OT: Former Boy Scouts???

[jdmunzell]

Okay, I admit that the only correlation to RVs here is one's shop!

I love building my RV, however there are many times when the shop tools come in quite handy for other things. Case in point.....

I don't know how many of you guys were Boy Scouts, but I'd put good money on the fact that there are quite a few! My 11yr. old son is joining Boy Scouts this Fall, and we did a little shopping for the ocassion tonight, A new shirt, the kerchief, the hat.... Then, my boy spies this beautiful "Official Boy Scout" knife in the case. Cost....$40 (Hoowahhh.. like airplane parts!). I look at this knife, and it looks JUST LIKE the one I had when I was in Boy Scouts back in the ...er..um...'60s! Well, it occurred to me that my Official Boy Scout knife was in a little cardboard box in the basement along with some other very important artifacts ( that's a "museum" word isn't it?).

My boy wants to spend his hard earned $40 to buy this classic knife. I tell him to hold off, that I think I can fix him up with my old one. He says.."But Dad, this one is new!" I said, steel is steel, whether it is a year old or 45 yrsl old!

Okay, so after we get home and the kiddos are in bed, I very quickly locate my Boy Scout knife from forty umpty years ago and procede to start "restoring" it. ....simply, it was obviously a bit tarnished from the years gone by, but was in very good condition. I spent the next hour buffing all the metal "foldouts" ( don't know what else to call them, but you know what I mean ). Attachment by attachment, I slowly and methodically buffed these pieces first with the wire brush wheel and then with the 6" scotchbrite wheel.

I then took some common household oil and spread it around on all the metal parts and then cleaned it all up! The result is a beautiful 45 yr old "Official Boy Scout" knife that I am passing on to my son! Now, I ask you.... how cool is that??!!!

One of the many reasons I am "....on -8 wings still!! "

[captainron]

Originally Posted by jdmunzell

I then took some common household oil and spread it around on all the metal parts and then cleaned it all up! The result is a beautiful 45 yr old "Official Boy Scout" knife that I am passing on to my son! Now, I ask you.... how cool is that??!!!

One of the many reasons I am "....on -8 wings still!! "

He'll be wise to it-your old one probably has "Made in USA" on it!

[godspeed]

I love the heart warming story and saving 40 bucks artifacts good name for them


Danny

[cytoxin]

loose the new one first... no really i love the handed down stuff. i hunted with a old PSE bow for years cause it was my dads. have a 20 year old warn 8000 winch (thats runs like new)that my brother bought new.and a 25 year old bike that was my other brothers. i look like a yard sale when i go hunting. thanks for sharing.

[rzbill]

One of the best wilderness adventure trips in my youth was due to Scouting. I decided my sons had to have the opportunity to do the same, so I was a leader for 14 years. We far outdid my youth experience. I had a better experience as an adult. Most excellent "vacations".

Example summer "high adventure" trips:
Algonquin Provencial Park - Brent Base - Canoeing/Camping/Fishing (twice)
Youghiogheny/Ohiopyle - Whitewater Kayaking and rock climbing
BSA Seabase -Florida Keys - Sailing and Coral Reef Diving.

Both my sons are eagles which I am very proud of.

One is in the Navy and recounted a story during training about knot tying:

The group was being taught the bowline (and others). The instructor was doing the conventional method of making a loop and then passing the working end up through the loop around the standing end and back down the loop. My oldest son asked to demonstrate the "one handed" method that takes about 1.5 seconds to tie around your waist. Not long afterwards, a rival instructor walked over and challenged my sons instructor to a bowline tying contest. The "one handed" method smoked him, to the glee of my sons group.

[jdmunzell]

Originally Posted by rzbill

....Both my sons are eagles which I am very proud of.

As well you should be! Making Eagle Scout is quite an accomplishment. My son has expressed the desire to make Eagle and I told him that if he does, then the world will be his!

[Ironflight]

Originally Posted by jdmunzell

As well you should be! Making Eagle Scout is quite an accomplishment. My son has expressed the desire to make Eagle and I told him that if he does, then the world will be his!

Scouting teaches leadership like very few other activities can....the percentage of Eagle Scouts in the pointy end of the space business is very high, and I am proud to count myself among them! (There is no such thing as a "former" Eagle by the way...even though I have not appeared on the membership rolls of any BSA organization for many years, it never leaves you.)

Unabashed plug....if you have young kids, and find that with all they have going on, Scouting just won't fit in, ask yourself the likelihood of them becoming a professional baseball player versus the likelihood of them needing leadership skills to excel in whatever life they choose - then evaluate their schedule priorities!

I was fortunate - my traditional scouting lead me into an Aviation Explorer Post which was sponsored by an FBO with J-3's that needed rebuilding, and I've been living my dream of flight ever since.

Paul