We Can Work It Out.

[Eamonn]

The Council Volunteer Recognition Dinner is coming up soon.

I really enjoy it every year.Being a very small Council just about everyone knows everyone and goes out of their way to be extra nice.

As ever we will hand out a bunch of awards. I'm getting a 40 year pin. Which is driving home the fact that I'm really getting very old. But when I look out at the gathering (I'm MC)I know that compared to a lot of the guys wearing strange colored uniforms I'm just a young whippersnapper.

This year will be the first year in a very long time that I will be going as a Unit Leader. We didn't make Quality District last year, in fact only one District managed to achieve Quality. The Council didn't make Quality Council.

I have to own up to not missing the "District Stuff". Tracking membership, chasing Committee Members, trying to find money, planning FOS kick offs. It really is kinda nice not to be doing that stuff.

I'm having a great time with the Ship, I'm really enjoying spending time with the kids. I'm learning a lot of new skills. But most of all I'm seeing the results. The Scouts are having a good time, they are learning new skills and they are looking forward to the next adventure and having more fun and learning even more stuff.

I can honestly put my hand on my heart and say that I'm happy doing what I'm doing.

When I look out at the 200 or 300 Volunteers at the Dinner, most of them will be Unit Leaders.

Sure some will have the odd moan and groan about the Council, the Region and National. But I think deep down they are a little bit like I've become; way too busy serving the units to let this stuff get in the way.

There are times when I see things that really get my goat and it's very easy to dwell on that. However a lot of the really important and good stuff is going on un-noticed by a lot of people. It is going on week in and week out at Den meetings,Crew meetings and Troop meetings. The people who do notice it a lot are the kids that are there.

Some of the really old timers at the dinner will have seen as many as nine or ten Scout Executives come and go. But they are still there. Of course for some this is about as active as they get, but some are still doing what they can to serve the units to which they belong.

My Father-In-Law passed away about 17 years ago. He had been a Cub Scouter and Scoutmaster here in the town where I live. About ten years ago I was tending bar in one of my restaurants when a youngish fellow asked if my Mother-In-Law was around. She was, and I called her down to meet with him. He said that he had stopped just to say thank you. It seems his small infant son had fallen in their swimming pool and he had fished him out and given mouth to mouth and saved the Lad. He said that he had learned that while he was a Scout in the Troop that my Father-In-Law was the SM of.He just wanted to say thanks.

So while at times things do upset me, I still think that at the end of the day Scouts and Scouting is as good as it is because of the good people who volunteer and do so much for other peoples kids.

At the dinner we will award five Silver Beavers, I'm all for recognizing people and I'm very proud of my Silver Beaver, but I'm even more proud to be in a gathering of people who are just good people.

Eamonn.

[theysawyoucomin']

Eamonn,

I know you no longer have Pow wow in your council but bear with me.

 

As a Tiger Dad I went to my first Pow wow. I didn't own a uniform but I knew that I wanted to be a Wolf den leader so I figured I better know how to deal with the cherubs dressed in blue.

 

I was very impressed with the amount of leaders there that just by looking at the ages of these folks you could tell that their own kids had long ago cleared the program.

 

They believed in the program so much that they stayed on to make sure that somebody would be there to teach the new crop of parents.

 

It was inspiring.

[CalicoPenn]

Wonderful stories and memories, Eamonn. Thank's for sharing!

 

Calico

[Eamonn]

I do miss Pow Wow.

It was the biggest training event of the year.

Of course being the fellow that took it off the calender when I was Council Training Chairman, I suppose I ought not say too much.

I have a lot of respect for Cub Scouter's who don't move on up.

We had a great little fellow who was a CM for going on 30 years.He also served on the District Committee. He got involved when his son was a webelos Scout and never left. He was in his 70's. He was (Sadly he passed away a year ago last October)It didn't matter what I asked him to do, I knew that I could count on him doing it and doing a good job.

He missed a District Committee meeting and phoned to apologize, he said he was having trouble with his mother!!

His Mom was in her 90's and at that time was suffering from Alzheimer's. Him and his wife didn't want to see the old Lady placed in a home, so they took care of her.

I still miss him and can't help thinking that he was a wonderful example of living the Scout Law and Oath.

Eamonn.