The Challenge

Clay Jenkinson (click here) as Thomas Jefferson

Recently I accepted and participated in the #ALSIceBucketChallenge. Subsequently, made a video, posted it to YouTube, FaceBook, and Twitter of me getting doused with ice water, made my donation to the ALS foundation, and challenged three friends to reciprocate. Currently over 1.7 million donors have contributed over $79.7 million. Honestly, it was fun, created awareness within my community, and was a refreshing summer cooler. The fact that this quirky social phenomena went viral, got me thinking.

What would happen if people were challenged, no money involved, to build a better you. Would this in turn build a better social community?

The challenge:

Recite out loud, in front of a mirror, the following oath every day for 32 days, I remember it well:

“On my #honor, I will do my best to do my #duty to God and my country and obey the Scout Law; to #help other people at all times; to keep myself physically #strong, mentally #awake and morally #straight.”

Would this Scout oath go viral like the Ice Bucket Challenge? I wonder?

Or, what about the Scout Law:

“A Scout is (I am); #trustworthy, #loyal, #helpful, #friendly, #courteous, #kind, #obedient, #cheerful, #thrifty, #brave, #clean, and #reverent.”

Want to build or reinforce values in yourself, your family, friends, neighbors, and fellow county men. Challenge them to read the Scout Law everyday for the next 32 days and see what happens.

It’s worth a try.

Don’t you agree?

Maybe I need to make a video?

Comments

Finding Our Place

In this episode, Finding Our Place: Hope and Humanity in the Age of AI . . . Yesterday, I overheard a conversation that echoed a question many of us are quietly asking: In a world increasingly shaped by algorithms, where do we , as humans, truly fit in? My younger colleagues, sharp and driven, were "joking" about AI taking their jobs. Their concerns felt valid, prompting me to reflect. Will machines really replace us? My answer, unequivocally, is No . And here’s why. What makes us uniquely human isn't merely our ability to perform tasks. It's our innate capacity for creativity and our deep-seated need to serve others. These aren't just abstract ideas; they are the very essence of what gives meaning to our lives and work. While AI excels at processing data and automating tasks with incredible speed, it cannot replicate the spark of human ingenuity. It lacks the empathy to truly understand unspoken needs or the intuitive synergy that fosters breakthrough solutio...

Chasing the Magic

In this episode, Chasing the Magic: How the Summer of ’98 Inspired the 'Ball Boys' . . . Do you remember that feeling? The late-summer air was thick with humidity, radios crackling on porches, the smell of fresh-cut grass and barbecue smoke in the backyard. Every evening carried a new kind of suspense—the country holding its collective breath after every pitch. “Did he hit one today?” became more than a question; it sparked a nationwide conversation. For me, and millions of others, the summer of 1998 wasn’t just another baseball season. It was theater, a movement, a time when the game recaptured something sacred. As sportswriter Mike Lupica said so perfectly, “No matter how old you are or how much you’ve seen, sports is still about memory and imagination. Never more than during the summer of ’98, when baseball made everyone feel like a kid again, when it felt important again.” Just four years earlier, the 1994 players’ strike had left the sport bruised...

The Curious Crew

In today's special episode, The Curious Crew . . . Oh, our young folks are ready, with AI so grand, A new era of wonders across every land! With curious minds, vast as Space, full of creative delight, And a zest for exploring, with all of their light! They welcome new tools, with a gleam in their eye, To learn and to grow, way up to the sky! Our thinking's a marvel, a clever design, We make new plans, so fantastically fine! With problem-space maps and memories, too, We build new ideas, quite fresh and quite new! With smiling faces, showing gratitude's grace, We find our own wonderful, human-filled place! Sharing a meal with generosity and love, A warm human spirit, a gift from above! We stand tall together, collaborate, and help with a grin, For with Agentic AI, together we win! Not machines all alone, but with us by their side, We'll create and serve, with nothing to hide! I'm Patrick Ball. Stay curious and ask questions. See you next time.

Beyond June Gloom

Beyond June Gloom: The Milky Way Awaits! ✨🌌 Has the seemingly endless marine layer got your telescope feeling neglected? For us sky-watchers on the beautiful California coast, May Gray and June Gloom have played a persistent game of hide-and-seek with our celestial views. But there's good news tonight: as summer officially arrives, a stunning cosmic spectacle is about to reveal itself, and you absolutely won't want to miss it! We know the drill: that persistent marine layer turning our sunny days into cool, misty ones. It's a hallmark of our coastal climate, and while it's kept our telescopes under wraps, consider it nature’s way of building epic anticipation for the celestial show that’s about to unfold The Return of the Galactic Core! (Photo courtesy of Gemini) As the days grow longer and the summer air warms, those stubborn clouds will begin to dissipate, revealing a breathtaking sight: the core of our very own Milky Way galaxy! That's right, the vibrant heart...

On The Fly

Search This Blog