Blue and Gold

PART A (2:53 pm on February 27th, about four hours before the Blue and Gold Banquet)

We have two new important colors around here now that Adam has turned eight: Blue and Gold.

The only problem is that I'm a girl who grew up with sisters, and I'm pretty sure I could scratch everything I know about the combination on the back side of a napkin.

I guess I could add that many of the awesome people I've known throughout my life have been Eagle Scouts, and that I wouldn't at all mind being the mother of one (or three).  

But then I'd have to add that the whole "Eagle Scout" thing stresses me out a bit.  Let's face it.  Behind every just about every Eagle is a mother who helped said Eagle follow through on all the great things he meant to do.  Am I ready to be that mom?  Am I ready to try to find the balance between support, nagging, and pushing?

At the back of my mind, I've always had this great plan:

STEP 1: Sit down with the scout and whatever materials it is that goes along with scouting.

STEP 2: Allow the scout to set goals.

STEP 3: Ask the scout how much support he would like from mom.  

• Do you want to sit down with me each Sunday and look over your scout stuff?
• Do you want to handle your own stuff, and you'll ask me when you need help?
• Do you want me to do everything I can to force help you achieve your goals?

STEP 4: Discuss special privileges that someone who has shown the responsibility of achieving a big goal might earn.

• Later curfews (bedtimes)
• Extra use of electronics (cell phone, etc when the scout is a teenager)
• Use of adult property (like a car, etc when the scout is 16)

STEP 5: Praise accomplishments like crazy.

STEP 6: Repeat steps 1-5 at each advancement.

STEP 7: Sit back and watch my scouts independently and happily earn their badges and advancements.

Okay, go ahead and roll your eyes / gag / call me crazy.  I know it's wishful thinking.

And so here I sit, wondering exactly what scouts is going to actually  look like in this family and still mostly just wondering about what on earth even happens at a Blue and Gold Banquet.

PART B (1:55 pm on February 28th, one day after the Blue and Gold Banquet)

Well, I definitely learned some stuff last night. 

1. If you think theater people are weird, you should attend Cub Scouts.  I think I could have survived another 31 years without knowing how to do a watermelon clap.
2. The Cub Scout flag ceremony was nearly enough to bring me to tears.  Respectful young men in uniform honoring their country and their flag.  Okay, I will endure strange clapping rituals for that.
3. If you want tips on uniforms and badges, sit with the families that have multiple boys.  I think I'll follow the advice of one mom who suggested a shirt that should fit for the next two years, which can then be passed down to Al when Adam needs a bigger one.  What about the patches?  It was suggested that little brother might enjoy having older brother's patches already sewn on because - let's face it - you're never going to get around to sewing them on the 2nd shirt.  I was also informed that they sell plastic inserts for the pockets that you can put the patches/badges on, but since the other dads agreed that they "look dumb," I think I will avoid that option.
4. Apparently it's not that hard to succeed in Cub Scouts.  One dad assured me that most of the stuff if stuff people do anyway; it's just a matter of marking it in the book.  And apparently after a few times of attending scouts, Adam had already earned a belt thingy.  (I still have plenty of work to do on my scout lingo.)
5. I'm pretty sure they call it a "pack" because the boys seem to clump together and move from place to place in a semi-solid blob.  And since I think that is a pretty natural male mentality, I am grateful to have a blob with solid values to send my sons to hang out in.
6. I'm still overwhelmed.  And I'm still pretty clueless.  But I can't wait to see what Adam - and six of his best buddies - are about to accomplish.

Adam with his first "belt thingy"... many more to come!