Lodi Boy Scout Clay Shields scuba dives at last weekend's encampment. Three large, portable swimming pools 40-feetlong were trucked to the campsite to make the event possible. (Courtesy photo)

Timeless values

Scouts face challenges, adventure at LDS camp

Boy scouts from four troops in Lodi scuba dived, rappelled, panned for gold and watched a Polynesian fire dancer as a part of a high-adventure scout encampment held last weekend in Rancho Murieta.

Nearly 4,000 boys from Northern California took part in the three-day activity sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"This event is the ultimate in character building," said Joseph Anderson, a counselor in the Lodi Stake presidency. "The Boy Scouts of America provides young people with the skills and moral integrity to be successful in life. The values of scouting have never been more important and more needed than they are today."

Boys combined high adventure with personal challenges to improve skills and earn merit badges. Lodi Third Ward Bishop Eric Shields, who went with son Clay, said, "It was wonderful to see such a large group of young men who all had the same timeless values."

They worked and played together in pioneer activities, waterfront sports, high adventures (zip line, climbing wall and a Burmese elevator), shooting range and 25 merit badge classes.

Prominent sports stars and motivational speakers earned the respect of the scouts. Lodi Scout Trevor Woods was impressed with the Sacramento County Sheriff's helicopter that landed near the encampment. The scouts were allowed to explore it and ask questions of two deputies from the Sheriff's Department.

Hank Smith, a professional baseball player who gave up a million-dollar contract to go on a mission to Japan for the LDS church, addressed the scouts.

Johnny Miller's son, Andy, another speaker at the event, was a star golfer at Brigham Young University who took time from his promising career to serve a mission in Mexico.

Eric Shields, Lodi Third Ward bishop, listens intently with his son, Clay, to one of the motivational speakers at the Sons of Liberty Scout Encampment last weekend in Rancho Murieta. (Courtesy photo)

During his last few months, he was filmed by ESPN for a TV story. The video was shown to the scouts, along with video from the other sports stars who spoke.

Motivational speaker John Bytheway from Utah was a hit with the scouts. He is an author and academic who is well known as a comic and gives entertaining, yet inspirational talks. He has released more than 30 audio recordings and numerous books, including "What I Wish I'd Known in High School."

A special visitor and speaker at the event was Elder L. Tom Perry from Salt Lake City, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the LDS church.

He advised the boys to "have a duty to yourself." He said there were very few things he regretted in his life, but one of them was that he didn't become an Eagle Scout.

Dressed in a scout uniform, Elder Perry told the scouts that this time of year reminds him of three great events that relate to corresponding areas of life, which a scout should deem important: the Fourth of July (duty to our country); Pioneer Day, July 24 (duty to God); and his birthday, Aug. 5 (duty to yourself).