F3 The Fort – Adopt a Highway (#2)

****March 5th 2022- 7:45am – 8:00am****

Men,

We have officially signed up for the Adopt-A-Highway Litter pick-up program.  Our adopted Highway is US21 from Peachstand south to Sutton Rd. (2 miles). We will have a sign installed to promote this section of the highway.  We are encouraged to complete 4 pick-ups a year (once a quarter).  All supplies will be provided.  All we need to do is show up.  The SC DOT will come out and pick up our bags along the route after completion.

**Our NEXT Clean-up date is tentatively scheduled for March 5th. (start time )  7:45 am – 8:00am**. There is no time expectation for participation.  Stay as long as needed or head out early.  Modify as needed. Plan for 2 hours if you complete the 1-mile loop.  We split up into two groups last time and met at the halfway point.

We will begin at the Peachstand (rear of the building) and coordinate.  I have 30 vests and all supplies.

Fogerty will be the main contact for this event over the next two years.

Here are some of the logistics:

• Make sure your group knows that in case of bad weather the cleanup will be postponed. Litter collection should never be done in the dark or in bad weather.
• Notify local news media who may have an interest in publicizing your group’s activities. • Remind your group of the appropriate clothing. Long pants and long-sleeved shirts and sturdy shoes help avoid scratches and irritation from poisonous plants. Light or brightly colored clothing will make them easily visible to passing traffic.
• Be sure you have all the materials and supplies you’ll need beforehand, including first aid kits.
• Check with members of your group to be aware of any allergies that might be important (such as bee-stings, etc).
• Work out a plan for what you will do in the event of an emergency. Find out what the quickest route to the hospital is.
• Park vehicles at both ends of the adopted section.

• Volunteers must be at least 13 years old to participate in Adopt-A-Highway cleanups. Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult on all Adopt-A-Highway cleanups.

The state does provide adopt-a-highway orange and blue bags.  Orange bags are for trash and blue bags are for recyclables if you want to recycle.  Your group is also provided with orange safety vests.   We do require four pickups every year, usually once every quarter.  All that is needed to be done after trash is picked up is to call or email me and I will send one of our crews to pick up the bags.

It is volunteers like you who are going to make a difference by speaking up and doing what they can to help their community.  Please let me know If you have any questions, I will be glad to assist you.

Thank you,

Sherry J. Johnson
Administrative Specialist/
Adopt-A-Highway Coordinator
SC Department of Transportation
803-327-6186 O I 803-327-6184 F
JohnsonSJ@scdot.org

District Four Maintenance
338 Robertson Road West
Rock Hill, SC 29730

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Bear Crawls, Core & more

Nothing fancy…

Disclaimer then 2 more roll in

Big warm up run around the school including a jaunt out onto the sidewalk on 49 and back to the bus drop lane.

Warm Up stuff included Wind Mills, Mountain Climbers, Moroccan Night Clubs and Arm Circles

50 Flutters I/C = 100 Flutters
50 LBCs I/C = 100 LBCs

Bear Crawl the bus lot with Mountain Climbers & Peter Parkers at the end
Crawl Bear back to the start

NUR up the back hill to Langston then run down. Repeat

Grab a partner for a partner MURPH
One partner runs while the other partner works to complete:
100 Pull-Ups
200 Merkins
300 Squats (we called an audible here due to time and completed the final 25 squats together)

COT

Thanks for the hospitality Grassy Knoll
Maximus

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F3TheFort Holiday Drop-In

The Forts annual holiday party will have a different feel this year.
With COVID still lingering we have decided to have a gathering but it will be a bit different.

We are encouraging The PAX to go to dinner with your M and either your Shieldlock, Whetstone, or small group of fellow PAX and their Ms. After dinner we will all gather for an hour or so of a social hour(s).
This will give our Ms the opportunity to meet the crazy fellas we spend the early mornings with but more importantly their M.

We are all fortunate to have this crazy group it is also just as important to try and let our Ms meet some other ladies in the community and possibly let them start great friendships as well.

Make it a day of F3. Start with the golf outing, go to dinner and then grab a couple beers, a bottle of J Lohr wine, a cocktail and let’s kick off the holiday season.

If COVID worries you or your M we will have an outdoor area to hang out at as well as indoor areas.

Where- Springfield Community Center- by the tennis courts/pool
420 Horton Grove, Fort Mill, SC 29715

Time- 7pm-9pmish

When- Dec 3rd, 2021

Contact- Backdraft with any concerns…

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F3 The Fort Anniversary Party

Get ready to celebrate the Anniversary of The Fort. Location will be next to The Springfield neighborhood pool under the pavilion. but the date is set Sept. 17th, 2021. 1830-2130 or 630pm- 930pm for anyone that dosn’t know how to do military time. Cant wait to see you all. It will be the same as last year and bring your own dinner and drinks. We will have a few people speaking.

Look forward to seeing everyone.

location- Springfield Neighborhood Pavilion, next to pool

time- 630pm- 930pm

what to bring- whatever you want to eat and drink.

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Running Deck of Cards

Grassy Knoll has been posting within the Fort for quite a while and hitting Laces In and Alcatraz often. When he asked if I would Q Abyss, I was like when and where is it? Wednesday’s are normal a rest day and it’s all the way over in NC near the bridge…..it’s like those PAX east of the Peach Stand complaining that they have to drive to AO’s west of the Peach Stand. But what do PAX have in common? They support their brothers and don’t complain. So I wasn’t sure what the AO had to offer but figured it would be good to get out of the bubble and experience something new and different. It sure didn’t disappoint me nor the PAX who posted.

SO as we huddled around awaiting GO Time, I had to ask if there was a bigger playground behind the school….of course Grassy Knoll said No (laughing of course). So we began to mossy behind the school and on the way I dropped off a cone along the school road. We ended up right in front of a large playground where I dropped the second cone off and we began to do COP.

After a few warm ups that included SSH’s and windmills, we did 3 rounds of max-out pull ups. What’s a Trucker Q without Pull-ups.

We then gathered around the second cone and a deck of cards were pulled out. The goal was to not stay still and continue to move. The first cone was placed about 400 yards away, and the second end point was about 200 yards away.

We started at the second cone next to the playground. A card was drawn and if it is was a red card you ran to the farthest cone and completed the exercise and ran back to the other cone. If it was a black card we ran to the end of the parking lot past the basketball nets and back.

Hearts = Wide Arm Merkins

Diamonds = regular merkins

Spades = LBCs

Clovers = Squats

If the same suit was drawn three times in a row we had to do 10 burpees (that was a late addition half way through the WO thanks to Cha Ching’s recommendation).

We ended up running 3 miles by the end of the WO. Who would have guessed a Trucker WO would include 3 miles of running??????

Prayers for Cha Ching’s stress test today, for Smithers, and other prayers said and un-said.

Appreciate the opportunity.

Trucker

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Doracide at the Abyss

Gave the disclaimer then started with a much needed warm up.

3 sets of Downward dog and honey mooner

10 SSH

10 Moroccan night clubs

10 Low slow squats

After the warm up, led the group in a partial mosey around school 

For the main event I let the Pax know my MO for Qs is Dora.  To mix things up I planned a nice long Doracide for this beautiful morning.  It consisted of:

Partnering up (group of 2 and 3) and while the first partner ran suicides of 250’ with 1 burpe, 500’ with 2 burpees and 750’ with 3 burpees; the other partner worked to knock out the :

100 lunges (each leg)

200 Carolina dry docks

300 Bobby Hurlys

400 hello dollies

After we finished this terribleness we didn’t have much time left so I had the pax get in a line in plank position. 1 by 1 we crab walked about 100’, then the next pax went and stayed in plank until the 6 was in.  Finally we moseyed back to COT.

Announcements: reminder of upcoming events (dam to damn bar, Lake Wylie convergence)

Closed with a prayer and we were out!

Thanks for the opportunity to lead!

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The tougher the practice, the more fun the game.

10 PAX gathered at the Abyss to close out 2020 the right way – by taking the DRP.  YHC got some help from the 2.2 the night before so the weinke was spelled out on the pavement for all to see.   Preparedness (and checking the weather forecast) helped set the tone for all to get their money’s worth.  Here’s what we did:

Mosey to the back of the school, a lap on the track at increasing speed up to AYG on the final straightaway and a circle up for COP.

COP – Various exercises in cadence, including low slow squats, people’s chairs, Moroccan night clubs while in the people’s chair, Imperial Walkers and Hillbilly Walkers and SSH’s – all in cadence.  A quick mosey to the basketball courts where more fun was on tap.

At the top of each key (there were 4 total), exercises were specified.  PAX completed the first exercise, ran to the second court, did the exercise there, ran back to the start and repeated this sequence until the 4th and final top of the key was reached:

Top of the Key #1 – 5 burpees (this was done 4 times total – 1 for the start and 1 for each of the 3 return trips)

Top of the Key #2 – 10 bobby hurleys

To of the Key #3 – 15 bombjacks

Top of the Key #4 – 20 boxcutters

Successful completion and the opening act was complete.  A quick 10 count was voiced and off we went for 12’s, 30’s and 20’s.

PAX were assigned 12’s in lane 1, 30’s in lane 2 and 20’s in lane 3’s.  Exercises were as follows – always adding up to the number between both sets

12’s

Set 1 = 10 burpees, run to other side of lot 2 squats, nur back to the start line

Set 2 – 8 burpees, run, 4 squats, nur

Set 3 – 6 burpees, run, 6 squats, nur

Set 4 – 4 burpees, run, 8 squats, nur

Set 5 – 2 burpees, run, 10 squats, nur

On to the 30’s in lane 2

Set 1 – 25 standing lunges, run, 5 merkins, nur back to start line

Set 2 – 20 lunges, run, 10 merkins, nur back to start line

Set 3 – 15 lunges, run, 15 merkins, nur back to start line

Set 4 – 10 lunges, run, 20 merkins, nur back to the start line

Set 5 – 5 lunges, run, 25 merkins, nur back to the start line

And finally…..we closed out 2020 in lane 3 with, of course, 20’s:

Set 1 – 16 bonnie blairs, run, 4 kraken burpees, nur back to start line

Set 2 – 12 hand release merkins, run, 8 kraken burpees, nur back to the start line

Set 3 – 8 Wide arm merkins, run, 12 burpees, nur back to the start line

Set 4 – 4 diamond merkins, run, 16 shoulder taps (double count), nur back to the start line

PAX finished strong and we moseyed to COT promptly at 0600.

NMM: The tougher the practice, the more fun the game.  Our lives will have difficult moments that we must navigate both gracefully and with patience.  As we lead our families and others, this phrase reminded YHC why the DRP and choosing difficult is ALWAYS the better thing.  Consider your ripple effect.  Consider the man who needs to see you out there but has not told you.  We don’t often realize our impact on others until after the fact.  By practicing hard, practicing difficult, pushing through adversity, we come through those moments to reach the realization that they sharpen us.  They improve us.  They strengthen us.  As we turn the page on a calendar year, it is my sincere hope for all of us that we embrace the lessons of 2020.  That we remember what we endured, and as importantly, remember how we finished: stronger than we started.  May the advantageous habits we form create the ripple effect needed in our world – as leaders, husbands, fathers, brothers and any other role we are called to serve.  Choose tougher.  And be better prepared for it.  The tougher the practice, the more fun the game.  Thanks to Grassy Knoll for the call to the bullpen.  To a stronger year ahead.

In Gratitude,

Cyclops

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Sweati 2020

The Sweati 2020-
79 HIM took to The Forts annual summer CSAUP event. It was 78 degrees when 24 Ruckers launched from The Coliseum at 0530. They had their disclaimer and direction to the first of the 3 pain stations. Just After at 0600 54 runners took to the route. They departed and ran about 2.5 miles and got to meet Bones at Golden Corral for the first pain station. He worked them over as they came in for about 10-15 minutes. Once he finished dishing the pain they took off to Pantheon only about 1.5 miles up the Road. Fishsticks was waiting for sprints and pain. He had the PAX attention for another 10-15 minutes. Once they left they brought the route back to YHC. While waiting for the PAX to return and doing burpees I decided that my other two Qs most likely put the PAX through so much I would give them a choice. Either 20 burpees at 5 light poles with bear crawls in-between or they could buyout of it for a $50. going to our brother Cash. Most wanted to take on both challenges. We wore black for Cash and am still amazed at the Photos coming in from across the Country showing support to this HIM. We love you Cash. Here is a link to the pay-pal account if you feel you would like to support.

paypal.me/f3thefort

Backdraft Out

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The Sweati

The Sweati
8/15/2020

Want to Run or Ruck and Sweat? Join YHC for both. Let’s get out of your comfort zone.

Come out and enjoy 5.75 miles of running or rucking. Included with your ticket is 3 pain stations that will test out if you have been posting to workouts over the summer/ Covid pandemic. This has been and will continue to be the summer sweatdown.

Launch from Coliseum (1025 Dave Gibson Blvd) you will be told where to go next.

Ruck- depart 0530
Run- depart 0600

Water will be available at pain stations. Bring your own if you are against trash.

Coffee will be provided by The Fort. Donations to the fund are accepted.

Q Source will follow at this site. Please bring chair and Q Source manual (not required)
Q source will start shortly after PAX catch there breathe.

Fellowship, popsicles, and coffee to follow.

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Preparedness- Are You Prepared?

Attn #HIM of the The Fort and Lake Wylie,

Preparedness is discussed in Foundation Point F5 of the the Q- Source.  As Defined Preparedness is: Getting Ready for the Expected While being Ready for The Unexpected. This is an all encompassing need to us as men.  It is valid in all parts out our lives;  Father, husband, boss, team member, Site-Q, WO Q ect.

The purpose for this pre-blast is in regards to life saving measures that Pax can take in the event of an unexpected medical emergency at home, work, or at an AO.  We have talked about it in Site-Q Meetings and at the last Invergence.

Last week HomeBrew ,a Pax from Lake Wylie, who is near and dear to our hearts, had just this type of medical emergency come crashing down on him after his 2.0 suffered a Febrile Seizure and stopped breathing.  He had no training but HAD to ACT. So he mimicked what he had seen on TV and was able to revive her before EMS was able to arrive.  Good On Ya for maintaining a cool head and doing what needed to be done.  CPR and Faith in the Sky Q is what saved her life.  I have maintained CPR/AED/First Aid certification for 6-8 years now for work.  I feel better knowing that if I am put in that sort of situation I have at minimum the base knowledge to try and keep someone alive till EMS-Fire arrive on site to take over.

Here is what HomeBrew and I are proposing.  This will be a friendly competition between The Fort and Lake Wylie regions.  From 4-1 to 4-15 every PAX from either region that completes certification or re-certifies in CPR/ AED/First Aid he and I + the Nan’tan and 1st F Q will complete 5 burpees.   The region that draws the most new or recerts will pass that number on to the “Loser”, but honestly- Who really loses in this situation? IE The Fort get 30 pax LKW gets 20 pax = LKW will do 150 burpees. The Fort will do 100. As you all know, I HATE BURPEES, but have committed to drive action across the regions.

The Certification I have been using comes from NationalCPRFoundation.com.  It is Red Cross compliant and should take between 30 mins to 1 hour to complete.  It is free unless you decide to purchases the hard copy certificates.  We will require a screen shot/ picture Tweeted or slacked to both HomeBrew and myself of the completed training for a CPR/AED/First aid at the end.  It will be added to the spreadsheet we will use to document Pax completion. The certification is good for 2 years.

It is highly recommended that All Site Qs get on board with this effort, but all PAX can benefit from this training. What better way to show leadership than making sure the Pax that Post to your AO know you have that training and are ready to act in the even that someone goes down.

Please join us in this and lets Ensure we are Prepared for the unexpected. Stay tuned to TwEETAR for a message from Homebrew.

Thanks

Duck Dynasty  🦆👑and HomeBrew 🏠🍺

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