Eurekafest!

The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) and Boy Scouts of America held a merit badge clinic "Eurekafest" on Saturday designed to promote their newest merit badge - Inventing. 

We took Jourdan down for the event because what parent doesn't love a one-day event to earn a badge, right?  We weren't the only parents with this idea.  It surprised everyone how many boys showed up.  The event coordinators were expecting around 100 boys, and they ended up with over 500 Scouts.  Amazing, and loud!  Okay, that's not totally true, there were a few portions that they requested Boy Scouts do in advance.  Jourdan finished with all the remaining parts of his Inventing merit badge by noon, except the part about making a prototype.  The counselors said that he could do that part and have a Scout Master sign that part off, then make an appointment with a different merit badge counselor to finish off the project.  Jourdan's dad (in his infinite wisdom) decided to run home and let Jourdan build a quick prototype.  He thought it would be easier to make that trip back to OMSI than to have to re-schedule an appointment with a counselor that may or may not live anywhere near us.  Did I mention how WISE this was? 

Anyway, Jourdan came home and built his prototype for a water storage system that could be used in areas of seasonal heavy rain followed by periods of drought.  (The funny thing is that he didn't choose this task, it was assigned to him at Eurekafest, but he'd already thought about this...his science project last year was a water filtration system.)  After building his prototype, we drove back to OMSI to find out that his merit badge counselor had already left for the day.  Bummer, right?  Not so!  We were directed to show our prototype to a woman named Leigh Estabrooks from MIT who was the CREATOR (dare we say "inventor") of the Inventing Merit Badge.  We thought that would be really cool to have the person who created the merit badge actually SIGN his final card. 

She looked at Jourdan's prototype and asked him to explain it to other boys at the table.  She asked them to give him ideas for improving his prototype.  She then said she couldn't hear the rest of his presentation right now, but that she would sign his card when she could hear the remainder of his presentation....also, she asked that he stay in the room for a special presentation that was to begin momentarily.  I called Jonathan and directed him to run to the car to get a camera because we really didn't know what was about to happen.

The Cascade Pacific Council's representative gave a short speech about the new merit badge, and presented centennial coins to some dignitaries who were in attendance.  Then Ms. Estabrooks got up and asked if Tim Leatherman (of Leatherman tools) would come forward.  He was one of the inspirations for the new merit badge.  They asked if he would help present a few scouts with their merit badges.  They announced that these 3 boys were (to the best of their knowledge) the first in the Council to earn the Inventing Merit Badge.  They called Jourdan up....it was sooooo cool!  What a neat thing because if we hadn't run home (as his dad suggested) he wouldn't have been recognized.   Not only that, but Mr. Leatherman gave each of the 3 Boy Scouts their OWN LEATHERMAN!  How cool was that?  Well, cool enough that Jourdan just couldn't stop talking about it for DAYS....he's still talking about it.  After the awards, I suggested that Jourdan have his box signed by Tim Leatherman.  While he was waiting to ask that, Mrs. Leatherman suggested that Jourdan ask Tim to sign his Leatherman with his engraver (apparently, he always takes it with him....it was in a toothpaste box, as Jourdan noticed and took note of).

With Tim Leatherman after the award ceremony.  Below is a photo of a Leatherman tool when opened fully.  It's like a pocket knife on steroids.

I know it's hard to see, but the Leatherman has been engraved "to Jourdan" and signed by Tim Leatherman.

Many times we are accused of just being plain lucky.....I'm glad things worked out for Jourdan.  He works so hard, it's nice to see his hard work get rewarded sometimes.

On another note...while her brother was busy doing his merit badge, Julia started, worked on, and completed two girl scout badges.

Rocks Rock Junior Girl Scout Patch

Discovery Science Junior Girl Scout Patch

She, unfortunately, got neither a ceremony nor a Leatherman; we are just as proud of her hard work.