Prior to telling this story I must say this. First of all, nothing here was staged. It happened, as I am about to tell it and recorded it on film. More importantly, I must say that I have the best Senior Patrol Leader a Scoutmaster could hope for. My SLP, ASLP and Troop Guide make a great trio. The model of youth leadership... Usually.

This is Thursday morning at Camp Whitsett. From left to right we have the Troop Guide, Roy Snyder, the Senior Patrol Leader, Brian Driscoll, and the Assistant Senior Patrol leader, Kevin Shively. They are sound asleep.

Moving back a little bit and looking again we see the afore mentioned "model youth leaders" sleeping and the rest of the troop. The rest of the troop is all dressed in their Class A uniforms and ready to go to breakfast.

I quietly suggested to the assembled Scouts that they greet their Senior Patrol Leader politely in the morning. (On three, as loud as you can, "GOOD MORNING MISTER SENIOR PATROL LEADER!") I held up one finger, then two, then three and those guys bounced their greeting off the mountains. They probably could have been heard in Apple Valley. The result of the polite morning greeting was interesting. The photo catches the Troop Guide in mid-air as he moves further left off the platform. It missed the ASPL sitting bolt upright a second later. The SPL slept through the whole thing. Way to go Brian.

The Troop Guide promised me a slow and painful death if I ever put this photo on the web site but it is too good to pass up. This is where he landed.

For some reason he didn't think it was funny and when he turned around he let the whole group know about it in his best sergeant-major tone. That finally the SPL's attention. (Sort of.)

We finally made it to breakfast but we had three grumpy leaders. The rest of the troop laughed all the way to breakfast.