I came from a temporarily broken home. When I was 5, Mom and Dad took a trial separation that lasted two years. During that, my two brothers (15 and 16) and I alternated living between my maternal family's home (grandparents 3 maiden aunts, 1 uncle), and my paternal family, (Grandmother and Aunt). Effectively, I became an only child. The Aunts doted, and had jobs with extraordinary fringe benefits (two were mid-level librarians at the NY Public Library Main Branch, and the other was
private secretary to the Rockefeller Brothers). I was immersed in arts, science, and technology. Guggenheim, museum if the City of NY, American Museum of Natural History, Hayden Planetarium, LaGuardia Airport observation deck, etc., etc. I was at one of them every Saturday. I met amazing people (Einstein, Teller, but not together...), a Bishop, a Cardinal, went to Yankees home games. I'd get a $1/wk allowance, and it always went for a plastic model airplane kit.
In 1953, I had my first experience with Scouting as a Cub Scout Bobcat at my Grade School NYC Public Schools. In 1958 we were all back together again and moved to Newark NJ, where I joined the local Scout Troop at our Parish school. In 1960 at age 14, I was required to leave Boy Scouts and transfer to the Explorers. We did fabulous things, fifty mile hikes, annual canoe trips, backpacking, training with Civil Defense Heavy Rescue, riding on Friday nights with the Newark Police Emergency Squad, a daylong tour of the local Ford assembly plant, bus trip to Annapolis, two weeks in the JROTC as semi-recruits at Fort Dix, etc. etc. ; our post advisor was a Captain in Army Intelligence based at Fort Dix, but also the older brother of my best friend.
I would shoot single shot 22 with the Newark Police Athletic League at the local Boys' Club starting in 7th grade, bring the rifle to school, hand the bolt and ammo to the nun, get them back at quitting time, and take the bus to the Boy's Club and then home.
I was drafted in early 1966 directly into the Marines. I married the girl next door in 1970, we had our Daughter in 1971, and are coming up on our 48th year together in July. During all this time, I managed, starting in 1953, and finally ending around 2006, to spend about 40 years as either
a Scout of some form, or as a Scouter. I met my last unit, a Venture Crew, when I ran a youth marksmanship program, and their leaders asked me to run one just for them emphasizing earning the rifle merit badge. This unit was enrolled in Scouting, but had no common activities with the local Council, and did things rather a lot more like back when I was an Explorer Scout of 14. Such days are gone, and sadly, I hear nothing anymore about such units; they were weeded out of the organization by Liberal PC hypocrisy.
I was, and am, blessed.
Greg