The holiday season is a magical time of year. For Scouting in particular, our units are holding seasonal get togethers, courts of honor, and of course there are community parades and gatherings all over the area. The holiday and Scout spirit overflows and it is a favorite time of year for me.
I coordinated our district's participation in the Harrisonburg Holiday Parade this year, which is a parade that hasn't happened in the past two years thanks to COVID. The turnout wasn't huge as far as the Scouts were concerned, but being present to take part is the most important thing. We had many people on the sides that cheered us on and cries of "Merry Christmas!" were ringing all throughout the evening. Parades are such a great experience and I love interacting with our communities in this way.
After braving the chilly air and wrapping up the parade route at city hall, I made my way to our local Masonic Lodge to stash the flags and banner and spend some time with the Brothers and their families. They make it an annual thing to watch the parade from the library in the Lodge which overlooks the parade route. It was great catching up with them as I warmed up before making the trek back to my car.
Being a district commissioner means I spend a lot of time dealing with adults in the program, which is fine because the ultimate result is improving the program for the youth. But taking part in activities where I get to interact with the youth is so much more fulfilling. Getting to visit a unit meeting or coordinating a parade like this, it's some of the more rewarding parts of being a volunteer. Plenty of things can beat you down as a Scouter, but seeing things like this certainly help lift you up.
