Jay K

It's online now.

Merit Badge Counselor training is offered from time to time at our Northern Star Council Universitys of Scouting. I've taken it, and it was very instructive, replacing rumour, false belief, and confusion with fact.

When I was challenged about my qualifcation to be Chaplain, I said "10 years of Bible Study Fellowship, each 32 weeks; homework, discussion, and a closing lecture." The response was "Ah."

Do what you have to do. If you try 3 times and never meet, it's not your problem any more. You've done your Due Diligence. Doesn't Traveler involve planning and taking a trip with your family? I've counseled Traveler many times. In fact, though I'm a Unit Commsioner and a Scoutmaste, If I'm asked to "help with the WEBLOS" I usualy offer to do Traveler.

Basement Dweller, I got Empathy for you. .

Go to Wood Badge because you aren't afraid to try something new, because it is part of the training continuum, and because it was started by RSS Baden-Powell. It's not about you, it's about the betterment of Scouting. It's a little odd to hear what amounts to " I'm too good for Wood Badge." In another thread, one asked, "IS Scouting becoming too prissy?" Not if the people in it aren't prissy.

I definitely go at least once to every class in which any of "my" Scouts are participating. I write a detailed analysis on the asessment form at the end of Camp. IF any instructor is passing over requirements, the Program Director, the Camp Director, my D.E. the Council Camping department, and if need be, the Council Executive will hear about it. If you get a Scout with a questionable Partial, have a real, honest, discussion with him.

Here's one for you: For an Able requirement in Sea Scouts, one must do the requirements for Lifesvaing Merit Badge. I had a young lady Sea Scout come to me to do that.

Cool! If we built one, the Scouts would want to sleep up there.

Moonrise Kingdom. I stand in front of the screen and sing during the underwear scene. The key part, for me, is when the troop realizes that they have been treating the protagonist badly, and rally to help him.

There is no "Swimming/Lifesaving continuum," at least like there is a First Aid/E prep continuum.

Cut a corner off the Totin' Chip. Reiterate the principles of the Totin' chip.

The guys that defeated the British and the Hessians would have loved to have had an assault rifle with a 30 round magazine. The amendment was not written about hunting rifles.

Lifesaving.

No.

Yes.

And: Merit Badge requirements can be counted toward "Brownsea" advancement. "Brownsea" requirements can be counted toward Merit Badge requirements. Requirements counted towards one Merit Badge may not be counted for another Merit Badge.

That's why I have new Scouts get First Aid Merit Badge first.

We used to have regalia presentation ceremonies at the Wood Badge Breakfast, at Wood Badge courses, and at special, dedicated regalia presentation events, but it was decided, and not by me, that they should be done, instead, at Roundtables, Courts of Honor, and Blue and Gold banquets, so that other involved, no Wood Badge adults would "see" the presentation, and perhaps get interested in attending the course.

40 minutes is just bizarre.

This has gone far afield from "Without bankrupting the troop. "

Backpacks can be had for cheap at garage sales and thrift stores. I had a Scout who worked with his father and built a very lightweight pack frame from wood. He packed his stuff in a gym bag and secured it to the frame with bungee cords. It worked great. I bought a Brunton gas pocket (kinda big pocket) stove at a garage sale for $2. Fleet Farm has nice sleeping bags for $14.

I got a nice water filter that we ALL use, for about $30. I have two scouts (brothers) who swear by the tent that they've used for years, that was $23 on clearance at K-Mart. ( I wouldn't wnat to use it!) My scouts laugh me off, but when I was a scout ("When HE was a scout") we MADE cook gear out of cans and wire hangers. The can in which a ham comes makes a nice fry-pan. Anyway, you don't have to spend a lot. I have a "green monster" Coleman stove that I've secured to a pack frame with a diamond hitch. I can sometimes get a patrol to divvy up one Scout's gear, and have that Scout pack the stove. We had a cast iron griddle on one trip...We had a family tent that had rooms,(YPT) and that was the only tent we brought, and we ALL "slept" in that one tent. I won't ever do that again.

This has gone far afield from "Without bankrupting the troop. "

Backpacks can be had for cheap at garage sales and thrift stores. I had a Scout who worked with his father and built a very lightweight pack frame from wood. He packed his stuff in a gym bag and secured it to the frame with bungee cords. It worked great. I bought a Brunton gas pocket (kinda big pocket) stove at a garage sale for $2. Fleet Farm has nice sleeping bags for $14.

I got a nice water filter that we ALL use, for about $30. I have two scouts (brothers) who swear by the tent that they've used for years, that was $23 on clearance at K-Mart. ( I wouldn't wnat to use it!) My scouts laugh me off, but when I was a scout ("When HE was a scout") we MADE cook gear out of cans and wire hangers. The can in which a ham comes makes a nice fry-pan. Anyway, you don't have to spend a lot. I have a "green monster" Coleman stove that I've secured to a pack frame with a diamond hitch. I can sometimes get a patrol to divvy up one Scout's gear, and have that Scout pack the stove. We had a cast iron griddle on one trip...We had a family tent that had rooms,(YPT) and that was the only tent we brought, and we ALL "slept" in that one tent. I won't ever do that again.

We are a "Bolo" troop, full uniform is a bolo tie rather than a neckerchief. There's no prohibition on neckerchiefs...

When a person joins OA, they get an OA bolo, and when they make Eagle, they get an Eagle bolo. I have some "uniform" patches that I award at the end of out canoe trips (which end at a Scout Camp,) to those who are in uniform when we arrive. I've only given out six of them. I've proposed a "seal" badge for scouts who earn both a shooting sports merit badge and an aquatics merit badge during a week at Scout Camp, but we've never actually done it. I like the shotgun-shell-slide.

30 more people deployed to get going on 150 collective ticket goals. I got my third bead!

There was a sign in the dining hall:

Have fun!

Making friends!

Good Food!

I: Had fun making friends good food.

See my Wood Badge horror story. That was a blind-siding.

As far as the Health forms, our Troop Committee Chair asks for them in the spring. He keeps them as PDF's and prints them out upon request for High Adventure trips, summer camp, and Conclave. We often spend a lot of time and anguish bullyragging people to get the bleeping exam done and get the blankety form to the CC. But, it usually gets done.

I hafta say, they're great for training. I know that some of you object to using power point slide shows for training, but they're my bread and butter. I have flip charts for back up, but we're the T.V. generation. Somebody told me there's one that used bulbs that cost less than $110, but I don't know what that is.

I've probably done 60 training events, some solo, some as part of a team, and both within and without of Scouting. PowerPoint/projector was probably used at 56 of them. I remember one training, Safe Swim/Safety Afloat, in the rain, with a Scout holding a poncho over the fip chart to keep it dry. Wouldna wanted a projector for that one, but my point is: the projector is an extremely useful tool.

Heading out for weekend 1 tomorrow. Get this: plan "B" is for ME to be the "host" for...The Game of Life!

Heading out for weekend 1 tomorrow. Get this: plan "B" is for ME to be the "host" for...The Game of Life!

Tae Kwan Do