Monday 27 August 2012

Neil Armstrong



It was the summer of 1973, and I was a seventeen-year-old Boy Scout who seemed destined to “age out” at First Class rank unless I could earn one final merit badge, which would advance me to Star. I decided to pursue one of the newest badges, Space Exploration.
Unfortunately I discovered that in my rural southeastern Ohio Scout district, there were no qualified counselors for this badge. When I went to my Scoutmaster for advice, he offered the response he always gave to a problem he didn’t have an answer for: sarcasm. “You claim you’ve written to all these astronauts and gotten their autographs,” he said. “Get one of them as a counselor.”
America was just completing the Apollo moon-landing program. We had met the challenge that John F. Kennedy had set for us in the early 1960s. The summer I was seventeen, one astronaut towered above the others: the first man to set foot on the lunar surface, Neil Armstrong.
Armstrong, an Ohio native, had left the space program and purchased a farm in southwestern Ohio. He consistently refused lucrative endorsement offers and commercial ventures in order to avoid the appearance of taking advantage of his place in history. Instead he accepted a teaching position with the University of Cincinnati and did his best to blend back into everyday life, enjoying his family and farm.
With a little amateur detective work, I was able to find out where he lived. One Saturday I drove my car 150 miles to the town of Lebanon. Mustering every ounce of bravado I had, I pulled into his dusty driveway and parked behind an Opel Kadett station wagon. Another vehicle, a four-door Chevrolet, stood in front of the equipment shed that doubled as a garage. Not the automobiles you would expect an astronaut to drive. The century-old farmhouse was in obvious need of repairs, and there were signs of remodeling and construction all around it, but no crew. Could it be that the first man on the moon was actually fixing up his own place? Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the back door. In a moment my hero appeared, wearing jeans and a torn shirt, with sawdust in his hair.
I introduced myself as a Boy Scout who had driven across Ohio to ask his help. I said a silent prayer that Neil Armstrong, the Eagle Scout from Wapakoneta, would look on this intrusion from a First Class Scout from Marietta in a favorable light. Mr. Armstrong paused for a moment and then said that since the house was being renovated, he would prefer to talk outside.
We settled against the fender of his Chevrolet, and he listened as I explained my need for a merit-badge counselor. With a skeptical grin he agreed to take a look at whatever work I had brought with me. Elated, I ran to my car and opened the trunk, where I had my paperwork and even a model of the Saturn V launch rocket ready for demonstration. For more than half an hour, this great space pioneer listened while I did my best to fulfill the list of badge requirements. He stopped me a few times and asked a question. When I was done with my presentation, he gave me a list of things he wanted me to complete and send to his office at the university. (To this day I still have the pen and paper he used to write his name and address.)
Thanking him for his time, I then headed my car onto the country road that would take me to 1-71. Once back in my hometown, I worked on my assignment for Mr. Armstrong as diligently as if it had been a doctoral thesis and put it in the mail.
A few weeks later, when I still had not heard from my hero, my elation began to bottom out. I began to wonder if he had just been being polite. But at the next Tuesday-night Scout meeting my Scoutmaster greeted me by waving a letter in my face. “You went and did it! You really went and did it, didn’t you?” he said. Unfolding the letter, I saw the University of Cincinnati’s logo and quickly scanned to the signature at the bottom of the page: “Neil A. Armstrong, Professor of Aerospace Engineering.” Hastily reading the text, I discovered Mr. Armstrong was confirming that I had completed the necessary work for the badge. He went on to say that while he was not an officially recognized counselor, “in my opinion, [Scout Ken Drayton] has completed all requirements satisfactorily.” In Neil Armstrong’s opinion! Who could possibly question that opinion? I spent the rest of the evening floating as high as a lunar module.
As much as I cherished being the first Scout in my district to qualify for the new badge, nothing compared to the feeling I had for the man who made it possible. Thirty years ago this summer Neil Armstrong made that “giant leap for mankind” as he placed his foot onto the lunar surface and stepped into the history books. But my best memory of him comes from four years later, when the former Eagle Scout took the time to help another Scout achieve a goal.

Our World Our Future



This music video is of the song known as "Our World Our Future" which served as the official Jambo Song for the Essex International Jamboree. The next Essex International Jamboree (EIJ) will be held in 2016. All proceeds from the purchasing or downloading the song will be used to help get Scouts from all over the world to EIJ2016.



Yours in Scouting Service
Mark West
Assistant Scoutmaster
Camp Gorsuch 2012 Super-Troop Coordinator
T1316- Eklutna District; T669- Tustumena District; T125- Denali District;
Program Committee; Training Committee; Camping Committee:
NSJ2005 Participant- Youth QM; NSJ2010 Subcamp 7 Staff; 
NSJ2013 Extreme Sports Staff; WSJ2007 Youth QM; WSJ2011 IST;
Eagle Scout; OA Nanuk Lodge; Philmont AA2008; 2010 NYLT Staff- Youth QM;


If you are paid to do Scouting, you are called a professional. If you are not paid to do Scouting, you are called a Volunteer. If you pay to do Scouting, then you are called a Scouter.

Friday 17 August 2012

I BUILT the SUMMIT!!!!!!

For those of you who didn't this summer the Summit aka the PERMANENT HOME of the JAMBOREE held its FIRST official event there. The purpose was to TEST & FIGURE OUT what is going to be NECESSARY to  ensure that the 2013 National Scout Jamboree is ABOVE & BEYOND all EXPECTATIONS that our SCOUTS & SCOUTERS will get to see NEXT year! If you went to the Jamboree Shakedown this Summer I'm here to TELL YOU that if you thought this was AWESOME! Just wait until next year where things will be EVEN BIGGER & MORE EXTREME than what YOU EXPERIENCED this Summer.

This message is from the head of the Extreme Sports Team for the 2013 National Scout Jamboree and it gives just a tiny glimpse into what the new JAMBOREE MODEL EXPERIENCE is going to be like for those SCOUTS & SCOUTERS who have the PRIVILEGE & HONOR of going! 

------------Begin Forwarded Message------------
Exceptional! honorable! & impressive! I have new found enthusiasm, respect & admiration for each of you. That shakedown was a massive human feat of selfless commitment, fully deserving of the title Servant Leadership. Thank you would never be enough. Russell's priceless gift of the #13 script is a cherished treasure. Please take care of that coin, from one volunteer to another, & protect it. Each of you humbled me in what you gave, what you spent, & in what you endured to deliver the first day of program ever, at the Summit. Ladies & gentlemen, those who serve on the first day of the life of a Navy ship are called, Plank-owners. YOU are the Summit Plank-owners, & I'm so very proud to have served with you.

There is no way for me to cite every act of heroism, with cognizant acknowledgement of the many acts of valor that I am not mentioning (Will, Dick, Dan, Mike, John, Tom, Scotland Dave & Susan, & many more), please accept my humble thank you, the expressed gratitude of many senior managers, & the unspoken joy of the young boys & girls of the BSA, today & in the many years that follow, for what you have created, in the hills of West Virginia.

Allow me to admire a few heroes, including:

Bike Patrol: Those who survived & put miles on those hills, so that our youth would not only ride but learn - wow, iron men, tops on my list. & thanks to Liz, from Gravity Logic, for the mud on her face & grit she inspired in each of our coaches.

High Gear: OMG! If you didn't climb, then you don't know. The heroes of High Gear pulled from human determination to overcome the greatest odds. Thank you could never be enough, but simply my promise to make work transport of High Gear staff my number one fight for all those who follow you; hopefully bringing you pride that your sacrifice will never be in vain, & will serve generations that follow. Kirk Aland, & I, need you, the physically fit mountain men & women, back in 2013. Bring some friends & if I can do anything to help any of you, please do not hesitate to ask. Thank you!

BMX: Oh heck yes! An event 100% dirt, shutdown by the rain. BMX never gave up, tops in creativity & determination. BMX went from hopeless, to all tracks open, to the number one WOW of shakedown, the 8 lane BMX Big Track. Stunning performance by this team & my personal thank you for stand out performances by Ginger Smietana, Fritz Knerr, Gil Canady, Alex Dean, & a couple quiet work horses that truly caught our attention. Thank You!

Low Gear: Thank you Chuck Ferguson for finding John Mason & Rich Hager who lead the transformation of the single most difficult situation from disaster to brilliant success. Hundreds of bikes on a cramped roadside, water nightmares, cleaning impossibilities, medical micro focus, communication casualties, staffing dynamics, & the improvisational skills of a 100 Eagle scouts - trust me, what you delivered as a team, was absolutely impressive!

Skate: The only event where everything seemed to go right from day one. With nothing assembled, tracks incomplete, no shade, barren surfaces, Virgin staff, rain, & no intuitive roadmap of how to assemble the pieces into an event, Skate opened with a bang "literally", & ended up with gasps from our scouts about being able to come to scout camp & skate. Skate was the media darlings with the most aggressive response to keeping the media happy. Skate was the dis-Abilities superstar with Tim Birt dropping in on the half pipe for a video shoot & advocacy for all that Extreme Sports is doing to adapt & deliver as the most flexible disabilities response at the Summit. Thanks to many, & notably for the work of Teeya Mills & Scott Weaver who smiled & sold skate, with alacrity.

Megastars: Rob Coquet, & Aaron Spohn, leaders with passion, inspiration, & the stand out difference makers between good & FANTASTIC! Honestly, if I were to never work another day in the service of a non-profit organization, I will forever be changed by looking into the eyes of these two men, convicted to deliver perfection in what they do. Wow! High Gear would not have opened, & Low Gear traffic flow on that cramped road side would not have worked, without Rob single handedly, magically producing two new trails within an hour each. BMX Big Track was the Wow of Extreme & it sat silent on 13 July & hopeless on 14 July. With Aaron pulled between supporting a media event for the West Virginia Governor, Skate, & moving the earth, literally, to open the big track, including serving as hydraulic engineer, Aaron & team delivered BMX OZ! like the man behind the curtain. Thank you! gentlemen.

It's Personal. Thank You Tina Tharratt! You are the rock of Extreme Sports. When I heard the crackle of your voice, & Rich Hager's over the radio, I knew that our team of over 150 people would win the day. Hope! calm! confidence! Leadership worthy of any Wood Badge 4-beader! Working beyond exhaustion, "fixing" the errors of others; counselor to the weary, the best partner in crime anyone could dream of. Thank you!

Heroes: For each of you, who came to the Summit & stood in the rain with us, with a smile on your face, & determination in your heart; please know that I for one, saw that passion in your eyes, & pledge my honor to rise up tomorrow & serve you. Thank you!

& now it is time to learn from our shakedown, clean our kit, harden our bodies, & set out into our Councils & Communities to recruit 5 new staff members each to join the Extreme Team for 2013. Each of you are now the great messenger Uncas who will be the difference for the first National Jamboree at the Summit, measured by the quality of warriors you bring to this great cause.

Michael J. Hardebeck
Extreme Sports
National Scout Jamboree 2013
------------End Forwarded Message------------

Of course this next part for those of you who have been in Scouting for any fair amount of time shouldn't be that shocking & it is................

ATTENTION ALL SCOUTS & SCOUTERS in order to GET BIG & GO WILD this NATIONAL SCOUT JAMBOREE desperately need YOU to STEP UP & get to EXPERIENCE something that become the MEMORY of a LIFETIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Yours in Scouting Service
Mark West
Assistant Scoutmaster
Camp Gorsuch 2012 Super-Troop Coordinatore
T1316- Eklutna District; T669- Tustumena District;
Program Committee; Training Committee; Camping Committee;
NSJ2005 Participant- Youth QM; NSJ2010 Subcamp 7 Staff
NSJ2013 Extreme Sports Staff; WSJ2007 Youth QM; WSJ2011 IST;
Eagle Scout; OA Nanuk Lodge; Philmont AA2008; 2010 NYLT Staff;


If you are paid to do Scouting you are called a professional! If you are not paid to do Scouting, you are called a Volunteer! If you pay to do Scouting, you are called a Scouter!

Friday 10 August 2012

Quotes of the Day Part 2: Day 9

20 Things Not to Do
~or~ Say at Your Eagle
Board of Review

Thing #1:
You call THAT a question?...
Why the Heck did they Make you...
a Leader?;

Thing #2:
Come to the BOR Wearing your...
Uniform Backwards!;

Thing #3:
Answer every Question with "Mind
your own Business!;

Thing #4:
There will be a Short quiz After...
my Presentation!;

Thing #5:
Answer Every Question...
with a Question!;

Thing #6:
For Every Question Answer...
with "I Could Answer the...
Question but then I would...
Have to Kill You"!;

Thing #7:
"Well I Saw it on the Internet...
and Thought it Would be...
a Great Idea"!;

Thing #8:
Telling the BOR Members...
"I Don't Know...
I Didn't Write This!;

Thing #9:
Treat BOR Members Like There...
One of You Homeboy's and Say...
"Yo, a Smooth Shout Out...
to My Homies!";

Thing #10:
Before the BOR Begins...
Ask the Board "Could I...
Light a Campfire in the...
Room!" and if They Say "No"
Continue to Beg Them Through...
the Entire BOR!;

Thing #11:
Have Troop Members Rush-in... 
and Begin a Food Fight!;
Make Sure Though that the Board...
Members are the Primary Focus...
and Target of Your...
Attack!;

Thing #12:
Answer the Questions Like...
How You Play the Game...
"Charades"!;

Thing #13:
You THINK this was BAD?...
Let me READ this LIST to SHOW...
YOU What I COULD...
Have DONE!;

Thing #14:
Hang a Sign that Says...
"Thank YOU for NOT...
Asking ANY Questions"!;

Thing #15:
Have your Friend Burst in...
and Engage you in a Duel...
but while Fighting...
Continue to Answer
Questions like this Was...
Just like Any Other...
Day or Outing!;

Thing #16:
Every Time you Ask a...
Question or While in the...
Middle of your Answer...
us the Word "Uhh" as...
Often as Possible!;

Thing #17:
Every Time a Board Member...
Asks a Question Continuously...
Soak that Person until...
You Finish Answering the...
Question!;

Thing #18:
Tie each Board Member to...
there Chair using as Many...
Knots as you Know and then...
Make the Board Members...
Untie Themselves From...
their Chairs!;

Thing #19:
Tell the Story about how this Year...
During Camp you and your Pals...
Convinced the Youngest Scout to Roll...
Down the Road to the Waterfront
in a Barrel! First Time Everything...
went Great but the Second Time...
Was a Absolute Disaster because...
a Troop (Largest in Camp!) Walked...
onto the Road Right Where the...
Barrel was Heading and even Worse...
the Barrel Crashed into the...
Troop Sending Scouts and Scouters...
Flying in Every Direction! Officially...
Our Troop was Banned but even...
Better was that our Troop...
Created the BIGGEST...
EMERGENCY in the 50+ Years...
it has Been in Operation! The Troop...
we Hit had 30 Scouts at the Beginning...
of Camp but because of this...
Incident only 3 came OUT...
Uninjured! The other 27 Scouts...
Ended up Going to 5 Different...
Hospitals but Unfortunately...
Due to the Number of Scouts...
Injured the Troop Ended up Being...
Spread Across Hospital in a...
100 Mile Radius of the Camp!;

Thing 20:
All of a Sudden you for Some...
Reason CAN NOT Remember...
the SCOUT OATH and the...
SCOUT LAW!;

(Oh just for your information 3 of the parents present for the Eagle Board of Review that were from the Troop that was affected by the Scout Camp disaster this year! Little to say the Eagle Candidate did NOT PASS his Board of Review! Later on after failing a second Board of Review the Eagle Candidate had to go in front of the Council Advancement Committee which to the dismay of many parents passed the Eagle Candidate due to the fact that he had completed all his requirements and work! The family sued the council for gross negligence which thankfully for the Council was over ruled!)  

Quotes of the Day Part 1: Day 9

Top 10 Reason Why Not
to Be an Eagle Scout:

Reason #1:
The Scout Uniform isn't a...
"Babe Magnet!";

Reason #2:
Outdoor Latrines have this bad...
Habit of not Having 
Any Walls!;

Reason #3:
You get to Miss the Chance to see...
Every facet of Murphy's Law...
in Action on Every campout...
You Attend!;

Reason #4:
Avoid flack from your Friends for...
Missing whatever goes on During...
the Weekend of your Campout!;

Reason #5:
Never get to Sleep 3 Guys in the same...
Wet Sleeping-Bag!;

Reason #6:
Miss the Opportunity to Spend 2 Months...
of each Summer in your Teen years...
Applying every...
Antibiotic Cream,...
Antibiotic Lotion,...
~&~
Spray offered by the...
Medical World on...
Boils,...
Infections,...
Rashes,...
~&~
Poison Ivy!;

Reason #7:
Avoid the Rants, Ramblings,
Scolding's, Arguments,  Battles, Fights,
Insanity, Bluntness, Demands, Orders,
Trouble, Headache, and Heartache
from the Scoutmaster!;

Reason #8:
You won't have to Make a 7 am Campout...
Departure the Night after your...
Prom, or Worse miss...
Prom because your the...
Senior Patrol Leader!;

Reason #9:
Have more Time to Run with...
your Gange!;

and Finally...

Reason #10:
You'll be Like the Other 98...
Percent of Scouts!

Explanation and
Commentary:
So whats the whole point behind these "10 Reasons Not to Become an Eagle Scout"? Don't we want to to get every Scout we can to achieve the daunting task of becoming an Eagle Scout? Why would you want to give excuses to other Scouts to not earn their Eagle Scout? Is it okay to not become a Eagle Scout? And finally Isn't becoming an Eagle Scout the primary goal of Boy Scouts?

Becoming an Eagle Scout while its a great achievement is not the purpose of Boy Scouts. It is an award that is highly respected and honorable because so few people achieve. In your unit achieving the goal of all your members earning their Eagle Scout would be awesome but in reality it just is not possible because of the perseverance, dedication, and skill this award requires. In my opinion if more than 70% of your members become an Eagle Scout it is highly likely that your unit is not fully implement the Boy Scout Program as intended. While this is true a fair amount of the time it is still possible to get 100% of your members to earn their Eagle Scout but the odds and the stats are stacked against you! Common examples could include:
  • Making adjustments or changes to Rank Requirements
  • Making adjustments or changes to MB Requirements
  • Not having the Scout be held to the same standards as others across the country.
  • "Merit Badge Mill" Units which are units that earn merit badges just to earn MB's and are MB's that end up being earned way to fast.
  • Adult misconduct when it comes to handling advancement related activities.
One important thing to mention is that it is NEVER the youth's FAULT when it comes to ISSUES with ADVANCEMENT. The ONLY group of people in the Troop that is RESPONSIBLE for advancement issues in EVERY situation is the ADULT's and ADULT LEADERS! For me there is no if, ands, ors, or buts about this because the adults are the ultimate gatekeeper when it comes to Scout Advancement.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark West
Assistant Scoutmaster
Camp Gorsuch 2012 Super-Troop Coordinator
T1316- Eklutna District; T669- Tustumena District; T125- Denali District;
Program Committee; Training Committee; Cope Committee; Camping Committee:
NSJ2005 Participant- Youth QM; NSJ2010 Subcamp 7 Staff;
NSJ2013 Extreme Sports Staff; WSJ2007 Youth QM; WSJ2011 IST;
Eagle Scout; OA Nanuk Lodge; Philmont AA2008; 2010 NYLT Staff- Youth QM;


If you are paid to do Scouting, you are called a professional. If you are not paid to do Scouting, you are called a Volunteer. If you pay to do Scouting, then you are called a Scouter.

Thursday 2 August 2012

Quotes of the Day Part 2: Day 8

But I Don't Have
the Time:

There are 365 Days per Year...

with 24 Hours per Day...

giving 8760 Hours per Year...

of which 2920 Hours sleeping per Year...
(8 hours per Night)

leaving 5840 waking Hours...

deduct 1065 eating Hours...
(1 Hour per Meal, 3 Times per Day)

giving 4745 Hours left over...

not forgetting 2665 Leisure Hours...
(about 48  Hours per weekend,
52 weekends per Year)

even with 176 Hours...
(Which is about 3 Hours per Week,
52 weeks per Year)

there are still 2489 Hours left over...

to do Anything you Want to Do!

So ask Yourself this Question...

"Is your Child worth some of
Your Leisure Time?"

Try it!

You will, No Doubt...

Have Fun!






Murphy was a Scouter
(Murphy's Law):


Law #1:
Scout Leaders who Fail to Show-up at the...
Leader's Planning Meetings are Automatically...
volunteer for the next Least favored...
Instruction or Activity!;


Law #2:
The last Scouter who Quit will be held...
Responsible for Everything that...
goes Wrong - at Least until the...
next Scouter Quits!;


Law #3:
 No matter how Long or Hard you shop...
for a Particular piece of Camping...
Gear, Immediately after you have...
Bought it, it will be on Sale...
somewhere Cheaper!;


Law #4:
Under the most rigorously controlled conditions of...
Time, Planning, Material Acquisition,...
Skill Testing, and Training, Boy Scouts will...
Invariably Do as they Dang-
Well-Please!;


Law #5:
The time Spent on Consuming a...
Camp Meal is in Inverse Proportion to the...
time spent Preparing it!;


Law #6:
Any tent-stake, when Dropped will...
Immediately fall where the Tent will be...
Placed and Directly underneath...
where you will Place your...
Sleeping-Bag!;


Law #7:
Leak-Proof seals will Fail...
during the First campout you...
Bring that particular...
Tent on!;


Law #8:
The Person that has the First Aid Kit...
is Always the Furthest person...
Away from the Emergency!

Quotes of the Day Part 1: Day 8

Scout Association United Kingdom
9th Huddersfield Scout Group
(aka Crossland Scout Group)

Humorous Camping Terms
(Used in the United Kingdom (UK))

Term #1: Altar Fire:
A fire place
(aka Campfire Ring or Bed)
Made of half a Oil Drum with 4 Legs
Drum is Raised off the ground;

Term #2: Bedtime:
Instruction by Scout Leaders to...
Tell the Scouts to Go to Tents and...
Make as much Noise as Possible...
which Lasts for at least 4 Hours!
-or-
A Opportunity to Play the game...
"Sneak out of Tent without...
being Caught by a Scout Leader!";

Term #3: Cool-box
(aka Cooler):
A Box that is Designed to Keep...
Perishable food Cool for Extended...
periods of Time but usually Fails within...
the First day or so! Potentially wildlife-
proof!;

Term #4: Fire:
A thing for Scouts to Play with...
in an Obsessive manner that usually ends...
with at least 1 Scout getting a Minor...
Injury but Bad enough to Freak...
out the Mom's at the End of...
the Campout!;

Term #5: Free Time:
An Opportunity to Eat sweets, run...
Around, go Crazy, and in general...
Try to get a Scout Leader as...
Annoyed as Possible!;



United Kingdom Humor:
Tater Types
(Tater=Person -or-
Potato):

Tater Type 1:
"Spec Taters":
Those who are Never motivated to...
Participate, but are Content with Watching...
Others do the Work!;

Tater Type 2:
"Comment Taters":
Those who Never do Anything to...
Help, but are extremely Gifted at finding...
Fault with the way Others do...
the Work!;

Tater Type 3:
"Dic Taters":
Those who are very Bossy and like...
to Tell others What to Do, but...
Don't want to Soil their Own Hands!;

Tater Type 4:
"Agie Taters":
Those who are Always looking to cause...
Problems by Asking others to Agree with...
Them with it either being...
"Too Hot"
-or-
"Too Cold"
and
"Too Sour"
-or-
"Too Sweet";

Tater Type 5:
"Hezzle Taters":
Those who Say they will Help, but...
Somehow just Never get Around to...
actually Doing the Promised help!;

Tater Type 6:
"Emma Taters":
Those who Put up a Front and Pretend to...
be Someone they are Not!;

Tater Type 7:
"Sweet Po Taters":
Those who Love others and Do what they Say...
they Will! They are Always Prepared to Stop whatever...
there Doing and Lend a Helping Hand and...
bring Real sunshine Into the...
Lives of Others!;

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