Boy Scout Troop 325
Scoutmaster Minute
"Accomodating Family"
June 1, 2003
George Denise, Scoutmaster

A couple of days ago, Irene called me. It was two days before Kenneth's Eagle Court of Honor, so she was getting started on the program. You don't want to rush these things! Anyway, she was calling me to find out when Kenneth joined our troop. I have a large binder with two or three rosters from each year going back to 1976. I knew Kenneth had graduated out about two years ago, so I went back to 2000 and sure enough, there he was. Then I went back, year by year, until his name didn't appear in the roster and figured that he must have joined sometime between the oldest one his name appears in, and the one preceding it. He shows up in one dated just plain 1997, but he doesn't show up in one dated March 1997, so I figured he must have joined sometime after March 1997. Well, Irene said that can't be right. He joined so he could go to the jamboree with us, and the training started in December 1996, so he must have joined before April 1997. I said, "Well, he's not in the roster, so he must not have officially joined until after March 1997, so just put down April 1997.

Then I got to thinking about the fact that Kenneth had gone on outings with our troop long before he ever joined. One favorite picture of mine was of our Mt. Tamalpais outing in November 1993. The entire troop is strung out along the trail on the side of the mountain, including the entire Hoover and Kalchik contingent, even little Allen and Jeanette. So I dug out that picture, and sure enough, there's Kenneth. Then I got curious as to whether he and Peter and Chris were actually in Boy Scouts yet, or if this had been a Webelos hike for them. I went back to our 1994 roster to see when Peter and Chris joined, and right there on the August 1994 roster is, yep, you guessed it, Kenneth Kalchik, proud member of the Roadrunners Patrol.

Then it all came back to me. I remembered Irene visiting the troop and wanting to know if we allowed women to be assistant scoutmasters. Actually, it was more of a challenge. She had just recently visited another troop that didn't allow women to be assistants, and I think she was a little put off by it. So while she asked politely, just under the surface she was thinking and I was hearing, "You do allow women to be assistant Scoutmasters, don't you!" I, of course, answered "Yes, actually, women can be scoutmasters." I was ready to hand over the reins on the spot, if need be. But she was properly patronizing me and said, "No, assistant scoutmaster is good enough." I thought that was nice of her; I only later figured out that as an assistant, she could offer me "suggestions" any time, day or night, and regardless of whether I took them or not, whatever went wrong was my still my fault! Good plan, Irene. Anyway, right after that, she told me about her nephew in Fresno, and how close their two families are, and how she had this great plan for Peter to join Kenneth's troop, and Kenneth to join ours, and then they could participate in each others outings. So apparently, Kenneth joined our troop in 1994, not 1997. I remember now. I later took him off of our roster, because we were actively using a phone chain in the troop, and I didn't want our scouts calling him in Fresno, figuring Irene and Peter would keep him updated on things he needed to know.

So that's when and how Kenneth came to be a member of Troop 325. He also attended International Rendezvous '96, as I recall, we already mentioned the National Jamboree in 1997 he joined us for, and he was going to go to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico with us in 2000, but a conflict came up and he wasn't able to make it.

The seemingly unusual and complicating goal of the Hoovers and the Kalchiks, to be able to enjoy sharing the scouting program within their extended family, along with the simple solution: each scout joining the other's troop, is actually not that unusual, nor need it be complicated.

Scouting is a unique program with a unique set of contrasts. It is about allowing Scouts to grow and develop as individuals, each at their own speed and in their own way, picking and choosing the experiences and training courses that appeal to them, as they climb parallel advancement ladders together, but each at their own speed.

It is teaching boys to work as contributing member of a team in a society where virtually everything that is accomplished is accomplished by men and women working together.

Scouting, at least through age 13, allows boys to compete in an all boy environment where they are relieved (temporarily, at least) from having to posture and primp in the ongoing battle of the sexes. A few years ago (actually, about 30 or so) developmental psychologists discovered that girls perform better in an all girl environment. Low and behold, in the past year or so, they decided to test this same theory on boys. A few nights ago, 60 Minutes did a piece on recent studies that find that boys also do better in an all boy environment! Duh!

Scouting is boy run, with adults primarily relegated to support roles in the background, yet it embraces the family and encourages family participation.

Lastly, Scouting is a game, but it is a game with a purpose: to instill in our youth the values inherent in the Scout Oath, the Scout Law, the Scout Motto, the Scout Slogan, and the Boy Scout Outdoor Code. There are very few games of worthier value than the game of Scouting.

There is a very high correlation between those that enjoy the Scouting program and stay with it, and success in later life.

Nationally, one in four boys, 25%, become Scouts. (And only 2% of those who become Scouts earn the rank of Eagle, Scouting's highest honor.) Yet a nation-wide survey of high schools a few years ago revealed that 89% of senior class presidents were Scouts, 85% of student council presidents were Scouts, 80% of junior class presidents were Scouts, 75% of school publication editors were Scouts, and 71% of football captains were Scouts.

Former Scouts also make up 64% of Air Force Academy graduates, 65% of U.S. Congressmen, 68% of West Point graduates, 70% of Annapolis graduates, 70% of those who appear in Who's Who, 85% of FBI agents, and 75% of Rhodes Scholars.

In the general population, 83% have graduated from high school, yet of those who were Scouts, 98% have graduated from high school. While in the general population, 16% have graduated from college, of those who were Scouts, 40% have graduated from college.

Of the 214 former and present astronauts, 142 took part in Scouting and 33 achieved Eagle.

Of the twelve men who have walked on the surface of the moon, eleven were Scouts, two achieved Eagle.

Of the seven U.S. Presidents who were born recently enough to be in Scouting, three were Scouts and one was an Eagle. (In addition, recent candidates for President who are Eagle Scouts include Michael Dukakis, Ross Perot, and Lamar Alexander.)

Being a Scout, even achieving the rank of Eagle won't guarantee success in later life, but it does put a young man in some very fine company.

Congratulations on achieving Eagle. Remember, there is no limit on it. You will always be an Eagle from this day on. Conduct yourself accordingly. And go with God.