Boy Scout Troop 325
Scoutmaster Minute
You Know You've Been a Scoutmaster Too Long When..
February 26, 2008 (COH)
Larry Polyak, Scoutmaster

You've got to admit that I have been pretty good about keeping Scoutmaster Minutes to a minute. Well, not tonight.

Before I stepped up as Scoutmaster I said I wouldn't do it without help. As it turns out, I didn't have to worry.  As I look around, just about everyone I see has helped out in some way. I could not have hand picked a better group of people to work with, you are what helps make Troop 325 so great.

I figured that if I could do 1/5th as good as George, we'd have a successful troop. I don't know if I did it 1/5th as good but I did do it 1/5th as long.

I'd like to thank all the Senior Patrol Leaders who stepped up to lead the troop during my tenure as Scoutmaster:  Erik, Eddie, Shohei, Dale, Matthew, Dennis and now Pat.  You guys rock!

It has been fantastic to see so many scouts learn, advance, serve, and lead.

I'd like to thank my wife Karen for being a scoutmaster's widow and for letting me have the experiences that I didn't have as a boy. There ought to be a patch for that! She herself is a teacher, having dedicated her career to helping kids. Come to think of it, Kathy Denise is a teacher and Sally Duprey is a teacher. Hmm, I wonder if that is a coincidence...?

As with a lot of jobs like this, there is such a thing as doing it too long. How do you know when it is too long? Funny you should ask... I have come up with a list... I call this... The Top Ten ways that you know you have been Scoutmaster too long.

15) You know you have been Scoutmaster too long when your top ten list starts at number 15 - because you just have too much to say.
14) You know you have been Scoutmaster too long when you think that dressing up for dinner with your wife means putting on your Class A uniform.
13) When handing a piece of silverware to someone at the dinner table, you refuse to let go until they say "thank you". (If you don't have your Totin' Chip you won't understand that one)
12) Your clients know never to call you between 3 pm and 6 pm on Tuesdays, because that's when you are writing your Scoutmaster Minute.
11) During a loud business meeting you hold up your hand with the scout sign and expect everyone to quiet down (that's embarassing).
10) You wonder what kind of patch you'll get for Camporee this year.
9) You know you have been Scoutmaster too long when you think that pants with zip-off legs are appropriate business attire.
8) When your co-workers routinely email you little tidbits of inspiration, hoping to give you something to write about so that you won't be so grouchy on Tuesdays between 3 pm and 6 pm.
7) You forget how to tie a necktie and look for a woggle instead.
6) You don't think that "woggle" is a silly word.
5) Your garage resembles a military surplus store.
4) You can't go shopping for a new truck unless you have patrol box measurements with you.
3) You just can't get the tune from "The Peanut Song" out of your head. (thanks for that Francis)
2) You can find your way to a new scout's home after on outing given only the directions: "I live over by the 7-Eleven." (true story)
And last, sad but true... You know you have been Scoutmaster too long when...
1) The only social event on your calendar is the annual Pioneer District Dinner.

When Erik first joined the troop eight years ago, I figured I'd help out here and there but no way was I ever going to wear that uniform! But it didn't take too long before I was hooked, partly because I realized that the values taught by the Boy Scouts were so worthwhile and partly because of the great people in this troop which is what makes it so much fun. But when Todd was searching for the next Scoutmaster, I remember writing an email to him in which I described why he should not consider me and why I couldn't do it. A couple of months ago, Todd and I got an email from Andy, telling us why he should not be considered and why he couldn't do it. I knew then that we had found our next Scoutmaster! He just didn't know it yet. But Andy, everyone I have talked to, both scouts and adults, think you are going to be AWESOME. If you are anything like me, you're probably really looking forward to some aspects of the job, and are a little hesitant about others. Well I remember something that George Denise said at his retirement that stuck with me. He said that after all the meetings, after all the awards and the advancement, what the Boy Scout program really boils down to is: "taking boys camping". That's the bottom line - taking boys camping. And Andy, I KNOW you will do a great job at that.

The buzzword in this year's presidential election seems to be "change". Each Democratic condidate is saying that he or she is the one to be elected if you want change. Even the Republican candidates are are saying that they are the ones to vote for if you want change. So it seems, change is good, people want change. Our troop is going through a change. Today marks the beginning of the 17th Scoutmaster in the Troop's history, and somewhere around the 60th change in scout leadership.

Scouts, this is your troop, this is your chance to change the Troop to be the way you want. You can either go through the program being pulled through it by your neckerchief, or you can step up, take charge, and make this Troop what YOU want it to be. Organize outings that YOU want to go on and do things that YOU want to do. Many of you will never get this chance again until you are adults. Make decisions. Make goals and then follow through. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, that's how we learn. That might not seem like a big deal now, but let me tell you, it is! You'll be able to draw on the experiences and knowledge gained from Scouting for the rest of your life. And along the way, you'll have lots of fun, just like I did. And that, I think, is what Boy Scouts is all about.