6.10.2010

Scouts and Accomplishments

So several months ago I wrote that I would be updating this blog and letting you know how we were managing to accomplish the Boy Scout journey without compromising my son's Sabbath observances. At the time it felt like a dismal and daunting task, some days it still does! Yet today I am happy to say that just a little over 1 years since he transitioned to Boy Scouts he has earned his First Class Scout Rank.

For those of you who don't know much about the ranks, you earn them in this order:

Scout
Tenderfoot
Second Class
First Class
Star
Life
Eagle

The first 4 ranks are about learning the scout skills, hiking, camping, first aid, orienteering, cooking, swimming, etc.

The last 3 ranks become learning your leadership skills, serving in a leadership role in the troop, earning merit badges, learning about and planning their Eagle projects. These ranks are timed, so to speak, you must remain in these ranks for a certain time period. This keeps boys from rushing ahead and getting to the end of the journey as clueless as when they started. This is where the true Eagle Scouts come from. Those boys who hang in there, earn the badges, serve the troop and stay active.

We have camped, hiked, oriented ourselves, cooked, etc.....all with respect to his Sabbath and we have managed to get this far! YAY!!!!! Joseph is so proud of himself and is so motivated to continue that it is hard not to be caught up in his enthusiasm.

Monday night we will have our Court of Honor and watch him receive his Rank and Merit Badges. I will try not to cry, just because I am that kind of Mama :)

Now off to plan more events for these Scouts!

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