Cub Scout's Pack 372 Blue & Gold dinner brings back memories

Watching my son and dozens of other Orland Park Pack 372 Cub Scouts receive their badges and graduate to Boy Scouts at the annual Blue & Gold dinner brought back a lot of memories from when I was a kid.

Wow, have things changed.

My son is so excited about the Cub Scouts. He is earning and collecting his badges faster than I can keep pace with all that he is doing. His room is filled with Cub Scouts memorabilia and he's only been in the pack about six months.

Although things are different, in reality not much has changed. The scouts have lots of fun. They meet new friends. And, they enjoy projects, events, camp outs and even hikes.

I remember earning my Bear Badge. And then I went into Boy Scouts. I have one medal from the Hiawatha Trail, which was a 10 mile hike, I think that took us along the Lake Shore Drive and the railroad tracks. Lots of walking and having fun. We stopped at Wimpy's downtown and had a snack. And then hiked back.

In the old days, we had one parent run the entire den meetings. Parents didn't attend with their sons. Now, it's expanded for a lot of reasons and every Scout has at least one parent with them at Den meetings and Pack meetings. And that just adds to the time I can spend with my son who is growing fast.

We've only been on one overnight, but it was so much fun we're going to do more. And we're looking forward to our first hike and first overnight camp out. I have the cots and sleeping bags. With all the other miscellaneous gear, they weigh a ton. So I bought an collapsable "dolly" so that I can carry the load, since I'm basically not only my son's best friend, but his sherpa, too. (Do they have badges for the parents?)

I've also noticed that lots of women get involved with the Cub Scouts, too. The moms are very active and some Cub Scouts bring along their sister who enjoy the events as much as the boys. It's all good natured and lots of fun.

His badges go on a "Brag" vest made out of red felt. And he has dozens of more badges to earn. He just might even make it into the Order of the Arrow, which senior Boy Scouts performed for the Cub Scouts who graduated into their ranks.

I can't say I am an expert on scouting. But I can say it is a lot of great fun.

-- Ray Hanania
www.RadioChicagoland.com

Kite kaboodle brings out the children in all of us

I took Aaron, my 8-year-old son, to the Kite Kaboodle Sunday at the Orland Park Village Center near the civic center. They had the Kite Kaboodle, where kids can make their own kites and then fly them.

Not everyone knows how to make a kite.

But everyone did have fun. Fortunately for Aaron, I managed to put the kite together (without my glasses) and it flew. And wow did it fly. We've been out several times in the Springs past trying to fly a kite -- a box kite, a store bought kite -- but they rarely got much height.

I blamed it on the lack of real wind.

But there wans't much wind out Sunday and Aaron's kite shot up straight to the heavens all the way to the last inch of string.

I was surprised there weren't more kids and parents there. Orland Park has some great family fun events, this one co-sponsored by the SportsPlex. What a blast.

We saw Heather Warthen of the Orland Park Prairie out there taking pictures. I don't think Heather ever sleeps, she's everywhere. And, there was a writer and photographer for the SouthtownStar covering the Kite Kaboodle, too.

Orland is getting a lot of media attention these days. While all of the suburban communities are experiencing drops in retail sales and store closing, Orland is managing to survive very well and the newspapers and media know it. They have a great advertising base out here.

But watching my son hold the last of the string as the kite he made fluttered high above in what little wind was there, smiling, was real satisfaction. It's nice to see kids have fun.

-- Ray Hanania
www.RadioChicagoland.com