29 - Coin Collecting

Merit Badge:  Coin Collecting
Counselor:  Sam Lucero
Sponsor:  BYU Pow Wow
Earned:  March 19, 2011


                       WEB: What did I have to do to earn this merit badge?

I was pretty interested in the Coin Collecting
Merit Badge because when I was 8-years-old my dad
gave me this map so that I could collect all 50 state
quarters (1999-2008).

I'm only missing three quarters; Colorado, Delaware,
and North Carolina.  So, if you happen to come across
one of these quarters, PLEASE SEND IT TO ME!

For one of the requirements I had to collect a date set,
starting with the year of my birth (1998),
of a single type of coin.  

It didn't take too long to find all 13 years.

Since I don't live close to a U.S. Mint, I surfed around
on the web and found a virtual tour of the Denver Mint.
I like how they make a large clay model of each quarter
before it goes into production.

This is a close-up of Utah's state quarter.
Notice how the engraving is an illustration of
the Golden Spike Ceremony...pretty neat.

28 - Citizenship in the Nation

Merit Badge:  Citizenship in the Nation
Counselor:  Joseph Goodman
Sponsor:  BYU Pow Wow
Earned:  March 19, 2011


                       WEB: What did I have to do to earn this merit badge?

For this merit badge I was required to visit a
National Historic Landmark.  My mom had been wanting
to visit the Golden Spike National Historic Site
for years, so we drove 2 hours north of Provo, UT to the
MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.

On May 10th, 1869 the Union Pacific Railroad and the
Central Pacific Railroad joined right here!! A golden
spike (it really was made of gold) was driven into the final
 tie to celebrate the USA's first Transcontinental Railroad.
My sister and I were freezing.

I'm holding a replica of the Golden Spike in my hand,
but mine is made of chocolate...yum!
Don't expect to see the actual Golden Spike when you
come out here.  The original Golden Spike is on display
at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, CA.

If you visit during the winter months, be sure to ask for
a private tour of the Union and Central Pacific engines.
The engines are gigantic and awesome!
Our Park Ranger knew everything about each engine.

These are working replicas of the original steam engines
that touched on May 10th, 1869.  The original engines
were scrapped for metal.

See what I mean by
GIGANTIC?!!

Believe it or not, an engine full of
wood would only produce enough
steam to pull the train 15 miles.

In addition to visiting the Golden Spike
National Historic Site, I also toured the
Utah State Capital.  I'm standing on the
capital steps with my sisters,
Hailey and Abigael.

My sister Hailey and I are standing on the 2nd
floor of the capital across from the chandelier
hanging from the center of the capital rotunda.
The paintings in the background represent Utah's heritage.

Do any of you know who this is?
Philo T. Farnsworth, inventor extraordinare
of the technology critical to the development
of the first television.
A Utah native.

Abraham Lincoln is my 2nd favorite U.S. President.
I guess it is fitting to have a bust of Lincoln in the Utah
State Capitol- considering Utah is perhaps the
most Republican State in the U.S.

To top off our tour of the Utah State Capital, we stopped
by my neighbor, Becky Lockhart's office.  Madam Speaker
Lockart, is the the first woman to serve as
Utah's Speaker of the House.
Her son, Stephen, is in my scout troop.

27 - Snow Sports

Merit Badge:  Snow Sports
Counselor:  Greg King
Sponsor:  Sundance Resort
Earned:  March 16, 2011


                         WEB: What did I have to do to earn this merit badge?

Sundance Resort, founded by
Robert Redford, isn't too far from my house.
Even though my face doesn't show it
(I'm tired of my mom taking my picture.)
I was super excited to try snowboarding!

It all starts with the correct boot size.

A Sundance employee is adjusting the boot binding
for my "goofy foot".  That means I board with
my right foot forward.  Most people board with
their left foot forward.

Before I took to the slopes my mom snapped
a photo of me with the Director of Programs
(She put together the Snow Sports Merit Badge clinic.)
at Sundance Resort.

This is me after an awesome evening of
snowboarding.  I was soaking wet
from the March rains.

My ski passes.
 I like how Sundance considers anyone 12+ an adult.

Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of me actually
boarding.  The first night the camera was out of memory
and the second night it was too dark and rainy.
O'well, it was great to try a new sport and I hope
to snowboard again next week.

26 - Nuclear Science

Merit Badge:  Nuclear Science
Counselor:  J. Aleta Clegg
Sponsor: The Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center
Earned:  March 2, 2011


                       WEB: What did I have to do to earn this merit badge?

The Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center
in Pleasant Grove, Utah.

I modeled the internal structure of an atom.
(They taste very yummy.)

Here, I used a radiation survey meter to test
the amount of radiation in this rock.

My counselor placed a book in front
of  the rock to show how it
blocked the radiation.

This is my counselor, Aleta, showing
us a diagram of a nuclear reactor.

After I completed the merit badge class, I
received 6 classroom hours towards my
Starfleet Command Officer Rank.
(That's a seperate program offered by the center.)