jackmessick

Wow. I am so glad that Idaho has lousy cell phone coverage :-) especially where the Summer Camps are located. In fact, the camp we went to last year didn't even have telephone service; the staff communicated via radios between each other and with county EMS. I would let new scout parents know that these devices should be left at home. And if they get lost or ruined, that they will not be reimbursed by the troop for the loss, although they can get a "Gee that's too bad!" and a sympathetic hug. jack messick

I worked in the Ecology-Conservation area for one season of Scout Camp. We would offer to take the different troops on nature hikes, that would include plant identification (needed to achieve First Class Rank, if I recall correctly). We had a demonstration called "Incredible Edibles." We would prepare locally edible plants, even fry up some worms. Birch Tea, Sassafras Tea. Japanese beetles, when de-legged and sauteed in butter, are also a treat, believe it or not. In coordination with the Ranger staff, we would complete conservation projects, such as erosion control and brush piles

I had to cover this for a Woodbadge project, and found the following website helpful. Below the URL is a passage from the website on the Outdoor Code. Whoever put together this website has done a tremendous amount of work, and it's worth it! At any rate, the Outdoor code did not show up until the 1950s, in later printings of the 5th edition of the Boy Scout Handbook (actually entitled "Handbook for Boys"), which was used from 1948 to 1959. http://www.troop97.net/bshb1.htm In addition to other information on conservation, it is the first book to contain a "Conservation

You can try any of the major patch dealers/traders. Here are four I have used in the past and been very satisfied with prices and service: The Heart O' Texas trader http://www.hottrader.com/ Brush Creek Trading: http://www.oapatch.com/ Chris Jensen: http://www.streamwood.net Mitch Reis: http://www.mitchreis.com They are all on E-Bay as well. The main problem with E-Bay is that you would likely have to win an entire collection of patches just to get those particular merit badges. jack messick

You might be referring to the quarterly magazine of the International Scouting Collector's Association (ISCA). To subscribe to the magazine, you must be a member. They are on-line at http://scouttrader.org/ don't know if they have back issues or not. It never hurts to ask.

He can collect anything he likes, in a nutshell. People here have already listed Order of the Arrow lodge flaps and Council Shoulder Patches. To get an "entire set" (the definition of which is open to debate) of either is extremely tough and tremendously expensive. It will take decades to do. Some of your ideas, like one from each state, may be a good goal. Or maybe from all the councils in your state. Besides Order of the Arrow flaps and Council Shoulder Patches, perhaps he has a favorite summer camp. If the camp's patch changes year to year, he could try to get the entire set.

You can try any of the major patch dealers/traders. Here are four I have used in the past and been very satisfied with prices and service: The Heart O' Texas trader http://www.hottrader.com/ Brush Creek Trading: http://www.oapatch.com/ Chris Jensen: http://www.streamwood.net Mitch Reis: http://www.mitchreis.com Sometimes they have them, sometimes not. I have only the one I earned as well, for the wide game event. I even have the orange "H" that was issued to me that morning. The story of how I ended up earning the award is my favorite anecdote from that

RE: Eagle in KY, According to our group photo, our crew number was 707B-4, so our first day was the 7th of July in 1979. It was my first cross-country bus tour. Back then, military bases used to let us use the WWII-era barracks to sleep overnight.

I was a Scout when the change took place. The uniforms were announced in late 1979/early 1980 (I remember seeing an article in Time or Newsweek), and then released in the fall of 1980, as I wore the new shirt at my Eagle Court of Honor by Spring of 1981. jack messick

The troop I am with now has never had an "official" troop flag. Some time ago, a mother designed and hand-made a flag that pretty much follows the troop logo on our neckerchief. Fortunately, it does have a red and white main field, although it is split left/right rather than the official flag's horizontal striping. At any rate, the boys love the flag, and that is what matters. My bottom line is, there are always alternatives. You don't buy all official camping equipment, very likely, so don't feel pressured into buying an "official flag." jack messick

In my council (Grand Teton Council, GTC), the NYLT staff (youth and adult) wears a reddish-orange beret that they are given. They are military surplus from some other country, not the Boy Scout berets from the 1970s. For Woodbadge, GTC has an custom embroidered ball cap that was given to both staff and students, for free (well, I guess the students paid for them all through the course fees). I think this is the way to go; I am surprised that any course director would put a $90-plus cost on volunteer staff. I am glad they changed their minds about this. Twenty years ago, my h

I rejoined Scouting about a year ago, as an assistant Scoutmaster of a Troop in the Grand Teton Council of Idaho and Wyoming. I am an Eagle Scout, class of 1981, from the now-defunct Long Rivers Council in Connecticut. I was an assistant Scoutmaster with my home troop as a young man while attending college at the University of Connecticut, where I was also a member of Alpha Phi Omega, Delta Sigma chapter. I spent eight years on Summer Camp staff at the Lake of Isles Scout Reservation in North Stonington, Connecticut. I went from CIT to Program Director. I attended the 19