They are MY Scouts.

[Eagle94-A1]

Question for the long time Scouters out here, do you consider the Scouts you worked with YOUR Scouts even 5, 10, 20+ years after working with them?

I mentioned a few months back how I had one Eagle come and stay with me a few days. He's a "Nomad," converting a UHaul truck into a mobile office and apartment. He's driving all over the US and I keep up via Facebook. Last time I saw him was 21 years ago.

I visited another Eagle when I went home for a few days. Wasn't a long visit, but it brought back memories and we were able to catch up on folks we knew and had not heard from. Again it was 21 years since I last saw him.

Last night it really hit. One of my Eagles got married, and I was at the wedding. At the reception, I ran into his dad, who also was an ASM with me. We spent over 20 minutes catching up, no only on what we have been doing, but also on our Scouts.  We mostly discussed the good things in our Scouts' lives: graduations, marriages, jobs and promotions, children, etc. Negative events were not mentioned, but from the tone, we both keep up with those as well: divorces, deaths, etc. It seemed as if no matter where they go, or how old they become, we both consider them  "My Scouts."

 

[HelpfulTracks]

I do consider them mine. Same for the athletes I have coached. 

With Scouts they may still refer to me by my last name even though they are older. But it really hits home with my former players that introduce me to their children as coach.  

That relationship, scouting or sports, never goes away entirely for either party. And I m glad.

Edited March 16, 2019 by HelpfulTracks

[RememberSchiff]

21 hours ago, Eagle94-A1 said:

Question for the long time Scouters out here, do you consider the Scouts you worked with YOUR Scouts even 5, 10, 20+ years after working with them?

Some more than others. 

At chance meetings, they usually advise me to get on FB so they can "friend" me, to which I respond they "friended" me when they joined Scouting.

 

 

[ItsBrian]

I don’t see why not. You never really “finish” scouting.  

[qwazse]

Interesting concept. In fact, they are under my stewardship for just a little while.

But then they become these men and women who come around and touch base from time to time.

[qwazse]

They are especially my scouts when they go on be professional video-journalists of stories like this Orlando Sentinel article

[ianwilkins]

Yup, they are "mine". I was at a leader day the other week and I knew one of the leaders there, I told the others she was one of "my" Venture Scouts, which then made us both feel old, as Venture Scouts was replaced in 2002 in the UK. 

[qwazse]

On 3/19/2019 at 9:01 PM, qwazse said:

They are especially my scouts when they go on be professional video-journalists of stories like this Orlando Sentinel article

More humble brag, “my” scout gives a nod to his roots in the following interview: https://www.yourcommunitypaper.com/articles/cp-interview-patrick-connolly-explores-central-florida-for-a-living/