*Drags in smiling*
Hi Mr. Blog, better grab a pillow since this is a long story...*waits for him to lie down*
I have a casserole hangover from the cub scout blue and gold banquet last night.
It was right down the street at the Kenmore Community Center Clubhouse instead of KJH.
Teddy met me there and it was total, absolute pandemonium.
Take forty seven six to eleven-year old boys, add twenty siblings and fifty parents and it spells:
C-H-A-O-S!!!
Thank God I was a den leader there for a decade while still in my forties and my nerves could handle the deafening roar of screaming kids.
It was so awesome to see all my old and new scout pals, especially the Bushes and Meagan Colella. She was even signing up to take Michael to camp! I remember five years ago when we took Teddy and Chris up to Camp Brinkley and she told me how much she hated to camp.
We had the best time of our lives up there with NO COOKING OR CLEANING!
Just hiking and helping and enjoying watching the boys learn how to row boats, shoot rifles, shoot bows and arrows, learn and do skits and songs and enjoy friendship fires nightly!
So I got to sit with the Colellas and little Tyler Hass remembered me! He sat with me all night and is already in third grade. He lives with his elderly grandparents and you know what?
I'm thinking about taking him to camp since his grandpa is having so much trouble walking.
Greg Tanner and Alun Jones did a great history show since it was the packs fiftieth birthday and the Boy Scouts of America's 100Th birthday.
You should have seen the food! It was ten times better than anything we had when I was in that group! Part of the reason the pack has grown was the Arrowhead and Lockwood elementary schools' packs went out of business a few years ago. They couldn't get enough parents to lead the dens. It was the hardest job I never got paid for for ten years so I understand. Just sad.
We chatted and listened to the scout history story and near the end I asked Meagan when the skits were starting. She said, "No skits." Ugh! I love watching those silly kids in their goofy skits! I told her that the skits were the tradition at the blue and gold banquet and she said that traditions change. I told her I might have to go to camp. Think I'm in skit withdrawal.
Well, I sure enjoyed being with all those kids and their parents.
The Webelos IIs that cross over this year led originally by Greg Tanner and Alun Jones
are the first group of boys I coached when they were in first grade as tiger cubs.
My last four years as den leader, I started up the new tigers and gave the parents
training or information or any help I could and you know why?
I was Tyler Haas in 1962! My single working mother was exhausted when she got home
and she signed me up for Girl Scouts. God I loved my little Brownie dress and beanie!
I couldn't wait to sell cookies!
My den leader, Mrs. Wetmore, took a shining to me and I was friends with daughter Debbie.
This was when I was seven and we had moved out of the projects to a tiny house on 28th avenue south on Beacon Hill and I went to Van Asselt. My gang of girl scouts was awesome first to third grade! I still remember most of them although we moved at the end of third grade to the north end and I went to Bryant Elementary after that.
Our Beacon Hill group was: Debbie Wetmore, Theresa Lucretia, Lisa Malen, Sherry, Susan Chew and more that I no longer remember the names for.
We were on JP Patches twice! I remember the shock the first time when we went downtown and I kept looking for the garbage. Boy was I surprised that we weren't in the city dump!
We toured a taffy factory and Lucern Milk and Hostess cupcake factory and guess what?
They all gave out samples!
So anyway, when I was Little Gretchen, I always wanted a baby to grow and scout with and expected a bunch of girl scouts since I only had sisters and nearly all girl cousins.
Well surprise! Back to back sons for me!
When Troy was in kindergarten I called Katy Wilkens and asked if I could be a den mother
and she laughed and told me I had to wait another year.
I couldn't wait to be a den leader!
I was so excited to help those little boys learn songs and skits and games and
go on huge adventures to camp and sleep over at the Seattle Aquarium and
tour the Turner Joy battleship!
I just like people Mr. Blog. I think they are funny and interesting.
Scouting is the best place in the world to make friends.
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