Both of my boys love Scouting, and I love Scouting with them. Scouting has been a big part of my life since I was a boy and I wanted to make sure that my boys had a similar experience. Although Tiger Cubs didn't exist, I was a Cub Scout when I was little, got the Arrow of Light, went on to Boy Scouts, and became an Eagle Scout. I am hoping that my boys want to go that far, but I don't want to pressure them into it. Its all about having fun, learning and growing.

When I signed the boys up I also signed up as a parent volunteer, not knowing that I would eventually be running the Pack. As it turns out, I have done everything from lowly Den Leader to Cubmaster, then when the boys moved up to Boy Scouts, I signed up to be one of the Assistant Scoutmasters. I want to make sure that my boys enjoy the program, and I can do that by helping out where I can.

Here are some Scouting links that I have found useful.

National BSA WebSite Scouting Forms The NetWoods Virtual Campsite Pinewood Derby and Space Derby Hints Scoutstuff.org - OnLine Scout Shop Boys Life OnLine Scouting Magazine Virtual Cub Leaders Handbook ScoutXing.com Scout-O-Rama

Jeeping
I started riding trails with a friend a couple of years ago when we would go out into the Osceola forest and search for Geocaches. He had an old Jeep CJ7 that we went almost anywhere in and had a great time. When my son got old enough to enter Boy Scouts it quickly became clear that a sports car would not do well transporting scouts to campouts, so I needed a new vehicle. The Jeep I bought is more than sufficient for that task, and it also allows me to go Geocaching on the weekends as well. I love my Jeep!

Official Jeep Site
2008 Jeep Wrangler Owners Manual
Project-JK.com
JK-Forum.com
JeepForum.com
4Wheel Drive Hardware
Quadratec
JP Magazine
Jeep Treads Online Magazine

Geocaching
Jeeping and Geocaching go hand-in-hand in my book. Geocaching is an outdoor activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers (called "geocaches" or "caches") anywhere in the world. A typical cache is a small waterproof container containing a logbook. Larger containers can also contain items for trading, usually toys or trinkets of little value. Geocaching is most often described as a "game of high-tech hide and seek", sharing many aspects with orienteering, treasure-hunting, and waymarking.

Geocaching.com
Geocaching with Garmin

Model Railroading

Geoffrey, Nicholas, and I love to play with trains. We have built several train layouts, but the current one seems to be sticking around.

Check out our latest train layout!
National Model Railroad Association
Model Railroader
N-Scale Magazine

Education has always been extremely important in my family. I graduated from college in 1993 with a degree in Aviation Computer Science (with the Airway Science option) from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. Although 'Aviation Computer Science' sounds like a very specialized degree, it is really a software engineering degree. As it turns out, although I have a great interest in aviation, I have never worked in the aviation field.

I chose Embry Riddle because it had, and still has, one of the most advanced computer labs of any university around. If you are looking for a GREAT Computer Science program, check out Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.

You can take a look at my resume here.