Scouting
Scouting has been an important part of my life ever since I joined Cub Scout Pack 122 in Canton Ohio as a Tiger Cub. I try to live in to the ideals of the Scout Oath and Scout Law as I go about my everyday life. My Scouting adventures took me all the way to becoming an Eagle Scout and today I’m helping my son and other Scouts on their journey toward Eagle.
You can learn more about my involvement in Scouting below.
Learn more about the Scouting Program at Scouting.org or find a unit near you at BeAScout.org.
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Wood Badge
In September and October 2022, I attended the BSA’s Wood Badge leadership training course. During the course, I was able to meet some amazing Scouters and built some great friends in my patrol (Da’ Bears). Here are some photos from my Wood Badge adventures…
COMING SOON
As part of the course, I had to develop a vision and set of goals (collectively called a “ticket”) that will improve Scouting in some way. I now have until March 10, 2024 to achieve those goals in order to complete my Wood Badge. Learn more about Wood Badge and my Ticket by Clicking the button below.
Recognition
Adult Scout Leaders wear special knot emblems on their uniforms to show awards that they have received while in Scouting. I have had the honor of earning the following awards during my time in Scouting, both as a youth and an adult.
Mouse over the images to see what award the knot emblem represents. Click on the emblem to read more about what I did to receive the award.
Scouting as a Youth
Cub Scouts
I’ll be honest, I don’t remember that much from Cub Scouts. I know that I joined Pack 122 at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in first grade as a Tiger Cub in Den 4. My Mom was an Assistant Den Leader throughout my time in Cub Scouts and I remember doing things like:
- Halloween Parties
- Cake Baking competitions
- Going bowling
- Spending the night at the McKinley Museum
- The Pinewood Derby (I would later race my 30+ year old Pinewood Derby car in our Pack’s Open Invitational. It lost… badly.)
I also remember our Crossover Ceremony where I left our Cub Scout Pack and joined our Boy Scout Troop. It was a traditional Native American ceremony presented by one of our Boy Scout Troop leaders of Native American decent and held in our school’s gym. The room was dark with a fake campfire setup at one end. The Troop Leader came out in full Native American dress and performed a series of traditional dances. Then, each member of my Den was called up one-by-one and welcomed into the Boy Scout Troop.
Boy Scouts
I do, however, remember a lot more from my time in Boy Scout Troop 122. While I was in Scouts, I not only worked on advancement and merit badges but I also:
- Went camping almost every month, including annual “special campouts” to far off destinations like the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, the Black Hills of South Dakota, and fishing in Canada.
- Developed leadership skills that continue to help me today.
- Learned valuable lessons about managing myself and others.
Fun Fact: While I did go whitewater rafting as a Scout, the photo here is from a rafting trip in Colorado when I was in college.
Summer Camp
One of my favorite weeks every year was the week I spent at Summer Camp at Seven Ranges Scout Reservation. It was a great time to work on merit badges and spend time with my fellow Scouts. Some of my most vivid Scouting memories come from my time spent at Summer Camp, including:
- Earning my Bugling Merit Badge by performing bugle calls during the evening flag retirement in front of all the campers.
- Camping in a impromptu shelter as part of the Camping merit badge.
- Having to complete the BSA swim test in the lake immediately after arriving regardless of the weather.
- Almost not earning my Camping merit badge because I couldn’t get three campfires lit using three methods other than matches because of a rainy week. (I finally got them lit on the last day.)
- Competing in a hatchet throwing competition.
While at Seven Ranges, I was able to complete all of the requirements to earn all five years of the Pipestone Camp Honors program, an honor I continue to wear on my uniform to this day.
Becoming an Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout Project
At the time, my High School (Canton Central Catholic) had an old stadium and an asphalt running track (measured in yards instead of meters) that was used to local grade school and high school track meets. My Eagle Scout project was to remeasure the track in meters and refurbish these facilities to make them easier and safer to use for track meets. This included:
- Edged and cleaned up all the track and field areas,
- Remeasuring each lane of the track to determine where the appropriate markings are required,
- Researched the requirements for track lane markings (i.e., colors, iconography),
- Repainted all the lanes, curb, start/finish lines, and exchange zones,
- Rebuilt the base for the high jump pit,
- Repaired and repainted the discus and shotput circles, and
- Created a “key” chart for track coaches and race officials to understand where to start runners on the track in order to run the proper meter distances.
My project helped our community for about five years before the High School raised sufficient funds to modernize the stadium and replace the track with a six-lane, all-weather rubberized surface and the field equipment with the latest technology. I was able to retrieve a piece of the asphalt (with paint markings from my project) before it was disposed of. That chunk of asphalt is somewhere in my parents’ house!
My Court of Honor
My Eagle Scout Board of Review was held on March 1, 1997. Once I had passed the Board of Review, I started planning my Court of Honor and decided that I wanted to receive Scouting’s highest honor in a place that I so positively associated with my Scouting experience… Seven Ranges Scout Reservation where I had attended summer camp the previous 5 years.
I attended the first few days of camp with the Troop as a Junior Assistant Scoutmaster. The first few days of the week were relaxing since I had no merit badges or Pipestone requirements to work on. Then, on Wednesday evening, I was joined by my parents, sister, and grandparents for my Court of Honor where I was presented with my Eagle Scout medal and Oval patch. My parents also presented me with a shadow box displaying all of the ranks and merit badges I had earned while in Boy Scouts; a gift that inspired my return to Scouting over 10 years later.
The Court of Honor was capped off by a campfire and cake (which was very well received by Scouts who had been eating mess hall food for a few days!)
Scouting as an Adult
I was away from the Scouting program for a few years while I was at college and starting my career and family. While I wasn’t active in Scouting during this time, it was never far away from me. I always made it a point to support the Scouts in our neighborhood during their fundraising efforts and a shadow box my parents had made to commemorate my Eagle Scout rank hung proudly in my home office.
Then one day when my son was about to enter First Grade, he was sitting in my office asking me about what each of the patches in the shadow box meant and asking me if he could be a Scout. We did some research and got connected with a Cub Scout Pack 457 in Zelienople, PA.
Cub Scouts
I had every intention of taking a year for my son and I to acclimate to the Pack before getting more involved. Within three months, I took on the role of Pack Treasurer. Three months after that, I had a dual role as the Assistant Cubmaster and in the spring of 2019 I because our Pack’s Cubmaster.
My philosophy as a Cubmaster was to challenge the status quo and find new and interesting ways to engage with our Scouts. (A global pandemic certainly forced the Pack Leadership team to be creative in how we kept our Scouts engaged.) I was excited that we were able to maintain and grow our Pack throughout my time as Cubmaster by introducing events like:
- Rocket Launches and Space Night
- First Responder Day
- An overnighter at the Carnegie Natural History Museum
- Urban geocaching in Zelienople
- Expanding our Family Campouts beyond Council sponsored events
- and more!
I officially stepped down as Cubmaster in March 2022; one month before my son received his Arrow of Light and crossed over into our Scouts BSA Troop. (I wanted to be a proud Dad celebrating my son’s accomplishment during that event.) As I left the role of Cubmaster, I presented each of the Scouts in our Pack with a challenge coin to commemorate my time as their leader:
These coins came with four specific challenges for the Scouts:
- Put the coin somewhere you see it regularly to remind you of the fun we’ve had in Scouting.
- Stay involved in Scouting and continue to develop the skills you learn.
- Tell me about your Scouting accomplishments. Scouts who show me their challenge coins at their crossover ceremony (leaving Cub Scouts and becoming members of a Scouts BSA Troop) or at the Eagle Scout Court of Honor will receive a special congratulatory gift. (Let me know about your accomplishments using this form – COMING SOON)
- Reach out to me if you are ever in need of help. Whether its answering a question about Scouting or helping your through a tough time, I will be here to help you.
You can watch a video of this special Ceremony on the Pack’s YouTube channel.
I continue to stay connected with our Cub Scout Pack as a Committee Member and advisor to our Cubmaster. My goal is to foster collaboration between our Pack and Troop to encourage as many Cub Scouts as possible to continue their Scouting adventures in Scouts BSA.
Scouts BSA*
Today, I am an Assistant Scoutmaster and member of the Rocking Chair patrol of Scouts BSA Troop 457 in Zelienople, PA. I’m learning (and remembering) more and more about running a Scouts BSA program from the adult perspective. It continues to be rewarding seeing how the program has grown and evolved since my time as a Scout. I look forward to continuing to expand my leadership role in the Troop and Council in the years to come.
* In 2019, the “Boy Scout” program was renamed “Scouts BSA” when the program was made co-ed.
Merit Badge Counselor
I am also a counselor for the following eight merit badges:
Scouts interested in earning these merit badges should obtain a Blue Card from their Scoutmaster and then contact me using:
- The information provided to Moraine Trails Council, or
- Via this online form (COMING SOON)
All merit badge communications and meetings are / will be held in compliance with the BSA’s Youth Protection guidelines outlined in the Guide to Safe Scouting. The online form is a one-way communication from the Scout to me. All subsequent communications will be handled in person or via email and will include a parent or another adult.
Council Advancement Committee
In addition to my leadership roles in our Unit, I also support the Moraine Trails Council Advancement Committee as an Eagle Scout Board of Review panelist. In this capacity, I interview Scouts who have completed the requirements for their Eagle Scout rank to determine whether they are worthy of this honor. It has been a real joy to meet so many of these young men and women, to hear about their time in Scouting, and see how this program has influenced them and their communities.