Since my post about the MBC project, I have talked with a former staff member about some of the issues that we have dealt with that has led us to this decision of changing the cabin. We also discussed the frustration that we face when trying to provide excellent facilities for our staff who seemingly cannot take care of them. It has been mentioned to me before that it is usually only a handful of individuals that make housing or the bathrooms a "pig sty". I have no doubt that this is true, but then it saddens me to know that the majority allow it to happen. The funny thing is that I have lived through all this. I was a young scout my first season on the CP staff and it was a battle to keep my tent-cabin (wooden floor, partial wall wood/tent and ceiling tent) as clean as possible, but I did get it that way at the end of each week......despite my first roommate. Laundry was a chore, but I was able to muster the energy to get it done and although I often thought about emptying someones wet clothes onto the counter, I put them in the dryer......staff take care of staff. I know that things pile up, heck this happens in my current house today and I have to make a conscious effort to get rid of things I don't need. Unfortunately though, my idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.
Human nature must be that way. At my professional job we have a dedicated lounge that is a comfortable place to relax, have a beverage of soda, tea, coffee, milk, etc as well as a variety of snack foods; muffins, bagels, etc. My colleagues are well educated individuals all of whom have post-graduate degrees, married and have successful careers. So what do I face every time I walk into that lounge to get a cup of coffee? I find a small carton of milk (you know, the school sized ones) open, sitting on the counter with no one around. Someone doesn't like the creamer, so they go into the refrigerator, open a carton of milk, put just a drop or two into their precious coffee/tea and go on their merry way. If you did that home what would your mom or dad say......what would your wife say? So, do I throw it away not knowing how long it was there for or should I put it into the refrigerator? I open the refrigerator and there are seven......7....open cartons of milk.....???!!! You go to get a bagel or a donut or a muffin and the first thing you see is one that is partially torn apart. Someone didn't want a whole one, so instead they either tore a portion of one off or worse, they picked at it then left it behind. It was like the mice got to it. Look, eat it or use a knife to cut a piece off.....don't take your filthy hands and tear off a piece and leave us to mop up the crumbs you self-centered educated idiot!! You look around and find half empty soda pop cans, plates of food, plastic wrappings left on the counters and tables. What my educated colleagues need is a house mother to remind them of basic manners. Shameful.
......and now I expect my staff to perform or behave better?
I may not approve but I "get" the pile of wet clothes in the corner of the cabin, the un-made bed, clothes everywhere. What I don't get is the food. Why would you ever just let food go bad and rot because you just left it on your desk or the floor....and then why complain when the raccoons and mice show up for a snack?
However, to get to the root of the frustrations regarding our staff facilities is the physical damage done to our property. Season after season we some how cannot keep a door on its frame. I don't think that our staff goes around their home, their school or Seattle opening doors by kicking them open with their feet. Most people who are sentient usually reach out their arm and use their hand to turn the doorknob to open a door......apparently not our staff however. Maybe that is a Scout Physics law I have yet to define. Throwing things into the wall, putting holes through the walls, putting graffiti on the walls, I mean I could go on and on. The housing for staff is simple, but the worst we offer is a small cabin with bunk beds, an electric heater, lights and outlets which they might have to share with one or two of their peers. It protects them from the wind, rain and cold.....why wouldn't you take care of this? I could go on about the bathrooms but I try to keep this blog family friendly.
I am tired of designating money for repairing staff housing for things inflicted by the staff.....it takes away from other important things that we have to do. So as we renovate our buildings, I really have to think about how are we going to assure that they remain in good working order, at least for a few years. This may be a good start to get the staff to care for their home.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
January Ruminations
Alaska Airlines has always been a big supporter of the Chief Seattle Council as well as the BSA partly because the company embraces the values that the Boy Scouts stand for and as a result, the caliber of youth that come from the program. I was disappointed though when I learned today that the company has decided to stop printing its small "prayer" cards that accompany the food which is served in first class. These cards are usually one line items which are taken from the book of Psalms and do have the tendency to lean more towards the Christian faith than not. This has generated some discussions (at times vehement ones) from their passengers about the purpose and appropriateness of these cards. When they instituted this program many years ago (20-30 years I believe) it was based on an idea they found from another airline and they thought it was a good idea. I personally thought it was a nice touch and I am surprised by some of the negative reactions to that little card. That being said, the airline is a company that wishes to serve all and although they have the "right" to put out prayer cards they also wish to respect those who either have separate religious feelings or are either agnostic or atheistic and are offended by their presence. I can certainly understand their position as a) it will reduce some complaints, b) I doubt those who like the cards will be as vehement at their absence as those who were opposed of their presence and c) it probably will reduce some expense. For me, it really does not bother me one way or the other as although I thought they were a nice touch didn't really "move" me in any inspirational way.
All that being said, I am not a "bible thumper" in any way. Even though I am part of an organized religion I do have concerns about "institutionalized" religion. Any bureaucracy (including churches) are always fraught with human frailty. I know many "Christians" who have performed un-christian acts as I have observed agnostics be more "Christian" in their daily activities. This is not to be at odds with other religions outside of Christianity mind you. Simply put, going to a church doesn't make you any more of a Christian (or any other religion) than going to a garage makes you a mechanic.
What was that saying? Never bring up religion or politics in polite conversation.......
Camp has endured a fairly chilly period of time this past week. Ken was telling me that he was keeping his eyes on a couple of potential "problem" trees that were beginning to bend with the snow and ice. I often wonder if that was akin to watching "problem" scouts. They bend the wrong way when influenced by an outside malicious force and if they break under that strain, much like ice and snow on a large branch, they can cause expensive and possibly even irreparable damage. The problem is that you can take out problem trees.........that's not always the case for problem scouts. I guess one involves a chainsaw, the other is sending them out of camp. Not sure which one is for which though.
For all of you following the ongoing saga regarding Mystery Beach Cabin; well there is good news and bad news. The good news is that the cabin will be saved, the bad news is that it will no longer house staff under the age of 21.....indeed, it may well be designated as the commissioner cabin. The renovation schedule is set; the cabin has already been "gutted" and the plans call for a separate room for a shower and another for a toilet and sink. There will be three single bedrooms and a smaller "living" area than there was before. The cabin will be insulated and is planned for year round use. That latter part is good news as it gives us more options down the road when we have our new dining hall. So, like many of you, I have spent years in MBC and I am sad to see it change (again) into something else but I am happy that it will be renovated and more importantly....taken care of. We have a new housing strategy coming up which is being designed around several things to include: a) doors not being kicked in, b) holes not magically appearing in the wall, c) no graffiti showing up on walls, d) bathroom facilities that remain clean. Impossible you say? Probably, but we will give it a shot. Hey, if I have to pick between two evils then I am picking the one I have never tried before.
Work continues on the new dining hall but the money is not there. We continue collecting small donations but we haven't reached the mark yet at which we can begin with abandon. As each week passes, it is unlikely we will see a new dining hall now until 2014. That is fine, we can adapt and overcome as we have these past years....after all, the current building does have some character......it is just that we don't want it to become a "character".
All that being said, I am not a "bible thumper" in any way. Even though I am part of an organized religion I do have concerns about "institutionalized" religion. Any bureaucracy (including churches) are always fraught with human frailty. I know many "Christians" who have performed un-christian acts as I have observed agnostics be more "Christian" in their daily activities. This is not to be at odds with other religions outside of Christianity mind you. Simply put, going to a church doesn't make you any more of a Christian (or any other religion) than going to a garage makes you a mechanic.
What was that saying? Never bring up religion or politics in polite conversation.......
Camp has endured a fairly chilly period of time this past week. Ken was telling me that he was keeping his eyes on a couple of potential "problem" trees that were beginning to bend with the snow and ice. I often wonder if that was akin to watching "problem" scouts. They bend the wrong way when influenced by an outside malicious force and if they break under that strain, much like ice and snow on a large branch, they can cause expensive and possibly even irreparable damage. The problem is that you can take out problem trees.........that's not always the case for problem scouts. I guess one involves a chainsaw, the other is sending them out of camp. Not sure which one is for which though.
For all of you following the ongoing saga regarding Mystery Beach Cabin; well there is good news and bad news. The good news is that the cabin will be saved, the bad news is that it will no longer house staff under the age of 21.....indeed, it may well be designated as the commissioner cabin. The renovation schedule is set; the cabin has already been "gutted" and the plans call for a separate room for a shower and another for a toilet and sink. There will be three single bedrooms and a smaller "living" area than there was before. The cabin will be insulated and is planned for year round use. That latter part is good news as it gives us more options down the road when we have our new dining hall. So, like many of you, I have spent years in MBC and I am sad to see it change (again) into something else but I am happy that it will be renovated and more importantly....taken care of. We have a new housing strategy coming up which is being designed around several things to include: a) doors not being kicked in, b) holes not magically appearing in the wall, c) no graffiti showing up on walls, d) bathroom facilities that remain clean. Impossible you say? Probably, but we will give it a shot. Hey, if I have to pick between two evils then I am picking the one I have never tried before.
Work continues on the new dining hall but the money is not there. We continue collecting small donations but we haven't reached the mark yet at which we can begin with abandon. As each week passes, it is unlikely we will see a new dining hall now until 2014. That is fine, we can adapt and overcome as we have these past years....after all, the current building does have some character......it is just that we don't want it to become a "character".
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
The Influence Of One
It was hard not to expand on yesterday's post as I really wanted the communication to stand by itself, but as I mentioned before, that simple e-mail captures so much. Each season brings close to 3,000 scouts to Camp Parsons. In my position, I seldom interact with any one scout but instead look out onto the parade field before meals and ceremonies and just see a large number of scouts and adults. I often wonder to myself how this organized chaos seems to work so well. Scouts are running here and there; you go to a merit badge class and you are amazed that anything gets done given the attention span of a young scout; you watch them try to row a boat, paddle a canoe and realize they have no idea what the heck they are doing. How does any of that translate to finding an interest? Apparently it does.
This past year, we had a visit from a young man both at camp school as well as camp during staff week. This gentleman is part of a crew that participates in professional rowing races and was part of a team that rowed across the Atlantic some time ago. Where did his passion for rowing come from? From his time as a scout here at Camp Parsons. It was something that he had not done before, rowing on open water and it became a passion for him. I have heard similar stories from individuals who went on our Silver Marmot hikes who have developed a passion for hiking, camping and climbing. When you hear these stories over and over again it begins to sink in that we are doing something good on the Hood Canal as well as countless other scout camps throughout the US. I think it is good for our staff to understand what influence they potentially have on any one of our scouts who come to camp. It could be a guitar song that may get them interested in a musical instrument or taking the time to help a scout develop a skill whether it be rowing, knot tying or doing crafts that might light a fire of interest in that scout for that particular activity. Who knows? One of the best commercials that the BSA ever had (in my opinion) was one that aired in the late 70's. It started off with a well known personality, in this instance it was Bruce Jenner (Decathlon Gold Medal winner) who started it off by saying, "If you start a Boy Scout Troop in your neighborhood you have no guarantee that one of your scouts will grow up to be a Decathlon winner..." and it went on to show Jimmy Stewart who simple says "..an actor", Neil Armstrong..."the first man to walk on the moon" and other notable figures all of whom were either scouts or Eagle Scouts. The last one was Gerald Ford who ended the commercial by saying "....or even the President of the United States....but then again, you never know."
Many notable personalities started off with humble beginnings and were influenced by their upbringing and experiences they encountered, many of which involved a mentor. Take Gerald Ford for instance; he never sought the presidency, he was just a well respected, experienced congressman from Michigan. In a matter of months, he went from a little known name to become the president. Could you imagine being his scoutmaster? We have had several political leaders grow up at Camp Parsons, Brinkley and the former Omache. Some of those individuals who had influence over them continue to do the same for the scouts of today. Again, what we do is important and has a purpose if for nothing else than having the opportunity to instill those values found within the program that we hold so dear into our membership. It has been said many times before, scouting is a game with a purpose.
Everything we do has the potential to have an impact on an individual. This is what we drive into our staff when train them each season; our sole purpose is to serve those scouts who attend camp. This is their only week of camping and our only week to give them every opportunity to sample as much of camp as they can. They will be exposed to the values of scouting by the way we do things but most importantly, they will have fun while doing it. After all, we are a summer camp, not a summer school. If we make our mark on even one scout that attends camp, then we have done our job.
This past year, we had a visit from a young man both at camp school as well as camp during staff week. This gentleman is part of a crew that participates in professional rowing races and was part of a team that rowed across the Atlantic some time ago. Where did his passion for rowing come from? From his time as a scout here at Camp Parsons. It was something that he had not done before, rowing on open water and it became a passion for him. I have heard similar stories from individuals who went on our Silver Marmot hikes who have developed a passion for hiking, camping and climbing. When you hear these stories over and over again it begins to sink in that we are doing something good on the Hood Canal as well as countless other scout camps throughout the US. I think it is good for our staff to understand what influence they potentially have on any one of our scouts who come to camp. It could be a guitar song that may get them interested in a musical instrument or taking the time to help a scout develop a skill whether it be rowing, knot tying or doing crafts that might light a fire of interest in that scout for that particular activity. Who knows? One of the best commercials that the BSA ever had (in my opinion) was one that aired in the late 70's. It started off with a well known personality, in this instance it was Bruce Jenner (Decathlon Gold Medal winner) who started it off by saying, "If you start a Boy Scout Troop in your neighborhood you have no guarantee that one of your scouts will grow up to be a Decathlon winner..." and it went on to show Jimmy Stewart who simple says "..an actor", Neil Armstrong..."the first man to walk on the moon" and other notable figures all of whom were either scouts or Eagle Scouts. The last one was Gerald Ford who ended the commercial by saying "....or even the President of the United States....but then again, you never know."
Many notable personalities started off with humble beginnings and were influenced by their upbringing and experiences they encountered, many of which involved a mentor. Take Gerald Ford for instance; he never sought the presidency, he was just a well respected, experienced congressman from Michigan. In a matter of months, he went from a little known name to become the president. Could you imagine being his scoutmaster? We have had several political leaders grow up at Camp Parsons, Brinkley and the former Omache. Some of those individuals who had influence over them continue to do the same for the scouts of today. Again, what we do is important and has a purpose if for nothing else than having the opportunity to instill those values found within the program that we hold so dear into our membership. It has been said many times before, scouting is a game with a purpose.
Everything we do has the potential to have an impact on an individual. This is what we drive into our staff when train them each season; our sole purpose is to serve those scouts who attend camp. This is their only week of camping and our only week to give them every opportunity to sample as much of camp as they can. They will be exposed to the values of scouting by the way we do things but most importantly, they will have fun while doing it. After all, we are a summer camp, not a summer school. If we make our mark on even one scout that attends camp, then we have done our job.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Leaving A Mark.....
During staff training we consistently emphasize the fact that the sole reason that the staff exist is to serve the scouts. They are our purpose in life, they give Camp Parsons life, they are the reason why Camp exists. Although we deal with merit badge classes or we deal with troops, the individual scout is the focus of our attention. While they are at camp they are exposed to many influences; from camping in tents or cabins, eating in a large dining hall or cooking their own meals and they have an opportunity to learn many new skills. This is the purpose for merit badges; it may introduce them to an activity or skill that may turn into a lifelong passion or desire. So with that being said I was very proud today when I received this e-mail through our camp's website:
Hello,
I wanted to share something with you about your camp. My son attended Camp Parsons 3 years ago. He had never fired a gun in his life. He went on to be in the dime club and beat everyone in that camp session. Well fast forward 3 years. He is one of the top shooters in the country shooting both nationally and internationally. He will find out next month if he qualified for the Junior Olympics in Colorado Springs. He hopes to qualify for the Olympics in 2016 or 2020 to represent the United States of America.
Your camp has provided this opportunity for him to discover a natural talent. I commend your camp Counselor for taking their time to work with our youth.
In a paragraph this e-mail sums up the purpose not only of Camp Parsons but of the Boy Scouts of America. Although character development is the key to the program, all types of experiences feed into this. The scout that is mentioned here was exposed to a skill that has become a major part of his life. The fact that our staff members took the time to work with the scout instead of just dismissing him amongst the hordes of others speaks volumes.
I could go on extolling the benefits of what camp or the program brings, but I don't think I could say it any better than this simple e-mail.
It makes it all worthwhile doesn't it?
Hello,
I wanted to share something with you about your camp. My son attended Camp Parsons 3 years ago. He had never fired a gun in his life. He went on to be in the dime club and beat everyone in that camp session. Well fast forward 3 years. He is one of the top shooters in the country shooting both nationally and internationally. He will find out next month if he qualified for the Junior Olympics in Colorado Springs. He hopes to qualify for the Olympics in 2016 or 2020 to represent the United States of America.
Your camp has provided this opportunity for him to discover a natural talent. I commend your camp Counselor for taking their time to work with our youth.
In a paragraph this e-mail sums up the purpose not only of Camp Parsons but of the Boy Scouts of America. Although character development is the key to the program, all types of experiences feed into this. The scout that is mentioned here was exposed to a skill that has become a major part of his life. The fact that our staff members took the time to work with the scout instead of just dismissing him amongst the hordes of others speaks volumes.
I could go on extolling the benefits of what camp or the program brings, but I don't think I could say it any better than this simple e-mail.
It makes it all worthwhile doesn't it?
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
It's Just Snow
Give it a break.........it is "rain" by any other name; sure, cold and annoying.....but still rain. All the social media, all the news media, everybody....snow this, snow that, OMG...SNOW!!!! Look, I know we don't usually see it all the time on the lowlands, but we do see it every other year and whether it is a dusting or 3 feet, everything comes to a grinding halt. However there is nothing we can do about it. Why would you spend millions upon millions of dollars on equipment that you will need for only a few days each year? Suck it up, stay at home unless you have to get out and if you do then take it easy.
A few of us cannot skip work. Even if I couldn't get to work today, they would have sent someone out to get me. The good thing for me though was that the roads were generally empty today. On my way in I saw a few things that brings home the knowledge that there is always one more imbecile in the crowd than you counted on. As I was heading down a major arterial, there was a guy trying to ride his bicycle on the road, in a lane. With all four of my wheels going, I was still moving around a little bit sliding here and there. Nothing too bad, but enough to possibly clip this guy as I went by. More importantly, by the time I got near him, he had already fallen.....twice. He would then try to peddle a little before he put both feet on the ground (still straddling the bike) and tippy-toe the ground to keep balance. Seriously? He might as well have walked given the rate he was going. Of course I also noted a picture in the Seattle Times today of a guy on a bicycle on University Ave. The caption said, "he still keeps going even though he has fallen three times...." I wonder what would happen if he got hit by a car. I know, the driver would be cited and the bike enthusiasts in Seattle would rush to the bicyclist defense saying that he had every right to be on the road. Well, yes he did have the right AND he is also responsible for his actions in the fact that he cannot control his transportation mode as much as the cars cannot. In snow and ice, two wheels are more risky than four. The other thing I noticed were all the "big" trucks zipping about. You know the ones I am talking about, they are usually owned by teenagers or guys in their early 20's.......or guys in their 50's who act like they are teenagers. Yes, they do have four wheel drive...all four of which slide when you take a corner too fast. This one guy came too wide and his left front wheel got stuck on the wrong side of the small median dividing north and south lanes. He went careening down the road until the divider stopped and he was able to regain control of his vehicle. Thankfully, no one was injured and nothing got hit.
So snow brings out the idiots of the world and throws everyone else into a panic. Except at camp where there is now a world class sliding hill on the trail formerly known as the Trading Post to Craft Lodge trail. Not only that, if you can look closely at this picture there is ice forming on the Hood Canal.....brrrrrrrr....can it really be that cold? Regardless, stop complaining and enjoy it while you can....just be prepared.
A few of us cannot skip work. Even if I couldn't get to work today, they would have sent someone out to get me. The good thing for me though was that the roads were generally empty today. On my way in I saw a few things that brings home the knowledge that there is always one more imbecile in the crowd than you counted on. As I was heading down a major arterial, there was a guy trying to ride his bicycle on the road, in a lane. With all four of my wheels going, I was still moving around a little bit sliding here and there. Nothing too bad, but enough to possibly clip this guy as I went by. More importantly, by the time I got near him, he had already fallen.....twice. He would then try to peddle a little before he put both feet on the ground (still straddling the bike) and tippy-toe the ground to keep balance. Seriously? He might as well have walked given the rate he was going. Of course I also noted a picture in the Seattle Times today of a guy on a bicycle on University Ave. The caption said, "he still keeps going even though he has fallen three times...." I wonder what would happen if he got hit by a car. I know, the driver would be cited and the bike enthusiasts in Seattle would rush to the bicyclist defense saying that he had every right to be on the road. Well, yes he did have the right AND he is also responsible for his actions in the fact that he cannot control his transportation mode as much as the cars cannot. In snow and ice, two wheels are more risky than four. The other thing I noticed were all the "big" trucks zipping about. You know the ones I am talking about, they are usually owned by teenagers or guys in their early 20's.......or guys in their 50's who act like they are teenagers. Yes, they do have four wheel drive...all four of which slide when you take a corner too fast. This one guy came too wide and his left front wheel got stuck on the wrong side of the small median dividing north and south lanes. He went careening down the road until the divider stopped and he was able to regain control of his vehicle. Thankfully, no one was injured and nothing got hit.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
My "Little" Camp
Have you ever noticed that some people can be very demeaning yet be oblivious to their own behavior? I think we all have said something that came out far differently than what we meant it to come out as. Things like, "well, that was stupid" or "stop acting incompetent" or "it doesn't matter, you look great in anything..." These are things that make you cringe when you hear them come out of your mouth yet it is too late to stop or reverse the impact. Perhaps even worse is when you hear from a second party who relays to you how upset the individual at the receiving end of your little quip was. These are the times that you wish life had a reverse button so you could go back and either stop or change what you say.
I was at work the other day when a colleague passed me and nonchalantly said, "were you up at your little camp this past weekend?" I don't know if it was the fact that I was not in a good mood or it was the way he said it to me, but the fuse was lit. I turned around and laid into this particular person, asking about what he meant by that statement. I think I caught him off guard because the amount of back peddling he did would have gotten him into the Guinness book of world records. He was just trying to make small talk when he made that little quip. I am sure after we parted ways he made a mental note not to bring up that topic again.
Why did I go off? Well, first of all the camp is not little; 440 acres of prime timber and a mile and a half of waterfront, numerous buildings, 45,000 gallons of fresh water storage, 4 active wells, countless flush toilets and showers, a 550 foot pier and a 400 person dining hall. This multi-million dollar facility is more than just "little" it is an active facility requiring ongoing professional and volunteer maintenance and generates a significant net profit to fund its activities as well as those of the Chief Seattle Council. It is not "little" in the fact that it affects over 3,000 scouts and scouters who come during the 8 week season nor is it "little" in the program that is offered. It is not "little" when looked upon as an active part of the Pacific Northwest history. We may be "little" in some aspects but the camp is huge in regards to how it affects people who spend time there.
Yes, those are some of the reasons why I went off. More importantly though, it was my reaction to the perceived dismissal of a fantastic program in a single statement. Most people outside of scouting don't know what the scouting program offers or the values that it instills in young men. Many look upon the program as a bunch of bratty, pre-teen boys running around in uniforms run by morbidly obese individuals who wear ridiculous uniforms along with a campaign hat who have a nasty habit of allowing pedophiles to infiltrate their ranks. I find it interesting that those people who view the program in that manner consider themselves "open-minded" yet hypocritically stereotype a historical program in that manner. Harsh words? You bet, but I am not going to have the good work that many scoutmasters do as well as our dedicated staff members be denigrated in any way due to the mis-actions of a few. It is amazing the questions I get from people who don't understand the basis of the BSA program yet feel free to have an opinion based on a TV newscast or an op-ed piece in a questionable printed publication.
I can easily denigrate numerous programs I see in my community as being nothing but "fluff" programs that add nothing to the individual and more importantly, nothing to the community as a whole. However I don't because it is obvious that it is important to that (or those) individual(s) or it simply may be just fun. What they believe in or what they do has no bearing on me unless it interferes with my course in life. So yes, I laid into my colleague for his presumptuous, yet minimal statement which really was not much about what he said as opposed to how he said it. There is nothing little about our camp and there is nothing little about the BSA program. I don't think he will make small talk with me anymore.
Snow at camp, at least 1/2 foot but enough to take out the power. Thank goodness for a generator as we can fire that up and get the Traeger out.......nothing like a good steak along with oysters cooking with snow falling all around you.
I was at work the other day when a colleague passed me and nonchalantly said, "were you up at your little camp this past weekend?" I don't know if it was the fact that I was not in a good mood or it was the way he said it to me, but the fuse was lit. I turned around and laid into this particular person, asking about what he meant by that statement. I think I caught him off guard because the amount of back peddling he did would have gotten him into the Guinness book of world records. He was just trying to make small talk when he made that little quip. I am sure after we parted ways he made a mental note not to bring up that topic again.
Why did I go off? Well, first of all the camp is not little; 440 acres of prime timber and a mile and a half of waterfront, numerous buildings, 45,000 gallons of fresh water storage, 4 active wells, countless flush toilets and showers, a 550 foot pier and a 400 person dining hall. This multi-million dollar facility is more than just "little" it is an active facility requiring ongoing professional and volunteer maintenance and generates a significant net profit to fund its activities as well as those of the Chief Seattle Council. It is not "little" in the fact that it affects over 3,000 scouts and scouters who come during the 8 week season nor is it "little" in the program that is offered. It is not "little" when looked upon as an active part of the Pacific Northwest history. We may be "little" in some aspects but the camp is huge in regards to how it affects people who spend time there.
Yes, those are some of the reasons why I went off. More importantly though, it was my reaction to the perceived dismissal of a fantastic program in a single statement. Most people outside of scouting don't know what the scouting program offers or the values that it instills in young men. Many look upon the program as a bunch of bratty, pre-teen boys running around in uniforms run by morbidly obese individuals who wear ridiculous uniforms along with a campaign hat who have a nasty habit of allowing pedophiles to infiltrate their ranks. I find it interesting that those people who view the program in that manner consider themselves "open-minded" yet hypocritically stereotype a historical program in that manner. Harsh words? You bet, but I am not going to have the good work that many scoutmasters do as well as our dedicated staff members be denigrated in any way due to the mis-actions of a few. It is amazing the questions I get from people who don't understand the basis of the BSA program yet feel free to have an opinion based on a TV newscast or an op-ed piece in a questionable printed publication.
I can easily denigrate numerous programs I see in my community as being nothing but "fluff" programs that add nothing to the individual and more importantly, nothing to the community as a whole. However I don't because it is obvious that it is important to that (or those) individual(s) or it simply may be just fun. What they believe in or what they do has no bearing on me unless it interferes with my course in life. So yes, I laid into my colleague for his presumptuous, yet minimal statement which really was not much about what he said as opposed to how he said it. There is nothing little about our camp and there is nothing little about the BSA program. I don't think he will make small talk with me anymore.
Snow at camp, at least 1/2 foot but enough to take out the power. Thank goodness for a generator as we can fire that up and get the Traeger out.......nothing like a good steak along with oysters cooking with snow falling all around you.
Monday, January 16, 2012
A Working Party
This past weekend we had our usual monthly work party at camp and boy, what a party it was. More people showed up than we were expecting.....all (well mostly all ) with construction talent. I had to rearrange my schedule as the dining hall committee had a meeting with the Civil Engineer who is designing the service road into the new dining hall. I can tell you that after that meeting I have heard enough about grades, permits and even being "civil". The meeting went well and we were able to agree on a course of action. Greg Batie who was also in attendance took the afternoon to get a jump on the electrical project for the new Trading Post.
We had a number of staff members show up, in particular Andy Briggs, Andy Hoyle, Chris LaLonde and Derek Hayes along with his father Steve. They all pitched in on the Trading Post helping out not only Greg Batie but Greg Hammond who also attended along with Trent. Gary Smith also attended our meeting and then spent the weekend working on the Trading Post as well as Tom Rogers and Meredith Daniels. Basically, when we say "working" this essentially is having Batie measure something out, drill a hole through what he marked then drag wire through that hole. Simple? Not so fast my friend, it is amazing that to do that job right you need to be part contortionist. In any event, the doors are on, the windows in, plumbing is mostly done and the electrical is just about there as well. Finally we may get this thing done.
We were surprised to have Dennis Hummel and a buddy of his come up on Saturday as well. Dennis worked at CP in the 70's and spent two years as Head Cook. To this day I still believe that he ran the most efficient (and feared) kitchen of all the staffs I have worked on. I worked as his assistant cook for one season and enjoyed myself.....thank goodness the scars have healed. Dennis and his buddy were able to change out the door on the doctor's cabin. That was a project that had been on the list for some time.
Matt Jainga and Chris Myers were up on Saturday as well and along with Ralph Gorg and Bruce Duncan cut down the remnants of a large tree that was hanging precariously over the Mt. Olympus campsite. Not really in a place to do any physical harm to the structures there, but one heck of an attractive nuisance for scouts to try and climb up on. You see, that is Scout Physics Law #12; any inanimate object which has one end on the ground and angled so that the other end is at least (but not less than) 50 feet above the ground exerts an irreversible attraction to scouts.
I know that I have left out someone (Jim Watson, Alan Hutchinson and Sam Eng), but every ones help was appreciated particularly from Ken who was happy with all the work that was done. He was a little worried about the food as he didn't know that these many people were coming, but we had plenty of lasagna left over when everything was done. It was good chatting to the boys in the evening, even if it was freezing up there on the canal.
42 applications have been received; half from returning staff and half from "new" staff (many of whom were CITs last summer). We are off to a good start for 2012.
We had a number of staff members show up, in particular Andy Briggs, Andy Hoyle, Chris LaLonde and Derek Hayes along with his father Steve. They all pitched in on the Trading Post helping out not only Greg Batie but Greg Hammond who also attended along with Trent. Gary Smith also attended our meeting and then spent the weekend working on the Trading Post as well as Tom Rogers and Meredith Daniels. Basically, when we say "working" this essentially is having Batie measure something out, drill a hole through what he marked then drag wire through that hole. Simple? Not so fast my friend, it is amazing that to do that job right you need to be part contortionist. In any event, the doors are on, the windows in, plumbing is mostly done and the electrical is just about there as well. Finally we may get this thing done.
We were surprised to have Dennis Hummel and a buddy of his come up on Saturday as well. Dennis worked at CP in the 70's and spent two years as Head Cook. To this day I still believe that he ran the most efficient (and feared) kitchen of all the staffs I have worked on. I worked as his assistant cook for one season and enjoyed myself.....thank goodness the scars have healed. Dennis and his buddy were able to change out the door on the doctor's cabin. That was a project that had been on the list for some time.
Matt Jainga and Chris Myers were up on Saturday as well and along with Ralph Gorg and Bruce Duncan cut down the remnants of a large tree that was hanging precariously over the Mt. Olympus campsite. Not really in a place to do any physical harm to the structures there, but one heck of an attractive nuisance for scouts to try and climb up on. You see, that is Scout Physics Law #12; any inanimate object which has one end on the ground and angled so that the other end is at least (but not less than) 50 feet above the ground exerts an irreversible attraction to scouts.
I know that I have left out someone (Jim Watson, Alan Hutchinson and Sam Eng), but every ones help was appreciated particularly from Ken who was happy with all the work that was done. He was a little worried about the food as he didn't know that these many people were coming, but we had plenty of lasagna left over when everything was done. It was good chatting to the boys in the evening, even if it was freezing up there on the canal.
42 applications have been received; half from returning staff and half from "new" staff (many of whom were CITs last summer). We are off to a good start for 2012.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)