I have been a part of scouting for most of my life or should I say scouting has been a part of most of my life.
Growing up in a family that has seen its share of scout leaders, both grandfathers and my father, were scout leaders, and an uncle that was a scout himself; it was probably preordained that I too would join the scouting ranks.
My grandfather was the first scoutmaster of troop 2 and I think that he was the one that first showed me the magic of scouting. He would entertain my two older sisters and me with, what was then called, "parlor tricks," or sing some silly camp songs, or show us how to build useful projects as opposed to going out and buying the latest and greatest store-bought items.
We thought him to be the ultimate "cheapie."
Overtime we learned that he was demonstrating the 9th scout law.
-One of the laws that seem to be the first laws to be broken in the age of a disposable society.
It was through my grandfather that I learned about "Kay Kayser," and the "Hoosier Hotshots."
Boy, was I surprised to find out that the Hoosier Hotshots were not an all star basketball team from Indiana! I did learn that they recorded a song called, ""Indies to the Andes In His Undies" and "I like Bananas because They have no Bones." (Both songs can be seen on your favorite video search engine).
But this isn't what I want to talk about or write about.
Scouting has been an incredible adventure for me. One that has never ceased to amaze me both as a scout and now as a scouter.
Some +30 years ago, I had the opportunity to be one of the first in Green Bay to view the moon rocks on display at the Neville Museum, and had my picture in the local paper nose to rock so to speak, tour the Royal Scotsman and the General Eisenhower command train and it was because of the scout program.
Scouting also gave me the opportunities to tour a paper mill, police and fire stations, an air traffic control tower, television and radio stations, a power plant, go white water rafting, camping, sleeping under the stars on Lost Mountain, learn to cook, and perform slights of hand from time to time. And yes, the majority of prestidigitation's came from the scout handbook.
I have forgotten most of the magic tricks over the years but still am able to astound a few scouts and scouters from time to time.
Had someone first told me that I would look at moon rocks, meet the scouts and scouters I have met, travelled to Australia and participate as a staff member at their national jamboree via the Internet, host a scouting radio show, and see my son become a Life Scout working towards Eagle; I would have never believed it to be true.
I now have scouting friends in some 31 countries and this would never have happened had it not been through "the magic of scouting."
Growing up in a family that has seen its share of scout leaders, both grandfathers and my father, were scout leaders, and an uncle that was a scout himself; it was probably preordained that I too would join the scouting ranks.
My grandfather was the first scoutmaster of troop 2 and I think that he was the one that first showed me the magic of scouting. He would entertain my two older sisters and me with, what was then called, "parlor tricks," or sing some silly camp songs, or show us how to build useful projects as opposed to going out and buying the latest and greatest store-bought items.
We thought him to be the ultimate "cheapie."
Overtime we learned that he was demonstrating the 9th scout law.
-One of the laws that seem to be the first laws to be broken in the age of a disposable society.
It was through my grandfather that I learned about "Kay Kayser," and the "Hoosier Hotshots."
Boy, was I surprised to find out that the Hoosier Hotshots were not an all star basketball team from Indiana! I did learn that they recorded a song called, ""Indies to the Andes In His Undies" and "I like Bananas because They have no Bones." (Both songs can be seen on your favorite video search engine).
But this isn't what I want to talk about or write about.
Scouting has been an incredible adventure for me. One that has never ceased to amaze me both as a scout and now as a scouter.
Some +30 years ago, I had the opportunity to be one of the first in Green Bay to view the moon rocks on display at the Neville Museum, and had my picture in the local paper nose to rock so to speak, tour the Royal Scotsman and the General Eisenhower command train and it was because of the scout program.
Scouting also gave me the opportunities to tour a paper mill, police and fire stations, an air traffic control tower, television and radio stations, a power plant, go white water rafting, camping, sleeping under the stars on Lost Mountain, learn to cook, and perform slights of hand from time to time. And yes, the majority of prestidigitation's came from the scout handbook.
I have forgotten most of the magic tricks over the years but still am able to astound a few scouts and scouters from time to time.
Had someone first told me that I would look at moon rocks, meet the scouts and scouters I have met, travelled to Australia and participate as a staff member at their national jamboree via the Internet, host a scouting radio show, and see my son become a Life Scout working towards Eagle; I would have never believed it to be true.
I now have scouting friends in some 31 countries and this would never have happened had it not been through "the magic of scouting."
This is a nice post. Indeed one of the things I love about Scouting is that it can be for a lifetime if you let it
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