Thoughts from a Thankful Scoutmaster

Thoughts from a Thankful Scoutmaster

by tbirdironchef@gmail.com (Jerry)

Last night the Troop held it's monthly fun night after the PLC meeting. This month the Scouts elected to play Basketball over at the Church gym as the darkness is falling earlier and its getting cold outside.
So they held their PLC meeting focusing on the January Camp out and discussing the events of December that the Troop will be involved in. I gave my two and half cents were needed and pretty much let them be.
Then off to the gym. It didn't take long to pick teams and the game began. We had a young Webelos Scout and his parents visiting last night, it was actually good for them to see the Troop at play. They got to see the camaraderie and cheerful spirit of the Troop as well as good sportsmanship.
At the end of the game, I gathered the Scouts at center court for some comments and a Scoutmaster minute to wrap up the night. I had something prepared, but then I looked at the boys sitting there on the floor and it hit me.

I am so blessed.

So I just talked to the Scouts about that.

I am so blessed that I have been chosen to be their Scoutmaster. To be a Scoutmaster at all is a blessing. To have the opportunity to impact these young men and watch them grow in character and skills that will last a life time. I thought about an email I received yesterday in which we had gone back and forth about Scoutmastership. The emailer reminded me of a quote from the book Legacy of Honor (which I have written about earlier). The quote was about the impact that a Scoutmaster has on the young men he serves. In the book the author was interviewing a man named Jim Breedlove. Mr. Breedlove said; "Scoutmaster is the most distinguished title a man can have....When I think of those people who have the opportunity to shape the lives of individuals to produce an outcome that is relevant, the role of Scoutmaster does that better than any one position I can think of."

So of course this got me thinking about my report card as a Scoutmaster. Is what I am doing that important? Do I really have that kind of impact? And if so... How am I doing?
My Dad used to always say that the "Proof is in the pudding". So I looked at the pudding.. the Scouts. Now we are far from seeing the results of the boys progress in life, but I suppose we can call it a quarterly report. I looked at pictures of our Troops first year. Man were those guys small. The looks on their faces as they braced for adventures to come, their willingness to learn and develop skills. The fun they had.
I remember a camp out, oh way back in our first year. We went to Ft. Stevens State Park and we were working on Map and Compass. We took the boys on a 5 mile hike and as we got closer to camp, I realized we were burning daylight and we still had dinner to cook. We challenged the Scouts, that if they beat us back to camp that we would do all the dishes. They took off like there was a blue light special on candy. They beat us back to camp, which allowed the ASMs and I to drop back and have a moment to talk about the next months camp out. So eager they were.
And today, well today they still are. Now the older guys are dropping back and making that challenge, teaching and sharing their experience with those new bright eyed Scouts that are eager and willing to step on to the trail of new adventure.
I am worthy of such a distinguished title... Scoutmaster. Maybe, but I love it. Looking back at the 5 boys that we started Troop 664 with, I can say with a some certainty that Scouting has made an impact on them so far. I see it in their attitudes, their skills, and the way they act.
Last night I talked with one of the original boys. He is a leader in his High School, gets good grades, plays sports, is helpful around the house, and a genuinely caring kid, I really appreciate him. I have seen him grow as a young man tremendously.
And then there was one of our younger guys, that after the Scoutmaster minute took the time to tell me his list of things he would saying at the dinner table on Thursday when it was his turn to give Thanks. He said that he was thankful that I was his Scoutmaster. I almost teared up.
Impact? Yes. Blessed? Yes. Thankful? Yes.
So I am truly humbled by the experience of being a Scoutmaster. As I told the boys last night, I will not leave until the Knights (our CO) asks me to.
Looking at the young faces at center court last night was all I needed to understand the impact, and the huge responsibility that comes with it. Last night was all it took to snap things in perspective and realize how thankful and blessed I am.
I told the Scouts of 664 that this Thursday as they sit at the table and gave thanks that they need to remember how blessed they are. How blessed to have the opportunities they have, to wake up in the Greatest Nation, to have freedom, to have parents and know what love feels like. To be able to enjoy a meal with family and friends, to have warmth and safety.
We have so much to be thankful for. I am thankful for so much, a list too long to share, but near the top, definitely in the Top 5 is the word Scoutmaster and all that comes with it..namely the Scouts.

Have a Great Scouting Day!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

David Hyler

If you really want to do something, You will make a way. If you don't, You will make an excuse.

Eagle Perspective

Mike Rowe (host of Discovery Channels Dirty Jobs) recently responded to a dad's request for help in convincing his 13 year old son to finish scouting with only a year and half left to go. Thought you'd be interested in his reply and be sure to check out the special offer at the end.

Kelby,

Your Dad asked me to drop you a line and say something inspirational that might persuade you to dig down deep and find the determination to make the rank of Eagle Scout. It's a reasonable request, from a father who obviously wants to see his son succeed. But here's the thing - The Eagle Award is not really meant for people who need to be dragged across the finish line. It's meant for a select few, and I have no idea if you have the guts to see it through.

Statistically, I suspect you do not. Only one out of a hundred Scouts make Eagle, so if you fail, there will be lots of other people with whom you can share excuses. Quitting now might disappoint your Dad, but I doubt that he or anyone else will be overly surprised. Anytime 99 out of 100 people do the same thing, it's not exactly a shock.

I'm not trying to be cute with a bunch of reverse psychology. When I was 15, there was nothing that anyone could have said to me that would have inspired me to do something I didn't want to do, especially a stranger with a TV show. So I'm not going to assume you're any different, or pretend that I have some influence or insight that you haven't already heard from a dozen other people who actually know and care about you. I'll just tell you straight up, that doing something extraordinary can be very lonely, and most people simply aren't cut out for it. Being an Eagle Scout requires you to be different than most everyone around you, and being different is really, really hard. That's why the award is called "an accomplishment."

Personally, and for whatever it's worth, the best decisions I've made in my own life, are those decisions that put me on the outside of being cool. Singing in the Opera, working in home shopping, staring in the school play when the entire football team laughed at me, and especially earning my Eagle, were all choices that required sacrifice, hard work, and delayed gratification. I have no idea if you possess those qualities, or even envy them. But I can tell you for certain, that NOT getting your Eagle, will be one of the easiest things you've ever done.

Anyway, I have no idea if you would prefer an easy life of predictability and mediocrity, or if have the passion to follow the road less traveled. Only you get to decide that.

Good Luck,


Mike has written a letter and will personalize and sign it for any Eagle Scout out there who requests it. All you have to do is mail a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Eagle Scout Letter, Pilgrim Films and Television, 6180 Laurel Canyon Blvd., #350, No. Hollywood, CA 91606. Please allow 12+ weeks for Mike to fill it out, sign it and get it in the mail to you.
Mike

Backpacking Tip of the Week

Backpacking Tip of the Week

by tbirdironchef@gmail.com (Jerry)

Backpacking puts you out into the wilderness, away from the hustle and bustle of every day life.. away from cars and phones and immediate care.

It is important that we enter the wilderness area with a solid foundation of camping skills.
First Aid, Fire building, Orienteering and most important Common sense.

As we entering the winter months it is always worth revisiting common first aid issues.

So this weeks Backpack tip is about Common signs of Cold weather injuries.

Common cold weather injuries when backpacking are Hypothermia, Frost Bite, and Frost Nip.

Symptoms of hypothermia are:
Signs and symptoms include: Shivering, Slurred speech, Abnormally slow breathing, Cold, pale skin, Loss of coordination, Fatigue, lethargy or apathy, Confusion or memory loss.

To treat a Scout with hypothermia, first move the person out of the cold. If going indoors isn't possible, protect the person from the wind, cover his head, and insulate his body from the cold ground.
Remove wet clothing. Replace wet things with a warm, dry covering.
Don't apply direct heat. Don't use hot water, a heating pad or a heating lamp to warm the victim. Instead, apply warm compresses to the neck, chest wall and groin. Don't attempt to warm the arms and legs. Heat applied to the arms and legs forces cold blood back toward the heart, lungs and brain, causing the core body temperature to drop. This can be fatal.
Offer warm drinks like hot chocolate or even just warm water, unless the person is vomiting.
Don't massage or rub the person. Handle people with hypothermia gently, because they're at risk of cardiac arrest. Monitor breathing, be prepared to administer CPR.

The key is prevention. Stay dry, change your socks often and when you do get wet, change right away.

When exposed to very cold temperatures, skin and underlying tissues may freeze, resulting in frostbite. The areas most likely to be affected by frostbite are your hands, feet, nose and ears.
You can identify frostbite by the hard, pale and cold quality of skin that has been exposed to the cold. As the area thaws, the flesh becomes red and painful.
If your fingers, ears or other areas suffer frostbite:
Get out of the cold.
Warm your hands by tucking them under your arms. If your nose, ears or face is frostbitten, warm the area by covering it with dry, gloved hands.
Don't rub the affected area. Never rub snow on frostbitten skin.
If there's any chance of refreezing, don't thaw out the affected areas. If they're already thawed out, wrap them up so they don't refreeze.
Get emergency medical help if numbness remains during warming. If you can't get help immediately, warm severely frostbitten hands or feet in warm — not hot — water. You can warm other frostbitten areas, such as your nose, cheeks or ears, by covering them with your warm hands or by applying warm cloths.

Recognizing the symptoms of Hypothermia and Frost bite will keep you and your buddies safe. Cold weather injuries are painful and can result in loss of limbs, fingers, and death. Prevention of these symptoms, knowing how to prevent falling victim to the cold can save your life.

Your experiences camping in the winter can fun and enjoyable.. as long as you are watchful for cold weather injuries. Don't let the cold scare you off.

Just BE PREPARED!

Have a Great Scouting Day!

Age and Guile Wins Most of the Time

 

 

Sent to you by David via Google Reader:

 

 

Age and Guile Wins Most of the Time

via Scoutmaster by Clarke Green on 11/12/08

I cannot outrun my Scouts. They are faster, more agile and a few of the older ones are bigger and stronger. However I will always be older and wiser.

Thankfully I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I have had any significant behavioral difficulties with my Scouts in the past several years (knock on wood).

 

 

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Meeting Reminder

This is just a reminder that there is a Roundtable meeting tonight at St. Lukes at 7pm.
Please drive around to the side of the building because there is a church
meeting going on in the fellowship hall.
If you have a hobby or collection you would like to share with the group, 
be prepared to 'show and tell.'  Also there will be cupcakes and coffee and 

please don't forget your $1 dues (this helps pay for copies and food).

David Hyler

Roundtable Commissioner

If you really want to do something, You will make a way. If you don't, You will make an excuse.