There were 150 people in the room this weekend in the small town of Sandwich, Illinois. Seventy miles away from Chicago.
Was it a town board meeting? A political issue? A rezoning application?
Nope. It was to honor five small boys who were “crossing the bridge” from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts!
It was a major event in this small farming town of only 6000.
It started with an honor guard parade and the Pledge of Allegiance.
Then, my son Alex, who was retiring as the Cubmaster in town, gave a little talk which honored not only the triumphant little boys but especially the parents who contributed so many hours to hosting the dens and planning the events along the way.
They had constructed a little bridge in the front of the room. Each boy crossed with his parents to be greeted by a group of Boy Scouts, who shook each hand, untied their cub scarfs and knotted their new Boy Scout blue scarfs around their necks. My grandson, Julius, was one of them.
I am a city person. Grew up in Brooklyn, New York and raised my kids in Chicago. I had never experienced anything like this. So many people to honor five small boys. With scarcely a dry eye in the room.
I could not help but think of Sarah Palin (who I did not support) when she said America was in the small towns of our nation.
It seemed that way this weekend.
There is a volunteer army of men and women who work hard to bring up their children in the scouting way all across America. They are not often mentioned along with all the violent news on the TV every day. But, they exist.
That way is best described as the scouts declared their pledge during the ceremony.
A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, couteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, brave, clean and reverant.
Remember those values?
After the event, even the tiniest of the cub scouts present helped to clear and fold up the tables, stacked the chairs. No one asked them to do it.
They were very helpful!
Sarah, you may be on to something there!
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
As someone born in “flyover country” and who lives in the NYC metro area now — yeah, I reversed your journey — I understand what you mean.
Small town America is often overlooked by big media, often located in the big cities and on one of the Coasts. Gov. Palin spoke directly to rural America.
Not to be a bummer, but so many of those small town young people step up to the plate when military duty calls.
Thanks for your comment, Rhondal!
My son moved way out of Chicago because his company is not that far away.
He lives in a charming old farmhouse which originally was on the map of the town in the late 1800’s. It’s a good life!
It is a new experience for me. Love visiting but can’t see myself that far out just yet!
But I was really touched with the experience this weekend. Would not have missed it.
Sent your site to some friends who are horse people. They will come to visit I am sure!
Sharon Beck writes by email -
Corinne this is so touching. My first Broker who I have been friends with for the past 30 years was the President of the Boy Scouts in our state and I sent this to him. I just love your story lines and really enjoy seeing new posts on your blog site.
Thanks, Corrine. Again, a lovely post.
I can take anything you say and love almost everything you write – with the exception of Sarah Palin – SHE is not the first one who said America is in the small towns – at all – but the truth is — ALL of us are America. I raised my son in a “parish” in Chicago and he was in cub scouts and had a wonderful cub master. Remember the Pinewood Derby? That neighborhood was just like a small town – everyone knew everyone else – those were the days before all the franchise restaurants and the internet hit. Even small towns aren’t like small towns any longer. I was born in a small town just outside of Pittsburgh and had a summer home near a small town in Michigan. Nothing is like what it was — it’s not supposed to be. I resent the snobism – yes snobism of people from those little places. Little people like Sarah Palin.
I also love your story lines but I gotta tell ya,anyting with that weird woman Palin’s name in it – and I have to repond.
We’ll never get rid of her, but none of my good friends mention her by name — she is called the “unnamed” …
Kind of like Voldemort.
Sorry – I couldn’t resist. I’m imagining another Tina Fey/SNL skit meets Harry Potter. ::ducking:: Add in an “I Dream of Jeannie”/”you betcha” wink.
OK OK Lily Rose.
I will not mention the “unnnamed” again. I am not a fan. In my foggy mind, I thought it was a catchy title. (You read it, didn’t you?)
Rhondal -
Love your sense of humor. Ashamed that I have not read one of the HPbooks although I have bought many for the young people in my family.
Waiting for your Tina Fey script. Send it in to SNL.
Corinne,
We do have a few things to learn from small towns about the need for community and being active in one’s community. But Sarah Palin is not qualified to be the teacher. I also take issue that there is a real America vs. what?, a fake America?
I was born on a Naval Base in Virginia, lived in small towns, small cities (Indiana & Kentucky), big cities, and big cities that still think they are small towns (Baton Rouge suffers from this problem immensely). I’ve lived in towns whose major industry was the state’s largest university, and cities that are the state capitol and the home of multiple colleges and universities. I’ve even lived in a city that can hold 15 feet of water and has to be pumped out (New Orleans).
The one thing I can tell you about all these places is everyone is just as much an American as anyone else. There are differences in attitude and big differences in education and sophistication. But I find the sense of community, patriotism and service is more regional than city or town. As I’ve moved farther south, people are more conservative, more likely to serve in the military and less well educated and worldly. But they do place a lot of effort and pride on family and friends. They can also be the hot beds of racial and other kinds of hatred, like the KKK. Not everything is good in small towns.
New Orleans is the biggest exception to all the social norm rules I can think of. It’s a big, metropolitan city that has more small communities within it than I could count. People come from all over the world, but some people’s families have lived there for generations and have never been outside their own area of the city, until they were evacuated.
Was Sarah Palin right? I don’t think so, though I am glad your family is blessed to belong to such a terrific community.
Sherri
Debt Free or Bust – Sherris last blog post..Bailout Compared to 9 Other Events Combined
Dear Sherri -
I appreciate your sharing your experience here. And I agree completely.
Especially with your thought
“The one thing is can tell you about all these places is everyone is just as much an American as anyone else. There are differences in attitude and big differences in education and sophistication. But I find the sense of community, patriotism and service is more regional than city or town.”
(See my comment back to Lily Rose! So much for my catchy titles. Got my two best commentators mad!)
But, yes, my son and his family love living in a more close community! And the area benefited from his city slicker upbringing. Alex gets things done! He took those little kids everywhere -to museums, fairs, the aquarium, Springfield to visit Lincoln’s house, to a sleepover in a submarine – - places they had never seen. I am so proud of him.
Corinne,
Not mad, just liberal, and unwilling to give Sarah Palin any more credit than she could possibly be due. If she is the future of the Republican party, Democrats will win for a long time to come.
Glad to hear your son’s city upbringing benefited his small town community. We all have something to bring to the table no matter where we’re from. It’s the willingness to get involved and do something positive in your own community that counts, not how big that community is.
Sherri
Debt Free or Bust – Sherris last blog post..Bailout Compared to 9 Other Events Combined
You had me until the small town thing. See, I’ve been to events just like the one described, I have 2 very active Girl Scout daughters, and they took place here in the big city of Miami. “Americana” happens all over, small towns and big cities both, and the part SP had WRONG is implying that the big city folks are somehow less American, less patriotic, than those who live in small towns. We have values, too. We are involved in community service, too; last night I chaperoned 5 teenage girls for 3 hours while they ran a Salvation Army Angel Tree at the local mall. I was so touched both by the girls and by the people who brought presents, including a young man, probably late teens/early 20s, who donated a new skateboard, then grabbed a couple more tags to go and buy more toys. We city folks are patriotic, too. We love America, too. Yes, there are “bad apples” in the big cities, but don’t judge us all by those people.
Nice story Corinne.
Let’s hope the incoming administration has the same qualities as the scouts.
“A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, couteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, brave, clean and reverant.”