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Hopeful Story, January 11, 2015

  There’s something historic about a first. Like the first time you see a hockey game at the Air Canada Centre or run a marathon or fly in an airplane. “Firsts” are memorable!
  Last Tuesday, our Cadet club celebrated something historic. In the second year of its existence, our boys completed their first merit badge, the Knots and Lashing badge. Ed, the counsellor who told me this, was understandably proud.
  To earn this badge, the boys had to demonstrate an underhand loop, an overhand loop and an overhand knot. As things got harder, they also had to demonstrate their ability to tie a square knot, a sheet bend, a sheepshank, a bowline, a clove hitch, two half hitches and a square lash. Samples of these knots also had to be displayed on a piece of plywood.
  As a former cadet in Willowdale and a cadet counsellor in an inner city church in Grand Rapids during my Calvin College days, I well remember this badge. Many years later, I still use several of these knots. In fact, the bowline is my preferred knot whenever I tie our tin boat to the dock.
  The Cadet program for boys, as well as our GEMS program for girls, cannot be beat both in terms of spiritual formation and practical skills. Every boy in our church would benefit from the “first” merit badge that our club successfully completed last week. And every boy would benefit from interacting with the skilled and devoted men who are giving their time and expertise to our kids.
  What’s next? The Cadet program offers more than a hundred merit badges, covering everything from canoeing to model rocketry. But the second merit badge that our counsellors have chosen is “The Church,” a badge that will require them to understand our order of worship and memorize several Bible verses.
  It’s good to know that our counsellors have their priorities straight. Learn to tie. Then work on the tie that binds!
- Pastor Peter

(Cadets for boys in Grades 3-8 meets meet weekly at the church on Tuesday nights, 7-8:30 p.m. Activities include wood working, sports, socials, devotions and badge work. Advanced Cadets for Grades 7 and 8 offers more in-depth projects. For more information contact the head counsellor, Jim or the Children’s Zone Coordinator, Joan)

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