The Scribe September - October 2012

September - October 2012

A Newsletter for Royal Ranger Leaders of the Potomac District Central Section

A Camporama Journal A Camporama Journal

Central Section Outposts Enjoy Cross-Country ‘Caravan’ Page 2

GMA Recipient Zach Wile Reflects on His Ranger Experience Page 4

Prepare for Sectional Ranger of the Year Event Page 6

It’s Chartering Time! Page 8

The Scribe September - October 2012 2

By Ken O’Maley

T his year marked the 50th anniversary of Royal Rang-ers and about 30 leaders

and boys from the Central Section formed a “caravan” that started on Friday, July 6, as we began the ad-venture to Eagle Rock, Missouri. The two days it took to get there the temperatures soared over 100 degrees each day, but the pool was a welcome site to the end of each day of the road trip. As we followed the long gravel road into Camp Eagle Rock we sat in a short line before the gates opened. What good timing we had made! After deputy district com-mander Homer Kitchen gave us our camp site directions, we began to set up in a hurry, for two rea-sons: first, it was HOT and se-cond, there was a storm brewing in the horizon. We just got finished before the rain hit. And by the way that was the only time we had to worry about rain for the rest of the week. As we got up to eat breakfast each morning, we made our plans for the day for what we wanted to

accomplish. For some of us it was the obstacle course or the rappel-ling tower or the zip lines. Others wanted to do the inflatable course or watch the lumberjack show or race their Pinewood Derby cars. Still others began the all im-portant trading of the hat pins. Each day there was something new and different to do including visiting the Royal Ranger muse-um, tracking down Doug Marsh (National Commander) to sign your hat, or attending the incredi-ble services held each night. The first night’s service fea-tured an incredible fireworks dis-play that I thought was never go-ing to end. I think it lasted over 30 minutes. Doug Marsh gave a pow-erful message each night for every Ranger, commander, dad and visi-tor, basing his messages on his book A Guy’s Journey To Manhood. Many boys (and commanders)had a great time with trading hat pins and collecting some unique pins and sets of pins. Andy Whit-man stopped by and had lunch with us to the delight of the boys and was sharing his missionary experiences with them. He also

The Scribe September - October 2012 2

A Camporama Journal

Ranger Ninja in the back seat?

Central Section Rangers Bring Home the Accolades

shared some rare hat pins with them that was a big hit as well. For you shooting enthusiasts, there was plenty of that. They had archery, air rifle, muzzleloader, 22 rifle, and shot gun. There was a competition in all these events and our section favored very well. As the week began to wind down and the hat pins became harder to get, the weather kept getting better. The days never got hotter than 94 degrees. As Friday rolled around and we began to pack up our supplies and say goodbye to our new friends, we began the last phase of our adven-ture, the ride home! Our first stop was Bass Pro Shop the largest in the United

Cmdr. Timothy O’Maley (left photo, #1724) leads the

pack in the 5K run, while Aaron Brandle (right photo)

takes aim at the 22-caliber rifle range.

The Scribe September - October 2012 3

States we could have spent all day there but we had to limit ourselves to 3 hours. Our second stop was to Evangel University. What a treat it was to visit 2 of our commanders Alma Maters (Julius Williamson and Curtis Padgett) By the way we had a hard time finding Commander Julius photo back then . My how time changes us!! We were invited on a tour of the campus and the boys had a lot of questions. Several boys took home information about registration ,so some of you parents be ready. Next stop Six Flags of St. Louis. We spent the whole day at the park and just missed a concert with Mercy Me. As we rested that night the command-ers prepared for the long ride home. The trip had been une-ventful with the vehicles which was a good thing for us, Until! Somewhere in Indiana one of the vans decided it didn’t want

3

Members of Central Section’s contingent at Camporama pause

for a group portrait at the Potomac District entrance display.

The Scribe September - October 2012

to go any further. I can tell you six years ago we made this trip we did not have all the technology that we have now. We had leaders looking up things in the internet about the van we were calling mechanics back home. So after a couple of

hours and lots of prayer we were able to get the van moving and some where around 1:00 a.m. in Charlottesville, VA the caravans parted to their individual destina-tions. Camporama 2012 will not be forgotten!

Bringing home individual awards from Camporama competitive

events were (l. to r.) Cmdr. Tim O’Maley, Expedition Ranger Glenn

Hannold, Discovery Ranger Micah Brandle, and Expedition Rang-

ers Caleb Richters and Isaiah Padgett. Their awards are listed in

the chart to the right.

Individual Awards

Micah Brandle 1st Place Archery (DR) Outpost 48

Glenn Hannold Air Rifle Competition (ER)

Outpost 361 1st Place, Prone Position

1st Place, Standing Position

2nd Place, Kneeling Position

1st Place, Overall

Caleb Ritchers 5th Place Pinewood Derby

Outpost 48 Workmanship (ER)

Isaiah Padgett 5th Place Pinewood Derby

Outpost 48 Speed (ER)

Timothy O’Maley 1st Place 5K Run in age group

Outpost 186 14th Overall of 233 Runners

The Scribe September - October 2012 4

By Zachary Wile

R oyal Rangers has taught me many things: obedience, responsibility, submission

to authority, integrity, and to nev-er give up on anything. My Com-manders always pushed me to do the best, nothing more nothing less. This type of perseverance they taught me is the thing that I will always remember.

Royal Rangers has taught me to be obedient, and when a Ranger shows obedience, more responsi-bilities will follow. One of the rewards for win-ning Sectional Ranger of the Year was to serve on the Sectional Pow Wow's Ranger Patrol. That is one of my fondest memories of Rang-ers. I absolutely loved working Ranger Patrol. When I was on

Ranger Patrol, I was expected to obey and carry out the orders that I received with my utmost best. Once the Sectional Commanders saw that I was capable of the small tasks, they would assign me bigger and more demanding responsibili-ties. I learned that the best thing to do in Rangers was to submit to the commanders. I began to realize at a young age that it was in my best

interest to just submit and stop trying to buck orders; this led to a many friend-ships with my command-ers. Even to this day when I see my commanders, I al-ways refer to them as “Comman-der” and never just “Mr.” Submitting to my commanders wasn't just for Rangers, but as a whole, submitting to authority would serve me at home, school and church, as well as the rest of life. I really got this tested when I at-tended JL TC. When I was there, there was no way I was going to try to buck the district staff commanders. My commanders really taught me the importance of integrity; to always do what I say I will do. In or-

der to have good integrity, I need-ed to start right away and keep striving for it. They taught that when I said I would set this tent up or have this fire built by the time they were back, it had better be done or I had better have a real-ly, really good reason why it was-n’t. The most important thing Rangers has taught me was to nev-

The Value of Royal Rangers to Me

er quit. This point leads me to ex-plain about the best memory I have of Royal Rangers. I was having a hard time staying motivated to earn my GMA when I attended this past sectional pow wow. I knew the speaker would be Brian McCroskey, one the original U.S. Army Rangers that was in Moga-dishu, Somalia during the incident that today is known best from the movie “Black Hawk Down” about the incident. He told us that the word CAN'T is not in an Army Rangers vocabulary, and it should not be in ours either. That got me fired to finish Rangers with a strong ending by earning my GMA. That presentation that McCroskey gave has challenged me more than anything in Rangers ever has. In conclusion, I have learned a lot of very important life virtues through Rangers that I will never forget. Obedience, responsibility, submission to authority, integrity, and the will to never give up on something that means a lot to me.

Expedition Ranger Zachary Wile from Outpost 361 became the latest Gold Medal of Achievement recipient in Central

Section during an award ceremony on April 29. His GMA essay on the value of Royal Rangers to him is reprinted here.

Zach’s father and outpost senior commander,

Glen, observes as Zach’s mother pins on his Gold

Medal of Achievement.

The Scribe September - October 2012 5

Rangers Get Ready! Each outpost will have an opportunity to bring their best Discovery Rangers, Adventure Rangers and Expedition Rangers to compete for the honor of Sectional Ranger of the Year. Prepare yourself NOW . . .

. . . Review all material in your Ranger handbooks

. . . Practice skills taught in your handbooks

. . . Make sure your Class B Khaki or Ranger Utility uniform is in top shape

Ranger of the Year Evaluation Includes: Uniform Inspection Oral & Written Tests

Ranger Interviews Award Presentations

Friday & Saturday October 19-20, 2012

Highway Assembly of God, Fredericksburg, Va.

All participants will receive a scholarship toward Pow Wow. Winners will receive a free pass to all sectional events for the year! Don’t miss this opportunity to give your best to the Master Ranger.

The Scribe September - October 2012 6

Guidelines for Commanders

The following guidelines are

provided to help commanders pre-

pare their Rangers for taking part in

our upcoming Central Section Rang-

er of the Year testing on Oct. 19-20.

Registration is from 6:30-7:30

p.m. on Friday, Oct. 19, at Highway

Assembly of God Church in Freder-

icksburg. All participating Rangers

must have a signed parental permis-

sion form. A sample form is provid-

ed in this edition of The Scribe.

Cost is $20 per person. It is

recommended that outposts or

churches pick up this expense for

their Rangers as a way of rewarding

their achievements. Checks should

be made payable to “Central Section

Royal Rangers.”

Commanders should bring a

manila file folder for each boy con-

taining:

Signed parental permission and

medical release form

Completed Ranger of the Year

Evaluation Form (found at

www.rangerdepot.com as part of

the Navigator program for tracking

Royal Ranger advancements.

Rangers will be inspected in

either their Class B khaki uniform or

the newer Ranger Utility uniform.

Rangers should bring clothing

for informal activities, such as jeans

or sweats. They should also bring a

sleeping bag, pillow, and necessary

toilet articles to remain overnight.

Parents and family members are

welcome to attend the award cere-

mony that will conclude the event

on Saturday, Oct. 20, at 2 p.m.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS TO HIGHWAY ASSEMBLY OF GOD FREDERICKSBURG:

The church is located at 2221 Jefferson Davis Hwy. From Interstate 95 in Fredericksburg, exit onto Rt. 3 east. Take right exit onto Rt. 1

south bypass. Turn right at first signal and bear immediately to the left to follow service road parallel to Rt. 1 south. Turn right into

church driveway (between Express Auto and Sonshine Day Care). Church is at the bottom of the hill.

Sectional Event to Determine 2012 Rangers of the Year

W e will conduct a section-al Ranger of the Year evaluation on Oct. 19-

20 following a format very similar to that used during the past few years as a means of encouraging our boys to continue to strive for excellence, and to recognize them for their year-long efforts. In addition to skills eval-uations and written evalu-ations, each age group (Discovery Ranger, Adven-ture Ranger and Expedi-tion Ranger) will be in-spected in their Class B khaki uniform or the new Ranger Utility uniform. They will also be given an oral interview in which they will be asked to speak extemporane-ously about their personal inter-ests, hobbies and Ranger activities. We have summarized the sub-jects highlighted this year in the

study guide below, which high-lights skills and merits each age group will be tested on. Boys are naturally competitive, and they usually respond to a challenge they feel is worthwhile. Let’s encourage our Rangers to prepare for and participate in the Ranger of the Year evaluation. As

you lead your boys in preparing them for this event, you will ac-complish much toward helping them establish focused, productive goals as members of your outpost and as Christian young men.

Top finishers in sectional

competition will be eligible to compete for Potomac District

Ranger of the Year recognition at the Commanders’

Conference in March 2013

SECTIONAL RANGER OF THE YEAR STUDY GUIDE Outpost Ranger of the Year Evaluation Form. An Outpost Ranger of the Year Evaluation Form, available from the Navigator records management program (www.rangerdepot.com), must be completed for each Ranger to participate. This evaluation captures all a Ranger’s merits, advance-ments and achievements in one comprehensive, scored report that becomes part of a boy’s Ranger of the Year evaluation at both Sectional and District levels.

Uniform Inspection. Boys will be scored on how correctly they wear their Ranger khaki or utility uniform.

Written & Skill Tests. The sectional Ranger of the Year competition will incorporate both written and oral skills tests that will draw on material from age-specific handbooks, skill merits and Bible merits. The focus will be to measure boys’ understanding of basic Ranger principles (e.g. the Royal Ranger Code) as well as key skill sets (e.g. first aid, fire craft, tool craft). In addition, tests may in-clude material from the following required merits for each age group:

Discovery Rangers: Bible, First Aid Skills, Global Missions (Blue Merits)

Adventure Rangers: Bible, Global Missions, Healthy Body (Green Merits)

Expedition Rangers: 16 Fundamental Truths, Budget & Finance, Citizenship (Silver Mer-

its)

Bible Memorization. Boys will be asked to recite from memory six “salvation scriptures” (John 3:16, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, John 1:12, 1 John 1:9, and Revelation 3:20). They will be scored on how precisely they recite these verses either from a King James or New International Version translation of the Bible.

Oral Interview. Boys will be interviewed by a panel of Ranger leaders, and will be asked to answer questions related to their Christian and Ranger experience. The interview is intended to provide boys with practice in a “public speaking” type of experience.

The Scribe September - October 2012 7

POTOMAC DISTRICT CENTRAL SECTION ROYAL RANGERS PARENTAL PERMISSION & MEDICAL RELEASE FORM

for 2012 CENTRAL SECTION RANGER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION

October 19-20, 2012

Please print or type all information. All signature blocks must be completed. RANGER’S NAME BIRTHDATE OUTPOST

STREET ADDRESS PHONE

CITY STATE ZIP CODE

PARENTAL/GUARDIAN PERMISSION I hereby authorize my son (named above) to attend the Central Section’s 2012 Ranger of the Year Competition at Highway Assembly of God in Fredericksburg, VA on Oct. 19-20, 2012. I give my permission for my son to be transported to and from Shenandoah National Park in order to participate in the hike. I understand that adequate preparations for my son’s safety have been made and that there will be emergency first aid provisions on location. In the event of any accidents, I will not hold the local church or its leaders, nor the Central Section staff, nor the Potomac District responsible.

PARENT/GUARDIAN SIGNATURE DATE

AUTHORIZATION FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL TREATMENT I do hereby give my consent for any licensed physician, dentist, or emergency personnel to administer treatment deemed necessary for the physical health and well-being of my son while participating in the Royal Ranger-sponsored event specified herein.

PARENT/GUARDIAN SIGNATURE DATE

HOME PHONE WORK PHONE

FAMILY PHYSICIAN PHONE

CHILD’S MEDICAL HISTORY

Is your child in good health? ( ) Yes ( ) No

List any allergies:

List any physical impairments:

Specify any medications that must be administered:

Date of last Tetanus shot:

List any special instructions needed to properly care for your child:

The Scribe September - October 2012 8

CENTRAL SECTION STAFF

Sectional Commander Ken O’Maley ................................... (540) 937-6139 Email: kenomaley@aol.com

Skyline Area Commander .......................... (Vacant)

Shenandoah Area Commander Tony Wilson .................................... (540) 856-8423 Email: royalrangergfm369@gmail.com

Allegheny Area Commander ...................... (Vacant)

Piedmont Area Commander Julius Williamson ........................... (540) 948-4347 Email: jwilliamson@rrcsb.org

Highland Area Commander Royce Rollins ................................. (540) 522-8653 Email: roycerllns28@gmail.com

Rappahannock Area Commander Gary Wagner .................................. (540) 898-7415 Email: garywagner54@aol.com

Training Coordinator Sam Linn ......................................... (540) 635-7497 Email: solinn@shentel.net

Ranger Kids Coordinator Keith Meeder ................................... (540) 635-1906 Email: Linden.Meeder@hotmail.com

Discovery Rangers Coordinator Dan Pignaloso ................................ (540) 720-0144 Email: danpigna@yahoo.com

Adventure/Expedition Rangers Coordinator .................................................................... (Vacant)

Public Relations Coordinator Gary Wagner ................................. (540) 898-7415 Email: garywagner54@aol.com

Boys’ Representative ............................... (Vacant)

CENTRAL SECTION ROYAL RANGERS 11042 Settletown Pl., Rixeyville, VA 22737 Phone: (540) 937-6139 Email: kenomaley@aol.com

CHARTERS DUE

It is that time of year again when we need to charter all our commanders and boys. All chartering is done on-line through the National Royal Ranger office website at www.royalrangers.ag.org. Please note, that the only way the district is able to cap-ture contact information on your commanders is through the chartering process. Please include all contact information that is asked for, especially updates to addresses and emails. Once you charter with the National Royal Ranger office, then the district will be able to update its database and contact lists using your charter information.

FCF MEMBERSHIP FEES

If you are a member of the Frontiersmen Camping Fel-lowship, your membership fees are now due for the 2012-2013 year. You may update your membership at the Fall Trace/Great Adventure on Sept. 28-30 or mail to Dennie Daniels, 523 West Virginia Ave., Martinsburg, W.Va. 25401. Please make checks payable to Royal Rangers. For additional information, please contact the District Royal Ranger office.

GMA INTERVIEWS

Northern Region - Nov. 3 -Trinity Assembly of God, Luther-ville, Md. (CA, EA, NC, NE, NW, WE). Southern Region - Nov. 16 - Location TBD (CE, ES, SO, TN, TS). All GMA packets are due prior to the interviews. Mail packets to the district Royal Ranger office once essays have been approved. GMA requirements will change after Jan. 1, 2013. For more information please contact district Royal Ranger office.

The Scribe September - October 2012 8

Central Section Royal Rangers on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/CentralSectionRangers