Who Is Your Scouting Role Model?

[LeCastor]

We all have role models growing up. They can be our parents, friends, or Scouters. Who is your Scouting role model and why?

As I was growing up, I spent many summers in Middle Tennessee with my grandparents. In many ways my grandfather influenced me, especially in camping, hiking, and the outdoors. He took me to buy my first handbook, Bill Hillcourt's Official Boy Scout Handbook, 9th edition. That summer I spent many, many hours reading that handbook and practicing the outdoor skills at my grandpa's cabin in the woods.

Even though I never met Green Bar Bill, he is one of my Scouting role models and I try to model my Scouting after him. For people I have known, my Scoutmaster(s), Den Leaders, and other Scouters have all influenced me in ways I'll probably never fully grasp. 

Thanks to all Scouting volunteers!

[qwazse]

The Short list:

• My mom's sister, who gave me my 1st Cub Scout uniform for Christmas.
• Best scout I ever knew: aged out at 2nd class. Recruited me into his troop. Was APL, then PL.
• My Webelos DL, who took us out and taught us to shoot his 38 special.
• The SPL who patiently showed me how to start a fire from coals when we were the first people up in the morning.
• My Jamboree SM. First time I ever knew an SM could be so young ... excited to get back to his wife and baby.
• The Jamboree ASMs. Guys who always were there for everyone.
• My oldest brother. Some of whose gear I've appropriated to this day.
• My other brother, who's bow and arrow I "borrowed" until I could master marksmanship.
• My other brother, who had all the tales of what not to do with your equipment!
• Fuzzy. (No, I didn't forget his name. That's what everyone called him when they weren't calling him professor.) The most talented guy in town. He made patches for our camporees. Challenged us to find Hawkweed on a scavenger hunt. Knew every musical instrument known to man. His wife had the best sense of humor (necessarily).
• Scout sisters, one of whom wrote a poem for the program on my Eagle ceremony.
• SM
• SM's sister
• Green Bar Bill via his Boy's Life Articles.
• The SMs and Coaches of my kids.
• My councils venturing officers committee.
• Whoever paid for my oldest Aunt to go to Campfire Girl summer camp during the depression era.

It takes a village to raise a scouter.

Edited November 15, 2018 by qwazse

[LeCastor]

I ask this question because I was reading a 1979 article yesterday in the Scouting magazine archives, and it got my mind thinking about all the thousands of influential Scouters that've come along and helped raise us. This particular article was about a chaplain named Les Shearer. I'd post the link to the article but Google books is missing the year 1979 ☹️

 

 

[MattR]

I don't know his name and I probably only met him once but I'll never forget him. I had just moved to town and joined a scout troop (Devon 50 right outside of Valley Forge). I didn't know anyone, I was struggling with everything, new school, new neighbors, and then there was the Scout Law. I just couldn't get it and I was frustrated. I was at this gentleman's house with a bunch of other new scouts. He was much older than any of the other adults in the troop. He was the epitome of kind. He helped me through memorizing the scout oath and law. If there's anything in scouting I'd like to be it would be this man. Every time I help a new scout that's struggling with the scout oath or law I think back to that night.

[Cambridgeskip]

My Venture Scout leader, her name was Brenda.

She carried on scouting including all the hiking and camping even when she was having chemo for breast cancer. An extraordinary woman 

[roberthynesii]

Our Troop had many adults who rotated as Scoutmasters and supported the committee. Judge Richard Freeborn, Doctor Mark Cooper, Gary Miller and Martha Miller, Greg Lindsey, Ferdous Kamfar and Mrs. Ditmars.

The older scouts who ran the troop that I would attempt to emulate often were children of this great group of adults: Brian and Ben Cooper, Brian Miller, Jason Freeborn, Kerry Chapman.

All doing their very best to live the Scout Oath and Law and be a great example for scouts and running the best program the they could.

My twin Brother Rodney, who earned his Eagle at the same time I did. of course I couldn't let him be a better scout than I was.....Right ?

[CodyMiller351]

One of the Assistant Scoutmasters in my Troop and one of my Best Friends.  He is probably the coolest guy I’ve every met.  He is also the reason I’m a volunteer firefighter (he is one as well). 

[MikeS72]

4 hours ago, LeCastor said:

As I was growing up, I spent many summers in Middle Tennessee with my grandparents

Was any of that time spent at Boxwell Scout Reservation?  If so, when were you there?

My first 4 summer camps were at Boxwell, followed by staffing in 72, 73, & 74.

[LeCastor]

No, these summers were at my grandpa's cabin on Tims Ford Lake. As a Scout I spent one summer at Skymont Scout Reservation with my Troop.  Never made it to Boxwell, though my mom wishes she had had the opportunity to go with her friends from school.

[LeCastor]

Here is a memorial tribute I wrote about a Scouter who influenced me greatly. She died unexpectedly about three weeks ago at the young age of 54:

https://scoutlaw.wordpress.com/2018/10/27/she-gave-her-time-so-that-i-might-learn/

[WAKWIB]

Thought I would contribute to this for the good of the order.
First role model, is a guy name John P.  He was an older Scout in the troop I joined at age 11. I knew him from school and church as well. He was a real spit-and-polish kind of guy.  He encouraged me when I was down, which was often. He pushed me to be a leader, even when I was really too immature to be a leader. It was because of his influence that I eventually worked on our local camp staff.

For the six summers I served on that same camp staff, I can really call to mind probably a dozen guys who served as role model. And I could point to several ladies as well.  For the ladies, I can think of several women who worked in the Camp kitchen. I was on the kitchen staff for 4 of my six summers. These were local ladies from the Ozark communities near the camp. They were the salt of the earth. I learned a lot about a work ethic from them. They were like "moms" to me. They would lavish praise when I did well, and give me a good scolding when I didn't. I will cherish their memories as they have long since passed away.

My longtime friend who was my "bestie" at camp and still is, was a super role model. Dan was the perfect Scout. That guy who was always the cream of the crop. But he was humble about it, and could easily be led into mischief....which is what I specialized in.  He helped me to stay focused and we worked hard together, and we also had a lot of fun. What is so cool is that even after all these years, we can still read each other's mind. We are still very engaged in the local Scouting scene, and we always find a bit of time to go back down to camp together for a few days to participate where we are needed.  Without Dan, my adult interest in Scouting probably would not have been nearly as enjoyable.

I also learned a lot from the folks who I served with in my sons Troop.  For 10 years I got to do Scouting with some great men and women while both my boys went up through the ranks. None of them really had the depth of experience in their youth that I had, but I never acted smug about that. I probably learned more about Scouting  from them than they did from me, even though they respected my experience.  They all did a great job in their various roles, and I am richer for being along on their Scouting journey.