Charity Spotlight

NCN over at No Credit Needed is asking people to write about their favorite charities for his charity spotlight series. What’s your favorite charity? Hop on over and let him know.

A charity that has been near and dear to my heart for many years is SOS Outreach (formerly known and beloved by me as Snowboard Outreach Society). Its mission is to take at risk youth all over the country and introduce them to the sport of snowboarding, giving them a taste of the mountains, the fresh air, and a life outside of what they normally deal with. It’s been shown that this can be a big paradigm shift for kids, and that for many of them, getting this exposure to another part of life can have tremendous affects over the long term for these kids.

I have proudly and gladly donated gear and clothing to this organization, and were my schedule more allowing, I would love to have the opportunity to become a "Learn To Ride" coach for these kids. I am hoping in the coming years to be able to take the opportunity to do exactly that, and when I do, SOS Outreach will be the organization I do it with (they have an affiliate program up and running in the Lake Tahoe area where I regularly ride).

Anyone interested can see more about them at http://www.sosoutreach.org/

Scoutmaster Mike: Back to Gilwell

It’s taken me a little while to let it all sink in now, but I’m about to embark on an interesting journey, one that will probably consume a lot of my attention for the next six months or so, and one I will need to be very careful to not let creep into and completely overtake the rest of my life as well (LOL!). I received a call about this time last month asking me if I would be willing to serve as a staffer for the Spring 2009 Wood Badge course. I accepted wholeheartedly :).

For those who’ve followed this blog, you’ve read my recollections of Wood Badge, and what it meant to me personally to participate in it. I enjoyed the process and the time I spent on course as a participant, and I will admit that I’m an adult that proudly wears my beads, leather woggle and McLaren Tartan just about any chance I get. The completion of Wood Badge has been likened to earning a PhD in Scouting. Of course, when one gets a PhD in academics, one is then expected to use that knowledge to teach others. The same is expected in the hallowed halls (and fields) of Wood Badge. I had hoped I’d get an opportunity to do so, but I hadn’t imagined it would be so soon :).

So what does it take to serve on staff? Well, if my observing of others who are and have participated is any indication, hyperactivity and drive are two necessary components, and I think I have both of those in droves (LOL!). More to the point, though, I think that it requires adult leaders that have the fire of Scouting in them, and are willing to share that fire with as many people as possible, especially in the capacity of helping to develop leaders. To that end, I’m hoping to use this preparation time to not just get ready for staffing Wood Badge, but to also encourage other Scout leaders to attend as well.

I have a good friend who also has experience with Wood badge training, and he’s been an inspiration to me over the past couple of years (he’s the one that finally made me pull the trigger and go participate in the first place). There’s a lot of work that goes into making a solid team of Wood Badge staffers, but the whole point is to go into showing how to effectively and successfully model a solid Troop. I realize that many of us look forward to the gatherings, the staff development weekends, the chance to hang out together and hone our presentation and organizational skills (I make it sound like it’s some dry seminar, but really, you just don’t understand what it’s like until you’ve gone through it), but ultimately, why do we do this? As a Rookie staffer who hasn’t even begun his training to be a staffer beyond just looking at course syllabus, I realize I may have a totally different answer for this six months down the road. As of right now, though, I am doing this because I believe that trained leaders are essential to the long term success of the Scouting program as relates to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I cannot speak for all areas, but I can say that for our particular area, that training has not been made as high a priority as it should be. However, if a change is to be made, someone has to head that charge and have some “moral authority” with which to speak and lead.

A year and a half ago, I heeded the call of one who had that moral authority to make that petition (actually, I heeded more than one, but the one in my Ward was the most immediate and convincing (LOL!) ). Now that I have come out the other side and I have the chance to help staff this course, it’s my turn to encourage others to get out there and do it. Specifically, I am looking to really encourage my LDS brothers and sisters who are scout leaders at all levels (Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Venturing, district and council) to take advantage of this opportunity to have a course that is scheduled to not coincide with Sunday church attendance. Gang (and I’m specifically talking to any LDS leader that might be reading this), it is in our best interests to not just attend these LDS friendly courses, but to do all we can to make them SOLD OUT events. If we do that, we can assure that there will be more of them in the coming years. More to the point, though, we will be able to assure a level of trained leadership that our areas desperately need, and we will then be able to offer a program that the boys genuinely *want* to be part of, one that will make them excited to reach and achieve and accomplish the aims that scouting provides these young men.

I’m early in this process as a staffer, and I know I have a lot to learn. I also know that there’s much I shouldn’t share about it outside of the course, not because there’s anything secret about it, but because it just doesn’t mean all that much unless you bring yourself to Gilwell to experience it for yourself. Having said that, I’m very much looking forward to my return… “Back to Gilwell.. Happy Land” :).

Scoutmaster Mike: Passing The Torch, So To Speak

It’s a tough thing to see yourself replaced in the eyes of your boys, but I knew eventually it would have to happen (LOL!). See, I’ve been a scout leader now for fifteen years, and for many of those years, I was the Young Turk with the wild ideas and the unique experiences and the different approach to things. I had the boys in my thrall for many years, and I honestly relished being in that position.

This past weekend, I bowed to the inevitable and watched my light get eclipsed by another younger leader who had the ability of holding all the boys (including my own son) in the palm of his hand. On Friday night, the boys and I, a couple of parents, and the new Webelos Leader, Andrew, set off on a hike from Helen Drive at the back entrance of Junipero Serra Park up to the top of the hill, one of our favorite camping areas called Iris Point. Junipero Serra is an interesting little place. It’s a patch of Eucalyptus, Oak and Buckeye forest in the middle of San Bruno. Up on Iris Point, there’s a camping area where, on three sides, you can see city lights and the San Francisco Bay all the way out to the East bay. It’s quite a view, and a nice little place to “get away from it all” without really having to get away.

The boys had a simple task this outing... well, somewhat :). They had to hike into the park, hike up the hill, set up camp, make dinner, sleep the night, break camp, make breakfast, hike the width and breadth of the park's trails with their gear on their backs, and make their way back to the cars. Anything they chose to bring, had to be packed in themselves and then packed back out. If they didn’t have it, they’d have to do without it. It was a case of every man for himself, packing as though he was the only one out there. To that end they did great, and I’m proud of all the boys for the work and preparations they made. To add to the fun, the boys invited Andrew and the Webelos scouts along for the weekend. Andrew had a few additional tricks up his sleeve to show the boys... in addition to a lot of backpacking and rock climbing knowledge and additional scouting skills (the bed he made for one of the boys out of a hammock and a tarp was nothing short of ingenious :) ), he brought along a small arsenal of machete’s, throwing knives, bullwhips, a boomerang and a llama hair sling that he’d made and used as a missionary in Peru (he told the boys of a number of times he had to use the sling to fend off feral dogs that would sometimes chase him and his companion down… and he’d smile from ear to ear as he described this, too (LOL!) ). Needless to say, the boys were more than delighted to learn how to use the bounty of extra stuff he was willing to shoulder in :).

As we set up all of our gear and camp sites, and had our dinner for the night, Andrew went and set up some wooden blocks a small ways from the camping area and created a throwing range for the boys. As I’d been up since 4:00 AM that morning, I decided I’d call it an early night. As I lay in my tent, I heard for the next couple of hours the tell tale “thock, thock, plink, thock” and the shouts of laughter and cheering to show that those boys were having the time of their lives (LOL!). With that, I drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, as we all gathered our gear together, made breakfast, and set of on a day’s worth of hiking, each of us got an additional chance to use the throwing knives and hurl pinecones with the sling until our arms couldn’t take it anymore. As we all laughed and tried our hand at the sling, and I watched those boys look in awe and admiration at Andrew, I chuckled a little and took my position at the rear of the company, letting Andrew take the lead. I remembered my first feeling about a dozen or so years earlier, when I was the young buck that was handed the lead of a group of Scouts, and how the older leaders let me lead the charge with the boys, the “new Sherriff in town”, so to speak. Now it’s my turn to hand over the reins to another younger leader, perhaps a little more in tune with my guys. I know they still like me, and I expect we’ll still have plenty of adventures ahead of us (well, we will if I have anything to say about it), but I know that there are younger leaders that are coming up that will capture their attention, and I’m alright with that :) ).

Scoutmaster Mike: Seeing Things The Way We Are

This weekend, my son and I will be heading up to the Santa Cruz Mountains to participate in the Ordeal Weekend for our Order of Arrow Lodge. It’s an event we have done together twice, and now this will be our third time together. Last year, he went through for himself to receive Ordeal membership. Last spring, he served as an Elangomat (meaning Friend or Guide) to others going through the Ordeal for the first time. While this was happening, I was in another part of the camp going through the process to receive the Vigil Honor (and no, I’ll not tell what that process is, if you want to know, join and get there yourself ;) ). This weekend, Nick will be acting as an Elangomat again, and he has the chance to seal his membership in Order of the Arrow as a Brotherhood member.What's more, he will be an Elangomat for fellow members of his Troop, so this time, he will actually be leading his own friends through the process.

So what does the title of this post have to do with the preceding paragraph? It always interests me that we have opportunities where we can get away from it all, think, ponder, pray, meditate, and learn a little bit more about ourselves and where we fit into the world. These actions allow us to open our eyes just a little bit more, and they let us see a little more clearly what we as people need to do. It’s been a year since my son was elected to be an Ordeal candidate. In that time, he has learned a bit more about what it means to serve and be part of a bigger group, and to contribute to the success of that group. I’m proud of him and what he has been able to do in a short time. By contrast, my own involvement over the last year has changed somewhat with the receiving of the Vigil Honor. With it comes a greater expectation, and through that expectation, I’ve determined that I need to be more aware and alert to the things that I need to do and the example I need to set.

As a member of the Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints, I am often instructed and counseled to read my scriptures daily. Oftentimes, I have had to ask myself “why am I being asked to rehash things I’ve already read a bunch of times before?” I’ve come to see that it is because there really is no one world, one absolute reality, but billions of them, and each reality is informed by the viewpoint and the vision of the individual living that reality. Unlike a stone crag that juts out into the ocean, impervious to all that buffet it, human beings are really very small boats that have very lightweight anchors. We get blown about all over the place. Likewise, we are also very swift and maneuverable; we can change course very easily and maneuver very quickly and with great agility even the most treacherous of areas. Thus the words that we are taught, and the counsel that we always seek those words, is inspired because of the fact that we are such lightweight and agile but easily blown about vessels. We need to be reminded where our home Port is, and we need to be reminded of what the windows on the bridge are supposed to see.

This weekend, a new batch of boys will be coming up to find out a little bit more about who they are and how *they* see the world. Here’s hoping it will be a good experience for them, and for us as well.

Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You

Note, comments are not enabled on this post. I have no intention of debating what I say in this entry. It’s just a statement of belief and fact as I see them, and I’ll let them stand exactly as is.


While having a discussion with a friend of mine, we talked a little bit about politics. I’m typically one who doesn’t get involved in in-dept political conversation because my views tend to be a little out of "the norm". When you say that you are a Latter-day Saint, people automatically assume things about you, such as that you are a Republican. Which I’m not.

On the flip side, when I say I’m a Democrat, then a lot of people get a totally different view of me, and I typically have to stop them and say “no, that’s not accurate, either”. By the time I explain where I’m really at, and what I really represent, most people tend to just shrug and go on their way. However, this time, I was given a comment to chew on, and it’s one that’s given me a lot to think about. I’ll protect the innocent and not drag them in by name, but here, paraphrased, is the comment that grabbed my attention:

The Democrat party has moved to the extreme left, and is NO LONGER the party of JFK.

BANG!!! In one sentence, I’ve finally had crystallized for me what I’ve tried to explain to others for many years! In addition, I’ve been given exactly the way to phrase why I stay with it, even when I feel that my party has drifted so far away from many of the ideals I personally hold so dear.

I can sum up most of my political views in a few basic sentences. They may seem quaint to some Democrats, but these are the principles of the Democratic Party that I hold dearly to, as well as some areas where I differ from mainstream Democrats today:


I believe there are areas where the government does have a solid need to be involved, where taxes and tax breaks need to be applied, and yes, I believe in a social contract with everyday Americans. I believe in social justice. I believe in giving help to those who are less fortunate or who have otherwise been harmed in the past. That is all classic Democrat party platform material. However, my view of that social contract and who deserves to receive the greatest benefits from it is decidedly out of vogue in today's Democrat circles. I believe strongly in the power and value of religious faith, in industry, in people willing to work hard, play by the rules, be frugal, become prosperous because of their own efforts, and support and give service to the foundational institutions that are the most stabilizing in society, such as traditional marriage and families, schools, churches, communities and the like. To echo the words of John F. Kennedy, “Ask not what your Country can do for you, as what you can do for your Country”.

In my perfect world view, where would I like to see the lion's share of government monies collected in taxes go? Those not earmarked for establishing justice and ensuring domestic tranquility, providing for the common defense and securing the blessings of liberty (yes, I’m talking about the “promote the general welfare” section of the Constitution) should go to those who participate in the greatest manner as the greatest net producers and contributors in society, those that contribute the most to our nation. That goes for people, families, businesses, what have you. That goes for rich and for poor, let all have a chance to reap the benefits of the opportunity that this great country provides. THIS is where taxes and government funds should, in my view, focus the greatest amount of attention.

Now watch out, I’m going to get “politically incorrect” here and I may well be committing “Democrat blasphemy” with what I’m about to say… if one was a net drain on the lives and welfare of people (i.e. "the societal sinners", however you wish to personally define that; I have my own thoughts on what that represents and I’ll not be debating them here), those are the ones that I would look at applying more of a focus on collecting taxes from. You want to smoke, drink, do drugs, be a libertine, cause damage and live dangerously? Hey, it's your life, and you're free to live how you wish, but you're going to pay extra for it. Do you want to live a balanced, focused, productive, upstanding life, as defined by the greater good of society as a whole? Awesome, you deserve the tax breaks for providing the biggest net gain to society. Everyone deserves a chance, but nobody should be entitled to an unlimited free ride. I am 100% AGAINST wealth redistribution, and I am 100% AGAINST corporate welfare!

Thus I am what is often referred to as being fiscally liberal, but I believe the liberal policy should be applied in a socially conservative manner. That describes the Democratic Party that my father was raised in. It was that same philosophy and ideals that he helped pass down to me. The ideals of the party of FDR, JFK and RFK, and it’s the one whose ideals I still believe in. Work hard, live modestly, avoid debt, pay whatever down you can as fast as humanly possible, and then invest so that you can live comfortably and give to others. Willingly. To serve your fellow man and help those to have the same opportunities that you do. Ask not what your Country can do for you, as what you can do for your Country!

My world view, I've discovered, is becoming increasingly rare. Sadly, the men and women I used to be able to identify with seem to be dead or dying. It also feels as though the mantra today is “Ask not what you can do for your country, instead demand what your country will do for you!”… and frankly, that both saddens and terrifies me.

I feel somewhat out of sorts today, as though I’ve been marginalized because I’m not rabidly liberal, super left leaning, or one who wants to embrace the United States and its headlong march towards Socialism. I feel like a lone voice in the wilderness at times, trying to say to people that it is possible to believe in social justice and religious faith at the same time. It is possible to have fiscally liberal leanings, but not want to see it applied to an ‘anything goes’ mentality and morality. It is possible to desire greater opportunity for my fellow man without trying to game the system to somehow guarantee that outcome (usually with disastrous results). It is possible to be a Democrat who stands for things like God, allegiance to country, devotion to moral and religious principles, and even stand for not so favorable positions such as support for the troops that fight our battles in distant countries, the desire to not see the government leap head first into bailing out every single institution who made a bad financial decision, or to tear apart absolutely critical to society cultural mores like traditional marriage and religious freedom.


Some may suggest that I am really a closet Republican, but I’m not… I’m an FDR and JFK Democrat, and I’m proud as all getout to be one. While the hard leaning lefties get all the press, there are still those of us who believe in what the Democrat Party once stood for, and will continue to stand for it. I may be a lone voice in the wilderness, shouting things I know some don’t want to hear, but I will not abandon it. I’ll also not be afraid to say that there is much about the Republican Party that is done right, and there is much about the Democratic Party that is done wrong. Neither side has the corner on the market of virtue or vice. Thus, while I often feel like I don’t belong in the tent any more, I’m going to stay, and I’m going to fight so that the moderate voice of the Democratic Party is still present and accounted for.

Blog Action Day 2008: Using “Fast Offerings” to Fight Poverty

Today is Blog Action Day. The topic this year is poverty.


While my little blog is hardly a world player in the blogosphere, I like thinking about these kinds of questions, and trying to see what I can come with and what thoughts I might be able to provide to the discussion. Indulge me for a bit :).

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, like most active members, I participate in two areas of financial responsibility and management as relates to my life in the church. All active members in good standing are expected to pay a full and honest tithe. There are many different interpretations regarding this, but for the sake of this discussion, I will just use my definitions and leave the debating as to their merits out of it. A full and honest tithe, in my world view, is based on my “increase”. When I realize an increase on something, whether that be the receiving of a paycheck, the selling of an asset with appreciation, or some aspect of my life where I receive something of monetary value that can be tangibly quantified as an increase, I pay 10% of the gross of that increase as a tithing. Since I became active again as an adult in the church (back in 1993) I have made this a priority in my life. In addition to this, there is also another aspect that I participate in, as do most members. Once a month, Latter-day Saints hold a fast, usually on the first Sunday of the month, and that fast is effectively the giving up of two meals for that day, and then donating the money that would have been used for those meals as a “Fast Offering” to the church.

I have a strong testimony of the value of both financial obligations, and I participate in both of them them willingly. While I think that tithing is a wonderful program, one that gives me a direct financial stake in the progress and mission of my church, it’s the idea of Fast Offerings that I want to suggest to the world at large as a concept to apply to the topic of “Blog Action Day” and addressing poverty.

Let me pitch this idea out to everyone, whatever your religious denomination or financial situation might be. Could you set aside a day each month, where you are able to agree that you will do without two meals? If the answer is yes, then think about what you would eat for those two meals. If you are naturally frugal and eat very inexpensive options at home, go ahead and add up what it takes to make those meals. If you like to eat out or have a zen for exotic or more gourmet style and priced foods, use that as your criteria. When you have done so and you have a dollar amount, commit to take the money you would have spent on those meals and donate it as a Fast Offering. LDS members already make this contribution each month directly to our church, and I personally feel really good about doing this, because I know that Fast Offering money is specifically set aside to help families in the church who are in need, whether it be to buy food, help pay rent due to a temporary crisis, or get much needed health care when those in need are unable to take care of it themselves.

For those reading this blog who are not LDS, could you do something like this? Absolutely! Even if you don’t want to donate the money to a church, consider donating it to a local homeless shelter or a food bank, or perhaps to another organization that you believe in that has made a stated goal of helping to fight poverty.

The beauty of the Fast Offering is that, with the exception of small children or those with medical conditions that would proscribe such a course of action, anyone can do it! It doesn’t matter if you are wealthy, decidedly middle class, or perhaps struggling to make ends meet; if you are one who can routinely guarantee three meals a day, every day, and a roof over your head, you are one who can participate in this effort. If you are one who cannot do that, or your situation is that you are *not* able to regularly guarantee three meals a day or a roof over your head, this is an example of a concrete action others can do that can directly help you!

I hear those who say “charity starts at home, and when I can take care of myself, then I can start worrying about other people”. While I understand the sentiment, I feel it puts the emphasis in the wrong place. When we approach the idea of charitable giving as something we will eventually get to when we can “take care of ourselves”, we ultimately find reasons to push out the day that we can actually give to others. When we make the point to give from the outset, even if we do not entirely know that we can cover ourselves, somehow the change in attitude towards giving to others first allows us to be better stewards of our own resources. Another way to put your own circumstances into stark relief… if you are curious to see where you stand statistically with the rest of the world, have a look at the Global Rich List. I found this to be *very* sobering... I put in my base salary, and discovered that, out of the 6 billion people on this planet, approx. 49 million people living today make more money than I do. Sound like a big number? It’s not… it translates to less than 1% of the world's population earning more than me. More than 99% of the world’s population earn less than I do!

To bring this into even sharper focus, how's this for consideration (also from the Global Rich List):

$8 could buy you 15 organic apples OR 25 fruit trees for farmers in Honduras to grow and sell fruit at their local market.

$30 could buy you an ER DVD Box set OR a First Aid kit for a village in Haiti.

$73 could buy you a new mobile phone OR a new mobile health clinic to care for AIDS orphans in Uganda.

$2400 could buy you a second generation High Definition TV OR schooling for an entire generation of school children in an Angolan village.

For some, it’s not necessarily that they don’t want to give, or that they aren’t willing to give, but they don’t quite know how to do it. I’ll be frank, if you are part of a church group, I would suggest making a point in your life to commit to paying tithing, even if you are a member of a church that does not actively do such a thing (I highly doubt a pastor or priest would turn down your desire to contribute :) ). If you are not actively involved in a church, take a look at the charities that matter to you, or find those organizations where you feel your dollars can make a difference.

If you do not feel comfortable with that type of amount up front, or you are unsure where to get those first dollars to contribute, I strongly suggest doing a “Fast Offering” as your first experience. Whatever denomination or lack thereof, whatever cause or goal you would like to associate with, this is an easy way that just about everyone can do something to make their stand and play a part. Seems like such a small thing, I know, but what if everyone did it? Do you think there'd be any real economic power in doing such a thing? Using the United States as an example... imagine if 300 million people, once a month, decided to forego eating two meals for one day, and then took the proceeds from that day of sacrifice and used that money with the express purpose of helping the poor, needy and most vulnerable. For the sake of argument, let’s just say that two meals was the equivalent of a breakfast plate and a happy meal at McDonalds (not recommending McDonalds for this exercise per se, but I can do quick math with those examples). In my area, the cost of those two meals turns out to be about $8.00 when all is said and done. That’s the equivalent of every person in America contributing $96.00 per year towards helping those who are hungry and in need. In raw dollars, 28 BILLION of them. Every year. Now that’s some power!!!

Will we ever see a day when poverty is not with us? Sadly, human nature is such that I would have to say no. At least not in the world we currently inhabit. My theology teaches of a time where Christ shall come to the earth and rule for 1,000 years, and during that time there will be no war and no poverty, and all will be whole. It’s a wonderful thought, but it’s not here today. My suggestion is that a Fast Offering is something everyone can do today, and they can make a habit of it that could profoundly affect the lives of millions. If you already do it, keep doing it. If you don’t, consider doing it. It could help draw us closer to that ideal of the millenium reign, and we can all say we had a hand in bringing it to pass :).

Scoutmaster Mike: The Importance of Being Prepared

As I am actively involved in both Scouting and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it should come as no surprise that I look forward to reading words of encouragement and inspiration from Charles W. Dahlquist II, more often referred to as "President Dahlquist" by me and many others, as befits his role as the general Young Men's President of the Church. In addition to that role, he is also a member of the National Boy Scouts of America Executive Board, thus he combines two areas I care about greatly. This is a long winded way of saying "when President Dahlquist talks, I tend to listen!"


President Dahlquist gave an address at LDS Business College regarding the Importance of Being Prepared. Needless to say, as a good Boy Scout, I tend to enjoy my favorite outdoor organization's motto get repeated often and publicly. I particularly enjoyed the areas that he focused on for this talk. His notions of preparation covered a number of different areas, and in this particular devotional, he made a point to address spiritual preparation along with temporal preparation.


This quote struck a chord in me, and I want to share it here:

“Do we wait until challenges come along to become prepared?” President Dahlquist asked. He cited Alma 34:32, “For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.”

He then gives five challenges:

1. Remember you are a child of God, in all times and at all points and walks of life.

2. Stand in holy places, or "being where we ought to be".

3. Learn to control your thoughts:

Mosiah 4:30: “…if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not.”

4. Learn to do things that are hard to do. “Don’t just scoot by. Stand up. Do things that are hard!”

5. Give service. “Service is not a project; it’s a way of life,” said President Dahlquist.

I feel impressed that, in these challenging times we are currently facing, these are words that all of us could put to good use. I certainly will give it my best shot :).