On My Honor…

The drop was made in a pull-off area of the highway. I pulled up next to the white SUV, slid open the side door of the van and handed over the shoebox and white file box containing twenty years of history. Next, I dug around in my purse for the checkbook and two envelopes of checks, gave them to Kevin, and that was it: BS Troop 198 had a new treasurer. A very anti-climatic ending to an exciting trip that started eighteen years ago, when Tommy told me he wanted to join Cub Scouts. I took him to the informational meeting, but didn't volunteer for anything that first night. I wanted to wait and see if Tommy was serious about it before I committed myself.

Eventually, I volunteered for publicity. (It gave me a purpose for all of my photos!) Then Tom and I volunteered to be in charge of organizing work committees for Hester's house. Hester Alfred was a legally blind ninety-something-year-old woman that lived by herself on an acre of land. She had finally given up taking care of her lawn herself; our pack volunteered to do the job for her. She was very particular about her yard, and would stand at her window with binoculars to make sure we did it right.

When we had trouble starting her old riding lawn mower, she would climb on, fiddle with the choke, and start it up for us, giggling at our ineptitude. She fell in love with Tom, and even after we moved to Lago Vista, he would go back to check on her, mow her yard, fix a water leak, or whatever work needed to be done, until she died, just a year or so later.

We helped start a brand new Cub Scout pack in Lago Vista. I wore many hats over the years, most at the same time - Tiger den mother, then assistant leader of Daniel's den all the way through; publicity; assistant Cubmaster; and advancement. Tom was Tommy's den leader for two years, and became Scoutmaster when he moved up into the Boy Scout troop. When Daniel followed Tommy, I was talked into the treasurer job.

Giving up the checkbook made me nostalgic. This weekend I glanced through the albums I compiled for Tommy and Daniel for their Eagle ceremonies – photos from Tiger cubs on up triggering so many good memories: pushcar races; pinewood derbies (even Kendall raced a car every year); skits, games, and cheers at pack meetings;campouts; parades; Eagle projects and ceremonies of my boys and their friends…

I'm grateful I had a chance to do my part and share so many memories with them, but I'm actually relieved to be turning over the treasurer job. It's time. I'm just glad there are still boys who are serious about it and parents who recognize what a great experience scouting is for their sons, parents willing to commit the time to keep the troop alive.

It's not really our troop anymore. Our troop still exists, but it's in college, or already graduated and working, scattered out across the country. And of course, frozen in time in my photo albums, images of so many rowdy little boys growing into amazing young men.