Page 41 - Senior Link Magazine Summer 2025 - Online Magazine

EXCEPTIONAL SENIORS

training. The wedding was at the same church where they’d At 83 years old, Stewart Childre is still able to go
met, and the Marine hymn played as they walked out after backpacking in the mountains and take 30-mile canoe
the ceremony. trips. He is a software engineer for Rocket Software and
continues to help with Trail Life’s advancement program
Mr. Stu and Judy went on to have three kids, Connie, as an Adventurer Trail Guide.
Charles, and Craig. And they also adopted three: David,
Warren and Lisa.
“At this game you had better get in the habit of winning”
is something that Mr. Stu likes to say a lot. I really got
to know him when I joined Trail Life TX-0619. I have
discovered that Mr. Stu is the type of person who doesn’t
give up on anyone. For example, in July 2024, I was offered
a scholarship to go on a multi-troop summer adventure
to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Ely,
Minnesota, near the border of Canada. Though I had little-
to-no experience with camping, much less canoeing, I just
had to accept!
We arrived at the launch-point: Fall Lake Campground.
All the other guys had been learning advanced canoeing
techniques, but it was all new to me. I struggled a lot, but
Mr. Stu helped me to quickly learn the basics. Throughout
my struggles, he was so patient until I finally got it right.
He taught me a lot of other skills on that trip that I probably
could not have learned from anyone else.

Mr Stu has had a huge impact on me and all the other guys
in Trail Life. Besides patiently teaching me so many skills,
he’s been a great example of the kind of Christian man
I hope to be someday. The “old man” I met months ago
has turned out to be an amazing friend and mentor. And,
because of him and others, I’m not an “outlaw” anymore.
I’m part of a troop that gets the chance to experience real
adventure while we learn the stuff that will help us for the
rest of our lives!

Lubbock Senior Link 41