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Before the ceremony a couple of weeks ago I asked the Eagle candidates and their parents to step into a side room for a minute.
I hand each family a velvet covered box.
“We’ll have mom practice pinning the Eagle medal on their son’s left pocket flap first” I announce.
Three moms pick up an Eagle medal and pin it on their son.
“It’s not as easy as it looks, is it?” one laughs as her husband bends down to pick up a fumbled pin back off the carpet.
“No, it isn’t,” I reply “that’s why we have this little rehearsal.”
Not as easy as it looks? That’s an understatement.
The years that led up to this moment started when a little boy came home excitedly talking about something called Cub Scouts.
From that point on it was a blur of den meetings, pack meetings, overnights and trips. A tear wiped away as that little boy stood on a stage and got his first badge, and his second, and his tenth. All of them have to be sewn somewhere, but before too long he’d outgrown his shirt and they all had to be sewn on again.
Boy Scouts? Camping? When are they going? Where is this happening? What will they be doing? You have to get food for how many? This weekend!?
It seemed like months passed rather than years and that little boy grew up. Now he tramps through the house in muddy boots, reeking of campfire and tosses a backpack full of clean clothes he never wore on the kitchen floor before he opens the fridge.
Sure there have been arguments, disappointments, fears and doubts; but there have moments of pride, moments of amazement, (He did what? How come I can’t get him to do that at home!?), and lots of love.
Somehow we made it through, somewhere along a little boy grew into this person standing here, taller than his mother, and she is pinning an Eagle medal on his shirt.
“If you look there’s a pin for dad, we’ll have the Scout pin that on dad next” I continue, and there’s a little more fumbling around and a nervous laugh or two.
“We save the best for last,” I say (there’s always a catch in my voice when I do),” There’s a pin for mom too.”
Within the next hour there will be nervous smiles and a few tears as the moment approaches. We’ll all stand on a stage and a big lanky kid will haltingly pin a small token of his appreciation, of our appreciation, on his mother. Then, to her amazement, in spite of the fact that his friends are looking on, he’ll give her a hug and a kiss and say; ‘Thanks mom”.
From all the Scouting sons out there: thanks mom! Happy Mother’s Day!
You made me tear up a bit when I read this! I have two Cub Scouts–one who just finished his Tiger year and one who just finished his Webelos 1 year. My husband and I have been den leaders since the oldest started Cub Scouts. When I think that this is his last year until he’s a Boy Scout, it is very bittersweet. He says he wants to earn his Eagle rank, and I hope he does. Then I’ll be the mom fumbling with the pin and wiping tears away.
I just discovered your site, and I’m anxious to read more of your posts. Thanks!
Never thought of doing that or at least suggesting practicing putting the Eagle Medal on, the Fathers Pin, and the Mothers Pint. to other unit leaders. Going to have to try and implement this as a suggestion to the MC.
One of the first things I do when I attend an Eagle Court of Honor at a troop that is new or for one that this is the first Eagle Scout in a while is I go to the table at the front and ensure that the Eagle Medal and pins are removed from the box they came in and that the Eagle Scout Neckerchief is out of the package, rolled up, and ready to be presented. Too many times they try to take the contents out of the box during the ceremony, drop something, and now they are fumbling around. The same with the neckerchief; it’s now rolled up and ready to place on the new Eagle Scout without having to open the package it came in and again, fumbling around trying to roll it up correctly which they never do and it looks like crap.
Another thing I do when I arrive is to congratulate and introduce myself to the Eagle Candidate, for a twofold purpose: one is for the reason just stated and the other is to ensure his sash is across his right (correct) shoulder. If it isn’t I have him take it off and place it over his belt, even though this is officially wrong but there is a reason: how can his mother pin the medal over the left pocket when it’s covered by the sash? I do this with the Scoutmaster present so they don’t think I’m being presumptuous or sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong, but I have attended ceremonies where the mother didn’t know where to pin the Badge and was just standing there looking very uncomfortable, and then they’re trying to find a place to pin it.
I do like your suggestion also.