Page 10 - Save the Last Dance for Me

finally get to be the scoutmaster. I have always

wanted to be one. I was an assistant years ago, but
I’ve never been the scoutmaster.”

Hearing he had been an assistant set my mind

at ease considerably—at first. I learned it was with
a city troop, and I soon realized that those boys

were far different.

Harry was excited and ready to jump right in.
Thus, with the confirmation of the committee and

others involved, the next Tuesday night, the night

the troop met at the church, Harry was there to take

charge.
When we asked him if he had anyone in mind

as an assistant, he just laughed. “Why would I

need an assistant? I know pretty much everything
there is to know about scouting. When we go

camping, I will just get some dads to go along.”

And then he added something else. “And the

first thing I’m going to get rid of is playing that
silly basketball at scout meetings.”

“But Harry,” I said, “these boys work hard,

and they look forward to some fun playing
basketball. Maybe a little compromise of some

work and then some play would be good.”

“It teaches them the wrong thing,” Harry
replied. “It makes them think that scouting is all

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