LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Like many Americans I chose to take vacation on the Friday preceding Labor Day to eek out a 4-day weekend just before the tumult of the new school year took hold. I decided to snorkel down the most pristine section of the San Marcos River between Sewell Park and Rio Vista Falls as a kind of farewell to summer. Our glorious spring-fed river sees many visitors (>300,000/yr) that come to paddleboard, kayak, canoe, tube and swim in its clear and cool waters. As I walked to the headwaters in the pre-dawn, I was struck by the beauty of the morning sky with shades of pink and purple dancing among the clouds. Birds were twittering to each other, and I even saw several deer headed for shelter among the weedy drainage ditches along my short walk. Nature is so amazingly prolific and seeing these creatures reassures me that all is right in the world. I began gliding downstream just at sunrise and marveled at the teeming wildlife below the surface including all manner of curious bass, perch and gambusia as well as a ridiculously large alligator snapping turtle that was not pleased with my early morning incursion into its hunting grounds. Spending time in physical face to face contact with nature’s elegance leaves me with a deep sense of gratitude for life, the universe, and our creator who makes it all possible.
Ever since the industrial revolution humans have been spending less time outdoors and/or losing access to natural areas. We are fortunate in San Marcos to have a large amount of green space within the city limits (2,100 acres) for a town our size, 40 miles of trails forming a greenbelt around the city, and of course are blessed to live near the cleanest river in Texas. It makes sense that many San Martians spend more time in nature than the average American, over half of which logs less than 5 hours per week. Maybe these people live in an uncomfortable climate, traffic eats up all their free time, they don’t live in an area with easy access to nature, or they prefer digital infotainment (TV, phone, games, etc). One thing is for sure, most of human existence has been spent outside surrounded by and dependent upon the bounty of nature and doing so is central to our ability to stay humble, centered, and act as good stewards of our home here on Earth.
For those readers who have not had much interaction with scouts I’ll briefly describe how it connects young humans to nature, practical skills, and an easy-to-understand moral compass in a world where it is far too easy to lose sight of what is important. All scouts are expected to learn skills including woodcraft, use of ropes, backpacking, cooking, hiking, navigation and many others needed to competently, safely and unobtrusively navigate natural settings. These skills are applied on “front country” campouts situated near a specific activity or “back country” campouts where scouts must carry all that they need to survive and thrive into undeveloped wilderness. By following the outdoor code and leave-no-trace principles scouts develop a better understanding of the natural world and courteously preserve it for the next group with enough moxie to come enjoy it. These outdoor excursions also provide opportunities for scouts to experience camaraderie forming lifelong friendships, opportunities to lead their peers in achieving patrol or troop goals, and a setting to safely gather intuition — the price of which is often failure. These scouts are constantly challenged and encouraged to uphold the oath, live the law, practice the motto and embrace the slogan.
The Scout Law: On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight The (12 points of the) Scout Law: A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.
The Scout Motto: Be prepared The Scout slogan: Do a good turn (deed) daily Most readers will recognize these traits, ambitions, and behaviors as those of good leaders and citizens who contribute to society.
Boy Scout Troop 112 is part of the Capitol Area council, Sacred Springs district and is sponsored by the San Marcos Lions Club. Our troop particularly enjoys spending time in the great outdoors on long backpacking and canoeing trips. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the troop and I humbly request that readers spread the word to anyone they know that was or could have been involved with the troop over the years. Former Scoutmasters, Eagle scouts, and all affiliates are cordially invited to register for and attend our 50-year celebration to be held Saturday, November 16, 2024 at the Freeman Ranch. Details here: eventcreate.com/e/ t112 I leave you with a few numbers to help gauge the impact of 50 years of scouts in Troop 112 actively dedicating themselves to spending time in the great outdoors hiking, backpacking, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, swimming, caving, geocaching, cooking and learning all kinds of naturecraft and other practical skills. In its 50 year history I conservatively estimate that collectively Troop 112 scouts have hiked over 20,000 miles, canoed over 7,000 miles, slept under the stars more than 5000 times, earned over 8,000 merit badges, and provided almost 5000 hours of community service.
Yours in Service, Casey Smith Asst. Scoutmaster, Troop 112
