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alki

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Everything posted by alki

  1. Camping Hiking Personal Fitness Backpacking Orienteering Wilderness Survival
  2. Yes, again emb021 is right. Our SOP on rechartering is to match the church youth group's membership list to the charter roster, with the addition of any non-LDS Scouts we have participating. No comment on the 2 troops thing since I haven't run into that problem yet. I do have youth co-registered in Varsity Teams, Venturing Crews, and Learning For Life units. Some of these units are non-LDS.
  3. This thread got me thinking about some of my winter camping experiences in Scouting and with my dad: - My first Klondike Derby in Connecticut, I forgot mittens and a hat. Dad snuck away to a gas station and returned with snowmobile mittens and a Pittsburgh Steelers stocking cap. Saved my life. - Troop outing in the Buckhorn on the Olympic Peninsula. Had a huge snowball fight with a frozen pond as no-man's-land. Had to thaw out the fuel lines on our rides home with coals on a garbage can lid. Dad's idea. - High adventure trip to Hurricane Ridge. Blizzard closed down the roa
  4. I'm an LDS Scouter. emb021 explained the Sunday issue very well. Here's an excerpt from the booklet mentioned: "The [LDS] Church does not approve of hiking or camping trips on Sunday. [LDS] Scouts and other [LDS] youth groups should not travel to or from camps or youth conferences on Sunday." I added the "LDS" to clarify that the audience of this booklet is adult leaders of LDS-chartered units. LDS Scouts are not required to be in an LDS unit, just as non-LDS Scouts are welcomed in LDS units. Many LDS Scouts (in LDS units) are co-registered in non-LDS units.
  5. Our unit has been tasked with producing a High Adventure experience that is low-cost and local. The boys discussed this and at first decided that they would do a 50-miler in the ranch/farm country around our city. Then the idea to make it a race was proposed and you could see their pupils dilating. Has anyone carried out an "adventure race" before for Scouts? Are there any units in South Texas (or even further away) that would be interested in competing? This is not a fundraiser, again, keeping with the mandate given us by our chartered org. The cost is $75 per boy. Our boys are
  6. I, too, have struggled with the ambiguity in the insignia guide over "cluttering." I'm at peace with myself now that I have one uniform with all my knots, interpreter's strips, etc. [for roundtable and special events] and one [for general wear] that is "plain jane." My wife is helping me make displays of my Cub and Boy Scout youth awards. My red, white, and blue surfer shorts (swim trunks with pockets!) have my BSA Lifeguard, Snorkeling BSA, and Mile Swim patches. I've noticed that people listen to me more when I'm wearing the knee-high uniform socks and my WoodBadge neckerchief wi
  7. This started at a winter camp a few years ago when the temperatures were too cold for us to have fires. [Freezing temps in Texas = no running water to most of camp = no fires] Instead of huddling together in our campsites for warmth after the day's activities, we decided to get active. I sent the buddy groups to various high points in camp, all toting two-way radios, flashlights, and Morse Code sheets. They were to reach their positions without drawing undue attention to themselves. Then we played "telephone" by sending coded messages with the flashlights around the camp. We used the
  8. Great photos!! I especially like that the uniforms have simple, uncluttered, insignia.
  9. alki

    Camo vs. SAR

    I can't honestly say that it was my idea, more a spin-off of an activity we did at a winter camp. The idea is fairly simple. Avoid drawing attention to yourself by being seen, heard, or smelled. I don't let them do it unless they each have two-way radios and signalling devices. All other safety precautions (buddy system, etc.) are standard and accepted. Not sure how this would work in a large unit, but the Venturing Crew that does it only numbers 6 active members. If you'd like some more details about how they do this, we oughta spin-off a new thread...
  10. Some of our boys went to Tom Hale Scout Reservation in Oklahoma this summer. I was pleasantly surprised to get a packet with hard-copies of an obviously electronic "blue card." I even received "partials" with the appropriate boxes dated and initialed. The counselor's name was printed on there, all signatures were present, and they even used blue paper! Even though it was a single sheet, I cut them immediately into thirds and gave the boys their copies. I don't know how to get this e-version of the blue card, but if you run a scout camp, you'll make a lot of friends by using it.
  11. I apologize that my frustration with bureaucracy came out and soured our discussion. Please forgive me. [Je suis dsol que ma frustration avec le bureaucratie a rat notre discussion. Je t'en prie de me pardonner.] I should correct my earlier statement that said a newly-elected scoutmaster "must" quickly be trained if they aren't already. The truth is, unfortunately, that a scoutmaster may go many years without training. If a scoutmaster breaks rules, frequently it is the chartered organization and the Boy Scouts of America that are sued [pursued in justice], not the individual scoutm
  12. alki

    Camo vs. SAR

    Just so the color of clothing doesn't become more important than the buddy system and adequate/qualified supervision... In our ESAR post, we all had blaze orange caps but many of us had Swedish military trousers (wool that wore like chain-mail) and warm woolen sweaters (hard to find back then in anything but OD and navy). We also stuck to our buddies like glue. The Olympic Peninsula was a place that few walked out of alive if lost. Our blaze orange caps would disappear within 20 feet. Outdoor ethics also infer that your clothing, tents, etc., not mar the wild landscape that others
  13. trevorum - Yes, I was in France as a missionary for 22 months. I lived in Angouleme, Cholet, Bayonne-Anglet-Biarritz, Bordeaux, and Cahors. Absolutely loved it. It's been awhile, though, so my French is comparable to a "vache espagnole". hugolin - Un certificat d'entranement avant de devenir chef scout n'xiste pas ici. Au contraire, on est lu chef scout, comme Trevorum a dit, et puis on dois assister (tout de suite!) sois-mme aux entranements si tu n'y tiais jamais. Le gouvernement amricain n'a rien faire avec a. Le BSA dirige tous ces runions pour toutes les organisations qui veul
  14. concerned - I don't believe that "going up the chain of command" ecclesiastically is the best way to approach this problem. Firstly, let's make sure the units WE work with are the safest possible. I asked our ecclesiastical leader to "call" a health & safety officer for our committee. He did. This officer's goal is to help us earn the Ready & Prepared Award [to give structure to his ultimate aim of making us safer]. He just happens to have 35 years experience of this for the DOD and DOE. Secondly, I wouldn't be surprised if something isn't already "in the works." The ne
  15. concerned - Thanks for addressing this. I believe that you have been prompted by a higher power. I would really like to help in pursuing this through the most diplomatic means possible. My personal observation has been that a small number [statistically] of highly-motivated LDS unit leaders have shouldered running the Scouting program. This is often with little or no tangible support from parents or ecclesiastical leaders. I think it's obvious that the significant factor in the deaths mentioned is a lack of adequate, qualified supervision. [Though I hope that reputable studies will co
  16. Brad, your English is getting better already! A "boussole" is a "compass" and what you refer to as a "raid" doesn't have a direct translation into English. A "campout" is the same as the military "bivouac" but to use a map and compass (plan et boussole) may be considered an "orienteering course". The "survie" campout is very similar to one of the requirements for the Wilderness Survival Merit Badge. The chartering of units in France was incredibly complex. This was because large churches [like the Catholic Church] were seen as "religions", that is, somehow more valid because of their
  17. I love topics that require lateral thinking... My new [not necessarily ideal for everyone] uniform would consist of: wrinkle-free wool-blend machine-washable long-sleeved tan shirt w/o epaulettes,less badges, and roll-tabs to hold sleeves up [also available in a lightweight moisture-wicking version for South Texas] wrinkle-free wool-blend machine-washable green trousers w/o cargo pockets, but w/deep dress pockets and generous belt loops wrinkle-free heavy-weight canvas [carhartt type] green convertible cargo pants/shorts w/heavy reinforcing [available in lined & unlined
  18. I'm just happy they get to Eagle. I just had the honor of presenting two boys to their respective Boards of Review: one who is in the 3-month-after-18th-birthday period and one who is 15. Both have worked hard and completed all of the requirements [their papers are now pending with National]. Last year I had a similar young man who was 13. I believe that the adult dilemma "to early Eagle or not to early Eagle" is best left to the New Scout... I, too, was an early Eagle. I left my troop a year afterwards, without earning any palms. I joined a Varsity Team, then an Explorer Search &a
  19. Cognac?! That's great! I used to bike out there from Angouleme all the time... There was a chocolatier [on the south side of the main road, just before town] that made some of the best gift chocolates in France. I remember that one could take a free tour and learn all about making the different candies. I would express-mail them home to my family... I was a missionary in southwest France, so my time in Angouleme was short. I worked with a unit chartered [pas xactement "reconnu", plus-tt "organis par"] a church that covered the entire department. We weren't recognized yet by the Yout
  20. Salut, Brad. T'es dja "bien-venu", je vois. [Hi, Brad. I see you've already "well come."] J'ai travaill aussi avec les scouts franais, Angoulme (1993), pendant quatre mois. Maintenant, je suis Scoutmaster pour 29 jeune-hommes Canyon au Texas. C'est vachement different d'Angoulme, je te confie. [i also worked with the French Scouts, in Angouleme, for 4 months. Now, I'm a Scoutmaster for 29 young men in Canyon, Texas. It's totally different than Angouleme, I assure you.] Your English really is great, but I don't get a chance to practice my French very often. Thanks for giving m
  21. I'm a BSA scouter with no sons, so I'm trying to learn about GS as much as I can. Double-enrollment in a BSA Venturing Crew will be too much of a stretch on time and money... Are there any Cadette and Senior Girl Scout troops that have high-adventure as regular activities? Are there high-adventure advancement opportunities? My girls love backpacking, mountain biking, rock-climbing, and kayaking... and they don't want to give up on GS. How can I, as an adult male, help their troop to enjoy these kinds of activities? concerned dad
  22. Great information, ScoutNut. I'll post a new topic on this...
  23. LOL. Two things you said brought back a lot of memories: that it's their "baby," and that you feel like "the blind leading the blind." I think I've told the boys "It's your baby" more than anything else... and I remember feeling like the blind leader! A few years ago, I was asked by a group of teenagers to help them start a Venturing Crew... We don't have a cool website or climb Mt. Everest, and only one has earned the Ranger award. But the Crew has had a lot of fun together and they've become pretty amazing leaders. There are only four of them. I also understand that Venturers have
  24. Just curious... Why can't the girls do high adventure activities in Girl Scouts? Do they really need to join a Venturing Crew to do these activities?
  25. What a fantastic opportunity you have! I used to think that youth couldn't possibly learn leadership skills without being part of a large group... Wrong! In the early days of Scouting, a boy would find a publication that explained how to become a Scout [such as "Scouting for Boys"]. With little to no adult involvement, he would read this book and talk his friends into joining him. They'd organize and implement everything! In a sense, you can see the patrol method unfold before your eyes. My ideas? (1) Encourage them and (2) become a resource for them. As their small patrol
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