( Insert Witty Title Here )

Okay, I hope there were no excessive puddles to clean up.

I got together with the Director of Field Operations for the Inland Northwest Council of the Boy Scouts of America. We talked about professional scouting. Now, despite what that sounds like, it is not the same as being a volunteer leader in the scouting program. Professional scouters deal with the business side of a non-profit organization.

We chatted for about an hour and I liked a lot of what he had to say, and he liked a lot of what I had to say. We both came away with the feeling that this would be a good job for me. This, however, was just the first step. I still have to have an official application sent off to the national office. Then, when I get closer to finishing up here, I will have to go for a job-specific interview.

There are no openings currently in this area - which is fine by me. He showed me the list of openings in the western U.S. and there are plenty of opportunities. It will be just a matter of narrowing down where I'd like to live.

Like any job there are good points and bad points, and he didn't pull any punches about what the job is like. Be that as it may, I honestly feel that the good aspects outweigh the bad. The entry-level position is called a "District Executive" - it is the person in charge of a geographical region within a council. A great analogy is to think of it like being an owner/operator of a franchise...you are given what you need to succeed, but success is up to you. That is my kind of job!

I will get my application finished and sent this week, then it just becomes a waiting game until mid-April.