About a Scout

Tonight was the final scout meeting of the year. We met at a park and had an ice cream social. Hannah and some friends entertained Emma on the lawn. It was a great night for Max, who received a special award. The progression of scouts is Tiger, Wolf, Bear, then Webelos. The boys stay in Webelos for two years before crossing over from cub scouts to boy scouts. Tonight, Hayden graduated from Bears to Webelos, so now both boys will be in the Webelos next year. This is wonderful news for their Dad, who no longer needs to split time between two dens.

My friend Melinda is the committee chair for our troop. That means she is top banana...the one who presides over all administrative matters...the key cog in the machine that is our troop. Melinda is a role model for me because she is one of those people who finds joy in all situations. She has great perspective and never loses her cool. I watched her hand out awards tonight, and listened to her recognize the adults who volunteer their time and talents to make our troop happen. People are willing to work hard for Melinda, and I know why. She has the gift of encouragement, among many others. She knows how to delegate tasks, equip and motivate people to do their jobs well, and how to reward and appreciate people for their efforts. I watched her do her thing tonight and felt inspired. Tomorrow I want to take a lesson from Melinda. I want to smile at my kids more. I want to ask rather than demand. I want to inspire rather than point out shortcomings. I want to say "thanks", both in my words and in my deeds. And I really, really want to try not to sweat the small stuff. I want to be Melinda for a day.