Go to any Cub Scout meeting and you can see first hand the standard for energetic Scouting. It is set by the youngsters as they run around crazily, cheering at the top of their lungs, doing their best and giving their all at each Scouting activity. I've seen some great leaders, but none of them have the energy of the Cubs. Everything is new to the Cubs. Scouting is exciting. Scouting is fun.
The energy of the Scouts is the main reason why folks want to be Scout leaders. As my 1932 version of the Scoutmaster handbook says in the section labeled "Why Scoutmasters Need Scouting":
"Leadership of Scouts brings many 'by-products' to the Scoutmaster: 1. His own youth is renewed thru his association with youth--the real fountain of youth sought by Ponce de Leon..."
You need to be a part of Scouting at the unit level to "recharge your batteries," as our District Commissioner Tony Ryan is fond of saying.
Similarly, one's career as a professional Scouter needs renewal from time to time. Any time you do something for a long time, you begin to think you've seen it all. You stop looking at Scouting through those young eyes. Your energy wanes.
This is a long way of saying that this is the last blog post I will be doing for the Patriot District. I've been selected to move into the Development Department of the Council to be a full time fundraiser for the Scouts.
The change comes at a cost, of course. In my more than two years in Patriot, I have developed relationships with unit leaders, youth, and volunteers at all levels who I will be sorry to leave. This hit home with me this last weekend as I attended a handful of Blue & Golds to Courts of Honor. It's nice to feel like I'm known and appreciated, which is how I feel in Patriot District.
But it's time to learn new skills, have new responsibilities. It will be a good move for me if I ever want to be a Scout Executive one day. And I must admit it's kind of exciting to be doing something different.
My replacement is a great one. A seasoned professional Scouter, Gary Carroll, from Montgomery County will come down to Patriot. Besides liking him personally, I admire the work that he's done for Scouting in Montgomery County. He's a dynamic guy and he's passionate about Scouting. And I'm sure coming to a new district--and such a good one--will energize him too.
Please feel free to keep in touch with me--especially if you're one of the handful of leaders who actually reads this blog. My email address won't change--I'll just have to be in Bethesda a little more.
YIS,
Peter Johnson
