Scoutmaster Minute, 20 October 2020

Can you have too much of a good thing?  Many of us like candy and sweets, but we know too much can make us overweight and contribute to cavities.  How about vegetables?  Would it surprise you to know that there are people who are obese even after being on a vegan diet?  Calories are calories.  Vitamins are good for us, right?  Have you ever heard of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition of 1911–1914? This three-man mapping journey was put in peril after one of the explorers, Belgrave Ninnis, fell down a crevasse and died.  With him went the sled with most of the team's food supplies.  Remaining explorers Douglas Mawson and Xavier Mertz had to eventually resort to eating the remaining sled dogs, after which Mertz became ill and died. Given the high vitamin A content in dog livers, many scientists think Mertz died of vitamin A toxicity.  Yes – too many vitamins can kill you.  What about workout supplements?  I have personally witnessed the death of otherwise healthy, young bodybuilder, who died of a heart attack fueled by too many workout stimulants.  These were things that were supposed to make his workout better and him stronger. 

 

In ancient Greece, the temple of Apollo at Delphi bore the inscription Meden Agan, meaning 'nothing in excess'.  We are wise to be careful about what we put in our bodies, and what quantities.  Even for things we think are good for us, it is important that we understand our limits and the effects of 'too much of a good thing.'

 

I will keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.

SMM

For those who could not attend, what follows is the Scoutmaster Minute for 13 October 2020:

 

Baggage.  We all carry baggage.  Those that we interact with carry baggage.  I am not talking about backpacks, daypacks, or luggage – I am talking about the strain of living.  Each of us carries a unique set of perspectives based on the challenges life has thrown our way.  This baggage is not equal in weight.  Some of us carry more baggage.  Sometimes we feel comfortable with sharing our baggage with others, and we find that our friends are happy to help us carry the load.  Sometimes we do not want to burden others with our baggage, as we do not want to reopen emotional scars.  Either way, it is OK.  Just because we do not share baggage today does not mean that we cannot share it later.  Likewise, we may have baggage that we just want to keep between our Maker and ourselves.  Having baggage is OK – it makes us who we are.

 

Baggage can affect our behavior, our attitude, even the way we look.  It is important for us to recognize that each of us is carrying a different load.  It is OK to ask, in a nice way, "what's wrong?"  It is OK if the other person does not want to share; we can lend understanding regardless.  Be there for one another – note that belonging is smack in the middle of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and the fact that you are here means that you belong and are part of something bigger than yourself.  Lean on one another – the purpose of community is to prosper together rather than fail or struggle alone.

 

A Scout is Friendly.  A Scout is Kind.

Here is the latest Scoutmaster Minute from 6 October 2020:

 

My father used to say, "Can't never did anything."  This was usually a response to me saying that I was unable to complete a task or a challenge.  Born premature, sickly and suffering with childhood asthma, many games and chores seemed outside of my reach.  Yet, with the goading of "can't never did anything," I would attempt and either achieve or fail in a way that I saw the task as surmountable.  I hated to hear "can't never did anything," but over time this became my anthem and I stopped letting fear and doubt hold me back.  Years later, as a 19 year old entering my last week in Airborne School, I called my dad and he asked me, "Now why are you going to jump out of an airplane?"  To which I replied, "Why not?  You have called too late to talk me out of it."

 

Fear can paralyze us if we let it.  Self-doubt often proves our biggest stumbling block to reaching our potential.

 

Fourteen years ago today, Briton Jason Lewis completed a journey around the world using only human power – no sails, no motors, no help.  This 13-year excursion covered 46,505 miles, and was dubbed 'Expedition 360.'  Lewis began the adventure with fellow adventurer Steve Smith in 1994.  Starting in France, they mountain biked to Portugal.  They built a pedal boat and set across the Atlantic.  Once in North America, Lewis roller bladed across the continent.  During this portion of the journey, a drunk driver hit him in Colorado.  After nine months recovering from two broken legs, he finished crossing North American in 1996. With Smith, Lewis spent 53 days pedaling his boat across the Pacific Ocean from California to Hawaii.  This is where Smith ended his journey.  After walking across Hawaii, Lewis paddled across the Pacific, cycling across Australia along the way.  Reaching Asia in East Timor, he kayaked from there through Singapore and started cycling again across Asia.  During this time, he was arrested in Egypt under suspicion of spying.   Finally in 2007, he finished his journey where he started at the Greenwich Meridian Line, cycling and pulling his paddleboat in tow. 

 

On top of the broken legs, during the journey Lewis twice survived malaria, sepsis, a bout of mild schizophrenia, and a crocodile attack near Australia.

 

Undoubtedly, Jason Lewis understood that "can't never did anything."  Before carrying out this 13-year human-powered circumnavigation, Lewis had never crossed an ocean before.  Nor had he roller bladed, kayaked, or ridden a bike for more than a few miles.

 

A Scout is Brave.