The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

So another year passes and as we head into 2010 I thought it would be a good idea to share some of my reflections with you. As with any year, we always have some good stuff and some not so good stuff - my not so good stuff was the really sad passing of Mark Daly - and although he's been on my mind often since his passing, I'm feeling much less sad today than I did at his funeral. I'll always remember his beautiful spirit and hopefully we'll find a meaningful way to keep his legacy alive.

Probably the most significant positive thing for me in 2009 was my reconnect with the 1st Pres Sea Scouts - a movement that I grew up in... where I learned the true value of brotherhood and where I developed many valuable life skills - leadership, commitment, personal responsibility, initiative, innovation, problem solving... and I as I returned to the beauty of Turtle Bay on Monas Island - just off the Northwestern Peninsula of Trinidad, I cringed at the horror of what was left of two scout houses where we spent many a holiday camp. The 1st Pres scout house (Copper Hole) that doubled as a retreat centre for students at Pres College sitting at the point of the bay was suspiciously destroyed by fire earlier in 2009.  And the Fatima scout house that once boasted a picturesque kitchen and dining area on the water front, with a large dorm facility along the hillside overlooking the bay... was now nothing - the only evidence was the smashed concrete floor eroded by the ocean... and the neglect... it was an ugly sight and absolutely unbelievable!

And then there was the campfire... and the spirit of the young scouts who pitched tents on the same ground that once housed the dorms and who unaware of the history of the venue, lustily sang campfire songs, performed short skits and poked fun at each other... and reminded me that the value of this wonderful institution was not in the concrete structures, but in the hearts of those who embrace its value.

I pray that for 2010, you embrace those 'value' institutions - those institutions that really build character and that really shape who we are... who we want to be... who we want our children to be.

+ve vibes,
Mark