Quiet Support

Tuesday was the 2nd of 4 Blue Gold Cub Scout dinners I'll be visiting this month. We're pulling in a few scouts from different packs which really helps the intermingling of scouts into patrols. They feel more like it's a new start rather than just a continuation of Webelos.

Two boy scouts just finishing their first year with the troop joined me to welcome the five new guys by replacing their neckerchiefs and removing their blue shoulder loops. My job was tough - I held the new neckerchiefs and handed them to the scouts when they asked.

When I got down to 1 neckerchief left and could still see two boys waiting to cross-over, I started getting a bit suspicious. I was specifically told 'five' scouts were joining us and I was even given their names. The last thing I wanted was to have one scout (and his family) start their Boy Scout time feeling left out. Wouldn't that be a bummer?

Now, I really try to minimize my involvement in the scouts' activities and usually enjoy watching them work things out. It was tempting to see what would happen when they turned to me for the last neckerchief and I could only hold up my empty hands. I'd love to see how they'd handle it and what they would do.

BUT, if you were there, you could tell as well as I that these two guys were already awful nervous being in front of a really big audience. With all eyes on us, I believe most of the adults could see that we were out of neckerchiefs and some were probably wondering what would happen. I weighed the growth potential versus the embarrassment potential and it was very lop-sided.

I just slipped my neckerchief off and had it ready for them to give to the last scout. No drama, no problem.

Sometimes just quiet support and filling little gaps is the best thing to do. Our two scouts thought everything went just fine and they did a great job. The new scouts are excited. And, I'd like to think maybe at least a couple adults noticed and will remember when their Bear grows up.

Scout On