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Blog Entry 21 of 31 Musings, Ramblings and Scout Stuff

This blog is generally about what is piquing my interest at the moment which will probably be Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, or politics.

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Boy Scout Troop 104 gets fired up

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Contributed by: Joshua Godinez on 3/31/2008

Rosamond, Calif., is 60 miles north of Troop 104's normal stomping grounds of Mission Hills in the San Fernando Valley. However, it is the perfect location for setting up a remote and camp friendly shooting range.

Located in the remote valleys on the doorstep of the Mojave Desert, Troop 104 has found the perfect venue for training Boy Scouts in the respectful and fun use of firearms.

It's unfortunate that we can see the remains of others who don't have the same respect for the outdoors - abandoned tires, discarded shell casings and ventilated junk are the items that our Boy Scouts will sometimes haul out of the wilderness after finding them left by strangers.

For the record, our troop picks up every tiny piece of brass and we bring only paper targets which we take home with us.

This shooting event was special because we brought along our brothers from Troop 58 in the Bill Hart district of Santa Clarita. We also had three choices for the young men -.22 rifles, 12- and 20-gauge shotguns, and a .46 black-powder, muzzle-loading rifle.

Most of the boys were working on their rifle or shotgun merit badge. Having to fire five consecutive bullets within a space that can be covered by a quarter from a distance of 50 feet isn't easy and some of the guys can spend hours trying before their first success.

Likewise, hitting 24 out of 50 clay targets launched in the air can be difficult. No merit badge is earned, but the thrill of firing a black-powder rifle with its gigantic "boom" is something to be experienced.

The wind was quite strong and the sun shone brightly. There were quite a few ruddy-faced youngsters going home on Sunday who might not have been recognizable as the same boys who departed home the day before.

Some of the boys slept in natural caves shared by Chumash Indians hundreds of years before. All of them scaled the hills of the small valley we occupied to get a magnificent view of the high desert.

Most of the cost for the outing was borne by a grant from the NRA to whom we are grateful. Brian and Doug are certified range masters recognized by the NRA and they took their responsibilities seriously to ensure the safety of everyone at the outing.

I had to smile behind my camera as men stalk around the range humorlessly trying to prevent the boys from becoming cavalier about the safety rules.

As an observer, I was able to quietly celebrate good shoots (you can't become a distraction or you'll be asked to leave) and grin at the boys enjoying themselves.

Merit badges were earned. NRA-shooting program levels were achieved with Troop 104's former Senior Patrol Leader and Eagle Scout John Dillon earning the top medal in their program.

It was a fun and productive weekend with many young men getting to understand that guns are not those fantasy things on TV and in video games, but very real tools that must be treated with a great deal of respect.

Troop 104's shooting program is an occasional thing and I don't know when the next outing is. I do know that I'm looking forward to it.

My son is a third of his way to the top rank and I can't wait to be there when he earns that achievement.

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