Math-mini, you were the first girl to earn "arrow of light" for Pack 365. We did it together, but you had to do a lot of the legwork. In one year you earned both your Webelos and your Arrow of Light. I am very proud of you.
Math-micro, you completed your tiger and you are now a wolf-cub. You two worked very very hard. I can't tell you how proud I am of you both.
First they gave the pins (mathmini) or belt-clips (mathmicro) that each scout in the pack had earned. Some had earned few, you both had earned many. We do a lot of activities. Mom doesn't know how very much of a scout she is.
Afterwards, they had each den starting with the youngest (lions) and ending with the oldest (Webelos) cross over the bridge.
Before you crossed the bridge they painted your faces and said (I think):
- black stripes on the tiger trail mean happiness
- yellow on the chin is sunlight along the wolf trail
- red on the forhead is for bravery
These show you are ready to move along the trail of scouting.
Mathmini, you were the first girl ever to go through your pack. You were the first Webelos girl. You earned your Webelos and Arrow of Light in one year. Words fail me when I try to say how very proud of you I am.
Mathmicro, you are a brave and friendly wolf-scout. I am delighted in your character (don't tell folks but I am also delighted in some of your quirks) and I love your kind soul.
On the saturday afterwards, we went and put flags on the graves of veterans. When someone has died, giving their life, so you can have a life of peace and freedom, then you have to say thank you, and take a moment. There are thousands, tens of thousands, of graves of veterans there. It took hours to put down all those flags, but there were Scouts BSA, Girl Scouts, American Heritage girls, and several other organizations with lots of folks to make the job a lot easier.
You said it right, mathmicro, when you said just thinking of it is scary and sad. It is scary and sad. It is a holy thing. No person with a soul should disregard the high cost it took to get here. Fools throw it away as worthless because they haven't taken the time to look at the value.
I am delighted with and deeply proud of my Scouts. I love you girlies deeply.
I also love our math-nano. Too young to be in scouting. I don't have a picture to put here yet.
You are why I do so very much of what I do, because it is good for you, because you need it.
-mathdad
