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By Alan Edwards
My family’s association with the Boy Scouts of America began more than 70 years ago when my father, Stan Edwards, joined a Boy Scout troop in Springfield, Mass., and my mother, then Nancy MacBride, joined a Girl Scout Troop in Bridgeport, Conn. So it was not surprising that my sister, Susan, was a Brownie and Girl Scout, and I was Cub Scout and Boy Scout in Agawam, our Western Massachusetts home town.
I joined Pack 89’s Den 8 as a third-grader in 1959. A year later, my mother became my Den Mother and held weekly meetings in our basement. The family attended monthly pack meetings, annual Blue and Gold banquets and Calvacades of Scouting. I completed the Webelos program and joined Troop 82 in 1962.
With Troop 82, I learned first-aid skills, how to tie knots and send and receive short messages in Morse Code. Occasionally, the troop went on weekend campouts. I attended Scout summer camp in the Berkshires. With encouragement from my parents, sister and high-school friends, I earned my Eagle rank in 1968 and then turned my attention to being a high-school senior.
My wife, Debbie, and I became Cub Scout parents in August 1994 when our younger son, Jimmy, joined Pack 898 at Jess Harben Elementary School. There were after-school Den 2 meetings, monthly pack meetings, Pinewood Derby races, Blue and Gold banquets and a lock-in at The Ballpark in Arlington. Debbie, who had been a Girl Scout in Memphis, Tenn., was the pack’s Treasurer.
Jimmy joined Troop 1191 at Jess Harben in May 1997. He learned many of the Scout skills that I had learned, but not Morse Code. He attended regular monthly 1191 campouts, went to summer camp at Camp Constantin, and was among 1191 Scouts and adults who hiked trails of Big Bend and Philmont Scout Ranch. Jimmy was one of the 1191 Scouts who won the 1999 North Trail District Camporee. He and I were among 1191 Scouts and adult volunteers who co-hosted the 2000 Camporee.
In spite of having the challenges of dyslexia, Jimmy received his Eagle award on Nov. 4, 2003. After his 2004 high-school graduation, I “retired” from Troop 1191 and the North Trail District Committee.
In August 2006, Susan, then a Tupper Lake., N.Y., Scoutmaster, and I attended Wood Badge 79 adult-leader training at the Philmont Scout Ranch and National Training Center. Both of us completed this rigorous program. After Wood Badge, I rejoined the North Trail District Committee as the Marketing and Public Awareness chair.
Why Scouts? In addition to having outdoor fun, an important benefit for me was having to answer questions from three adults to earn each of my rank advancements. This was invaluable preparation for job interviews after college. Totally unexpected was my father’s decision to buy our family a Sunfish after I had earned Sailing Merit Badge.
Jimmy thoroughly enjoyed camping with good friends and still does. Scouting’s Oak Leaf and Golden Acorn programs taught him valuable leadership skills, and his Eagle project provided significant lessons in project planning and execution that he will draw upon the rest of his life.
“A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, reverent.” Three generations of Edwards family members – male and female -- have recited those words. They are truly words to live by. Thank you to the many adult volunteers who have made Scouting possible for my family and me. Happy 100th anniversary to the Boy Scouts of America.
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Contributor
Alan Edwards is among those who report on North Trail District activities of Cub Scout, Boy Scout and Venturing units.
