Outgoing T3 Senior Patrol Leader {Joseph's Term Ends}

Joseph prepares the troop meeting agenda one final time on election night.

Not one who clamors for the spotlight, Joseph served well as the leader of his Boy Scout troop for the past six months as the Senior Patrol Leader.  He faithfully organized the meetings and coordinated the outings, including several grand outdoor adventures.  Joseph delegated as needed and made sure all the various moving parts were in order during his half year term.  Mentored diligently by his Scoutmaster/dad, Joseph worked hard behind the scenes to make sure the events ran smoothly and the collective goals and individual requirements could be achieved.

Holding a scepter of power, soon to be passed off

Adding a touch of charm to everything, and always ready with a grin, Joseph's leadership skills blossomed during his term as SPL.  Having completing his Eagle Scout Project and rank application, Joseph will soon face the district board of review to complete the path from Life Scout to Eagle Rank.

Joseph and Connor lead the troop ASPL elections, collecting ballots to be counted in secret.

Game on!

Highlights of Joseph's term as Senior Patrol Leader:

• Summer camp
• Cross to Ross 50 miler
• Aviation Merit Badge
• Good meetings
• Submitting Eagle Rank application

Introducing the newly elected troop leaders, Joseph prepares to hand off SPL to Connor.

"It was fun while it lasted and it's good to be done." 

~Joseph, Life Scout & outgoing Senior Patrol Leader

Steep Learning Curve

Heading out on a training hike in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Enchantments Area

Thriving and surviving on a 50 mile, 3-mountain pass backpacking trip in August is a goal that each member of our family hopes to achieve.  Tim and I agreed to lead a Scout crew over the Cross to Ross trek, along with our boys and several Scout friends.  For Zachary, this adventure has met once with a successful crossing, and once with a successful turning back due to unfavorable and dangerous conditions.

Reading signs and following directions

As with many big goals, the price to pay along the way can be quite steep.  Setting aside an entire day for a grueling training hike; leaving behind a lazy day at camp or a day in town for ice cream cones and playtime can seem fairly extreme, unless the ultimate goal of being prepared for the big trek is foremost in our minds.  The temptation toward taking the easier, softer way beckons; the reality of hard work doesn't always seem appealing.  But big goals have big payoffs, and big payoffs cost.

In big things and in little things, our ultimate aim should be toward reaching the ultimate goal of spending eternity in heaven with God.  May all the paths we take lead us toward heaven.

Mama mountain goat on a cliff with her young

A steep learning curve

Keep your gaze fixed on heaven.

Senior Patrol Leader

Offering a real-life training ground for leadership skills is one of the key features of Boy Scouts.  Our Life Scout, Joseph (15), currently holds the title of senior patrol leader for his troop.  An elected position, the senior patrol leader is the top junior leader of the troop.  Under the direction of the Scoutmaster (who happens to be his dad), Joseph takes charge of troop meetings, the planning meetings (PLCs), and the outings and adventures.

Joseph demonstrates lighting a camp stove before fixing dinner at Eight Mile Campground in the North Cascades.

With the title of senior patrol leader (SPL) comes heightened expectations for setting a good example for all the Scouts in the troop.  Practicing leave no trace on outings, wearing the uniform correctly and living the Scout Oath and Law are responsibilities of the SPL.

Joseph as exhibit A

Joseph's natural comfort zone does not include being on center stage or drawing attention to himself, yet as the senior patrol leader he has the opportunity to stretch his comfort zone a bit.  Not normally known as a morning person, Joseph as SPL holds the responsibility of rallying the troop for camp activities, including an early morning departure for river rafting on a recent camp-out.  Stalking near the tents where Scouts lay sleeping, Joseph clanged the pots and pans as an alarm bell and early warning system.  Prank-like yet necessary, this duty may go down as the highlight of his term!

Joseph on the shores of Icicle Creek

SPL Joseph serves as MC for the flag retirement ceremony at a recent campfire.

Following a script and enlisting assistants for important ceremonies in Scouts, the SPL takes charge.

Holding the key junior leadership position in the troop, Joseph has many opportunities to learn from his successes and from not-so-successful experiences.  Hopefully his six month term will prove to be fun and rewarding as well as challenging and effective.  May Joseph the SPL leave a lasting mark on the troop, as the troop leaves a lasting mark on our Scouts.

Backpacking Adventure {North Cascades}

Peter, Tim, Joseph and Zachary at departure, ready for the 9 mile trek to camp

Our family's outdoor adventures often intersect with troop trips, and this weekend's trek along the shores of Baker Lake was no exception.  This particular backpacking route finds its way onto the annual must-do list most years, but this was the first year that our whole family made the trip all together.  Our boys and Tim took the long route to camp (9 miles) with a group of Scouts and dads, and I shuttled the Baker's Dozen 15 passenger van to the south end of the trail and hiked the 4 mile trek with the younger set. 

Tim and me along the shores of Anderson Creek

Ice cold creeks and the chilly Baker Lake provided for our drinking water, recreation, and therapy for sore feet.  We could not see the glorious Mount Baker on this trip due to cloud cover, but the weather was perfect for camping.  Swimming weather?  Depends on whom you ask.

Two cooks at supper time

Camp life on the shores of Baker Lake

Old School Scouting

Peter prepares for a very cold swim in Baker Lake.

Joseph secures his hammock on the trunk of an old growth cedar tree.

Bragging rights

Fire building always makes it to the very top of the to-do list at our Boy Scout camp-outs, and this was certainly no exception.  At one point in the afternoon of day one, there were four fires burning with various levels of success simultaneously.  The grand finale came after dinner when the successful hunt for dry wood fueled a giant tee-pee style fire along the shoreline.  Years of dreaming and plotting for a floating fire were finally realized, and the spectacle at dusk drew a crowd of onlookers from the adjoining campsites at Maple Grove.

A dream come true~the boys finally secured adult permission to launch a floating fire onto the lake.

Floating fire at sundown on Baker Lake

Hiking out on day 2, the boys doubled back to offer assistance with our packs.

The boys' physical strength, endurance and super competitive natures means that the hiking pace they prefer often leaves us in the dust.  However, after completing the hike out on day two, they doubled back in comfy shoes and offered to haul our packs for us on the final stretch of the trail. Sherpa service on the mountain trails ~ doesn't get much better than this!

Eagle Project Potential

Poised to launch an Eagle Project, Joseph visited a local 'non profit' recently and met with the volunteer coordinator.  At the start of their meeting, she said, "Your timing is divine!"  It's always nice to hear words like those at the beginning of a such a weighty undertaking.

Joseph's original connection with this local organization came as a result of a Boy Scout requirement for the Eagle required Citizenship in the Community merit badge.  He attended a six hour volunteer training course and worked a shift or two during an open house event.  A few other attempts were made to volunteer on a somewhat regular basis with the farm chores, but he never really fell into a routine. 

In an effort to be of service to a non-profit and lead a project toward earning his Eagle Rank, Joseph inquired about any possible project needs on the rural site.  It just so happens that a renovation of the teaching area and tack storage room are not only needed but also funded (!).   This potential Eagle Project is similar in many ways to the pigeon loft Joseph helped build under Grandpa Cliff's direction last year.  And unlike Zachary's Eagle Project, it does not {reportedly} require any building permits.

Looming on the horizon are a series of hoops for Joseph to jump through both at the farm and with the district Scouting powers-that-be for the final approval granting prior to any hammer swinging.  But the initial investigative steps have been taken, and the foundations of his Eagle Project are starting to take form.

Young Priest Climbs Tall Ladder {and 6 other stories}

Joseph competes in the individual medley relay at the district finals meet

1

In an all out effort, Joseph nearly earned himself a spot on the state swim team at the culmination of his first year competing in the varsity sport.  About one second distanced him from the opportunity to join his teammates at the state meet this weekend and defend his team's (four-year-running) state championship title in Washington AA swim and dive.  As a small consolation, Joseph and Tim will travel to the state meet and volunteer as timers for the finals, so Joseph will be on site to witness the excitement.  Though he would much rather be in the pool than on the deck, his final swims at the district meet were personal bests with a 1.11 breast 2.24 IM, and his team won the district title (again).

Peter sports his new Star Rank patch

2

Peter earned his Star Rank this week, after successfully completing all the requirements, which include a Scoutmaster conference and a board of review.  His next goal: Life Rank.  Peter's new leadership position, Troop Guide, will give him an opportunity to mentor the incoming Boy Scouts this spring and summer.  We lift up our prayers for the national leaders of the Boy Scouts of America, at this time when the organization faces a serious well-funded and skillfully launched attack as outside forces attempt to force their Pagan agenda upon it.

A photo texted home by Zachary from his retreat

3

Zachary's second semester at Notre Dame well under way, he fled campus last weekend with a bus full of dorm-mates and a few clerics for a short retreat on the shores of a frozen Michigan lake.  Talks, confession, Mass, and hours to explore the snowy wilderness gave this Knott Hall retreat its appeal.  We received several messages with photos (a dream come true!) and brief texts relating the successful tracking of various wild animals to their dens and moon lit explorations of the countryside.  Other funny text messages from Zac this week include:

• "I've spent probably over an hour explaining to people that I'm not afraid of bears." 
• In response to my apology for 'dropping the news so suddenly' that an elderly parishioner died: "Is there a less sudden method? She half died... three quarters...okay she died. Thanks for the update."
• In response to my texted request to 'take pictures' after the elated students and fans stormed the floor following the recently televised 4OT win by the Notre Dame basketball team:  "Of my TV?  I didn't manage to get a ticket."  I thought he was watching from the stands, not from his room.
• "Speechless" first thing in the morning on February 11th, alerting us to Pope Benedict's abdication.
• "I suddenly have realized why eating fish can be a penance."

Raw expansion opportunity

4

Tim acquired a new location our next pawn shop, this one in a neighboring town about thirty minutes south.  He will soon be outfitting, staffing and operating our fourth business, and the commute may require him to upgrade from the 1995 Toyota 4Runner he's driven the past decade and a half.  His staff recently expressed regret at the new vehicle possibility, since the roaring engine gives away his impending arrival by about two blocks, giving them plenty of time to get back to work and look busy before he bursts through the door.  No imminent plans for a stealth-mobile, but there's only so many miles his 4Runner can handle before it's mechanisms give up (car talk).

Father Josh on high before Sister first vows

5

The most unexpected sight at St. Joseph's Passionist Monastery in Kentucky had to be the young priest perched atop a 15 foot ladder just inside the chapel entrance.  Father Josh was pre-positioning a birds eye view camera soon-to-be stealthily operated during the Mass of Religious Profession for my friend, Sister Cecilia Maria.  I met Father Josh in the receiving line in the nuns' parlor after Mass, and learned that he operates Lolek Productions, and is a missionary in evangelizing our culture and sharing the Gospel through the media.  His team's efforts yielded a high quality vocation promotion video for the Passionist Nuns.  Check it out!

Peter, Father Joseph, and Joseph at Benediction

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Our Lenten prayers are joined with the worldwide Church for Pope Benedict XVI in these final weeks of his pontificate, and for his successor.

'Luke' looks up to Peter in goal

 7

Our delightful former foster twins routinely beg to come and visit us, according to their mom.  We schedule visits as often as we can, and love hearing their new words and funny expressions.  She still begs for food, he's still ambivalent towards meals; he loves to zoom around the house on the plasma car and she prefers to be next to someone.  They are in the potty training process, so they come with pull ups rather than diapers these days.  Two two and a halfs guarantee entertaining visits, but the fact that these two ask to go to Church whenever we're riding in the car together gives me something even greater to smile about.

Click over to Jen's place where nearly 200 other bloggers have shared their 7 Quick Takes!

Election Results {Joseph Victorious}

In a very close race for senior patrol leader, Joseph emerged victorious after the Boy Scout troop's election last week. Joseph will serve as the assistant senior patrol leader for the next six months, and begin his term as SPL in May 2013. 

Running against three other Scouts (worthy opponents all), and on his third attempt at being elected to this top position in the troop, Joseph carefully wrote and rehearsed his election speech and made sure all his merit badges were sewn onto this sash.   The question and answer session following the speeches gave Joseph an opportunity to practice impromptu speaking and crowd pleasing.

A series of junior leader trainings, or JLT (with sessions led and taught by the Scouts) and a planning meeting will kick off the new leadership terms this week, and a new round of boy leadership will begin again.  I must admit, I am pleased with the election results.  Hopefully this is a sign of good things and sound leadership to come...

On High {Summer Backpacking Trip}

View of Mt. Baker from the steep trail to Yellow Aster Butte

Just when we thought we weren't missing Zachary too terribly, a trip with the Boy Scout troop to one of his favorite local haunts brought home 'wish you were here' feelings, and great memories of our Scouting adventures together.

A break along the hike to Yellow Aster Meadows

Hiking without Zachary in the crew intensified the reality that he's missing, although he's not really missing, since we know right where to find him.  Wonder if he's missing the mountains yet...

Mr. B at dusk

Yellow Aster Butte has been the site of many grand adventures over the years with our BSA troop.  Tales are told of the time when Mr. J hiked the strenuous grade loaded down with a 70 lb. pack, which included fresh potato pancake batter and a gallon of orange juice for breakfast on day 2 {not your average backpacking fare!}.  I remember the night I nearly froze in my tent and pulled out my emergency blanket to cover my sleeping bag in the wee hours.  I awoke to find myself covered in condensation in a soggy sleeping bag, having warmed up so well under the non-permeable layer which simply collected the warmth and let me have it right back, drip by drip.

Three years ago on this trek, Joseph and Tim experienced serious mountain weather, but this year's trip fell in the middle of the longest dry spell on record.  Sunshine and clear skies on day one made for a sweaty hike and allowed for a few brave fellows to take a dip in the glacier fed tarn.  Day two opened with cloud cover, or rather, the campers exited their tents in the morning into the clouds which socked them in.

Their descent provided an opportunity to get to know one of the park rangers a little better, as an anonymous source had complained about the noise level in the Scouts' vicinity.  Threats of a citation, a need for contact information to 'follow up' and a good finger wagging were all on the agenda for the mid-trail mandatory (surprise) meeting with the ranger.  We all know the inherent risks involved with taking a group of teenage boys into the mountains! 

Caleb, Isaac, Nate, Mr. M, Enoch, Peter, Nicholas, Nathan and Connor on the summer snow

Time Flies {Zac's Last Boy Scout Meeting}

Zachary wears his Boy Scout uniform proudly on his final troop meeting night.

His 18th birthday only hours away, Zachary's final Boy Scout meeting found us hiking through the woods, over the tracks and to the rocky shores of Puget Sound for an evening adventure.  Happenings included bouldering, wading, a sand and seaweed burial, wildlife viewing, and molasses cookie eating.  Without a formal opening or closing ceremony or the usual crowd of Scouts in attendance, it was about as low-key as a Scout meeting can get.  It's probably just what Zachary would prefer in any event, a meeting straight out of the Dangerous Book for Boys.


Our drive home along the beautiful, winding, cliff-top Chuckanut Drive, graced with a gorgeous setting sun across the water over the not-too-distant San Juan Islands seemed apropos as a visual reminder of the passing of an era... And the full moon welcomed us home.

Zachary with the younger Scouts, perched atop the rocks at Clayton Beach.

Joseph going up...

Joseph coming down.

Owen going up (with a little help from his dad/Rod)

Peter, Enoch and Nate explore the shore.

Connor, Peter and Cameron put Nate a few feet under.

In his tomb of sand and seaweed, Nate takes a break.