Day 31: New Scout Conference

Day 31: Showing up for the first scoutmaster conference, not sure what to expect, or how mean the old guy will be, or how hard it will be to remember everything, or if this is the right troop to be in. And, that's just the mom's thoughts!
When a new scout shows up for his first scoutmaster conference, he's kind of in limbo. His blue shoulder loops were replaced with green ones and he was given a Scout Handbook. But until he completes the Joining requirements, he doesn't have a troop neckerchief and slide or troop numerals to wear. He really, really, really wants that neckerchief and to belong to the gang.

I ask if he has any pets. Oh, he does! That's always a great place to start, sharing stories of pets. Then, I coax a bit about his family out of him. See how he likes school - or not. Finally, we work our way around to the joining requirements.

I just go down the list on page 17...
How old are you? Check
Did you find a troop to join? Check
Let's say the Pledge of Allegiance. Check
See how easy these requirements are? Nothing to it when you know your stuff.
How about that Scout Sign? Check
Salute? Check
Handshake? Check - by the way, when you shake with those older scouts in the troop, make sure you have a good, strong grip. Yeah, that's it!
See this cool scout badge - what do you see on it? What does that Eagle remind you of? What is a shield used for? Does this scroll look kind of like a smile? Have you ever heard of someone tying a string around their finger to remind them of something?
Do you have the Scout Law or Scout Promise memorized yet? No, that's ok, you don't need them memorized until Tenderfoot. Have you seen the movie "UP"?

I've found that pretty much every kid has seen "UP" by now - if you haven't I think you should. The scout, Russell, exemplifies pretty much every point of the Scout Law. So, I ask about a scene from the movie, for example when Russell was hanging from the hose, or when he was all covered in dirt, or when he first met the old man. And, we figure out if he was being brave, or clean, or courteous.

On this day, I got to have a great chat with a new scout. He's a great little kid with messed up hair, glasses, and a lot of something they used to call "spunk". I can hardly wait to see what sort of man he becomes. Let's get started...

Scout On
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