Reminded Of Why I Am A Scouter

Recently, I had the opportunity to get away from EMS for the day. I had some things I wanted to do, and as most days go, some "things" I absolutely had to do. A good portion of those "things" were related to Scouting.

I know many adult Scouters who seem to always have the fervor boiling up inside them... they are eager to jump on any Scouting endeavor and tackle it with the demeanor of the eighth point of the Scout Law (cheerful). I have to admit that there are times when I get weighed down a bit by Scouting.

After all, the vast majority of adult Scouters in the United States are volunteers. We have jobs, families, worries... and other responsibilities outside of the Boy Scouts of America. It really does not matter whether you are a leader in a Cub Scout Pack, a Troop, a Venture Crew or and Explorer Post... Scouting is hard work when you are trying to do the best you can toward the end goal... youth development.

Not only do you have to apply the program with the aims and methods of Scouting, but you have to personally live the Scout Oath and Law. Why? Because the youth you train to do so, usually become very aware of what it means and they may even occasionally... and rightfully... call you out if you fail to be a quality example as an adult. In my view, Scouting is as much a development program for me as it is for the youth. I have seen some pretty amazing levels of changes and growth in the Scouts I have been around over the years, but I would be remiss if I did not recognize that Scouting has made me a better leader... a better citizen... more responsible... the list goes on.

So... many of my blog entries are about my faith. This will not be one of them (although I cannot promise that it will not end there by the end of the entry as "Reverent" is the twelfth point of the Scout Law).

This is going to be about refreshment in Scouting.

Sometimes the weekly "Scout Meeting" can get pretty rote and mundane. Opening... announcements... Scouting Skills... planning... physical activity...

There are always issues too. Finances, rule changes, the Scout who can be a bit challenging at times, how to get a new Troop trailer... all of these can over time take their toll. Focusing on this minutia can take it's toll on "cheerful."

Sometimes you have to take a step back and remember what it is all about. This is one of the reasons I am a strong advocate of the Wood Badge course for adult leaders in Scouting. This course makes you live through what the Scouting adventure is all about. There are five points that are driven home hard during this course:

1) Living the Values
2) Bringing the Vision to Life
3) Models for Success
4) Tools of the Trade
5) Leading to Make a Difference

I would encourage any Scouter who has nit taken Wood Badge to do so. The training opens up Scouting for what it is; an amazing program for responsible youth development.

So what does this have to do with my recent day? I have been through Wood Badge and even served on staff for a course as well.

I have not been so cheerful as of late. I have been focusing on the minutia. I knew I needed to get back to the basics. I needed a Scouting booster shot.

So I went to Camp.

Not just camping. I decided to spend the day at Old Ben Scout Reservation for the last full day of Summer Resource Camp. My son was on staff again this year teaching First Aid and Emergency Prep merit badges and the place is being ran by some of the best, hard-core Scouters I know... Mike Eppler and Jay Coy. They bleed patrol method and still know how to talk to boys to get their attention and also foster responsibility.

I had to be in that area for two different reasons that day. One of which was to quickly bring my son back to Evansville for his Eagle Project initial proposal approval at Eykamp Scout Center and then return him back to his staff duties at camp.

One of the several Scouting hats I wear is the one where I chair the Council's Risk Management Committee. On the last full day of Resource Camp, the Scout Executive and another adult Scouter usually cook a "Scoutmaster's Breakfast" to discuss what is currently going on in Scouting and get input on how programs are going from the adult leaders in attendance. I asked to tag along and say a few words about safety and incident reporting in Scouting and to help cook breakfast.

So right off the bat I was at Camp. Call this Refresher #1: Setting foot in a Scout Camp brings with it the scents of the outdoors, organization, uniforms, activities and all of it being ran by Patrol Method. Camp has character. In its own special way it is a home away from home. One of the ever present coffee mugs for leaders made it's way into my hands.

I was asked to do part of the cooking. Scoutmaster Breakfast is known for being steak and eggs. I was asked if I wanted to cook the steaks. There were two large iron skillets waiting on the stove... Refresher #2: Cooking. I went straight at cooking approximately thirty-five steaks, searing each side and assuring that they were not over cooked (including one that I am pretty sure could still moo for Mike). I cooked all of them without burning any... in iron skillets... catharsis!

The next hour was spent talking about Scouting. I also gave my couple of minutes on safety and incident reporting. We talked about Scouting. The five things from that Wood Badge list? Everything sort of fell into those groups. Refresher #3: Scout talk with Scouters. Some Scouters are a bit older and somewhat "grizzled" to use Mike's terminology (although I am not so sure that many of us are not getting there quickly).

After that, I went to the Trading Post. You guessed it, Refresher #4. I bought a patch I liked and had the aptly named Scout Camp frozen beverage... a "squishy."

I went out side and watched a new game that has made it's way into camp requiring a walled eight-sided pit called Ga-Ga Ball. It is a variant of dodge ball that is played focusing on using the hands to manipulate the ball while striking the ball on the lower leg to get someone out. Quite entertaining. games are essential to Scouting. Refresher #5: Learning a new game for Scouts.

I would again be remiss if I did not note that being around wooden buildings and simply being at peace around Lodge-Pole Pine trees and sitting in the shade did not add to the calming of Scouting worries. See Refresher #1... camp.

Camp shirt with Camp Terms

I watched some patrols getting awards placed on their patrol staves. These awards meant participation and in some cases placing in an event. All of the points would be added so that later in the week, that night in fact, it would all culminate in being designated an Honor Patrol or maybe even being one of the top three honor patrols. Again, Patrol method at work. The patrols that learn how to divide and conquer in good spirit gain the most consistent points. Refresher #6: Scouting at work, applied by the masters of the art.

I ate lunch with the camp staff. Turkey, bacon and lettuce on toast with a baked potato bar. First steak, now this! Refresher #7: Eating camp food.

I grabbed another cup of coffee and went over and watched my son and another Scout teach First Aid. Refresher #8: Scouts are capable and can do just as well as adults in many scenarios. Sometimes even better.

The time approached where we would have to leave to get my son Michael back to Evansville to present his Eagle Project Proposal to a group of adult Scouters he did not know. We drove the hour home, he cleaned up and got back in his official BSA uniform complete with his merit badge sash. He now has over fifty merit badges. It looked good. He had his binders with his project description and a mock up of the kits he is proposing to make and distribute through various agencies to help those who may be in immediate need.

I had to drop him off at the Scout Center and run the twins to their baseball practice where my wife would take over so I could run back and be ready to hear the verdict when Michael came out of the presentation.

When I arrived back at the Scout Center, he was already out. Project approved. They had asked him if he had practiced  his presentation. He told them "no" (a Scout is Trustworthy). He really did not need to practice it. He has known that this is the project he wanted to do since he made a commitment that he was going to get his Eagle when he was still a Cub Scout (Thank you Chief Ritchie from Amarillo, Texas).

Being around young men preparing their Eagle Project? Refresher #8.

After the obligatory celebration picture and discussing the reality that this was only the start of the Eagle Project, we headed back to old Ben to get him back to his staff duties.

Campfire Program

We arrived just before the final night Campfire Program. If you have never attended a BSA Summer Camp Campfire, this is hard to explain. It is made up of skits, songs, audience participation, laughter, awards and solemn comments about scouting. The camaraderie of Scouting is palpable at the Campfire. Refresher #9: A good Campfire Program.

After, the Campfire comes the call out for the Order of the Arrow, where eligible youth and adult Scouters who have met the requirements and have been voted on by their peers are made aware that they have been selected to become members of the BSA's honor camping society.

Sadly, I could not stay for the call out. Duties called at home. I had to work in the morning, and a few medical pains were wearing on me. I walked alone through the early evening darkness to my car outside of camp.

The path from Old Ben

The moon was up. The trees framed the pathway that led out of camp. It reminded me of a night six years ago. Michael had just crossed over to a Troop from his Cub Scout Pack six months before. We were in a tent on the eastern face of Pike's Peak in Colorado at a small trailside clearing near Barr Camp. A steady wind was coming down the face from the peak. I remembered the sky and that moment between day and night at dusk.



I remembered how good it was to be there and to be in Scouting. I even knew I had a picture of the peak somewhere tucked away.

Pike's Peak in 2010

I remembered what the whole Scouting thing is all about and how we are a part of it. Refresher #10: Nostalgia and memories.

Scouting is non-sectarian in it's application of the term "Reverent" in the Scout Law. I am sure this has many meanings to many Scouters. To me it is an acknowledgement that in all endeavors, the importance of our faith and teaching it to youth cannot be minimized. Driving home thinking about the impact Scouting has when applied to the twelve points of the Scout Law was refreshing in and of itself.

I am now refreshed.

Go to Camp.

Get refreshed. Lead to make a difference. Bring the vision to life.

Here is a little video from Neeley Photography that shows a bit of what happens at camp... 2016 OBSR Resource Camp Video