Hike Mt. Shasta

I don’t often steer the Hike Mt Shasta website into personal stuff, but, as has been demonstrated in the past, I do occasionally post some pictures of what my kids have been up to. Today I am taking that one step further and I want to talk about Cub Scouts.

In a way, this whole website would not be what it is if I had not had my own experiences in Scouts. If anyone has read the “about the author” section of my books, they may have observed that I am quick to credit the Boy Scouts with playing an very important role in the development of my conservation mindset. While my parents and my brother were essential to inspiring a love of the outdoors within me, it was my experiences in the Boy Scouts that really channeled a lot of that into a focused framework of conservation. As a Boy Scout, I earned merit badges like Environmental Science, Forestry, Oceanography, Soil and Water Conservation and others. I was always drawn to these kinds of studies and this gave me a great avenue through which to pursue them.

Of course, the Boy Scouts also had a robust outdoor program and I thrived on numerous hikes, backpacking trips and campouts. It was my first trip to the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico that sparked my love of the American Southwest (and I still maintain if I did not live here in Mount Shasta, I would probably be living somewhere near Taos!). All of these things combined to reinforce what my parents had already given me and to build a more nuanced understanding of nature and our role within it. Since I was a youth, the Boy Scouts have only increased their emphasis on these practices, especially through partnerships with Center For Outdoor Ethics (Leave No Trace) and other organizations. Now, I have even been educated as a Leave No Trace Trainer through Scouts!

This brings me to Cub Scouts. For the last year, My son has been a Cub Scout and he has loved it.  The experiences he has had being outdoors with friends, learning skills and serving the community have been very good for him. He is really looking forward to the next year as a Bear (a rank in Cub Scouts), where more advanced skills like knife handling and wood working are developed. Just as I started my journey as a Cub Scout, now I am excited to watch my son on his own adventure.

The cars aren’t exactly Leave No Trace.

Since I am part of the leadership team in the pack, I work to make sure that there is some Hike Mt Shasta influence on events and the conservation ethic is passed on to the next generation. When we go on hikes or other outdoor activities we try to instill a focus on awareness to how our presence impacts what is around us. Needless to say, this is not done at the expense of fun but in an effort to strike the balance between the two. This is also acted out through service projects. The effort to teach the kids these ideals meshes well with rank advancement in Cub Scouts, since Leave No Trace principles and other conservation concepts are part of the requirements for certain ranks.

This leads me to the point of this whole post. Our local Cub Scout unit, Pack 37, is holding an open house for anyone interested in learning more about Cub Scouts, our pack and all the fun the kids will have over the next year. Pack 37 had a really successful year in the 2017-2018 pack season and we are really excited to build on our momentum and grow as a unit. We are poised to have an even better year this coming season.

If anyone is interested in having their son or grandson son join the pack, I hope you will consider coming to our open house. Here is the pertinent information:

Who:   Any boy in grades K through 5th as of September 2018.

Where:   First Baptist Church, 812 Lassen Lane, Mount Shasta.

When:   Tuesday August 28^th, 6:30 to 7:30

I really hope parents reading this will consider getting their kids involved. Hopefully I will see you at the open house!

In closing, I want to include some images of what the Cub Scouts have been up to this past year. This is just a sampling of all the activities they did!

Click to enlarge: