2023-03 On The Trail

Back in 2017 I came across his Scouter’s Minute from Troop 174 in Elwood, NY.

Once a long time ago a hound was out with his owner trailing a mountain lion. The hound came to a place where a fox had crossed the trail, and the hound decided to follow the fox instead of the lion. 

A short time later, a rabbit crossed that of the fox, and again the hound changed direction. Why should he chase a fox when a rabbit might be easier to catch? 

When the hunter finally caught up with his hound, the dog was barking at a small hole in the ground. The hound had brought to bay a field mouse instead of a mountain lion. 

Well, how about you? Have you set out on a trail to achieve your ambition? Are you able to follow it, or are you sidetracked by easier trails that cross it from time to time? 

Don't be like that hound. Find out what it takes to achieve your ambition, and then get started. The best way to achieve anything in life is to set a true course for it and then stick to that trail.

Thank you to Troop 174 in Elwood, NY for posting this wonderful Scoutmaster's minute. http://bsatroop174.org/A_Scoutmaster.html

2023-01 Difficult Roads

Today we say hello to the very first day of the year 2023. For the past 2 years, rather than displaying ads for items that are on sale, our local grocery store has placed inspirational messages on the signs along the outside of the building. Yesterday as I pulled to get some last minute items for our New Year's Eve celebration, I read the following. “ Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.” I kept thinking about this sentence as I was walking through the isles and some of the beautiful destinations that I personally have explored this past couple of years.

Sequoia National Park comes to mind as the road to reach the park is one that will push your vehicle to its limits with the steep and windy road. But hugging one of those massive redwoods after enduring the long hard road is totally worth it.

Timpanogos Caves inside Mt. Timpanogos is another one that comes to mind. Even though the hike up to the cave is only 2.5 miles, it is a hike that will push your body to its limits. After you reach the cave opening, and catch your breath for about 20 minutes so your heart doesn’t jump out of your chest, the beauties of all the stalagmites and stalactites along with the Heart of Timpanogos will take your breath away again.

Ruth Lake is another hidden gem that we discovered inside the Uinta National Forest along the Mirror Lake Hwy. The elevation is pretty high up there which brings its own challenges with breathing, headaches, and fatigue and the trail is constantly up and down throughout the 3 mile round trip. But the blue high elevation lake is one that brought me one of my most relaxing days I have had in a long time as I took a nap in the hammock alongside its shore line.

These are all great destinations, and there are many more that I could talk about. But, my mind started thinking about some of the destinations that I have reached that are not necessarily found on a map. These are items that I have personally accomplished that may have been difficult to endure through. I think my son would have one of his personal destinations be planning and completing his Eagle Project.

New Years is one of those great times of the year that we can reflect on how we are personally doing, what we should be doing better, and some of the items we would like to complete on our bucket list. It’s a time for resolutions and goal setting. I personally do not have New Years resolutions, but I do set some goals that I would like to accomplish for myself personally along with some goals I would like to accomplish with my family.

These past couple of years have been very difficult for many people. Emotionally, physically, and mentally. I personally had the difficult time of losing my father in October of 2021. My kids would probably say that their school year this last year was really difficult. Difficult roads will always be part of our life. Whatever your difficult roads have been, take some time to reflect on how you are the person that you are now because of the experiences you have been through. Reflect on some of those amazing places that you have hiked to or camped at that were off the beaten path. Each difficult road that we endure through makes us a little more Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.

2022-29 Mistakes

We all make mistakes. We all say or do things that sooner or later we come to regret. Here are some things that we will never be sorry for.

• Thinking before acting

• Hearing before judging

• Forgiving your enemies

• Being candid and frank

• Helping a fallen brother or sister

• Being honest in business

• Thinking before speaking

• Being loyal to your church or synagogue

• Standing by your principles

• Stopping you ears to gossip

• Bridling a slanderous tongue

• Harboring only pure thoughts

• Sympathizing with the afflicted

• Being courteous and kind to all

- Author Unknown

2022-10 Hold On Tight

A couple of weeks ago we were hiking along the Emerald Pools Trail in Zion National Park. This hike is one of my favorites as it takes you along the Virgin River where Mount Zion and Castle Dome meet together offering you breathtaking sceneries and amazing viewpoints. As you can guess from the name of the trail, there are some pools of water involved along the way. Upper Emerald Pool feeds into the Middle and then Lower Emerald Pool. The green vegetation against the red rock and waterfalls is amazing.

Along the trail from the Zion Lodge towards Lower Emerald Pool, something caught our eye. A large pine tree that looked like it was holding onto the side of the mountain. The roots for this tree are mostly exposed and shoot almost entirely horizontale into the mountain. Entangled within the root system is a massive boulder that has turned into an anchor for this tree. You can tell from just looking at this tree that water erosion is the culprit. This tree is doing everything it possibly can to be straight, tall, and strong. And it’s doing an amazing job!

As we go through life, sometimes erosion takes some of our personal foundations out from under us. Maybe you or someone you know has been diagnosed with an illness… sometimes we have disasters hit our neighborhoods… Recently our family lost an amazing father and grandfather. As we go through hard times, find something to hold on tight to. This could be your family members, your scout pack or troop, your neighbors, community, and religion. Whatever your anchor is, always hold on tight to it. In the case of our tree in Zion National Park, it continues to hold on tight to the mountain side. Even though it's going through a challenging time, it still continues to grow and stretch its branches towards the sunlight. As we go through our own challenging times, let us be like this giant pine that is continually doing it’s best.

2022-09 Trustworthy Steeplejacks

Two steeplejacks in England named Lewis and Jenkins, were mending a weather vane on a high steeple, 180 feet above the ground. To anchor the vane, melted lead had to be poured into its socket.

The scaffolding from which the men were working was not high enough to reach the socket, so Lewis climbed up on Jenkins’ shoulders. As he stood there, pouring the molten lead, a sudden gust of wind scattered a shower of the fiery liquid over Jenkins’ bare arms.

The slightest move on Jenkins' part would have sent his companion spinning to his death, 180 feet below. Jenkins set his teeth, and stood without a move until Lewis had completed the job and descended.

For the rest of his days, Jenkins had burn scars. Almost like bracelets on both arms.

Some days we are like Jenkins. We have others that rely on us to be dependable and accurate. You’ll find in the workplace that there are many people who are like Jenkins. Granted, we are not standing 180 feet in the air with a fellow employee on our shoulders pouring melted lead… but some of us may be pulling extra hours to complete a group project or to meet a deadline for a quarterly report.

Some days we are like Lewis. We have so much faith and trust in others that we will stand on their shoulders 180 feet up in the air to get the job done, because we know that they have our backs and will not let us down.

Whether you are like Lewis, or like Jenkins, both are great examples of how to live and practice the scout oath and law. Guaranteed there was a lot of Trustworthy going on as the two of them completed the job. Let us continue to do our part as we help other people while being Trustworthy, Loyal, and Brave.

2022-04 I Am A Corporal

The other day I came across this short story entitled “I am a Corporal.”

During the Revolutionary War, the soldiers were trying to raise a heavy timber which they could hardly lift from the ground.  A young corporal stood by, urging the men to lift hard, and shouting, “Now, boys, right up,” when a superior officer rode up, dismounted and lifted with the men. When the timber was in place the officer asked the corporal why he did not help “I am a corporal,” he replied. “I am George Washington,” replied the officer.

As a member of the patrol in your troop, the time may soon be yours when you are a Patrol Leader, Assistant Patrol Leader, or Senior Patrol Leader.  One thing has been proven over the ages is that good leaders lead by example, not by force.   

Leading by example means you're guiding others through your behaviors and inspiring them to do the same as you. When you lead by example, you provide a path to direct others down so that everyone is working toward a common goal with the same purpose.

A leader makes it natural for people to feel like they want to do the best they can for the patrol. When you lead by example, you can accomplish this and have a troop that's full of trust, confidence and purpose.

Eventually, down the trail of life, the leadership skills you learned as a scout can be used when you decide to start a family and lead your children. You can also use your leadership skills in your career when you are an employee or a manager of employees. 

Whatever your leadership status is in life. Always remember to implement the Scout Oath and Scout Law. To help other people at all times and to be trustworthy, loyal, and helpful.

2021-20 The Sheep, The Wolf, and the Stag

This weeks Scouter’s Minute is an Aesop’s Fable.

This week’s Scouter’s Minute is an Aesop’s Fable tilted. “The Sheep, The Wolf, and the Stag.

One day a Stag came to a Sheep and asked her to lend him a measure of wheat. The Sheep knew him for a very swift runner, who could easily take himself out of reach, were he so inclined. So she asked him if he knew someone who would answer for him.

“Yes, yes,” answered the Stag confidently, “the Wolf has promised to be my surety.”

“The Wolf!” exclaimed the Sheep indignantly. “Do you think I would trust you on such security? I know the Wolf! He takes what he wants and runs off with it without paying. As for you, you can use your legs so well that I should have little chance of collecting the debt if I had to catch you for it!”

The moral of this story is that two wrongs do not make a right.

As Scouts, we do our best to live the Scout Law. This includes being Trustworthy and Loyal. In the above fable, the sheep had little confidence that she would be paid back by the Stag. Especially since she found out that the Wolf would be the one paying the debt if the Stag could not. Knowing the true nature of the Wolf, the sheep did not agree to the deal as she felt that she would never be paid back.

In life, we will have the same experience as the sheep. It may be someone coming to you to borrow money. or even a business deal that your gut is telling you seems too good to be true. Just be sure to be honest in your own dealings and continue to be Trustworthy and Loyal.

2021-12 Madness Of March

This time of year marks one of my favorite yearly events where 64 of the best college basketball teams match up to participate in the “big dance” known as March Madness. The excitement when your team is selected to be included in the bracket is awesome. When your team loses in the first round… well, that’s a different story. There is so much  emotion involved with players and fans as their hard work culminates to the sound of the buzzer that eventually marks either the end of the road or that your ticket has been punched to the next round. Eventually 64 teams will be narrowed down to 32, then the sweet 16, the elite 8, to the final 4, and finally the championship game where only 1 team will be the final winner.

As these games are played out live on national television and media streams, one thing I always notice is if the players and teams are playing with good sportsmanship.  Eventually you will see an incident where opposing players will get up in each other's faces. I always admire those players and coaches that don’t engage in the jeering from the opposing players or fans.  They simply regroup and get set for the next play. Emotions run high sometimes during sporting events. How you react shows a great deal about your character.

There can be bad sportsmanship shown from both the winning and losing teams.  Rubbing the score in your opponents face when you're winning only hurts you and your team. If you knock someone down as you're both jumping for the ball, help them up as the referees are announcing who fouled who. If you lose, pick yourself up and don’t make excuses. Be the better person. As the Cub Scout motto says, “Do Your Best”.

 A few points of the Scout Law that help us remember to be a good sport could include; Trustworthy, Helpful, Courteous, and Kind. As you personally play sports, be it Basketball, Football, Track, Softball, Baseball, Wrestling, Gymnastics, Cheer, Volleyball, and so on. Do your best to be a good sportsman in any event or game you participate in.  

2021-09 Minnows and Whoppers

Who here has been guilty of telling a fish story… I know I have plenty of them. As friends, we enjoy telling these stories and reacting to them around the camp fire. With each story telling the size of the grizzly bear gets larger and larger along with the size of the rapids that flipped our raft. We enjoy them because they are funny, and nobody is fooled into thinking that it really happened that way.

But some people tell fish stories all the time, They’re not usually funny stories around the campfire. In fact, they’re really lies. I call them minnows and whoppers.

You may have heard of the term “little white lie”. These are the minnows. They may seam harmless and insignificant in the beginning but in the long run can add up to be a whopper. For example, while completing your tenderfoot fitness requirements, It’s not going to hurt anything to say you did 5 more push ups than you actually did… right. The most damage done is to your own character. A scout is trustworthy, right? Each time that we tell a minnow, it gets easier and easier to do so. At the same time it becomes easier to tell a whopper of a story. These big lies are the ones that have the chance of hurting somebody.

The best thing is to stick to the truth. Minnows, just like the real ones in the pond, have a way of growing into whoppers.