Invest In Alaric’s 2013 Summer Of Awesome

UPDATE 10/25/2012: Created this as a static page and copied appropriate information from the relevant post. Created olimometer and updated progress to the total goal.

Many of you know that my son Alaric has been involved in Scouting for many years. Next summer, Alaric has the opportunity to have the kind of summer adventure that every Boy Scout can only dream of:

• It’s time for the National Scout Jamboree. This event typically takes place once every 4 years. This year is particularly cool because it will be the first jamboree held on the new Summit grounds in West Virginia’s Bechtel Reserve wilderness area, Scouting’s new permanent jamboree home and high adventure base.
• Alaric’s troop will be heading to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, Scouting’s oldest and most famous high adventure backpacking camp. It can take years for troops to get a slot to come to Philmont for a mountain adventure.

Alaric receiving four merit badges

Both of these events are usually once-in-a-lifetime events for most Boy Scouts. The fact that Alaric has the chance to go to both is amazing and requires an immense amount of commitment and dedication from him (and us).

Unfortunately, my getting laid off in July threw a huge wrench into the fund-raising portion of this adventure. The total cost to participate in both events, including airline tickets and required gear upgrades, is going to be around $5,000 for our family. As a result, we’ve been actively raising funds through garage sales, odd jobs, Scouting fundraisers, and donations.

Although Stephanie, Alaric, and I don’t agree with all of the Scouting organization’s policies, we’ve seen a lot of benefits from Alaric’s involvement:

• We’ve all met great people, both kids and adults.
• Alaric has grown to love camping and hiking while learning respect for the outdoors and the skills you need to have fun and stay safe.
• Alaric has learned better social skills and has taken on leadership roles. He just stepped down from serving as a patrol leader for over a year to take on the role of troop Scribe.
• Alaric has learned the value of goals and planning. He’s currently a Star Scout, is well on his way to Life Scout by the end of the year, and has given himself a goal of becoming an Eagle Scout by the end of summer 2013.
• Alaric has learned the value of service. In summer of 2012, Alaric became an Ordeal member of the Order of the Arrow, Scouting’s service organization.

If you would like to donate to Alaric directly, contact us using the form below.

If you’re still with us this far, thanks for reading and for your support.