Boy Scouts and Boise Parks

As some of you know, I've been in scouts since I was 11 years old, and I've enjoyed (just about) every minute of it. There's been super fun camp outs, and hard times when I've had to take up the mantle of leadership and march. I've gotten a lot out of scouting, and as my 18th birthday is around the corner, the time that marks the end of all Scouts' careers, I'm starting to wrap everything up.
A huge part of my Scouting time has been spent working towards my Eagle Scout award. Eagle is not only the highest rank in Boy Scouts, but it is something I can carry on in to my adult and business life. It automatically shows a to-be employer that I have integrity, and a will to work towards something until it's completed.
Getting Eagle is no easy task. I've had to spend hours working on merit badges, days away from friends so I could work on rank advancement, weekends on camping trips, and months in leadership positions. I've had to make sacrifices, and it's been so worth it. Two of my very best friends, Max and Andy, were made in Scouts, not to mention peeps like Kevin and Noah. I've built memories with J.T. and Austin, and I've almost died with Richard. I hiked 50 miles with Mark and Brian, six of those thirsty, and without water.I rafted 100 miles with Steveo, Evan, and Justin. It's been amazing. Yeah, I've been made fun of plenty by other friends, but it's so worth it. I wouldn't give up the relationships I've built, the stuff I've learned, or the memories I've made in Scouts for anything.

The biggest requirement for Eagle Scout is a service project. Now this ain't your run-of-the mill "rake leaves for a half hour" project, either. Every detail has to be planned months in advance, signatures have to be gotten, sign ups have to be sent out, volunteers have to help; and that's just to get to the actual project. After, the entire thing has to be written out, including a record of the hours that everybody helped, a blow-by-blow account of the events that took place...oh, and did I mention that I have to lead this whole thing? The whole idea behind an Eagle Project is that it's really hard. It tests the leadership ability of the to-be Eagle Scout by putting him in charge of people, paper, and yes, a project. After the project is written up, it has to be approved by your troop, and by the Boy Scouts of America before it can actually be counted towards the Eagle rank. It's no easy task.
And by the end of next week, if everything goes according to the plan I have set out, I will be done with all of my requirements for my Eagle Scout award.

What project did I do? Actually, that's really what this blog post is about. I finally get the opportunity to share my finished Eagle Project with everybody that wants to see it! I've worked many long hours (60-something by myself, 120 or so altogether) to get this accomplished.
For my Eagle Project, I decided to do a short documentary about four of the major parks in Boise: Julia Davis Park, Ann Morrison Park, Kathryn Albertson Park, and Camel's Back Park. But before I spoil everything, take a look for yourself:


Boise Parks from Colin Mansfield on Vimeo.

So, now the countdown begins on my final days in Boy Scouts. I'm sad in one sense: I've loved my time here. I'm happy in another sense: I'm ready to move on.

Thanks, and I hope you enjoyed the video!
Colin

Intersections

This last weekend I went up to Celebration Park to do some camping with my Boy Scout troop, Troop 61. Some of my best friends in the world have come from t61, so you can imagine that it was pretty much a blast up there. :-)
I've been thinking a lot about people lately. I find it fascinating how people's lives are a lot like lines in that they all seem to be going different directions. Adding to this analogy, the lines intersect at various points, and can even change each others directions with encouragement, mockery, sarcasm, help, etc.
The question I ask myself is this: how did my line affect the guy at Dutch Bros. earlier today? When I go to church, am I the line causing the other lines to skew?
When I'm around my friends, do I default to being a parallel line or do I stand up for myself and others?
Although these questions tend to trigger a "mental shut down" in me due to the cliche-ness, I still find myself wondering. If I could see "my line's" direction from 20,000 feet, would I be pleased at where it's headed? Would I regret where it's been?
At times I envy George Bailey.
Something I mentally acknowledged this weekend is how much my friends mean to me. I am so thankful that our lines are intersecting at this point in my life. I understand that we may not stay intersected for ever and ever, and yet I would not be the same person without them.

Here's a night, and it shines
And it calls us on and on
So be here by my side, and watch the stars
They're ours
Make a wish or just take charge
The moment comes get lost and go far
I think that we've got what it takes
To get this heart start beating again
So take it all the way.

Whoa, whoa
And our hearts are on The Everglow
So just let go and fall into it

We begin, breathe in
Here's our chance to go for something
So this is where we win, and take the game
No blame
There's a neon light inside that shines
And tearing down the walls in the way
I think that we've got what it takes, to get this heart start beating again
So take it all the way

Whoa, whoa
And our hearts are on The Everglow
Deep inside we both know it
Everything's hanging on this moment
Whoa, whoa
And our hearts are on The Everglow
So just let go and fall into it

It's cold inside, but deep in the night
The light is bright enough to send
The weakest ones to go for the ride in
Oh no you cannot fade away

Whoa, whoa
And our hearts are on The Everglow
Whoa, whoa
So just let go and fall into it
Whoa, whoa
And our hearts are on The Everglow
Deep inside we both know it
Everything's hanging on this moment

Whoa, whoa
And our hearts are on The Everglow
Every action makes a reaction
We'll figure it out and make it happen
Whoa, whoa
And our hearts are on The Everglow
So just let go and fall into it

To me, this song (The Everglow, Mae) illustrates how we can get hurt playing this intersecting line game, this game of pick up sticks. Rather than becoming a recluse, however, if we align ourselves with Christ, make it so that we are intersecting with him always, we are so much more free; we live in the everglow.

The question I'm now asking myself is who and what am I intersecting with?

Colin

Proud to be an American...?

In case you didn't know, I'm a boy scout. I'm a part of Troop 61, and we meet every Mon. night at Westside Bible church in Meridian. I enjoy scouts, even if I get mocked by some of my friends at school about it ;)

Last Monday we had a guest speaker- a lady who had recently gotten her American citizenship after immigrating from Ireland when she was 16 with her family. Basically she just told us all the things she had to do to become an American citizen, what that means, etc. She even asked us a couple questions from the test.
(One of them was "Who is the head of the Supreme Court? What's his name?" I said Chief Justice Roberts when no one else could figure it out. Apparently not everyone heard about the blunder that made him famous.)

The thing that struck me most about this woman wasn't the process she had to go through to get her citizenship (although that was impressive.) Rather, I found her level of patriotism to the United States incredible! She spoke about our country as if it were heaven. In fact, before she was an American citizen she wouldn't touch an American flag out of respect, and because she felt that if she were to let it touch the ground, or defy it in any way, she would be disrespecting the entire country more so because she wasn't yet a citizen.

What hit me the most about this wasn't a sense of guilt, such as "I have so much to be thankful for, and am taking advantage of so much!" I know the freedoms this country gives me, and I am grateful for them. I do participate in being a citizen by staying informed politically, by following the laws even when I don't agree with them 100%, and by praying for America's leaders frequently. I don't, however, have a large degree of respect for the country itself. I see America as extremely corrupt, and getting worse everyday.
Like I said, this isn't to say I'm not glad I live in America, because I am. I'm no terrorist, I simply don't exactly know what it means to be patriotic. Is patriotism being thankful? Is it waving a flag around on the fourth of July? Is it saying the pledge of allegiance?

On that note, what about the pledge of allegiance? When I say it am I pledging to the ever-degrading American society? Or am I pledging to the ideals that America was founded upon? I'm honestly not sure. If the latter, I'll say it everyday, any day. If the former, I don't see much of a point.

What do you think?
Colin