Friday, July 4, 2008
Kids...Fireworks...Boy Scouts
Tried to teach my kids something new today. You can't point lit fireworks, sparklers or those morning glory things at people. There really are some important lessons in life that will take a long time for them to learn. I still remember a river rafting trip in Alaska, the infamous Gulkana week-long rafting trip. Possibly one of the very funnest and most exciting scout outings that I have ever been on. One of the kids parents didn't ever have this so important life lesson with him prior to going on this trip. Roman candles (very sweet fireworks) are much more dangerous than the stuff you can buy in Utah. They, roman candles, are not made for pointing at people, but then again why would someone buy a firework that you have to hold and shoots out projectiles other than to point it at someone. I can hear the voice of reason coming from some of "other" parents saying Paul you were supposed to be teaching those two not to do this sort of thing. Well the good thing is they will not be old enough to read this blog for a very long time and by then they will understand why their father was having second thoughts about the whole pointing fireworks at other humans. In close proximity it is not a very intelligent or good thing at all, but going from one river raft to another is not that bad of an idea. I honestly believe that if the scouting officials actually knew what went down on scouting outings in our Alaska troop our sponsorship would have been pulled faster than ... well lets just say that I don't think we ever followed any scouting protocol on any scout outings. I don't think that the scouts condone; R-rated movies (or even the fact of taking a troop of boy scouts away from scout camp to go to the movies), fireworks (you can do a lot of dangerous things with fireworks). They are more into the whole torture young men with any form of torture they can come up with and we can turn it into a "merit badge". Don't get me wrong I love the boy scout program, they do teach many life supporting attributes, but come on swimming in an Alaskan lake that only unfroze weeks prior to scout camp that is just wrong. Why at scout camp are the only heated showers those of the leaders/adults? If I ever have to tie my kids down for any reason I actually now probably 23 different knots that I could use but I still can't figure out how to connect those really intricate seat belts that hold the kids down in their car seats. Boy Scouts is one of the greatest institutions in the world, roman candles really are no fun unless they are being shot across a freezing Alaskan lake from one inflatable river raft to another inflatable river raft, and a 4-year-old running around the yard with a "morning glory" firework isn't and never will be a safe parenting practice.
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6 comments:
Happy 4th of July! It sounds like you had fun. Sparklers are a dangerous necessity of growing up hu! I, not being a boy scout in Alaska, have never actually pointed a roman candle at anyone, but I remember my dad lighting off fountains in the garage a few times because it was to light outside to see them otherwise. People outside of Alaska just don't get it.
Yeah, I have always wondered about thouse Scout camps. It's so funny (not really) because every year they are getting lost, killed by heat stroke, falling off cliffs or my favorite... being struck by lightning. I've always thought they need a few of the Moms to tag along... you know... a voice of reason... but that would ruin all the fun, for sure! I'm surprised that any Scouts survive. Too bad your scout camp with roman candles sounds like fun right about now.
I went boating with my trek kids today, and rode in the car with Aaron, a YM pres, and all the girls. He brought up scout camp, saying he wondered why the boys thought they needed NUDE time, but we understood, right? Since we do that at Girl's Camp . . . RIGHT? We all looked blankly on, horrified at the mental image. . .uh, NO we don't have naked time at girls camp. And now we're wondering if we'll ever send our sons to Boy Scout Camp, for sure!
And yes, Andrea, lighting fireworks in your garage was fun. We couldn't do it in ours, too much dang food storage. Then again, we'd have to crack the door for air. . . it's hard to enjoy fireworks in the land of the midnight sun.
Time for pictures! :)
haha paul this is eric im just too lazy to sign out of brianas and sign into mine. man i missed a lot this summer i think next summer before i leave for my mish im gonna stay with you for a week or two and sarah for a week or two and try to come back to italy and stay with briana or around her house for a week or two. we are gonna have fun this year when i get back. its gonna be a party every time you come down or i go up. haha love ya bud PEACE IM OUTTA HERE!
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