Enjoying the Journey

Dear Bobwhites,

I hope this April post finds you all well and happy. We are fast approaching our one year anniversary of when we met and began this wonderful journey together! I can hardly believe it. The progress each of you is making toward completing your ticket is fantastic. I am so very proud of you all for your hard work and dedication to self improvement in and effort to give back through your servant leadership. I sincerely hope you are enjoying the journey. I also hope that you have kept a journal of your experiences. If you have not taken the time to write down the experiences directly related to Wood Badge I would strongly recommend doing so. It's fun to look back over the past year and reflect on how a course like this really can make a difference in your life and the lives of many others.

I have had reports that some of you have been asked to participate as staff in an upcoming course. Congratulations! This will be a great opportunity for you and you will be able to see the big picture from a broader perspective than as a participant. I can promise you that concepts will cement in your mind and the pure genius of Wood Badge will become ever more clear as you help others progress through the same journey.

I also know that most of you are very, very close to completing your ticket. I can't wait to see you earn your beads and receive the recognition you deserve for your hard work and dedication. I mostly look forward to seeing the looks on the faces of the audience who have supported you and look to you for your examples. Inspiring others to greatness is what it's all about.

Now - a quick inspirational note and I'll close. BP once said, "A week of camp life is worth six months of theoretical teaching in the meeting room." I believe that with all my heart. 

Case in point, I just spent the last three days hiking Zion National Park with my brother and my daughter and her two friends. We were on a particular out-n-back trail (meaning you hike back the same path you took in) and my daughter said, "Look at how the scenery has changed." I decided to use the Socratic method and planted some questions in their minds to get them to ponder what they had said and what they were experiencing. 

"What do you mean it's changed", I said, "Isn't this the exact same trail we just hiked in on? How can it be any different?" They thought about that for a minute and responded, "Well, we are looking at it from a different perspective now. Plus the light has changed. It's later in the day and the shadows are different. Yes it is the same mountain, trail, rocks, dirt, plants, and trees, but from this time of day and this perspective we are seeing it in a different way." Mission accomplished. I didn't say any more to them. They experienced it on their own. This simple truth that as one moves along the trail of life and the light and perspective changes on what seems to be the same old thing over and over again, we continue to learn and see and grow. Think of this the next time you are reading the scriptures, hearing the same lesson, or doing the same mundane thing day after day. What is it you can see today that you couldn't yesterday? I promise, there is something to see.

God bless you all in your journey!

YIS

Tom Brand

The Regal Eagle

Freedom Is Only Part Of The Story And Half Of The Truth

My Dearest Bobwhites,

My apologies for my tardiness in sending out my monthly greetings to you. I trust you are all well and progressing toward fulfilling your own vision and mission as it relates to your Wood Badge Ticket.

On the campus of Utah Valley University in a small alcove stands a miniature version of the Statue of Responsibility. This statue represents the culmination of the vision and dreams of several individuals but all starting with the singular vision of one Dr. Viktor Frankl. And it is only the beginning of a great cause to unite a country and a world.

If you don't know his story I'll briefly summarize here to give you context. Viktor Frankl was a practicing psychiatrist in Austria before WWII broke out. He was also a Jew. He was captured by the Nazis and lived for several years in Auschwitz where he survived the most deplorable of human existences. During his time as a concentration camp prisoner he utilized his professional training to help himself and others cope and survive what many could not. In contemplating his plight he gained a profound insight. If one can attach a meaning to one's suffering, a person can endure anything. It's a matter of finding purpose in your pain. His was to help others survive mentally and to eventually write it all down from a professional's perspective once he was out in a hope that what he learned could help others with their own struggles whatever they might be. He outlines his experience and his theories on life in his very popular book, "Man's Search for Meaning". Some argue it is one of the top ten most influential books ever written

One of the most profound statements he makes in the book has to do with our responsibility as human beings to protect our liberties. He says, "Freedom, however, is not the last word. Freedom is only part of the story and half of the truth. Freedom is but the negative aspect of the whole phenomenon whose positive aspect is responsibleness. In fact, freedom is in danger of degenerating into mere arbitrariness unless it is lived in terms of responsibleness."  He states further, "Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of life is, but rather must recognize that it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond be being responsible."

As you contemplate those profound words reflect upon what the BSA core values, vision, and mission of the program do to instill resonsibleness in young men. Duty to God and country and obeying the scout law and all that implies. To help other people at all times and maintain duty to self physically, mentally, and morally. I can't think of a better program to help our young men live a life of responsibility than the Boy Scout Program. And that in return will protect our liberties and freedoms. Lord Bayden Powell was visionary in deed, especially in light of what our youth face today with our liberties and freedoms being attacked within and without our own country.

The statue is a depiction of a monument that the Responsibility Foundation; a non profit organization, is working to erect on the West coast to supplement the Statue of Liberty on the East coast. It shows a hand reaching up and a hand reaching down to help.The story of how this idea came to be the symbol for the movement is impressive and I recommend a visit to the site to learn more. The concept is a powerful one. In order for Liberty to thrive, we must live it through responsible lives.

I hope as you continue your service to those you are called to serve that you will continue to instill in them and others you serve with the values inherent in the BSA that will enable our country to maintain the freedoms and liberties our forefathers gave their lives for.

God bless you all in your journey.

YIS - Tom Brand
The Regal Eagle

Being A Blockhead Isn't So Bad

Michaelangelo said, "Every block of stone has a statue inside it, and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it." He had the ability to see the potential of greatness in what others would term a piece of raw material. In many ways, we are sculptors of young men and some come to us in raw material form while others are a work in progress. Quite literally most of the teen boys I have had the privilege of working with over the years have indeed had block heads! But I could see the potential in them. I just need to be reminded on occasion how much hard work and time and patience it takes to get the finished product.

Block of Marble

 

 

Michaelangelo's David

 
 

 

Many of us are on a journey with not just one young man but many. All are in different phases of their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual growth. I am convinced that most boys when they turn 13 years old take their brains out of their heads some how and put them in a jar on a shelf for a few years. Possibly even a decade or more depending on the boy. The development of the adolescent man plays tricks on the minds of adults some times. We see these boys and their bodies are growing and developing into men. Literally some of them will reach the full stature of their height and finish puberty before they graduate from high school while others don't sprout their first whisker until they are in their 20s. All the while their brains seem to take a holiday. It's almost like the body says to the brain, "Listen buddy... I am going to be using a lot of resources over the next few years to grow this bad boy we call a body. You know, that includes bone mass, muscle mass, testosterone, and the like. It's going to take just about everything I can stuff in the pie hole to get it done and there isn't likely going to be much left over for you. So I'll tell you what. Why don't you just take a vacation for a bit while I work on building this machine. Sort of go on auto pilot you know? You can engage a little later once I've finished the foundation and we'll get back together. It will be quite a machine when I'm finished but you'll have to wait to use it fully until I'm finished. Just keep operating at a 10 to 12 year old level and you can catch up later."

 

If any of you have worked with teenage boys you know what I am talking about. This is the part where the sculptor in you comes in. When they do some blockhead, idiotic thing, stop and say to yourself, "Just remember the potential in this boy. What could he become?" Then, knock off a chunk here and there. Chisel this away or that away. Polish here and there. At times it can be a painstaking process but it is worth it.

 

Several years ago I was the Varsity coach for a group of boys who are now just about to go on their missions. There was one boy in particular that I said on more than one occasion that his life could go one of two ways. He would either pull it together and be a decent contributing member of society or he was going to end up in prison... and I meant it. I am happy to report that he has made tremendous strides in positive directions over the last few months and it has been so amazingly fun to watch. I find myself hugging him all the time and encouraging him in his current path. There were some pretty rough patches he had to go through and a lot of chunks we had to knock off along the way but he's starting to take shape. Some day, he'll be a masterpiece.

 

We are all the same. We all have eternal potential to be like God. Ultimately he is the master sculptor and the quintessential visionary to that potential in us. And in His hands, we will be masterpieces if we are willing to submit to the knocking, chiseling, buffing, and polishing He sees fit to subject us to.

 

So as you continue to work your tickets and apply these principles to the young men and boys you have opportunities to work with remember that one word, "potential." Apply it to them and apply it to yourselves.

 

I want each of you to know I see your potential. I see the influence you will have on generations to follow. You have already taken great strides to improve yourselves so that you can be that influence. I hope that each of you will continue to work toward mastery and share your insight and experience with others. Be patient with the boys and ever hopeful for their future.

 

God bless you all!

 

YIS- Tom Brand

The Regal Eagle



"Remember, It Is the Last Time You Will Hear From Me So Think It Over"

Dear Bobwhites:

The month of January marks the 74th year since Lord Baden Powell died. He passed January 8th 1941 in Kenya. Among his personal papers was found this note to scouts everywhere. Knowing that one day he would die, and knowing that a man's last words convey the most sacred and heart felt yearnings he thought ahead enough to write them down.  His letter is addressed to scouts everywhere:

Dear Scouts,
If you have ever seen the play Peter Pan you will remember how the pirate chief was always making his dying speech because he was afraid that possibly when the time came for him to die he might not have time to get it off his chest. It is much the same with me, and so, although I am not at this moment dying, I shall be doing so one of these days and I want to send you a parting word of goodbye.
Remember, it is the last you will ever hear from me, so think it over.
I have had a most happy life and I want each one of you to have as happy a life too.
I believe that God put us in this jolly world to be happy and enjoy life. Happiness doesn't come from being rich, nor merely from being successful in your career, nor by self-indulgence. One step towards happiness is to make yourself healthy and  strong while you are a boy, so that you can be useful and so can enjoy life when you are a man.
Nature study will show you how full of beautiful and wonderful things God has made the world for you to enjoy. Be contented with what you have got and make the best of it. Look on the bright side of things instead of the gloomy one. But the real way to get happiness is by giving out happiness to other people. Try and leave this world a little better than you found it and when your turn comes to die, you can die happy in feeling that at any rate you have not wasted your time but have done your best. "Be Prepared" in this way, to live happy and to die happy - stick to your Scout promise always - even after you have ceased to be a boy - and God help you to do it.
Your Friend,
Baden-Powell

BP got it right. Life is about being happy. Joseph Smith said, "Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God." Joseph emphasized keeping the commandments and being clean. BP emphasized living the scout promise serving others. Both are precepts of the Savior for true and everlasting happiness.

So how do we help boys get it?

I have been so worried about a group of 20 teachers in our ward, particularly the leadership. The boys who are currently in leadership positions are indeed natural leaders, but not necessarily in positive ways. I wanted to do something that would make a difference for them this Christmas season. So, following Ammon's example from the Book of Mormon, I caught them with guile a little and told them all that I was going to take them for ice cream and to do some bonding as a presidency. I didn't tell them that the ice cream would be by way of the Bishop's Storehouse after an hour of service there. Fast Sunday's are not always the best when it comes to teachers helping deacons with routes. I wanted these boys to see what their efforts on a cold Sunday morning looked like.
When I first told them where we were going there was some resistance. Once we got there it was awkward and uncomfortable for the first 10-15 minutes until the boys got assignments and started working. Then a wonderful sister missionary came in the door with a large food order and grabbed our Teacher's Quorum President by the arm and asked if he could help her. She had him running all over the store grabbing cans and toilet paper and produce and whatever else she needed. Boys were helping members out to their cars and unloading, they were pulling and counting to the check out volunteers, they were sweeping and vacuuming and stocking shelves. After the initial shock of it and hesitation they were running around with smiles on their faces and engaged in serving others. It was great to see and something I want to repeat again and again. Truly, they received happiness through serving others.

As we begin a new year I hope each of you remains dedicated to teaching the young men the values of the scouting program. I hope you can give them opportunities for meaningful service so they feel that they are genuinely needed. I fear that all too often our boys don't feel like they are necessary or needed. We live in a world of comfort and ease so we must find opportunities for them to feel needed and wanted. If we can, even if they fight against it, they will soon come to realize how much they can contribute and how much they are indeed needed.

God bless you all as we embark on this new year. I look forward to meeting with you all very soon. I promise you all I think of you often and am praying for your success. Please let me know how things are going with your tickets and what experiences you have had. Next patrol meeting I will be there rain or shine!

YIS -
Tom Brand
The Regal Eagle

Merry Christmas Bobwhite Patrol!

Boy it's a busy time of the year isn't it? I apologize I have not gotten around to sending out my December message yet and even greater apology for missing the last patrol meeting. I promise I am not avoiding you and was really bummed I wasn't able to make it.

I have heard from all of you and it sounds like the tickets are progressing wonderfully!  Keep it up. Audrey continues to stretch herself and the growth has been astounding! I LOVE to get little video clips of you stepping out of your comfort zone. If you have any doubt that a Wood Badge course can change a person's life, Audrey alone is a shining example.

I am sure the rest of you are all experiencing similar changes. I know I am still benefiting from the relationships I forged working on my ticket. One in particular is the Burmese refugee boys and their leadership.

During this time of year the rest of the world catches a glimpse of what we are trying to teach boys everyday. Lord Baden Powell established the program to change boys. These quotes help us to better understand his mission.

"We must change boys from a 'what can I get' to a 'what can I give' attitude."
"The code of the knight is still the code of the gentleman today."
"The real way to gain happiness is to give it to others."
"In Scouting, you are combating the brooding of selfishness."

Is it any wonder why the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints adopted this program over a century ago? Are we doing all we can to help our young men "combat the brooding of selfishness"?

During this wonderful season of the year when we reflect on the selfless gift of the Father in the birth of His only begotten Son, I hope and pray that we can have our hearts changed and His law written in its fleshy tables. If we can change a boy to look outward before looking inward we have accomplished something great. I think even greater than winning a battle or climbing the highest peak in the world. For a boy to change his nature is for a son of God to realize his true potential and we not only help the boy, we help God.

May the Lord bless you this Christmas season. May the gift you give of changing boys have an everlasting effect on those you teach, instruct, serve, and love.

YIS
Tom Brand
The Regal Eagle

Working Your Ticket - An Honorable Discharge

It's hard to believe that another month has come and gone. Hopefully your Halloween with the kiddies was great. I have heard from most of you and it's evident that you are all working your tickets feverishly! I am proud of you all!

In the late 1800's the term "Working Your Ticket" was a phrase used by military in the UK to denote efforts to be honorably discharged and ultimate get back home. And while I want all of you to receive your "honorable discharge" from your Wood Badge course, I hope it has become evident to you through your individual and group effort that "completing" the course and receiving your beads is just the beginning.

Hopefully each of you is becoming more and more involved in your local unit and on the council level as well. Certainly, completing your ticket and receiving your beads does not mean you are done.

I recently received an assignment to be the Chartered Organization Representative for our unit. I held a meeting with our scout committee chair in our ward just last night. We discussed what was working well and what wasn't - Start, Stop, Continue. We came up with a list of needs, a title for a position on the committee that would fill those needs, and an assignment was made to write a brief job description of what each of those jobs entails. Over the next several months we plan on developing the scout committee in our unit into a well oiled machine including a request to have it staffed with volunteers who are passionate about boys and scouting!

I never thought I would be in the position I am in in scouting right now. When I was a Boy Scout, I didn't even know there was such a position. I am finding myself in leadership roles where the training I received in Wood Badge has been invaluable. Where I use it the most is in my home. And that is priceless to me. Similar things will happen to all of you if they have not already.

I sincerely hope that you are finding joy in your journey. While you are working to complete the tasks at hand, don't just check the box. Be sure to "zoom out" and appreciate where you have come from and where you are heading. I saw growth in the few days were were together at Camp Tracy. I know through your efforts that you're continuing to hone those leadership skills you picked up at camp as you implement them in real life situations.

Remember, this is just the beginning. Who knows where the gate leads or what path you might find yourself on in a few years. The trick is to enjoy the journey, stay focused, and help others find the way. 

YIS -

Tom Brand

The Regal Eagle

Preparing For the Harvest

Dear Bobwhites,

Fall is upon us. The leaves are changing into a cornucopia of colors. It reminds me of the harvest when all the hard work of the summer comes into fruition and it's time to bring in the fruit of our labors.

Life full of starts and stops. It's estimated that an average car starter motor cranks between 20,000 and 50,000 times before it will need to be replaced.  A recent report from Indiana University shows that over the past 20 years, 31 million students start college and don't receive their degree.  Every year billions of people make new year resolutions to change their lives in some significant way but only 8% actually achieve their goal?  Why is that?

There are too many reasons to list here.  Suffice it to say that things happen.  Life gets in the way.  We loose our motivation and we fall back into old habits.  I heard it said once that a "rut" is just a grave with the ends kicked out.  So how do we climb out of the ruts we make for ourselves?

Each of you has planted a seed... a Wood Badge seed.  You continue to cultivate it, nourish it, and watch it grow.  I want to encourage you to continue on your path to completing your tickets so your harvest will be realized.

I found 7 principles to help you finish strong.

1- Goals - You have set the goal to attend Wood Badge.  Congratulations!  You all have completed this first goal.  Each of you also has set 5 other goals called a ticket that you are working toward completing.  Congratulations is again in order for those of you have had completed some of those goals.  You each have a goal to receive your Wood Badge Beads, Neckerchief and Woggle as well.  But I submit this is not the end fruit of your labors, although significant.  I submit it is the impact you will have on the lives of young men the rest of your lives.  Your ultimate goal should be to inspire young men to emulate your character as you strive to live a life based in the mission and vision of the BSA and as you do your duty to God and Country.

2- Commitment - Don't forget the commitment you made to yourself when you began this journey.  You also likely committed to family, friends, church members, and young men that you would finish.  Your example to personal commitment can leave a lasting impact on young men.  I encourage you to stay committed to your goals.

3-Purpose - Remember why you began this journey in the first place.  Many times the original purpose for beginning a worthy goal can change as your perspective of the importance of the journey is realized.  I hope your purpose for finishing your ticket and receiving your beads has broadened and encompassed the vision and mission of the scouting program.  Remember to zoom out if you get caught up in the minutia of the task at hand.  The vision can bring you back on course.

4-Patience - 18 months is a long time.  Some of your ticket may be difficult to realize and may take some time.  Don't expect results immediately.  Remember that some of the most beautiful things in life take time to develop.  If you hit a dead end, don't give up.  Breathe deep and remember that you are not alone.  You have a patrol of peers ready to help at any given moment.  These are friends who are on the very same journey.  Reach out and reach up for help.

5- Passion - We live in a world fraught with evil influences pulling and prodding our youth in ever direction but upward. If ever there was a time in our history when they need the help of qualified, caring, and passionate adult leaders it is now.  Your passion for helping youth can be a great source for pushing through difficulties.  Remember the boys and how much they need our help.

6-Strength - Strength can come in numbers.  I've already alluded to this.  Your individual strength is an asset not only to yourself but to others in your patrol.  Don't wait for others to ask for help.  Proactively reach out and lend a hand.  Strength will come as you continue to work as a team to help the others achieve their goals and realize their harvest.  Remember the competitions on course and the aha moment when you realized it wasn't just about you?  Use your strength to help your team mates and watch as you all rise together.

7- Integrity - Be true to yourself and to this great cause.  Don't cheat yourself by cutting corners on your ticket.  You should look back and be proud of what you have accomplished and the difference you have made in the lives of those you serve.  Be true to the principles you have learned and the mission of the BSA.  Your integrity to yourself and this program should drive you to finish and be a life long contributor to the future of our church, our country, and individual boys and families for generations to come.

Gordon B. Hinckley once said:

“…of those who begin with noble objectives, but then slow down, or of those who are strong starters and weak finishers. So many in the game of life get to first base, or second, or even third, but then fail to score. They are inclined to live unto themselves, denying their generous instincts, grasping for possessions and in their self-centered, uninspired living, sharing neither talent nor faith with others. Of them the Lord has said: “And this shall be your lamentation in the day of visitation, and of judgment, and of indignation: The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and my soul is not saved!” (D&C 56:16).

 It is my sincerest wish that you can finish strong and realize a bounteous harvest lifting and encouraging others along the way through servant leadership. May the Lord bless you in your efforts to be a shining example to the young men in your lives.

YIS - Tom Brand

The Regal Eagle

A couple of fruits from my labors:

Tucker Johnson Eagle COH with Mike Scott.

Tucker Johnson looks Liberty the Eagle in the eye.

Tucker Johnson and Noah Uffens Eagle Court of Honor 9/2015