Personal Fitness and Camping Merit Badges

Eric finally finished up his last two merit badges for Eagle. He has been working on the camping merit badge for the past 3 1/2 years because it required 20 nights of camping. Eric doesn't like camping so he is very glad to have finally reached 20 nights. I am not sure he will want to go on another camp out with the boy scouts. We can barely get him to go camping as a family. It is not that he doesn't like to be in a tent, he doesn't like hotels either. He wants to be home in his nice, comfy bed (which isn't all that comfy because it is a futon.)

The other merit badge was personal fitness. That required working out and recording 12 weeks of exercise. He started it and then didn't finish a couple times before, but he quickly ran out of time if he wanted to complete the Eagle Board before moving to Omaha. So we gave him many "gentle" reminders to not quit.

What a relief that he did his project last summer. So now he just has to send in his application and have his Board of Review. We should be able to have the Court of Honor by April or May.

I am proud of Eric. I know that scouting isn't his favorite hobby, but he stuck with it and got it done. He only has one other friend that has completed his Eagle. Several of his friends are 16 or almost 16, and struggling to get it done so they can get their license. As our neighbor and good friend Brother Park says, "Once boys turn 14, they are no longer Boys Scouts, they become Girl Scouts!" How true that is. Boys quickly turn to scouting out the girls.

I don't know if Eric sees his growth from scouting, but Mario and I notice. Eric was required to make all the phone calls to merit badge counselors and make all the phone calls to work out his Eagle Project. He wrote many letters and he directed a large team for his project. He has learned some skills that will benefit him the rest of his life. While getting his law merit badge, he decided that he would like to go to law school. That had always been the dream I had for myself, so I am thrilled that Eric would like to go. Whatever he does for a career, I just hope he loves it. Fortunately, I have found something much more rewarding for me than law school, being a mom and teaching my kids, as well as many others, how to read.

So now Mario and I have 2 more boys to look forward to helping get Eagle. That should be lots of fun with twins! Hopefully they like camping more than their big brother.