2023-15 A Bicycle

This Scouter’s Minute was shared back in 2019 when we didn’t have his podcast. It’s entitled; A Bicycle

Have you ever thought about how a bicycle works? Most of us just hop on and let it take us where we want to go without giving it a second thought. A closer look shows it takes a lot of different pieces doing their part and working together to make transportation happen.

When you push the pedal with your foot, a lot happens to make the wheels turn. The pedal turns a crank that turns a gear, which pulls a chain that turns another gear, which turns a hub, which pulls the spokes, which turns the wheel, which pulls the tire that pushes against the road to make the bike go.

When you want to stop, you pull a lever that pulls a cable against a housing, which causes another lever to move, which pushes a pad against the wheel. Changing gears involves levers, cables, housing, springs, and pulleys working together. If any one part fails to work when it is supposed to, the whole system fails to work. When one system fails, the bike can still be ridden, but not in top form.

You are the parts, just like on the bicycle. Our patrols are like the pedaling, braking, and gear-changing systems. The senior patrol leader is like the rider. He directs a pedal or a lever—your patrol leaders—to do their part and they in turn ask you to do yours. If you choose not to do your part, your patrol suffers and the troop doesn’t work well. The troop is our vehicle to adventure, fellowship, and good times. And each of you is a very important part.

2021-23 Aspens

Located in Utah’s Fishlake National Forest is one of the world’s largest organisms. It’s a 107 acre forest of more than 47,000 genetically identical quaking aspen trees which all stem from a single root system known as Pando.  The name Pando is Latin for “I spread”.  Aspen trees are capable of reproducing by seeds, but most of the time the trees will shoot up spouts from their roots and form a group known as “clones”. This grove of trees is capable of withstanding anything that the elements can throw at them. They can do this because they are tightly bound together in their trunks, limbs, and in their root system. Each tree draws strength from the other.  There is the occasional Aspen that will grow separate from the group, exposed to face the elements alone. Mother nature is not selective of which trees get attacked by the storms.  When the wind blows, the rain comes down, the lone tree has a greater risk of being damaged.  The group of aspens on the other hand, they stand together, strong, and protecting each other as the storm rages on.

Your patrol is a lot like this grove of aspens. The strength and teamwork you can accomplish together would be impossible for you each to do individually. Each one of you brings skills and talents that complements the other members of the patrol and troop.