Thinking Back

Thirty years ago, I was a in the second-half of my year as a Tiger Cub in Pack 42. At that time, Tigers were much like Lions are now. They were kind of Cub Scouts but not officially. It was a weird time. 

My Tiger Cub graduation. Spring 1993.

Thinking back and realizing that 30 years of my life I have been a Scout (though not registered for all of those, long story I will cover another time) causes one to reminisce. I came across something, recently, that made that even more of a thing. 

Everyone associates Scouts with patches. We have them all over the place. I have a blanket with a ton of them on and I have even more to add. What some of the newer folks in Scouting may not realize, though, is that the most common gift for adult volunteers when I was a youth as a mug. Not a sturdy, insulated, travel mug. That would make sense. No, porcelain mugs like you would find at a diner with the patch design emblazoned on the side. That was the gift. My father had quite the collection, which I inherited long before he passed. I also had several of my own. Most of them, though, I have no idea where they have ended up. I have come across one, though, that prompted this post. 

1994 SJAC Spring Camporee Mug

This is a special mug for me. Not because I was a volunteer, or even because my father was. This mug is from the first event I ever went to as a Cub Scout outside of den and pack meetings. The theme of this event was "Gateway to Scouting," and when it came to me that is exactly what it was. I was a Wolf and I spent the day wandering this camporee with my den. We got to see the tent city of troops set up for the weekend. It was held at Augusta Expoland and I remember wander the buildings taking in all of the activities and experiencing all that Scouting had to offer. I was hooked. 

So here I am, 29 years later, serving the youth in the council in which I grew up as a district commissioner for a district that encompasses the area where this camporee took place as well as where my pack was.