by Bonny Flesher
If you run into Maitland Pickle with a camera in hand, she’s usually on a mission. Sometimes, she reminds me of “Flash,” the comic book character. There are moments when she can’t be in two places at once, and that’s when she sends me a text. Last Saturday was one of those evenings. I had the opportunity to drop in on Pack 196 as they celebrated with a Blue and Gold Banquet. During this event, Scouts are recognized for completing Adventure Trails and achieving rank advancements. Each rank requires six trails to be completed to progress to the next rank.
As soon as I walked into the banquet, I was hit with a sense of déjà vu. My memories took me back to a time when I claimed to be a Cub Scout—until my mom stopped being a den mother. In my mind, they kicked me out, but in everyone else’s eyes, I was just the pesky little sister who tagged along because my mom didn’t have a babysitter. I watched as my older brother climbed the ranks of scouting, and later, there was another generation with my son in the Kingfisher Troop. Two scoutmasters who stand out in his memory are Ken Musick and Fred Voss. Those guys could write a book about their adventures with a group of young boys.
There’s one story in particular where my son is the star. I happened to work with Ken and Fred, and I remember a certain Monday morning after a long weekend of camping when they stood on either side of my desk. One said to the other, “You tell her,” and the response was, “No, you tell her.” You’ll have to hear the full story from Ken or Fred, as they tell it best. Just reference “The Sock Story.” There were countless adventures, including water balloon fights that turned into full-blown water wars, with the scoutmasters often right in the middle of the action!
Boy Scouts teaches our children the Scout Law: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent. February 8th was the 115th birthday of Boy Scouts of America. Pack 196 welcomes all youth (boys and girls) in grades kindergarten through 5th to come to check out their pack. Meetings are held on Tuesday evenings at 7 PM at the Masonic Lodge in Kingfisher. Troop 196, which is for youth in grades 6 through age 18, also meets at the same time. The troop is a youth-led group, guided by adults.
For me, it warmed my heart to see the young boys saluting the flags of our state and country. As a mom whose son served in the Navy’s Honor Guard, I appreciate that their spirit of patriotism begins at a young age.
