When I was in elementary school all the boys played baseball and most were in Cub Scouts. I loved the Cub Scouts! On Wednesday every couple of weeks, we wore our uniform to school and after school went over to our den mother’s home to do whatever we we were working on for our next project. Earn another patch to put on our uniform or making the next rank. It was all great fun for me. My parents became involved too, my mom being den mother fro my younger brother and my dad being the pack leader. I earned all the badges and ranks!

Then when it was time to move on the the Boy Scouts. We had the opportunity to visit with several different troops and decide which one to join, and they let me make my own decision, I picked troop 107. I was in the Pyro patrol, and we would go to meetings to work on learning the Boy Scout culture, mottos, sayings and such. We also started on merit badges which was fun for me. But then was added hiking and camping. For me this was a little less fun. All the walking with backpacks, blisters on my feet, sleeping in a tent in the rain, and then having to clean out a muddy tent at the end of the trip. Not so much fun.

After a while I decided I did not want to be in Boy Scouts any more. I had developed another hobby of radio control car racing and wanted to do that. I’m sure this really pleased my parents!

So after talking to my parents that I did not want to go any more, and thinking that was the end of it, my dad told me that I could not just quit. I had to go to the troop leader and tell him that I was leaving the troop. This made me very uncomfortable, he was holding me accountable for my actions and interactions with others, in a way head never done before. Teaching me that I could not leave things open, or just walk away. I knew he was right. So to move on to do what I wanted I had to agree to do this.

The day came to go. My dad had me put on my uniform so we could drive over to Mr. Lynch’s home to tell him. I am 48 years old now and I can still vividly remember the ride over there. It was short but all the feelings and fears in my head were there. I was so nervous inside, as nervous and uncomfortable as I had ever been in my life. Then we arrived, I remember the chalky blue color of the house and walking up to the door with my dad to ring the doorbell. He was there with me but I had to do it. What would he say I thought, would he be mad or upset with me? I didn’t know and I was even scared of what would happen. Mr. Lynch came to the door, I said hi to him and thanked him for letting me be in his troop but that I wanted to leave, because it was not for me. This was so hard to say. He then said ok, and thanked me for having been in the scouts.

That was it. I had done it. It seemed so easy once we were on the way home. But I learned big lesson that day, maybe one of the biggest that I ever have. To be open and honest, to stand up and say what you have to, to not just quit and walk away from things. That was a difficult day for me, but I’m so thankful that my dad was able to teach that to me the way he did. I certainly learned a lot from him then and still keep that lesson with me today.