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EO2(SCW)Ploense

By EO2(SCW)Ploense
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EO2(SCW)Ploense Junior Member

EO2(SCW)Ploense

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Greetings to all. I wish I had know about the site a few years ago. I have a rucksack full of stories, that resemble the western "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly". Those anicdotes are for another time.

 

I began my scouting experience in Cub Scouts before Tigers were invented. I made my way up and earned the Arrow of Light. I Crossed over and pursued the BSA up to Second Class (Funny, my rank in the Naval Reserve). The troop broke up due to some adult leader problems. My SM Mr. Anderson left a huge impression on me. He was a Korean War Veteran of the Air Force. Our troop 275 in its hey-day looked as sharp as the Marines on the drill field. Mr. Anderson had a way of demanding from each boy the best in himself while never letting them forget he cared for them. With his departure the will to remain in scouts died.

 

However, in my junior year in high school I took up another challenge I joined the Marine Corps. While on active duty I rose to the rank of Lance Corpral. I was a Fire Team leader. My job was field wireman, and I held a second billet as radio operator. I was a field communicator which is to say a battery powered grunt. I thanked what I had learned from Mr. Anderson. Unlike those outside of scouting I already knew how to hike, backpack, and do some of the essential wilderness survival skills.

 

I got married while I was in, got out and started college. I earned my teaching degree (history). Then it happened. My son was born. I knew I had to start planning Tiger cub activities and drills. After all I knew I only had a few years to get my son up to speed.

 

Actually my thought was for Steven to try it out and see what he thought. His friends were in it, so he liked it. That was when I got hooked. The CM asked if I could be a den leader. He told me if I couldn't do it he'd understand...but would have to disband the den because there wasn't enough leadership to go round. I wasn't about to let that happen. It only took a year later when I ended up the CM. As CM I did pretty good. We took the troop from 6 to 20. I am a firm believer in putting the "outing in scouting". We went to hikes, family camps, and any outdoor activity we could. My son earned the Arrow of Light. I followed Steven up. We went to a small troop with a bad SM and left shortly thereafter. We went to a great troop with 30 kids that was very active. The SM was low key and really tried to push the boy led troop idea. Steven was going along fine and then 9/11 happened. I was too old to play with the Marines; however, the Navy Reserves had a program through the Seabees I was able to get in to. There is no way I was going to sit on the sidelines and let someone else defend the country. I did my best to get along with the troop leaders who appeared sort of clanish at first. But for the most part were good people. The beloved SM stepped down after his youngest son made Eagle. What happened next is a tragedy to scouting. The pettiness, in-fighting, and total disregard for the ideals of scouting tore the troop apart. From 30 to 6 scouts in a couple of years. Every adult agenda seemed to matter more than the kids did. With Dale Snow as SM the boys learned, were treated with individual diginity, they became as tight as any good Marine or Seabee unit I served in, scouts was fun, the program worked. It was almost as if each adult saw the troop as his petty empire and did not care how he kept power in his area. To those adults, the kids outside their circle, just didn't matter. Early in 2005 my battalion got the warning order: we were going to Iraq. My son was 3/4 on his way to Eagle. I asked the adults to look out after Steven when I was gone, and in the event I didn't come back, get him to Eagle. They agreed. It will be the subject of another thread as to what happened next, however, after some struggles Steven earned his Eagle. At his Eagle Court, Steven had a full Navy Seabee color guard. All in Dress Blue A, with full ribbons. It was awsome. I could not have been prouder. Currently I am doing a low speed job as a committee member of the pack where I was once the CM.

 

I look forward to future conversations.

 

Regards,

Equipment Operator Second Class (Seabee Combat Warfare Specialist) Carl M. Ploense III

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