One never knows who they can run into when out in town. For those that know me, I usually wear something Scout-related; a council jacket, hat, shirt, or buckle with the Montana Council logo. Call it pride in the council or just being a member of the BSA for a long time (probably both), but I kind of like the “bling”.
I was in line at the local Walgreens in Kalispell waiting to check out. There was an older woman behind me who only had a couple of things, so I asked if she would like to go ahead (an act of kindness, good turn, I remember seeing something about this somewhere).
She accepted and when she passed, she asked, “Are you with the Boy Scouts?” After I answered in the affirmative, she said, “Thank you for your service to our community. Both my sons were in Scouts and it is a great program. I am grateful for people like you who take the time to do this.”
I would suggest that for those of us dealing with all the drama associated with Scouting today, sometimes, out of the blue, we get a compliment like this. It makes it worth it that people still believe in what we do, even after their children – now grown – have left the program.
I guess my moral of this story is: when you can wear something related to Scouting, and not just at meetings, don’t be surprised if someone gives you an unexpected and much-deserved pat on the back.
Gary A. Ely
Montana Council Commissioner
