An Open Letter to Pack 616 Cub Scouts

To the members and Leaders of Pack 616, West Seneca: thank you.

You gave my son the male leadership and role models he needed in his life when our family had fallen apart. You gave the feeling of siblings to an only child who struggled with social interactions. You gave a single mom feeling woefully inadequate a chance to fill a need in her son’s life.

I feel most honored to have been a part of this Pack under amazing leadership – from the time I first joined five years ago, to the leadership in place for the future. The Scouting knowledge, admirable citizenship, and core character of these leaders has been a pleasure to work with and learn from.

I have been privileged to join the leadership of this Pack and treasure my time here. This Pack became my family and filled significant roles in the lives of my son and me. I received historical background of the Pack from my dedicated predecessors and am grateful for the knowledge I gained. I hope I can pass on some of this knowledge to the leaders of the future.

To the Web IIs who became Boy Scouts tonight – thank you for welcoming my son and I when we needed acceptance.

To the current members of the Pack – you are part of an amazing organization.  Welcome every opportunity you have with this group. Thank you to the many parents who give their time and talents to the Pack. The success of the Pack depends on volunteers like you. Thank you to the parents who bring your Scout to events and go through achievements with them and have conversations about character and citizenship and ‘good turns.’ The success of your Scout depends on your participation.

To future members of this Pack – join this group. Be a part of this family that gives so much to each other. Give your boy this experience and it will change him forever. Open yourself to being changed, too. Volunteer wherever you can – in small ways or in big ways – it all makes a difference.

And to the leaders with whom I’ve served – thank you for pushing me to be a better person. Thank you for allowing me to give back to the community and children who have changed my life. Thank you for supporting me, forgiving me, picking up the pieces for me. After many years with this group it is hard to let go and allow new leadership to bloom in new directions. But that is how growth happens and I am excited to see where this Pack goes in the coming years.

I am confident that neither my son nor I would be the people we are today had we not been welcomed into Pack 616  five years ago. You are my family – and you never really let go of family.