Kelly Rushing Medley on Scouting America, Troop 403, and Elephant Rocks in Iron County
Scout Leaders Jeremy and Kelly Medley share with us what they know about the Scouts.
The Boy Scouts of America (now Scouting America) has always centered on a merit badge system to show young people the value of hard work and the good life it brings. A Scout earns a merit badge by completing a fixed list of requirements with a registered adult counselor (a Scout Leader). Scouts can earn more than 140 merit badges, covering everything from Camping, First Aid, Citizenship, Computer Programming, Photography, Welding, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine, Nuclear Science, Surveying, Landscape Architecture, Scuba Diving, Entrepreneurship, Theatre, Wildland Fire Management…
At meetings, Scouts recite the Scout Oath:
On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.
The oath sits alongside the Scout Law: A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.
I can’t see why everyone doesn't get their child involved with the Scouts. I mean, being trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent doesn’t seem all that bad considering the alternative of being raised by TikTok—well, someone has to say it.
Recently, we met with Kelly Medley and family at Elephant Rocks to hear what’s really happening with the Scouting America—much more than you could ever imagine.
We met at the top of the granite mountain to get the lowdown—let the games begin.
So many delicious places to explore.
Kelly Rushing Medley—My role within our Boys and Girls Troop is to provide mentorship and merit badge counseling in Exploration and Theatre.
My name is Kelly Rushing Medley. I’m 39 years old. I live in Iron County with my husband, Jeremy, and our son, Carter. I was born and raised in Alton, IL, before my family moved here in 1996. In high school, I enjoyed being a part of student council, a ton of clubs, and on the softball, track, and cross-country teams. During college, I stumbled into theatre, where my fear of public speaking took a back seat so I could freak out and appear on stage for the first time. For the last 18 years, I've tried to do things that challenge me and push my skills on stage. The most rewarding things I’ve ever done were the ones that scared me the most. In the past few years, I have branched out into a few short films, voice-over, and commercial projects, where my admiration for filmmaking and acting has really taken flight.
The HOP OF JOY. What else could you call it.
Jeremy - scoutmaster for local Troop 403. President of the Iron County Historical Society and an avid LEGO content creator.
My husband, Jeremy, is the scoutmaster for our local Troop 403. He is also President of the Iron County Historical Society and an avid LEGO content creator. So most weekends involve visiting state parks, learning some sort of history lesson, scouting events, hunting down the latest LEGO sets, or hosting friends for one of our infamous Game Nights!
Carter just joined Cub Scouts—and already strong!
Our son Carter just joined Cub Scouts. So he is looking forward to all the rewarding things that come along with scouting. He loves to fish, brush up on his Backhoe skills, drive his mini Jeep around the property, and play baseball any chance he gets.
My role within our Boys and Girls Troop is to provide mentorship and merit badge counseling in Exploration and Theatre. I tend to be the Hype Girl of the group and unofficially the troop photographer.
The classic "Hold up the rock' shot—you have to do it!
Carter thinks Elephant Rocks rock! 573 Magazine thinks he knows what he's talking about.
Scouting is almost like getting a complete secondary education! The values and life lessons our Scouts learn in our program are things they cannot truly get anywhere else. Fundraisers allow our Scouts to travel across the country and have unforgettable experiences at high-adventure Scout programs, leadership summits, and summer camps. Currently, Scouts can choose from 141 Merit Badges! So many people don't realize the value these merit badges have for our Scouts! Past Scouts show up everywhere! From Former Presidents, world leaders, and so many public figures who have earned the rank of Eagle Scout, many say that if it wasn’t for scouting, they’d never have been able to step out in confidence and lead such a bold life!
One of my favorite Eagles has to be the Legendary Steven Spielberg! At the impressive age of just 13, he attained the rank of Eagle Scout! If he hadn’t gone through a Photography Merit Badge course... we might never have seen the countless incredible films he's made over the last 60 years in Hollywood! As part of the course, he used his dad’s camera to film a western, which he debuted to his scout troop to earn his merit badge. He said the motivation he received from his fellow scouts gave him the confidence to pursue filmmaking as a career. Years later, he helped get the ball rolling to bring the Movie Making Merit Badge course into Scouting!
The Scout Leader tells us what for.
The ultimate hide-and-seek place.
Scouts are held to a very high standard. They live the Scout Oath and Laws. Most Scouts become key leaders in their communities. They are hardworking, and the leadership skills they gain in Scouting make them a strong candidate for almost any employer! They are imbued with a sense of Duty, Country, Other People, and Self. They uphold core values: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent! So many amazing characteristics that anyone would want to see in their kids and the people they spend time with!
All the hidden passageways are so cool to explore—yes, you can get lost.
As an Adult Leader in Scouting, there are just countless moments when we are so proud of the Scouts we see coming up in the Troop. And once they age out at 18, it is almost like losing a child you’ve watched grow up and become an amazing young adult! Some of our Scouts go on to a trade school or college, into the military, or straight into the workplace… and we always hear back from them with the same sentiment: that what they learned in scouting is what is giving them an edge in their careers and that they could never put a price on all they learned during their years in scouting.
Today, Scouting is almost a lost art. We are losing so many troops due to the lack of interest, since kids are all about tablets and staying indoors nowadays. The sense of adventure and being out in nature has lost its appeal to so many. But the friends you make, the memories you share, the lessons you learn, and the priceless education you receive while taking merit badge courses are unmatched in most other programs! Scouting is so much more than camping and learning to start a fire and read a map! The values a Scout attains prepare them for adulthood in so many ways, and the long list of amazing Eagle Scouts who have made a lasting impact in their career fields shows how the scouting program has produced some of the most brilliant and dedicated minds of their generation!
There is no way to show the enormouseness of the joint.
Into the legendary "Fat Man's Squeeze".
I moved into the area at the age of 9. The first time I saw Elephant Rocks, it was surreal. Here you are surrounded by woods, and then all of a sudden, you come across these ginormous pink rocks that come out of nowhere. It’s something you just don’t see anywhere else. It’s a place you have to experience in person to really take it all in. The rocks. The history. The work it took to mine and move all those rocks around. You just can’t really get all that from a photo.
...I cannot believe the reach this place has on the world.
When you go there, whether you walk on the trail or just climb the rocks, there are so many passageways to explore. Even after all these years living right down the road, I still find new ways to explore the park each time I visit!
Every time we visit the park, we meet visitors from other states and countries—it's so amazing to hear how people have heard about our area and the different parks we have in Iron County. Hearing different accents and languages, and thinking, wow, I cannot believe the reach this place has on the world.
It truly is a sacred place that so many locals take for (granite) granted.
I love being a local and being so close to the park because, in the fall/winter, after the crazy summer tourist season is over, the park is so peaceful and calming. It’s a special feeling to drive into the parking lot and have it to yourself, knowing you've got the whole park to yourself. It truly is a sacred place that so many locals take for granted.
Take a hike. Start a business. Climb on something. Move. Do anything. Do something. Get out there, that sunken sofa won't miss you—time's a-wasting!
—Pics & Words by T. Smugala.
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