Re: October 2017 Thread

by **Claymore** October 19th 2017, 10:48 pm

Congrats! And good work from the boys.

by **Mark Jones** October 20th 2017, 9:21 pm

Heading out in the morning with 12 Rangers and friends of Rangers. We are day hiking above the Buffalo River on a Bench Trail. Going in 6 miles with 400 feet down and 400 feet up. We have been on most of this trail except for a the last mile of it. Wanted to see where two access points come in to the area.

Should be fun. Still a little bushy here so it might be a real bushwhack down this thing. Report and pictures due out after tomorrow.

Mark Jones

by **joecool** October 20th 2017, 9:44 pm

Air temp 38, cloud cover 95%. Students should be showing up for my annual star party in a few minutes. At least the winds died down. If the telescope doesn't get used, at least they'll get hot drinks and 'smores over the fire.

by **Phillip Gross** October 21st 2017, 7:10 am

Did the clouds end up cooperating?

by **joecool** October 21st 2017, 10:19 am

Phillip Gross wrote:Did the clouds end up cooperating?

As the last car with students drove off, the clouds blew away. Oh, well. The kids had fun, and it was good talking to parents.

by **Phillip Gross** October 21st 2017, 9:20 pm

Sounds like a win anyway.

by **RRCmdrBennett** October 22nd 2017, 12:07 am

No World Series for the Yankees! Icing on game 7 is Yankees got shut out!

by **Phillip Gross** October 22nd 2017, 5:20 am

It's still baseball season? I totally forgot...

So who's going to the Series?

by **RRCmdrBennett** October 22nd 2017, 4:19 pm

Phillip Gross wrote:It's still baseball season? I totally forgot...

So who's going to the Series?

AL Astros vs NL Dodgers starts tues.

by **joecool** October 24th 2017, 10:38 pm

Bachelor life is not good. While the wife's away, everything still has to get done. On top of the usual stuff, shuttling the grandkids back and forth from a hunting trip, cooking for 70 people at mid-week service, fixing the fridge, and dealing with a vacuum cleaner that blew up. Literally.
Surrender

by **Claymore** October 24th 2017, 11:12 pm

See, things aren't so easy when you don't have a couple of junior Petty Officers to take care of things..............

by **joecool** October 24th 2017, 11:19 pm

Claymore wrote: See, things aren't so easy when you don't have a couple of junior Petty Officers to take care of things.

Now, just a minute. Even though I worked my way up to having my own stateroom aboard ship, I still turned down the sheets myself. Sheesh! You make it sound like I completely abandoned my roots.

by **Claymore** October 25th 2017, 12:39 am

joecool wrote:
Claymore wrote: See, things aren't so easy when you don't have a couple of junior Petty Officers to take care of things.

Now, just a minute. Even though I worked my way up to having my own stateroom aboard ship, I still turned down the sheets myself. Sheesh! You make it sound like I completely abandoned my roots.

by **Claymore** October 25th 2017, 12:44 am

Claymore wrote:
joecool wrote:
Claymore wrote: See, things aren't so easy when you don't have a couple of junior Petty Officers to take care of things.

Now, just a minute. Even though I worked my way up to having my own stateroom aboard ship, I still turned down the sheets myself. Sheesh! You make it sound like I completely abandoned my roots.

Right!

..................And I'll bet that every Monday Morning at 5:15 AM before breakfast, you were standing there in line with the rest of the crew in front of the Supply Chief's Office with your bunk stripped: one sheet over the right shoulder, one sheet over the left shoulder, pillow case in your left hand..............

by **Phillip Gross** October 25th 2017, 6:42 am

Started running with an organization called F3 twice a week. They do boot camp style workouts on Tues and Thurs mornings and then run or ruck on Wed and Fri mornings. I do the run group because my shoulder is jacked up and can't do pushups, burpees, etc. It's a grassroots style org that is free to participate in. In Christian based and helps to bring men in the community together in fitness and friendship.

I'd heard about it for years, but never went until Jr started going. He convinced me to try it out and I really liked it. I was feeling old and lethargic, so I didn't want to go. I used the tried and true excuses of; I run two businesses and I need all the sleep I can get, or I used to run years ago, but I'm out of shape now, and so forth and so on...

In the back of my mind I knew that energy begets energy, so after chewing on it for about a month I finally went. Our group meets at 0500 so that most people have time to shower and get to work. It's usually over between 0545 and 0600. I immediately felt better. Sore, but better. After a couple weeks of running and riding my bike on off days, the DOMS is subsiding and I just feel better in general. It's making me watch my dietary intake and sleep schedule closer.

Anyway, I looked at the F3 Nation website map to see if any groups were close to any of you, but I'm not sure there are. There's NONE in Montana or Missouri at all. Only a couple in Mississippi, but there's several in Ohio. Maybe some of you should start one if it's not in your area yet. Smile

The originator is former SF from what I understand, so they use a lot of acronyms and shortened words for coms. Everyone gets a handle assigned to them by the group that you go by. Overall, I'm liking it.

by **joecool** October 25th 2017, 7:33 am

Phillip Gross wrote: There's NONE in Montana

We get all the F3 we need...forest fires forever. Keeping up with them keeps us in great shape.

by **Mark Jones** October 25th 2017, 8:54 am

Dude. In Rangers we hiked 7 miles last Saturday and will do another 7 miles in 10 days. I laugh when folks ask me if I work out. GRIN! I work in a physical and technical field. Some days I can walk over a mile hauling tools and test equipment some of it weighing in at 70 lbs. I get paid big bucks to exercise. I like that challenge. While folks are having blood clots due to inactivity. I am enjoying a back ache from working to hard. GRIN!

Keep active. If you don't it will kill you. If it takes joining a club for exercise do it! Better yet...take those boys on hikes. It will be a double blessing!

Mark Jones

by **Phillip Gross** October 25th 2017, 9:13 am

Oh, we hike and camp. I've done (and still do some at times) construction, but there's definitely a difference when you get you heart rate up to a certain level for a prolonged period of time. I barely get winded when hiking with the boys. You just can't go that kind of pace when leading boys. Oh, they WANT to start out fast, but I know they won't make the distance, so I'm constantly pulling back on the reigns. When they're worn slap out by the time we make it to the campsite, they're glad I didn't let them run to start. Laughing

Slow and steady wins the day with a pack on your back.

I also know your body acclamates to whatever task you normally do. That's why it's important to mix things up and push yourself to the next fitness level.

It's been great meeting other brothers in the Lord from around the community that I never knew before. Every workout begins and ends in a circle praying. It's definitely an iron sharpening iron group. I've had a chance to tell one guy about RR and what we do. He seemed very interested. Maybe when his boy is old enough, we'll have another Ranger! Smile

Great networking opportunity.

by **Mark Jones** October 25th 2017, 11:07 am

Good points. However last Saturday we were all covered with sweat and our lungs were stretched and our hearts pounding. Those elevation trails will have even the buff men/boys looking for a break along the trail.

I get a kick out of perspective. One young man summed it up this way. There are hikes that other commanders take us on. Then there are HIKES that Commander Jones takes us on. He is now our SW Div. FCF VP at a young age of 22. He told me. You would never find my Dad doing this ever. Thanks for making this possible.

I remember when a Ranger Kid mom told us one time...what's the difference between walking in the park or going on a 15 mile 2 night backpack. It's just walking... I grinned at her and said. When they life line fly you out when you have been lost in the woods for 2 days you may have a different perspective....that has happened many times in these woods.

Bottom line is not all trails are the same. Networking is good and I call it witnessing of Jesus every where I go. Not preaching at them just living the life with a smile on my face and ready for anything!

Remember little challenge little growth. If there is nothing hard in it it's hardly worth anything.

While we all can't be clones and go hiking every few weekends find something that you can involve the Rangers (boys 9 to 18 Ranger Kids can go but they need one on one attention and should have a dad or adult with them) in and go and take them with you. Yes it's a pain in the neck. Yes they stink. Yes they will cost you extra monies every time you stop at McDonalds. Yet the time investment is worth the cost a hundred fold over. Besides all that you get some exercise that blesses others besides just yourself.

Lots of folk think Rangers is a one or two event a year program. I don't even call that Rangers. Once a month at least. Load them up and go and do. One event outside the walls of the church is what Royal Rangers is designed for. Adventure is not found in the classroom. It's talked about there. YET it's found outside the walls of the church.

Lot's of folks don't get this concept. YET the outposts that are on fire are doing this. The rest are just talking Rangers a wed night 1.5 hour program. Big difference in the two one changes lives big time. Now having said that. Don't quit because your just a 1.5 hour program. STRETCH out and grow those RR muscles and take those boys on some exciting and life memories that they will come back and thank you for 15 years later.

Please don't take this in a negative way. I just want to see Royal Rangers change lives and it's our job to take them boys outside.

Mark Jones
p.s Just got off my 3rd pole of the morning. 35 degrees out. Wind blowing. Got in the truck to warm my hands up...and boy did I!

by **Phillip Gross** October 25th 2017, 1:31 pm

Totally agree with you. Last year we were very light on events outside the walls. It was a perfect storm of problems. We were starting a 2nd business and the other main commander was in a transition with work as well. THIS YEAR though, I think we're on track to have a good bit of adventure.

by **Mark Jones** October 25th 2017, 3:20 pm

You da man! I look forward to hearing the reports of lives changed for the Good!

Mark Jones

by **Phillip Gross** October 25th 2017, 8:46 pm

We have been absolutely blessed this year with additional commanders. We have all the ingredients to make a good soup! Let's just see how it cooks out...