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A Grandfather’s Reflection on the Importance of Scouting

A grandfather shared his heartfelt thoughts on how important Cub Scouting is for our children. You'll be inspired by his words!

importance of scouting
Matthew & I are on the left, and Jessica & Grant are on the right. They were less than a year old!

We have some family friends that we've known for generationsLiterally. 

My grandmother and my friend, Jessica's, grandfather went to school together in the 1930s.

Our families have been woven together so long, we sometimes we forget that we aren't really related!  🙂

I want to share a Cub Scout story that comes from our dear friends.

Jessica has a son named Matthew who is the same age as my son, Grant. Matthew is a Cub Scout too. 

importance of scouting to a grandfather
Matthew receiving his Webelos badge from his dad.

This story is really about Matthew's grandfather (and Jessica's dad), Geneo Anderson. Geneo attended Matthew's Blue and Gold Banquet a few weeks ago. 

As he reflected on the banquet the next day, he wrote down some profound insights that he had about Scouting. He shared these on Facebook, where I saw them.

Geneo's words remind me of why we want our children to be involved in Scouting. This sentence in particular spoke to me:

“There are many good programs that can help coach a boy, but few are so purposeful in their directives to help form a life with family and community.”

I asked Geneo if I could share his thoughts with you, and he kindly agreed.

grandfather's reflection on cub scouts

A huge thank you goes out to Geneo Anderson for recognizing the value of Scouting and the commitment of all Cub Scout parents and for allowing me to share this.

Another big thank you to the parents of the Cub Scouts in Matthew's pack for allowing me to share their sons' pictures here. 

Yours in Scouting,
Sherry

P.S.  Read about what I think are the biggest benefits of Cub Scouts.

Edzel

Wednesday 30th of March 2016

Great thoughts, I was in cub scouting long enough to know it was fun but also "never finished". What I appreciate most with my own boys in scouts is that the program is designed for parents to interact with their kids unlike any other program. I appreciate that I was able to have many discussions with my boys about personal safety, serving others, and their duty to God as part of the requirements for advancement. Most other boys will get a school assembly or a nice public service announcement about these things but many parents are too busy to take the time for these important topics at home where it can be a shared/bonding moment for the family. Too bad these aspects of scouting are not as readily apparent to the public as the outdoor program is.

Sherry

Thursday 31st of March 2016

Thanks for your comments, Edzel! The character development is one of the things that drew me to Scouts.

Kerri Hovan

Tuesday 29th of March 2016

I agree with Mr. Anderson, I grew up with a brother in scouts and my Dad was the leader. I learned a lot about life when I was tagging along with my big brother. But I see what a great father, EMT, friend, neighbor, son and man my brother is and I know a lot of it has to do with what my parents taught him but also so much he learned from Boy Scouts. That is why as a single mother, I too wanted my son to be a Boy Scout.

Sherry

Thursday 31st of March 2016

I love this! So glad you wanted your son in Scouts too.