New Scoutmaster

I'm on a Boy Scout bend lately.  It is probably because I've been very heavily involved myself and it makes me think.

I was working with one of the ADC's last night and we were talking about helping a troop move on to a new Scoutmaster.  It made me think of how my Dad ended up becoming the Scoutmaster of Troop 881.

I told you in this post how Dad ended up at Pack 3881 and eventually Troop 881 as a scout.

Dad went away to join the USMC after High School.  He was not really available for a couple of years.  When he did come back he stopped in to the basement of the Irving Park Baptist Church to say hello to his old troop.

He found a group of boys doing scouting stuff, being led by their boy leaders.  What he didn't find was any adults.  There was not one adult there on that Friday.  I'm guessing this happened sometime after the Autumn of '64 since that would have been when he was already married and home to stay (when did he leave the Active Marines?).

Tony Baneshki (I'm sure I spelled that wrong, would someone please write in and help me with that?) was the SPL (Senior Patrol Leader) at the time and he told Dad that their Scoutmaster had just quit.

Dad volunteered on the spot. 

He would have been only 22 at the time, a mere boy himself.  Back then they didn't have Youth Protection or Two Deep Leadership like they do today (and have since the late 80s).  A single adult could lead a troop, and so he did.

I have heard Dad say he was sure he learned more from Tony than he taught him.  In a few short years Tony would do everything for his Eagle and leave for the USMC himself.  Tony's paperwork got lost in the shuffle and he ended up not actually being presented his Eagle Scout award until 1983 when he, Jac Charlier and I were all presented it together.

Just Who Do You Think You Are?

Pre-Leave No Trace I guess

Something today reminded me of this story.  I think my Dad told this to me once, and I'm not sure if I got it right, but I don't think there is anyone around who was actually there so I don't think anyone can call me on this.

When I was young we used to make up our own skits for Boy Scouts.  We had an electric campfire that we brought out at the end of each Friday night scout meeting and we gathered around to sing songs and do a skit.

I remember one that we did that had something to do with the Space Shuttle.

Anyway, I guess we weren't the first scouts of troop 881 to do this.  Back in the day when Dad was a youth they did it too.

Once, when Dad was the Senior Patrol Leader (SPL, or for those unfamiliar with the Boy Scouts, the person who actually runs the meetings and leads the troop, the Scoutmaster is supposed to only be there as a guide) the boys in the troop wrote a special skit.

The skit started out with some young boys being roughed up by some older boys.  A rather large boy ran in and fought the older boys until they ran off.  Then the whole scene repeated with the heroic boy jumping in to save the young boys. 

Finally on the third rescue one of the boys asked the gallant champion, "Who do you think you are, Superman?"

The stalwart lad replied, arms akimbo, "No, I'm Bill La Fleur!"

I understand Harcus got a real kick out of that.



I guess he should have had one of these.