Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Where Did May Go?

Which might be a silly question, given that it's already 10 days into June. (Isn't it? I just had to check a calendar to make sure). I feel like I have lost about three weeks somewhere and am running perpetually behind on what I need to get done.

Take last week, for example. It was Cub Scout Day Camp time here in the Peach household. This is our third year for day camp, and I always volunteer. This year, the camp was over 300 boys, and in my position, I see them all at least once during camp, and usually a few times apiece. Additionally, just for kicks, it was much hotter than it normally is the first week of June. Amazingly enough, this didn't bother the boys at all. Just the 'old folks' like me.

I kept thinking, for the last three weeks, that I still had plenty of time to prepare my materials. Until Memorial Day had been and gone, school was out, and my deadline was suddenly a few days away. The blessing is that I've had the same position for two years now, and I could coast a bit.

Was it worth it? Absolutely. In my experience, Scouts are one of the few organizations left that actively teaches noble character traits like cooperation, sportsmanship, responsibility, honesty, and respectfulness in a systematic way, and the success rate is pretty good, all things considered. A great example of that success rate is that there were probably 30-40 Boy Scouts, from 11 to 16 or 17 years old, who volunteered their time all week to help out with these younger boys. Just a great group of boys who, on the whole, were lacking the attitudes that are common at that age and were providing a great example to the younger boys.

Anyway, that's where we've been. This was the big boy's last year at day camp, and he's pretty sad about it. My last year, however, is a few years in the future -- little guy still has three years to go!