Community

Sunday was one of those days when a confluence of events sheds light on the generosity and spirit of our community. Early in the morning, I happened on the return of our Troop 55 Scouts from their first “camporee.” After the Boy Scouts changed their century-old policy limiting their programs to boys, Troop 55 became one of the nation’s original troops for girls. More than a dozen strong, they have embraced the challenges of being among the first, creating their own trailblazing history.

Later in the day, I attended Troop 5’s ceremony, during which five of their members received the Eagle Scout Award. As each of these young lads spoke about their project, formidable challenges all, I was struck by how often they thanked people — Mom and Dad, siblings, other adults, troop mates, friends, often people who had nothing to do with Poly’s troop. Volunteers young and old simply wanted to help and support a friend or a student of theirs. Sitting in the audience were many of these people, proud and eager to celebrate with them.

In the evening, I ventured out to Highland Park, a part of town much cooler than I, to attend the Jammaslamma. In its third year, this event involved kids at Five Acres, an organization that offers care to families in crisis, who have worked on writing slam poetry with one of our Poly parents and others. The energy at the event was palpable. Yes, it was held in an iconic location, the music was hip, and the work of the Haiku-writing masters was pretty impressive. But that wasn’t what caught my attention. Certainly, the cause was a worthy one — these kids have endured unspeakable hardship, and their raw stories were inspiring and humbling. But many of the guests were there because of a genuine appreciation for someone else’s passion and a willingness to embrace it.

We are fortunate to be part of a community, a place, in the broadest sense, where we reach out to support one another. In a time when so much is written about hiding behind our phones and the ease with which we can avoid true human contact, it is heartening to witness the kindness and generosity here. Whether it is the trailblazing Troop 55, the storied Troop 5, or the powerful voices from Five Acres, our families and colleagues support one another and, in turn, learn about what it means to be part of a wider community.

JWB