Eagle69

As a Scout of the 60's this brings back memories. I think I have my mess kit in the attic. Part of the problem may stem from the fact that building open fires is against the rules in so many places where we commonly camp or if you can to find enough downed wood to get a decent fire and/or bed of coals. It has indeed become a lost art.

I've seen it tried once, but I don't remember how successful it was, just how much work it was for the one doing it. The ASM in charge of the camporee created a spreadsheet and assigned weighting factors for various things. I sat there and watched him slave away at his laptop in the campsite until the battery ran out and then he went home and worked on it for another couple of hours to finish it. As was related earlier in this thread there is no real way to figure out how one group will do over another. You can handicap a patrol of Eagles and then watch them get smoked by a group of Tender

I don't know if you want to get the level of trying to keep track of T-Foot - 1st Class. If you do then you would have to start by getting the PL to bring each boy's book to you so you could input the information related to the current rank in progress then after that each time something was signed off on a boy by his PL the PL would need to give you or the SPL a list of who was signed off for what so you could update Troopmaster. When I was SM we didn't get to that level and even now as an ASM with a 26 boy troop we don't really try too hard to keep up. It's a lot of work.

In this day and age it isn't as surprising as you may think to find people who have no idea about what the Scouting program involves. If they weren't Scouts or someone in their family wasn't a scout so that they were exposed to the elements of the program they truly would have no idea of what all we do unless they go to the trouble to do a little research. The rifle range at Scout Camp has always been one of the most popular places since I was a scout 40+ years ago, go back and look at old scout books and you see ads by Winchester & Remington, but again if you have been brought up in is

I agree with you. Seems like at Summer Camp you had to qualify as a Swimmer before you could get in a canoe for free boating so why not make Swimming MB a prerequisite and for Lifesaving it should be a no brainer. However it makes sense so National wont' do it.

I live in Arkansas so your question about the Buffalo caught my eye. When would you be planning on making this trip? Right now the only floatable part of the river is the middle and lower river. There is a major campground, Tyler Bend, in this part of the river and Buffalo Point on the lower river. Once you get past Buffalo Point there is only 1 take out in 30 miles. There are group camping sites at both campgrounds. http://www.buffalonationalriver.com/ http://www.nps.gov/buff/index.htm

From the Arkansas side: Canoeing/Kayaking Buffalo River Cossatot River Big Piney Mulberry River Caddo River Kings River http://www.arkansas.com/outdoors/canoeing-rafting-kayaking/ Hiking/Backpacking Ozark Highlands Trail Ouachita National Trail Buffalo River Trail Several State Parks(Petit Jean, Devils Den, Lake Catherine, Village Creek, White Oak, Woolly Hollow) Ozark National Forest/Ouachita National Forest/Buffalo National River - many campgrounds have trails

I'm not sure they are sold by fitting size. What you are looking for is a hose that says it will connect a T Post to an Accessory, like a stove. If you go here you should find what you need. http://www.centurycamping.com/accessories/hoses/

OA is an honor society that is part of scouting. You have to be selected to get in, Wood Badge is open to anyone that wants to sign up for the course and pay the money. There is nothing "secret" about WB. There is some stuff that people try and be vague about so they won't spoil the fun for someone that hasn't been. The more discussion the better people will understand what it's about and they can then decide if they want to go or not so there is no reason for a super secret forum.

The Tool Roll is horribly overpriced. I had an ASM that waited until K-Mart had a $Day sale and stocked up on the spoons, forks, spatulas, etc, and later we sewed our own cloth roll for a fraction of what National Supply wanted. The Cook Set, aside from the plastic cups, is very useful, as long as you don't try and actually cook using the skillets.

Great post. I've even had parents call me and ask me to pick Johnny up on my way to the meeting place since they know I got right by their house. I knew the parents and the boy so didn't think a thing about it. The bottom line is we have to do what is best for all involved.

21 Years ago when I went visitors just showed up. I went to what I guess was the Arena Show that had Lee Greenwood as the performer and Steven Spielberg introduced cinematography mb. If you don't bring your own food to eat there will be the cost of buying it on site.

According to this story BSA has been keeping secret files related to sexual abuse of boys by Scout Leaders for years and now these documents are going to be used as evidence in a trial in Oregon. This will not be good. http://rawstory.com/2010/03/report-boy-scouts-covered-sex-abuse-decades/

The best training for backpacking is to Backpack. Continue to work out at the gym, but start adding in walks around his neighborhood with a pack then if you have some nice hilly terrain move on to it.

I've gotten several postcards and ignored all of them. They haven't called me yet, but I figure they will. There was something last year along similar lines and if you called them you got the spiel about buying this expensive book.

Can anybody spell out what "trained" will be as far as actual requirements? My last major training dates back 30 years ago when I got my beads.

Blass Scout Reservation - Camp Rockefeller has some programs that you might consider. Here is the link to the Leaders Guide for 2010. http://www.quapawbsa.org/db/uploads/1255965477_Local_leadershipguide2010.pdf

NJCub Scouter the certificate is included in the packet that comes back from National or at least from your council since they always came to me from the Council.

I think we have even had a female Wood Badge SM in our Council and it wasn't a token appointment.

Back when I went through Woodbadge 30 years ago that was exactly the chain of command taught. If you went up to the SPL and asked him a question he would refer you back to your PL.

In 28 years as SM I never HAD to have the Eagle Reference letters. I have stood at the Registrars elbow as she verified the Application and they aren't on her checklist, our District Eagle Review people do not require them at the Board of Review.

For a lot of people they just represent a chance to do something you shouldn't or without proper preparedness because they know that they can always get help with the thing. However if used properly they can be a lifesaver. Here in Arkansas last month a photographer was back up in the Ozarks taking pictures of the waterfalls at Richland Creek and the ground gave way beneath him sending him over the edge of the falls area. He was caught by a tree, but suffered major broken bones. The only reason he is alive is because of his emergency locator/signaling device that he managed to pull out of

If you are coming to Arkansas for Summer Camp you might check out Blass Scout Reservation located North of Conway, AR outside of Greenbrier off of US-65. Go to: http://www.quapawbsa.org http://www.quapawbsa.org/db/uploads/1252527888_Local_septembernewsletter.pdf and click around and you will find information about the camp itself.

The course I went through back in 1978 started on Saturday morning and went until late Sunday afternoon the first weekend, patrol meeting during the off week, then arrive back on Friday evening of the 2nd weekend go until Sunday, another patrol meeting in the off week, and the final weekend was again arrive on Friday evening and went until Sunday night. I did a Walking (Backpacking) Wood Badge so we were in a different campsite each night. Where ever we finished up on Sunday of the first two weekends, they would transport us to that point when we came back on Friday for the subsequent we

Over the years we have reserved pavilions many times when we were camping and had a large group. It makes cooking so much easier when you know it can be done out of the weather and the campsite isn't suitable to setting up a big fly. We have been known to "borrow" one on occasion when we were out and the weather turned on us. At least we could cook and eat in the dry. Our Council has a Short Term Camping Area that has a pavilion on it that even has electric lights. We enjoy this and use it cook/eat/teach under.