Making Us Proud

The members of the Panther patrol pose after their victory was announced.

This past weekend I experienced one of those moments I think any parent can relate to. The kids participated in a scavenger hunt with the Scouts that last all day on Saturday. The kids were divided up in teams according to their respective patrols and set out to scour the town in search of clues and the prized items. When it was all said and done the patrol that shined above the rest were the Panthers, a patrol comprised solely of teenage girls from the Village. I had the good fortune of arriving just in time for the announcement of the results and to hear the good news about how hard the girls in the Panthers had worked and how they had set the example for the others in how to work together as a team. For me it was a moment of great pride, and recognition of the excellent work our staff has done with these kids.

                When the children arrived they were mostly shy, lacked self-esteem and often struggled to come together as a team. To have won the scavenger hunt required that they approached and spoke with strangers and worked well together as a team. Certainly there were some members of the patrol who also had a chance to exercise their sprouting leadership skills as well. And as I drove them home and listened to them chanting their troops fight songs to all we passed by, their improved self-esteem was obvious.

                Congrats to the Panthers and may this victory be the first of many!