Starts with K

The more stories I write about young men who receive their Eagle Scout award, the more disappointed I am in myself.

This week, the Steele County Times features a story about Logan Halverson and Landen Sturges of Scout Troop 253 in Owatonna. They were recognized Nov. 9 at a joint reception at the Steele County History Center for achieving the highest rank attainable by a Scout.

Halverson built a new retaining wall and landscaped on the east side of the KC Hall in Owatonna; Sturges built an outdoor learning environment at Lincoln Elementary in Owatonna.

Early last month, we published a story about Drew Reinke, of Blooming Prairie, who was honored in August for his Eagle Scout achievement – building a playground for the fifth- and sixth-graders at the BP Intermediate School.

In a couple of weeks, you’ll read about another young Owatonna man who has reached the pinnacle of Scouting.

I’ll let you in on a little secret: My two oldest boys were Scouts once.

They joined Cub Scouts as … first graders? Second graders?

The Scout motto is “Be Prepared” – and they were. They were prepared to be excited about the idea of building things and doing projects and being with their friends outside of school each week.

The boys enjoyed it, for the most part, but one of their leaders was a real taskmaster, who seemed to take the fun out of it.

It was me. I was one of the leaders. And in hindsight, I was probably harder on my own kids than the other boys in the troop.

About two years in, we moved from Owatonna to rural Claremont. It was a good move – more room for our family of growing boys and a long-awaited new dog.

But what used to be about a 90-minute stint at Scouts each Saturday soon became nearly three hours, as we packed up everything we might conceivably need for that week’s project, then drove 30 minutes each way to the meeting.

They were – and are – nice kids, but I could see the resignation every week as I started making preparations for the upcoming meeting.

We got on the road later and later; when we got to our meeting location, we loaded up like pack mules and trudged to the door.

I am not – nor have I ever been – outdoorsy, or even remotely crafty. My sons, however, thought I loved being at Scouts.

They are – and remain – outdoorsy, hands-on men. Naturally, I thought they loved being at Scouts.

For whatever reason, none of us loved being at Scouts, and we called it quits after two years. I believe had I not volunteered to be a den leader, we all would have been happier. Who knows? They may have gone on to be among the 6% of Scouts to earn the rank of Eagle.

Eagle Scouts tend to do better in higher education, military service, career advancement, and personal development. Their earning potential is higher; the scholarship opportunities increase, and their job resumes stand out.

To be fair, my sons are amazing. They have great jobs, they have lovely families, they are funny and compassionate.

Best of all, they are providing me with grandsons – and now, I’m prepared.