Memorial Day 2016

One of my favorite events we do as a district is to place flags on the graves of our fallen Veterans.  It is hosted by our Order of the Arrow Chapter and open to all Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Venturers.  In recent years we have done this service for a cemetery in NW Oklahoma City.  When I called this year to let them know we were coming they informed me that they had agreed to allow a different group to do it.  Needless to say the Scouts in our OA Chapter were disappointed when we told them we would not be doing it this year.  On Tuesday, we got a call from Fairlawn Cemetery asking us if we could help them put out flags.  Without hesitation we agreed.  We had a light turnout but not too bad for 48 hours notice.  While there I made an arrangement to do this every year for the cemetery.  The Scouts will be happy to know we have a permanent place to honor our nations veterans for years to come!

Cameron placing a flag at Fairlawn Cemetery

Venturer and Boy Scout of the Year

Last week our Boy Scout District had it’s awards and recognition banquet.  Carly was selected as the Baden-Powell District Venturer of the Year and Cameron as the Baden-Powell District Boy Scout of the Year.  It was a very proud parenting moment for their Mom and myself.  I guess twins really do have a mystic connection since they seem to do everything together.  🙂

National Order of the Arrow Conference

 

In early August, mys sons and I traveled to the National Order of the Arrow Conference hosted at Michigan State University.  It was the 100th Anniversary Celebration for the Order of the Arrow and me and 15,000 of my closest friends got the privilege of attending.  It was especially sweet for me as my oldest son, Drew, was the Ma-Nu Lodge Chief at the time and Cameron had just earned Eagle Scout.  We had a great time and it is an experience I will never forget!

Eagle Scout

I am very proud of Cameron who earned the rank of Eagle this week. It has been a long but fun journey for him and for our family.  Congrats Cameron!!

 

They made it!

my wife and kids just sent me this from Philmont. I am very proud of these three!!

  

Eagle Project

Cameron got his project approved. He will be building picnic benches for the YMCA.  Next stop Eagle. 

  

Philmont

Suzette, Cameron and Carly are off to Philmont. I can’t express how proud and happy I am for each of them. They will do great!  Happy trails guys! 

  

Growing Up

Sometimes you learn a lot about how a person has grown when you least expect it. That moment came for me at our Order of the Arrow Fall Ordeal.

During our Pre-Ordeal ceremony on Friday night the unthinkable happened. During one part of the ceremony, one of the ceremonialists strings a bow to be used in the remainder of the ceremony. All of this is done in the dark with minimal lighting from some “candles” burning around the ceremony. My youngest son was performing that part when out of darkness everyone hears a “SNAP”. My first thought was absolute terror and panic. The bow had just broken and the ceremony was ruined.  I immediately wondered how the team was going to finish the ceremony.  Luckily, they were quick on their feet and improvised in a matter of seconds and kept right on going. They finished the ceremony without a hitch and no one knew any different.

Scouting does that for youth.  It takes the immature 10-yr-old Cub Scout and turns him into the seasoned teenager who can think fast and not freak out when thinks do not go as planned.  Great job guys!

 

 

The Journey Begins!

There is nothing like getting a call from a kid telling you that he joined Cub Scouts.  The day I got that call from my nephew Cooper, was a good one.  He called and told me he joined Scout and it made me smile.  I was afraid that it wasn’t his thing but I love that I am proven wrong.  I stole a pic of him off of Facebook from his Mom’s account that shows just how fun Scouting can be.  It is a pic of him all geared up to ride a zipline and climb a wall.  Have fun Cooper and stick with it.  Scouting is for a lifetime!!!

2014 Callout

My youngest son, Cameron, was called out for the Order of the Arrow on Friday evening at our District’s Webelos Woods. Our Troop held its election in November and he has been dying to know if he was elected ever since. A memory he will never forget about it was he was called out by his older brother Drew.

In true older brother torturing younger brother fashion and in a long standing family tradition he was the last Scout called at the ceremony. I was the last person called at my callout, Drew was last at his and now Cameron was last at his.  And since it was his younger brother there might have been a small love “tap” when he called him even though Dad and Mom told him not to do it.

We are ready for Ordeal and all of the adventures in the OA including NOAC in 2015.