What do you love?

[boleta]

I really like teaching. Our troop is trying to get to a boy taught troop and I don't know that I like it that much. It seems the guys don't teach thoroughly and seem to want to just get through the requirement. Adult teaching seems to avoid these problems and I enjoy it a lot. A group of guys decided to skip Orienteering for 1st class at summer camp. I set up and then taught them the subject and they seemed to enjoy it.

[Fuzzy Bear]

We had worked all day Saturday assisting the OA members in putting together the ceremonial grounds for the Call-out. They wanted the teepee set up and a large fire area and a rock pedestal for the fire. They pointed out the things and we just followed orders. They wanted an Indian Dance spot and a cleared place for the troops and a lighted winding pathway to the ceremonial area.

 

That night the Troops came silently down the pathway and lined in a semicircle around the pedestal campfire. The fire began to glow and sparkle and then it mysteriously began to flame slowly and to burn. In the background, several of us were in the teepee gathered around the drum beating and singing lowly to provide a soothing audio backdrop.

 

Each Scout and Scouter was marked by the Call-out Team dressed in their headdresses and costumes. Each candidate was brought over near the teepee until all was completed.

 

Afterwards, the Chief asked for the candidates to stand and then he lead us single file behind the tent and into the woods. I was near the end of the line to insure that there were no stragglers. After a few minutes, the line stopped and we stood still. Minutes turned into what appeared to be a problem. So, I sauntered up to the head of the line and silently asked if there was anything that I could do. I was told that nobody knew where we were going. I thought it also an opportune time to ask why we were standing knee deep in poison ivy.

 

The Chief that evening was also one of my best Scouts that had grown remarkably over the years. I was proud of his accomplishments and also of the good case of itch that I and many of us had for the next few days.

 

Just one of the many loving remembrances,

 

FB

 

[txscoutdad]

I love being in the outdoors and working with boys.

Last year at SC I was working with a boy on 2nd Class requirement to identify animal signs. We were walking down a path in the woods with his buddy when I spotted a box turtle in a pile of leaves looking at us. I stopped real short and wispered,"Stop guys, you have a wild animal looking right at you." Well they just froze and I continued talking about how animals use colors for camouflage. I told them to look all around 360, up and down. I'm not sure what they was thinking it might have been at first but after narrowing down the area where it was at, they saw it and I used it to illistrate that you never know what might be about when tredding in the woods.

 

This years SC we had a large portion of the troop atttending camp being first year campers. We had three treks go to Philmont this year so not many really seasoned dads and older scouts to help these boys make it through the week. It fell to me to make sure that the SPL and PL were doing all for them that they could but to also come along side of them to encourage them and get them trough the week. One scout was crying his eyes out the first night. He tried to come up with all kind of excuses to go home and I was struggling for something to grab his attention enough to forget about being homesick. We were in Athens, TX at Camp Cherokee and there are alligators in the lakes there. The big ones hide but the small one can be seen and sometimes wind up of fishing lines. This young scout was in the Fishing class and on one of the first days spotted one and decided he was going to catch one. Well that was all I needed to get him through the week by telling him he couldn't go home till he caught his alligator. He didn't thankfully but caught a small lizard and was intending to take it home.

 

I also love setting aroung the campfire with all the dads that are involved with our troop. We are a large troop with around 80 boys and always have about 20 dads on most campouts.

Getting out of the city to were you can see all of the stars again.

Hearing the whipoorwill.

Seeing my son try new things and succeeding at them.

Just some of the things that I love about Scouts(This message has been edited by txscoutdad)