America Jane Speaks

In the last seven months, I’ve learned there’s a difference between running a personal blog and running a blog and website like my America Jane project.

When all I had was a personal blog, all I read were personal blogs by people I personally knew. I didn’t know about the famous blogs out there (and probably still don’t, Pioneer Woman notwithstanding).

So as I’ve gone about doing my various America Jane things, I’ve stumbled upon a bit of treasure out there in the blogging world. Some of it applies to the theme of this blog. Some of it doesn’t.

For example, Geninne’s Art Blog is a delight. I thought I’d tire of the birds, but I haven’t at all. In fact, she’s recently moved and has been busy setting up her studio (with an enviable view) and I miss seeing her birds. There’s something so cheerful about her blog and her artwork. It’s been a lovely addition to my Google reader.

Then there’s Škorčica. I don’t remember how I found this blog, but I love it. I love seeing bits of another culture. I love that English is not the primary language of that blog (and greatly appreciate the translations). See, it makes me feel all cultured. I don’t get a lot of culture in these parts. It’s nice to feel part of the International community, even if my part in the relationship is “lurker”.

Once Upon A Tea Time… Design Stories is like a picture book for me. I don’t even read the text. I just drool over things like this cozy spot.

I must say, following these blogs makes me want a decent digital camera all the more. If I ever get around to plunking down $600 for a camera, the look of this blog will completely change. I didn’t realize how bad my camera was until I tried taking pictures for this blog. That’s why my posts are typically limited to one picture. Ah well.

Anyway, thanks to the Family Proclamation Celebration (which is off to a fabulous start, by the way) I’ve discovered even more blogs. I checked out the other guest bloggers and found some treasures:

Scribbit’s blog hails from the northerly corners of the world (read: Alaska) and holds golden nuggets such as this delicious-looking poppy seed chicken casserole. There are a few other things I’ve found on her blog that I plan on highlighting separately.

Hungry Panda gets about a billion points for her Bob and Fred snowmen. I’m a big Calvin and Hobbes fan. These snowmen rock the house.

The Modern Hive has this cute Baked in a Jar idea. Supposedly you can let these sit on a shelf for up to six months, but who could wait that long?

And, if you haven’t already, check out Cocoa’s FHE database. I love the spider web idea.

What treasure have you accidentally found in the blogosphere?

I’ve been asked to be one of several guest bloggers for the Family Proclamation Celebration, hosted by Jocelyn of We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ and Cocoa of Chocolate on My Cranium (gotta love that blog title!).

During the month of September, bloggers from all over will be writing about some aspect of the Family Proclamation.

Mine’s already written and I gotta tell ya, I don’t mention Scouts or Personal Progress once. Not ONCE!

Nope, I decided to leave my little pet hobby at the door.

Instead I talked about such life-changing things as cottage cheese and ketchup.

Seriously.

I’m not quite sure if that’s what they had in mind.

But anyway, if you’re interested in The Family Proclamation and giveaways and joining one big ol’ party, then September is the month for you. Join in the fun and enter to win prizes by commenting on posts, putting a cute Family Proclamation Celebration button on your blog to spread the word, announcing it on Facebook, joining in on link-up parties and more.

To make it official, I suggest you eat some party-type munchies while you do this. The more chocolate-y the better.

The party awaits. See you there!

Freight Wagon used by the Clark Company, restored by Ryan Worthen as an Eagle Scout project in 2000. This wagon is the property of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers and finds its home on the grounds of the Old Mormon Fort Visitor's Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Ah, the pinnacle of Scout achievement: the Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project.

A word that’s sometimes overlooked in that phrase is “leadership”. The Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project isn’t just about doing service (although that’s a great thing about it). This is a chance for a boy scout to learn what goes into planning a big project. To learn leadership.

Too often in the LDS Scouting community, boys are short-changed because parents and/or leaders don’t really know what’s expected. I don’t fault individuals for this. After all, you don’t know what you don’t know.

Well, the Eagle Project Planning Guide will take you through everything you need to know. This get to the point one-page website outlines the essentials in a clear, organized manner without overwhelming you with too much information.

It’s really a great site.

Read it. Have your scout read it. Let me know what you think.

If you’re looking for a unique Value Project idea, check out The Sketchbook Project. Whether you’re an established artist or a working mom with scant artistic ability (ahem) or a young woman looking for a fun way to complete a Personal Progress requirement, I’m telling you, this is a fantastic idea.

Here’s how it works. You pick a theme and order a sketchbook. They mail it to you. You fill it with art, doodles or what have you. You send it back (by January 15, 2011) and your super duper fantastic sketchbook becomes part of a literal (and sometimes travelling) library of sketchbooks.

Your sketchbook will go on tour.

Your sketchbook can be checked out at the sketchbook library.

Your sketchbook gets its own bar code so you can see who’s looking at it.

Now, how is that not completely awesome?

You don’t have to be an “artist” to participate. Your sketchbook will not be juried. This is just a way to express your thoughts, feelings, hopes, dreams, fears and love for chocolate (or whatever) in a creative way.

I’m thinking this would make for a great Divine Nature or Individual Worth Value Project idea. Not to exclude the boys (or moms, ahem) this is a great idea for anyone. For a smaller-scale challenge, the same organization offers monthly sketchbook projects (with monthly themes).

Here’s a sampling of past sketchbook art:

everything is the same, by Wendy Cook

And Suddenly…#23, by Nicolas Healy  (see, boys can do it too!)

Solvent Transfer and Ink, by thermion7

From a million little, by Ashley Ivey.

What would you put in your sketchbook?

The new Duty to God booklets have made their way to meetinghouses (with more on the way – most shipments were bare minimum quantities) and you can now download the PDF version of the booklet online.

Be prepared to wait.

It’s a big file.

It takes awhile.

Additionally, the Church’s website also has videos you can watch (whether you’re a parent or a leader) to help get young men started on the new program.

It won’t surprise you to know I’m very excited about this new program and encourage parents, young men and leaders to get familiar with it. By working it. No program is all things to all people, but this is divinely inspired and blessings will come to young men and their families when it’s put into practice.

Generally speaking, we don’t watch movies for Family Home Evening but after seeing The Blind Side (I’m late in the game, I know, I know), I decided to make an exception.

This is a movie I thought my young boys could relate to. It’s a true story (which always seems to capture their attention) and it has football. Not that we’re big on football around here, but what boy isn’t going to be drawn to football?

More than that, I knew this movie would have impact. And who can resist the message? Who wouldn’t be touched and inspired by this amazing true story?

I prefaced the movie with a little bit of background information, to give them context in which to understand the story.

I probably stopped the movie another three or four times to discuss what was happening, ask questions (Why did Leigh Ann invite Big Mike into her home? What made Michael different or the same as other boys in his neighborhood?) and provide more background information to help them understand upcoming scenes.

We talked about it some more when it was over and we were feeling all warm and fuzzy and (yes) a bit teary-eyed.

I was not disappointed in my sons’ reactions to this movie. The ultimate payoff? My ten-year-old saying, “It makes me want to be a better person.”

Me too, sweetheart. Me too.

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”

- Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the United States of America

What are we doing to preserve freedom, both here and abroad? What are we doing to fuel the fires of freedom in the hearts of our children?

To all the men and women who have ever served this great country.

Thank you.

During our trip to Kartchner Caverns we watched a 15-minute video about how and why the cave became a State park. The founders talked about their reasons for wanting to protect it. They talked about their sense of responsibility to protect their beautiful Xanadu from the unfortunate fate of other caves, like this one:

It was an inspiring film. My 10-year-old was particularly touched by it. It was an unexpected opportunity to reinforce the values of individual responsibility toward ourselves, others and our world.

I’ve recently come to appreciate the fact that film is a powerful way to reach children. In an upcoming post, I’ll share which recently-released movie became the basis for a Family Home Evening lesson.

Meanwhile, because this is what I do, here’s  a scouting requirement that capitalizes on the power of movies (and would make a great FHE as well):

Citizenship in the Community Merit Badge requirement 5: “With the approval of your counselor and a parent, watch a movie that shows how the actions of one individual or group of individuals can have a positive effect on a community. Discuss with your counselor what you learned from the movie about what it means to be a valuable and concerned member of the community. Some suggestions:
Follow Me, Boys (G)
It’s a Wonderful Life (G)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (G)
Remember the Titans (PG)
October Sky (PG)
Mr. Holland’s Opus (PG)
Hoosiers (PG)
Pay It Forward (PG13)
Braveheart (R)
The Patriot (R)”

As an LDS mom, I’m thankful BSA made things easy on me by including the ratings right there in the text.

Anyone know of any other movies that would be good for this requirement?

Just about every parent has heard the horror stories: young scouts who get injured, lost or even die while on scouting trips. For that reason (along with others), hiking trips and overnight camping can be a concern for parents of young scouts.

Here’s my two cents on the matter.

Don’t rely on leaders alone to keep your child safe, particularly if your son is in an LDS troop where the leader may or may not have the experience, knowledge and skill you may like him to have.

Take it upon yourself to sit down with your son and go over the basics.

A great place to start is by helping him earn the Wilderness Survival Merit Badge. This merit badge covers first aid, recognizing signs of heat exhaustion, what to do if lost, surviving different climates and more. It’s a great all-encompassing overview of wilderness survival.

Get the merit badge booklet for this one. There’s valuable information in there for both of you. Don’t just go over it once and consider it done either. See if your son still remembers the material a few weeks later.

If you don’t know what your son should be taking with him on these trips (many parents don’t), ask the leader so you can teach your son how to be properly prepared.

Secondly, go over the pamphlet How to Protect Your Children from Child Abuse: A Parent’s Guide [link opens the official PDF file].This is something you’ve seen before if your son was in Cub Scouts. It’s a requirement for every Cub Scout rank and is part of the requirements for the first Boy Scout rank, Scout.

Teach your son how to protect himself from abuse no matter the source (leaders, other boys or what have you). Give him the confidence to say “NO!” and reassure him that it’s safe to come to you with any problems or concerns he may have.

Do this even if you have complete faith and trust in the leaders and boys your son will be spending time with.

The point of this post is not to be an alarmist. Things do happen, but I have found that when I feel that my child and I are both as prepared and informed as we can be, I’m more comfortable with the situation.

A little praying doesn’t hurt either.

Going and Coming by Norman Rockwell

Get your scouts out and about, bring the family along, and get a few scouting requirements done at the same time. Or just use this list for ideas for your next family vacation, even if you don’t have boy scouts under your roof.

As for me, I’d love to do a little geocaching this summer!

Click if you missed my other list of Summertime Fun Activities. Since there are 126 merit badges, and BSA is big on the great outdoors, I decided to put the merit badges in their own post. I’ve saved you some hunting and narrowed it down to the 37 merit badges with possible activities for your next family vacation.

Now get packing.

The American Heritages Merit Badge involves picking “THREE groups that have different racial, cultural, national, or ethnic backgrounds, one of which comes from your own background.” The following two requirements could give you ideas for a family activity, but keep in mind that if you have a boy scout and he wants to do both to help fulfill requirements for this merit badge, he must use a different group for each requirement. Requirement 1a: “Go to a festival, celebration, or other event identified with one of the groups. Report on what you see and learn. ” Requirement 1e: “Go to a library or museum to see a program or exhibit featuring one group’s traditions. Report on what you see and learn. ”

American Heritage Merit Badge requirement 4e: “Visit a historic trail or walk in your area. After your visit, share with your counselor what you have learned. Discuss the importance of this location and explain why you think it might qualify for National Register listing.”

The Animal Science Merit Badge includes requirements to visit a farms or ranches for beef cattle, dairy, horses, sheep, hogs or poultry, depending on which option you’re working on.

Archeology Merit Badge requirement 4c: “Visit an archaeological site and learn about it.”

Art Merit Badge requirement 4: “With your parent’s permission and your counselor’s approval, visit a museum, art exhibit, art gallery, artists’ co-op, or artist’s workshop. Find out about the art displayed or created there. Discuss what you learn with your counselor.”

Astronomy Merit Badge requirement 9a: “Visit a planetarium or astronomical observatory. Submit a written report, a scrapbook, or a video presentation afterward to your counselor that includes the following information: activities occurring there, exhibits and displays you saw, telescopes and instruments being used, celestial objects you observed.”

Aviation Merit Badge requirement 4c: “Visit an aviation museum or attend an air show. Report on your impressions of the museum or show.”

Get the whole family in shape by helping your scout with his Hiking Merit Badge. For the heavy-duty version of hiking, boys can complete the Backpacking Merit Badge. (Are you up for it Mom and Dad?)

Another outing that requires a bit more focus than your typical hike is a bird-watching trip. If you’re interested, check out the Bird Study Merit Badge.

Or put your adventure on wheels. Cycling Merit Badge requirement 8: “Avoiding main highways, take two rides of 10 miles each, two rides of 15 miles each, and two rides of 25 miles each. You must make a report of the rides taken. List dates, routes traveled, and interesting things seen. ” (Now, I know there are families out there fit and active enough to do some of these rides as a family activity. Right? If you’re one of them, please let me know. Give this former couch potato some hope.)

FYI, you might think the Camping Merit Badge to be an obvious choice, but most the requirements need to be fulfilled while camping with the troop, not the boy’s family. Family camping trips (aside from being a great vacation in general) are still a good place to reinforce and test your scout’s knowledge of camping skills though.

If you like watersports, check out the requirements for the Canoeing Merit Badge and have your scout demonstrate how to launch a canoe, perform the various strokes, etc. There’s also a Rowing Merit Badge, Motorboating Merit Badge,  Small Boat Sailing Merit Badge, and Water Sports Merit Badge.

Citizenship in the Nation Merit Badge requirement 4 involves completing TWO of the following four options:

1. Visit a place that is listed as a National Historic Landmark or that is on the National Register of Historic Places. Tell your counselor what you learned about the landmark or site and what you found interesting about it.
2. Tour your state capitol building or the U.S. Capitol. Tell your counselor what you learned about the capitol, its function, and the history.
3. Tour a federal facility. Explain to your counselor what you saw there and what you learned about its function in the local community and how it serves this nation.
4. Choose a national monument that interests you. Using books, brochures, the Internet (with your parent’s permission), and other resources, find out more about the monument. Tell your counselor what you learned, and explain why the monument is important to this country’s citizens.

Citizenship in the World Merit Badge requirement 7e: “Participate in or attend an international event in your area, such as an ethnic festival, concert, or play.”

Coin Collecting Merit Badge requirement 10a: “Tour a U.S. Mint facility, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing facility, a Federal Reserve bank, or a numismatic museum or exhibit, and describe what you learned to your counselor.”

Disabilities Awareness Merit Badge requirement 4: “Visit TWO of the following locations and take notes about the accessibility to people with disabilities. In your notes, give examples of five things that could be done to improve upon the site and five things about the site that make it friendly to people with disabilities. Discuss your observations with your counselor. [Options are] your school, your place of worship, your Scout camping site and a public exhibit or attraction (such as a theater, museum, or park)”

Naturally, the Fishing Merit Badge and Fly Fishing Merit Badge are great options. Even if you don’t have the skill or desire to walk your scout through all the details of reels, knots and bait, you can still provide the opportunity to catch a fish or two. (Both merit badges require catching two fish; one that’s caught and released and one that’s cooked and cleaned.)

Forestry Merit Badge requirement 5a: “Visit a managed public or private forest area with its manager or a forester familiar with it. Write a brief report describing the type of forest, the management objectives, and the forestry techniques used to achieve the objectives.”

The above is one of a few options for requirement 5 and not mandatory for the merit badge. If you’re going to be in the forest this summer, with or without a forest manager, take a look at requirements 1 and 2 of the Forestry Merit Badge which involve keeping a field notebook and collecting samples. A great camping activity.

Another great opportunity for field work during a camping trip is the Nature Merit Badge.

A very cool option, new this year, is the Geocaching Merit Badge.

Geology Merit Badge, Earth History Option requirement 5a: “Visit a science museum or the geology department of a local university that has fossils on display. With your parent’s and counselor’s approval, before you go, make an appointment with a curator or guide who can show you how the fossils are preserved and prepared for display.”

Indian Lore Merit Badge requirement 1: “Give the history of one American Indian tribe, group, or nation that lives or has lived near you. Visit it, if possible. Tell about traditional dwellings, way of life, tribal government, religious beliefs, family and clan relationships, language, clothing styles, arts and crafts, food preparation, means of getting around, games, customs in warfare, where members of the group now live, and how they live.” and 2d: “Visit a museum to see Indian artifacts. Discuss them with your counselor. Identify at least ten artifacts by tribe or nation, their shape, size, and use.”

Mammal Study Merit Badge requirement 4e: “Visit a natural history museum. Report on how specimens are prepared and cataloged. Explain the purposes of museums.”

Music Merit Badge requirement 3a: “Attend a live performance, or listen to three hours of recordings from any two of the following musical styles: blues, jazz, classical, country, bluegrass, ethnic, gospel, musical theater, opera. Describe the sound of the music and the instruments used. Identify the composers or songwriters, the performers, and the titles of the pieces you heard. If it was a live performance, describe the setting and the reaction of the audience. Discuss your thoughts about the music.”

Plant Science Merit Badge Horticulture Option requirement 1: “Visit one of the following places and tell what you learned about horticulture there: public garden, arboretum, retail nursery, wholesale nursery, production greenhouse, or conservatory greenhouse.” and Field Botany Option requirement 6.d.i: “Write ahead and arrange to visit an herbarium at a university, park, or botanical garden; OR, visit an herbarium Web site (with your parent’s permission).”

Pottery Merit Badge requirement 7b: “Visit a museum, art exhibit, art gallery, artists’ co-op, or artist’s studio that features pottery. After your visit, share with your counselor what you have learned.”

Railroading Merit Badge Railfanning Option requirement 1: “Visit a railroad museum, historical display, or a prototype railroad-sponsored public event. With permission, photograph, videotape, or sketch items of interest. Explain what you saw and describe your photos, sketches, or videotape.” or 2: “Purchase tickets and ride a scenic or historic railroad. Under supervision, photograph the equipment and discuss with your counselor the historic significance of the operation.” or 4: “Plan a trip by rail between two points. Obtain a schedule and explain when the train should arrive at two intermediate points. Purchase the tickets and make the trip. Explain to your counselor what you saw.”

If you like to go shooting, check out the Rifle Shooting Merit Badge which includes options for rifle shooting, air rifle shooting (bb or pellet) and muzzleloading rifle shooting. There’s also a Shotgun Shooting Merit Badge.

Scouting Heritage Merit Badge requirement 4b: “Write or visit the National Scouting Museum in Irving, Texas.* Obtain information about this facility. Give a short report on what you think the role of this museum is in the Scouting program. *If you visit the BSA’s national traveling tour, Adventure Base 100, in 2010, you may use this experience to fulfill requirement 4b. Visit www.adventurebase100.org (with your parent’s permission) for the schedule and for more information.”