I'd be remiss if I didn't also take this opportunity to thank and give a mention to the people who've dragged me along this far. Without this Troop, I'd be lost (and no, that's not a reference to any of the numerous times when I got lost Orienteering.) My inability to operate a map & compass aside, there is noplace else that'll make you feel more welcomed and at-home than on a Troop 7 campfire. Throughout my long, at some times stunted Scouting career, I've been lucky enough to have such great friends to make memories with on all our various outings as a Troop. From Laser Quest to the Wellfleet bike trip; from the peak of Monadnock to the reefs off Big Munson Island - I've seen and learned countless things during my time with Troop 7 and not many of them I'll be forgetting in this lifetime. My Scouting experience has been stupendously formative to the man I've become today, and I'm proud to say that it's improved me as a person to take part in this organization. Our Troop and our Councils, local and national alike, rely on new recruits in order to sustain and spread our organization's message. Maybe that sounds a bit cult-ish, but you'll probably get that vibe eventually if you do end up attending a couple meetings. A few meetings is really all it takes, I know I remember back in 3rd grade when I came home from Mrs. Merritt's class with a flier from the Cub Scouts - all it took was a couple Thursdays and suddenly I've spent almost eight years of my life as a member of Scouting. Recently, National even made the groundbreaking decision to transform the Boy Scouts of America into a co-ed organization. The transition might've been odd at first, given the new rules and regulations regarding sleeping arrangements and such, but ultimately the establishment of the Scouts BSA (Scouts Boy Scouts of America, so it still says boy in the name, but ignore that) breathed new life into an organization wrought with troubles much outside their control. The positive change was palpable and near instant, as the Troop saw several new and long-lasting female members join it's ranks. The new and improved nature of Scouts BSA is one of a safe and accepting environment, welcoming the strengths which our differences naturally bring to each and everyone of us. Troop 7 especially takes pride in it's unyielding effort to provide a space in which everybody can enjoy Scouting in their own way. I can confidently say that you won't find a more accepting and supportive group than those who call themselves members of Troop Seven Dedham, and I can also proudly call myself one of them. I thank you tremendously for taking the time to read all of this, and I kindly ask that if any parents are reading here, consider taking a trip to the VFW Post 2017 at 84 Eastern Ave, in Dedham, Massachusetts on a Thursday evening, or visiting https://beascout.scouting.org to find more information and Troops local to your area. For those interested in joining Dedham's Pack 7 (K-5th) or Troop 7 (6th-12th), all are welcome to sit-in or participate at any meeting, just contact mcquaidfam@comcast.net.