Joyfully Overloaded

I have had the opportunity this summer to teach Introduction to Leadership Skills to the youth at Camp Roosevelt. The very first thing we talk about in this course is casting vision, not just for yourself but for those you lead. Man of the Woods, how many hours in the car have we counted corn fields and dreamed of this vision that you set for yourself? In kindergarten we knew you learned differently from your peers, but we thought it was a focus issue so rather than holding you back we decided to homeschool allowing you one on one time and less distraction from your classmates. By second grade it was clear you worked hard and focus wasn’t the problem, that’s when we received the diagnosis of dyslexia. It was around this same time that we went to the Sportsman show on the UMaine campus and came across a group of scouts from Troop 76 making and selling paracord bracelets to fund their epic scouting adventures. They suggested you continue walking around for a few minutes while they worked...

- You can quote the Sout law and Oath right along with them. - You know what it means to whip or fuse a rope. - You know the difference between a knot and a lashing. - You know every single fact about popcorn there is to know. - You’ve dreamed about popcorn.   - You’ve left signs on your door for the UPS man letting him know it really was you who order 15 cases of meat sticks. - You know the best fire staters and how to turn a cardboard box into an oven. - You’ve camped in temperatures below freezing... more then once... - You’ve been on wilderness adventure when a tree just wasn’t going to work for you like it did the boys and you’ve calculated just how long you can go without using a bathroom. - Your currently trying to psych yourself up for a winter camping trip. - You watch the scouts repeatedly step outside of there comfort zones to find that items actually not bad out there. - You keep your cool when critters visit your shelter in t...