I was a participant in the C7-751-15 course. It wasn't until I took the course that I realized how much I enjoy Scouting and all it entails. The good, the bad, the easy, the hard, the fun, the tedium....it's the best!!!
I've met some amazing people in the last 6 or so years. Many of whom I consider to be really good friends, not just people I know. My patrol mates (GOOOOOO Beavers!!!!!!) and I still keep in touch to this day. In our troop (Troop 209 and Troop 209GT) I have formed bonds that will last for a long time to come. I've met amazing adults, amazing Scouts, and I've tested some of my own limits. And to think this all started with such hesitation and trepidation. I suppose that needs a backstory....
In 2013, Andrea and I started discussing whether or not we wanted to put our then first grader into Cub Scouts. At that time, the BSA still had their anti-LGBT leader policy in place. The national attitude of the BSA was that we as LGBT individuals were not to be trusted as leaders. Why would we want to put our son in an organization that wasn't supportive of our family? We hemmed, and we hawed, and finally decided to go to the parent night to get a feel for things. I have to say, I'm so glad we went. I walked in feeling really out of place and not knowing what to expect. I sat down and listened to the Cubmaster give his intro speech and got busy working on the necessary paperwork. I knew I need to talk to the Cubmaster so I asked him over to my table. I said, "there are a couple things you need to know about Jake, 1) he has a physical disability and requires help with most tasks", to which he replied, "not a problem, my son will be the first to step up and help him!", and so I continued, "2) Jake has two moms." Again, he replied that having two moms wasn't really important and that if we wanted to step up to volunteer, he'd be grateful for the help. He said that the anti-LGBT policy wasn't even considered at the local level. If they have a parent who wants to volunteer, why should their sexuality play a part in that? WHEW!!!!! I was so relieved that I not only signed up to be an Assistant Den Leader but I also marked down that I'd be interested in being the Committee Chair. Keep in mind I had ABSOLUTELY no idea what that meant or entailed!!!
So here we are 6 & 1/2 years later. I've been an Assistant Den Leader, Pack Committee Chair, Advancement Chair (unofficially), and now an Assistant Scoutmaster. The more involved I get, the more involved I want to be!
