Friday, June 29, 2012

A Scout is Brave

A Scout is Brave

I work at a summer camp run by the Boy Scouts of America from the beginning of June until the end of August. Once a week, campers participate in an activity that we call the honor trail. Scouts walk reverently along a trail and stop at stations that are evenly spaced on the trail. At each station, boys learn about the points of the scout law.

The Scout Law
A Scout is
Trustworthy
Loyal
Helpful
Friendly
Courteous
Kind
Obedient
Cheerful
Thrifty
Brave
Clean
and Reverent

I spoke on the honor trail the last three weeks on A Scout is Brave. I thought I would share what I said about that. A lot of it is stuff that somebody else wrote and I had to memorize, but some of it is in my own words. Sorry if you think it's cheesy. So, here it is:

A Scout is Brave

Mark Twain said, "Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not the absence of fear." A scout can face danger, even though he is afraid. He stands up for what he thinks is right, even when others laugh at, or threaten him. 
Most boys want to be brave and strong. To prove themselves, they might do things that are foolish, and actually dangerous. When a boy does such a task to prove his courage to himself, it might strengthen his resolve in future situations. But, if he does it to win the approval of others, he is actually being cowardly in bowing to their pressures. 

One of my favorite books taught me that sometimes it can take more courage to stand up to your friends than to anybody else. Tonight on the honor trail, I would like to challenge you to stand brave at all times. You might be with a group of friends who are encouraging you to participate in an activity that you have been taught is wrong. Have the courage to stand up and leave the situation, or at least tell them that you will not participate.

Fear can take many forms. The fear of looking foolish, fear of the unknown, fear of failure. Don't let fear get in your way. Never let fear stop you from accomplishing your goals. Never let fear stop you from reaching your dreams. Always be brave.

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Monkey's Fist Knot

Monkey's Fist Knot

I started working at a camp owned by the Boy Scouts of America back in 2005. I found my niche pretty quickly in the Scout Craft area. All of the outdoor skills merit badges are taught in the Scout Craft area including: Emergency Preparedness, First Aid, Geocaching, Orienteering, Pioneering, and Wilderness Survival. We also used to teach Cycling, Fishing, Fly Fishing, Golf, 
and Physical Fitness.

I am especially fond of the pioneering merit badge. The pioneering merit badge covers rope work. I like to define it as, "The art of manipulating rope to complete a task." It includes knot tying, lashing, making rope, splicing, throwing a rope, creating a rope and tackle (pulley) system, etc. We put the skills to use by building big projects such as swing sets, bridges, climbing gyms, 
gateways, etc. It is a lot of fun. 

For one of my classes last semester, I had to create a "How To" video. I chose to teach the monkey's fist knot in my video. The monkey's fist is basically a ball on the end of your rope. It can be used for decorative purposes, or it can add weight to the end of a rope to make it easier to throw further or higher. You'll have to excuse the quality of this video. It was a bit of a rush job. If I ever get around to remaking it, I will do better and replace it. Anyhow, enjoy! Knot tying can be a lot of fun once you get into it.