I am probably not the first nor will I be the last to blog somewhere about the one-year anniversary of the tornado at the Little Sioux Scout Camp (June 11, 2008).
It's probably hyperbole to compare the emotions I felt that day to the emotion I felt on 9/11. However, the fact that the tragedy left an emotional mark is true non-the-less. Last year, as this year, my troop is about 10 days away from leaving for summer camp. I wondered then, as I do now, how I'd have reacted, what I'd have done, would I have been prepared? I guess you can't know until you've been there but I think so.
I understand that the camp has been largely rebuilt and they held a grand reopening last month. There's more information at the tribute site.
Anyway, I wish us all good luck and fair weather as we head out for the summer camping season. And, when you say your prayers tonight, include the scouts and scouters from the Mid-America Council and Little Sioux.
Showing posts with label Scouting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scouting. Show all posts
Friday, June 12, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Letter from Mike Rowe
The following is purportedly a letter from Mike Rowe (of Dirty Jobs fame) written to a young scout about the challenges of making Eagle. It's worth a read.
“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 rank isn’t 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 don’t. Only one out of a hundred Scouts make Eagle, so if you fail, there’ll 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 some 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 from most everyone around you, and being different is really, really hard. That's why Eagle 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, starring 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.
“I have no idea if you’d 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”
“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 rank isn’t 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 don’t. Only one out of a hundred Scouts make Eagle, so if you fail, there’ll 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 some 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 from most everyone around you, and being different is really, really hard. That's why Eagle 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, starring 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.
“I have no idea if you’d 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”
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Maybe B-P had it right!
Friday, October 03, 2008
Do you think scouting doesn't matter? Check this
Here's a clip from Scouting's 2007 Annual Report to Congress. Check out the community service section in the second paragraph. Scouting matters
"For nearly a century, Boy Scouts have served others at all times. In fact, the Boy Scouts of America was founded on the premise that to be a good citizen you must do for others.
In 2007, the Boy Scouts of America continued serving others by specifically addressing the issues of hunger, inadequate housing, and poor health through the Good Turn for America initiative-a collaborative effort with Habitat for Humanity, the American Red Cross, and The Salvation Army. From January 2007 through December 2007, more than 1.4 million service hours were reported by 5,915 units, resulting in 15,246 services projects with the involvement of approximately a quarter million youth and adults. In addition, 315 BSA members were honored in 2007 for their courageous performance of lifesaving and meritorious actions.
In addition to providing service to others, the BSA continues making a difference in the lives of its youth members and participants. Through the efforts of almost 1.2 million dedicated volunteers and the support of religious and civic organizations, the BSA reached millions of young people in 2007 with its program of citizenship, mental and physical fitness, and character development.
While these numbers are impressive, millions more youth can benefit from the BSA’s programs by learning leadership, developing character, and serving others. Thus, the BSA continued focusing on reaching greater numbers of youth through its National Strategic Plan, titled “2010: When Tradition Meets Tomorrow,” and emphasizing the importance of each council maintaining a strong financial foundation. In 2007, the collective fiscal surplus of all local councils increased by more than $3 million for the second consecutive year. In addition, total council unrestricted operating net assets increased by more than 15 percent over 2006.
Scouting is strong and experienced a growth in the number of young people introduced to Scouting’s values in 2007. The Boy Scouts of America will continue to recruit quality leadership, adequately fund programs, invite eligible youth from all backgrounds to join, and offer a fun and exciting program-enabling young people to become extraordinary adults."
Now, some perspective. What does 1.4 million hours look like? Well, do the math. Let's talk about work. There are 40 hours/week, 50 weeks/year, so an average work year is 2000 hours. Divide 1.4 million hours by 2000 hours/man-year and you get...
that's right, 700 man-years. That's equivalent to the total work of a 700 person company for a full year. Scouting matters, at least to the people those 700 man-years supported in 2007!
Be strong brothers.
"For nearly a century, Boy Scouts have served others at all times. In fact, the Boy Scouts of America was founded on the premise that to be a good citizen you must do for others.
In 2007, the Boy Scouts of America continued serving others by specifically addressing the issues of hunger, inadequate housing, and poor health through the Good Turn for America initiative-a collaborative effort with Habitat for Humanity, the American Red Cross, and The Salvation Army. From January 2007 through December 2007, more than 1.4 million service hours were reported by 5,915 units, resulting in 15,246 services projects with the involvement of approximately a quarter million youth and adults. In addition, 315 BSA members were honored in 2007 for their courageous performance of lifesaving and meritorious actions.
In addition to providing service to others, the BSA continues making a difference in the lives of its youth members and participants. Through the efforts of almost 1.2 million dedicated volunteers and the support of religious and civic organizations, the BSA reached millions of young people in 2007 with its program of citizenship, mental and physical fitness, and character development.
While these numbers are impressive, millions more youth can benefit from the BSA’s programs by learning leadership, developing character, and serving others. Thus, the BSA continued focusing on reaching greater numbers of youth through its National Strategic Plan, titled “2010: When Tradition Meets Tomorrow,” and emphasizing the importance of each council maintaining a strong financial foundation. In 2007, the collective fiscal surplus of all local councils increased by more than $3 million for the second consecutive year. In addition, total council unrestricted operating net assets increased by more than 15 percent over 2006.
Scouting is strong and experienced a growth in the number of young people introduced to Scouting’s values in 2007. The Boy Scouts of America will continue to recruit quality leadership, adequately fund programs, invite eligible youth from all backgrounds to join, and offer a fun and exciting program-enabling young people to become extraordinary adults."
Now, some perspective. What does 1.4 million hours look like? Well, do the math. Let's talk about work. There are 40 hours/week, 50 weeks/year, so an average work year is 2000 hours. Divide 1.4 million hours by 2000 hours/man-year and you get...
that's right, 700 man-years. That's equivalent to the total work of a 700 person company for a full year. Scouting matters, at least to the people those 700 man-years supported in 2007!
Be strong brothers.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
More from Little Sioux
Please take a look at the bio's of the scouts who died at Little Sioux. Part of the best and the brightest.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Boy Scouts, Tornados, Recriminations, Grief
By now we've all seen the reports of the deaths at the Little Sioux Scout Ranch in western Iowa. Four young men at a leadership training session, doing what they enjoyed, killed in a tornado. Simply tragic.
I've read a few other accounts and the associated blog entries, on various news outlets about the event. Now, we all know that news site blogs are the hang out of some unsavory types of folks along with the standard run of the mill Internet addicts. But, the recriminations have already started. People blaming the leaders for not cancelling the event, blaming Scouting in general for putting boys into the woods, blaming the Iowa State Patrol for not responding appropriately, blaming everything and everybody. I certainly don't withhold from the families the right to greive and seek a reason for the tragedy. I do withhold that right from idiots around the country who weren't there and don't know.
So, let's get down to it. Should the leaders have cancelled the event because of all the inclement weather in the midwest so far this summer? Maybe. We have had a streak of bad weather, but we get them every year. We could live in our cellars from May to September just to be safe too. It could be these boys would have died in their homes in the same storms. Risk management decisions always look easier after the risk has passed.
Should the Boy Scouts (and every other organization that operates youth camps) require storm shelters? Maybe. Thousands of Scouts and Scouters go to thousands of camp outs every year without incident. Does this incident require the additional construction projects? Risk management decisions always look easier after the risk has passed.
Should the Boy Scouts (and every other organization that operates youth camps) get out of the woods completely. Maybe. We could probably teach boys to be honorable men without the outdoor program. But at the same time we'd be teaching them to be afraid. Today's kids are already afraid of their shadows. Afraid of failure, afraid to try anything new (other than a video game). Afraid. Is that what we want for our kids? Risk management decisions always look easier after the risk has passed.
The reality is now is not the time to ask these questions. Now is the time to pray for God's healing grace for the victims, families of the victims, survivors, families of the survivors and everybody involved in the Scouting movement. There will be plenty of time later for the left-wing loonies and helicopter goverment to second guess the Boy Scouts.
Be strong brothers.
I've read a few other accounts and the associated blog entries, on various news outlets about the event. Now, we all know that news site blogs are the hang out of some unsavory types of folks along with the standard run of the mill Internet addicts. But, the recriminations have already started. People blaming the leaders for not cancelling the event, blaming Scouting in general for putting boys into the woods, blaming the Iowa State Patrol for not responding appropriately, blaming everything and everybody. I certainly don't withhold from the families the right to greive and seek a reason for the tragedy. I do withhold that right from idiots around the country who weren't there and don't know.
So, let's get down to it. Should the leaders have cancelled the event because of all the inclement weather in the midwest so far this summer? Maybe. We have had a streak of bad weather, but we get them every year. We could live in our cellars from May to September just to be safe too. It could be these boys would have died in their homes in the same storms. Risk management decisions always look easier after the risk has passed.
Should the Boy Scouts (and every other organization that operates youth camps) require storm shelters? Maybe. Thousands of Scouts and Scouters go to thousands of camp outs every year without incident. Does this incident require the additional construction projects? Risk management decisions always look easier after the risk has passed.
Should the Boy Scouts (and every other organization that operates youth camps) get out of the woods completely. Maybe. We could probably teach boys to be honorable men without the outdoor program. But at the same time we'd be teaching them to be afraid. Today's kids are already afraid of their shadows. Afraid of failure, afraid to try anything new (other than a video game). Afraid. Is that what we want for our kids? Risk management decisions always look easier after the risk has passed.
The reality is now is not the time to ask these questions. Now is the time to pray for God's healing grace for the victims, families of the victims, survivors, families of the survivors and everybody involved in the Scouting movement. There will be plenty of time later for the left-wing loonies and helicopter goverment to second guess the Boy Scouts.
Be strong brothers.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
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