Yesterday you may have missed it, but it was National Health and Family Fitness Day. I suppose that my wife and I contributed in some unwitting way by walking the dogs in the cool of the morning, (‘An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day’ says Henry David Thoreau) but otherwise we did little to improve the overall fitness of our family. On a typical Saturday as a kid, I would have likely been shooting baskets for hours, riding my bike a few miles to a friend’s hogan, exploring canyons and dry washes for ruins or Anasazi arrow points, or climbing the red rock mesas surrounding Rock Point. Now that I am older, I generally work out in the dark of the morning – it works best for me, as in the 5AM hour my brain hasn’t yet figured out quite what I’m doing that early. My kids, however, are unfortunately not currently in a regular exercise routine. We don’t have red rock mesas in our back yard, but we do have the McDowell Mountains, which generally go unused by the Coles. So, a couple years ago I got a family membership at Mountainside Fitness, figuring we’d try the ‘side’ of the mountain, since we don’t use the actual mountain. The Coles are really not in significantly better shape as a result – apparently you actually have to go to the club for the fitness part to work. So, yesterday after the walk we instead ran errands (using a car rather than our feet), redecorated my eldest son’s room, and variously ‘played’ sports (Madden NFL 2013), watched football (on TV), took a nap, or went to a movie (on the couch at a friend’s house).   Thank goodness for scouts! Last week many of us at Family Camp up in Flagstaff walked a few miles in the pine forest to and from the archery range, rode bikes, did extreme sports, and for the next two months we have an opportunity to head back up north for outstanding backpacking outings. We may live in electronics heavy suburban America, but the outing is still an integral part of T648 scouting! Make sure that you are taking advantage of all the best your troop has to offer!
This week we are back at it. Tuesday night at 6PM is the October Patrol Leader Meeting, followed by the troop meeting at 7PM.  With our October theme being ‘Getting Psyched for Backpacking’, and our next two outings being backpack weekends, the boys will be reviewing how to optimize weight and size in their packs. Next weekend we will be at St. Vincent de Paul at 420 W. Watkins Road in Phoenix to install an irrigation system and plant a salad garden to help feed people in dire need of nutritious foods in our Valley. Please join us for kickoff and some treats at 7AM on 10/5, and young Mr. Dahlmann plans for us to be finished with the bulk of his Eagle Project by noon. Please let the Dahlmann’s know if you need a ride, as there will be cars leaving from Blessed Sacrament at 6:15AM. We need one and all to bring a pair of work gloves and a smiling face to support this very worthwhile community service project (and as Mr. Dahlmann says, the smiling face is optional – since it’s so early in the morning J).
On October 8th we will move our meeting from Blessed Sacrament to Scottsdale Worship Center on the northwest corner of Cactus and 65th Street for our fall Court of Honor. If you have advanced since the June COH, you should have notified Mr. McFetters, our advancement chair, and you will receive your new scout badge during the evening’s ceremony. Additionally, all merit badges, summer camp awards, and a number of other special events will occur, so you do not want to miss this! Beginning at 6PM, bring a sack dinner if you’d like, and chat with other on-the-go members of your troop. If you will be dining at home, please plan to arrive at 6:30 PM for the festivities to begin. We expect a long evening of celebration, so an early start on a school night would be welcome by all!
Due to PLC this week, and the COH next week, the start of Mr. Conrad’s Citizenship in the World merit badge class will be at 6PM at Blessed Sacrament on 10/15. If you are 13+, have a desire to take this class, and have not yet confirmed with Mr. Conrad, please do so this week. This is an Eagle required merit badge not taught at summer camps, so this is a perfect opportunity to get this one under your belt.
I’m looking forward to a great month of scouting! See you Tuesday night at the troop meeting.
Mr. Cole