A Scout is...

Dear Kids,

Once again my heart is full as I prepare to post my service for our family service project this year. I am so proud of all of you and the things you do for each other all year long. Especially this year as I have seen you rally around to help Lani and Michael. Chuck, your website and blog for AJ are nothing less than amazing. You girls have risen to the occasion, and somehow, in your busy lives you have helped Lani in so many ways, I wouldn’t know where to start. We are deeply touched at how well you took care of each other while we were in Africa. Thank you again for being such wonderful, valiant children of our Heavenly Father.

My recipient this year is Garrett. It was fun to get his name because it made me think of him and realize that we have much to learn. Through the years it will be fun to discover more about his hobbies and his past, as well as his dreams for the future. Garrett, you were an answer to our fervent prayers from Africa to our Heavenly Father. You are the supreme example of “service” in the life you live everyday taking care of your new family. What a blessing you are to all of us, but especially to Tiffany, Brooklyn and Zelda. It is an honor to be able to do a small service in your name.

We were tickled when you were called to work with the Young Men. Being a scout master requires a certain personality and it is a complement to you to have been chosen for that position. I decided to honor you by calling the area Boy Scouts of America office. When I called them, I explained about what our family does for Christmas gifts.

I was transferred to the man in charge and asked him if they had anything I could do to help…. File, type or clean. He got excited when I said the word “clean”. He asked if I was serious about the cleaning and when I said “Yes” I think I heard him jumping up and down. He explained that they had a regular cleaning company that did the weekly cleaning but that they could use help with the deep cleaning. I told him that sounded perfect.

I drove into Raleigh – about 30 minutes away – and arrived at the office of the Occoneechee Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

The other employees had heard about what our family does and I was treated like royalty. There was a written list of things for me to do to deep clean the board room and a few things to do in the kitchen. I washed windows, scrubbed tables, vacuumed, washed baseboards, dusted photos and cleaned anything else that was in the room.

This is my first "selfie." I am not a big fan cause it makes my nose look huge!

In the kitchen I was able to do the windows, the floors and the appliances.

When the work was completed, they asked me to thank my son-in-law… the California scout master… for the work done in his honor. I received the following email the next day.

Kriss: Thanks so much for choosing the Boy Scouts for your annual Christmas gift of time. You certainly did your son-in-law proud with all the hard work you provided at our office building. Our council board room has never looked better. The windows and doors are clean, the baseboards look like new and the room smells great. You also managed to make our kitchen look clean for the first time in years.

What really makes your gift to us special is you did to honor someone else. I hope more families will look at Christmas like your family does. I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Johnny Glover
Occoneechee Council, BSA

Again, thank-you Garrett. for everything. You have the traits that are listed in the Scout Law above. We are “soooo glad Heavenly Father sent you to our family to live.”

Love, Mom