Kiddo is a Life Scout

Allow me to brag on my youngest for a moment.



Kiddo is now a Life Scout. Life is the rank just below Eagle. I'm both very pleased and proud. Pleased because he's managed to work hard and come this far, leaving himself from now (he turned 14 in July) until his 18th birthday to make Eagle. It gets tougher and tougher for the older boys to keep up with Scouting as the additional activities and pressures of high school start in on them. Kiddo is in the marching band, has already started a successful run in Academic Games, and this year, is one of the school's "Ambassadors," kids that provide directions and assistance at big functions. When he was in 7th grade, he didn't have all these complications, so doing Scouts was one of his main activities. Now, he's talking about having to maybe miss the weekly Tuesday night troop meetings so he can catch up with homework.

This is very typical of the boys his age, so the sooner they reach Life, the penultimate hurdle, the better. He's done it, and his Scoutmasters (one of which is his dad) are very, very proud.