Love your Children

With the millions of issues going on in the world today one might think 'How can I help safeguard my children?'

You might also wonder 'how can I prevent these things from happening to them?'

Bottom line is Love your Kids.

A wonder talk was given by Elder D. Todd Christofferson titled 'Brethren, We Have Work to Do' in the October 2012 Priesthood session.
He mentioned a lot about how our children and especially how boys are being treated in society and the consequences there of.  He opening comments are fitting to be copied.

"Brethren, much has been said and written in recent years about the challenges of men and boys. A sampling of book titles, for example, includes Why There Are No Good Men Left, The Demise of Guys, The End of Men, Why Boys Fail, and Manning Up. Interestingly, most of these seem to have been written by women. In any case, a common thread running through these analyses is that in many societies today men and boys get conflicting and demeaning signals about their roles and value in society."

 As we look at society we find that in almost all cases the best situation for a child is to have both parents present and if possible at least one at home so they have an anchor on which to hold.
Unfortunately, due to the cost of living and other circumstance we find way to many children coming home after school to an empty house.   But, this is not worse then giving your child a fully activated IPhone to take with them and use all day while your not around.   You really don't know what is happening do you?

In this world we live in today there are so many outside influences that can effect our children.  Sometimes we really don't know how much influence that idle chatter on the playground is really having.


Don't you want to be the primary influence in the life of your kid?

It's not easy but, there are things you can do that will help to make sure your an influence in the life of your child.  Especially, as they grow you don't want them getting their information at school if you can provide it in a more appropriate way at home.

Consider these things:

• Have dinner together as a family.
  "Our second key relationship is with our families. Since “no other success can compensate for failure” ¹²  here, we must place high priority on our families. We build deep and loving family relationships by doing simple things together, like family dinner and family home evening and by just having fun together. In family relationships love is really spelled t-i-m-e, time. Taking time for each other is the key for harmony at home. We talk with, rather than about, each other. We learn from each other, and we appreciate our differences as well as our commonalities. We establish a divine bond with each other as we approach God together through family prayer, gospel study, and Sunday worship." Of Things That Matter Most Dieter F. Uchtdorf
  
• Actively participate in a religion. This will provide a moral and ethical basis for decision making. This also provides a support group various members of your family may decide to use.

• Hold a week family home evening   
  
  “We have a family home evening program once a week [Monday night] across the Church in which parents sit down with their children. They study the scriptures. They talk about family problems. They plan family activities and things of that kind. I don’t hesitate to say if every family in the world practiced that one thing, you’d see a very great difference in the solidarity of the families of the world” (interview, Boston Globe, 14 Aug. 2000). Family Home Evening By President Gordon B. Hinckley

• Don't overly criticize the choices of your child.  This may cause them to not confide in you down the road.  Keep the communication channels open, then you can find out what is going in their lives and intervene when appropriate.

• Be fair and do not show favoritism.   Give 'T-I-M-E'.  Involve your children in activities together.  And so them you care about each one.  This may have to be on a one-for-one basis.

• Be consistent. 
  Give 'T-I-M-E'.  Don't have a dual standard.  They will not trust you after a time.  This takes work so that mom and dad are on the same page.

As we strive to follow the above ideas we have a chance at protecting our children.   They will be emboldened and more confident.  You will also be the major influence in their lives.  They will feel comfortable coming to you and if not they will likely confide in a youth leader in your chosen religion.   Don't be scared by this.  It can be helpful in more ways then you can imagine.


Check this link for a variety of Free publications that relate to helping strengthen families and marriages.






Here is a list of some of some wonderful films you might want to view with your family on your weekly family night.



Or consider these family friendly games





Buaidh - NO - Bas

Comparison of Theme Parks

This last Saturday we had the privileges of going to the Disneyland Resort in California.  We live in the area but, due to the cost we can make it there maybe every couple of years.

By the time you add in $15 for parking, in our case in the future a wheel chair rental ($32) and all the food costs your looking at north of $300.   This is much more then what you would pay at other local theme parks like Knott's Berry Farm or Six Flags Magic Mountain or even San Diego Zoo.

Last year we did go to Knott's Berry Farm and got out of there with parking and food for around $150 for our family of three.  I have not been to Six Flags since being a senior in high school so I can not comment on there very well (I've heard lines are horrible).  We have been to the Zoo multiple times in the last few years.  You get a very different experience at each park.   Very different in respects to things like Parking, Food, Attractions and Entertainment.





So let me talk about the differences I see.

First off the amount of people involved in parking at Disney is just amazing.  Things run smoothly and they have a tram to get you from the parking area to the main gates.  This is not present in the other parks though the walk is small in most cases.

We had taken our wagon for our daughter in the past with us to Knott's and decided to do the same for her at Disney.   She wears a brace and has a rod in her leg due to her Genetic condition (Neurofibromatosis) and thus tires out quicker then the average person.  Having a way to move her around the park helps keep her from getting so tired and allows us to have a longer day.

Turns out at Knott's it's OK to have a wagon.  It is not allowed at Disneyland since they have much bigger crowds (we were visiting 1 week following the Cars Land Opening) and the safety involved.
Thank goodness due to her condition we were given a complementary stroller to use in place of the wagon.  My daughter is getting a bit to big for them and thus we will have to rent a wheel chair in the future for $32.  The good thing I can say about Disney is that in as much as they have rules and regulations they are accommodating as much as possible.  We had also gotten the pass to go through the back door on most rides at Disneyland.  Since the park was built before the Americans with disabilities act was passed in the 90's they can not handle wheel chairs in line unlike California Adventure.   This saves a lot of time in line and a lot of time on our feet.

It's these small things that make all the difference.

We expected large crowds and there were a fair number of people at both parks.  We did our best to avoid California Adventure due to the fact tons of people were heading over there for Cars Land and all the other changes and improvements that they have been making.  You can say it is 1 Billion well spent.  We did get our FastPass for the World of Color show and hit the

The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel's Undersea Adventure ride while we were there.  The FastPass came in useful later in the day as we split us so I could do Star Tours and have my wife and daughter head over to Pixie Hollow since they were not interested.  Allowed us to go and take in about 3 rides and then split up.  Having FastPass for the show at night was also helpful.  We did not have to sit around and save out space for so much time like you do with Fantasmic.  We were not so happy to find that even with the pass the seating was a standing affair. We ended up on a bridge off to the side.  Still those with no pass ended up on the far side of the bridge and thus had our heads in the way the whole time.

FastPass in general is a wonderful idea and what you can say sets Disney apart.  Having the ability to avoid most of the lines and then go and do something else in the park is a wonderful idea.  You can get more done and it really helps for those E-ticket rides that are more popular.  And the way the rides are handled is a whole different animal.  Lines are always moving quickly and you don't have one person covering two areas like letting the people in, verifying seat belts and starting or activating the ride.  The Bumper cars at Knott's took a lot of extra time since everything was being handled by one worker, and this was in the middle of the summer.





The atmosphere is also very different.  Themes are taken to new levels at Disneyland.  They make you really feel a part of the area. Not as much so with the areas in places like Knott's.   Transitions from one area to another work a lot better as well.
I'm reminded of a piece done on the history channel about Disney World.  Walt Disney was so worried about have cowboys walking around in the middle of Tomorrow land that they ended up building a  network of tunnels under the park to handle employee traffic and transportation of material from one area to another.  Disney has a bunch of back area storage facilities and paths for the employees to help keep the atmosphere proper.  You can see this a little better when you ride on the Monorail out to downtown.

We used Downtown Disney as a way to get a better deal on a meal.  Not so sure that we did get all that much of a better deal but, we took the monorail there and got to be involved in another aspect of the Park.
Another good thing we had been turned on to by friends is the picnic area at the esplanade between parks at the Disney resort.  We just rented a big locker and brought our own lunch.  This also afforded us a location to stash jackets and be able to grab new cold bottles of waters for after lunch.  At $15 dollars for all day it was not that bad.  Comparing that to what we could have spent on lunch (we spent about $30 for dinner at the Jazz Kitchen take out counter) we still saved.

Though I do have to say that the Chicken Dinner at Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant is well worth the trip and one of the best ways to fill you up and allow you to still enjoy the park.

Park food is going to be nothing but, basic and over priced no matter what you do. On occasion you will find a special deal like the Blue Bayou restaurant or Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant.   Beyond that you are dead in the water with some basic sandwich or a super simple hamburger for at least $5.  Even more if you want cheese on it.  That makes a double double at In-n-Out Burger a real steal of a deal at under $5.

As for entertainment.  You can not top Disney.  On our adventure during the day we had pictures taken with Mary Poppins and Bert, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel, Merida from Brave, Rapunzel from Tangled and Tinker Bell and friends in Pixie Hollow.  We also saw Mickey, Minnie, Chip and Dale, Pluto, the Queen from Snow white, and Alice and the Mad Matter around the park but, did not stop due to time constraints.

  

Also Disney prides themselves on their Parades.  The Soundsational parade was very good.  Not exactly what we expected since some of the themes like Three Caballeros, and Lion King left a little to be desired.  The Mary Poppins, Princess and the Frog and Little Mermaid worked very well.  They do very well in presenting all the favorite characters in a parade and this one did not let you down.  Tons of princesses, Fairies, Mermaids and Chimney Sweeps.







Now we saw the World of Color for the first time.  I have to say it is an engineering marvel.  All the images they present on the watery screen and the mixing together of fire and colors was just plain amazing.  With the ability to save a space via FastPass it works out a bit better then Fantasmic, though my wife likes Fantasmic better.

Knott's had an ice show but, really the over all atmosphere was much better in the entertainment arena at Disney.  The shoot outs at Knott's are hard to beat, and the Zoo really become not much of anything at it turn dark in the evening.  Same with Sea World for that matter.

So as I was mentioning to my daughter, each park has it's special charm.  NO one can beat the Pirates of the Caribbean ride with those animatronics.  In reality, that is what sets Disney apart.  Now it is hard to beat the log ride at Knott's and Animals at the Zoo have their special place.  So if you make these the kind of place you go to for special occasions, your surely going to be able to make some lasting family memories.

Please leave your experiences and contrast how the little things make the difference at your favorite Park.  Also tips and suggestions for a great time would be great.

  

It would be nice if they started having special event nights at Disneyland again like they currently do with local baseball.  I do remember the "Mormon Night at Disneyland" way back in the past.  When you can offer good clean fun it just makes sense to offer special deals to group.  Doesn't just have to Mormons.  Evangelicals and Catholics should have their night.

Buaidh - NO - Bas

The Eagle Project

This weekend I had the privilege to participate in an Eagle Project for one of our Local Scouts.

The eagle project is the capstone and final element to acquiring your Eagle Rank in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA).  It is what sets you apart from the other scouts and shows you have the stuff it takes to be a future leader and productive member of society.
See the history of the Eagle Scout Badge Here.

The idea behind the project is that the boy with some help and guidance from adult leaders and parents will go out and locate a service project which he then coordinators and manages to completion.
Depending on the location and what is to be done the harder part maybe just finding a project in the first place.  All projects have to be approved by a local BSA coordinator.  Upon approval the heavy lifting can begin.



I've seen, been involved in, or heard of projects that range from blood drives, building a bridge at a nature center, making beep balls for the blind to play baseball, finger printing children in front of a grocery store, making benches for a museum, clearing helicopter landing pads at a state park, and can food drives etc.  The possibilities are endless and only depend on what you have in your local area.

The main component of the project requires that the youth must line up people to help fulfill the project.  This might require people to show up to do the manual labor, or give blood. There is also the necessity to acquire the needed materials like wood or concrete, and tools to do the clearing or assembly.  Not an easy task depending on what you decide to do.



I ran into problems with my project that my labor (People from my scout troop and church) mainly did not materialize on my first weekend.  We had the local fish fry carnival that Saturday and my turn out was very slim.  The next weekend with little or no conflicts the turn out was more in the 20-30 person range, which allowed my to cover all the trails in the nature center in 1 day.  I had to adapt the first weekend and find a better use of my limited labor.



So our soon to be Eagle Scout had to adapt with one of the few rain storms we've had this winter.  He also had to deal with plan issues that were not clear.  Several of the pieces for the benches were not cut properly since there was confusion on the angles.  It turns out he has some issues with the benches sitting flat though he will fix this be adjusting the tightness of the bolts and other hardware.

The good part is he has people from various ages helping and has found suitable activities for each age group.  He has learned first hand what it takes to adapt your project, and to run it to completion.
Now many of the adults that work in construction of have some type of experience with assembling things were very helpful in get the task completed.   He also dealt with low quality lumber (full of knots, bowed and wet) that did not help when it was cut.  It actually bucked when being cut with the radial saw.  Thus the issues with the benches being level.

This young man really had to work on the fly despite his best laid plans.  He had to line up people to help, make sure there were proper tools available and that the right raw materials had been acquired.  He truly demonstrated leadership as he has worked to complete this project.   The Chino air museum will truly be blessed to have these bench available for use.









So the next time someone asks you to help out on their project, take a little time out of your day to help make a future leader of America.   And do hire those that are Eagle Scouts.  We know what it takes to get things done!


If your an Eagle Scout please tell us about your Project in the comments section.   It might help a scouting looking for a project.

Buaidh - NO - Bas

Cub Scout Blue and Gold Dinner

As usual now is the time for the Blue and Gold Dinner/Banquet held in place of the typical Pack Meeting.  This annual event helps to celebrate the anniversary of Scouting and the Scouting movement.

One of the main things as Cub Master is to make some kind of statement and/or speech that relates to scouting and it's origins.  it is also a time to reflect on the year and give a kind of preview of the year ahead and where we as a group want to go.

So I've been having fun trying to find some information to use at the upcoming Blue and Gold Dinner.  I'm going to include a few things that I found and hope that some of them can be of use to those out there looking for resources.  One of the main resources in the USA is the Baloo Bugle.  This monthly resource has information for both the Pack meeting and Den Meetings.    There are tons of run-ons and skits that can be useful.

In the past we have done or had some major presentations for our Blue and Gold.  I made sure to get the local Order of the Arrow Chapter Dance team to come and present for our Blue and Gold Celebrating 100 years of scouting.  I was scheduling them way back in December to make sure I could have them.  Unfortunately, they got there late due to getting a little lost.  It all worked out well in the end.


And now the information.

History of scouting - skit of sorts (source - Baloo Bugle)

This is a 2 person play.  Grandpa is sitting as his grandson enters the room.  You could add more people by having more grandson Cub Scouts.

For the parts -
S is the Scout's part:
 G is the Grandpa's part.

S:      Grandpa, were you ever a Cub Scout?

G:     Of course I was!

S:      What was Scouting like then?

G:     Well Cub Scouting began in the United States back in 1930. Of Course it and the Boy Scouts were around in other countries since 1907. The Boy Scouts troops started in the United States in 1910 but there were unofficial Cub Pack in America as early as 1916.

         At first, we were just called Cubs and our leaders were called Cubbers. A Cub Scout was a Boy Scout who had been a Cub. In the earlier days, the dens were run by Boy Scout den chiefs, and about 1936 Dan Mothers started to help the den chiefs. I recall that in 1930 you could buy the entire uniform, all of it, for just $6.00! That was still a lot of money back then though, Den chiefs had to sign off the requirements – not your parents.

         The ranks were Bobcat, which was a small pin like the pins you can earn, and then there was Wolf, Bear, and after bear you were called a Lion. Webelos originally stood for “Wolf Bear Lion Scout.” BSA replaced Lion about 1967 to make it easier to transfer to Boy Scouting. In 1967 there were a lot of changes to the program! We had “Parent-Cub Dinners” as far back as 1933.

         About 1941 they started to be called “Blue and Gold Banquets.” You had to be 9 to 11 years old to be a Cub Scout. In 1949 , they allowed 8 year olds to join, We added about 150,000 boys that year! Tigers were the most recent change- It was added in 1982.

S:      Boy things sure were different back then!

G:     Yep, but we had a lot in common with you today! Cubbing was a lot of fun back then, and it still is now!

This next one focuses on lifting up thy brother, setting an example.
Since we had some issues with respect in our dens we are focusing on helping the boys be respectful, uplifting and provide more service.

I Wish I Was That Brother

Upon graduation from college, a few years back, a young man received a gift from his older brother. It was a shiny brand new Packard. The car of his dreams! One morning as he approached the car he saw a young lad of 12 peering through the windows into the car! Obviously enthralled with the car, the lad didn't hear the young man approach. "Is this your car?" the lad asked when he noticed the man. "Yes it is!" the man responded! "Wow! This is a nice car!" remarked the lad, "How much did it cost?" "I don't know!" answered the man. "It's your car, but you don't know how much it cost?" exclaimed the young lad. "No," stated the man, "you see, my brother bought it for me!" "I wish...I wish...I wish" stuttered the lad. The man thinking he's going to say, I wish I had a car like this. "I wish I was like that brother!" finished the boy!
Amazed at the lads response he offered to drive him around the block! As they were driving, the lad requested if he would drive him home. Thinking he wanted to show off that he was riding in a new car to his friends, the man agreed! They drove more than a few blocks to where the boy lived and as he turned onto the street the man noticed that it wasn't the best kept neighborhood! The houses were dirty and broken. He pulled up in front of the boys house. "Please wait," the boy yelled as he ran into the house! "Oh, he's probably going to get his family to show off the new car", the man thought to himself.

How unselfish this boy was....to be the kind of brother that looked after other first!
What kind of Scout are you...Are you like the older brother!
source - http://www.netwoods.com/d-smminute.html

Another from the the scoutmaster minute site.  This one is good for showing how our influence can spread, and the worth of a boy or person.  Each one matters or we matter to the one, though it might not seem like it at the time.

One Day At A Time

A friend of ours was walking down a deserted Mexican beach at sunset. As he walked along, he began to see another man in the distance. As he grew nearer, he noticed that the local native kept leaning down, picking something up and throwing it out into the water. Time and again he kept hurling things out into the ocean.
As our friend approached even closer, he noticed that the man was picking up starfish that had been washed up on the beach and, one at a time, he was throwing them back into the water.
Our friend was puzzled. He approached the man and said, "Good evening, friend. I was wondering what you are doing."
"I'm throwing these starfish back into the ocean. You see, it's low tide right now and all of these starfish have been washed up onto the shore. If I don't throw them back into the sea, they'll die up here from lack of oxygen."
"I understand," my friend replied, "but there must be thousands of starfish on this beach. You can't possibly get to all of them. There are simply too many. And don't you realize this is probably happening on hundreds of beaches all up and down this coast. Can't you see that you can't possibly make a difference?"
The local native smiled, bent down and picked up yet another starfish, and as he threw it back into the sea, he replied, "Made a difference to that one!"

• Jack Canfield and Mark V. Hansen taken from "Chicken Soup for the Soul"

There are hundreds of thousand (millions) of boys around the world who can benefit from the Scouting experience. We can't reach them all, but even within our own groups we see our task overwhelming, not making any difference. However, to that one boy in your den, pack, troop or post who looked to you as a role model, a friend, an inspiration (even if he never told you) you've made a difference!
You Do Make A Difference -- in making our world a better place to be....One Boy At A Time!
source - http://www.netwoods.com/d-smminute.html

And a couple of last ones.  A great quote from Lord Baden-Powell Founder of scouting.


Be prepared
The end is character with purpose.
Just like Saint George of old the Boy Scouts of today fight against evil and unclean.
There is no religious side of the movement; the whole of it is based upon religion.
As a scout, you are obliged to do at least one good turn every day.
You can smile at the rain if you have pitched your tent properly.
Scouts learn endurance in the open. Like explorers, they carry their own burdens and 'paddle their own canoes.'
A scout is 'clean in thought, word and deed.'
The scout movement is a world-wide brotherhood.
A boy learning what he can as a scout, has a good chance in the world.
Obey the Scout Law.
Baden-Powell Chief Scout of the World.

 -----------------------------------------------

How many good deed examples can you give that impacted the world?
"This I believe: A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove. But the world may be different because I was important in the life of a boy."

http://www.netwoods.com/d-smminute.html

Hope some of these have been helpful to someone stopping by.  And if you have one you'd like to share them by all means leave a comment so that we can see and read what you have.

Scouting can be so fun.  We can help the boys to learn life skills, respect to others, service and it's uses, and help them spiritually mature all while having fun in a clean, safe environment.
For Scouting fits so well with established religion.  It is like the activity arm....... but it can be so much more.


Buaidh - NO - Bas

Math and the current state of Education

Recently at my daughter's school they have decided to concentrate on the Accelerated math program every morning as the first part of class.  This allows those students that are picking up the concepts to move along at a quicker pace and those that are having more trouble to deal with those issues and get reinforcement.  There is the same program for reading as well.

One student in the first grade was doing fractions because of this program.  So this is wonderful.   But, after a discussion with a coworker I came to the realization that maybe we don't have a good math tradition in the US.

Recently they had some professors of education from UCI (University of California Irvine) come and relay some information on helping our children to better understand math and achieve better.
What we found from the professor dealing with the lower grades (k-3) is that some concepts like subtract 10 (subtracting from 10 instead of the actual number and adding back in the extra) is taught in almost all the more mathematically advanced countries like Japan, Russia, Korea and even France.   We are still dealing with issues of young children counting on their fingers.  and not so much the alternate ways to get an answer.  My daughter does this all the time.  But, as we help them to think outside the box and/or use alternative method of coming up with the solution they will be more secure in their math skills and be able to tackle harder and harder problems without shutting down.


I believe we don't have a very good math tradition in the USA.  In fact sometimes what is happening with the homework is busy work and/or work that helps you to take a test.  Albeit helpful some of this is not very good in the real world.  There is not enough application of the information learned.  I know this might seem strange to be talking about this for a 1st grader though it would be much more helpful then just doing 50 addition problems in a row.   There does have to be some repetition to help drill things into the psyche.


I wish I could help my daughter to not want to count on her fingers when resolving a math problem.  But, I do see some rays of hope.  Some times she gets out little erasers or other objects to represent the numbers she is dealing with.  Not a bad start to alternate thinking. She is better able to visualize the final number whether it be addition or subtraction.  But, at the same time I see that in simple word problems some things just go right over her head.  She might identify the numbers involved but, has not,  for some unknown reason, figured out whether they are to be subtracted or added together.  She is simply not taking the time to read the problem.

So have we in our new digital, instant access world become lazy?  Have we come to the point that since everything has to be so fast we apply this in our own school work, or lives?  Are we falling back on tricks, short cuts or the like, instead of taking the time to really do the math?


Are we really better off then our Slide rule, punch card, abacus using forebears?

Are we so dependent on a calculator that we can't we handle some simple math  or count out change at the cash register?.

As the professor/researcher gave her presentation she talked about rounding out and the like.  Coping strategies that we may use to get a rough idea what the answer will be.  It hit home as I do that many a time.  I just hope I can impart these and other mathematical strategies onto my daughter so that she is not counting on her finders when she's thirty (don't laugh a teacher supposedly told the professor she was still doing finger counting).

So the challenge is in front of us.  How do we make Math fun, practical and applicable in the lives of our Children so we can have a rising generation with a chance and not just a bunch of burger flippers that can't even make change.  We can import plenty of that if we wanted to!  But this is not the time to discuss legal and illegal immigration.


Please provide any suggestions on how to help our children with their math.

Buaidh - NO - BAS

24 hours of Daytona is almost here!

We are down to the final days before the grand event.  The racing4research team is up and ready to go.


This year they have a great crew of drivers -
Justin Bell, who will co-drive with Ryan Eversley, Daniel Graeff and Ron Yarab (Graeff and Yarab are multi-time returning drivers),
and the support of Magnus racing.
Just maybe there will be a visit by Patrick Dempsey a fellow driver to the Racing4research pit area.
check out this great video

Magnus Racing- Daytona Preview from Magnus Racing on Vimeo

please donate if at all possible.
http://ctf.kintera.org/r4rp/brendamccool2012

Even if it is only $1 it still helps.

The NF Heroes we are raising funds for have been fighting on a daily basis against the effect and symptoms of Neurofibromatosis.

Could your donation be the one that finds the CURE?

Buaidh - NO - Bas

Attention all Cars - Daytona here we come

As I like to do on this blog here and there I'd like to highlight a very worth while event and fund raising opportunity.

Recently, in just the past several year the Children's Tumor Foundation (http://www.ctf.org) began to use the 24 Hours of Daytona endurance event as a fundraising vehicle.

Here is how Racing4research works.

A race team donates their vehicle, driver time, and crew  to be run at the 24 hours of Daytona endurance event.  The car competes in the 24 hours of non-stop driving with the goal of raising funds to end  Neurofibromatosis (NF).  Persons pledge per lap or give a flat amount as a donation.  In the past the car has been able to complete over 600 laps.  That is quite the feat as each lap is about 3.52 miles.  So that means they ran the car for over 2100 miles in 24 hours.  Some professional teams can't even finish the event due to a break down or other trouble with the car.

What makes this event special is the fact that almost every year they include the Names of NF Heroes on the vehicle.

It's is becoming so big that I wonder where they will be able to put all the names.  And they still find some room for those that want to advertise on the vehicle as sponsors with all the proceeds going into the fundraising pool.

So what exactly will this money raised be used for?  Well it all goes toward funding the Drug Discovery Initiative (DDI).    This program provides grants to take currently available drugs and see if they can be applied to helping solve some of the symptoms of NF.  In the past they provided funding to a researcher in Germany that found out that Lovastatin promotes bone growth.  Potential useful for all those that suffer from bone deformities as a result of NF.  This lead to further research in places like Australia, and Vanderbilt University.  And the good part is results have to be received in within 6 months so there is a quick turn around on the seed money.  As potential benefits are seen further larger grants can be obtained.

What gets me excited is that a condition like Pseudoarthrosis (improper healing of bone fractures) that afflicts such a small portion of people with NF has been able to get so many advances because of DDI and the money raised by Racing4research.

Those many of the other effect of NF like Learning Disabilities and Tumors are also being researched.

As you read the stories of the many NF Heroes you will see so many challenges to over come - Bone Deformities, Tumors, Hearing Loss, vision issues due to brain tumors and the list goes on.

I'd like to highlight just one of these heroes that daily is dealing with the effects of NF.  Her name is Brenda and she was first diagnosed with Tibial Dysplasia (Psuedoarthrosis) at 9 months of age.  Since then she has been wearing a brace literally daily and has had to have surgery to insert a rod into her leg after breaking it repeatedly.  She is still not out of the woods and constantly faces the risk of a hair line crack or fracture.

So please join with me and donating to find an end to NF.

Here is her personal page - and it needs more donations from good hearted people like you -
http://ctf.kintera.org/r4rp/brendamccool2012




Here are a few of the local race events you can participate in by state.  Most have a raffle or silent auction and plenty of good food.

Arizona - Tuscon
California - LA Area
Nevada - Las Vegas
Utah - Salt Lake

http://ctf.kintera.org/r4rp/brendamccool2012

Together we can get through this and find a cure.

Buaidh - NO - Bas

Catapult Competition Time Again

Once again my local Cub Scout Pack is coming upon our annual catapult competition.

Originally this was developed to help us eventual build a bigger fully functioning catapult to be used at our local Orange County Council's Scout-O-Rama.

PVC Teamwork Trebuchet

It was also a way for me to wear my Kilt.  I have few opportunities that seem appropriate to use my kilt and especially my semi-formal Argyll Jacket.  So this annual competition was developed.

In the beginning it was decided to also use this event as a possible recruiting vehicle.  All the teams had to have one current cub scout and someone else (usually ended up being a parent or sibling).

This year there are no restrictions on how many if any have to be on the team.  I've also had some size restrictions to make sure we don't have someone with an over sized catapult and win the distance portion hands down.  However, when I put :

"wLauncher(s)  MUST  be 1 ½ cubic feet max"   I got an interesting result.  One

astute father got me on the cubic feet term.  He got me on the no more

then 1 1/2 foot in the height/width/length (the original idea).  In reality he

was a little longer in one area then I expected.  But he was 1 1/2 foot

cubic since the others were shortened accordingly.   So this year it is

very clear the only restriction is the length of 1 foot minimum.

I also decided to have them include a certain part supplied by me.  I
gave no specification on how to use the part and even that it has to be an intricate part of the catapult.  For all I care it can be just tied or glued to the side.


It shall be fun how the "rules" are interpreted.  I'm always thrown for a curve but, it is not all that bad.   


To make things fair in some respects we end up doing two parts to our competition.  One is for distance.  The highly powerful engines are great at this part.  Our first year we had one that was flinging to the far side of the hall (well over 30 feet) and hitting the wall.  He was way ahead of everyone by points since most people were not even getting close to his throwing distance.   However, as we no if you have an overly powerful engine how in the heck are you going to actually hit the castle wall you need to demolish?


So that is why we also put in as our second part a piece on accuracy.  What this means is the way you get more points is by hitting a target, landing a certain distance, or making  your shot do something specific.  The first year due to some high point targets that had randomly been place on the tables we had a near upset.  One of the weaker but, more controlled engines hit on high point target.  It may have been a near fluke, coincidence or some good planning but, with that point addition they sat within 50 points of the leader.  Now the leader was the wall hitting high powered uncontrollable engine.  But, it helped to prove a point.   You need more then just power to be successful.  However, due to the over powering of the distance point system the power guy still won.

Last I felt like I had time and decide to get out some of my old Playmobil toys and build a Tower House and included some of the figures.  I made this for the accuracy portion of the event.  I even included some invading viking like my ancestors would have had to deal with.  You lost points if you hit them instead of the building.  You also got more points if you hit the defenders or the high tower.
This proved to be very challenging as few if any hit the tower house.  One team lost points due to hitting their attacking squad.




So what benefits has this competition provided to our Pack.

1. Chance for Webelos to complete a requirement for the Engineer Activity Badge
2. Chance for boys to work with their adult partner (even had a surrogate father get involved)
3. Helps to teach the principles of planning and strategies
4. Helps to show how one can be a winner at one thing and no another (IE. accuracy not distance; visa versa)
5. Helps to have a goal to strive for.
6. Helps learning to follow the rules.
7. Winners and losers (To many school don't want to have any losers.  Life is not that way!  We all have set backs)
8. What boy would not want to build his own catapult?

 And one last note - Stay tuned for updates about the Racing4research event associated with 24 Hours of Daytona coming up at the end of the month.

Buaidh - NO - Bas

Youth Protection

As a scout leader one of the many trainings we must complete is Youth Protection.  This training is as much for the protection of the adult as it is for the youth. 

Now you wonder why we even have to bother with such training, right?  Sadly, a few rotten apples make life a mess for all the other adults with good intentions.   And sadly a few of those rotten apples have been from my church.  It's not to say that all the adult volunteers are to be suspected of anything just because they want to help in an organization like the Boys Scouts.


With the recent revelations at Penn State I'll bet a million people will reconsider sending their kid off to some summer or spring break sports camp just because they are afraid something might happen.

Clearly the system failed in the case of Penn State.  Multiple people including a janitor told higher ups of some misdeeds.  However, I'd tell not just the president of the school or the director of athletics if I saw a man doing the inappropriate sexual acts with a boy in the locker room.  That already raises to the level of - TELL the POLICE and TELL them NOW!

I'm not sure things have changed all that much in the last 30 years.  I mean are there more child molesters in the world today then back then?  For that matter are there more today then in the 1800's.  It appears that in 1800's England there was an epidemic of child prostitution.  So is it really worse?  Are we more keenly aware of what is going on around us?

Back in my day we had Den Meeting at the home of one of my best friends.  His mother usually ran the meeting.  There were rarely extra adults present.  Contrast that to our meeting two nights ago.  We had three adults present for 4 boys and at least one parent was within a stones throw distance in the building due to travel issues.

It makes it fairly hard for someone to start accusing misdeeds when you have an adult to youth ratio at that level.    Sadly, things have gotten to that level.  Nary a person dare be alone with a child out of fear of rumors, accusations and the like.  Even some of the leadership in our local units have a second adult outside their office when interviewing people.  Just in case something gets out of hand or it a man interviewing a female.
We have to actively be a part of the life of our youth; of our children.
It appears the guy out of Penn state chose justly the people lacking a full set of parental support as his victims.  He knew that it would be harder to be caught since fewer people were on the look out.
But, one boy's mother was watching, participating and she did not take it sitting down.  Sadly, the system failed her.

How can we live in the world but, not of the world?  How is it that we can really protect our youth from all the issues they face today?
How can we protect them from inappropriate media, friends, activities, drugs and all the other bad influences that exist?

I like what I read in the October 2011 General Conference talk by Elaine S Dalton General Young Women's President of the LDS Church.
"You are your daughter’s guardian in more than the legal sense. Be present in your daughter’s life. Let her know your standards, your expectations, your hopes and dreams for her success and happiness. Interview her, get to know her friends and, when the time comes, her boyfriends. Help her understand the importance of education. Help her understand that the principle of modesty is a protection. Help her choose music and media that invite the Spirit and are consistent with her divine identity. Be an active part of her life. And if in her teenage years she should not come home from a date on time, go get her. She will resist and tell you that you have ruined her social life, but she will inwardly know that you love her and that you care enough to be her guardian."
Read - Elaine S Dalton Oct 2011 Conference Talk

Imagine that - a father actually going down and finding his child that is late from a date and dragging her home.  Most if not many would think you a prude.   But, in reality you are showing the kind of attitude or respect you are expecting from the child and their date.
My wife got a bit of that when we were traveling around in Brazil before we were even engaged.  Most if not all the people she worked with thought it prudish to have a separate hotel room while both of us were in another city visiting.  No one would really have known.
But, it is the principle.  Honest/Integrity - Doing the right thing even when no one is watching.

So we take the training, hold to the standards, not because they are fun, enjoyable or plain neat.  They in reality can be a bit of a pain.  We hold to the standards because we know they the right thing to do and will in the long run protect our youth.

Buaidh - NO - Bas