A Different Take On :Are we there yet?

[Eamonn]

This made me smile.

Preparing for the Jamboree and developing the Jamboree Troop has thanks to 3 stays in hospital been a little harder this time out.

From the get go I let it be known that our primary method of communication was going to be via e-mail. This would save about $250.00, be fast?? and I wouldn't spent as long stuffing envelopes.

There would be a monthly Newsletter, which would be e-mailed and also available at the monthly Troop Meeting.

The Troop Meeting would be on the 3rd Wednesday of each month, at the same time and same place, our small council owned camp site.

Each and every family had my e-mail address, my work e-mail, my home phone, my office phone, my cell phone. Along with about the same information and contact methods for the other leaders and the entire Troop.

Dolly my PA at work, who isn't a BSA member knows everything that I am doing and at times I think she knows more about what I'm doing than I do!! If she doesn't know the answer to a question that a parent or Scout asked, she ensured that they did get an answer in a very short time. Add to this Her Who Must Be Obeyed, who tends to also know more about anything and everything than anyone else on the planet.

We had our shakedown weekend in May. The very last thing was a parents meeting, where details of the personal equipment drop off were given along with directions.

I sent out a e-mail to everyone. Covering all this stuff again.

To ensure that everything was in order I then phoned each and every troop member. In some cases leaving a message on a machine, in all cases telling everyone if they had any questions to get back to me.

One Lad wasn't home and I left a message with his sister that if he didn't receive my e-mail or had any questions to call me. I waited on the phone while the sister got a pen and took my number again.

I checked my e-mail before leaving yesterday and sure enough this Lad has sent me an e-mail saying that he didn't receive the e-mail I had sent.

I checked and the address was the same and he was on the top of the one that I had sent.

I admit to being a little miffed.

I e-mailed him back and said that I had sent the e-mail, spoke to his sister and that all the information had been given at the shakedown weekend.

He e-mailed me back and asked "Was I there?"

We only had one Lad miss the shakedown, due to illness and it wasn't him.

I e-mailed him back and reminded him that he had been there.

When I got home, I called him and we went to plan B,(He can drop the stuff off today) I asked why he didn't remember being at the shakedown? He informed me that he is very busy and just can't remember everything!

I had to smile.

Eamonn.

[Lynda J]

Sometimes you simply want to swat their sweet little heads.