Contemplative Thoughts of a Scout Leader

As I stood outside tonight in the dark, watching the scouts of our Boy Scout Troop do physical
activity, my mind started to wander. Our troop, Evansville Lutheran Troop 310, is entering its sixth year of existence. Spawned from a Cub Scout Pack that is now roughly a decade old. Like most starting endeavors, it has struggled financially, but the boys that have been here from the start know what it was like to do a first campout without having tents. It has been an interesting journey.

Some of the boys that started with the troop have turned 18 and "aged out." Others have gotten their Eagle Scout award. Others, at least five of them, are very close to earning that achievement as well. We have watched them try, learn, fail and succeed at leadership and becoming a "youth led unit."

Although we have a few members who are not Lutheran, we have maintained Lutheran devotionals and a focus on not conflicting with the youth teachings within the church. We have always focused on the twelfth point of the Scout law. A scout is Reverent. We have assured that we maintain our religious beliefs and practices in our unit.

My thoughts settled on a single question as I watched them all play games in the dark tonight outside the school.

What good have we accomplished in the past five years?

For the last few hours... long after the meeting closed with Scout Vespers and prayer... the answers have flooded my mind.

- We have had four scouts awarded with the Eagle Scout rank.
- We have had only two age out without Eagle, and they were both Life Scouts.
- We have at least five now who are within a few months of doing their Eagle projects.
- The Troop has performed around 4,000 man hours of community service for multiple organizations in the community.

- We have honored veterans secluded inside of hospitals on Veteran's Day.
- We have helped them learn how to cook... and understand this... they can cook.
- We have watched as the youth have written a devotional service with a strong liturgical consistency and use of litany.

- We have had two scouts engage in life saving activities with one of these receiving the BSA National Medal of Merit.
- With only a four person patrol, our unit received the number one patrol award at a summer camp.
- We have had scouts attend the National Jamboree and NOAC.
- We have a large percentage of scouts in the Order of the Arrow, scouting's honor camping association.

- The Troop has literally sold tons of popcorn, supporting the activities of scouts and teaching salesmanship.
- We have watched them make do with very little equipment as we grew and succeed doing it.
- We have rode out many a rain storm in tents.
- We have stood on top of mountains, backpacked and hiked.

- We have had our scouts attend National Youth Leadership Training and several have went back the next year to be on staff.
- We have had three of our youth act as staff at summer camps.

- We have introduced some to travel, having never been outside of their own city before.
- We have mixed boys of various backgrounds and interests and watched teams developed.

- We have opened baseball games by providing flag ceremonies.
- We have taught and practiced numerous flag retirements.
- We have performed numerous honor guard activities.

- Our boys earned the Gold Journey to Excellence Award for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and already have the points to do it for 2015.
- We have seen them learn, practice and depend on land navigation and map reading.

- We have seen the phases of team building occur before our eyes... forming, storming, norming and lastly performing.

- We have watched them plan and execute a 70 mile hike at Philmont in New Mexico.
- We have sang songs under the stars and talked about God, life and dreams around a campfire.

There is much more that can be placed on this list, but my day is ending and I grow tired.

We have some great young men in our troop. They will do wonderfully in being part of the community and taking care of their future families.

We hope we have instilled in them the importance of being Reverent.

So... what does the future hold for these young men in our troop.

I don't know...

I just don't know...

Whatever it is, they are better prepared for having been here in this place and in this time.