Scoutmaster's Minute

An Open Letter to Mom and Dad (everyone's, not just mine)

Sorry if I'm a bit long-winded this time, but recent events have had me in a reflective mood, to say the least. Thanksgiving came and went. My brother and sister-in-law are expecting a new baby any day now. My father had heart surgery last week (he wouldn't be happy about me broadcasting it to the world, but he's not exactly a regular reader here, so what the hey). The last two weeks have indeed been a time to reflect on new beginnings, face possibly unpleasant endings, and appreciate family more than I have in a long long time.

It's been a time to reflect on chances taken and not taken, on opportunities made and missed. As I played on the floor with my 2 1/2-year-old niece at Thanksgiving (she's got this thing for dancing to James Brown), I found myself wondering what the world has in store for her and her impending sibling. As I sit here at the keyboard, I think of my father in the ICU a thousand miles away, and wonder the same thing (in both cases, I hope it's plenty). And, perhaps foolishly at a time like this, I think of myself, of how many years have gone by and how many I still have left, of chances I've let slip by and opportunities I can still grab.

One of those opportunities involves my parents. It's incredibly alarming to come face to face with their mortality (I can only imagine how it is for them), and I'm extremely lucky I'll still have them around for a few years, apparently. And there's a chance, an opportunity that I've never taken advantage of and that I don't want to let slip by again. So here goes:

There are several things associated with camp for which I regularly give thanks. The Scouts and Leaders, of course, because if they didn't come to camp I wouldn't have the best job on the face of the earth. The camp staff, because without them it wouldn't _be_ the best job on the face of the earth (hijinks-induced gray hairs notwithstanding). But one group for which I am eternally grateful, and whom I keep forgetting to thank, are the parents of our younger staff members. After talking with my parents about my initial years on the Bear Paw Staff, I realized how much of an oversight this has been.

I remember when I first applied for the Bear Paw Staff (dimly, because it was half a lifetime ago). I was excited, because it was something I'd wanted to do for years. I was nervous, because I wasn't sure I'd get hired and wasn't sure how things would go if I did. And I was completely oblivious to how my parents must have felt. They agreed to let me apply, and once I'd been hired they agreed to let me spend the summer at camp. But as I recall, it was with a certain reluctance. As my mother told me years later, "You were stepping into a different world, and for the first time in your life we couldn't follow you to make sure it'd be okay." For me, this was exciting; I didn't realize that for my parents it was frightening.

They didn't need to worry, of course, but there was no real way of knowing that then. There was no way of knowing that Bear Paw would be the place where I found out who I could really be. There was no way of knowing that, at that age, I needed that time to figure myself out, and I was incredibly lucky to find it in such a safe place. There was no way of knowing that, 15 years later, that place would still be a central part of my life.

I also didn't realize how reluctant they were to waste any of their time with me. I was 15 and at the age where I didn't even want to _have_ parents, let alone spend time with them. But parents generally have 18 years to spend with their kids before they move off into a life of their own. That may sound like a lot of time, but it really isn't. And considering the fact that the Bear Paw Staff are the finest group of people I've ever known, it's understandable that their parents would be reluctant to be apart from them for two months. Mine weren't terribly thrilled at the idea (my father would break in here to say that 2 months wasn't nearly enough -- that should answer any questions about where I get my sense of humor).

Despite all of that, they let me go. They let me undertake what was, to me, the adventure of a lifetime. It was an act of faith, and it was an act of love. They gambled on me and they gambled on camp. And fifteen years later, I think it's safe to say they won.

With all of that as background, there are a few things I'd like to take the opportunity to say.

It seems like every year around this time I get calls and e-mails from parents of camp staff applicants, wanting to know just what their son is trying to get himself into. For those parents I will say this: I have yet to see the staff member whose life wasn't improved by his time at camp, and I have yet to see the parents who weren't pleased with the result.

To the staff members who are reading this and kind of rolling their eyes, I'll just say that your parents and your senior staff do all of this because you're worth it, and because we know you'll make the most of the opportunity. You reward me every summer with your presence at camp and your commitment to the ideals of Scouting. But if you enjoy your work at camp (and I know all of you do), be sure to take some time to thank the people who make your presence there possible in the first place. If you don't want to say it out loud, just print this page and leave it where they can find it; they'll get the hint.

To the parents of staff members young and old, past and present, I'll just say thank you. Thank you for your support, your understanding, and your annual leap of faith. We will always do our best to be worthy of your confidence and trust.

And to Mom and Dad: You knew how important camp was to me, even if you never completely understood why. Fifteen summers later, thank you. And thank you for still feeling the same way.

Postscript: My father is home from the hospital already and doing great, and I'm still waiting on the call from my brother. Any day now...

Yours in Scouting and All Things Bear Paw,

_______________________

...and in other news:

CONGRATULATIONS to:

--Tom, Bryan, Arius, Chris, Kale, Ry, Trevor, and Kurt for completing or being at the Board of Review stage for Eagle Scout! (and sorry if I missed anyone, but there's quite a few of you these days)

--Will, Chip, Ry, Chris, and Zach, on being elected as, respectively, Lodge Chief, Vice-Chief of Program, Vice-Chief of Inductions, Secretary, and Treasurer of Awase Lodge.

--the Executive Board of Crew 9001, on a job well done (with the lock-in and with everything else).

THANKS to:

--the Webmasters, for all they do.

--Tim and Rick, who keep offering me this job.

--The U.S. Department of State for not offering me a job (would've had to give up my summers and wear a tie every day --shudder-- ).

--and everyone whose name I've forgotten to list here, but who has put forth their hard work and support -- that much I haven't forgotten.