Beneath his gruff exterior, Scoutmaster Felix Kamp is quietly honored to be able to witness so many young boys in his care as they take their first steps into manhood. That’s what scouting is all about, and his job as their leader is to make sure they understand the full importance of what they are doing. He is there to lead, to guide, and to advise—sometimes as a friendly father figure, and sometimes as a strict disciplinarian, keeping these boys in line with a firm hand.
Scoutmaster Kamp’s favorite part of time at the famed scout ranch, is the arrival of the new recruits. This is when boys selected to enter The Order of Elite Scouts are experiencing everything for the first time. He loves watching them solemnly take their oaths and make the Elite Scout Pledge. Seeing these boys standing before him, proud or nervous, excited or shy, he is able to see their full potential before they even realize all the things that they are capable of doing. That moment on the cusp, between the before and after in their lives, quickens his pulse and reminds him why he’s served as a scoutmaster for so many years.
New scout Jack is no different. As Scoutmaster Kamp sits back in a chair, his legs spread wide, he watches as the full import of what is happening hits the eager scout: He’s officially stepping into manhood now, as his changing body has already told him. Watching the impact of the words hit him, Scoutmaster Kamp smiles to himself at the knowledge that he will soon put the boy’s dedication to execute the instructions given him to the test.
Carefully affixing the Elite Scouting pin to Scout Jack’s shirt, the scoutmaster feels the boy’s heart pounding beneath his big hand. Seeking to reassure the boy, he slides his hand down his body, gently cupping the growing bulge in the boy’s khakis. This is the moment when he sees how good these new Elite Scouts are at taking orders, and this young scout seems delighted by finally receiving an older man’s undivided attention. He’s flattered that a man he looks up to has taken such a thorough interest in him, and he’s eager to make the head scoutmaster happy however he can. This is the duty of a scout, after all: To grow into manhood with the hands-on guidance of more experienced men.
