son, and then maybe the word proud is the right word. He is the good and loving person that when he was born, I hoped and dreamed that he would become.

My Wife who over the years has put up with me and who at times has been so mad at the time I spend away from home, but yet has stood behind me.

I could go on and on, but I am proud to be in this organization.

Grateful that maybe in my own little way, that I can make a difference.

Still no matter what, I owe far more then I can ever give.

Still when my time comes to stand by the gates of Heaven and Saint Peter asks me "What Did You Do?" I will answer "I was a Scout."