Failure

 A lot has happened in the year since my last post. I think one reason I haven't kept up with this blog much is because I wanted to be this person who was showing what living that bariatric life was like and blogging about that journey. The problem is, I am not living up to that.

As of this morning, I weigh 271 lbs. On my surgery day I was 286.6. The past year has been filled with things that threw wrenches into the situation, and I know why it happened. That being said, the ultimate issue is that I fell back into bad habits. I got down to 214 at one point. I can look at pictures of myself from last summer and see the person I was trying to be. 

This is not me giving up. I am going to get back to that point. The bright side is that my weight is different now than it was in 2022. I am still in better health than I was then, more muscle mass, all of that. But I need to drop this weight. 

Anyway, this is an accountability post for me, and I am hoping to get back to writing because I do miss it. 

610 Days

As of this morning I am 610 days away from my gastric sleeve surgery. I also hit 213.7 pounds on my scale. 

I started writing this on 19 July, a couple of days ago, but I just didn't have the motivation to write on that day. Now it is the 21st and I am sitting on my sister's couch in Maine. I don't know what I weigh this morning, though given that yesterday was spent traveling and ended with some treats (this place called Wild Cow Creamery had a lemon ice cream with wild blueberries in it that I could not resist) but when I am doing what I can and I know when I get home I will be back on track. 

So now we are 612 days out. When I first had a conversation with the bariatric surgery team at the hospital about a goal weight, I did not have one. My goal has always been to just feel better. But then I was filling out a medical form for Scouts and saw that the maximum weight for my height to do high adventure programs was 214. Well, that became my target. I dropped down to around 220 last year, but went back up to about 255-260 over the winter. I was discouraged, but I learned my food habits could be tied to neurodivergence. I sought assessment and, lo and behold, I have combined presentation ADHD. Since being on treatment I have been able to stay on track with things so much easier and as a result I lost all that I had regained, and then some. 

We'll see what the results are when I get home from this jaunt to Maine, but I am not concerned. I know that I will get home and get right back to it. I have been continually putting in the work and the results are there. 

This is just a short update on things, but I also want to say that there is no way I am stopping here. I hope to get below 200, though hovering around that mark is just fine for me. I am in the best shape of my life and I am still a work in progress. 

Changes

 My wife reminds me from time-to-time to update this blog, which I am terrible at doing, I know. The past two months have certainly been interesting. I was looking back at my April 21st update and realizing how much has changed since then. 48 days ago when I weighed myself I was at 247.6. I had just started being treated for ADHD and I was on the right track, though my bought with sciatica was in full swing. I would like to say things are different, and I can absolutely say that. 

This morning my weigh-in was at 217.2, which is the lowest my weight has been in my adult life, and quite likely the lowest since at some point in middle school. I wear an XL shirt comfortably, now. Last week I did a four-mile run/walk, which involved 1.78 miles of running full-out before taking a break to walk any. I can run two-miles in just under 20 minutes, which given my one-mile run times in school were always 15+ minutes, I would say that is a difference. On my strength training days, I ride the stationary bike in the evening to get an extra workout in. I have been tracking all of my food intake and staying within my macros as well as keeping my hydration up. Right now the only thing that I could really improve would be my sleep. 

When I started the weight-loss surgery process, I was always asked about a target weight goal, and I never had one. Being able to buy clothes in a store like Target was a goal (which I can do easily, now), but a specific weight was never in mind. That is until I was looking at the annual health record form for Scouting. At the bottom of that form there is a height/weight chart which indicates the maximum weight for each height that a participant can do a high adventure program. At 5'8", my maximum weight is 214. 

Note that I said that at 217.2 I am at my lowest weight since at least some time in middle school. I was definitely bigger than this my first year in high school for certain, so when I was a youth in Scouts I was always too big to do high adventure. Sure, waivers exist, but I was never one to seek those out. If I didn't make the requirements it wasn't likely I would be having a good time on the adventure. So my goal for weight became 214. Now, obviously I want to shoot past that; getting steady around 200 would be fantastic. But the 214 number means that I would be able to take part in high adventure programs in Scouting America. My dream has become to complete a grand slam of high adventure bases.

I was discouraged for a while on this. I had dropped down to roughly 220, then back up to 255 over the winter. I was still in better shape than ever before in my adult life, but I was starting to think that my dreams weren't going to happen. I knew what I had to do, but something was blocking my path. I have been working with a coach for almost a year at this point but I was failing myself and him. Then I learned about the connections between food and ADHD. 

ADHD is something that affects people in different ways. I have long suspected I had it in some form, as did my wife. I don't like self-diagnosing, though, because it is something that can detract from the experiences of those truly dealing with the conditions. I also figured to myself that at 37/38, I had lived long enough coping with things that it wasn't necessary. But social media has brought a lot more information to the forefront about neurodiversity and I learned through this that ADHD can cause people to use food to satisfy the dopamine cravings our brains have. That coffee naps are a real thing and often a sign of ADHD, and given I can fall asleep while drinking coffee, that hit close to home. I learned that it was possible my coffee and Mountain Dew dependency for most of my life was potentially me attempting to self-medicate, though not knowing why. So, I sought out answers. 

I visited a clinic that specializes in behavioral assessments like this. It wasn't just the typical questionnaire which I have taken before, though that was a part of it. It involved an hour spent talking with a psychologist, followed by over two-hours of psychometric tests designed to give quantitative data for the diagnosis. The result? Combined presentation ADHD. Not a surprise at all. So now, what to do about it? Well, as the psychologist was a PsyD and now an MD, I went to my primary doctor to discuss treatment. He went with the tried and true Adderall, though the extended release version. Once I settled into the right dosage, things changed. 

I became far less impulsive with food. A good illustration is that there is often a candy bowl in my office. It would be the downfall of me when working on site because when I would walk past it, at least one piece, though often two or three, would find their way back to my office with me. Since starting these meds, not a single piece has been removed by me. I am much more deliberate in my food choices and will often pre-track my day to make sure everything is in order. This has been huge for me and is really the biggest change that I can say contributes to the 30 pounds of weight lost in the past 2.5 months.  

I still have a ways to go, but I am on the right path. There are still things to work on with regards to my ADHD as well, as the medication doesn't fix everything. But right now it is a whole new world ahead of me. 

An interesting week

 This past week was certainly one full of ups and downs; well, two weeks because I missed a Sunday Update. 

Last Saturday, I was at an event called Spring Fling that is held each year by the Harrisonburg City Public Schools to help recruit Cub Scouts for a pack we are getting off the ground. I had about 70 interested kids, which is a phenomenal result from the three hour time commitment. We had a great time out there and it was a great motivation boost. 

So the week started on a high note, and in all honesty started off pretty well. My ADHD meds are working and I can find myself focusing better. It made class a little better this week, for sure. It has also allowed me to focus on my nutrition so much better. I have been holding to my macros for a couple of full weeks now, which has never happened before. I am still procrastinating on projects like crazy (such as right this moment), but it is definitely better than it ever was. Plus, the lack of caffeine intake hasn't been a problem. 

The sciatica is still a thing, but I will keep rehabbing it and maybe see what can be done medically in a week or so. I tried to get back to the gym on Friday, but the pain came back so I will be modifying my workouts accordingly. Though I will say that I have been able to run again, and in fact have done better at running than ever before. 

There were some issues I had to deal with that were less than pleasant, which can happen from time to time. But, I also made it to the first round of interviews for a job opportunity that I like the looks of. I often tell people that I got into accounting because of the job security. It was the Great Recession and if you know anything about the workforce you know that accountants often have a fairly easy time finding employment. Well, it worked out for me, but now I think it is time I move on to something else. 

The week ended yesterday, though, and it ended in the best way possible. Teaching Cub Scouts to fish. 

There is just something about working with Cub Scouts out at our camp that makes you forget all the other stuff. It is a great reminder of the reason we all do what we do as Scouters. Anyway, enough procrastination, off to work on finals. 

Scouting's Changes

A ton has changed in Scouting over the years, you can't hide that. There is an old adage that the only constant is change. I am a progressive-minded individual, which may surprise some people. This isn't to say that I align politically with those that call themselves progressive in today's climate, but more that I am not someone who is concerned with maintaining the status quo. Think progressive in the way Theodore Roosevelt was progressive. Because the only constant is change I believe we must be at the vanguard of that change to survive. We teach in Wood Badge that we must embrace and lead change, so why don't we take that mentality in the overall organization? At the same time, change for the sake of change is never the best approach. There must be a good reason to make the change and to change the specific thing. 

One thing that has remained for Scouting is the mission: To prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law. Now, this may not have always been the mission; I don't know the history of it to really say that it has remained unchanged from 1910 to now, but it has always been true that instilling these values is the real purpose of Scouting, not just tying knots and building fires. The way I see it is that the changes the BSA has undergone in the past decade or so have been with an eye towards that mission. We have been making changes that embrace those values and open up these opportunities to more youth in America. So why the resistance? 

Change is a difficult thing. There are a lot of organizations out there that are conservative in nature. Again, not politically, but just that they don't try to keep up with modern society. We have been seeing it for decades as the membership in civic and social organizations has been steadily declining and the average age of their membership has increased. These organizations have a value in modern society, but they haven't adjusted to meet the times. Scouting is at least trying. 

Sometimes those changes aren't the best decisions. I think about the ill-advised new uniform shirt just released in the Scout Shop. At the same time, some of them are thoroughly thought out and well planned, like the newly released Cub Scout program that starts on June 1st. That will make things so much simpler for our smaller packs and lower the barrier to entry for the parents to get involved in volunteer roles. 

Whatever may come, I hope to be a part of the changes occurring. I hope to help modernize Scouting by leading the change in my council. I hope to help modernize both Freemasonry and the SAR by drawing in younger members with things they want to see. At the same time, we hold onto our core values and mission. 

Anyway, this was mostly just a stream of consciousness for the morning. I figured it would work well for some Tuesday Thoughts. 

First Masonic Monday

So, I am a part of several fraternal organizations. One of them is Freemasonry. Specifically, I am in a subordinate lodge of The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of the Commonwealth of Virginia. I was Raised in January of 2023, so I am a relatively new Mason but I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience so far. 

I figured I would share some things about Freemasonry on this blog to demystify some things and also talk about some of the reasons I am involved in the organization. I actually have a post from when I was Raised from earlier in this blog where I touched on this a little bit. Since then, a lot has happened for me both in Scouting and in Freemasonry. 

One thing of note is how much the National Jamboree really made me want to work to improve these ties between our organizations. Both Freemasonry and Scouting have seen declines in recent years tied to an overall decline in civic and fraternal organization memberships. With so many shared values and history between the two, I have been working to strengthen those ties. In Virginia, at least, every meeting should involved some sort of program. This can be Masonic education, something from an outside organization, or really anything the Worshipful Master would like. So, with that in mind, I created a program around the connections of Freemasonry and Scouting and offer it to other lodges. I go, in uniform, and present this to them.

I also created a trifold brochure directed as Masonic Brothers outlining the connections and encouraging participation and/or support of Scouting. This brochure is being used by the National Association of Masonic Scouters, now, as a way to spread awareness. 

The last thing I did recently was wrote something called a "Short Talk Bulletin." This is something put out by a group called the Masonic Service Association and is used all over the country by lodges to supplement their programs. I wrote an article and also recorded a podcast where I read the information. This is all hosted on the NAMS website as well. 

Both of the organizations mean a lot to me and trying to bring them closer together is something I think will be an important thing for me for a long time to come.

Getting Older Is No Fun

 I haven't been to the gym in a few days. Not by choice, mind you, but because on Thursday my sciatic nerve decided to let me know it was there. I was going for a run in the JMU Arboretum around lunch time when I started to get a pain in my lower back and the backs of my thighs while I was running up a hill. I had to walk a little bit, then tried running again once the pain subsided some and it just came right back. So, I ended my run at this point and walked out the rest of my time. 

Me dying in the Arboretum as I walk for a bit,
though my face doesn't quite display the pain. 

Unfortunately, I did not do all of the things at that moment that would have probably been best for me, but I did try to take it easy the rest of the day after a hot shower. That night the pain became so bad that it woke me up at 2 am. Well, that morning was supposed to start off in the gym with some trap bar deadlifts. That isn't happening when you are dealing with lower back and thigh pain. So, I alerted my coach and said "hey, I'm taking it easy, walking and yoga for now and will continue to monitor."

So I went for a walk around my area for a little over two miles. I felt decent while walking, but when I had to jog across a street the pain just shot up my legs into my back. When I got home I did some digging and discovered what I had suspected, that it was most likely sciatica. So, I told my coach, we agreed to make the coming week a recovery/yoga week, and reassess as we go on. So, here I am, sitting in the living room when I am usually lifting heavy things and putting them down. I don't do idle well, but that I am now being treated for my ADHD (another story I will get into later) I am doing much better than I would have. 

Moving forward, I am going to try to make Sunday an update day for this blog where I talk about how my fitness journey is going. I use a Garmin watch and the Connect app they have (I am a proud League of Garmin member!) so I have all sorts of fun data. But let's look at weight for right now. 

Those are my daily weigh-ins for this week. Now, you can see that I relapsed a bit during this past year when you look at this graph. 

This is one of those times when I would tell anyone who thinks having weight loss surgery is the "easy way out" or the "lay way" that they are very much misinformed. This is a process and WLS is a tool, nothing more. It certainly helps that I can only eat a fraction of what I once could. The idea of going to a Chinese buffet and housing three plates while drinking three or four glasses of water is non-existent today. I ate 3 oz. of chicken, a half-cup of broccoli, and 3.8 oz of rice (half of a Bibigo rice bowl) and I was uncomfortably full for a good 45 minutes afterwards. I track everything I eat (most of the time) and I am putting in the work in the gym and on the track (or the trails, or streets) as well. It is a never-ending process.

Anyway, the weight gain is because the "bers" got me good, and it's because I was cocky about it. I came into it thinking "nah, I am fine during the fall, I love this season, it won't get me" even though my coach was warning the whole group about it. I was wrong, and now I have to make up for that. I need to get back to where I was and I am taking the steps I need to, figuratively and literally. 

April Fools!

 Yeah, I was fooling myself before that I would be more regular about posting. After my wife reminded me of the blog the other day, in between giving me a hard time about things that I absolutely deserved a hard time for, I decided to finally make a post. 

Things have been a little up and down, specifically my weight, but I am working to get back on track. My biggest problem is my impulsive behaviors which, another bit of news, likely stem from my ADHD which I have been officially diagnosed with. So, hopefully I will be getting some tools to help with that as well. 

The countdown is also on to a 5k fundraiser this fall for my council and I have been challenged to run it. I have spent 38 years with the mentality that running is for escaping danger, nothing else. So now running has become a part of my training regimen. 

Anyway, those are some brief updates for now. Hopefully I will remember to post some more updates, soon. Lots has been going on that I need to share, but for right now I am just going to post this brief update. 

Sitting in it

 I haven't been communicative with anyone, lately. I haven't kept up the blog, I have been relatively quiet at home. My bariatric fitness/nutrition group hasn't heard from me, I have just been quiet on all fronts. Some of this was the result of a technical issue, but more and more it has become me just sitting in my stuff. 

The semester came to a close this week. Today was the winter commencement at the university and I turned in my final assignment for the first half of my master's program a couple of days ago. This semester has been stressful in so many ways and I definitely started to backslide on my weight loss goals. The stress and anxiety built and I found myself feeling the depression that is common with it for me and I, of course, turned to food. I haven't been eating the way I should and it has caused some regain. 

I have been struggling with so much lately and this break is desperately needed. It won't be a real break because I will have plenty to do, but it is the sort of thing I enjoy doing. I will be working on things for Scouts and spending time with my family. That is what I am looking forward to and getting myself back on track. 

Let's do this

Tomorrow is December 1st. I have obviously been terrible at keeping up with this blog, but I really want it to be a place for accountability for me. So, December 1st will be a new start. A fresh take. We'll see how it goes. 

Over a year has come and gone since my surgery and I am not where I wanted to be at this point. My mindset on things means I am sitting here being overly critical of myself and chastising my choices. Make no mistake, it was my own doing that this happened. I let myself slip into some bad habits and as a result my weight loss was not as much as it could have, and should have been. 

On the bright side, a lot has happened since I was regularly updating this blog and of course I have plenty of things I can talk about. Whether it be as a bariatric patient, a Scouter, or other things in my life like Freemasonry, owning dogs, all that fun stuff, I can find things to talk about if I put my mind to it. So, I am going to schedule time every day to sit down and put down some thoughts on here. Let's see how long it lasts! 

A New Adventure

 Things have been a little busy since the Jamboree. Not that I haven't had time to write anything, here, but I haven't been motivated to do so. I could have made a post or several but opted not to. So let's play a little catch up. 

A lot of things happened over the summer and I will make sure to cover some of that in future posts. For now, know that I came home from Jamboree with COVID. I have been struggling to balance work, home, Scouts, and grad school. It isn't easy. I am about to take on the role of Council Commissioner, and I have fortunately found someone to pick up the District Commissioner mantle. So that is where things stand right now. Lots going on, busy busy busy. 

I have also started working with a trainer/coach to try to get my weight loss rebooted. We shall see. I really need to adjust my relationship with food, though. Seriously. That is my biggest issue. But, we'll talk about that another day. 

NSJ 2023 - Day -3

 I say yesterday was day negative three because Wednesday, the day units arrive, is day zero. Today was the first day the majority of the Jamboree Service Team (JST) was on site at the Summit Bechtel Reserve. This includes myself. My journey started earlier in the week, though, as I prepped my clothes for the event by spraying everything with a healthy dose of permethrin. I don't mess around when it comes to ticks. 

Clothes drying after a healthy dose of permethrin

Then came the packing. I went over the list many times and packed way more than needed, but the motto of our movement is Be Prepared, and I wanted to be sure that I was. Unfortunately, I would come to learn later my shortcomings in that regard. 

On Sunday, the big day arrived. I got up at my normal time, fed all the pets, hung out with them in the living room, and then said my goodbyes to them and my wife and drove up I-81 towards the Summit. 

On the road

I took my time, mostly because I-81 is a mess of things on a good day, so it took me around two-and-a-half hours to reach the Ruby Welcome Center. Unfortunately I left my phone in the car during this part so I have no pictures, but it was a quick in and out to get registered and I was off to the south gate of the property and making my way to Sub Camp Charlie 4. Once there, I unloaded my gear and got to work helping to set up our staff tents. 

Big welcome to Jambo sign

At lunch time I realized my error in planning. Lunches were bagged and handed out at breakfast, which I was not present for. This meant I was without a lunch and had already exhausted my meager calories from the morning. I wandered up to Piggot Dining Hall and found a friendly face, asking for some extra bag lunches to bring back. 

Lunch time at C4

It was a long day of this as the tents were new to most of us and so every new group of staffers that arrived had to watch and learn. Eventually, though, all of our tents were up and we had our first staff meeting where instead of working we could sit and chat. All of this was done just in time for dinner. So we made our way to Piggot for dinner and those of us who hadn't parked our cars in the required place went off to do so. 

First staff meeting, in the shade and outside of the tent because it was cooler than inside.

Upon my return I began to get things ready for my first night. Here is where I discovered my hubris. I had not packed a mask for my CPAP machine. I was a bit panicked as going without is never good. I called my wife and asked her to overnight me one, which she kindly agreed to do the next day. Still, I was without my machine for the night in an unfamiliar and uncomfortable place. Needless to say, I did not sleep well, which may explain why I am posting this at the hour I am. 

Laying in my cot

Still, for my first day on site it was pretty good. It's nice meeting new people that share a passion for our program. Now, Forward to day -2 where we will be cleaning latrines and marking campsites to prep for our units. 

First Trip to the Summit

I am going to be on the Jamboree Service Team (JST) for the National Scout Jamboree (NSJ) in 2023 at the Summit Bechtel Reserve (SBR) this summer. I will be a member of the commissioner corps for Subcamp Charlie 4 which means I will be working with units to make sure they get that they need from us. It is my first time as a JST member, my second NSJ overall, and I had never been to SBR. That was, until March 31st. 

There was a site visit at SBR for the Contingent Operations team that weekend. Most of the C4 leadership was unable to attend, so I volunteered since the location is not far from me. I was excited the whole time leading up to it because I was looking forward to visiting the property. I'll be honest, when I saw this sign I got very excited. 

When I arrived it was a pretty low-key situation. Things didn't really kick off until lunch, which was Subway sandwiches. We had some introductory training sessions and then I was able to take part in a UTV/ROV training. This is required to drive the vehicles on the SBR property and was a lot of fun, especially given the rain we were dealing with. 

Anyway, the rest of the weekend was a lot of fun with trainings, informational sessions, and fellowship. I also got to visit our campsites for this summer. We looked at the layouts and took stock of the sites to see what maintenance may be needed. 

During lunch, we had an opportunity to get something branded. As I used to be a bear, this was an obvious choice. 

The afternoon was more training and sessions to discuss logistics of the event. Lots of information to take in while the wind kicked up and was blowing small dust storms everywhere since the rain had stopped. The rest of the evening was pretty quiet. Dinner, lounging about, typical conference activities. At least the view was nicer than most conferences I have been to. 

All in all I would say it was an excellent trip to the Summit for my first time. I am looking even more Forward (iykyk) to the summer, especially because it shouldn't be snowing any time while I am there. 

See you at NSJ 2023 if you will be there!

Stalling Out

 I have stalled, both in keeping up with this blog and with the weight loss. A little over a month, now, five weeks ago, I had a cholecystectomy. Otherwise known as having my gallbladder removed. The result of this was being told to take it easy, not lift anything over ten pounds for six weeks, etc., etc. 

Now, I haven't followed these instructions to a T. I have certainly lifted things heavier than I should have by now but it did result in me breaking my behaviors developed since surgery that resulted in my weight loss. I haven't put weight back on, but I have stayed within the same five pounds for a month, now. 

I need to do better. Not just on my activity and eating habits, but also keeping up with this. So I am going to work on that. Right now, though, I am getting ready to leave work so I can see my endocrinologist and then go home and rest. I am very tired, today. Tomorrow is a new day, though. 

Milestones

 Today, I hit a big milestone. The scale read under 250 pounds for the first time for me in well over 20 years. I have been seeing more progress in my sizing than on the scale, but this is a big moment. It's not the "onederland" that many people look forward to, but it is a nice stop on that ride. This journey certainly isn't done, though. 

Thinking Back

Thirty years ago, I was a in the second-half of my year as a Tiger Cub in Pack 42. At that time, Tigers were much like Lions are now. They were kind of Cub Scouts but not officially. It was a weird time. 

My Tiger Cub graduation. Spring 1993.

Thinking back and realizing that 30 years of my life I have been a Scout (though not registered for all of those, long story I will cover another time) causes one to reminisce. I came across something, recently, that made that even more of a thing. 

Everyone associates Scouts with patches. We have them all over the place. I have a blanket with a ton of them on and I have even more to add. What some of the newer folks in Scouting may not realize, though, is that the most common gift for adult volunteers when I was a youth as a mug. Not a sturdy, insulated, travel mug. That would make sense. No, porcelain mugs like you would find at a diner with the patch design emblazoned on the side. That was the gift. My father had quite the collection, which I inherited long before he passed. I also had several of my own. Most of them, though, I have no idea where they have ended up. I have come across one, though, that prompted this post. 

1994 SJAC Spring Camporee Mug

This is a special mug for me. Not because I was a volunteer, or even because my father was. This mug is from the first event I ever went to as a Cub Scout outside of den and pack meetings. The theme of this event was "Gateway to Scouting," and when it came to me that is exactly what it was. I was a Wolf and I spent the day wandering this camporee with my den. We got to see the tent city of troops set up for the weekend. It was held at Augusta Expoland and I remember wander the buildings taking in all of the activities and experiencing all that Scouting had to offer. I was hooked. 

So here I am, 29 years later, serving the youth in the council in which I grew up as a district commissioner for a district that encompasses the area where this camporee took place as well as where my pack was. 

Frustrations

 I am struggling. At a little over two months after the surgery I am falling into the trap of comparing my progress to others. I have had some ups and downs, and it is entirely my fault as I have had days where I have eaten more or eaten things that are not as nutritious as they should have been. 

I just need to keep being active and get back on track with my eating habits. This is just a brief post of accountability for myself. 

Freemasonry and Scouting

 Many people don't realize this, but Freemasonry and Scouting have a history that dates to the earliest days of the Scouting movement. Lord Robert Baden-Powell was not a Freemason, but one of his influences for the program as well as a founder of the Boy Scouts of America most certainly was. Daniel Carter "Uncle Dan" Beard was a Brother in New York state and his writings influenced B-P as well as Brother Beard being the first Commissioner for the BSA. 

In addition to Brother Beard, there were four others we can really consider founders of the BSA. Charles Eastman and Ernest Thompson Seton were highly influential in the founding of the BSA, and Seton was an influence to B-P just as Brother Beard was. 

Brother William D. Boyce was another of the original founders and is credited with bringing Scouting to the United States. There is a tale of Brother Boyce being aided on a foggy London night by one of B-P's Scouts inspiring him to bring the movement across the Atlantic. How true this story is, I am uncertain. What I do know is that Brother Boyce was a major part of the foundations of the movement and started the Lone Scouts of America, which later merged into the BSA. Today, there is an award named after him for organizing new units. 

Another person many consider a founder of Scouting, though there are also many that don't, is Brother James E. West. Brother West was the first Chief Scout Executive of the BSA and was the reason we received the Congressional charter as he set the BSA on the path to be the preeminent Scouting movement in the US. He made the BSA what it is. It's for this reason that the award named after him is for donating to the endowment fund for a local council, something that secures Scouting's future. 

I did not mention an award named after Uncle Dan, and there is a reason for that. The BSA does not have one. What there is, however, is the Dan Beard Award from the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania that is awarded to Freemasons involved in Scouting. This highlights the importance of the relationship between the BSA and Freemasons in the US. There is also the National Association of Masonic Scouters which promotes the continued relationship between these programs. 

This brings us to present day, or at least two days ago. On January 16, 2023, the author of this blog was raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason of Rockingham Union Lodge 27. I have only one picture from the evening, and it is a mirror picture of me waiting to begin the process in the room next to the Lodge.

I'm sharing this because I am excited to continue this relationship and legacy of Freemasonry and Scouting. I have known about this connection for many years and two of the men who I consider mentors in my Scouting journey were Freemasons themselves. One at the lodge of which I am now a member and the other at a lodge down the road. The two organizations share many values and I look forward to furthering those. 

Holiday Happenings

 The holiday season is a magical time of year. For Scouting in particular, our units are holding seasonal get togethers, courts of honor, and of course there are community parades and gatherings all over the area. The holiday and Scout spirit overflows and it is a favorite time of year for me. 

I coordinated our district's participation in the Harrisonburg Holiday Parade this year, which is a parade that hasn't happened in the past two years thanks to COVID. The turnout wasn't huge as far as the Scouts were concerned, but being present to take part is the most important thing. We had many people on the sides that cheered us on and cries of "Merry Christmas!" were ringing all throughout the evening. Parades are such a great experience and I love interacting with our communities in this way. 

After braving the chilly air and wrapping up the parade route at city hall, I made my way to our local Masonic Lodge to stash the flags and banner and spend some time with the Brothers and their families. They make it an annual thing to watch the parade from the library in the Lodge which overlooks the parade route. It was great catching up with them as I warmed up before making the trek back to my car. 

Being a district commissioner means I spend a lot of time dealing with adults in the program, which is fine because the ultimate result is improving the program for the youth. But taking part in activities where I get to interact with the youth is so much more fulfilling. Getting to visit a unit meeting or coordinating a parade like this, it's some of the more rewarding parts of being a volunteer. Plenty of things can beat you down as a Scouter, but seeing things like this certainly help lift you up. 

Two-Weeks Post-Op

 It's hard to believe that it has been two weeks since my surgery. I am feeling better than I have in a long time. I don't have the fatigue or nausea many people have, which is great! I have even been hitting the gym on a regular basis to do 30 minutes of cardio and some light weights. All in all, definitely no regrets afterwards. 

Otherwise, things are going well. Nothing too interesting is going on in my life, so this is a short post. I will have some more things to cover in other posts, but since this is more about a health update I will just leave it at that.