Goodbye to a Great Man!

A great man was called home last week. He was a long-time scouter who adotpted me as one of his own. Many of my fellow scout friends had dads that came along with us on scouting events, but mine did not. My dad didn't do much with me in the rhelm of scouting, so I was clearly a lone scout in the eyes of many leaders.

Richard "Dick" Schroeder treated me just like his two boys (Mike and David). He was the best mentor that a young scout could have. He gave up a trip to Chicago to see his beloved Bears play one December to help me with my Eagle Scout Project. I just recently found that out and it brought a small tear to my eye. This man took his mentoring seriously and shows how much he cared for others. He always wanted the best for me and would even encourage me to try new things. For example, he was one of the mentors that encouraged me to go to Philmont instead of working at camp. We all know how much I love Philmont. I am so glad that I had the courage to go there all on my own.

When I got married, I didn't want a scout reunion. Thus, I didn't invite a lot of them to my wedding. Some are still offended to this day becasue I did not. However, Richard Schroeder was one of those that I did invite. Goodbye "Dick", and THANKS!