(very) Old Scout Master Retires (long)

[Full MeTal Jack]

To ya’ll
Saturday, June 3, 2006 we the leaders of Boy Scout Troop 1002 Richmond Texas gave a Surprise Scout Master Tribute Dinner to Preston W....... III. Preston has been involved in Scouting for almost 60 years. He has benn our troop scout master almost 14 years. Under his leadership, he’s credited with more than 22 scouts earning their Eagle Scout Rank . Including FMJ's two sons, Adam and Chris.
Steve B., Ken V. and myself, Ken B. (alias: Full MeTal Jack) conspired to throw Preston a surprise Scout Master Retirement Party. Fell in-line by making routine phone calls to Preston on various matters unbeknownst to him, checking his where-a-bouts. Recently Preston and his lovely wife Carroll purchased a 5th wheel trailer and were gallivanting all over from Texas to Montana. They were hard to pin down. Recently the Ws got the itch to move and Re-retire in Kerrville Texas, the “Palm Springs” of Texas. 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, a family/game room and 1 1/2 car garage and an open basement Preston calls “The Cave“. The house is built on side of hill leaving an unimproved area underneath. Joking with him, “why not have a house warming party, like a Toga Party but a Flintstones/Caveman Party? Of course Preston is a go, but Carroll, not to keen on the idea.
Personally, I think it’s a great Idea! Great way to impress the neighbors!
Preston called me Thursday thanking me for sending a hilarious side-busting funny fishing email film clip of fish jumping in a boat in South America.
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/videos/flying-fish.html
yes, check this on out! FMJ
Invited them to see Phil Ws.(Inlaw, father of my avatar) new house and go to dinner afterwards. Preston declined. Said he had Kerrville house business to attend too and packing to do.
Well, that sounded like a weak excuse to me! Called Steve B and KenV, said, “It’s GO time bubba!” Thank God those two weren’t in some remote third world nation drilling for oil.
“Let’s do it!” they replied.
Was on the phone all day. Thank God for cells phones. Called Swingin Door Restaurant, Richmond Texas (plug) reserved back room for Saturday seats 70. Called his wife Carroll. Filled her in on the proposed surprise congratulatory dinner. She would keep it a secret and get him there. That evening pulled out all the Troop files I had in archives. Called people from the old phone list. Lots of wrong numbers. People moved away. Saturday we had 50 RSVPs.
The day went as planned. Toured Phil Ws new custom home. Phil was a great tour guide. Lots and lots of preplanning went into this house. Just the architecture was a year and a half. Very elegant yet user friendly. 3000 sq. ft. A 3-3-3 -pool with many extras. Finished around 6:15pm.
AT the resturant I walked in front of Preston to block the back room. Entered, peeled off to right, turned and started clapping. The entire standing room 75 + people only back room rose to life giving Preston a standing ovation! Wish you could have been there to see the ol man’s expression he was very surprised. Carroll thinking a only a few people would be there she was flabbergasted. Told Preston, “By the way, I told a few people we were having dinner here.”
After a while of greeting people, New Troop Scout Master, Steve B. began as master of ceremonies. Steve gave Preston a great intro and preceded to tell the story of when hefirst joined the troop and nominated as Outing Coordinator. He was told , “and no paperwork”. His first canoeing river trip, he had to submit all kinds of paperwork to SHAC District. River trips has to have a certified river rated adult. Current SHAC canoeing certificate numbers are six digits. Preston has a three digit number. Hmm? Steve is a Big OIL executive with limited time to spend on other projects. Steve expects others to be competent in their fields and has low tolerance for confusion. Got the picture? As he explains, on the phone with SHAC District discussing Preston’s 3 certified canoeing digit number, a very low 3 digit number, Steve told the lady, “His Number was issued before the digital age, before mircofish, before dewy decimal maybe when plant extracts were used to draw in papyrus leaves.”
The girl at district finally got it. But she was overly concerned about his Prestons’s age. By this time Steve is fit to be tied. He gets a bit
"off-the -wall".
“Look, we use him as our default certified canoe guy. We pick him up, set him in the canoe, strap a life jacket to him, tie him in the canoe…..”
The District girl gets a word in, “you tie him in a conoe?”
Steve Replies, “Oh yes mam! We are boy scouts, We tie good knots!” Then promptly hangs up leaving the poor girl……wondering?
Next, Steve is in a high power meeting of the minds with a bunch of big oil engineers when his secretary barges in and says, “Mrs. So-n-So from boy scouts is on the phone and she wants talk to you….....” “NOW!!!”
Steve explains, over and over, he was only joking about tying Preston in the canoe. And from then on, when the “Tour Permits” come back from District, there are funny little side notes attached.
Other stories were told and several Eagles said their thanks. Dave U. wrote an amusing poem about Prestons retirement, in a nutshell, about the troop paying a surprise camp trip to this new house and camping in the yard hoping his toilet doesn’t stop up.
Preston and Carroll each separately stood up clearly emotionally touched to say thanks to all of us for showing our thanks to them. In the audience was 11 of his Eagle Scouts. Former scout masters were in attendance representing the troop’s leadership back to 1982.
I’m at a loss for a fitting conclusion right now. Kind of like; words cannot describe my gratitude for Preston W III years of unselfish community service to aid and assist in many a young mans mentoring while reinforcing values to God, Country and Family, to be tomorrows leaders.

http://www.troop1002.org/

Preston replied to the troop.
as follows.
From Preston W......
Ken;
Please relay to all concerned with and present at last night's festivities
how deeply I have been touched and how appreciative I am of their kind
outpourings.
You all have no idea how greatly you have influenced my life, nor how
deeply grateful I am for the experiences associated with my Troop.
First and foremost, you have entrusted me with part of the raising and
direction of your sons, and that is an honor of first magnitude.
In a very real sense, you have given me the sons I never had, and the
resulting joy is beyond description.
How does one say, "thank you for friendship?" There is no way in my
estimation; but know that I shall be eternally grateful for friendships
established through my association with Troop 1002.
I think it may be possible to properlysay, "thank you for the gifts" , and
know when I use them, I shall automatically think of good friends and happy
times in Richmond.
Let me take this opportunity to say to each of you adults who either has or
presently works in some capacity with Troop 1002, "You have no idea of the
impact you have and will make upon our youth and their future." It was so
interesting to me to see and visit with so many of our "boys" who are now
grown and making their own way in life, and to hear of the influence WE
have had upon their lives. Of all of the memories I take away with me, none
will exceed those produced via OUR work with Mario R. To those who
know and worked with Mario as a Scout, I say, "Take time to pat your self
on the back; you have truly earned a well done! for your time and efforts
on his behalf." Last night Mario told me how greatly Troop 1002 and its
adult cadres had influenced his life for the better; perhaps betterstated,
"pulled him back from the precipice." I want you to know that Mario is
presently engaged in establishing an orphanage/youth center in his native
Honduras, where, hopefully, children can enjoy that environment of
security, encouragement, personal interest and affection that he was
subject to in our troop. I will keep you posted as I garner more
information about his project; but based upon what I know at the moment,
take pride in your contribution and part in shaping this young man's life.
Now, as an old Scout with nearly sixty years of experience under his belt,
let me say first to you new Scouts, just starting up the trail, "Learn and
make the Law and Oath and Motto part of your daily life. These are not
merely things written for boys; they are great milestones and wisely
engineered guideposts for men - real men, I would hasten to add." To you,
my special Scouts, who wear the mantle of Eagle, I think you arequickly
coming to understand what I meant when I told you, "That the hard part of
becoming an Eagle begins when you pin on the badge." I keep each of you in
my thoughts and prayers daily and wish each of you God speed and every
success in all that you do.
I will not say, "Goodbye" to you, for there are still rivers to be run,
trails to be hiked, mountains to be climbed and great stories yet to be
written and told; rather, "Until we meet again", or as the early mountain
men and trappers would say, "Next rendezvous".
Preston A. W III,
Scoutmaster (Ret.)
Troop 1002 at Richmond, Texas
P.S. When you hear of a grumpy old man in a frail little craft, plaguing
the Hill Country rivers, you may rest assured that it is your old
Scoutmaster in his kayak still trying to figure out how you ,"Keep the
"Sunny SideUp".

[troy2000]

Nice read, about something other than the country going to Hello in a hand basket.

[Full MeTal Jack]

Yeah Troy, there is a glimmer of hope from the next generation.