I became an Assistant Den Leader this year to further my participation with S9 (and eventually S5) in Scouting. This maturity issue with S9 is an extension of his handicap, having Asperger's Syndrome (AS). All sources tell me that S9 will be at least two years behind his same-aged peers in emotional development -- and as he gets older that's becoming more and more significant. I need to be prepared for the distinct possibility that, much as I and S9 need for him to gain as much from scouting as possible, he might impede the progress of his fellows -- in which case I might then need to pull us out for the sake of everyone else. I really, really hope and pray that it doesn't ever come to that.
