Hey Chris, thanks for starting this thread. I wasn't aware of it until I saw a link to it on the primary DDC thread, but then, I haven't been on the boards much in the past few weeks anyway.
As many know from the prior DDC threads, I am very involved in Scouting.
Both of my sons are Scouts. My eldest is a LIFE Scout, and has now completed all of his required 21 MB's, and is working on his project planning. He'll be doing a project with our church. Once he finishes that, he'll be eligible for this Eagle Board!
He first joined Scouts as a Bear.
My younger son is a STAR, and is projecting to be able to attain LIFE by December. He first joined Scouts as a Tiger.
I only got to go through Bear as a kid. My dad didn't see the value of the program, and so he wouldn't let me re-register as a Webelo. I'm very sad about that, but have been having a ball enjoying being a Scouter. I LOVE making a difference in the life of these young men.
I am an Assistant Scoutmaster. I also hold the following roles:
TROOP
Summer Camp Director (annually we take 75-90 boys and about 30 adults to Ransburg Scout Reservation near Bloomington, IN)
ScoutParent Unit Coordinator
Adult Activities Coordinator
Mug Club Coordinator
OTHER
Asst Council Commissioner
Firecrafter Ember Associate Advisor (Firecrafter is a local program, similar but different from the OA - it is an honor camping fraternity found only in Indiana, parts of Illinois, and a wee bit of Texas). I can share more about the awesome Firecrafter program later - but I will say that back in the 40's when National was trying to decide what kind of a program to have as their national honor society, Firecrafter and the O.A. were both in consideration, and the local folks discouraged National from choosing Firecrafter, as they wanted to keep it special, and not let it lose its uniqueness. One of the primary differences between the O.A. and Firecrafter - is that entry into one program depends upon an election, and the other depends completely on personal achievement.
I am an Arrowmen within the O.A., will be eligible for Brotherhood next April.
I am a Firecrafter
I am a Wood Badger - Fox patrol
I was extremely honored in August to serve as Master of Ceremonies for the Eagle Court of Honor for one of our guys. And not only that, but he gave me an "Eagle Mentor" pin. I have personally mentored 4 of our Eagles, and am mentoring 2 of our potential Eagles.
I really enjoy the Troop, and the program. We don't have bullying issues within our Troop, and it sickens me to read about those Troops that do (and those guys who dropped out of the program because it happened to them, and subsequently don't want anything to do with the program).
I have applied for the 2013 National Jamboree at the Summit, but am waiting to hear if I am selected to go with our Council's contingent as one of the Asst. Scoutmasters. The Council picked the 6 SM's for our contingent just this past Friday, and the ASM's are supposed to be picked by the end of this week. BOTH of my boys were approved to go, so that's cool. This will be their one and only opportunity to go to a Jambo, as both will have aged out before the next one comes around in 2017 (the last time in 2010 my younger son was still in Cubs and not eligible, and my older son wasn't interested... HE SURE IS NOW though!). I'm HOPING that all 3 of us will be able to go.