Part Of My Life

This history begins when I was 11 years old. One saturday afternoon I was sitting watching TV, when suddenly my mother told to my sister and me "Well kids, I can't stand watching you wasting the weekends afternoons watching TV and doing nothing, so come on, lets go..." Mariana, who is my sister and two years younger than me, looked at me waiting the worst.

Mariana and I grew up always as the only kids in the buildings where we were lived. We didn't had "home friends", only the school friends and obviously we spend many afternoons playing only each other.

My older cousin named Alejandro had the experience to be a Boy Scout, and to be more specific a Cub Scout, wich is the name of the kids who have between 7 and 11 years old. So from my cousin and aunt expirience, my mother decided took my sister and I to the nearest Boy Scout group.

So, that afternoon, the first weekend of december of 1988, we were introduced to the Scouting world. I remember when we arrived, I was so angry because I didn't want to be in the Scouts, I've heard aboout it, but I wasn't intrested.

My mother talked to the Group Chief and he introduced her to the particular branch chiefs, better known as Scouters. My sister entered with the girls named "Gacelas" girls from 7 to 11 years old, and I joined to the "Tropa" boys from 11 to 18.

In those days, the grup was one of the biggest arround my comunity, perhaps 200 members, only the Troop was about 40. So you can imagine the impression when you see 40 "nasty" guys dressed up, and watching at you.

The Troop is conform by patrols who adopt the name of animals, trying to emulate the virtues of such animals; so I entered to the "Bufalos" patrol. It didn't took to many time to realize that I was wrong about the Scouts; they were fun, playing like a bunch a good friends, teasing and joking, but always with respect and order, beside learning the ways of the wild life. It was to good to be real.

By the end of the activity time, my sister and I ran to mom and asked to buy the scout uniform for the next week.

It only took two hours to make our minds change, amazing!

Since that day, I thank to my mother to had the vision for my sister and I to put us in the right place, with the right people.

Today I run the Troop as the Chief, watching in every new kid my own face and feelings, and being transformed as well as me after the end of the day.

So, if you asked me if the Scouts worth the effort, I will answer you: "Yes, and a thousand times yes"