The Archives: Fresh Start: Book 5

Christopher E. Cancilla, Chris, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the East Side, in an area known as Collinwood; near East 158th and St. Clair. He really enjoyed growing up there and would not trade it for anything. The friendships he made in elementary school, Holy Redeemer, and in High School at Borromeo and St. Joseph (now called Villa Angela - St. Joseph’s) are priceless and some of those friendships are still in force. In his youth he also enjoyed Scouting. Spending a great portion of it with the Cub and Boy Scouts, it influenced his life in a very positive way. The ideals of Scouting - the Oath and Law - served him as he entered the world of the adult, and even today they act as a moral compass, guiding his actions to be the man his family is proud of in all aspects of his life. Spending just over 14 years in the US Air Force, he managed to see a fairly large chunk of this 3rd stone from the Sun, his only regret during his Air Force career was never making it below the equator; so he never got to see the toilet swirl the other way. During his Air Force career he was able to camp in the Rocky Mountains, a close second is the 2 years he was assigned to Keflavik, Iceland. His wife Tammy, and his daughter Allison and son Gregory all live in East Tennessee at the moment. OH...and you cannot forget to mention his cat, Snip, who is like a little buddy. Always in the room, but you may or may not see him. When guests arrive, though, Snip is there at the door to greet them. Sitting patiently until the new arrival acknowledges he is there, then he stays in whatever room the most humans are inhabiting. Scouting is still a very large part of his life, especially teaching new adults the skills needed to not just survive in the great outdoors, but to reinforce the way they need to be taught to be the leaders of tomorrow. Camping is a great way to decompress and gain insight into what is hidden in the inner recesses of the mind. Nature has a way of bringing all things into clarity; even when you spend all night arguing with a 50 pound raccoon over the left over cobbler in the Dutch Oven, the same Dutch Oven you said you would clean up in the morning. He attended the Wood Badge course in 2006, and was honored to be asked to be on staff for a course. Where he was the Eagle Troop Guide, a role when you guide the patrol, the participants, to learn and grow.