By: Carol Chan
Upon arriving at the 180th Pacific Coast Scout Group Social Night last Friday, February 15, 2013, I had no idea what to expect. I had asked my friend Henry Chow to come check out the Scout Group because he told me he wanted to improve his interpersonal skills and was unsure about what he wanted to do in the future and what path to take. At first, I was nervous about how the night would unfold and whether or not my guest would adhere to the Scout Group members. Fortunately, during the night I saw him connect easily and talk freely to members of the Group and other guests as well.
I had to leave early that night to go to another event, but I asked him how he felt about the rest of the night. He said, “They’re all great people, just like you said!”
For myself, I was able to step out of my comfort zone interacting with other guests and Scout Group members. I am not the strongest at making conversation with people that I am not familiar with. However, after some encouragement from 180th Pacific Coast Scout Group past President, Brandon Ma, I was able to carry on a long conversation with some guests around my age. I could see that once everyone was warmed up, words came easier and conversation flowed better. I found myself reassuring them a lot about how things would turn out. I knew that they would receive the support they needed to go wherever they wanted to go as long as they had the heart to do so. I think that’s one of the best things about the 180th Pacific Coast Scout Group.
Throughout the night, I could tell that the speakers inspired the guests. Although I’ve heard some of the stories and examples from those speakers in the past before, it was refreshing to hear about it again, now that I am a part of the Scout Group. I am also excited for those who have already signed up for an interview with us. Like John Chow had said that night, and when I had joined the crew – which I agree with – the decision to join the crew will definitely change their lives as they know it.