Its been a few days since my keyboard and I sat together and jotted down some thoughts… It’s been a long week and a pretty eventful one at that.
Monday we had our weekly Troop meeting, and to be honest.. I have no idea how it went. I was upstairs with a group of parents and a couple of the Assistant Scoutmasters showing what is expected in the type of gear our Scouts should have. In particular the winter gear that we need to see on the next couple camp outs. I thought it went well. It can be an overwhelming discussion to some parents and I try to keep it simple and show the parent that you don’t have to take out a loan to get the right gear. I reinforced with the parents that is about the Right gear and Not a lot of gear. To many grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles feel the need to get all the cool gadgets for their Scout and not the right stuff. Anyway, that went pretty good and I think will be an annual thing with all of the new Scout parents.
Tuesday, I got an email from a reader that really made my week. The reader called me an opinionated a**. That’s ok, I can live with that.. what really got me was the reader said that “someone who gets paid from the Boy Scouts of America should watch what I say”. Now that’s where I draw the line. There are many good Professional Scouters out there.. but I’m not one of them. I pay to do this thing called Scouting and like it. I have not worked a day in my life in the employment of the Boy Scouts of America… nope.. I’m just a Scoutmaster, a run of the mill volunteer. And yep.. I am an opinionated a**… but it’s my blog and so unless I am spouting off nonsense contrary to Scouting’s Values and methods… ahhh.. it’s just not worth the time. But thanks for that nice email and I appreciate your comments… Kill ‘em with kindness my dad always said.
Wednesday I replaced the continuous ridge line on my tarp. I ordered 50 ft. of 1.55 mm Z-line spectra cord from zpacks.com. This stuff is amazing! It will hold 200 lbs.. not that I will ever have that much weight on my tarp.. but what it really did was cut weight. The old continuous ridge line was Nite ize cord. It is really good stuff too and I like the reflective taping in it.. but the Spectra is super light and tough. I only need 25 ft for the ridge line.. so I configured it like I had the old set up and went from 38 grams of line to 18 grams. Considerable weight savings.. and I am going to need it to get to my goal base weight of 16 lbs.
Thursday my kids ordered (with my help) a birthday gift for me. They ordered me a Solo Stove. I got a tracking number Thursday night and it will be here on Tuesday.. more to come on that one.
And here we are Friday night. I am getting my uniform together for tomorrows Trainers EDGE class. I am helping on the staff. Looks like I am teaching and being a guide throughout the day. It should be a great Scouting day!
I’m not sure if what I am about to say is for public consumption yet.. but I’m going to tell you anyway. I got an email the other day from Chris, our partner with PTC Media. Actually he is the leader of our network, but anyway, after months and months of no contact, Chris sent an email to all of the show hosts of PTC Media stating that essentially we are done.
The network will remain up and available so folks can listen to the shows, but so far as the future. Well, PTC has run its course. So what does that mean for me and my podcast. Well, after all the great feedback I received I did promise to keep it going. I will do one more show on the PTC network and then my affiliation there will be over. I will look for a server or a way that I can run a podcast from the blog but in the mean time I will continue to blog and produce the videos. For those of you that came to the blog via the podcast, please know that the blog was here first and has always been that medium that I have preferred. It was the blog that got the attention of Steve and an introduction to Chris and then a podcast. So the blog (which I pay for) will remain unchanged.
I want to thank everyone that supported PTC Media for the last 8 years and in particular my show. I hope that I can find the time and passion to put more out.
I thank Chris for given me the opportunity and the forum to talk about Scouting! It was a real fun ride and along the way I have personally met many of you and have developed some great friendships. Again.. nothing really will change in that regard.
Well, time to go and get a good nights sleep… I get to hang out with Phil and Adam tomorrow and I am sure I will need all the rest I can get.
Thanks for letting me get random with you. After all… I’m just an opinionated a**!
Have a Great Scouting Day!
Category Archives: Ideals
Words
“If you aint cheatin’ you aint tryin’”… “it’s only illegal if you get caught”… “No harm.. No foul”…
These three little phrases raise the hair on the back of my neck. They are attitudes that while seem harmless, they dictate an attitude that it’s ok to do wrong.
Last night I was at a Super Bowl party and heard one of these little phrases. With a chuckle and a smile the person saying it followed it up with..”That’s how we roll”… ha ha…
I wonder if they really believe that.. or are just trying to be funny. But then I go back to an old truth that has proven itself over and over again. That is the fact that the first thing out of your mouth is the truth. The mind is not quick to lie and usually those things that are said first, without thought, are what the person is really thinking. And so… that is “How they roll”.
So, if it’s only illegal if you get caught.. then don’t get caught, right? After all.. that’s how you roll. OR… don’t do illegal things, play dirty, commit fouls (both off and on the field) and you don’t have to worry about being caught.
Ok.. here it comes.. and you knew it was on the way..
The Oath and Law… dang.. those two always ruin the fun…
But that’s how we roll.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
Modeling Expected Behavior
I often preach about how I expect more out of our young men, that nothing in life will be easy, and that there are no participation ribbons just for showing up in life. When it comes to leadership, the Scouts in our Troop hear it over and over again that we all need to “Model Expected Behavior” and they all should at least have an understanding of what that means. For the Scouts of our Troop that means that good is not good enough. It means that we do things right, we learn from mistakes, and we hold one another to a higher standard.
So what does that mean? Is is arrogant of us to act that way? Well, to the outsider looking in, yep.. but for us we look at it this way. The world around us is happy with mediocre leadership, results, and standards of living. I’m not ok with that when it comes to our Scouts.
We are not a merit badge mill nor are we an Eagle factory. We do not measure success in the amount of Scouts that earned awards or rank each year. We measure success in the way our Scouts act. We see direct results in watching older Scouts teach younger Scouts and hold each other accountable. We measure our success in growth and sustained attendance. Is our Troop for everyone.. nah.. but no troop is. Even though we all work toward the Aims of Scouting, our programs are different in their delivery. I could not be in a Troop that had more adult involvement than Scouts. I could not be a unit that did merit badge classes each week. I could not be in a Troop that produces Eagle Scouts that can not do the basics. I could not be apart of a Troop that did not seek adventure and test the limits.
This weekend, our Troop camped at a local Scout camp. There were not a lot of miles walked and the weather was great. It got real cold, and that tested some of the boys in the troop. Some Scouts pushed their boundaries by shooting Shot guns for the first time, while other Scouts increased their knowledge and leadership skills at Junior Leader Training. A few Scouts were taken out of their comfort zones as they taught the Junior Leader Training. No matter what level of the Scout there was challenge enough for everyone.
Our Junior Leader Training follows the National program, but we tend to focus heavily on communication skills, team development, Conflict resolution, and expectations of leaders.
We start the session with a talk about Modeling Expected Behavior and then everything that follows in the course of training maintains that theme. We expect our Scouts to be and act the best. Good is never good enough. The team deserves that attitude from everyone. If they all act their best.. they become the best. A high performance team.
Now you may ask.. aren’t you expecting too much from these young men. Nope. If I don’t who will? We see too much “getting by” in our world and I will not be party to it. Do we exclude young men when we expect more from them? NO.. we expect more and they give more… like it or not.. That I don’t care about. Life is going to expect a lot from them. Why treat them with kiddy gloves now.
Does this mean we are hard ass’s? Not at all. We stay within the Scout Oath and Law. Teaching in a friendly, fun, challenging atmosphere. But when things are not right, a leader (adult or youth) simply corrects the issue and we move on. Un tied shoes, un tucked shirts, gear looking like a yard sale, bad attitudes, improper set up or use of gear, not living the vlaues of the Scout Oath and Law. These are things that other Scout leaders just allow. Kids will be kids… yeah.. but bad habits last forever. Good attitudes, skills, and behavior does to and gets them a lot farther in life.
So modeling expected behavior is a cultural thing. We don’t march, we don’t yell.. yelling is for ineffective bad leaders.. we just teach, coach, train, and mentor.. oh and we model expected behavior. Adults don’t get a free pass on bad behavior either. We are expected to model what we expect.
The proof is in the pudding. Our Troop grows annually. We lose Scouts too, and that’s ok, maybe we are not the fit for them. Maybe XBox and lower expectations is what they are looking for in life. And that’s ok.. just not in our Troop.
This morning a Scout was standing under a shelter pouting. His hands were cold, after all, it was 24 degrees outside. His Patrol leader had just instructed him to get his gloves on. The Scout could not find them. So the Patrol leader and the Scout went to his pack and dumped it out. There were the gloves. I then saw the Scout standing there not assisting with his Patrol in breaking camp and wrapping up the clean up. I called him over to where I was standing watching. I asked him if he was ok. Yeah.. he said, but I’m cold. I suggested that if he would get moving he would warm up. If he would help his Patrol mates out.. he would start to feel a bit warmer. I asked him why he was pouting earlier and he told me that his hands were cold. I asked him what he did about it… fully knowing what had happened. He said that he found his gloves and put them on. Then I had him recite the Scout Law to me. And asked to him to reflect on the meaning of being Trustworthy. We talked a bit about making choices and how he was either going to develop good habits and skills, or he would develop bad ones. The choice was his, not mine, the Patrol leaders, or his parents. He would have to make a choice which path he wanted to take. He turned and walked back to his patrol and pitched in. You see, if we let it go, it won’t change. If we expect little, that is what we get. So we chose to expect more. And not surprisingly we get more.
When our Youth leaders set good examples and model the behavior that we want out of our Troop.. that is what we get.
There is nothing wrong with winning and losing. We can learn from both. There is everything wrong with not learning and not trying to learn, to push, and to find success.
I had a talk with a Scoutmaster about this a while ago. He said that “I bet they all march around and it’s all yes sir this and no sir that..” On the contrary.. In fact the Scouts in my Troop call me Jerry and we call them by their names. There is no marching, yelling, or military like behavior.. just a lot of fun and development. It is an environment that is comfortable, friendly, and leaves them wanting to come back.
At the end of each camp out we close with lessons learned, Start, Stop, and Continue. Today the Senior Patrol leader led the discussion with whole troop. As the next two camp outs will be up on the mountain, this camp out was a great opportunity to learn and get ready for the up coming outings. He had each Scout share one thing that needs to improve in the next 3 weeks. I listened as the Scouts really gave some thought to their answers. It was in some of the more experienced Scouts answers that I realized that they got it.. they are modeling expected behavior. They were critical of themselves and how they prepared for this camp out. The next one will be that much more successful.
Expect more.. get more.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
Times Up
On one hand it breaks my heart when a Scout creeps up to his 18th birthday and has not completed the requirements for Eagle Scout. It reminds me of my biggest regret in not finishing my Eagle and I can see the disappointment in their eyes that they to will not be counted as Eagle Scouts. I tell them that all is not lost, think of the life skills you learned, the friends made, and the experiences that you had. The time spent in Scouting is worth while, even if it does not include the Eagle award. I have repeated this again and again that the goal is not to make Eagles, it’s to make men that make ethical choices throughout their life times. Men of character. Now I know that’s not what the Scout wants to hear when he realizes that he is not going to finish the trail that he started, but that is the reality and after some thoughtful consideration a look in the mirror and a glance over his Scouting record and experience, the Scout will soon come to understand that he got his monies worth and more in Scouting.
On the other hand, I am often disappointed in the Scout that he did not take advantage of the advancement program and complete the requirements in a timely manner. This leads me to wanting to say “I told you so” to the Scout, even though I won’t. Encouraging, reminding, a nudge here and a tug there to get the Scout to do the work is about all we can do. I refuse to just give it to them and I won’t take them by the hand and lead them around like a Den Mother. They all know what needs to be done and by the time they are in that 16-year-old range, well, they know how to get it done and they certainly know when their birthday is, so I tend to not feel to bad for them. After all, we are teaching life skills right?
When time is up.. time is up and you have to accept the consequence for your action or lack there of. Do I want them all to be Eagle Scouts? Sure, is it something that they all can do? Sure. I am going to turn my troop into a Merit badge mill and Eagle factory to make sure that we have more Eagles than any other Troop. Nope. The Scouts all know when they turn 18 and they all own a Scout handbook that shows them step by step what needs to be done if they want to be an Eagle Scout. Beyond that, I will help, I will guide, I will bend over backwards to work with them. But I won’t do it for them or allow other to.
I see to much of this in Scouting and it simply takes away from the meaning of the Eagle award. It takes away from accomplishment and sense of pride that the Scout has when he knows that he worked hard to get what only 4% of the Scouts in America get.
I suppose I can go on and on about this.. but when time is up.. time is up.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
Character again…
We talk a lot about Character and making men of Character in Scouting. We spend a great deal of time reinforcing the ideals found in the Scout Oath and Law and expect our Scouts to live those values which will lead him to a life in which he will be counted as one that has Character.
I have talked about Character a lot here in this blog and believe that if we do nothing else with these young men, we owe them the very best training in being a man of Character.
I have said it before and I will echo it till the end of time… I really don’t care if a Scout earns his Eagle as long as he develops Character. His Character will get him much farther in life than a red, white, and blue ribbon with an Eagle suspended from it. Having said that though, you all know that I want them all to earn their Eagle, but the Eagle award does not make the man, Character does.
I was listening to some sports talk radio today and they were discussing the “steroid Ballot” for the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. Now, I am not going to bother getting into the details of the discussion and I also will not share my opinion on the ballot.. well actually I am in a round about way.
The reason that this caught my attention was that to the folks hosting the discussion made it an issue of Character. And yes sir.. that’s what it is all about. There was an argument that the guys that are on the ballot that used “Performance enhancing Drugs” were Hall of Famer’s before they used the steroids.. well if they were Hall of Famer’s then.. why did they need to cheat?
Mark McGuire who is the only player that actually admitted to the use of steroids said that it was important for him to “come clean” because at some point he had to look his children in the eye and explain all of this.. and that is what got my attention.
In previous posts I have explained the rule of “Saying it aloud“. It works every time. I really liked the idea of McGuire holding himself accountable to his kids. That is a great rule for character. We are all accountable to some one and we should act accordingly.
Along with the values of the Oath and Law, knowing that at some point we will have to answer for our actions should force us to act with character. I was listening to Dennis Prager the other day, he said something that reinforced this idea. He said he did not care how you feel.. he cares more about how you act. This too plays a big part in curbing selfish behavior and a lack of character. We live in an era where people feel entitled and that as long as they feel it is ok, then it is. On the contrary, we are still accountable for our actions and at the end of the day you will have an effect on someone else. Knowing that at some point I will have to answer for my actions and that the last people on earth that I ever want to disappoint are my children, I act in accordance with my values. Does it always make those around me feel great.. No, but at the end of the day they can see that I acted with character.
I have made it a point to always demonstrate good character to my kids. It has not always been the cool thing and at times it has left them feeling like I am mean-spirited or a jerk, but then they realize that I care and want only the best for them and all of us.
We often use the standard of the Oath and Law in our discussion of wrong and right. We know that at some point we will all have to answer for a decision we make. If more people used that standard, the world would simply be a better place. There would not be spouses cheating on each other, there would be less crime, there would be far less Congressmen… oh I just could not resist, but seriously our leaders would be driven to make better decisions… after all they are accountable to US.. right.
So Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, and Sammy Sosa all juiced and had amazing stats in baseball… they are all on the ballot for entry in the Hall of Fame. We don’t get a vote, but can they say they got in as a player that did not cheat? Just because they all did it, does that make it right? Not if you are judging based on character. If they get in they are in and will have to continue answering the questions about steroid use. If they don’t get in, they will still have to answer for why they did not get in.. the steroid use. If they were actually Hall of Famer’s before they used.. they should have use McGuire’s standard of how he would answer to those that are most important.. his kids. Personally I don’t care one way or the other if they are Hall of Famer’s. To me, they cheated and therefore lose the privilege of being in the Hall of Fame, but then my only vote is how I look at them in regard to their character. I judge.
As for me, I will use the values I have and the remember that one day I may have to look in my children’s eyes and answer for my actions. That should be enough to make anyone remember that Character matters more than Eagle Medals or statues in the Hall of Fame.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
Merit Badges…
This has been discussed before, but I received an email the other day from a Scouter in our area. This Scouter does not know me very well, nor does this Scouter know how our Troop runs, but none the less, this Scouter sent a nice email suggesting that we do not encourage the merit badge program in our Troop BECAUSE our Troop is a “Backpacking Troop”.
Well, hmmm… Let’s see… How do I respond to that?
There are what? 130 or so merit badges that I Scout can choose from right? And the Scout must have at least 21 to earn his Eagle Award, right? So there are lots of choices for the Scout to make when it comes to earning merit badges. At some point the Scout must come to the unit leader.. that’s me… and get the blue card signed to start working the merit badge, which ever merit badge that may be. When the Scout comes to me to get that blue card signed I sign it.
Now when it comes to encouraging. I encourage the Scout to earn merit badges. I have told the Scouts that while at Summer Camp, merit badges are not the reason to be there. Merit badges are a product of Summer camp and a means to and an opportunity to earn, learn, and have fun while at camp. So yeah, that may sound I like I don’t “encourage” the working of merit badges, but that’s really not the case at all.
I am a firm believer that advancement and merit badges are the Scouts responsibility to work. They need our help that’s true and at times they need some poking and prodding to get going on badges and rank. In that regard, we encourage and promote the merit badges that will get the Scout advanced.
The merit badge program is designed to do a couple of things.
1. Introduce the Scout to many subject areas that will open his eyes to his world, skills, hobbies and activities, and career fields.
2. Work the adult interaction method.
3. Spark interest in the Scout while working toward a goal (advancement).
When the Scout, and leaders understand why we have merit badges, it is easier to understand that they are not the end all, be all of the Scouting program.
When I am told that I do not encourage merit badges because we are a “Backpacking Troop” I look at the Scouter and ask if they know the methods of Scouting. Backpacking, Front Country car camping, or Troop’s that never leave the confines of a cabin all work the methods of Scouting. Advancement is one method and the Scout finds his pace and path to achieve his goals and work his way to Eagle.
We encourage the merit badge program but we do not spend valuable Troop time to work on them, with the exception of Camping, First Aid, and Cooking. Those merit badges, for a troop that camps 11 times a year are all being worked over the course of the program year and are tracked at the unit level.
If the fact that we are not a merit badge mill is not a way of encouraging… well, than guilty as charged.
Now, I am going to be totally honest with you… many of our Scouts only work the merit badges that they need to advance. That is not because we are a backpacking troop, nor is it because we do not encourage the merit badge program. Simply put, our Scouts are having fun. They spend time having fun at summer camp. You will always find our Scouts extremely active at camp. They love to compete and play games. They spend lots of time at the water front and the shooting ranges. If they don’t get the fingerprinting merit badge.. it’s no big deal.
We encourage every Scout to earn an Eagle required Merit Badge at summer camp.. don’t care which one… but at least one from the Eagle required list. Most Scouts work the Environmental Science Merit Badge at summer camp. That and First Aid seem to be the two most popular.
I don’t make a pitch for some of the merit badges that while for some Scouts are super interesting, knowing the boys of my troop are just ‘filler badges’. Like the afore mentioned Finger printing. Let’s face it.. that’s a 10 minute merit badge and the Scout really doesn’t learn much. A great one for the sash, but not getting him that much closer to Eagle Scout and life skills.
I would much rather see them earn Canoeing, Sailing, Emergency Prep or Wilderness survival while at Summer camp or pretty much any other time of the year. But that’s just me, I don’t get to force a Scout to earn a certain merit badge, nor do I get to forbid him from working one. Finger printing, Dog care, Painting, Skating, and Reading, while all great subjects and have a purpose in teaching responsibility on some level and encouraging an interest, I can do without them in the context of Scouting. I know that I will hear some opposing views on this and I suppose that’s why there are 100 + merit badges so there is something for everyone. I don’t discourage any Scout from earning any merit badge that he wants to earn. But when it comes to encouraging Scouts to earn merit badges, well, I just sign the blue card and let them go to work.
I don’t think we need to high-five every Scout that earns the Chess merit badge or the Backpacking merit badge for that matter. They work it, they earn it, they are presented the badge and they get a handshake and a “job well done”. We don’t have contests to see who can earn the most and we don’t look down on the Scout that earns the obligatory 21.
I am still not sure what being a “Backpacking Troop” has to do with anything. This Scouter said that this was “The Reason” we do not encourage the merit badge program.
In closing. The average number of merit badges that Scouts have earned at the time they were awarded their Eagle award is 35. Enough said.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
Character v. Reputation
Yesterday all over sports talk radio they discussed the recent incident between Tim Tebow and his head coach. Now I don’t know all the details as they never really got into it, but the jest of the matter is that for obvious reasons Tebow is not to happy about his role on the New York Jets and tried to explain to his coach the reasons he did not want to play in a certain scheme (The Wildcat) when he does not have a real role as a Quarterback on the team.
Having said all of that, and it really does not matter what the conversation between coach and player was, the radio jocks made it an issue of character and reputation.
Even though you may know little about football and or Tim Tebow, it is pretty well-known that he (Tebow) prides himself as a man of character and integrity. He has often been bashed for his religious convictions and is also often portrayed as a pouting player that has been wronged by his team. The rumors about his work ethic in practice but his tenacious play while on the field contradict at times and calls into question his character and reputation.
One of the radio personalities asked the question yesterday “What is more important, your character or your reputation?”
Well, the answer to me was simple. Character is way more important and if you are a person of character, you will never have to worry about your reputation.
If you focus on being a person of values and character and define your life as such… well then that will become your reputation.
A good team-mate, strong work ethic, willing to do what is necessary to help the team.. those are all traits that mark a man of character.
When we let reputation get in the way of our character to be popular, liked, and paid.. then we chip away at our character and as a result that becomes our reputation.
It thought this answer was simple. What amazed me was how complicated the sports talk radio personalities made it. They did not seem to get that one leads to the other for good or for ill.
Think about it. This is a great life lesson and like Tim or not.. he is doing a great job (good and bad examples) of how we should live a life of character.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
Shooting Sports
I got home from work to find an email in my ‘In Box’ from a local Scoutmaster that I had a conversation with at Round table. We were talking about our annual plans and I told him that our Troop would be Shot Gun Shooting in January at the local Gun Club and camping at a local Scout camp.
He asked in his email if I thought it a good idea to continue with our plan to go shooting in light of the recent events here in Oregon and in Connecticut. He thinks that maybe we should not encourage our Scouts to shoot guns.
Well, I am going to be totally honest with you and tell you all.. and this Scoutmaster, that I disagree. I think this is the time that we need to be teaching gun safety and responsibility. The more I thought about how I should respond, the more I thought about just how important it is for proper instruction and example of how we should handle fire arms.
The Guide to Safe Scouting does a real good job of making it clear that the Boy Scouts of America does not condone the shooting of anything living. Through its shooting sports activities and the G2SS the Boy Scouts teach responsible fire arm safety and responsibility. The Guide clearly prohibits any activity that encourages engaging targets other than paper. This is the reason we can not have Air soft or Paint ball outings. Those two activities, while I see no direct harm in them when played in an organized field with rules and the proper equipment, are against the BSA rules so Scouts do not get used to engaging human targets.
Not that Paint ball wars are the gateway to a person going on a shooting spree… but I can see why we should maintain this as a good rule. Especially in light of the conversations currently in the media regarding “First person Shooter video games” etc.
But so far as Scouts doing the Shooting sports and earning the shooting sports merit badges. They need to have that program available to them.
They teach the Scout to have a healthy respect for fire arms. They build confidence in the Scout as he develops skills, and the Scout can seek further achievement in the JR Olympic Shooting programs offered.
Shooting sports are fun and should be kept fun by keeping the competition healthy and the bullets on paper targets.
To the matter of “Too Soon”.
No. It’s not to soon. It’s the right time to teach. It’s the right time to reinforce the ideas of responsibility and demonstrate that the gun can not do harm unless the person behind it wants to do harm. It is time to reinforce the Scout Oath and Law and always doing what is right. It is time to allow these Scouts to decide for themselves how they want to act and react around fire arms.
I am not going to get into a 2nd Amendment argument here, but we do have the right in America to keep and bear arms. It is time to teach our Scouts what that means.
It is time to teach our Scouts that we do not allow crime and criminals to dictate how honest, law abiding citizens should live. On the contrary, it is time to teach them that good citizens get to set the standard and rules to live by.
Just because people choose to drink and drive does not mean that we out law cars and alcohol. We have rules, laws, and social norms in this country and while the recent events are tragic, they do not, and should not dictate how the rest of us live. Oh and I refuse to live in fear too… so this is what we teach our Scouts in the Shooting sports activities.
In January when we go shooting as a Troop, these life lessons among the lessons of proper fire arm use is how we will do it. We will not postpone it, we will not shy away from it, we will teach, coach, train and mentor our Scouts to always do the right thing. We will play this game with a purpose and we will do it the right way.
I have been around fire arms my entire life. I own 4 rifles and a pistol. I do not see the need for a 30 round magazine or what the media calls Assault rifles. I am friends with many hunters although I have never hunted a day in my life. I don’t know anyone that hunts with an AK47. But I understand that people like to fire high powered, rapid firing guns. I understand the sport, the collecting, and the right to own these fire arms. Is there a ‘need’? Maybe not, but we are allowed to have them and I do not, even given the recent tragic events, want to see that right taken from me and my fellow Americans.
I am not a “slippery slope” guy. I don’t think one right taken will lead to more… but the real question for me is why not just enforce the laws we have? Why can’t our screening process be revamped to make sure that these fire arms end up in the right hands. Why can’t there be an education piece added to the rules of ownership?
These are the questions no one seems to be asking. They just want the guns to go away. Well they aren’t and they never will.
So we teach our Scouts to be responsible with them and we teach them to respect the fire arm and their fellow man. We teach them to do the right thing and at least we will have done our part to prevent these tragic events in the future.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
Selfish.
Monday night at our Troop meeting I gave the Scoutmaster minute as always. This weeks topic focused on not being selfish.
It is so easy to be a selfish person in our world today. We tend to focus on what’s in it for me and what ever is good for me is the direction we head. The selfish attitude that prevails in the world today is the cause of much heart ache, crime, and unrest.
Monday I talked about the Scout Oath and the fact that it is a promise made not to be selfish. When you pledge your honor you are saying that I will not be a selfish person.
I will do my duty to my God and My Country. Not that I expect anything in return. It is simply my duty and I will do it. I promise to help other people at all times. Help. This one is all about other people.. nothing to do with me. And when I help I don’t need any praise, payment, or award. I just want to be helpful. And then there are the three promises that wrap up the Oath. To keep myself Physically strong, so I can be of help to other people and set an example of good living and health. To keep myself Mentally awake, so I can serve others and be aware of what is around me. So I can learn and grow so that I can assist those that need help learning. So I can be a leader in my world. And to keep myself Morally straight. Values that I learn and share are the cornerstone of my life and the more I demonstrate that I want to live right and do the right thing makes me a good member of my community. And as a good member of the community I help others and make my community a better place to live.
The Scout Oath is about other people and how I am going to be a person that is productive, helpful, compassionate, caring, and a member of my community that makes the world a better place.
Yesterday we had a tragic event happen in our community.
WARNING. I AM GOING TO OFFEND HERE AND I DON’T CARE!
Yesterday a person.. who cares what his name is, he died a disgusting individual, entered a mall and began shooting. He killed two people and like the coward that he is shot himself. That is the best part of the story.. that he shot himself. He saved the tax payers of this state lots of money and time that we would have to hear how he was “a troubled young man”, that “he played video games and they made him do it”, that “if he did not have access to guns, he would not have done this”, that “it’s not fair to hold him accountable for his actions, the crazy world made him do it.”
Yeah… that sounds harsh, but already we are hearing on the news that “No one saw this coming” and that “he was a good boy”. Bull.
You don’t wake up one morning and put on camouflage clothing, body armor, and go into a mall loaded to take over Baghdad and start shooting on a whim. I don’t care what this bums name is, I don’t want to know and I don’t think that the media should ever say it. He should be a nameless individual that did a horrific thing. He should not be made a victim and he should not be memorialized like Lee Harvey Oswald. He did nothing heroic and he did nothing that should warrant a place in history. A two-bit criminal that took two lives.
I got in a discussion today with a person that was so concerned about him and what troubled him enough to do this. I simplified the discussion by saying that he did not have a firm foundation of values. Had he, he could not have done such a terrible thing. Being mentally awake and morally straight, he would have got as far as the body armor and said… nah.. this aint right. He would have looked in the mirror and decided to do something good yesterday instead of killing two people. “What about drugs and that kind of thing?” Physically strong, mentally awake, morally straight. Living those promises won’t allow for you to go down that road.
I am ridiculous I suppose I live in a dream world thinking that it is that simple. Well guess what folks. It really is that simple.
I have said it before and I will say it again. There is no substitute for values and there is no reason not have them. Just because you are poor, a minority, or not in the best of circumstances does not give you a free pass on being a person without values.
Enter the parents. I can go on and on about this… but that is always the first question I ask. Where are they, who are they, and why did they not teach this kid the difference between right and wrong.
I have always told my kids to “Say it out loud”. If it does not sound right, then it isn’t.
Try it. Say this: “I am going to drive my car into that 7-11.” Does it sound right? NO. Then don’t do it.
“I am going to walk into the mall dressed in camo and start shooting”. Just does not sound right does it. So who taught this monster the difference between what is right and what is wrong.
When our Scouts come to me for Scoutmaster conferences we talk about the Scout Oath and Law. I demand that they live them every day and I do not settle for easy answers. I force the conversation and make them respond. Is this above and beyond the requirement? NO. I sign the book before we start talking. Scouting is not about Eagle Scouts, Merit Badges, and camp outs. It is about teaching young people to make ethical and moral decisions throughout their life times. It is about a Promise that they make to not be selfish.
We have enough stupid people in the world. We have enough selfish people in the world. We have enough sick people in the world. Our answer is something we Scout leaders can effect change in. The Oath and Law.
Imagine that.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
8,000 lbs of Peace
Today was our annual Scouting for Food Campaign. The Scouts of the Cascade Pacific Council canvassed neighborhoods and collected the much need food that will stock the shelves for distribution in our area. There is a great need and the Scouts today did their part to meet that need.
Today, the Scouts of the Cascade Pacific Council sent a Message of Peace.
Here is a short video of Troop 664 in the Thunderbird District, my Troop, and how they made an impact on our community today.
Special Thanks to Bryce, Ben, and Parker for helping in the presentation of this video.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
