Welcome to 2024

“New Year, New Me.”

“Out with the old, in with the new. “

“This year will be different.”

“I will start on Monday.”

Yeah yeah, whatever. This isn’t one of those posts. I mean, it is because it’s New Year’s Day AND Monday, but that’s just a coincidence.

I am not consistent with the blog, but I still think it’s important. I’m not dwelling on the past. I’m not looking back. I’m not looking at what I didn’t do, personally or professionally. It’s not about what I didn’t accomplish last year. It’s about reflecting on the good times (and bad) of last year, the last few years, etc. It’s recognizing patterns, rediscovering (or better yet, accepting) who I am and moving forward with that.

“Photography gives you the opportunity to use your sensibility and everything you are to say something about and be part of the world around you. In this way, you might discover who you are, and with a little luck, you might discover something much larger than yourself.” — Peter Lindbergh

I rediscovered my why for Scouting last year. (If you haven’t already, read through the previous entries) As much as I am a photographer, I am a Scout as well. Once an Eagle Scout, Always an Eagle Scout. I am always looking to help people. It’s who I am. It’s what I do.

I’m not a person who makes resolutions to change myself for the New Year. I do have goals to work on this year, some of which are an extension of last year. Just because the calendar changes, doesn’t mean that my motivation or reasoning is different.

My vision is to use my passions for people, the outdoors, and photography to build a better world where people are self-fulfilled and being their best selves.

Scouting Part 2

I came back and got involved for my son first and foremost, but also for myself. It’s not about me: it’s about my son and the youth. It’s about imparting to them what I learned. It’s about giving them the tools to create the lifelong friendships that I have. To do this I’m heavily involved (my wife would sometimes say to involved). To give the youth the best experiences, I have to improve my own experiences.

I have been through leader specific training, BALOO training to get a refresher on the skills I once knew really well. I went to WoodBadge* for “corporate level leadership training in the realm of Scouting”. I am soon to go on a follow up course to that back at Philmont.** I have been a Den Leader and I am soon to be a Cub Master. Those are simply the “official” titles I will hold. I have been volun-told (a term in Scouting signifying that you are volunteering for something but you don’t have a choice and sort of expected, told, to do it. Very common with adult leaders.) for a number of other positions since I’ve been back in it.

*I’m not going to bore you with the history of WoodBadge here. That’s a story for another time.

**Philmont, again more stories for another time.

Sure it’s a lot of work, but it’s also a lot of fun. If I can encourage one scout to continue their journey into a troop. If I can encourage that one scout to continue their journey in the troop and achieve the rank of eagle, than my job is done. Really it’s a lot simpler than that. If I can encourage my scouts to be better people overall because of the friendships and the lessons and the skills that scouts teaches them, and they use those friendships and lessons and skills to make the world a better place and make themselves better people in the process, than I have done my job. My legacy will live on.

It has nothing to do with the fact that I wanted to get back to Philmont in anyway that I could. Like I said though, Philmont is more stories for another time.

Inevitably, at all points through out my Scouting journey:

• As a youth - You’re a Scout? How close are you to Eagle?

• When I applied for jobs - You were a Scout? Are you an Eagle?

• As I got back into it with my son - Who has any experience in Scouting? (raise my hand) Great, did you earn your Eagle?

If at any point you mention that you were or are currently involved in Scouting, you get asked if you earned your Eagle.

Whenever I’m talking to others who were/are involved in Scouting it’s one of two things: “I am an Eagle” or “I was in Scouts for awhile but quit before I got my Eagle”.

Scouting Part 1

Sure, Scouting has changed over the years. Scouting BSA (formerly Boy Scouts of America) has gone through some changes over the years. A name change for sure, but now the inclusion of girls and young women, just to name a few. No matter what you call it, or who you include, some things haven’t changed. Sure the requirements have evolved with the times, but haven’t we all? What hasn’t really changed is the methodology of the teachings, the skills that are taught, and the friendships cultivated along the way.

Speaking of friendships, some of my friends today are people I knew in scouting when I was younger. There was a handful of us that got into Cub Scouts together. Most of us made the transition to a local Troop together as well. (shout out to PACK 3197 and Troop 282)      

Was it the fact that we did Scouts together for all those years, or the fact that we saw each other everyday at school from 1st grade to senior year that solidified the friendships? The world may never know but I think Scouts has been a big reason. I say that because as time went on, I got older and I got away from Scouts as an organization, but not as a mentality. I still remember most of the skills and lessons I was taught over the years. A few years ago my son got into Scouting and therefore I got involved once again. It was weird though. It was the more things changed the more they stayed the same.

I have friends that I have met now as an adult in Scouting. While we aren’t the best of friends, I know who I can go to in a pinch. I know who when I see them again it will be like old times, no matter how long it’s been since we’ve seen each other. For as big as Scouting is, it really is a lot of little circles. Who knows who. I know so and so, do you? That’s the thing, it’s like being an alumni of a particular school. It doesn’t matter what your major is, you have something in common. Except in the case of scouting, you don’t have to graduate to be treated with equality. Going to a school for a year is different than spending four years and graduating. Sure you were at the same place, but it’s not the same experience. Scouting doesn’t have that. If you were only in it for a year, you are welcomed with open arms and the idea that “things have changed since you were in it” (no matter when that was) and “welcome back”. It’s weird.