A Brief Look Over the Shoulder

So I have had an amazing year! It as felt like it has gone by at about lightspeed, yet I have so many things to be grateful for. I have had so many experiences that have caused me to stretch and grow. I have made so many new friendships that are amazing and are causing me to grow as a person. God has repeatedly throughout this year confirmed His path for me and is providing for that path. I have seen friends graduate and move on to greater things. I have had the opportunity grow along side so many others of you as are still working towards graduation day. I have seen you grow as students, as people, and as friends. What I think I am most grateful for this year is for the people God has put into my life. The covers everyone from my family to so many of you at Regent. You guys truly are a blessing.

Alright, for the photo(s) of the post, I think I am going to post a photo of….you! Well, many of you ;)

This is a final group photo of the 2007 RUC before the new members took office in December.

Haha...this is more like it! :D

Because of the nature of this group photo, I have uploaded the full resolution copy so you guys can save it. So just click on the photos to view them.

Time together and Christmas

When special days such as Christmas come along, many times there is a desire within me to do something "worthy" of the day. In many ways, this desire manifest in me wanting to do something that is traditional with the day. For example, if it is the Fourth of July, I want to go see fireworks. Because of this desire of mine, there have been many a holiday that I have felt something lacking when it turned out most of my family just wanted to sit around and relax. Though I can’t always figure out what we should do to make it "special", I feel the day has lacked something by the end of it.

Though I believe this feeling can be good and can be a catalyst for starting good traditions, I have also come to realize that it is more about being together than doing anything particular. Being 21 and about to graduate with my bachelors degree, my perspective is changing as I realize that time together with my family will come increasingly more precious. Maybe it is not any particular thing that needs to be done. Maybe Christmas day doesn’t need any particular thing that separates it from Christmas Eve or the day after Christmas. Maybe what’s important is that we just simply enjoy being together.

I hope that this Christmas day, this Christmas break, that you have enjoyed your time with your family and friends. I hope that you created moments that you will remember and simply enjoyed being with the people that you love and care for. Christ came so that we could know God’s love, so I find it fitting this Christmas to have spent it loving the people God has put in our lives.

Merry Christmas!!!

To add a bit of traditions, here is the pivotal scene from the Charlie Brown Christmas!

Merry Christmas from LSAC

YES!!!! I just got my score from my December LSAT test and I got the score I needed!!! I'm so excited!!

Panera Bread and snow

So I am currently sitting in a Panera Bread about to start doing more School work on my vacation. I sat in this store for over six hours yesterday and I probably will be here a few hours again. Despite the fact that I actually have to do the school work, I am very grateful that there was a Panera up here for me to do this at. I’m not quite sure what the rest of my family is going to do today without me, but at least by tomorrow I will be able to join them because I will be completely done with this work!

It’s funny to be at a ski resort near Christmas and there is practically no real snow anywhere! The weather is about 40F and clear. Haha…at least we have what appears to be man made snow on the runs!

Talking about the lack of snow...today's photo is from a winter when Virginia Beach actually got some snow!

I believe this was the winter of 04-05. It also happened to be just after I purchased my Nikon D70.

Vacation and Lights

It is amazing, for the first time in a while, my family is going on a “vacation”. We are going to the Massanutten Resort near Harrisonburg, VA. It should be a lot of fun. We are leaving right after church tomorrow, so I am busy working now on getting all of my work done beforehand. Reviewing their website, it appears that they do have Internet, but charge a fee. Hmmm, I may be making a visit to the Panera Bread in Harrisonburg to submit some last minute schoolwork instead.

Creative photography inspiration has been hitting me recently, so instead of pulling out one of my photos from the vault, here is a photo that’s still hot out of the oven!

This was taken using a 30 second exposure at f22. Essentially, I turned the air into a canvas for my paintbrush, which resembled a Maglight. To view more of these, visit my Creativity! album.

Thunderbird and Pancakes!!

So I really should be working on my research project, but I wanted to post quickly. So I have to say I am really loving Thunderbird! Since I am on a Mac, I do not have to deal with Outlook and I rather like Apple's default Mail application. But some time ago, I decided to set up my school email on Thunderbird. It worked fine, that was until recently when I found out it could do so much more. I now have it so that it put emails related to the branch into its own branch folder, class emails into its own folder etc... Now Apple's mail does this, but what Thunderbird also does is it reads RSS feeds and makes them show up in my mail like emails! So I now have many of my fellow bloggers set up this Thunderbird so I receive an "email" everytime some writes a new post...it so cool! (To be fair, Apple's Mail 3 in Leopard also does this...but I don't have that yet!)

Second, the Pancake Christmas party put on by Student Services with the help of RUC was amazing fun! Here are a few photos until I post the album.

Hanging out with friends!!

Playing Regent Jeopardy!!
And HMMMMMM.....Pancakes!!!

Political and Photography

Alright, so I have several things on my mind. First, I believe that I have decided to do some political analysis of the GOP candidates while on Christmas break. Up to this point, I have not written much on the topic, yet I do have some opinion of the candidates. I believe that rather than just point blank support one above the rest, I am going to give my pros and cons for each of the major candidates...so stay tuned!

Second, I miss photography!

Many of you are scratching your heads right now going, "What, for the last couple of days all I have seen in your hand is a camera!" That is true, yet when I mean, photography, I do not mean simply taking pictures. I mean the process of finding and capturing a view or aspect that reflects more of an artisan's paint brush rather than a scribe's pen. This desire within has been prompted by a new widget I installed that gives me a daily sample of some of the photos that can be found on flickr. I love composition and use of vivid colors! I love the attempt to capture the inherent beauty of God's creation in a sliver of time. It's simply amazing.

So with that, here is my photo of the post!

This was taken in the theater of the former Virginia Beach Pavilion shortly before it was tore down to make room for the new Convention Center. I have always found theaters great places for photographic creativity.

Want to know something?

So I am going to let you in on a little secret I have never told anyone...I really like seeing girls wear scarfs! Seriously! I know it may sound odd, but I find a very smartly dressed girl wearing a scarf very attractive! Who knows why this is...but I do.

Now that I have told you all that, here is a random photo from the vault of my personal photography taken over the years. I think I am going to start including a photo with each of my post to give you more reasons to come back!

This one is from over a year ago. I took it while siting on the beach of Kiptopeke State Park located on the eastern shore. The lights you see running along the horizon are from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. I love camping at Kiptopeke, it is one of the few places on the east coast where you can see a sunset on the beach.

Regent Christmas Ball!

The Ball was, well, a Ball! It was amazing fun and well attended. Here are a few photos from the event!

Me and the lovely Monique!

Me and the very politically optimistic looking Scott!

With the very charming Kellie and Alicia!

Me and the graceful Rebekah!

With the tremendous duo of Ethan and Garric!

The Evangelism Linebacker

Video of the Day!



Video URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM5UlXXRuT8

Coffee, Bread, and Rest

So already today I have been to church, studied for a few hours at Panera Bread, been to the Regent Library to only find out they don’t open till two, and now Starbucks. Personally, I really do like the atmosphere of places like Starbucks and Panera Bread for studying and just chilling in general. They are great places for people to sit and chat. The interesting thing to me is that I actually do not drink coffee. Really, I can hardly stand the taste of the stuff, yet I love the smell. Given a preference though between Starbucks and Panera Bread, I would chose the later. The thing I really like about Panera Bread is that they are a bread shop (which means I can get full meals there) and have FREE Wi-Fi. That’s incredibility helpful for doing schoolwork!

Well, Thanksgiving was great. We didn’t spend up in Charlottesville as planned, but it was still very enjoyable. It was really a good time for me to rest. My parents are of the opinion that I really needed it because the day before I practically shut down. Though I was still able to go to the gym and such, I pretty much did no school. With some of that time lost, I am now in high focus mode, shedding off all non-essentially activities until after the Dec. 1 LSAT. I’m good with this though. I really do feel reenergized and ready to do well in all the assignments and the LSAT is before me for this week.

I believe that it is good for us to have those times in our lives when we can just temporarily puts times aside and just rest. Although I believe that most of the time we should be striving towards some objective, we still need to understand that we are infinite and must allow for times of rest and reflecting. It really allows us to refocus on our objectives and start afresh the constant charge of life. I hope that each of you over the Thanksgiving weekend had your time to rest and refocus, energizing you to come back to tackle school until Christmas!

Alright, it’s almost 2:00 and I can now get into the Regent Library were there is internet so I can actually post this post for all you wonder people to read it! Till Later!

P.S. Praying for safe travels for all of my friends as they journey back towards Virginia Beach!

Chuck Norris Approved.

Haha...this is amazing!






To add to it, read this article about Huckabee's position on Life and state's right.

The Doors are Locked!

Ok, I got up early this morning so I could get to Campus before work to get some schoolwork done. As it turned, I got here so early that all of the buildings are still locked! I really never had this though cross my mind that I would be unable to get in and thus be sitting outside in the brisk morning air without a way to get in!

````````

Alright, the doors have been opened and I am now in! Moral of the story, know when they unlock the doors!

Yeeeha Partner!

The Harvest Fest over at the Commons was amazing! We had hot cider and hot chocolate, apple-bobbing, pie judging and eating contest, and square-dancing! All I will say is, if you missed it this time, don't miss it again!

Here are some photos from the event:

Fall Harvest 2007

I wanted it to say Captain America

Since I did a quiz for my last post, I figured I do it again. I think they are fun and in some small and weird way actually do tell you a bit about who I am.

Which Marvel character are you most like? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Iron Man Iron Man is a billionaire named Tony Stark. He has no actual powers, but he does have a suit that lets him fly, shoot energy beams, and makes him almost invincible. That's pretty cool. Iron Man 100% Captain America 95% Storm 75% Cyclops 65% Spider-man 60% Wolverine 50% Daredevil 50% Nightcrawler 45% The Hulk 40% The Human torch 35%

78% Optimus Prime

So apparently I am 78% Optimus Prime, at least according to this test. I thought it was pretty cool, so I decided to post it for you all.


I AM
78%
OPTIMUS PRIME

Optimus Prime

Optimus Prime is the heroic leader of the Autobots. He is the personification of courage, strength, and integrity. His personal motto is that “Freedom is the right of all sentient beings.”

Like Optimus Prime, you are good by nature. But beware because mischievous thoughts sometimes tempt you. You are inspiring, confident, and a natural leader. The Autobots have chosen well. In addition, you use technology when you need to, but you do not embrace the latest trends.

Take the Transformers Quiz

Last week or so

So I have been very busy, even on Fall break! While on Spring break I got to read a bit of a book I have been wanting to read for a while, Crusader, Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism. I also got to hang out with my Grandparents some. And on the last day of the Spring break, I had the opportunity to hand out in the Commons with some of the new Undergrads! I enjoyed my break greatly.

Now though, I must as everyone else get back into the swing of things. I have Ethics and Research Methods this sessions. With starting classes back up and doing other things, I have been re-asking myself the question of "What are my priorities?" I have so many things that I would love to do, yet more and more I realize that my time to a degree is finite and I must be intentional in choosing to pursue what is important while leaving aside things that are not.

Mute Math

For those of you who have never seen Mute Math's Typical music video...here it is! It is amazing good and creative! It is a backwards video and an incredible one at that! As far as I can tell, there is only one cut in the entire video, so it was two very long and complicated scenes while trying to mouth the sound backwards!

Two competing views

Over the past week in my Communication Ethics class (which I highly recommend as a class), we briefly reviewed a segment of the program, The Question of God; Sigmund Freud & C.S. Lewis with Dr. Armand Nicholi. I have quite enjoyed it because it has been an opportunity to address foundational issues, something I believe C.S. Lewis had a gift for articulating. The program basically contrasts God in light of the works of C.S. Lewis and the humanist Sigmund Freud. One such comparison is this:

“It is after you have realized that there is a real Moral Law, and a Power behind the law, and that you have broken that law and put yourself wrong with that Power—it is after all this, and not a moment sooner, that Christianity begins to talk.” – Lewis

“It would be an undoubted advantage if we were to leave God out altogether and honestly admit the purely human origins of the regulations and precepts of civilization.” – Freud

It is an amazing comparison. Of course in my mind one view stands heads and shoulders above the rest, yet this program in ways crystallizes the differences between a believe in God and disbelief in God.

End of Session A

It is amazing how this session is almost over! In a little over a week, everyone will be handing in their last assignments and will be going on what must be the Undergrad's first Fall Break. For the past session, I have been taking all communication classes. Though I have throughly enjoyed taking these classes, in some ways I am looking forward to getting back to the classes within my OLAM major. I believe that I have become somewhat attached to these classes over my time here at Regent. I also look forward to those classes because they may be filled with other OLAM students who I haven't seen in a while. Though I plan to thoroughly enjoy Fall Break, I am looking forward to session B!


Video of the day!

Soul Central Bus!!!

So my Church's (Wave Church) young adult movement, Soul Central, is going to run a bus out to Regent to help bring people from Regent to its Wednesday night meetings! For those of you who have not been to Soul Central, it is amazing and I highly recommend checking it, and tonight is a great opportunity to do it! Don't be concerned about getting directions, just jump on the bus and enjoy the ride! Be over at the Communication building at 7:15. The bus will take you to Wave Church and bring you back to the Com Building at 10:00pm.



Also...

Check out this video, artistically, it is amazing cool!

I'm back!

I apologies to all my readers out there for my period of inactivity. I have in fact been so active recently that I have failed to take time to write. The funny thing about being so active is that now I have finally decided to take the time to write, little is coming to me. So since I do not have anything to say at this moment, I will leave you with this:

"The opinions you have of people in your life affects them profoundly. Dr. J. Sterling Livingston, formerly of the Harvard Business School and founder of the Sterling Institute management consulting firm, observed, 'people perform consistently as they perceive you expect them to perform" (Maxwell & Parrott, 2005).

John Maxwell & Les Parrott,
25 Ways to Win With People


How do you perceive those in your life?

Amazing Resourses

Today I took advantage of one of CSD's Lunch with a Professor and had lunch in a group setting with Dean of the Government School, Mr. Charles Dunn. It was amazing and I enjoyed every minute of it. Being at Regent, I have had the opportunity to meet many remarkable individuals of great accomplishments, and Dean Dunn is just one of those individuals. He has so much wisdom and experience in the field I feel called to, so I soaked up every word he spoke today. I also got to see an aspect I had yet seen of him, a man of deep and undeniable reliance upon his Lord and Savior. I encourage you, take opportunity of being at Regent to meet and get to know the remarkable faculty we have here. Also take opportunity of CSD resourses they regularly provide.

Engaging Learning

It feels like we have just barely started school and we are also into the third week of session A! Classes are going so fast, but I am very glad to be back into the work. In fact, one of my classes, Communication Ethics, is turing out to be very interesting. I believe that one of the things that excites me most about the class is that I will be doing a communication ethics analysis project that focuses on a subject of my choosing! I can tell you now, that the subject is going to be about President Ronald Reagan and how ethics played into this communication with the American people!

It is always invigorating when you are allowed to focus what you are learning onto a topics that personally engages you. It really helps bring the focus of the class home to the student.

Campus and Undergrads

So I am sitting outside of the Com building as I am about to go to my class. The campus here at Regent is amazing...but what I find even more amazing is all of the new Undergrads that can be seen walking around the campus during the day. I believe that you guys are the start of something great and I am proud to take my last year of classes along side you all. I hope that all of you all are really starting to get connected in your classes and that you are enjoying being here as much as I am enjoying you guys being here! This Fall is going to be amazing!

Also, Remember Fall Fun Fest is still to come!!!

Speeding and Consequences

So I live out in a fairly rural part of town that has winding, banked two lane roads. They are very honestly fun roads to sometime take fast, but not everyone who attempts this has the appropriate skills to handle what they get themselves into. Sadly this past weekend a biker found himself in that position (or due to something else) and loss control, resulting in he and his bike sliding over two hundred to a stop just in front of our house. He wearing nothing more than some jeans, a t-shirt, and a helmet. It appeared that by the time it was all said and done he was torn-up as well as probably suffering a broken leg.

The end of the slide that began at the bank in the turn

Over the years I have seen countless accidents just in front of my house. Motorcycle and car alike, people overestimate their ability to handle the roads and later find themselves in a ditch, in a telephone pole, or a tree. There have been the more amusing instances where someone blamed their driving into our ditch on a bug flying around in their car, but there have also been the others. At least once a Nightingale helicopter had to be brought in and sadly once I have been witness to the results of double fatality that occurred when a their fast moving car met one of our old pines that stood just on the other side of a ditch.

Rescue workers at work this weekend

The moral of the story is two fold. First, if you going to are going to drive a motorcycle, commit to wearing the proper safety gear (Leathers and such). Second, do not endanger yourself and others on old country roads. Though it is enjoyable to pull the turns, be aware of the conditions and do not put yourself or others into danger just to enjoys the thrill of driving fast (for that I would recommending taking your car to a closed driving track).

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Orientation and new students

Yesterday Regent conducted its student orientation for the new fall students. It was amazing. There were so many students just straight out of high school. With so many young students coming in, I believe that there is a real opportunity for growth and development of a vibrant student life here on Campus.

Full room at Orientation

The new Dean of the Undergrad Addressing the incoming students

With that said, I believe RUC will be a real part in seeing that happen! And to help be more readily available to all you new students out there, we have just launched our new website (Regent.edu/RUC)!

The Need for Leaders

John Maxwell has a saying which states, “everything rises and falls on leadership”. Leadership is so important in this world today. It doesn’t matter what industry you look at, they all are constantly looking for individuals with an ability to lead. I would challenge anyone to point out a field or organization today which has all of the leaders they could need. Despite this need for leaders today, universities and other institutions primarily focus on occupations skills rather than character skills such as leadership. This greatly limits people to a skill which could one day be made obsolete by innovation.

Churchill once remarked: "The first duty of a University is to teach Wisdom, not a Trade; Character, not Technicalities."

I truly believe that it would be more valuable to both individuals and our nation if individuals were first taught the ability to be a leader, then taught a trade. Trades come and go, but the need for leaders will remain constant. As long as there are people, regardless of whatever amazing technological advancement that will surely come, the need for individuals with an ability to lead will remain. Once an individual knows how to lead, he can move from industry to industry and remain incredibility valuable.

Are you developing yourself as a leader?

Are You Producing a Return on God's Investment?

In the parable with the three servants and the talents, I use to wonder at the statement:

"For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away." (Matthew 25:29, NKJV)

I wondered why the man would give the single talent to the servant who already had ten. I did not get much beyond this, but I did always have this question in the back of my mind. Then I heard a preacher make a statement which brought it all into focus for me. I do not remember the statement, but it enlightened me to a important truth:

Being interested in sowing and reaping as God is...He is into seeing a return.

As we know, God is infinite, thus having infinite amount of resources available to him. He does not need to make a profit on His investment to create more resources. Despite this, God is, to use our terms, frugal with His resources. Thus in the parable when the servant with the one talent failed to prove he would properly invest his talent, the man took it and gave it to the servant who had proven himself a producer.

God is so into prospering and seeing seed develop a return, that He will not allow His resources sit idle forever. Resources can be jobs, opportunities, friends, connections, money...pretty much everything around us. If we are not actively seeing to develop those things to the glory of God, then a time may come when he take them away so as to give them to another who is willing to do with them what He wants done with them. God has a plan for us and He is looking for servants who are willing to develop God's resources to see that plan accomplished.

There is so much I could go into concerning this topic. I could ask a many number of questions, but that is not what I want to close on. For me, one of the most important things that comes to mind is a question, "What am I doing with the resources God has invested into my life?" "Am I actively developing those resources so as to cause a return?" Or am I neglecting the resources in my life so as to cause God to give them to another so that His plan will be fulfilled?"

Thoughts and Photos

So I was thinking about the fact that politicians and people often denounce moral restrictions on their lives by saying, "I don't believe that there are no moral absolutes" but moments later say things like, "That's not right...something must be done about that". If there are no moral absolutes, there is nothing by which they can judge whether something is right or wrong. Though they try to have it both ways, they really can't, but few are willing to challenge people on this. The funniest thing is that people make the statement, "there are no absolutes!" The question that comes to my mind is, "is that an absolute?" Similar to the "I think, therefore I am" self evident reasoning that since I can question my existence I must exist, because there is an absolute in declaring there are no absolutes there must always be absolutes. So next time someone tries to denounce morality absolutes but in the next breath condemn something as wrong, challenge their logic...ask them if there are absolutes :-D

Ok, I have just uploaded today over two hundred photos from Summer Camp for you all to view. Just click on the links below to view the photos!

Camp Powhatan 1
Camp Powhatan 2
Camp Powhatan 3
Artistic Powhatan

Amazing Week

Wow. This past week was amazing. Though I enjoyed going back to Powhatan, I believe what made it great was the adults and boys that I spent the week with. They made it memorable and fun.


I was grateful for the opportunity to blog. Not only did it give many of you an opportunity to see what your boys were up to (thanks to all those who have emailed me), but it gave me an opportunity to record this event for myself.


So as I mentioned before, I hope to have a web album of photos up by they end of the week…stay tuned!

Driving home

This is a post-posted post (How did you like that?). This post chronicles the adventures of troop 996 as they traversed the hills and plains of Virginia toward home with two wounded vehicles. The following will be periodical posts that were created throughout the journey home.


Post one

It is 1:02pm on Saturday. We should be several away from Camp Powhatan well on our way home. As it is, most of the troop is currently sitting in a Christiansburg Pizza Hut about to eat lunch. Shortly after leaving the camp, my van stop to get some gas. There it was discovered that two of the four remaining vehicles had serious engine problems that needed to be address immediately. So with two wounded cars and other needs that must be met, we have decided to stake out in Christiansburg until the cars have been fixed by a local mechanic. With that, we sit in Pizza Hut figuring out what pizzas to order.


Post two

It’s 3:41 and we are still within sight of the Pizza Hut. Rather than still sitting inside of it, we can look down on it from the auto repair shop we are sitting it. At this point, one of the wounded vehicles have been fixed and we are awaiting the last to roll out of the shop. For a while the boys have been occupying themselves by playing card games…in the kiddy section of the waiting room. Now they are disbursed throughout the waiting room reading and talking. Considering the six hours we have before us, the sooner the care get fixed, the better.


Post three

Two hours and fifty minutes later (6:31) and we are on the road. We have been on the road now for over an hour and have recently finished watching Follow Me Boys. It is a old Disney classic about a man who throughout becoming a boy scout leader in a small town has a tremendous impact on the future of countless boys throughout the years. It is an amazing movie about the impact an individual can truly have. If anyone where to ask you what Boy Scouting is all about, I would recommend they watch this film! Even if not, I would recommend you watch this film!

Anyway, our estimated time of arrival is somewhere after 10:00 p.m. I suspect that it will be later than that, but time will tell.
Post four

It is 10:01 and we are about 35 minutes away from the church, The boys in my care hare now resorted to singing songs they learned at came and reciting our came related phrases. I believe that answers my previous questions about traditions. Though there was a few tradition that carried over from my time, they have created new ones that appeared to be firmly planted in the minds of the boys.

Post five

At 10:30, the trip came to a successful conclusion!!!

At the church.

Colors and Plaques

Troop Update:

Yesterday and today have just been beautiful! The rain has decided to stay away and the sun has been shinning!

Today our guys conducted the morning flag ceremony. They did some serious practicing and it paid off. In addition to the normal command calling and raising of the flags, our guys had two pipers play a marching note, one playing the snare drum, and a bulgur! They looked spectacular and after they were done the camp gave them a rousing applause!

Two photos of the Color Guard

Up in the trading post there are plaques created by troops throughout the years that line the walls of the shop. For many years, our troop created a plaque for thee trading post wall, but for the last couple of summer camps, the troop has not. This year we decided to change that and a big hand in making it a reality was Mr. Stauffer. Once he caught wind of what we wanted to do, his creative juices started to flow and the rest is history. Many individual help to create this year’s amazing plaque, but Mr. Stauffer was the mastermind behind it!

Wall of plaques

This year's plaque

Today the boys only have merit badge classes in the morning. They will spend the rest of the afternoon playing games and getting ready for the closing campfire. They will also have the opportunity to watch the scoutmaster whip the camp staff in a “friendly” game of volleyball!

It is amazing that camp is almost over. It has been a fast and amazing week. The boys have grown a lot over the week, as have I. I came to make the boy’s week great, as it turned out, they gave me the opportunity to have a stupendous week! I believe that when we give, we get more in return than what we originally gave. Summer camp is amazing time for boys and the adults alike. I was glad I was able to be a part of it.

Considering how fast things will be moving tomorrow morning as we head out, I may not have the chance to post again. If I do not, please check back here over the next week. As the week progresses, I hope to create an online album of the photos taken here at camp. Not only will I be placing the photos I have taken online, but the photos from many of the other photographers in our group as they send them to me. Thanks for the opportunity to spend a week with all of your boys. It was a blast!

Troop 996...only the best!

Our tremendous adult leaders!

Shooting from the Hip

Quick apologies to all of the English folks (and anyone with a proper grasp of grammar). As many have probably noticed, initially many of my post have been filled with typos and grammatical mistakes. Due to the slow connection (and just purely wanting to get back out into the camp), I have not been as diligent to catch all of these mistakes as I am normally (Professors do not like typos) and thus figuratively shooting from the hip.


Talking about shooting, the Scoutmasters (and Assistants SM ) get to take part in a shotgun contest. I am very much looking forward to this!

Quick Photos:

Boys eating dinner Tuesday evening.

Camp before breakfast today.

Polar Bears and Floods

The Polar Bear swim came early this morning. The call to get up came around 5:15 am while the actual plunge took place around 6:00 am. As we marched through the breath-taking cold air, the ice hung ominously on the edge of the dock that we were about to make the fateful plunge from.....

Haha...not really, but it was a little chilly. It wasn't too cold walking up to the lake. The coldest part came when our warm bodies hit the chilled water! As challenging as Polar Bear swim sounds, it was went quite well.

Earlier this morning after the Polar Bear swim.

As great as the swim was, greater joy came today in the form of a morning without rain...so far. As can be imagined, the rain has left quite an impact on the campsite. The center of camp looks more like a mud pit than a camp and the water keeps coming. As I mentioned, the rain has stopped, but a spring like fountain has appeared in the upper portion of the camp, which is feeding our newly formed riving flowing directly through the center of camp! Be this a spring or a busted water pipe, we do not know, but what we do know is this, lots of water, dirt, and young feet equal mud!

The river flowing through our campsite!

Here are more photos.

The river flowing around the tents.

Morning troop Assembly.

Lunch and a date with the lake

Troop update:

So some of the boys got their opportunity to serve lunch today. I was with them and you wouldn't believe how fast that hour and twenty minutes of time went! I had the duty of serving brownies and it was quite a challenge. You might not think so, but when a batch of brownies came glued to the pan, I could hardly prying them off fast enough!

Many of our boys are off for their Wilderness Survival overnighter. Taking just the essentials, the boys will spend the night away from the comforts of camp (cough, cough) and prove their ability to survive in the outdoors. If that wasn't enough, when they join us back in camp around 5:30 am they, as well as the rest of the troop, have a 6:00 am date with the lake!

Here are some photos from earlier this week:

Lined up on the parade field.

Before bed assembly.

Catch of the day.

Rain and Knots

Troop Update:

It is still raining today, and according to weather.com it still looks like it could be raining for a bit more.

Still brought to you by Weather.com

Yesterday it rained throughout the day. There was a brief period that it stopped, but it was short-lived. Despite the rain, the boys still appeared to be having a fun time. With so much up here to do, they can for the most part always find something to do.

Later on after dinner, several of us went over to Scoutcraft (one of the merit badge areas) to learn how to tie a Monkey’s Fist. I previously knew how to tie this knot, but having forgotten, I decided it sounded like fun to relearn. As it turned out, not only did I relearned the Monkey’s Fist, but I learned to tie a Turks head (a very decorative knot. It makes a very nice bracelet). Myself and the other guys got caught up over there tying and learning knots for over an hour! It was a lot of fun!

Today the boys will get the opportunity to serve the rest of the camp lunch. This not only gives the boys an opportunity to serve others, but also the opportunity to eat as much of the food as they want! Considering that normally the main dishes consist of only one serving per person (there is always unlimited filler-food available), the boys will enjoy this.

Personal reflection

My younger brother finally passed the 100 yard swim test! Up until recently, my brother has had difficulty swimming. So yesterday was his third try at the test, and he made it successful! It took a lot of perseverance to jump into that lake to take the test so many times.

My brother swim testing in the rain.

Here are some more photos.

Eating dinner on the parade field.

Boys doing push-ups.

Enjoying the Grits!

The Stinger

Troop Update:

It is raining today and according to the weather it looks like it could be raining for a bit more.

Brought to you by the Weather.com

So our Summer camp Scoutmaster started this game called stringer yesterday and it has been quite some time! There is an object, in this case a flat washer, that is the “stinger”. Whoever has the stinger tries to place it on another person within our troop without them realizing it. Once the person realizes that they have the stinger or is told that they have been “stung”, their objective is to place it on someone else. The overall objective is not to be the one to have the stinger at the morning and evening gatherings. This game has turned out to be so much fun that there is even a specific adult stinger going around! To people on the outside we must look odd because of how paranoid we act around each other in order to avoid being stung! Haha, it is a lot a fun…and oh ya, the boys are enjoying it as well!

Here are some more photos.

The famous Troop 996 Girmoose guarding the entrance to camp.

Some of our New River Participants doing a team building exercise.

The boys in a troop assembly.

Me just acting goofy for the boys around me.