{"id":4552,"date":"2019-08-23T11:55:17","date_gmt":"2019-08-23T16:55:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/totscouting.org\/scouting-helps-these-families-make-the-most-of-their-time-together\/"},"modified":"2019-08-23T11:55:17","modified_gmt":"2019-08-23T16:55:17","slug":"scouting-helps-these-families-make-the-most-of-their-time-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/totscouting.org\/scouting-helps-these-families-make-the-most-of-their-time-together\/","title":{"rendered":"Scouting helps these families make the most of their time together"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

F<\/span>rom New York\u2019s steel towers to the bayous of Louisiana, these five Scouting families make their world a better place. In the process, Scouting <\/span>helps them become stronger together.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Castle family<\/b><\/h3>\n

Pack 68, Charleston, W.Va.<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

Dianna and Shawn Castle describe themselves as \u201cjust your average little West Virginia family.\u201d<\/p>\n

As kids, each spent as much time outside as possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up camping, building fires with flint and steel,\u201d says Dianna, who now leads a Tiger den.<\/span><\/p>\n

When their 6-year-old daughter, Shelby, showed an interest in the outdoors, Dianna and Shawn knew exactly what to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cI genuinely do not think she would be happy elsewhere,\u201d Dianna says. \u201cI mean, there are a million programs for kids, but Scouting is so diverse. She\u2019s like a little sponge and she just soaks it up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shelby enjoys bringing her unique style to Cub Scouting. At a camporee last fall, for example, she wore a fluffy rainbow unicorn tutu.<\/p>\n

She loves swimming, archery, camping and hiking. She\u2019d rather dig earthworms from an old, busted Igloo cooler to go fishing than do anything else. And she has a pretty clear goal in mind.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t wait to be an Eagle Scout,\u201d Shelby says.<\/p>\n

Dianna and Shawn have noticed that Shelby is happier than ever \u2014 and more confident.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe change in her demeanor is remarkable,\u201d Dianna says. \u201cShe\u2019s opened up so much, and learned to trust people outside her immediate family, which is awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n

In past years, at the playground, she was timid, sticking close by her mom\u2019s side. Now she\u2019ll say, \u201cMom, I\u2019m with my Scouting family. I\u2019m safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"The Lamberti family<\/b><\/h3>\n

Troop 19, Staten Island, N.Y.<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

The phrase \u201csalt of the earth\u201d might have been invented for the Lambertis.<\/p>\n

Ralph Sr. was borough president of Staten Island in the 1980s. With classic New York humility, he describes it as, \u201clike being the mayor of a small town.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s true, if by \u201csmall\u201d you mean a population of 240,000.<\/p>\n

Ralph became involved with Scouting out of respect.<\/p>\n

Scouts \u201cwere trained right,\u201d he says, \u201cand they knew what they should be doing in the community to give back.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ralph has received the Silver Beaver Award and countless other accolades for his service to the Greater New York Councils.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tried to unite people,\u201d he says. \u201cThe Scouts know that when you get together with all the different nationalities, colors and religions, maybe you find that you have more in common than you have different.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ralph\u2019s wife, Susan, is a Scouting champion, too. A Silver Beaver recipient and retired special education teacher, she got her students into Scouting during school hours. She later became one of the first female Scoutmasters on Staten Island.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI really bought into Scouting, because I love the values it teaches,\u201d Susan says. \u201cJust to be able to talk about being trustworthy and cheerful and helpful. In this day and age, I think it\u2019s wonderful that the focus is on helping others and working together.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ralph and Susan have been delighted to watch their grandson, Ralph III, continue the family\u2019s Scouting tradition.<\/p>\n

For his Eagle Scout project, Ralph III coordinated 30 volunteers to revitalize a community garden at a local church. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt made me really happy to see the impact,\u201d he says. \u201cThere are more people eating healthy, local green foods, and the garden is getting more awareness. It made me proud, because we made it happen together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"The Piatt family<\/b><\/h3>\n

Troop 22, Lake Charles, La.<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

Colby Piatt, a 16-year-old Eagle Scout, will never forget building Pinewood Derby cars with his dad in Cub Scouts.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe built two that won first place,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Colby, his sister, Kassie, and his parents, Lisa and Mark, were always a tight-knit family.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just really love being outdoors,\u201d Lisa says. \u201cWe enjoy nature and what Scouting has provided to us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Four years ago, Mark died suddenly. Soon after, Colby\u2019s Scout leader left. Lisa saw the best parts of their lives slipping away. Unwilling to let that happen, she took action.<\/p>\n

\u201cI stepped up and took over the troop,\u201d Lisa says.<\/p>\n

As any Scouter who has led a pack or troop knows, that wasn\u2019t easy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t have anybody to show me what to do. I had to learn from other Scoutmasters,\u201d she says. \u201cI did a lot of reading on the computer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was tough at first,\u201d Colby says, \u201cbut now she\u2019s one of the best Scoutmasters the troop has had in a long while.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lisa\u2019s decision helped the family in unexpected ways.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the past few years, some of the best help I\u2019ve received has been through Scouting,\u201d Lisa says.<\/p>\n

Colby agrees.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dad isn\u2019t there to help and guide me,\u201d he says. \u201cSo Scouting brought in other role models.\u201d<\/p>\n

Colby has found a passion for serving others, including helping hundreds recover from flooding after Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Kassie is a 14-year-old Venturer. Together, the family thrives.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve always been a camping family,\u201d Lisa says. \u201cScouting provides that for us at a cost level we can afford, especially going to high-adventure camps like Swamp Base or Sea Base. It\u2019s been a way for us to continue to be a family and keep traveling and see the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"The Bryant family<\/b><\/h3>\n

Troop 1315, Detroit, Mich.<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

Marcus and Darian Bryant are building their own cars.<\/p>\n

The 14-year-old twins, both Life Scouts, have been camping since age 5 and working on cars since they were 8. Their dad, Damon, is a police officer whose first job out of high school was collision repair.<\/p>\n

\u201cI taught the Crime Prevention and Automotive Maintenance merit badges to their troop,\u201d Damon says. \u201cBut by then, the boys already knew a lot.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Damon bought some car parts and had the twins work on them. Darian is rebuilding a 2004 Jeep Cherokee that had been rear-ended. Marcus\u2019 project is a fire-damaged 1988 Chevy Scottsdale. It needed a new hood, fenders, grill, motor and wiring harness.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re not afraid to get out there and learn,\u201d says their mom, Felishia Ming-Bryant.<\/p>\n

Scout leaders Sue and Dave Laabs agree.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey were two of our original Scouts,\u201d Sue says. \u201cThey both stepped up to lead the troop, always setting a good example, always in uniform, and helpful in teaching others the Scout Oath and Law.\u201d<\/p>\n

Together, the Bryant family has traveled by RV to Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. Felishia goes on almost every Scouting camping trip with them and is heavily involved with troop activities.<\/p>\n

The couple even spent their 15th anniversary on a Scouting campout \u2014 at 40 degrees. Is that kind of dedication worth it? The Bryants say, \u201cYes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cScouting has taught the boys so many things,\u201d Damon says. \u201cProblem-solving, swimming, first aid, building fires and teamwork. It\u2019s preparing them for the adventure of life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"The Sivalingam family<\/b><\/h3>\n

Troop 2000, Johns Creek, Ga.<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

When Kenga Sivalingam fled Sri Lanka, he had no idea he\u2019d have a son one day or that that son would return as a Scout to help his war-torn nation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI completed my education in Finland and got a job with Nokia,\u201d Kenga says, \u201cthen took an internal transfer to Dallas, Texas.\u201d<\/p>\n

There, he met Chelvi, another Sri Lankan. They got married and had two sons, Cheran and Deepan.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne day, Cheran came to us and said he wanted to join the Cub Scouts,\u201d Chelvi recalls.<\/p>\n

But there was a problem: Kenga worked full time as a telecom engineer, and Chelvi was a special-needs teacher. Between work and caring for Deepan, who has autism, they didn\u2019t have time to drive Cheran to the meetings.<\/span><\/p>\n

A year later, Cheran asked again.<\/p>\n

Chelvi told her husband, \u201cI don\u2019t want to deny Cheran the things he wants because of little Deepan.\u201d<\/p>\n

She offered to drive Cheran to meetings and do some volunteering for the troop.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow I\u2019m seeing him grow into a different kid,\u201d Chelvi says. \u201cHe and his friends are getting 360 degrees of exposure and learning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scouting has made Cheran a leader. For his Eagle Scout project, he built two therapy rooms for The Ark, a school for special-needs children in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. The project fused the two most important aspects of his life: Scouting and helping people with special needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Scouts and my brother, Deepan, have both affected my life in extremely positive ways,\u201d Cheran says. \u201cThis project is immensely personal to me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Chelvi sees the benefit, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love this program,\u201d she says. \u201cI love seeing these boys grow. This Eagle project isn\u2019t just a way for him to get his Eagle rank. It\u2019s changing and enhancing his abilities.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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From New York\u2019s steel towers to the bayous of Louisiana, these five Scouting families make their world a better place. In the process, Scouting helps them become stronger together. The Castle family Pack 68, Charleston, W.Va. Dianna and Shawn Castle describe themselves as \u201cjust your average little West Virginia family.\u201d As kids, each spent as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/totscouting.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4552"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/totscouting.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/totscouting.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totscouting.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totscouting.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4552"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/totscouting.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4552\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/totscouting.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4552"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totscouting.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4552"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totscouting.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4552"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}