The Man In The Mirror - Hey I Know That Guy!!

[Eamonn]

I enjoy Scouting. I have said that the day that I stop enjoying it, will be the day that I quit.

I really enjoy summer time. I'm not that big on holidays, although the kid in me loves getting presents.But summer is my time of year. I hate being cold and wearing all those heavy clothes and dealing with that horrible white stuff. Summer is when I get to spent a lot of time with my son. He doesn't need me as much as he used to, and I suppose I should get used to the idea, that one day he will need me even less.

Seeing Kids at camp is a very important part of summer. Seeing them use all the stuff that I in some small way made be there. Stuff that was discussed and debated at long and boring meetings is there and is being used. Seeing kids have fun at summer camp, hearing them laugh, watching them work in the different areas. Looking at the staff and thinking back and remembering the Lads that no so long ago were attending their first Day Camp.

While we don't have as many meetings in the summer, we are busy getting stuff ready for the start of the new program year.There is a lot of stuff that needs to be done and a lot of it ends up being done by the key3.

One thing that seems to happen over he summer is that I don't get as many phone calls or E-mails from the uniformed volunteers. I think this must be because they are busy doing stuff with the Cub Scouts, and Boy Scouts or they are away doing stuff with their families.

We have our last Roundtable of the "Year" in May and then have a big Corn Roast in August. This is the meeting that gets the best attendance of the year. We hand out the Council Calender and go over the important stuff that is coming up. We also have an ice cream social, where we go over the plans for Sign-up Night and this year for the first time did a popcorn training. By September we are back in the swing of things. Sad to say this year our District Commissioner had to go and visit his Mother, who is in bad shape. So a lot of the stuff that he does seemed to come my way.

This past couple of weeks I seem o have had more E-mails and phone calls from adult Scouters who are not happy with one and other. One Lady who is the COR had a disgruntled Den Leader who was leaving because they weren't following the BSA rules. We never found out which rule was in question. But the COR was not happy. I said the best thing to do was nothing. Then the Den Leader went and became the Cubmaster of a pack down the road and it seems was saying bad stuff about the pack she had been with.

Then there was the Cubmaster that had been asked to leave one pack and wanted to join another and they didn't want him. Then there was the Commissioner that had got a new job and was recommending that a guy who had been asked to leave another District to take his place. Then there is the DE who isn't happy about the plans that the SE has in place for her retirement party.

And so the list goes on.

Scouting is a game. I keep telling myself that. Every now and then I remember to add that it is a game with a purpose.

Some person a lot wiser then myself has said that Scouting is about three things.It is about Fun. It is about values. It is about learning.

Fun is the game. Learning is the process and values are the purpose.

I think finding people who can keep these three things balanced are a God sent. It very often seems to me that our Leaders especially the ones in our District seem to be unable to do all three. We have the Leaders that seem to focus on one of the three and not the other two.

I'm not sure if playing the game is easier or harder when you have to deal with adults?

Of course this leads up to the very big question. Am I playing the game?

I know that adults that don't seem to know how to play together annoy me. I try to be nice but I'm unsure if maybe I'm not letting my feelings show through? I like to think that my values are intact. I also like to think that I pass on a little something to those around me. I think that I have not forgotten how to have fun. Sure I know that I am in no way perfect.Still how come all these people who are in this game with me, people who are passing on values. How come they all seem to be a little bit nuts??

Eamonn.

[Spiney Norman]

Wow, you sound stressed. Our troop has been through some of the adult politicking you mentioned too. Some left our troop to start another. These people were my friends. Or so I thought. I now only speak to one of them.

I try to remember two things when the adults can't play nice.

1. check my ego at the door. Easier said than done.

2. Ask myself, what will serve the youth best?

After all that's why we're here.

 

Ken Knasiak

[Eamonn]

I am not so sure about stressed. Although you might be right!!

I think maybe a little disappointed in the people who can't work this all out for themselves. You don't need to be clever or wise to know how to turn the other cheek or just let it go. Disappointed that they want to drag me and the District into something that we couldn't do anything about if we wanted to. Many of these people deal with young children every day or at least once a week. Surely they see how young kids can be in each others face one minute and the best of pals a few minutes later. If we the adults don't go making things more complicated.

I wonder how much fun these people can be having? Unless of course their idea of fun is some sort of conflict with someone else? I wonder if they aren't having fun how can provide a fun program for the Lads in their unit? Or the Boys and Girls in the crew?

Maybe I'm a little mad at myself. Here I am saying "Now, now." When if the truth was to be told what I want to say is "Get a Life!! Grow up!!" Maybe I should try it? But I know that I couldn't.

I have sat at meetings and argued and debated stuff, with me on one side of the argument and friends of mine on the other. It at times does get hot and heavy. Sometimes I win and sometimes I don't. At times I end up doing the very thing that I may have argued against, but was out voted. At the end of the meeting we all stop for an adult beverage and at times there is some friendly leg pulling. But nothing is worth losing a friend over. I know that next time I win I will be the leg puller. And will really enjoy it.

Eamonn