Thankful for Scouting (2007)

I sit here after a great Thanksgiving dinner with my family. My belly is full, I am getting tired, and it is time to think about what I am thankful for. (Other then a full belly, which is a very good reason to be thankful.)

I am thankful for the boys who are a part of the Scout troop, and Scouting everywhere. They constantly remind me that we all need to keep a little of the youngster in us at all times, no matter how old we get. We need to remember how to have fun and live carefree, and how to use our imaginations to make this world a little better place.

I am thankful for my eighty year old assistant scoutmaster who still plans to go to summer camp next year. He may have gotten a little slower as the years go by, but he has no plans to stop Scouting anytime soon. He is great with the boys and the boys respect him, as do I. I am also thankful for my troop committee and the work they do each month to keep the troop going forward.

I am thankful for those few parents who can be counted on to help out when the help is needed. Without them I would have stepped down from being a scoutmaster a long time ago.

I am thankful for local newspapers who support Scouting and are willing to print the articles I give them about troop functions. I am thankful for two local television stations that look forward to airing the video shows produced by the troop. Through the newspapers and the stations we are able to keep Scouting in the public eye.

I am thankful for a district executive that is dedicated to the program and goes the extra mile to help a troop and pack. He puts in some long hours and many miles traveling around the council. Although we may not always see eye to eye, I know he always strives to do his best.

I am thankful for a new national executive who seems to be willing to look at making changes to the program while maintaining the traditions of Scouting. It is good to see some new work being done through the internet to reach Scouting age boys.

I am thankful for the friends I have made through Scouting over the years. Many of the Scouts have stayed in touch after they have entered college and started there own families. Those continuing friendships mean a lot to me.

I am thankful for my family who have understood the reasoning when I miss the occasionally family gathering in order to attend a Boy Scout function. They have seldom complained about it, although I think they sometimes wonder about my sanity.

As the Thanksgiving holiday comes to a close and another holiday season begins, what do you find yourself thank for?

Thankful for Scouting

Thanksgiving and the holiday season is upon us. The end of the year is on the horizon. What do I as a Scout Leader have to be thankful for? Hmmm. Let's see.

I am thankful for a community that has supported the Scout program for the last 27 years.

I am thankful for living in Minnesota with its 10,000 lakes, rolling hills, forests, and campgrounds. Minnesota truly is a Scouting paradise.

I am thankful for the opportunity to take part in five treks at Philmont Scout Ranch, a canoe trip to the BWCA, the 2001 National Jamboree as the scoutmaster of Troop 1417, nineteen week-long summer camps, and hundreds of weekend activities.

I am thankful for my employers who have recognized the importance of Scouting in the community, and providing the flexibility that allowed me to attend troop activities and high adventure bases.

I am thankful for the good and caring committee members and parents that have helped through the years, and for an assistant scoutmaster who has been a member of the team for nearly twenty years.

I am thankful for a supportive and helpful council and district staff, and a committed district executive. I am also thankful for the good friends and mentors I have met through Scouting.

I am thankful for the hundreds of enthusiastic boys that have been a part of my Scouting experience through the years. They are the ones that create the atmosphere that keeps me involved with Scouting.

I am thankful for the opportunity to assist sixteen boys on attaining the rank of Eagle Scout, the BSA's highest award.

I am thankful for the good health that has allowed me to be a part of Scouting for 29 years. (Three years as a Boy Scout and 26 years as an adult leader.)

I am thankful for Lord Baden-Powell and William Boyce for providing and developing a program that has helped millions of boys and young men develop leadership skills and values that they have used throughout their adult lives.

I am thankful to the Almighty Lord God for giving me the skills and patience needed to work with teenage boys over the past three decades.

Now, what do you have to be thankful for? Add a comment and let us know about it.