Scouting
When Link turned 8 he joined our local cub scout troop. He was ecstatic with his uniform and manual. My feelings were more mixed. I thumbed through the book and looked at all the secret handshakes and promises and oaths. All of that stuff is there to create a sense of unity for the boys, an “inside knowledge” kind of thing. It felt a little… creepy. But the actual application of these things is anything but exclusionary. In fact Link runs off to his den meetings every week with high spirits and comes home to babble about the cool things he did. “We made a rattle out of aluminum cans!” Then once a month at pack meeting the whole family goes to play games with the boys and applaud at the boys who have earned badges. When I see the values that are taught and the actual effect that it is having on Link’s life I love scouting. I don’t feel ready to devote my whole life to it, but I definitely support it. It is as wholesome and character building as team sports, probably more so.
Tonight was den meeting. Link earned his first badge. He was very excited. In fact he has been very excited and counting down the days until this meeting for more than a week. Those scout people are smart though. For every badge the scout gets, the scout’s mother gets a pin. They know who really works to make sure the badges get earned. I guess in theory I’m supposed to wear this pin proudly because it gives me bragging rights. “My boy is a bobcat!” I can now picture a row of 1950’s mothers trying to upstage each other with the number of scout-badge pins they have. The scout people are clever to give the moms jewelry, but they made an error. It is ugly jewelry. My pin is a little square piece of metal with a bas relief bobcat head on it. I don’t really picture myself wearing it anywhere. But it doesn’t matter because we have pictures of Link’s ear to ear grin as he recieved the badge. Now of course I have to sew the badge on to his shirt. Whee.