A Letter to Parents
by Alun Hodgson

Most of you know me quite well. I’m Lightning and I have been a Scout leader for 11 years. I am the guy that you entrust your children to one night a week and sometimes for weekends, sleep- oven and trips out of town.

I’ve spent all that time taking care of your kids and having a wonderful time doing it. These past 11 years in Scouting have enhanced my life tremendously. I see your children at the meetings, in the schools, In the shopping centers and at the library. Each time I see them they have one thing for me that makes it all worthwhile a bright, happy smile. I have never regretted the time and effort that I have put into my years in Scouting. You see, I never was a Scout or a Beaver myself I became a Beaver when I became a leader, and that was when all the fun began.

I’ve had fun sliding down hills, skating on ice, singing in a bus, swimming in a pool, picking apples off a tree, sleeping under a dinosaur, a spaceship, a camel and in a boat. I’ve slept in a real battleship and explored a real submarine. I have roasted marshmallows over a fire, sat up late laughing around the fire, and fallen asleep around a fire. I’ve cooked meals in a kitchen, served 110 people in a hall, spilled spaghetti on my shirt, and slept in a lodge when some joker hid all my gear. I’ve stayed out weekends with other leaders making crafts, telling stories, crawling on the ground, and cross country skiing in the woods. I’ve watched owls perched in a tree, seen a witch cook her brew, sat on Santa Claus’s knee, eaten caramel bars with gloves on. I’ve walked in the rain and the snow and the sun. I’ve been to tropical jungles, seen science experiments, slept in a boat, slept in a church. I’ve sat in a church at 2:00 am, thinking about why I love this so much; talked all night drinking coffee, talked all night drinking hot chocolate.

I’ve learned how to tie knots, how to make pizza and hamburgers. I know what static electricity does to your hair and how to make clouds of steam on the floor. I’ve learned how telephones work, how to make money and how tanks move. I’ve learned more about animals than I’ll ever need. I’ve learned about mines and rocks and space and planes and history and apple juice and birds and trains. I’ve even been in a train and a very big plane and a fire truck. I am very smart now. I wish I was five again because I’d be the smartest. And I learned all this because I took your kids to see it all with me.

I could go on for a long time telling you about all these wonderful things that you could do too but honestly, you wouldn’t have the time to read it all. Your children need leaders and you cannot go on hoping someone else will do it. Sooner or later there won’t be someone else and another group will close. We used to have six Beaver groups in Chateauguay and now we have only two. Soon there may be none. Scouting is a good thing; Scouting is all about volunteers and Scouting needs you because without you there will be no more Beaver nights or Cub nights or Scout nights. Now is the time to take your turn.

I’ve asked many people to be a leader but I forget to tell them how much fun it is. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you before. Don’t think of why you can’t have all this fun: instead, think of how you can. And think of the kids, because without leaders, the kids won’t be able to watch you have all this fun.

— Alun Hodgson is a leader who has fun in Chateauguay Quebec.

From: The Leader magazine, October 2005