Saying Thanks.

[Eamonn]

Her Who Must Not Be Ignored (Mother of Her Who Must Be Obeyed) asked if I would drive her to a funeral.

I agreed.

Me coming from good Irish Catholic stock have more Aunts and Uncles that I can keep up with.

My Mother was one of eight children and Dad one of seven. Of course I have more First Cousins than I could ever hope to keep up with.

Both parents of Her Who Must Be Obeyed were only children, but somehow we manage to come up with cousins?

The funeral was for a woman who was a cousin of HWMB Dad.

The Preacher didn't impress me. I'm not keen on modern translations of psalms.

I was a little surprised when he said that this Lady had been in Scouting.

After the services I found out she had been a Den Mother.

Her five sons were at the funeral. They had al been in Pack 150. A Pack that folded a long time ago. There is a Troop 150, but its down to a handful of Scouts.

I heard a great story of how the Pack Committee Chairman a local doctor had promised that he would deliver any babies that the Den Mothers had for free. This Lady really got value for money. She went and had twin boys!!

I don't know much about the family.

The husband works nights filling shelves at the local supermarket. None of the boys went to college. They live in a rented house. Hearing what was said it would seem that they have had to make do over the years. Life has at times been tough, but they managed.

I couldn't help thinking how hard it must have been for a mother of five to be a Den Mother?

How sad it was that no one from Scouting had sent a flower a card or even knew that one of our own had gone.

No one said anything and I don't think the thought even crossed their minds, that maybe some sort of a thank you from someone would be in order.

I'm sure if the family had given big donations to the Council or if She had served as a Council President that something would have been done.

Still for a mother of five kids to make the time to serve not only her sons but the sons of others in the community to pass un-noticed is sad.

I'm thinking of setting up a flower fund, asking the active volunteers to donate a few dollars each year, so that when we do hear about the passing of a Scouter, we can do something.

About five years back an old fellow passed on. I missed the announcement in the paper and missed the funeral. I didn't know Max the fellow who died, but I remember him being the dinning room steward at summer camp back in 1977 and him taking 1000's of photos. Any kid that passed by was lightly to be stopped and have his photo taken.

Max had taken a few snaps of my ugly mug which he mailed over to England for me.

At the time of his death I was District Commissioner. I sent a letter to his brother, Max had never married. I said how sorry I was for missing the funeral and recounted a few memories that I had of Max.

Soon after in the mail I received a very nice letter and a check for $1,000.00.

The family also had thousands of pictures of Scouts that they had no idea what to do with. I put them in contact with a fellow in the Council who is the un-official historian. He picked up boxes and boxes of photos.

Soon after he mailed me a copy of a photo of me taken in 1981 when I had brought the Troop over from London.

I suppose the legacy Max has left will be his photos and the legacy this cousin left will be her sons.

I do think that we need to find a way of saying thanks to the people who have served and laid the ground work for us.

Ea.

[theysawyoucomin']

Hear , hear

[ASM915]

Quite touching.