Scoutmaster Minute, 25 May 2021

William Elwart Gladstone stated, "Show me the manner in which a nation or a community cares for its dead and I will measure with mathematical exactness the tender sympathies of its people, their respect for the laws of the land and their loyalty to high ideals."  This weekend we observe Memorial Day, a day where we honor our war dead.  We do so with a mix of mourning and a celebration of who they were and for what causes they fought.  On this weekend that many mark as the unofficial start to summer, as you enjoy the extra time off, the picnics, the cook-outs and the store sales, I encourage you to also take pause and reflect on the sacrifices that have ensured our continued freedom.

 

On my honor, I will do my duty to God and my Country…

A Scout is Brave; A Scout is Reverent.

 

Scoutmaster Minute, 18 May 2021

To mask, or not to mask?  That is the question.  Unless you are coming out of solitary confinement, you have probably heard that the President, the Center for Disease Control and the Governor have issued new guidance on mask wear – if you are fully vaccinated and have 14 days after your last shot, you do not have to wear a mask outdoors or indoors unless specified by the property owner.  To many, the end of mask edicts came as a surprise, as we have been wearing masks for about a year.  This signal of a return to normalcy is a welcome change to many.  In trying to draw a parallel, I attempted a search for the removal of masks after the end of the world-wide Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 to 1920.  I was unsuccessful.  I am sure it was greeted as a welcome reprieve for some, and met with cautious hesitancy by others.  Let's hope the eventual demise of COVID-19 gives us a 'Roaring 20s' for the 21^st Century.  In the meantime, people will handle change differently, so be patient and unjudging.  Undoubtedly, we will get through this together.

A Scout is Kind.

 

  

Scoutmaster Minute -- 11 May 2021

The Lakota Indians have a proverb, "When a man moves away from nature his heart becomes hard."  Likewise, Lakota Chief Flying Hawk said, "Nobody can be in good health if he does not have all the time fresh air, sunshine and good water."  Truly, we are somewhat solar powered.  The Sun provides us with vital Vitamin D – it is the best source.  Some signs of Vitamin D deficiency are getting sick often, fatigue, bone and back pain, slow wound healing, bone loss, hair loss, muscle pain and depression.  Yes, often people with Vitamin D deficiency suffer from depression.  In my life, I have lived in seven places that experience extended weather-related overcast periods, some due to rainy periods or monsoons, two with a foggy weather condition called 'inversion', and two with periods of sandstorms.  The results of all of these sun-blocking occurrences are the same – bad moods and depression.  You can see it in the line at the grocery store and in the way people drive on the road – lack of sunshine makes us unkind to one another.  We cannot always control the weather, but we can control what we do when there is good weather.  I strongly encourage you to take advantage of the good weather.  Turn off the TVs and the game systems and get fresh air and sunlight.  It is the healthy thing to do and it keeps us in good spirits. 

I will keep myself physically strong and morally straight – A Scout is Cheerful.

 

Scoutmaster Minute -- 4 May 2021

An amazing article appeared on the Science Daily website recently about the future of drone technology.  The article highlighted research conducted by Dr. Javaan Chahl, professor of Sensor Systems and a team of Ph.D. candidates at the University of South Australia.  According to Dr. Chahl, drone technology is about to take a quantum leap forward.  Why?  It is because Dr. Chahl and his team have discovered a source of advanced drone technology.

 

Where did they discover it?  Did they get hold of an alien spacecraft?  No, they found it in the fossil record.  Yes, they found a source of advanced technology in fossils dated 300 million years old.  

 

To be more accurate, Dr. Chahl discovered this advanced technology from observing living specimens of dragonflies.  His team have studied the dragonfly's incredible aerobatic flying capabilities.  This includes the ability to race through the air, turn sharply, stop on a dime, hover, dart backward (or in any direction), and do all this while carrying something three times its own body weight.  Dragonflies are masters of the air.  A male dragonfly can pursue a female, battle off competing males, catch prey with a 95% success rate, and mate all in the same flight.  Additionally, because of their supreme flying ability, they are notoriously difficult to catch and this is why Dr. Chahl and his team have resorted to studying fossil dragonflies.  It is also true that fossil specimens can be very large, with some having wingspans of over 12 inches.  Therefore, the fossils are an ideal source from which to glean drone technology insights. 

 

            Although this technology is 300-million years old according to the modern geological timetable, it blows away humanity's latest drones.  According to the article, in comparison to the dragonfly and other flying insects, today's best drones are crude and guzzle energy.  This is why the researchers believe future drones will resemble dragonflies.  They believe, "a dragonfly-lookalike drone could do many jobs, including collecting and delivering awkward, unbalanced loads, safely operating near people, exploring delicate natural environments and executing long surveillance missions."  They are supremely designed for flight.

 

            It is interesting to note that some of the scientific community condemns any notion of "Intelligent Design" in nature.  They reject the idea that there is any indication that an intelligent designer was necessary to bring about these marvelous flying creatures yet recognize that advanced technology exists in nature that far exceeds technology humans have created and want to reverse engineer this superior technology to improve our 21^st Century technology.

 

This is one of the reasons that I love camping.  All that humans have made fail in comparison to the brilliance and beauty God has provided us in the great outdoors.

 

A Scout is Reverent.

(Another acknowledgement of inspiration provided by a daily devotional from Chaplain Dave Causey)