As 2020 draws to a close, so does my time as Scoutmaster of Troop 58 and I’ve begun to ride off into the sunset (get the connection?). It seems like just yesterday that I put the Scoutmaster patch on, let alone became an Assistant Scoutmaster with Troop 58 when my son crossed over from Webelos, or when I became Den Leader and Committee Chair in Cub Scout Pack 1445, or when I was just a bewildered Dad as my son started his Scouting journey as an eager Tiger Cub. Wow – time flies when you’re busy and having fun… but more on that later.
As I write this blog, I am just about done reading Michael Malone’s outstanding account of Eagle Scouts throughout Scouting’s history in the USA.
If you are even remotely interested in this aspect of Scouting, or are ready to be amazed by what the upper echelon of Scouting’s young men and women have done for others and our Nation, I highly recommend it. When I think back on all of the adventures I’ve participated in and encouraged/supported as Scoutmaster, it is this potential for our Scouts to impact others that makes me the proudest. I’ve always tried to bring my personal passion for Scouting to Troop 58 based on my time in Scouts as a youth, but also from observing how ready Scouting made me to be a decent human, soldier, husband, teammate, father, neighbor, leader, and friend. There are so many aspects to Scouting, and to my philosophy about it, that are critical – being Scout-led, outdoors-focused, and service-oriented; taking the time to deliberately develop Scouts into leaders; building strong relationships with our Scouts that stop short of being friendships; challenging and supporting our Scouts in a way that is unique to each of them; and bringing vivid stories of success and challenges to life in Scoutmaster Minutes and Scoutmaster Conferences to illustrate life lessons in a variety of ways.
Many of you know, however, that I’ve always had 2 simple goals for Troop 58: get out in the woods and have fun with your buddies. Yes – it really does all come down to that. One only needs to take a look at a few folders in our photo gallery to confirm that we’ve done that in spades. Sure – some trips have been more fun (and funnier) than others…searching for the Grumper at campsites on the US/Canada border during Northern Tier, braving raccoons that steal toothpaste from our Scouts during summer camp, the Crazy Eights highjinks that got us through Sea Base, one of our scouts desperately trying to not get thrown into the Youghiogheny River during a whitewater rafting trip, the cheers and screams during our beach and lake campouts (circle of doom, anyone?), camping next to a “dry” creekbed that rose 4′ while we were away mountain biking…I could literally go on and on…and so maybe I will! Walking tacos, getting caught sleeping under a pink sheet again and again, roasting a pig and then carving it up with the troop’s hatchet during our Iron Chef campout…you see!
My point is, these vignettes represent just a fraction of the experiences our Scouts have had with Troop 58 over the years. And they have kept the vast majority of our Scouts coming back year after year for more adventures. Especially in the bubble that is Ashburn, VA, our Scouts have seen, done, and lived things that almost no one else they know has (I know because I’ve asked!), and these experiences will stay with them for the rest of their lives – making them more capable, competent, and confident.
It’s an interesting coincidence that my son achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in my final year as Troop 58’s Scoutmaster, which caused me yet another path through which to think about the experiences available in Scouting. Whether reflecting mentally or sifting through digital photos for his Eagle Court of Honor slideshow, literally each image showed my son outdoors, or smiling with his fellow Scouts – or both. I will forever be in debt to Scouting, Troop 58, and all of the Scouts, families, and adult leaders who helped my son grow into the man he is today and that I know he’ll become.
As the last few days of my Scoutmaster tenure wind down, I remain as passionate about Scouting as I have ever been, and I leave the position extremely proud of Troop 58. I’m not sure if anyone else has had a better vantage point to observe just how big of an impact we are having on each other, our community, and our Nation through the opportunities we’ve provided the young men and women involved in the program. I will sleep well tonight knowing that my successor is carrying on the torch and that the Scouts of Troop 58 – past, present, and future – will ensure society is a better place for us all.
May the great Scoutmaster of all Scouts watch over us all until we meet again.