Gavin is a Cub Scout - a Wolf Cub, to be exact. He is so proud of this fact, and it has really been an empowering experience for him thus far. He says things like "Cub Scouts don't do it like this, they do it like that." and "That's not the Cub Scout way."
He has a "Hygiene Chart" that he has just become obsessed with. His fixation (autism driven?) on this chart has really helped his independence. He has to check off each box everyday, like drinking water, brushing teeth, bathing, etc. As soon as he wakes up in the morning, he climbs down from the top bunk and goes straight to the chart taped to the wall in the bathroom to check "Get enough sleep" off the list. Then he goes to the kitchen and gets a cup of water to check off the Drink Plenty of Water box. All of a sudden he's taking care of himself without any prompting! Just knowing that the chart is there with unchecked boxes is enough to get him moving in the morning.
Becoming a Cub Scout almost instantly gave him a new sense of pride. I'm not sure what did it, maybe the Cub master that came to school recruiting new 1st and 2nd graders? Gavin seemed pretty energized by the sales pitch, and came home that day demanding I take him to the "sign-up" meeting. At the meeting, the same fellow that spoke at school was there giving his speech to the parents and sons. I was just excited to see how focused and attentive Gavin was to this seemingly boring lecture, and all the whispered questions/comments he was peppering me with:
"Can I get a hat?"
"I will need my own flashlight."
"Do North Carolina bears eat Cub Scouts?"
"Are girls allowed here?"
"I need to earn lots of patches!"
Stationed prominently behind the pacing and prattling Cub master was a giant, 4 foot trophy for the Pinewood Derby. Many of Gavin's questions revolved around this glittering object of desire, and who could blame him? I had never seen a trophy like that, certainly it must be from the world championships or something. It stood at a true four feet tall, no kidding. And with a dazzling golden Pinewood Derby car at its apex in the wheelie position, looking like it was about to launch into orbit, Gavin was absolutely captivated by it. "Dad - we have to make a car that will win that trophy. We have to."
My experience with Cub Scouting was somewhat lackluster. I remember enjoying the time with my Dad, but it was nothing like they advertised in the brochure. Our pack never did any of the camping, canoeing, BB gun stuff in the 2 years I participated. It was all just knot tying and little crafty things. I was more into sports, and scouting eventually didn't fit into the schedule. Gavin has had a tough time with sports, and real trouble with the notion of teamwork, so scouting is a great way to condition him to the idea of cooperation and helping others.
He is starting to get the concept of being an unselfish, altruistic Cub Scout already. He really wanted the hat to wear, so everyone would know he's a scout. I said, "Ok, let's get you a hat that says 'Cub Scouts Rule' on it! Wouldn't that be sweet?" He looked at me with a deadpan gaze, pitying my foolish lack of the Cub Scout perspective, and said "You can wear that hat, Dad. A real Cub Scout would never wear a hat like that."