The Cub Scouts of Troop 107 (The Park Ministries of Charlotte) had a chance encounter with Barack Obama on Monday — the equivalent of hitting the inauguration lottery.
While touring downtown Washington on foot, they spotted a large group of police and Secret Service agents outside a building. A limo at the scene bore a license plate that read “DC 44.”
Suspecting it might be the president-elect, they waited nearly an hour. Obama emerged and waved to the adoring crowd, giving the scouts’ parents enough time to snap a photo or two.
“It was awesome,” said 8-year-old Ryan Brown of Charlotte. “It was off the chain.”
Isaiah Motley, 10, said he was surprised to see Obama. The only thing better, he said, would be seeing Obama’s daughters, Malia and Sasha.
“She’s cute,” Motley said of Malia, the oldest.
“We finally have a black president,” Motley said. “And I’m proud because he can change the world and help make the world better for other people.”
The troop also bumped into scholar and author Cornel West inside Union Station. West was rushing to an appointment but paused for a group shot with the boys.
Troop leader Terendius David said the kids will rise early Tuesday to witness Obama’s swearing-in.
“They’ll be able to look in a history book, and we can look at one of those dots and say, ‘That’s me,’ ” David said.
