"Old Codgers Die in Bed."

[Eamonn]

Due to a very hectic work schedule and overwhelming laziness, I have to admit that my involvement in Scouts, Scouting and this forum has fallen away over the past few years.

Sure my name is on a few committees that do very little and only see my happy smiling face on rare occasions.

I still do my bit with a few checks to support the cause.

Every now and then my in-box lets me know that something is happening here on the forum and I look in, just to see what's going on.

 

A few months back I got the wonderful news that my son and his wife are going to be parents and I was going to be the Grand-father of a little fellow who when he decides to arrive will be  Rory James.

Needless to say I'm over the moon.

This will be my first grandchild  and already I have been barred from buy him any more stuff

.Her Who Must Be Obeyed holds the opinion that even the toddler sized  North Face sleeping bag is a little over the top at this time.

OJ, my son and the father of this little Lad to be, seems happy that come the time I will be there to help with ensuring Rory enjoys the great outdoors as much as I do and hopefully is active in Scouting.

OJ has already taken steps to ensure that Rory has our great love of dogs by buying him a Saint Bernard. (And I get heck for a sleeping bag !!)

 

Last month I helped out at a Woodbadge course that was being presented in the Council.

My involvement was minimal, just working in the kitchen and doing the Baden Powell  presentation at the campfire.

This was the first really active thing that I had done for a long time.

I had a really great time.

By design I kept my involvement with the course to a absolute minimum. The last thing they need is any interferences from a old timer.

However the crew we had working in the kitchen had a blast.

There were only four of us.

One was /is my best friend. He was my mentor back when I was a course director.

We have been best friends for going on forty years and  both of us can tell war stories about each other, till tears will run down your face.

We both hold true to the idea that this really is all about the youth that we serve but that fun is a very important  ingredient of what we do and how we do it.

The other half of our kitchen crew were two young Lads who have been and are very active in our OA Lodge.

At first they were a little unsure of the pair of "Old Heads".

But it didn't take long till they felt comfortable enough to let their hair down and see that we all were no matter what going to get the job done while having a blast along the way.

 

The second half of the course is coming up next month and I really am looking forward to it.

The truth is that I never really knew how much I had missed the active part of being involved.

 

I'm not sure if when the time comes Rory James will want to be a Scout or not?

I kinda think that his Dad might do everything that he can to ensure that he will be.

If he does decide that he likes it and wants to stick around, my guess is that I will at some level be there to help out where I can.

By the time he is ready for Cub Scouts I should be retired with a lot more time on my hands.

Needless to say, I'm very aware of all the good stuff that can come from being a Scout and I know that Scouts and Scouting has done a lot in making both my son and I the men that we are today.

But my great hope is that Rory James has as much fun and as good a time as I have had.

 

   

 

 

[Sentinel947]

Nice to see you are doing well!

[scoutldr]

Good to hear from you again, Mate, and congratulations on your grandson.  My own tribe has increased by three...two beautiful girls, and a VERY busy, active boy whom I can't wait to buy his first Cub Scout uniform.  Who knows, the way things are leaning, the girls may be in Cub blue as well!  We've been holding your spot at the campfilre and the coffee (tea?) is still hot...

[SSScout]

Welcome back E.    Your musings were missed. 

So far, I like to think all the kids I've met thru Scouts , and indirectly , thru the adult leaders I've helped train and encourage, are sort of my G-kids.    I still like it when some strapping young man looks out over that store counter or bank teller window and says "Hello, Mr. L...."  and then I have to adjust my memory to see that Tenderfoot in that bearded visage.... 

[John-in-KC]

Always good to hear from you, E!

[WAKWIB]

Hi Eamonn! I've wondered what you have been up to. I'm pretty much on the same point on my Scouting path as you. Keeping my nose in it, but not nearly as involved as I was in the 2000-2010 time frame. I have a number of lifetime friends that are very active and I get pulled into a few service opportunities now and then and it's always a great time.

Congrats on the new grandson!! It currently appears that I'm not very close to arriving at that milestone yet, but I'm looking forward to that same sense of joy that is very apparent in your post.

 

God Bless you and your growing family!!

[qwazse]

@@Eamonn, my depth perception is getting the better of me, so I -1ed when I wanted to +1.

I always tell my scouts that the first thing to find at camp is the kitchen ... not just because of the food, but because that's where the best stories are told.