Your Coolest Thing!

[Scoutfish]

What, in YOUR OPINION , is the coolest thing about scouting? Or maybe, what was the coolest thing that happened to you during scouting?

 

I haven't been scouting that long by many of your standards ( now in my 2nd year), so what I choose right now may be overshadowed in the future.

 

Last year, before becoming an ADL, I volunteered to help assit the BB Gun training ( Oh we found out soooo much since then! ) .

 

I helped boys who never held a BB gun, much less shot one, learn about gun safety, how to aim, pull the trigger and shoot the gun.

 

Now, some of the Tigers were pretty small boys. And timid too.And lacking confidence.

 

After going through the whole saftey and instruction routine, I'd assit with scouts individually, as did the other assitants.

 

 

One scout inparticular was having a little more difficulty than the rest. He was even more lacking in confidence and was shaking pretty badly. I had him lay down and shoot. He shot and says " SEE! I suck at everything!"

One we cleared the range and secured all rifles, I as well as the other asst's went to get the targets . My scout missed all 5 of his shots. ( did I meantion we had volleys of 5 shots?)

 

Well, I had a spiral shank deck nail in my pocket. With my back to the cub, I poked 1 hole in the 7 - 8 point area of the target. I then walked over and showed the scout.

 

Boy did that scout change his disposition. He was smiling from ear to ear. He then gave me a high five and then a hug! This was not the last scout I got a high five from.

 

Pretty soon, all 4 of us working the BB gun range had a nail in our pocket!

 

Later, after all the scouts had taken their turns, and we had a bit of time to kill, that same scout asked me if he could shoot again.

 

So I said sure and worked with him again.

 

This time though, he shot the target on his own all 5 times, and came withing a 1/16 of hitting the bull'seye.

 

All that scout needed was some confindence. Once he thought he was able to do something.... he really was able!

 

Yeah, It may sound hokey to some of you, but so far, that was my cooest scout moment. That is what made me decide to be a ADL and next year a DL.

 

 

So? What was/is your coolest scouting moment or experience so far?

[Stosh]

Leading my CO and Venture Crew at a national reenactment at a site near Gettysburg. 10,000+ reenactors I believe the numbers might have come to.

 

Stosh

[Eagle92]

I'm an old fogey in Scouting. I've also been very fortunate in that I've done some wonderful things.

 

I guess my coolest thing as a youth was going on my 62 mile canoeing trip in Canada with the BSA. First time I was on an airplane, out of the country, and met someone famous (go Ultimate Warrior!) I has a lot of responsibility placed on me as my partner not as experienced in canoeing despite our year's worth of training, and was the first time I was scared to death. We had a cold front come through dropping temps into the 40s and causing 3-4 foot waves. Doesn't sound like much, but when you are loaded with all your gear, your buddy freezes up on you, and you are fighting to keep your canoe from swamping, it can get a little hairy. I survived it.

 

As an adult it had to be the European Camp Staff Program. Spent 11 weeks in the UK, had free food, free shelter, and half my travel expenses paid for. Got to meet and work wiht Scouts and Scouters form all over; UK, Russia, Croatia, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, and Australia. I had a blast.

[Troop185]

I have a canoeing story too!

 

It was a neat experience for me because I found out that my son had the determination to be a success in life. I knew he was smart (I didn't know how smart), but I didn't know until the canoeing trip, if he had the determination to go on when things got tough.

 

My son was 11 yrs. old and we were on our first trip to Northern Ontario with another leader and three other young scouts. We found ourselfs on a large lake with the wind blowing in, waves, etc. We had three canoes for the six of us. My son being the best canoeist of the scouts, was in the back of the third canoe, with his buddy in the front.

 

The wind was so bad, you had to keep paddling or you were going backwards. It started to rain and we could not take the time to pull our rainsuits out of our backpacks, or we would have been blow backward. My son was extra frustrated because his buddy was trying to talk to him in the canoe, and he could not hear him because of the wind. We were heading for a island on the lake to try and cut down the wind.

 

Somehow, I manage to get my canoe over by my son and ask him how it was going. He had tears in his eyes, He said, "I been watching that rock [over on the shore] for the last 15 minutes, and we haven't moved a foot!" I told him he was doing great, but thinking to myself, he was probably right!

 

Somehow, we all made it to the island where we got to rest. I knew in my heart, this kid is going to do OK in life. MY son is a Eagle scout and an ER Doctor now!

 

 

[WAKWIB]

Generally speaking, my coolest thing was the six summers I worked on staff at summer camp. The various relationships and experiences with fellow staffers, Scouts, and Troop leaders are way too numerous to list. I would end up writing a book! I was very, very fortunate to have had that opportunity.

[SSScout]

My coolest thing is being recognized , say, in a local store by a Scout as the man with the bugle, or a Cub from Day camp will introduce me to his mom.

But my pal Ted has , I think, the "coolest" story. At the CSDC we worked, Ted and I did Scout Skills, and presented the morning skit. We were doing Lewis and Clark that year. Ted assumed a cartoon french accent as his schtik:"huh, huh, huh, yo' tie ze knot lika zis huh, huh, huh!" and he adopted the voyageur attitude, (if there is one).

Months after camp, he told me he was in the local Safeway when a little kid walks up to him, points at him, says "Huh, huh, huh!!!" and runs away! Now THAT is making an impression!

[raisinemright]

My first year as a ASM, the scouts were at summer camp. I arrived on a Wednesday. Me and another leader went over to see how the guys taking archery were doing. Several of our scouts were in that sesion. THe counselor told me that they were all doing great except for Johnnyscout, one of our boys. He was consistently missing. We went over and encouraged him a little bit. He was starting to complain that his fingers were raw and he was tired. We kept encouraging him. After a while, he actually started hitting the target. Consistently. Magically, the pain in his fingers stopped. The next day, Johnnyscout earned his badge.

 

After camp, my wife and I stopped at his house to fill his parents in on their son. I was more proud of Johnnyscout showing true scout spirit than I was of the others and even my own son. He hadn't told his parents about the archery problem so they were beaming too.(This message has been edited by raisinemright)(This message has been edited by raisinemright)

[Eamonn]

"Or maybe, what was the coolest thing that happened to you during scouting?"

I met HWMBO and she was silly enough to marry me!

(Not only the "Coolest" thing but also the most expensive thing! -Next week we celebrate our 27th Wedding Anniversary)

Eagle92

Glad that the boys back home took good care of you. -Hope you discovered what real cheese and real ale is all about!

Ea.

 

[Eagle92]

E,

Ale is good,but I prefer bitters, esp. Boddington's Best Bitter. Not only is it a great drink, but you can cut open the can and use the widget to play the 1812 Oveture with them

[eagle90]

It was the closing show at the 1997 Jamboree. 60,000+ people in the arena, with candles lit, rededicating ourselves to the Scout Oath while God Bless America played in the background. Impossible to keep a dry eye.

 

Dale

[moxieman]

Too many too chose from. One example:

I took 6 scouts with another leader to the '01 Canadian Jamboree. During one of our free periods, I simply walked around the 2km diameter tent city with my backpack on. In one place a mother and her Beaver Scout (Canada's version of Tiger Cubs) were visiting some unit camped at the jamboree. The Beaver, with a huge grin on his face, blocked my path. I tried to step around him and he'd jump in my way again. After three or four times, I started to take my backpack off and he fled to his mother thinking I was going to fight him or something. What I really did was dig-out three or four scout patches from my box of traders and handed them to the Beaver saying, "I guess I need to pay a toll to pass, huh?" His grin was even wider than before as he and his mother thanked me and I continued down the path between the tents.

[ManyHats]

It's the little things some times that stick with me the most. We were camping and one of the youngest got upset around lights out. His dad told him he would try to make it and didn't. It was pretty late and they had played hard, so I knew it wouldn't take much for him to fall asleep. I told him once he closed his eyes, it wouldn't be long before we were eating donuts. He came up to me the next morning and said you were right. I had no idea what he was talking about. He said he closed his eyes and it wasn't long until donut time.

Those proud parent moments stick out too. I set up an extra meeting to catch some Webelos up on what they had missed. Both my son and the assistant's son don't need any catching up, so I said they could work on a belt loop or some thing else extra. My son informed me he would prefer to help catch the other guys up.

[Knot Head]

Two things:

1. Introducing guys to outdoor adventure who probably never would have had the opportunity to do these things without scouting. Pioneering, canoeing, white water rafting, backpacking. Many of these guys would not get to do this on their own but the look in heir eyes after the first set of white water rapids or at the end of a 10 mile hike is pretty awesome.

 

2. Watching the guys that were noob campers not too long ago do everything from decide where to camp, plan menu, buy food, cook food, clean up, help younger guys. Now they are not perfect and need a nudge now and then but when you see a patrol break out the cook gear, cook, eat, and clean up without a single nudge that's cool.

[Knot Head]

Okay I thought of one more.

 

At summer camp a scout came to me and complained the MB counselor (18 year old) was using bad language and not teaching. I told him if he wanted to complain to write down what happened and we would go together and file a written complaint talk to the camp director. He didnt back off and went and did write a complaint. Then he, I and the SPL walked to the camp director office. The guy read the complaint and asked the scout a couple of questions. Then he admitted they had gotten complaints the week before. On the way back the scout looked at me as said Mr. J. I went to you because I knew you would know what do, thanks. I got goose bumps and almost a little teary eyed that he had that kind of faith in me. That was cool. Then I reminded him that he was the one that had really taken care of it by wanting a good counselor and filing the complaint. I told him that took guts. He looked over and said, yeah and smiled. Mutual respect. That was cool too.

 

Bottom line the MB counselor was fired and replaced.

 

 

 

[Eagle92]

Like I said before, there has alot of things that have been cool that I've done. I mentioned what I did. Now for something a friend did.

 

I had left my old troop to become a DE in NC, just before one of my guys went for his EBOR. he passed, wanted to know when I would next be home so that he could schedule his ECOH. I told him it would be about a year, and he said he would wait, and he did. I told him when I was coming and he had everything planned. When I do get home, I decide to visit him at his after school job. As soon as I enter the shop, he see me, screams my name out, and jumps over the counter to welcome me. Luckily the boss knew me, and had a good laugh.