"Our Boys"

In 30 plus years of Scouting  this past Saturday was particularly meaningful.

My wife and I were invited to the wedding of one of the men she calls ‘our boys’.  Andy worked with me on camp staff and worked for me when I was a camp director nearly twenty years ago. There’s something to the friendships we forged as camp staff members that remains lasting and important.

Andy asked me to be one of the readers at his wedding. We sat with ‘our boys’ during the ceremony and they stifled a laugh when I managed to brush the microphone rather loudly with the paper I read from.

At the reception we almost all fit around one table. I listened to all of the news and thought back to when they were just teenagers at camp. I was so pleased to hear of their work and their lives and to see them happy.

Teachers, writers, engineers, businessmen, and public servants; one was off to Philmont the next day to train for his new role as our O.A. lodge adviser, one was on respite from his state department post in the middle east, one was visiting from his work with the Army Corps of Engineers. They’ve chosen wonderful partners and many of them have children of their own.

Although we see each other infrequently the easygoing bond of fellowship remains strong.  I can only hope each of us are blessed to know such  good men who carry forward the good things that they gained as Scouts.