Examples of Service

Scouting was a major part of my life as a young man, I have built and maintained friendships and values that have lasted a lifetime and provided thousands of experiences that I draw from every day as the father of two Cub Scouts. The story I would like to share today is the example of service set by my two Scoutmasters at Troop 86 in Sumter, S.C. The first, Dr. Jim Ingram, was a graduate of The Citadel, the military college of S.C., and had served as an Army Ranger and physician in Vietnam. His children were dear friends growing up and he was famous for both tough love and shedding a tear or two at courts of honor when his scouts graduated. The second Scoutmaster I’d like to highlight is retired Air Force LtCol Steve Wilson. His son and I were dear friends and Mr. Wilson brought an incredible ability to train seriously with a sense of humor and allowed his scouts enough room to learn valuable lessons from their mistakes. Mr. Wilson had served as both a Raven target-marking pilot in Vietnam (a particularly dangerous job flying low and slow over enemy missile batteries and small arms fire) and later as an F-16 pilot. These men made a huge impression on me as I try to honor and emulate their examples as a Cubmaster for Pack 50 in Charleston today. The lasting effects these two men had in my life can not be overstated and the proof is in my career choices: I currently work as an instructor at The Citadel, have served as an active and reserve military pilot for almost 20 years, and often use the same phrases and approaches in my work I learned from Dr. Jim Ingram and Steve Wilson.

Submitted by: Ted Fienning of Sumter, SC