OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS #71: Shane Anderson
I recently received an E-mail from a past Troop 26 Scout, Shane Anderson. I sure was great to hear from him. He was an Eagle Scout back in 1991. I was just sitting here in my cubicle waiting for a call back from an Insurance Company and I re-read his E-mail.
He told me about how he is now a 7th grade teacher in the Oklahoma City area teaching 7th grade Geography, and that he coaches middle school football and little league baseball. He is an Assistant cubmaster and committee chair for his son's Cub Scout Pack. His son is going into a Wolf Den this year. And on top of all that, Shane has completed his second Woodbadge weekend, SR818 (he said "Go Mighty Bobwhites") and it appears he is in this for the long haul.
Shane Anderson.
As you all know, I take thousands of photographs. I immediately thought of two "Shane Anderson" photos. One is of Shane at Floral Haven Cemetery with a huge American Flag in the background. The other is of Shane hugging a "Special Scout" during the Oklahoma Special Camporee in 1989 or 90. Wonderful photos. They show a young man that is in the process of learning and understanding two of the cornerstones of Scouting. Patriotism and service. And today, he lives what he learned way back then and he teaches it to his son and others.
I was just thinking about this process we call "Scouting" and what it has done in all of our lives in terms of patriotism and service. Opportunity Knocks #71 is about one of these.....service.
The Oklahoma Special Camporee and the associated monthly program known as Project 2007, is one of the most important things we do. Sometimes we don't treat it like its important but it is. It is one of the fundamental ingredients in the recipe for a Troop 26 Eagle Scouts. It certainly played a part in Shane Anderson's childhood. It is a pure experience. We can go to a meeting or attend the campout and we can serve our fellow man with no consideration of awards or payment or any kind of reimbursement. It's service. Pure and simple. For a very brief moment, we are making the world a better place in the life of some special children. Children who need what we have to offer. They need it and they love us for it. And we don't have to do much to get that love.
You know, we spend so much time in our childhood trying to please others. We try to wear the right clothes, play the right sports, listen to the right music, be in the right groups and clubs, we try to impress others by saying what we think they want to hear. We make fun of the right people. We laugh at the right jokes. We curse even when we know it's not OK. We participate in the herd, being led by whoever happens to be leading the herd, going with the crowd and trying to be cool. We think that will make us cool if we run with the cool people and do what the cool people do.
A question for us might be this. Do the "cool people" sometimes lead us in the wrong direction? Do the cool people sometimes engage in behavior that is not scout like? Do the cool people sometimes bring out behavior in us that is less than acceptable?
I was just thinking about that photo of Shane and the Special Scout and was trying to remember if I had ever called someone a "retard". I know that word is used in school all the time. "You're a retard. Don't be a retard. You must be a retard. What a retardo". I hear it used all the time here at the hospital by our patients. They use it to be mean and disrespectful to each other. They use it to hurt others.
How many of us, in our quest for coolness and popularity have called someone that word?
As much as I despise that word, I do hear it every now and then at Scout meeting. It always surprises me when I hear it used in a place where that word should never be allowed to creep in. Our own Scout meeting. A place where friendliness and kindness and loyalty are words we should live by. I hear it used by kids I care about. I hear them say that word to other kids I care about. And I'm sure in my heart that they don't mean it. But they probably don't understand how much that word hurts others. It especially hurts those scouts who work so hard to serve our Special Friends. When I think of all the wonderful Special kids we have known over the years, when I think of how much good they brought out in us, when I think of all the unconditional love they gave us just because we spent a little of our time with them, when I think about all of that and I hear that word used, it saddens me greatly.
We have a group of very loyal scouts right now who attend the Project 2007 meetings monthly, in fact we have several who never miss. Those scouts are representing our troop in an activity that is hard for many people to do. It is a project that brings out the best in Troop 26. And I thank each and every one of the scouts who have Project 2007 high on their priority list. Those Special Scouts are my friends. I have known many of them for many, many years. All those Special Scouts are loyal to Troop 26. They love us. They can't wait to be with us at the Special monthly meetings or the Special Camporee or at the yearly Christmas Party. They think about us every day. And out of respect to them, love for them, and friendship with them, we should never use that word. We should never call someone that word. We should never laugh when that word is used by one of the "cool" people. That word isn't cool. That word isn't worthy of a Scout.
And if we have used that word to someone we care about....a family member, a friend, a fellow troop member, perhaps we should have the guts to apologize. Perhaps we should treat our family, our friends, our fellow troop members, with as much friendship and loyalty as our Special friends treat us. And if we use that word without thinking, we should work on changing that. Hurting people "without thinking" is just as bad as hurting them on purpose. Friends don't do that to each other.
And to our Troop 26 Scouts who never miss a Project 2007 meeting with our Special friends, I want to say clearly to you that we all appreciate your dedication and your commitment. We are honored to know you and we are fortunate to have you wear a "26" on your arm. Don't ever let anyone tell you differently. I can tell you this.....
Shane Anderson would have appreciated your efforts because he worked with some of those very same Special Scouts back in 1989, 1990 and 1991. The Special program brought out the very best in him, just like it brings out the best in you.
OK. I feel better.
See you this Thursday and I'll be discussing patriotism.
Honored to be your Scoutmaster. Honored to be your friend.
He told me about how he is now a 7th grade teacher in the Oklahoma City area teaching 7th grade Geography, and that he coaches middle school football and little league baseball. He is an Assistant cubmaster and committee chair for his son's Cub Scout Pack. His son is going into a Wolf Den this year. And on top of all that, Shane has completed his second Woodbadge weekend, SR818 (he said "Go Mighty Bobwhites") and it appears he is in this for the long haul.
Shane Anderson.
As you all know, I take thousands of photographs. I immediately thought of two "Shane Anderson" photos. One is of Shane at Floral Haven Cemetery with a huge American Flag in the background. The other is of Shane hugging a "Special Scout" during the Oklahoma Special Camporee in 1989 or 90. Wonderful photos. They show a young man that is in the process of learning and understanding two of the cornerstones of Scouting. Patriotism and service. And today, he lives what he learned way back then and he teaches it to his son and others.
I was just thinking about this process we call "Scouting" and what it has done in all of our lives in terms of patriotism and service. Opportunity Knocks #71 is about one of these.....service.
The Oklahoma Special Camporee and the associated monthly program known as Project 2007, is one of the most important things we do. Sometimes we don't treat it like its important but it is. It is one of the fundamental ingredients in the recipe for a Troop 26 Eagle Scouts. It certainly played a part in Shane Anderson's childhood. It is a pure experience. We can go to a meeting or attend the campout and we can serve our fellow man with no consideration of awards or payment or any kind of reimbursement. It's service. Pure and simple. For a very brief moment, we are making the world a better place in the life of some special children. Children who need what we have to offer. They need it and they love us for it. And we don't have to do much to get that love.
You know, we spend so much time in our childhood trying to please others. We try to wear the right clothes, play the right sports, listen to the right music, be in the right groups and clubs, we try to impress others by saying what we think they want to hear. We make fun of the right people. We laugh at the right jokes. We curse even when we know it's not OK. We participate in the herd, being led by whoever happens to be leading the herd, going with the crowd and trying to be cool. We think that will make us cool if we run with the cool people and do what the cool people do.
A question for us might be this. Do the "cool people" sometimes lead us in the wrong direction? Do the cool people sometimes engage in behavior that is not scout like? Do the cool people sometimes bring out behavior in us that is less than acceptable?
I was just thinking about that photo of Shane and the Special Scout and was trying to remember if I had ever called someone a "retard". I know that word is used in school all the time. "You're a retard. Don't be a retard. You must be a retard. What a retardo". I hear it used all the time here at the hospital by our patients. They use it to be mean and disrespectful to each other. They use it to hurt others.
How many of us, in our quest for coolness and popularity have called someone that word?
As much as I despise that word, I do hear it every now and then at Scout meeting. It always surprises me when I hear it used in a place where that word should never be allowed to creep in. Our own Scout meeting. A place where friendliness and kindness and loyalty are words we should live by. I hear it used by kids I care about. I hear them say that word to other kids I care about. And I'm sure in my heart that they don't mean it. But they probably don't understand how much that word hurts others. It especially hurts those scouts who work so hard to serve our Special Friends. When I think of all the wonderful Special kids we have known over the years, when I think of how much good they brought out in us, when I think of all the unconditional love they gave us just because we spent a little of our time with them, when I think about all of that and I hear that word used, it saddens me greatly.
We have a group of very loyal scouts right now who attend the Project 2007 meetings monthly, in fact we have several who never miss. Those scouts are representing our troop in an activity that is hard for many people to do. It is a project that brings out the best in Troop 26. And I thank each and every one of the scouts who have Project 2007 high on their priority list. Those Special Scouts are my friends. I have known many of them for many, many years. All those Special Scouts are loyal to Troop 26. They love us. They can't wait to be with us at the Special monthly meetings or the Special Camporee or at the yearly Christmas Party. They think about us every day. And out of respect to them, love for them, and friendship with them, we should never use that word. We should never call someone that word. We should never laugh when that word is used by one of the "cool" people. That word isn't cool. That word isn't worthy of a Scout.
And if we have used that word to someone we care about....a family member, a friend, a fellow troop member, perhaps we should have the guts to apologize. Perhaps we should treat our family, our friends, our fellow troop members, with as much friendship and loyalty as our Special friends treat us. And if we use that word without thinking, we should work on changing that. Hurting people "without thinking" is just as bad as hurting them on purpose. Friends don't do that to each other.
And to our Troop 26 Scouts who never miss a Project 2007 meeting with our Special friends, I want to say clearly to you that we all appreciate your dedication and your commitment. We are honored to know you and we are fortunate to have you wear a "26" on your arm. Don't ever let anyone tell you differently. I can tell you this.....
Shane Anderson would have appreciated your efforts because he worked with some of those very same Special Scouts back in 1989, 1990 and 1991. The Special program brought out the very best in him, just like it brings out the best in you.
OK. I feel better.
See you this Thursday and I'll be discussing patriotism.
Honored to be your Scoutmaster. Honored to be your friend.
Labels: shane anderson
posted by Bill Shaffer at 12:52 PM
1 Comments:
Wow. Thanks for the kind words Bill, it means a great deal coming from you. The photo of myself hugging Mike was from the Special Camporee in 1985 and the flag photo was Memorial Day 1992. My mom still has that one up at their house.
YIS,
Shane Anderson
T26 Eagle 91
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