Having been involved with Scouts for a number of years, I have seen many different organizational styles.  Some of them have been very effective while others have not done so well.  But I thought that these experiences would help me to be well rounded when I finally stepped up to the plate and became a Scout leader.

I realized quickly that looking in as a parent from the outside was a lot different than actually being in a leadership role.  I think I was too quick to judge when I realized that there was a lot more going on behind the scenes than I had imagined.  In fact, it wasn’t until the first bottle drive that we had that I knew deep down that I was a little underprepared for this adventure.

But I was ready when it came time for the second bottle drive.  I had called the company that supplies my employer with delivery maps to see if they could provide us with custom maps of our area in the city so that we could better organize the bottle drive routes.  They were happy to oblige and the maps showed up just a couple of days before the bottle drive.

These new maps made such a difference that we were able to get done the work a full three hours earlier than the previous one.  The parents also commented on the better organization of the bottle drive and they were almost ready to do another one!  Though I am still learning, this experience has been invaluable - I hope that I can apply the lessons I learned this time to other aspects of my role as a Scout leader.

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