2023-13 Rock Tumbling

The past couple of weeks my daughter and I have been tumbling rocks using her rock polishing tumbler she received as one of her Christmas presents this last year.  If you have never used a rock tumbler before, here is a quick run through of what is entailed using one.  The rocks that you are wanting to polish are place inside the cylinder chamber.  Typically, there are 4 different grades of grit you place inside the tumbler with the rocks along with enough water to cover. Starting with your stage 1 grit, the duration of tumbling time depends on the type of rocks you are tumbling and how much you would like to shape them.

We decided to tumble some Tiger’s Eye that we picked up at a rock shop just outside of Zion National Park from our last trip there a few weeks ago.  If you don’t know what Tiger’s Eye is, it’s a form of quartz that is usually brown in color and is found among other metamorphic rocks.  The pattern of this rock when held up to the light resembles that of a tiger’s eye.  The piece that we picked up from the rock shop was a single piece that was too large to fit within the opening of the rock tumbling cylinder.  So… we grabbed our trusty rock hammer and started smashing it into smaller pieces.  There must have been a little bit of flint within the rock as sparks would fly each time the hammer would hit. 

Success! One large piece of Tiger’s Eye had been broken into roughly eight smaller pieces. We placed all the pieces within the cylinder along with a heaping spoon of step one grit and water. Ensuring that the lid was on tight, we let the rock tumbler begin.  This first round was going to take about 4 days to smooth out the jagged pieces of Tiger’s Eye.  Each day we would check on the progress. It was amazing to see the transformation of sharp edges being smoothed out and rounded as we eventually put them through step 2 and 3.  The final process, step 4, is the final polishing tumble that will make each stone shine to its full potential.

We can compare our scouting experience to the processes of polishing rocks.  When we start on our Cub Scout or Scout BSA adventure, we are a little rough around the edges. It’s ok if we have rough edges when we first start out. Everything is new to us.  Over time we continue with earning the ranks of Bobcat, Wolf, Bear, Webelos.  Within Scouts BSA we earn the rank of Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class. Eventually our rough edges begin to smooth out as we learn valuable skills through each meeting, hike, campout, and adventures.  Before you know it, a great deal of time has passed and what used to be a rough-edged scout has now been through so much that you have been shaped into a bright and polished Arrow of Light or Eagle Scout.

Just like polishing rocks, your trail to Eagle will take many days.  Don’t be discouraged when things do not go as fast as you would like.  It’s been my experience that everything that is worthwhile takes a little bit of time to accomplish. Keep up the good work scouts, your hard work will pay off some day.

2023-08 Angels Landing

This weekend we are exploring Zion National Park which is 1 of the 5 National Parks located in Utah. For the past 4 years we have made it a tradition to visit Zion. This year was the first that we experienced the park with snow and frigid temperatures.  Naturally our major hiking day, Friday, was the coldest day of the trip.  But we were not about to let that ruin the day.  Day one we hiked 10 miles which included an attempt to reach the top of Angels Landing.

Now, let's be very clear about the Angels Landing hike.  This hike has never been on my bucket list as I have no desire at all to dangle my body over a 1,500 foot drop off while holding onto some chains. With that in mind, we started to ascend the Angels Landing trail.

A little history about Angels Landing: A century ago a Methodist minister named Frederick Vining Fisher was so in awe of this massive sandstone cliff that he made the comment that only angels might land on it.  So the name stuck and what used to be known as the Temple of Aeolus was renamed Angels Landing.  The trail was built in the 1920’s and is 5 miles round trip. As you get closer to the top, you reach a section of the trail that is called Walter’s Wiggles. The wiggles are named after Walter Ruesch who was the park’s first acting superintendent. This section is made up of 21 extremely tight switchbacks that eventually put you at Scout Lookout. Angels Landing is one of the most dangerous hikes in the United States as there have been 17 confirmed deaths from individuals falling. 12 of those deaths happened between 1908 to 2016. With all this information to scare me to death alone… we kept on hiking.

As we reached Walter’s Wiggles we ran into an obstacle we had not planned for.  Ice and snow on the trail. We were in need of traction devices to continue on the trail safely.  So, half of the group turned around and started back down the trail as the other half of the group continued on using extra caution on the switchbacks.  Guess who was in the group to continue up… that’s right… me.  The switchbacks were a challenge with the slick conditions but manageable going up. Then the thought popped into my head… this is going to be a whole lot harder coming back down. Which it was. A couple of times we had to slide down the mountain on our backsides.

Finally we reached the end of Walter’s Wiggles and there is a section right before you start on the chain section of Angels Landing that is called Scout Lookout.  At this point, you have an amazing view of the valley as you stand at 5,790’ of elevation with the remaining .5 mile hike up to the end of Angels Landing ahead of you.  As we did not have traction devices for our shoes, the decision was made to have this be our stopping point and we took it all in.

Standing at Scout Lookout, your breath is not only taken away by the 1,500’ elevation gain that you just hiked, but also by the view of the canyon all around you with the Virgin River down below. As I was standing there taking it all in, reflections of my own personal growth and accomplishments came to mind. Reflections also of family members who have come and also left this Earth and all of their accomplishments. Along the trail there are multiple waypoints starting with the Trailhead and then Refrigerator Canyon, Walter’s Wiggles, Scout Lookout, The Spine, and eventually the Summit of Angels Landing.  The same can be compared with our trails within Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA as we work from Bobcat to Lion, Wolf, Bear, Webelos, and eventually Arrow of light. From Scout to Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life, and finishing with Eagle.  

Each one of us are at different stages along the trail.  Some of us have to be pushed along the trail sometimes. Some of us reach a stopping point before we reach the summit. This is the case with my Father.  As a youth, my father reached the rank of Star. During those years as a youth he was a staff member at Camp Mitigwa in Iowa and loved every minute of being a scout. He was an amazing scout and later Scoutmaster, Cubmaster, District Leader, and many other hats that he wore. It’s with this example that I would argue that the rank does not make the scout, rather the experiences and growth in character along the trail. The rank is only a reflection of what we personally have accomplished through our physical, mental, and moral challenges along the hike.

Let us all continue practicing the Cub Scout Motto, To Do Our Best, no matter where we are on the trail of scouting.

2022-31 Make Up Your Mind

This Scouter’s Minute has been shared many times over the years. I first posted about this one back in 2018 before I even thought of making this podcast . Back then my teenager was 13 and working on his ranks advancements to First Class. I remember giving this same advice. Make up your mind to become an Eagle now, and do it. For the past couple of years things have stalled with him just needing to complete 2 merit badges and his Eagle project. I totally get it. When your a teenager there are so many different, good things that can pull you in all directions like hanging out with friends, school activities, playing sports, working that afternoon or evening job, and dating. In short, putting your Scouting adventure to Eagle on cruse control may not have the desired results. In the case of my own son, time is quickly running out… 9 months time to be exact.

Found in the 1959 printing of the Scoutmaster’s Minute, this minute is entitled “Make Up Your Mind.”

“You can’t advance standing still”

Make up your mind that you will get to Second Class rank within a month or two months’ time, and then go right ahead. It’s as simple as that! Your patrol leader and your other troop leaders will help you, of course, but most important is the determination on your part to help yourself.

Somebody once said that the world makes beaten paths to the doorways of people who make better mousetraps. The beaten path notion has given way to a more aggressive approach to the mousetrap business!

Someone once said, “Just do good Scouting and someday you’ll be an Eagle.” Many people still say it unthinkingly. But it’s too long between Eagles!

Attaining Eagle rank isn’t any more automatic than leading the world in selling mousetraps. If you really want to be an Eagle Scout someday; and want it badly enough to make that your goal, keep pushing till you reach it. Take one hurdle at a time. Second, First, Star, Life; but don’t expect it to be easy. Don’t expect it to be automatic.

2021-25 Dents and Divots

Today being Father’s Day, the topic of this week’s Scouter’s Minute involves the game of Golf.

Nearly 600 years ago, the first recognizable form of the game of golf was played is Scotland. Over these years the golf ball has evolved.

There are four distinct recognizable stages in the evolution of the golf ball. There is some speculation that the very first golf balls were simply round rocks.

The first recorded stage involves wooden golf balls. One can imagine how inefficient these wooden balls had to of been. Especially when struck with a wooden golf club. Maybe this is about the time in the evolution of the game that yelling “Fore!” began as rouge wooden golf balls where flying in all directions.

The second stage was the feathery golf balls. These were basically leather sacks stuffed with goose feathers. The ball was used for a little over 400 years! The making of this ball was so time consuming that it was usually sold for more than the club itself. This ball was better than the wood golf ball… but still not very accurate.

The third stage was the Gutty. This golf ball was only around for about fifty years but changed the game. Rather than wood or stuffed leather, this ball was made from dried sap of the Sapodilla tree. Having more of a rubber-like feel, the sap was heated and formed into ball shapes. It was with this ball that players discovered that the ball was more accurate after it was played with for a while and received little dents and divots. Hammering handmade divot came into practice with this ball.

The final stage, rubber core golf balls. Replacing the gutty in 1899, this new design with the modern divots we are used to, improved airflow while soaring to the green.

It’s amazing over the past 600 years, that through trial and error, it was discovered that the little dents and divots in a golf ball make it play better.

When you think about it, Scouting is a lot like these golf balls. Each time we pass off a requirement for a rank advancement, earn a new merit badge, or even fail at a task during camp, we get a dent or divot. The more that we learn, and experience, adds more dimples and dents to our golf ball. This in turn makes us go farther and straighter down your scouting career. Eventually, you will soar so far and straight that you will eventually be flying with the Eagles.

2020-32 Chirp, Chirp, Chirp

This last week our troop had an amazing event happen… we had our first Eagle! This did not happen overnight but has been in the scouting incubator for 7 years.

 I’m reminded of a scene in one of my favorite musicals, 1776.  We have John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson sitting on the steps of Independence Hall in Philadelphia waiting for the chirp, chirp, chirp of an eaglet being born while playing midwives to an egg. They have just completed putting the declaration of independence on paper and are debating on which bird will represent our nation. The eagle, the dove, or… the turkey.  We see Benjamin Franklin voice his opinion towards the turkey while calling the eagle a scavenger, thief, and coward. Franklin eventually comes around to agree on the Eagle with the other two.

Tonight, we awarded you with the hours and hours of work that you, your family, your friends, and your leaders have completed along your trail to eagle. Adding a little here and a little there to your egg. And tonight, you hatched and become an Eaglet.  As a newly hatched Eaglet, there is still a lot that will need to be completed as you mature into a full-grown Eagle. Take a look at those who have been invited to sit within the Eagles Nest, there is quite a few of them that are balding, or are Bald Eagles.  The journey does not end when you receive this award but continues with you through all the days of your life while you interact and work with others around you. 

Throughout your life, continue to do your best, do your duty to God and your county, always help others, stay physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. Keep the 12 points of the scout law in your back pocket. At home, school, or work; be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.