BSA Troop 373 Smoke Signals

SCOUTMASTER’S MINUTE

by Wally Werner

One Medals in Sports, the Other in Life

With the Winter Olympics this past couple of weeks; I have had tremendous feelings of patriotism and pride. Yes, the spirit of the Olympic Games is contagious! Every two years the world comes together to compete in events ranging from archery to the decathlon, skiing to hockey. Individuals are crowned the best athletes in the world. We cheer them on an celebrate their achievements. Athletes who win medals become instant role models for our children and become national if not international celebrities.

I pause to think how each of us can achieve such a dream and make a difference. Naturally, I turn to Scouting. I begin to compare the journey of an Olympic athlete to that of a Scout. Each demands discipline and commitment.

An athlete must select a sport and become a master of it in order to win a Gold Medal. A Scout must complete many different requirements to advance in rank and become and Eagle Scout.

An athlete gives of himself completely to perfect his sport. A Scout gives of himself completely to help other people.

An athlete relies on his coach for instruction. A Scout learns to be a leader to provide direction for others.

An Olympic athlete is physically fit and a good sportsman. A Scout promises to do his best, do his duty to God and his country, to help other people, and to obey the Scout law.

An athlete practices his sport tirelessly every day. A Scout does a good turn daily.

An athlete is a trained competitor. A Scout is taught to do his best.

The dedication, commitment and talent possessed by the athlete and the Scout is nothing short of amazing. They have achieved a dream and made a difference. They have risen to the top and have had the honor of representing their country. They have left a mark and will go down in history.

Yes, there are many similarities in each of these outstanding individuals: the Olympic athlete and the Scout. One medals in sports, and the other in life. Each can be proud of their performance for they truly make a difference and give us all a goal to strive for personally.

So let’s applaud each for their accomplishments and their contributions and continue to work together so that every child has the opportunity to live their dream!

Philmont is considered the ultimate high adventure Boy Scout opportunity. It’s 12 days of backpack hiking (5 to 12 miles a day) and camping in the beautiful northern New Mexico wilderness with stops along the way at many camps with different activities such as rifle shooting, horseback riding, gold panning, climbing, mountain biking, burro racing, and more.

2002 dates (with Troop 345)~(July 27 arrival-Aug 8 departure~10 days on trail) (Max 6)

Our Philmont trek is from July 27 through August 8. Our first organizational meeting (with the four from Troop 345) is scheduled for Saturday Feb 2.

Scout must be 14 by January 1 of the trek year or completed 8th grade and be at least 13 prior to participation.

That's right a whole week to float this incredible section of the San Juan. Many people think this is more beautiful than the Grand Canyon.
We put our name in the lottery for this before Christmas and there is a good chance we will get it. We will spend 7 days on the river going from Sand Island to Clay Hills.......a once in a lifetime adventure....
Cost: food, float or canoe equipment rental and transport, and $18 per person for BLM permit.

EAGLE NEST WILDERNESS FISHING AND BACKPACK TRIP – July 20-27

You got it.....People said the trip last summer to this wonderful area wasn't long enough. Well, it will be a full 7 days this year and organized so that the younger scouts are lower on the creek and older scouts (in groups of 10) are upstream every few miles to provide a true wilderness experience. This will give the scouts lots of exposure to wilderness camping and fishing. We plan to bring the llamas again (to help carry food) and probably will throw in some rock climbing to spice it up. And, oh yeah, the fly-fishing is great.
Cost: food and transport to and from Silverthorne CO., and lots of sweat.

CUMBRES-TOLTEC NARROW GAUGE RAILROAD TRIP – August 7-10

Get this!!!!! We ride on a narrow gauge railroad into some of the wildest country in Southern Colorado and New Mexico along the Los Pinos River (the fishing is also great here because the access is limited). We pull our backpacks off the train and hike to our camp along Cascade Creek in the Los Pinos Wilderness. We fish and hike for three days and come home Saturday to beat the traffic.
Cost: food, train ticket, transport to and from Antonito, Co.