SM Corner

Scoutmasters Corner

Revised 07/10/2008

It's a new Scouting year. We are getting ready for many great adventures this year; our troop is assembling new boys and leaders, working with the current leadership to ensure we have all the tools we need to be successful. All of us are looking forward to many new camping adventures, new events, and new experiences!

This is where it all begins...we set boys for their first steps along the trail to Scouting and we struggle to keep that trail fresh and interesting for the "old" boys, who've "been-there-and-done-that-and-got-the-T-shirt" before. Take pride in the fact that we don't just repeat the same old stuff - or will we? In the face of all these changes, it's a bit scary. It's hard to make changes because of the fear that no matter what we do nothing will be different, or that if we make changes, it will be different! We all agree that we're here for the boys, that character, ethics, values, and citizenship are necessary to make our future better and that people are important.

"People are important." I tell myself this as I rush in my truck to get cash from a machine, dinner out at a “fast food” establishment, and converse with more mechanical phone-mates than real human beings! Meanwhile, I think about all the things I could have done, should have done, wish I had said, wanted to try, thought of changing, or need to be doing, but have not!

Someone once said, "If you want something to change, do something different." I am reminded that the only brick walls that were ever in my way were ones that I built myself, brick by brick, and then proceeded to smack my head against. To solve this dilemma there are two obvious choices: to leave the wall in place (find someone else to blame), or take that wall apart and build something new. It's a challenging job and I don't want to do it alone. Let's build something big. Got any bricks?

Scoutmaster

Ralph Emery