KoreaScouter

Lone Scouting is designed for situations involving distance, disability, or some other unavoidable situation that prevents a boy from registering with and participating in a troop program. How much distance? How severe a disability? What situations are unavoidable? Best to discuss that with your DE. I've had homeschooled Scouts in the troop I serve, and they thrive on the interaction with their peers. Moreover, the diversity within the troop, combined with the leadership opportunities, gives them unique experiences. In fact, I'm curious as to why a family interested in Scouting wouldn't join a nearby troop (assuming it's well-run by BSA standards -- see unit commissioner "report cards"). The stark truth is that there are boys who want to carry an Eagle Scout card without the "bother" of leadership positions, troop/patrol meetings, working with "inconvenient" MB counselors, and so on. The aims and methods of Scouting are best delivered, and absorbed, in a troop/patrol setting. I don't know your family, and cannot question your motives. If there's a good troop meeting near you, all other things being equal, that's where your son belongs. If you'd like some advice on what to look for in a good troop, let us know... KS

My experience with GS training here is mainly as an eavesdropper/observer. We share facilities and I interact with the GS Committee Chair regularly. My impression is that GS at the council-equivalent level, at least here, puts more time and resources into training than we do at the council level. For example, West Pacific GS pays the travel expenses for troop leaders to go to Japan for training. I've read GS Safety-Wise, and while some of the GS policies are different than ours, I don't see GS safety rules as that much different philosophically than ours are. I've helped set up GS overnight camps, too. They do camp quite a bit differently than we do. For example, on the overnights I've helped out on with my daughter's troop, leaders and volunteers put up and strike the tents, and the campouts are more social than outdoor-skill building, particularly for the Brownies and Juniors. But, I don't think the GS mission and goals are tied as closely to an outdoor program as ours are, so that's not a criticism. At the Cadet and Senior level, I think the girls can hold their own. One of our GS troops recently did a week in Idaho, in the middle of nowhere, eating nothing but retort-packaged foods -- tough-guy stuff. We taught knot-tying sessions for them before they left, and they were all over it. They do rappelling and rock-climbing when they go to Japan, and so on. As others have said, I think training's important, but won't stand alone. Common sense, and motivation play a role too, no matter what uniform you're wearing. KS

Laura; I used that program "Scouttrack" for a while, too, but found two problems with it. One, it tended to crash on my PDA (Palm 505). Two, it didn't interface with TM, so you have the advancements chair entering data into TM, and I'm entering data into Scouttrack. I may give it another try, but if I'm going to pay anything, I'll pay the $25 and get the TM PDA version that will actually interface with your troop data base in TM...have you seen the pitch on the TM home page? KS

Where else could you have such a detailed discussion about the relative merits of the BSA web belt? Better than a roundtable... If the cotton web belt drives 'ya nuts, try the BSA leather belt...you can even whack the thing with various dies and stain it so it's a personal statement, too. Hey Le Voyageur, I've got a thick skin, but I gotta stick up for my "military type" brethren here! In the Air Force, we don't polish belt buckles (or much of anything else for that matter). But, the guys who do might consider sticking sewing needles into your belt buckle crimps more of a fetish than polishing it so it can be used as a signaling device! KS

Have any of you used the TroopMaster PDA add-on that they offer from their web site, that lets you do the TM functions on your handheld, then squirt updates to the main data base in the desktop? KS

Jay Ambrose said it better than I could have; I guess that's why he gets paid to write, and I get paid to be half way around the world defending Lambert's right to look like a knucklehead, in a BSA uniform, on national TV. Lighten up? That's what kids say when they want you to let them do something you know is wrong. What's the down side? How about throwing out the 12th point of the Scout Law? On the plus side, that would certainly make ceremonies and meetings shorter...and think of the time, printer's ink, and candles we'd all save. While we're at it, we could get rid of "Trustworthy" too, or at least make it optional. That's a tough one anyway, and it could be okay for a Scout to be a liar and a cheat, as long as he supports other Scouts if they're trying to be trustworthy and become adults of good character...right? See, if you substitute other values, and apply the same logic, the ridiculousness of this argument becomes apparent... If you wanna play the bagpipes, you gotta wear the kilt... KS

Silicone aerosol can help too, if the zippers haven't been abused but are just sticky or drag when going around corners. Try to find the stuff that comes with one of those coffee-stirrer straw things like on a can of WD-40, so you're not putting it where you don't want it. Really loosens those things up, and when it's dry, it's dry, unlike many lubricants. Shouldn't hurt the fabiric either. I used it when I helped coach/team parent youth football for my son's team, to slide thigh pads in easier, and those uniforms are all synthetic. No, we didn't spray our running backs' jerseys with it, although it was suggested more than once. KS

Thanks; I should clarify. My SPL/ASPL did not appoint a Troop Scribe; the ASPL elected to keep track himself...umm, okay. He does it using the Troop/Team Record Book. Bob, is that what your Troop Scribe uses, too? That's what I'm trying to find out. I think the punctuality is important, especially when service hours are involved. TroopMaster can deal with 15 minute increments. If the event started at noon and a Scout shows at 12:30, that's two time increments he doesn't get credit for, and helps the advancements chair when calculating Quality Unit service hours at the end of the year. We also track advancement using the handbooks of course. But, when the meeting/event is over, and the Scouts disappear with their handbooks, there goes your record of what they've got complete -- unless you write it down somewhere else. That's what I'm trying to do, in a very dissatisfying manner, with the Troop/Team Record Book. Bob, I'm assuming your troop records are TroopMaster. How does your troop get from the handbooks to TroopMaster? Unless your advancements chair goes to every event with a notebook computer, there has to be an intermediate step. What is it? I also use that gigantic wall chart, but that's mainly a "picture's worth a thousand words" thing, since you can't squeeze in dates, all badges, etc. FrankJ, I think the sheets you're talking about are similar to the First Year Tracking Sheets. Those are okay until a Scout earns First Class, then you're right back where you started. Either way, sounds like the record book doesn't work for you guys, either. KS

Before any of you think I'm a Neanderthal or something, our troop does use TroopMaster at the committee level, although not all the features and options it's capable of. My question is to the SMs and ASMs, at meetings/outings, and during camporees and whatnot, what tool do you actually use to capture who's, there, on time, and what did they get accomplished. I inherited the tried & true BSA Troop/Team Record Book from the old SM. We track family data in TM, and leadership positions, and service hours, and camping days, we don't charge dues, and the treasurer does the budget in Excel. So, the only two things I use the book for are attendance and (some) advancement documentation before it gets to the advancement chair. The book works okay for attendance, although it could use more columns during busy months. It gets sloppy near the end of the year for us, since we lose so many families over the summer with military moves. And, there's only room for 40 names; I'm close to that now. If there were two more months in the year, I'd run out. It's not good at all for documenting advancement, since I have a 1997 edition and some of the requirement numbers/letters are different. By the time I get done trying to make inputs fit the columns, it looks like Sanskrit. I'm at the point in the year when I need to decide how I'm going to do this for '03. I'm moving in June and will hand this off to someone else. I want it to be functional, and don't think this book will be. Moreover, if I do the book again, I'll have to transfer all the current information over...not my favorite way to spend the holidays. How do you SMs and ASMs out there do this? Do you use the Troop Record Book or some other method? I'm wide open to suggestions... KS

The SM handbook says once or twice a year, by the unit commissioner with the chartered organization, if possible. You'll see from the responses you get that many troops, the one I serve included, does it somewhat differently. We do uniform inspections monthly, first troop meeting of the month. Inspections are conducted by ASMs. The results are used for B-P Patrol Award tabulation. The prepared BSA Troop Meeting Plans support our method, the monthly part anyway. Look at the TMPs in Troop Resources, and the first one for each theme always says "Conduct a uniform inspection"... KS

Our troop tents are freestanding domes, big enough for two Scouts and their gear. We got 15 of them earlier this year for $89 apiece. My main criteria to the Facilities/Equipment chair was aluminum poles and a full rain fly. They have front and rear doors and vestibules, and we've been in the rain with them, and been dry as toast. Easy to stake out with just six stakes, and the rain fly uses mini-bungees to hook into the tent stakes. At our fall camporee, we had rain 15 miles out and moving our way fast on departure day. We had some condensation overnight, and deliberately didn't strike the tents so they'd dry naturally. So, when we got the rain warning, all our gear was on the bus, but the tents were still up. From the time the SPL gave the order until all the tents were bagged and on the bus, not more than 10 minutes. Teamwork played a big part, of course, but having uncomplicated tents was a factor, too. KS

If by a mailbox oven, you mean a cardboard box oven, yes, I made one recently and used it twice during our fall camporee. I wanted something that would be durable, so I started with the sturdiest cardboard I could find, an empty MRE box...if you haven't handled one of these, this is construction-grade cardboard, but you can still cut it with a knife (depending on the knife, see the "knife" thread). The only tradeoff is that the MRE box is fairly narrow, and will limit you to an 8" wide pan. Cover the inside with the very heavy duty foil -- I used contact cement. I cut seven wire coat hangers to make the rack, and covered the entire outside of the thing with duct tape. I didn't have to cut any vent holes at the top of the oven, since leakage around the door seal provided enough by itself. I didn't have to put the oven up on rocks or anything to keep the charcoal going either; enough air got in the bottom to do that. These things will bake with very little charcoal, which I put in a round pan, right on the ground, then the oven right over it. It worked great, although I am pondering how I can create a diffuser to spread the heat more evenly within the oven. These things are a real help if your patrols want to use your dutch ovens for something else and you still need to bake. If you're pressed for weight, you can do all your baking in one of them, and bring fewer dutch ovens with you. KS

Last night after our troop meeting, I'm conducting a SM conference with a Scout who's ready to advance from TF to 2C. One of my standard questions is "What can I do to be a better Scoutmaster?". The lad obviously hadn't been offered an opportunity to give an adult that kind of constructive (I hope) criticism, and wasn't sure how to answer. I rephrased it: "If you were appointed as the Scoutmaster today, what's the first thing you'd do?" He immediately replied: "I'd ask you right away what I could do to be a better Scoutmaster!" Both of us immediately broke into spontaneous laughter, and I high-fived him for the best answer to a question I've gotten in a SM conference... SM batteries are now fully recharged... KS

This comes up more often than it should, as do other activities that are perfectly okay when done as a family, but not permitted as Troop activities by BSA policy, such as go-kart riding or paintball. It should be obvious to anyone reading the GTSS that the BSA intent is to allow a Troop to attend a public fireworks show such as the type that a city will put on for Independence Day, by a licensed/insured company, with safe distances, fire prevention, etc., all factored into the planning. The "dad in the backyard" launch-a-coffee-can-with-an-M80 type activity is definitely out. Sometimes it takes constant but gentle reminders... KS

I'm a little confused here. If you're conducting an annual program planning conference, selecting monthly themes, and using the troop meeting plans from Troop Resources, then the interpatrol activities, patrol meeting topics, etc., are already "suggested". Now, I'll be the first to admit that we replace certain preopening activities, or use our locally-devised competition events in some cases vs. the games in TR Vol III, but as a rule of thumb, we follow TR pretty closely. If you do that, your patrols will meet at every troop meeting. Of course, TR doesn't proscribe how much time in every meeting must be apportioned to skill instruction, patrol meetings, etc., but they're in there to use. When I imagine doing it for a troop as large as this, I get an ice cream headache, but with sufficient youth leaders, it's gotta work no matter how large the troop is, right? KS KS

There's plenty of arguments on both sides, I think. There's something to be said for uniformity, especially if your campsite's being inspected/graded (as ours are during camporees). Also, it's easier for first year Scouts to get tents up in the dark (which also seems to happen to us at camporees) if it's the same type tent each time. Of course, that only works if you have sufficient numbers of the same tent to camp your whole troop, which we do. It's easier for PLs and Scouts to plan patrol campsites if they know what their patrol's tent "footprints" are going in. On the other hand, there's nothing wrong with Scouts learning different tent types, how they go up, and their pros/cons (it's part of the Camping MB requirements, too). There's the "pride in ownership" factor, too. I wouldn't object if a Scout wanted to bring his own, within reason... KS

The anti-US types are a small but vocal minority. They don't really have a problem with us as individuals, but with some of our government policies. Any protests or demonstrations have to be licensed and preannounced, and there's notification systems to make sure we don't wander into them inadvertantly. There's a few random criminal events like anywhere, but by and large, you're safer here from crime than many places I've been. The traffic's another matter, though. I know the news stories, especially if there's video with them, look pretty radical. It was worse the first time I was here in '87, when they were trying to democratize the government...tear gas in Seoul every day. Almost unheard of now...we have more riots at rock concerts in the US. The typical Korean is friendly, open, and is curious about Americans and wants to get to know them... KS

Hmm, lessee... 1991: U.S. leads coalition that liberates Kuwait (a Muslim nation) -- we're still there as their protectors. 1995: U.S. begins leading coalition that liberates Bosnia (again, Muslims) -- we're still there as their protectors. 1998 (or 1999, exact year escapes me): U.S. leads coalition that saves Kosovo (still another Muslim nation) -- we're still there, too. 2001: U.S. leads coalition that liberates Afghanistan (whaddya know, another Muslim nation) from brutal Taliban dictators -- p.s.: Brown & Root just got a $45 million contract to build troop support facilities at bases in Afghanistan...guess where else we're going to be for a good while? Doesn't exactly meet any definition of "xenophobic war on the Muslim world"...read something besides propaganda leaflets. KS

Ditto to my peers; visiting a camporee (klondike if it's cold) is okay -- the intent is not to put the Webelos through the same paces as the Boy Scouts. The key to this whole thing is advance planning (is there any other kind?). Scoutmaster and Cubmaster need to be in each others' hip pockets in September. Between then and February, there will be ample opportunities in a well-run program for the Webelos to get to a troop meeting and an outdoor-oriented troop activity. KS

I have the GTSS, all advancement and MB requirements, SM minutes, etc., on my Palm 505. It's an alarm clock, a planetarium, and (with the backlight on) a nightlight inside the tent. Here's another reason to use the things: Troopmaster is now offering an ME upgrade that'll download a PDA version of your data base to your PDA...so you can really take it on the road with you... KS

We took a troop hike at Suwon, Korea today. Suwon's an ancient provincial capital that was originally surrounded by a fortress wall, complete with firing ports, observation towers, command posts, and so on. The city outgrew the fortress wall a long time ago, but to their credit, they've maintained it, with free public access for hiking, sightseeing, picnics, historical re-enactments, etc. This thing is a 5-mile hike if you go all the way around it. A high point was when we came to a gigantic ancient-looking Korean bell, in a bell tower, that they originally used to transmit alarm signals all around the fortress. The bell is about 12 feet high and 10 feet in diameter. For a small fee, you can pull back the huge suspended log they use as a ringer, and let it strike that bell. The sound carries for miles (like it's supposed to, I guess), and the bell resonates or vibrates for a full minute after you do it. A small crowd of Koreans visiting the fortress gathered to watch this bunch of American Boy Scouts, paying their fee, ringing the bell, then doing a group hug around the bell so they could feel the vibrations -- some gathered were even taking pictures. At lunch time, we flopped on a grassy area set aside for relaxing, and as Americans always do when we get away from our bases, we drew onlookers. Our Scouts are accustomed to the curiosity, not bothered by it, and proceeded to swap parts of their lunches with Koreans relaxing there, too. One older Korean gentleman ate his first Chee-tos today -- I hope he was okay 6 hours later! Many aspects of BSA Scouting are more difficult here than in the U.S., but experiences like this make it worth it. KS

Most of our Scouts have received the International Activity Patch. We camp with Korean Scouts at least twice a year. At one District camporee, we had 4 dutch ovens going the first night we got there. Our Scouts and the Koreans, who camp coed, were eyeing each other from a distance at first. As the smells wafted over to the BSK campsites, their leaders wandered over one by one to investigate. When the cooking was done, I sent Scouts, one by one, to their campsites with lasagna, biscuits, then various flavors of cobbler. Then, the BSK leaders sent THEIR Scouts over with some of their food. Many of our Scouts have Korean moms, so they thanked them in Korean and scarfed it down. Before you knew it, someone produced a soccer ball, and it was game on...good campout, and several cell phone numbers were exchanged. KS

We secured the use of our elementary school cafeteria, printed tickets, asked each family to sell 15 at $5 each, all you can eat, with green beans and garlic bread. Also did flyers we posted at high traffic locations and got a fair amount of walk-in traffic, too. Did it on a Friday night, with Scouts serving and moms/dads in the kitchen. Food & supplies for 300 cost about $400. We made about $1,000. KS

A 9-year old girl has a life threatening illness. Her older brother, a new 11 year old Boy Scout, recovered from the same illness several years ago. Doctors believe a blood transfusion from him may save her life. Parents with doctors alongside ask the Scout if he will undergo the tranfusion to save his sister's life. He looks up at the ceiling for about 10 seconds, then says: "..the Scout Oath says I have to help other people at all times; I have to do it." Within hours, him and his little sister are both in the operating room, tubes and monitors hooked up. As the blood flows, he looks over at his little sister, and thinks he can see the color returning to her face. Scout looks at the closest doctor and asks: "Will I die quickly or slowly?" Doctor, somewhat surprised, tells Scout he's going to be fine, and will be up walking around in a couple hours...then realizes the Scout thought the transfusion would save his sister...but kill him...and he did it regardless. That's what "...help other people at all times" meant to him; what does it mean to you?

My $.02: Depends on how much weight you're lugging, where you're lugging it, how much punishment you dish out to your pack, and whether or not you put a value on the "latest" innovations and doo-dads. I think internals are good to about 40 pounds or so; above that, I like an external. Hiking open trails on foot presents no problems with an external; cross-country skiing or any kind of bushwacking, especially on uneven terrain, and an internal may work better. Externals generally take a lickin' better than internals, all other things being equal. Most of the design attention/innovations and engineering efforts lately seem to be slanted toward internals rather than externals. About 10 years ago, the military officially scrapped the external frame "alice" pack for an internal frame job that didn't have a girl's name as an acronym. First mistake troops made was loading it to capacity with gear troops carry, not what backpackers carry. Stuff like radio antennas & batteries, claymore mines, ammo cans, spare barrel kits, and so on. Next sound you heard was the screams as frame stays popped out of the packs and into said troops' backs. Slowly but gradually, many outfits that actually use backpacks started scrounging the old external frame "alice" packs from depots and boneyards, and turning in the internals... Second mistake: the new pack was HUGE. Troops, like nature, abhor a vacuum. If there's space, I gotta fill it with something. An orthopedist's dream. KS