Busy September

This September is on course to be the busiest since I started working for the BSA. We're into the third week of round-ups and I will be at 3 this week which wraps up round 1 for my area. Next will be re-dos for units that did not do as well as they are able to do. I've felt a little bad that I have been so busy in my area that I have not been able to provide Brian with as much support as I would have liked to. For the most part other folks have been able to step up, but that's a lot more difficult to do when trying to coordinate it over phone and e-mail.

Last weekend our Lodge hosted the Section C-1B Conclave at Camp Rokilio, just down the road from me. I chose to attend for the weekend and had a good time. The highlight of the weekend was the Wako Chapter Pedalboat Challenge. After having two pedalboats break during relay races in the afternoon we needed to move them up a large hill from the waterfront to the maintenance building so I collected a posse of arrowmen from my chapter and went to it. With four guys on my boat and six on the other it was decided by the other team to make a race when we were about halfway up the hill. Suprisingly we only lost by a few feet after sending people in our path scattering for safety. Otherwise it was a lot of fun but I did not get nearly enough sleep and they need to learn to be more spirited. This lodge here doesn't even have a good songbook.

This weekend was our fall camporee. Go figure, it rained. I actually only slept out on Saturday after having Brian take Friday night. He actually managed to have no rain all the way through his shift. It started raining about 3 hours after I arrived back in camp on Saturday and lasted well into the evening. I relented in my "deal with it, it's rain" theory and we retreated into the dining hall for dinner, Scout's Own and the campfire. The decision received good reviews. The other different part for the weekend was that I played Pastor Jake and led the Scout's Own service with a simple non-denominational script and entirely off the cuff sermon on taking time to see God's handiwork in the out of doors. I followed this up with a Scoutmaster's Minute for the campfire based around my favorite Teddy Roosevelt quote;

• It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.
  • Citizenship in a Republic - a speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, France (23 April 1910)

Right now I am watching the battle of the weak with Green Bay leading the Lions by 10 in the 4th. My picks this week are going to bomb. Oh well, at least I won last week. Hopefully my fantasy team will do better.

Nothing else profound comes to mind at the moment. Until next time.