We started attending our local cub scout meeting in early April when I finally figured out when, where and how to make it happen (which, dang... wasn't easy at all!). Preston's first reaction to hearing he was going to a Cub Scout meeting was that he didn't want to do it. Then, after explaining what kind of fun things the Cub/Boy Scouts do, and how Daddy and Grandpa were Eagle Scouts, he changed his mind.
It's very close to the end of the school year, and we were told Preston could try for Tiger if he wanted or could just wait til next school year kicks off and start towards Wolf, but the Bobcat is something that every boy has to do first. Preston did great and memorized the Cub Scout Promise, the Pack Law and the other several things he had to... and repeated them to his leader the very next week! And this evening at the Pack Meeting, he was awarded his Bobcat patch! Woo hoo!
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| Sorry, he's so far away in the picture. |
He also earned a basketball belt loop. Which, is kinda of amazing because last week, when they did the basketball session, Preston had a major meltdown and decided he didn't want to do Cub Scouts anymore (again). He was upset that none of the kids were letting him in their game when we first got there, but he wasn't exactly asking to play either... he was just standing there hoping they'd invite him in. They didn't, and it bugged him. Several times when the leader gave instructions, he came running to me instead of what he was supposed to do... it was just very confusing to him since this was only his 3rd time being with the group. He was distracted by the other groups of kids when he should have been paying attention to the rules of basketball being taught by the leader. Then, later he took his shot and then came running to me again, when he should have gotten back in line. Just a bunch of things like that. Then, at the end, the leader called everyone together, and then said "Wolves, listen up..." He was going to tell the Wolves something specific, but Preston thought that meant he didn't need to be in the group, so he came running, crying to me and said he didn't belong. He was very emotional and upset, and while I was trying to comfort him several other parents came over to make sure he was ok (they thought he had been hit by a ball or something). He was just overwhelmed by it all, I guess... it was a little much for him. Since he is homeschooled he doesn't have a lot of experience with large groups of kids like that, and taking instruction from other adults in settings like that (where there is a lot of stuff going on at the same time). Definitely showed me that we have some stuff to work on! Ha!
Anyway, I think this evening's fun meeting, where he got his awards and got to participate in a skit with the other Tigers on the stage convinced him again that this Cub Scout thing might be kinda fun afterall. We'll see! Lol. We're going to try to get him to work quickly through the Tiger handbook so he can earn his Tiger Badge by the beginning of next school year!
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| Goof ball, but at least he's a happy goof ball. |
