Achieving Success

I use to think that achieving success was something one could only appreciate for themself and receive some type of award for being successful.
A personal victory.
Boy, was I wrong!
When I was in cub scouts the only thing that seemed to really matter was how quickly I could master a specific task for an award. Whether or not I was the first to memorize the oath and law or give the scout salute or sign.
That continued in boy scouts and also carried over into athletics. How I could win or measure up to the other competitors.
Now, as a leader, success comes in many ways. Watching a tiger master his first square knot, or the first time a scout crosses a monkey bridge without falling are successes in different degrees.
Scout leaders create their successes through watching their scouts triumph over personal achievements. How quickly the scout overcomes difficult tasks is one method a scout master will measure how successful he or she was in teaching the skills needed to beat the latest challenge before any scout.
These are immediate successes.
but the best successes are the ones that come out of the blue. When you least expect it and it smacks you right in the face.
You know the ones. The ones that just blow you away.
For instance, I recently was asked to participate in an Eagle court of honor for a scout that I apparently had some great impact on through some significant conversation to which, for the life of me, I cannot remember.
But the scout did and he wanted me there and that was a success that just blew me away.
To think that I, a leader, would be able to make a significant impact on a scout speaks volumes to me.
It is that reason why I am in this program; to help other scouts and scouters succeed.
When they do succeed, we all succeed and I am grateful and honored to be a part of that.
Our District held its annual dinner to recognize our leaders that have gone above and beyond the call of duty and this year's winners were all well deserving of the awards they received.
I was thrilled to watch my peers receive acknowledgement for what they do.
And that was a success for me and I couldn't be happier for those scouters.
And this is also why I love the scout program.