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  2. Going to the next Jamboree?

    A place to chat about Scouting's biggest gathering

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  • LATEST POSTS

    • If we went way way way back to the original structure we'd be better off. Back in the beginning councils only provided support in training leaders and starting new units. When you start reading historical documents about scouting in America, the pre-war scouting was one or two adults taking a whole troop to random places for weeks on end in the summer, and meetings the rest of the year preparing for that summer adventure. I am not sure if our culture can handle that today; in the era of digital record keeping and zoom meetings I think we have too many councils and too many council level leaders. The district is the heart of scouting and the money hustle and need to be seen in the office is keeping district executives from building up the movement in the communities.  We don't have to screw good paid scouters out of jobs; if we could get on the same page we could just eliminate non-district executive positions as people retire/move on. It could be as easy as every time a scout executive quits/retires national should just force a merger if it makes sense/doesn't make a council TOO big. And then let natural attrition work the other duplicate positions out.  National is hearing it. It's the councils that don't hear it.   
    • Hammers?   Totin' Chip traditionally asks the Scout to MAKE a really good tent peg.  Hatchet(s)  part of a Scout's kit, yes?  Our Troop used to (I should check on this) make poles out of saplings and the tent pegs were kept for use and as examples for the next Scouts....  As for the tarp/ shelter, the Troop of my yoooth  made them out of 4 mill plastic and heavy duty duck tape and grommet sets.  Ten by ten,  made shelter tents and dining flies and such. Older Scouts took 'em to Philmont and Jamborees, said others ooo'ed and awww'ed at them...
    • If my memory serves, when we did our first trek at Philmont, a fly was part of our gear, and we were specifically encouraged to put it up FIRST and put other gear beneath.  It is an important piece of any site, especially in areas subject to rain or mists.  In cases of drive-ins, a heavier-duty type can be useful, but packing works best with the lightweight ones.  And you do not need poles if you have trees and so on, though they make it easier.  
    • We decided to add dining flies to our camping gear, partially as a team building exercise, partially as a Scout skill exercise, but mostly to help build patrol identities and provide shelter.  I used the instructions found here: https://troop279.us/patrol-dining-fly/ My wife and son helped hold the poles while I tied the knots for the adult fly so I could do a test set up.  Poles need straightened and we need to get hammers for the troop, but otherwise, it looks like it will work.  
    • I do not disagree, there are certainly savings to be found. However we can say that even louder for National HQ. 
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