It’s funny sometimes the things that get picked up in some of my blog posts.
Last night, I briefly mentioned that tomorrow night we’re going to Patrick’s Court of Honor for Boy Scouts. My grandfather picked up on that and called tonight for more detail. So grandpa, I’ll have photos for you in the next post, but here are some details.
Patrick will advance to the rank of Star Scout tomorrow. It’s two steps shy of Eagle Scout, for those keeping score at home (including myself, because honestly I didn’t realize there were so many scout ranks out there).
I’m very proud of him for this. Honestly, I didn’t think he’d stick with it very long, though that could have been because I didn’t stick with it long at all.
I was a Cub Scout for one year, and I think I couldn’t wait to get done with it. The highlight was doing the pinewood derby, and even at that, my car didn’t do very well. Even then, I wasn’t much for the structured group discipline involved, and I know I never would have been able to face the camping trips.
But Patrick has done it all–multiple pinewood derbies, more camping trips than I can count, and a collection of camping gear that’s pretty impressive for someone who belongs to a family that has never even thought about going camping.
What’s more is that Patrick has stuck with it. And even risen to be a leader in his scout troop–he’s currently Senior Patrol Leader. He’s collected an impressive group of merit badges and has obviously also amassed the accomplishments required to move on from rank to rank.
All of this is not lost on my grandfather–himself a scout leader ages ago. He told me that he was proud of Patrick for sticking with it, and for being the only grandchild or great-grandchild to stick with scouting this long. I’m sure there’s some regret there that none of us in these later generations followed in his or his son’s footsteps, but somehow it all came together again in Patrick.
So a reminder: tomorrow, I probably won’t post. We’ll be at the Court of Honor first, then take off as soon as the ceremony ends. We’ll rush downtown and head to the Twins game, hoping we can help them not lose the 100th game of this season…Take the good with the bad, I guess.
And just because I know I don’t say it enough, Patrick, I’m proud of you.
See you tomorrow.