Mike wishes the BSA a very Happy Birthday and delivers the news about this year’s National Jamboree.

Click here to watch the video.

And click HERE to purchase the special edition Boy Scout Dirt Shirt now available from Dirt Shirts!

No household crisis gets your attention quite like a plumbing leak. The night I walked into our kitchen and realized I was standing in a puddle large enough to float a kayak, I screamed for my husband.

We’re more fortunate than many; one of our old friends is a retired master plumber. After soaking up standing water with old towels, two adults, with framed college diplomas hanging on the wall, did what we always do in the face of a plumbing emergency. Minutes later, Charlie and his tools came to our rescue.

I thought about our ‘plumbing disaster’ the night I watched President Obama address the nation’s school children. Despite one’s politics, it was an inspirational speech with excellent advice for every child.

Unfortunately, the success stories our president shared almost always concluded in a college education — as though success is defined by a four year college degree. Certainly, every person who truly wants a college education and has the ambition to work for it, should have the opportunity. But the reality is that not everyone has the resources or the desire to earn a four year degree. Our friend, Charlie, did not — and I, for one, am grateful! He was blessed with a mechanical aptitude — a curiosity to know how and why things work — and the ability to use a tool to get the job done.

In his next talk to students, I’d like to see President Obama address alternative options to a BA or a BS degree: the countless good trade schools, vocational technology courses, and available apprentice programs.

The next time the air conditioning goes off in the White House on a one hundred degree day, let’s see what those Harvard graduates in the Cabinet advise…