Insane or Scouting!

It has been a couple of weeks since my last update, but life happens, I guess it just happens a lot more in my household. We are hurriedly planning the fishing, camping, vacation schedule for the family throughout most of the year. In my household if things are not planned well in advance there is the possibility that we wont be able to attend. Unless it is a trip to Disneyland, we have been know to plan those in as little as 24 hours.

So as the schedule goes we have many camping trips planned with friends, and by ourselves. We will be hitting our old favorites again this year, Hat Creek and Shasta, but also trying out some new places as well. I think this year we have planned a coast camping trip. Although we have done this at Salt Pointe State Park with the boys scout troop we have never been to the coast with friends camping.

It seems that our oldest, Jacob, has earned his Star Scout award, and is almost done with his Life Scout, now it is just a matter of time, literally. Six months as a Star Scout is one of the requirements, and we are just waiting that out. That will be in July sometime. Then he will be a Life Scout, this is usually when young men work on their Eagle Scout projects. Although Jake has not decided on what his project will be he is diligently searching for projects that he might be able to complete. He should have his project done and his write up complete before his 14th birthday, and hopefully his Eagle board of review before that. He only has a couple of required merit badges left and he will be completing those either before or during Scout camp in August. Jared is diligently working on progressing ranks this year. He earned his tenderfoot and is almost done with 2nd Class and 1st Class. Jordan is progressing in Cub Scouts too. He will earn his Wolf award in the next few months, and in June will advance to a Bear Scout.

The boys are not the only ones involved in Scouting. I am too. I have been the Committee Chair for Pack 188, 288, 440 and 240 for a couple of years now. On top of that I am the treasurer for Troop 12 and just found out a couple of weeks ago that they want me to be Committee Chair for Crew 12 (which is the Venturing Crew attached to Troop 12). Of course I said yes, how could I pass up an opportunity to spend more time in Scouting. Jake and Jared are going to Scout camp for a week in August and mom is tagging along, as a leader. Of course, this year they had to pick going back to Camp Wente up near Willitis, instead of Catalina Island again. Why do I always miss the good trips?

Yesterday I attended Pow Wow training in Benicia. For those that are not familiar about Pow Wow it is a supplemental training for Cub Scout Leaders. I attended with some friends from another pack and we had a great time. I think my favorite class was outdoor cooking. I think I have learned to cook anything from a hard boiled egg in a wax cup to chocolate chip cookies in a box. We are going to have some fun this year when we are camping with the kids.

Friends in Scouting are trying to convince me to attend Wood Badge this year (another supplemental training for Scout leaders, but an awesome class). I have been debating on taking it for a few years now, but my schedule just never worked out. I thought I had it all figured out and was planning on attending late this year, when the mail came on Thursday. I got an invitation to attend Philmont in New Mexico this year. An invitation to Philmont can be a once in a lifetime opportunity. They have a great program for leaders and the while family is invited, which they have programs for them to attend as well. Well that threw a big wrench in the middle of everything. Now what to do? I really want to attend both as they really are once in a lifetime opportunities, but now it will be a game of wait and see. I am definitely shooting for Philmont, and plan on attending if I can get the time off. I talked to the Wood Badge instructor yesterday and it sounds like I may be able to hold off and make a decision by late July. Hopefully that is the case and I can do both.

So for the most part we look forward to another exciting year in Scouting with some major achievements. Jake getting his Eagle Scout award, Mom attending Philmont and Wood Badge. Jordan getting his next rank, and Jared on track to reach Eagle prior to turning 14 as well. Its a great year for Scouting!