This week has been very different and difficult for me, Scouting wise. I attended a Popcorn and Membership kickoff, talked with some great Scouter friends of mine, and even had the pleasure to sit in on an Eagle Board of Review. Ya, I know, that doesn’t sound like anything to write home about, and you’re right. That’s not what turned my Scouting world upside down this week.

This last Sunday my wife and I drove our son to Camp Cowles for him to spend a week participating in this year’s NYLT course with the Inland Northwest Council. For the first time that I can remember, I purposely did not wear my uniform as I traveled to camp. This time was different, I was not going as Scoutmaster, Roundtable Commissioner, Camp Staffer, or General Scouter. This time I was going simply as Dad.

My son has been in Boy Scouts for 2 1/2 years now and I started with the Troop 6 months before he did. Before that he spent 4 years in the Cub Scout program. Over that time I’ve been with him and the Troop on just about every outing, gone to every major campout or event, spent 3 weeks over those years with him at Summer Camp, and been to almost every Den, Pack, and Troop meeting.

Over that time, especially since he joined Boy Scouts, I’ve done my best to give him space, let him do his own thing and I stood by and played my role as Scoutmaster or general Scouter, but not Dad. I make it very clear to him that when I put on the tan shirt, I’m not Dad any longer. Now, I’ll never stop being his Dad, but I serve him and all of the other Scouts that I’m responsible for, not just him. I feel I’ve done well at this, but he’s never really had the opportunity to be without myself or my wife on a Scouting event for any real length of time.

Now, here’s the real issue. My son has now been gone for roughly 5 days and I know right now he’s getting ready for his Patrol’s Outpost Camp at NYLY. And you know what?? I miss him. Ya, being the parent of a Scout that is off having a great time without you is hard enough, but I’m pretty sure being the “Scouter” parent of a Scout is even harder. I have an idea of what he’s doing and hoping he’s having a great time and learning lots, but I really don’t know for sure. I want to be there and watch him go through all of this and see how he’s succeeding. It brings me so much joy to watch my Scouts take part in this game with a purpose and I know that it’s for the best that he’s doing this on his own, but it kills me to not be there with him this week.

My Scoutmaster brain can’t wrap itself around the fact that for this week, I’m just Dad. The guy that will show up tomorrow night and watch him close down his week of NYLT and then take him back home. Tomorrow night I will happily put on my tan shirt and sit around the closing campfire as my son says goodbye, to what I hope has been a week he will never forget.

That brings me to one of my fondest memories in Scouting, the closing campfire of our first summer camp at Camp Easton 3 years ago. We stood in the campfire bowl, looked out over the beautiful lake and sunset, and sang Scout Vespers. That night Andrew found his way next to me and I was able hold his hand and close down camp singing that great song. My hope is that tomorrow night we’ll sing Scout Vespers again, but my dream is that he’ll have taken a step away from his Scoutmaster Dad and join his patrol in holding hands around that campfire. Letting go and not being there is tough, but I know it’s what he needs, and maybe I do too.

YIS