There Goes Neighborhood

Last week, I put my hand on the Troop flag and pledged before our entire troop- boys and parents- that I would do my best to lead them in building a program to remember. While it is certainly an honor to finally be the Scoutmaster, the events that lead up to my inauguration raise a number of issues that had not previously been of much concern.

I never really thought about what Eagle Scout meant to me before this month. It always seemed like the title were just reserved for people who were driven, highly organized, or really morally solid people. Another award for my wall. Maybe for a lot of people, that's all it really is. But the last few weeks of Troop politics has opened up a different meaning for me when I began asking myself whether or not it was a wise idea to take the role of Scoutmaster on before I graduate. When it became clear that no one was really qualified or even willing to assume the job, something new occured to me. Eagle Scouts are not coveted because they need to organize and lead a group of people, but because they have pledged to do it, even if it means they need to give up a few things. When I completed that rank in high school, I pledged to a life of selflessness and ideals in front of everyone important in my life, and I truly feel that I had forgotten that over the last couple of years.

I suspect the next 8 months are going to full of lots of growth for everyone involved...