My disappointing evening

[packsaddle]

H'mmm, I wonder if they've ever driven through my neighborhood. I've replaced my mailbox (and that of my elderly neighbor) three times in the last two years. The boxes cost $10-15. The wood is scavened from construction leftovers. But it has cost me about 9 or 10 hours of time altogether. Ask that neutral judge if he'll send them over to my place for about one full day of yard work. I'll feed them and give them all the water they can drink.

 

About the interview... Remember, interviews work both ways. You decided to work for the guy anyway. You were gainfully employed. You added to your resume. And I suspect the guy wasn't really a jerk after all. Even if he was, you learned that you can successfully work with people who are disagreeable, a skill that serves everyone well. So what's the problem?

[Beavah]

Mailboxes!

 

Yah, I've replaced mine a few dozen times. Always thought about puttin' some high-strength steel reinforcing rods in it to thwart the buggers, or maybe put it on a swivel so it swings around and clips 'em in the back. Nah, not worth it. I do have to admit the one time they blew it up they did a darn fine job of it.

 

Vandalism shouldn't be condoned, but I expect that the embarrassment of havin' to appear in front of you was a much bigger and better lesson than any long-term incarceration would be.

 

Sometimes, nld, you gotta imagine that God puts you in the right place to make a difference, even if it's not what you wanted or expected.

(This message has been edited by Beavah)

[SSScout]

Eagle Scout... Yep, I can say that line on my CV did open some doors for me. Did it save me from doing some dumb things? Nope. Did I learn WHY they were dumb from being an ES? At least partially, I think. The difference ,I discern, seems to be whether the Scout figures out what the Scout Oath (promise) really is and whether the Scout Law really is a guide or just some hokey recitation like at school....

And you make that connection by seeing the look on your dads (or counselors or SMs, or pastors...) face when you haven't made the connection between the WORDS and the LIFE .

Note that I didn't say DEEDS. Because the Scout is not just learning a way to DO things, so much as a way to LIVE.

 

My Truly Significant Other had a poor opinion of Scouts dating back to a real jerk of a boyfriend she had once upon a time, so she's told me. When we met, and while we were dating, I often told her about my Scout history. She married me anyway. Her twin sons, my daughter and then our son lived in the smallest 6 bedroom house in town. The twins had nothing good to say about Scouts, owing to their fathers opinion. My daughter saw nothing good from GS, owing to a really poor GS troop at her school (yeah, they didn't want a divorced dad as a GS leader. Another story.). So when youngest son announced he wanted to be a Cub, well, we had some discussions. And lo, the transformation was great. After ADL, PCC,and PT, MTSO is now the District Day Camp Director. I've been a DL, CM, WDL, and now ASM. MTSO told me (finally) that since Scouting had obviously such a salutatory (her word) affect on me, she'd thought she'd give it a try. And so she did.

 

All education is one of four types:

Instruction.

Example.

Reasoning.

Self discovery.

 

If the Student WILL NOT learn from the first two, and refuses or can't use the third, then they MUST participate in the fourth.

 

"This is a hot stove. Do not touch it"

"HIEEE!! I didn't know that stove was still hot!!"

"The light labeled 'Hot Surface' is on, therefore..."

"Ummmm... I wonder what this is... OOWWEEE!!!"

 

nldscout: Perhaps your Scout fell into the fourth category for awhile. Have faith. As has been said before, with no priors, perhaps some mercy will temper the justice, yes?

 

 

[nldscout]

I just hope that his lawyer and the DA reach some agreement that won't ruin his future. When I read the charges and told them they were facing up to 43 yrs in Jail if they were convicted of all the counts, The look on thier face was one of shock. I don't think they expected that at all. Word was passed to me today that his mother chewed on his butt from the moment the Jailers let him out the door all the way till they couldn't hear her any more.

 

Her wrath is probably worse than what the judge will do.

[kb6jra]

nlscout,

 

Let's face it, we're all human. We've all made mistakes, some worse than a home run derby with the mail boxes I'll wager (at least I have). In the end the test is whether or not we learn from those mistakes. I have a feeling, based on the last post you made, that this is a lesson learned and a mistake not to be made again.

 

The look on their faces told you their level of remorse, the shock of learning what consequences such a lapse of judgment can yield is a great reminder of why people like you and all the rest of us are doing what we're doing for the boys.

 

Whatever you do, don't let this issue reflect to you the quality of your leadership to those boys. This was thier mistake and they need to own it outright. You're right to feel dissapointment but certainly you don't have mailbox paint on your hands.

[LongHaul]

Back in the 70's we had an SE here named Joe Kline, he got himself in trouble padding the unit numbers. He did some good though. He made several TV commercials which ran on local Channel 9. One of them keeps being referred back to by old time scouters. "My name is Joe Kline and I'm Scout Executive for Chicago Area Council. I can't guarantee that one of our scouts won't drop out of school, do drugs, or stick up a liquor store. But I'll give you odds on it! I'll win." We do have a few that slip after they leave us, we have some that we don't reach; on the whole we make a positive difference. It hurts to have to face those that missed the message; we feel sometimes we should have done better. Many of those that did get the message feel that way about things in their lives because of us. I hope these boys learn a lesson from this and that it doesn't come at too high a price. LongHaul