kraut-60

As a youth in Scouting, it would be hard to forget any of the 5 summer camps I was at with my troop. Getting tapped out and the ordeal during the summer camp of 1972 is prominent in my memory. Having my Dad serve as the troops Scoutmaster was/is a great memory. Here in the present day...last years trek at Philmont seems to replay in memory nearly every day and never seems to get old...yet. Having the opportunity to be the district Roundtable commisioner and having good, positive feedback from Scouters attending Roundtable. Watching my son mature and becoming more responsible as a res

The winter '07 catalog on page 32 shows a youth member wearing a pair of switchback pants as well as the long sleeved action shirt and is holding one of the new Stetson Campfire hats. This photo shows how attractive the new pants, the action shirt and the new hats are as well as how these parts all match and complement each other. I would not hesitate to encourage Scouts to wear such an activity uniform for most outdoor activities. I would wear this myself. I would keep the current field uniform for more indoors or parade wear as it is well-suited for such events. If this combin

I took a crew (district crew made up from 3 troops) last year to Philmont. We were crew 731-F, and we took trek #9 which was in the northern part of the ranch. Part of our itinerary included a side hike to Mt. Baldy on day 8. We hiked Mt. Baldy by backtracking the switchback trail we hiked into Copper park trail camp from Greenwood canyon. Where the newer trail into Copper park starts, you will find yourself in a small saddle between the highest elevations on that trail. There is a trail that starts there that bears SW and upward through light fir trees eventually breaking into clear area

I will have to back up Anarchists post where he mentioned "involved" meals that require extensive prep and cooking/clean-up time. I have seen one instance where our troop had a slot for a "troop shoot" at the camp rifle range after dinner. Well, the dinner was a complicated one and long story short... we ended up sending the boys off to shoot while several volunteered to do clean-up out of the usual duty rotation. We have had good results in having our Scouts guide the menu planning by first considering what events and timetables are on any given outing or campout. We have used the h

I was at Philmont this past year (crew 7-31F), and I will second Gerns suggestion of holding off on buying gear for now. I would have your nephew work and save his bucks to go gear shopping in the spring of 2008. If he gets it now, it probably wont fit him then. I would suggest not sparing any cost when it comes to personal wear, its too late to buy the good stuff when you're on day 2 or 3 out on the trail. For pants, I would have used the new SwitchBacks Scout pants had they been availible, but I made do with comparable pants from Gander Mt. 2 pairs of pants would do fine. Performan

SR540 beaver; My apologies! I didnt intend to slight Spongebob or disrespect the dear little animated sub-surface dweller and friend of children the world over,...No, all I wanted to impart is that I would not wear or otherwise endorse anything that bears its likeness....I am not a fan but I dont begrudge others who are. I would consider wearing the Grinch, providing of course that it would be rendered tastefully, and bearing in mind that the Grinch had a heart and actually put it to good use.

acco-40; yes, cotton sleeping pants. I had along wool pants as a spare pair or to wear if it got too cold over night, but I was very warm and comfortable in the cotton sleep/lounging pants...they had a plaid pattern on them...I cant bring myself to wear this style of pants with any NASCAR,NFL,NBA,MLB,etc...endorsements and NO WAY will I wear anything with spongebob on it! As long as the cotton loungers are kept dry, they are adequate for the purpose they are designed for, sleeping. Ive got to agree with SR540 with regards to the bag only retaining heat, if the opposite were true, it

Just a quick note to relate that using the new "SwitchBacks" Scout uniform pants with polypropelene long underwear bottoms will keep you warm and comfortable while staying active when outside in a Wisconsin winter. I wore the above named combination this last weekend while setting up our camp for our districts Klondike derby. They have good freedom of movement and snow seems to brush off and dry better than jeans or regular scout pants. After we were sst up and sitting around, I could tell the temp was falling and that sitting wasnt generating any self-heat, so we retreated into our

Scuse me! I meant to type 400 gram Thinsulate, not 4000 gram. Sorry.

Greetings all! Just got back from our districts Klondike. I tented out on friday night up here at Camp Indian Trails just outside Janesville WI. We used my old Coleman Montana 5 man 12'x7' tent. I put down a 4mil sheet of plastic after we tromped down the snow (dry powder), then we pitched the tent over that. Inside the tent went sheets of 1" styrofoam insulation rated R-5. Over that we broke open and spread out 2 bales of fresh straw and covered the straw with sheets of cardboard cut to fit the tents dimensions. I slept with my Thermorest inside an older down bag with my Slumberjac

I will have to jump aboard and recomend the Vasque boots. I bought my pair in April '06 to wear at Philmont in July/August. tried on many pairs while wearing liner socks and hiking socks,...tromped around the store and up and down the stairs for 10-15 minutes,...made sure I could make "fists" with my toes,..got a pair that fit GREAT! Wore those same boots from April till we left July 30 to go to Philmont. Hiked 70 miles at Philmont rotating scoks daily,..had no trouble with my feet...No blisters,..not one. Spend the bucks on GOOD socks and Vasque boots, your daughter will thank you. Oh, I bou

I have a situation in the troop I serve in that involves a boy I have known since he was a Cub Scout who isnt interested anymore with Scouting, in fact I have seen his disinterest as far back as 3 years ago. This Scout is presently a Life Scout and is very active in sports and is an exceptional young athlete for his age (15). He has stopped attending meetings and Scout oriented events in favor of sporting participation. Recently, this boys father had been very sick and was hospitalized. I am noting that because his Dad was the Troop committee chairman and ensured his son attended troop me

The SM insignia are refered to as "collar brass" as they are intended to be worn on the collar of the Scouter uniform coat that was last made in the 1960's. It was a tunic style coat with 2 chest pockets and 2 lower pockets. Overall the coat follows the cut and stle of the US Army dress blouse. The latest versions had the Boy Scouts of America program strip sewn above the right pocket. The collar brass was worn on the upper points of the coat collar, 1/2" in and 3/4" up from the bottom of the upper collar point. Uniform regs from the period when they were current issue specifica

dsantos; The field cap AKA "flat hat/garrison cap" was /is intended to be draped over the belt of the uniform with the emblem visible. This comes from the uniform regs during the period when this cap was availble from the Supply Division. The sash should NEVER be worn draped over the belt of the uniform. The sash is only worn over the right shoulder with its lowest part resting across the wearers left waist/hip area. While I havent found any documentation to suggest where the Scout red beret was to stowed on the wearers person when not being worn, I would feel that it would be stowed

I know there are many Scouters who have served in our armed forces and have much to contribute to Scouting from their experiences while in uniform. These contributions should not include training Scouts in matters and subjects that are military oriented and geared away from the BSA program. I have had to work hard at having the military influence limited to eliminated in the troop I serve in. The biggest problem was not an adult, but a Scout who insisted on mixing Scout and military uniform parts. This same Scout also used military issue web gear and a pack in getting ready for hikin

I consider anything coming from Fred Phelps and the ilk that are his congegation to nothing more than a steaming pile of lies and twisted excerpts from the Bible. He is indeed the extreme when it comes to defining our rights in this the finest nation on earth. In earlier times his poisinous spewing would not have been tolerated for very long...sadly I have to agree that violence against this creature or his mis-guided flock would accomplish little of real value. Seeing as a post here refered to Phelps advanced age and his immenent death..I take solace in imagining Phelps spending ete

While I dont intend to jump in here and take one side or the other,..I can see one potential problem that will be apparent...The rank insignia is based on an oval of khaki tan twill material and will look rather out of place on a green uniform shirt. I recall that there existed a Star rank insignia with a background cloth that matched the older Explorer program uniforms (Life Scout rank back in the day had no background cloth..the Heart shape was all there was along with the 1st class superimposed on it). The only cloth rank insignia that will look correct will be the Eagle rank embl

Hi John in KC, I have one of the Nortern Tier Scout jackets on my Christmas list and am glad to read your post regarding the quality of this product. I have seen a jacket posted on e-Bay that was claiming to be a Northern Tier jacket and it did indeed have the lower slash pockets but also had a half belt on the waist of the coat on the back. Does the jacket you purchased for your son have the belt? While I have your attention, I would also like to know if this jacket is longer than the Supply division one made by Woolrich? Thanks for your time John,...Merry Christmas, YiS Will Kirchmayer

If a Scouter SM,ASM etc..would ask a Scout a question regarding his uniform and intend it to embarass the Scout, then that Scouter would be wrong and would need to amend that type of behavior. If the same Scouter were to ask the same question in a way that shows the Scout that the Scouter cares about the Scout and his appearance and is only asking to possibly help the Scout,...is this also "embarrassing"? A leader showing concern for a Scouts appearance/advancement/well-being...etc should be seen as a hallmark of a good leader.

My old high school had been built in 1911. The floors creaked and one could tell by the sound of the creak which floor and where the person causing the creak was walking. The interior of the offices and classrooms had built in cupboards and drawers of hardwood as well as wooden trim and blackboards built into the walls. It was a grand old building, and only now do I cherish the memory of it. When I was there as a student I felt like many young high school students....When can I get out of here? That school was torn down in 1982 and was replaced by a modern school on the same site. It

SSScout; I would suggest just treating those boys who are in uniform and let the message be sent by deed versus word. In my expeience, most Scouts tend to forget any type of warning regarding those areas of Scouting not immediatly perceived as being "fun", and uniforms seem to fall into the "not-fun" category for most Scouts. WVCubDad; I have had similar experience when I too was a Cub den leader. I wore my uniform to everything Scout natured, and was asked if I owned any civilian clothes by a fellow den leader once. My wife has never had a problem in spending for Scout uniforms. Her only

I am an example as I serve as ASM. I should always wear a complete uniform, not just selected parts of the uniform. This is the attitude I have adopted for myself in my role in Scouting. I encourage my fellow adult scouters to share my example. I also instruct and encourage the SPL/ASPL/PL/APL,s that I am training in the Troop Leader Training program to be a good example by first being complete in uniform and then in their actions and duties to the scouts they are leading. I would like nothing better than to see the scouts in the troop I serve appear in complete uniform to all events

It was back in the summer of '72, and I was at summer camp with my troop at Two Bear Scout camp near Weyerhauser Wisconsin. It was late evening and the guys were starting to turn in as the SM had announced that it was 10pm..hit your sack! I was detailed to douse the fire, but before I did I was gonna have a few more 'mallers ( thats 'sconsin for marshmallow). There I was squatting near the fire with the bag of 'mallers at my feet with the fire all to my self and the quiet was soothing. I heard a slight rustle behind me which I dismissed as someone in their tent moving around or rollong ov

Hey there AnEagle, welcome to the wonderful and healthy world of those who hike! So far you have gotten some excellent advice here, and while I'm not an expert hiker (and didnt stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night), I did hike at Philmont this year and would like to share a few of the things I learned that make hiking a very rewarding and healthy thing to partake in. If you intend to hike often and for increasing distances, please do your feet and self a BIG favor and get yourself a pair of really good hiking boots. Do avoid the low priced hikers found at K-mart and Wally World. Your

My,my..is this ever an interesting and heated thread. I wont delve into the my politics are better than your politics part as I tend to believe that trying to convince another person of the merits of one views and political preferences is quite like trying to talk a Chevy fan into buying a Ford...its like trying to teach a pig to sing...wastes your time and pisses off the pig. I believe that we the citizens of this fine nation, are in a war just as deadly and with as much to win, or lose as all other wars we have fought. I feel we should do WHATEVER is required to win....the alternative I