Woodbeads I - Part Two: Lost Lake

Woodbeads I was held from Thursday, July 16 through Sunday July 19, 2015, at scenic Lost Lake, Oregon.  For me personally, this was the adventure of the summer, and a life-changing moment. 

When I was a boy in the Boy Scouts, I had every intention of continuing as an Assistant Scoutmaster, and hopefully later, a Scoutmaster of my own troop.  I knew of Woodbadge and intented to start down the path of getting trained.  In fact, I had completed a locally run course called "Mountain Man", which taught a lot of the basics.  But the times being what they were, I knew my time with the BSA was to be cut short, but it was the best thing for my sanity at the time; I mean, I was only 18, and needed time to discover my identity, since it had been all but shoved to the back of the closet.

When I took the helm of BPSA-US back in the 2007-2008 timeframe, it was very much on my to-do list to arrange for a Woodbeads (WFIS equivalent of WOSM's "Woodbadge") course here in the United States.  There were so many things we needed to get done at that time, between writing handbooks and assembling policies, the idea of doing a Woodbeads course seemed so far in the future.  I remember speaking with Ric Raynor on the phone about doing a course, along with lots of other topics at the time that demanded attention.  My term would last just under two years, which was not enough time to get everything done.  Woodbeads would have to wait.

So you can imagine my excitement, upon returning to BPSA a few years later, to see that Woodbeads would be finally coming to the US, and none other than Ric Raynor himself would be on staff.  There was no way I was going to miss this event. 

This event drew in nearly 40 leaders from all across the United States, and our trainers all came down from Canada.  Watching everyone transform over the course of the weekend was amazing, and a gift.  Its nice to see when grown-ups get to discover the magic in things.  Everybody always thinks of Scouting as something for kids.  They're right... it is very much for kids.  BUT if you don't have a few adults to guide the young ones, the young ones might not get to have Scouting.  And the truth is, Scouting is very much a game... we call it a game at least, and it's a game for grown-ups as well as kids.  Games are supposed to be fun, and I know I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't fun.  Woodbeads was fun, and it was so much more.

If for nothing else, it was simply an awesome time, to be surrounded by like-minded people, in one of the most beautiful parts of the world.  Hopefully there will be more of these, and hopefully I will get to be there.  This event was hosted by 55th Cascadia, and organized by Ethan Jewett.  Kudos to Ethan and all involved, and congratulations on an amazingly successful event.

For more photos of this event, view my online photo album.

For even more photos, visit Ethan Jewett's flickr album

Woodbeads I - Part One: Urban Hike in Portland, OR

The trip to Portland, OR for Woodbeads I was the adventure of the summer!  I think I had more fun than my luggage did, which unfortunately got jammed up on a conveyor belt at Logan International Airport, so when I landed and met my Northeast Regional Commissioner, Rick Saunders at the Portland airport, we had a few hours to kill before heading out to Lost Lake, so we did what any good Rovers would do... we went exploring!

The downtown Portland area was just beautiful.  The city is on a human scale.  The city blocks are smaller, and there are transit buses cris-crossing the city on nearly every other street.  We parked our rental car and made our way to the visitor center, which is nestled in amongst some man-made waterfalls in the center of town.  We met with a Vistor Center guide, who helped us lay out a simple route of must-see sights.  All points along our walk are laid out in this handy Google map I made:

Our walking tour - click to enlarge

We had parked at a parking deck, estimated to be at pin 5 (above).  We walked to the visitor center (pin 1), then from there, nearly across the street to the old Pioneer Courthouse (pin 2).   While stopping to take photos, my sunglasses snapped, thus necessitating an unscheduled trip to DD's Discounts (pin 6).  From there we made our way down SW 5th Ave and then left onto SW Oak, to the famous Powell's Bookstore.  We easily spent an hour in the store looking at field guides, history books, you name it, it was there.  I left with a handy laminated, folding star map which is perfect for backpacks.  We left the store and made our way over to Deschutes Brewery; pulled up to the bar in full uniform, had a tasty beverage, and met a young student from the Netherlands.  After what seemed like another hour, we made our way back to the garage, and then on to our final destination: Lost Lake.

Pioneer Courthouse

Powell's Books

I have to admit, it was great fun exploring a new city.  We certainly got stopped a bunch of times, as people could tell we were not your average Scouts.  The best comment, "You look like a cross between a boy scout and the Canadian mounted police".  Rick did an awesome public relations job.

Rick taking photos

Mileage Count:  According to the Google Maps measuring tool, I counted 1.67 miles.  No rounding this time...  Running total: 15.67 miles... 82.33 miles to go!!

Hall's Pond, Eastford, CT - June 12, 2015

Lucky for me, the Rambler Award can be earned both by water as well as by land.  After my exuberant hike in April, my left ankle was left feeling not so great, with a bit of a case of tendonitis.  So if I couldn't work my lower body, it was time to do the upper body.  In 2014, I lamented that I could not paddle much, so 2015 has been a better year for putting my kayak in the water.  Hall's Pond is a few miles down from our house, and is an easy destination, especially after a day's worth of telecommuting.  On this particular day, I was able to cut work a little early, and off I went for some much needed aquatherapy.

Scenic Hall's Pond

Hall's Pond, according to the State of Connecticut DEEP website, is about 81 acres in size.  The pond has a small boat launch for carry-in craft.  The pond is dotted with lots of little islands, which make for great exploration.  On any given day, one can see all sorts of wildlife: blue heron, turtles, and beavers all make their homes here.  Watching a heron fly off is almost like watching a pterodactyl fly away.  It takes a well-trained eye to spot a beaver; if you don't see them, they will alert you to their presence with a flap of their tail against the water.

Animal Signs:  Beaver lodge

 On this particular trip, it was mid-June, which means Connecticut's state flower, the mountain laurel, was in full bloom.  "Kalmia latifolia" can be found in acidic soils (think oak trees and evergreens) and is native to our state.  Mountain laurel has been cultivated into many different varieties that are commerically sold.  The wild plants can be colored white or light pink.  One of the plants I found in full bloom had rich, deep pink flowers.  I found it in my National Audubon Society Field Guide to New England, and it's actually called "Sheep Laurel".  Both of these plants were growing along the edges of the many islands in the pond, hanging over the water.  They were just beautiful and made this particular trip more special.

 

Mountain Laurel

Sheep Laurel

I was hoping to prepare a Google map to show where some of these places are, but I can't seem to figure out how to share the photos... so for now, I'll settle for a Google satellite view of the pond... it's quite picturesque and worth a visit.  The launch is just off of Kennerson Road.  Some parts between the islands are quite shallow; during a drought, you might actually bottom out, so if you see rocks sticking out, beware.

Mileage Count:  According to the Google Maps measuring tool, I counted up 1.97 miles around the pond, including some meandering around the islands.  I'll round that up to 2.0 miles.  Running total: 14 miles... 84 miles to go!!

To view more photos, visit my online album.

Mid-Atlantic (Northeast) Brownsea, May 2015

As you can imagine, it's been a whirlwind of a summer.... and it started in May with a trip down to Maryland, of all places, for the BPSA Northeast Region's spring Brownsea Training Camp.  It had beena very long winter, so when the invitation for this event came into my inbox, I was really ready to check out of my regular routine, get into uniform, and get Rovering with some like-minded people.  I actually almost didn't go, and I'm not sure why... but when the Regional Commissioner asks if you're going, the hosting Group Scoutmaster asks if you're going, it became easier for me to see myself going.  I think I was feeling a little overwhelmed with day-to-day tasks of running too many things, which was a sure sign I needed to get away and recharge.

The location of the camp was just inside of Maryland, at the Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area, in Elkton, MD.  It turns out, we were a stone's throw away from the Mason-Dixon Line.  The area was just beautiful, with vast open fields, surrounded by woods and hills.  It was really reminiscent of old-style field camping... all we needed were the tents in a circle around the Scoutmaster's tent and it would have been right out of the early 1900's.

As with the last two Brownsea Training Camps, I did my presentation on the history of BPSA-US, which for the most part is the same presentation I used to do ten years ago, down to the uniform, with a little added on at the end to bring things to present.  I always enjoy doing this part of the program, because it gives everyone a sense of being a part of something bigger than themselves.  The course participants at this point are connecting with other leaders from other groups, and the fun is just beginning.

The weekend wrapped up on a very positive note.  I got to invest another Rover Scout... this time, it was Cindy Kwan from Philadelphia.  We spent the night talking intently about all things Rovers, and it was an honor to preside over her knighting ceremony.  For me, it's the most energetic part of the weekend, especially when the new Rover Squires get to see something they've never seen before, and something perhaps to look forward to.
 

Even though I've been through many Brownsea Training Camps by now, I always go home recharged.  I come away feeling like a better person.  There is no real way to put it into words.  In other areas of my life, i.e. with my gay brothers and sisters, we often refer to our "chosen family," mostly because we came out into a world based on societal rejection.  For me, I've come to realize that the Scouters I'm meeting are becoming like a family to me too.  It's refreshing because it rests on a positive basis of  mutual respect and friendship, and choice. I am really lucky to be able to have Scouting in my life again, especially when I thought at one point, it would never come to be.  When you do without for so long, you learn to appreciate what you have, when you get to have it again.

To view more photos, view my online album.