Cdr.Jen and I attended a $35 dinner last night at the Doubletree Janzen Beach Hotel held to honor this years class of Eagle Scouts from the Columbia Pacific Council of BSA.
GMA#3911 attended for free<g> and was escouted to a table where he was gifted a Nike gym bag and small Gerber pocket tool. His portrait was then taken by a prof.Photographer in his uniform- sash weighted by 31 merits badges. Josh waited with his family as the other Eagles assembled.. *525 of them<G> As we waited, we toured a display of Scouting's past.. The Original British scouting book writen by "BP" as a army training manual, his "Kudu" horn from africa and a progression of Uniforms showing the 90 years of Scouts in the United States of America. Josh was assigned to sit at a Table away from his Mom and Dad where mentors for his future had requested to chat, about common intrests and life goals. *This was not a National event.. *This wasn't about "Josh" *that Eagle court will be later in the summer.. This event, was about holding on to the "Right stuff" Josh indicated an intrest in the law profession so at his table was an Attourney and a FBI Special Agent- Josh told us the conversation was light but pointed at advice to "scieze the day" and that Eagle had real worth in circles of professional influence. The FBI agent said that he had attended Law School and applied to the FBI and at his inverview, the panel of 6 happened all to be- Eagle scouts<G> That was ONE TABLE... the room held 2,000 people! Oregon US Senator Gordon Smith, *himself an eagle... gave the key address. He talked about the influences on his young life, his Mom and his *Scoutmaster.. (*Thank's Cdr.Hank<G>) Then he told this story of the Oregon trail- The Miller family were pioneers crossing the Rockies bound for Oregon on a wagon trail with 5 young boys.. The routine was that the wagons kicked up dust, so as the Father drove the team the kids wandered along and played.. catching up at the end of the day. One of the boys had found a shady tree, and stoped for a nap.. a quick late summer rain storm came up and woke him, and he was alone.. the tracks washed away from the wagons. Back at the Wagon Camp he was missed at dinner.. and the father back tracked and could not locate him. He returned to a very worried Mother. *Often events like this ended in death, resources were slim, everyone was tired and the push was on to move west.. The boy was declaired lost, and the train voted to move on.. for a worst fate would be to be caught in the snows in the fall approching Oregon. Mother went into a frenzy pleading for the men to help find her lost son. Yet the vote stood and they moved on.. The Father decided to go back for they could not live without knowing the fate of their son. The Heart broke Mother gave her husband a red shawl and said: "If you sould find my son Dead, wrap him in this shawl and bury him deep.. But if you sould find him alive.. I will watch constantly for a sign of this red shawl as a signal of deliverence" 6 days and nights passed of worry and fret... and then on the horizion from a distant butte was the flash of red.. *The boy had been found alive! "The wagons stopped dead and they rushed with Joy to recover the pair" *It seemes, that when the boy woke he was truly lost.. and wandered far off the route, and was discovered by a single Mountian man wandering in a panic and fevered, hungry and tired. The man cared for the boy, made camp and fed him what he had, and on seeing the sign of the boys father, signaled and brought the two back togather again.. Senator Smith then said: You Eagle Scouts here today may find you play all the roll's illistrated in the story.. *You all ready know the feeling of being a "lost boy" and you may have the privilage of being a father one day.. But think about the endering respect given by a childs mother for the kindness shown by a total stranger in her son's time of trial.. I say to you that you would do yourself well to prepare to act as that woodsman acted to rescue the lost, and care for the wounded... for there is found true nobility! Drifter- ===== *High MORALE is the Index of effective Leadership. --------------********+********-------------------- Morale raises belief of the Leader in the follower, of the follower in the Leader, of each in themself, and both in the .....cause! __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com _______ Let the Golden Rule be your daily rule. Please pray for your list sponsor: http://eBible.org/mpj/ To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe rangernet" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] or visit http://rangernet.org/subscribe.htm http://rangernet.org
