THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 22, 1995 TAG: 9501200199
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Faces and Places
SOURCE: Susie Stoughton
LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
Scout's honor, I tried to get ready for some Cub Scouts who visited the newspaper office last week. I remembered the motto - ``Be prepared'' - from my brother's Scouting days of long ago.
``Just show them around,'' my editor had said.
Sounded easy enough. People had toured our new offices last fall, and that wasn't so difficult. But they weren't 8- and 9-year-olds.
Adolescents have boundless energy and an uncanny knack of steering you in the opposite direction from where you thought you were headed.
A computer demonstration would be good, and watching a negative get processed would interest them, my boss had said.
Kids today know more about computers than I do, so I hoped one of our photographers would be around.
The first trick was getting the Scouts to be still and listen. I realized I was violating the rule I developed after taking my children, then 5 and 2, on an all-night, sleepless train trip to Florida. In dealing with those too young to vote, I insist on one adult for each child.
These Cubs had their leader, Cathy Hayes, and her 5-year-old daughter, Meredith, with them. Two moms, Patsy Markham and Debbie Campbell, also came.
With eight children and four adults, counting me, I was in trouble.
I tried to smile as they crowded into the lobby, every Cub jabbering at once. Politely, they introduced themselves - seven Cubs and one sister reeling off their names simultaneously.
I don't cope well with chaos. Fear from my short teaching career clutched at my throat as I remembered why I had fled the classroom. I love children - one child at a time.
Better do something entertaining quickly, I thought. So I started showing them the advertising department's conference room. Most advertising representatives were out calling on customers, I said, pointing out our artists' offices. But the boys had bounded down the hall ahead of me.
Next stop: the newsroom. Few reporters were around. Then the circulation department - not much to see there, so we peeped into the darkroom. But the photographers were apparently out on assignment. My computer demonstration seemed pretty dull. No games. No windows. Not even a screen saver.
``OK,'' I said, ``Let's go into the conference room.''
Sam Markham, 9, headed toward the front door as I tried to corral them into the only room large enough to hold us all. A mother herded Sam back.
``But you said that was a conference room,' a confused Sam said, pointing to the front.
For sure, he had been listening, but this was a larger conference room.
I couldn't figure out how to stay in front of this group. They seemed to want to be in the newspaper, so I decided to interview them.
Around the table, each Cub told his name. One at a time, I insisted, though they all volunteered when we got to the adults.
They were from Pack 50, Den 6, and they had regular meetings every other Monday, said Sean Williams, 8.
Remember these names, I thought. Someday I could be interviewing them when they become Eagle Scouts or outstanding citizens.
They needed to visit a newspaper to earn their next badge, they said.
Robert Campbell, 8, explained what else he had done toward the badge.
``I helped cook dinner one day,'' he said.
Steak was the main course, but I didn't get a chance to find out how he cooked it before Michael Hayes, 9, chimed in. ``We made cookies,'' he said.
Lee Duplain, 9, explained what Scouting teaches. ``Goodness,'' he said.
Chase Goodwin, 8, offered another. ``Love,'' he said.
``We took fruit baskets to old people and poor people,'' said Jay Canada, 8.
When it was time for them to leave, Cathy Hayes thanked me as the youngsters dashed out the front door, the two mother-chaperones darting out after them.
``No, thank you,'' I said, waving good-bye. Thanks for teaching them about goodness and love. I'm glad somebody's willing to tackle such a noble task.
I know I wouldn't have the energy to keep up with them. by CNB