BSA Time Warp

Jeannie of Jeannie's Happy World mentioned having to iron/sew patches on Bella's, her budding Brownie Scout's uniform. The very thought send me hurling back in time to the day when I sewed patches on my Boy Scout uniform. Jeannie suggested that I photograph the patches such as I still have, and write about them. So I did.

In my bedroom closet, in the center of my old backpack, is a paper bag that holds all of my remaining Boy Scout patches and awards. I spread them out on my unused bed and ...


... it wasn't long before my rusty memory recalled times long ago. The red "Voyager's waist sash" was an award for completing a lengthy canoe trip in the Canadian wilderness - a trip patterned after the trips made by the earliest explorers and trappers - The red sash reminds me of the voracious mosquitoes of Manitoba and how they made my arms bleed red in minutes. I learned quickly, that no matter how warm it was - to wear my long sleeve shirt and pants at all times.


I found my trusty pen knives, and the neckerchief slide I carved with them... and my fork and some brass "skill awards"... but the treasure in this photograph are the tent stakes and the bicentennial patch - the patch was awarded to campers that had the honor of sleeping on the hallowed grounds of Valley Forge... and these tent stakes held my tent that Spring weekend in 1976. Even after two hundred years, one could feel the presence of General George Washington and the men that made our country free.


Hmm...so that's where my can opener got to! In the picture below, the yellow "campers award" was given to the one boy that exemplified camping during one of the summer camps. Of the hundreds of campers - I came home with it.


My Scout hat, and the neckerchief that I treasured most of the 10 or so that I had. I wore this one while representing the Valley Forge Council on a 250 mile canoe trip in Ontario and Manitoba that led to me leading an "Outward Bound" group a few years later. This neckerchief was the my final one as a scout - as I graduated from High School that year -


I participated in a dozen "Mile Swims" - and several "Northern Expeditions" (canoe trips in Canada) - and earned the "century club" award - given to Scouts that hike 100 miles in less than a week (at the time). I love the brilliant blue and white polar bear patch. :)


Two "50 Miler" patches, and one of the three "High Adventure" patches I have. The treasure for me, though is the Southwest Michigan Council band and Canada map patch - I was made an honorary member of the SW Michigan Council after assisting one of their troops participate on a High Adventure trip in Maine. The map patch was given to me by a troop from Montreal - that we ran into in the Maine wilderness - and I was called upon to translate an English map for some French speaking boys.

"Cela signifie mauvaise eau prudent avec bateau ici."


Somehow, I have three merit badge sashes - I'm not sure why, but I have both of my brother's sashes. They too, were active scouters - and earned a good number of merit badges. I had to look closely to determine which one was mine. Any guesses?


Perhaps Jeannie will notice that one of the merit badges is sew on upside down. Do you see it? It is the one with the gold dollar sign on a background of green, on the leftmost sash.


My sash was the one in the middle. My oldest brother's is on the right, my younger brother's is on the left. I was the only of the three of us to earn the "Space Exploration" merit badge (near my thumb).

To be honest, the awards were incidental for me - I enjoyed the camping, hiking, swimming, and canoeing the most - going new places and not getting lost - knowing how to read a map and live off the land if my life depended on it. Learning how to handle dangerous tools such as axes safely, first aid and CPR as well as something intangible - self respect and leadership skills... the Boy Scouts helped make me a better person - and to be a better man.

The final award and highest rank - Eagle Scout.


I don't know who was most proud of me the day I was awarded this - my parents - my brothers - my scoutmaster - or the boys in my troop... I remember my older brother standing in front of the Church with his dress uniform on - and his Eagle scout badge gleaming, as he lit the ceremonial candles and recited the Boy Scout pledge... beaming at me as if to say, "you're alright, you know that punk?"


During college and afterwards, I led several high adventure trips - and one year, took a "special" troop to summer camp, serving as their Scoutmaster. The boys were life-challenged. Their handicaps were multitudious - they weren't very "sharp upstairs" but they sure knew how to smile and appreciate a good time outdoors. They were on their own, away from home and away from their parents for the first time - camping along one of the Finger Lakes in New York state. They surprised me - they made no excuses - they just kept trying until they got it done.

They inspired me to take on the Outward Bound challenge - the canoe trip of a life time - hundreds of miles through Ontario, Manitoba and into northern Saskatchewan.

I came back from that trip - confident that with the right team, I could do anything - and some of the young men that went with me - came back and went on to wonderful things.


My backpack, with yet another "50-Miler Award," sits against the closet wall, seemingly ready for the day its owner wants to put it on once more - and peel off another 50 miles, or even more...

Perhaps someday - I'll take it up on it.

Secret Penpal and the Weekend

Sometimes people amaze me with how they think and the cool ideas they have. Take my secret penpal, they sent me a really neat Halloween card and some bright colored candy. I would have never thought to do such a thing.


The card reads - Trick or Treat! Smell my feet! Give me CANDY or I'll BITE your SEAT!

My secret penpal even included some (early) Halloween treats! Sugar-free ones! How cool is that! Thank you Secret Penpal! The candy was yummy (I couldn't wait until Halloween).

P.s., No, I'm not smelling any one's feet!

This past weekend, I went to Chestertown late on Friday, looking forward to a long weekend (I had Columbus Day off!) and the weather was forecast to be super-incredible-fantastic.

Well... things didn't work out quite the way I expected. On Saturday afternoon, I did get a nice boat ride on the river and enjoyed the sights. The birds are beginning to clump up for migration - some of the Geese are already moving on by.







On Friday night, I got to the wharf, grabbed my bag and walked out the dock and nearly stepped into a big hole in the water. There was no boat in the slip. Due to a misunderstanding between the owner of the Wharf and my Dad, the houseboat had been pulled out for the season. I ended up spending the night in a strange room. The next day, I took the spoiled food out of the refrigerator and unloaded all the stuff that comes off the boat each year (the linens and anything bugs or other critters might eat or nest in). After that, I winterized it, taking all the water out of the lines so that they don't freeze up. The most tedious part of doing this is emptying the hot water heater - it is built in without a drain and the 10-15 gallons in it, have to be ladled into a bucket and the bucket hauled outside and dumped.


I took one last look at the boat after the ride on the river and headed home in disappointment and some sadness. For me, the summer is officially over.

Wednesday, November 29, 1944

Dear Edith, Harry and Robert,

Hello folks, how are things going in your part of the country? I have been a little lax in writing and I hope you will forgive me. So many people have written to me it has been almost impossible to get around to answering the letters. I am getting along, Edith, in fact, I am leaving this hospital today or tomorrow, I believe. I have been placed on the alert, which means you may be shipped at any time. Don't ask me where, for your guess is as good as mine. I went all through France, all the way to Metz and was blown out of three armoured cars while making the advance. We were doing spearhead reconnaissance for the Third Army (General George Patton) and it was quite rugged. I am very thankful to be alive and also lucky. Take my word for it, on the front line everyone prays, including the so called unbelievers. There are many things I will never forget, for quite a few of the boys I trained with are gone. I hope we win the peace intelligently so that the havoc of war will not be experienced by the coming generation. Tell Robert I think of him quite often. I suppose he is getting pretty big. I'll see him one of these days, I hope. Tell Harry I was asking for him, this is one letter that I can't say, "wish you were here." I'll let you know my new address as I arrive, military secret you know. Lots of luck, and a merry Christmas to you Edith and Harry and Robert. Sincerely Jack.

P.s., Here are a couple of Francs for Robert. This is invasion money. We were given it to use as we invaded France.
-------My dad was an avid collector of "foreign money" and in the boxes of papers from my grandfather's house, I found his old coin collection and a scrap book in which he pasted letters from the older boys from his neighborhood that were fighting during WWII. My dad, at the time this letter was written, would have been 8 years old. In the scrapbook are several other letters from young men overseas. They spanned the globe during that terrible conflict. One fought in the Philippines in the Army led by General Douglas MacArthur.

I'm still trying to determine who the other letter writers were - their names were Stan, Jim, and Paul.

I think this letter from Jack expresses something dearly bought...at the huge cost of youthful innocence and the lives of his friends, so much so, that I wanted to share it with you. While Jack returned home and "recovered," he was never the same again, and was plagued for many years by his war wounds and eventually succumbed to them. His soul-felt wish for an "intelligent peace," sadly never came to pass.

Went Away...

...for the weekend - just to get away. I didn't care if it rained, or if it was cold, I justed wanted to be somewhere else. So I went down to the houseboat even though it wasn't nice enough for swim or go boating.

On my way home, I saw this huge chicken in Galena, Maryland. It stands out front of an antique shop and is for sale. I thought about a friend who had chickens that I've not heard from in a while, Marmite Toasty. I pulled over and went inside the store to check out "Super Chicken".

The price? Well, you know that old saying, "If you have to ask...?"


When I downloaded the picture to share with you - I noticed another picture in the small lot that I had taken - and I instantly put the two pictures together and wondered...


...just how big those chicken necks* were!

*Chicken necks are used by the local blue claw crabbers to bait their traps.