Alex Goodwin Recognized at Scouts Spring Court of Honor
By: Tom Leyden
Alex Goodwin, Scoutmaster for Scouts Troop 3 in Westwood, officially stepped down from his role after four years in the position and he was recognized during the Scouts Spring Court of Honor. During the ceremony, Alex delivered some touching words:
Over the past month, I’ve found myself reflecting not just on my four years as Scoutmaster, but on my entire Scouting journey. At first, I thought I was going to make this speech about my own experience as a Scout, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that most of the details have faded. I couldn’t tell you which camporees we attended or list all the merit badges I earned. The awards, dates, and accomplishments blur together over time.
What has stayed with me are the friends, the adventures, the leaders who invested their time in me, and the experiences we shared. That said, it was a long time ago, back in the 1900s.
Scouting was important to me then. It helped shape who I became. It helped lead me to ROTC, college, and opportunities I never would have had otherwise, but as I’ve reflected on Scouting recently, I’ve realized that what matters most isn’t my Scouting experience from forty years ago. It’s the Scouting experience I’ve shared with all of you over the last twelve years. My son, Jack, graduated from Westwood High along with Charlie Goodman, Liam LaCroix and Liam Hayes, Henrik Ligurs and many other
Scouts and friends we’ve watched over the years.
I’ve attended graduation ceremonies, the Eagle ceremony, final concerts, and all the other milestones that seem to happen when a generation of young people suddenly becomes adults, and what struck me wasn’t any one accomplishment. It was seeing this group reach this point together.
For years I’ve known them as the Scouts figuring things out – learning how to pitch a tent, carry a backpack that was too big, or take their first turn leading a patrol. Then suddenly they’re graduating, performing on stage, earning Eagle, and preparing for college. I watched Charlie bring an auditorium to its feet singing Beatles songs, and Henrik deliver a beautiful cello solo.
What struck me was that Troop 3 leadership doesn’t stop at Scouts. The same confidence and willingness to step up that we see on campouts shows up in classrooms, on stages, on athletic fields, and throughout the community, and it happened a lot faster than I expected.
Looking back, that’s really what Scouting is about. It’s easy to think Scouting is about camping, knots, hiking, merit badges, or rank advancement. Those things matter, but they’re really just the basics.
The real magic is watching young people gain confidence, take responsibility, and become leaders. I’ve seen quiet Scouts become confident leaders, young Scouts become mentors, and kids who once needed guidance become the people providing it.
The lesson I’ve learned is simple: When we trust young people, support them, give them room to lead, and occasionally room to fail, they usually exceed our expectations.
So Troop 3 Scouts: don’t rush through this. Years from now you probably won’t remember every requirement, every merit badge, or every camporee. You’ll remember the campouts, the hikes, the rainy weekends, the patrol cooking disasters, and the friends sitting next to you tonight. Those are the things that stay with you.
To the parents: keep showing up, the years go faster than you think, and to everyone who has allowed me to serve as Scoutmaster these past four years, thank you. I’m grateful that I got to share this journey with all of you.