LovetoCamp

The Scout is a 14 year old member of his troop. One that he thought wasn't paying much attention. But, you're welcome and I'll really Best Wishes from everyone.

The SM is gathering statements and is definately doing the paperwork.

Had a recent incident I ran into as I was out herding cats for a week out at Cub Day Camp. Last fall I met a young Life Scout who was at the Roundtable getting his Eagle Project approved. He's been in Scouting since Cub Scouts and was out volunteering at Day Camp. Fast forward 9 months. I asked him how his BOR and COH went. He said it never happened. I ask why not. He went on to tell me his project involved a project at his local YMCA that was done right before his 18th birthday. He said that the lady signed off that the project was completed. Another lady that happened to also work there, but was not involved in the project or the approval, stuck her nose in. She was a mother of an Eagle Scout and wife of an Eagle Scout and was also involved in the program in another troop in the same town. She told this kid that because a door was not completed properly according to his plans, that she was calling the District Advancement Chair and informing him that it wasn't completed so he could forget about the Eagle as she was aware of his birthday.

Thinking the door just slammed on him, he told his dad it was no use, took the paperwork and through it in a drawer. I asked him to bring it in, the signed project, the application, and his other paperwork. I started the appeal, called foul, citing battleexe interference. The District guy agreed and sent the appeal on.

So, what do you think his chance are of getting it through all the hurdles?

Wow. Just got off the phone with a Scoutmaster friend of mine. He said he was out in the garage when his phone rang and a woman from town said something about "one of his scouts and her son was injured". He told her to hold on and let him switch phones so he could hear better. So he headed inside and was thing, "darn, what happened now? with nothing but doom and gloom in his mind." He got to a better phone inside his house, and the lady said, "No, I don't think you understand what I'm trying to tell you." The lady told him that her son, one of his 14 year old Scouts, and two others were playing in the woods when her son fell. Her son ripped a nasty gash in his leg and the bleeding was heavy. The two other boys started jumping up and down doing the panic dance, but his scout immediately ripped off his shirt and formed a pressure bandage, had the other two calm down, and try 911. The were in the bottom of a steep ravine and couldn't get a signal. He then told the two to find two branches for a stretcher. The bleeding wouldn't stop, so he used his belt which slowed it to a trickle. They hauled the stretcher to the top of the ravine, called 911 and covered him with the other two boys shirts. At the hospital the emergency room doc was unsure if they could save his leg, so a surgeon was rushed in. After surgery, the surgeon came out to talk to the family and asked who did the first aid? They said Johnny. The doctor said he was able to save the leg, but there is absolutely No Doubt in his mind, that Johnny saved his life. My buddy was amazed, he is an EMT and safety engineer, so first aid is a constant theme of their troop, but he said he was always telling Johnny to settle down, pay attention, and listen. He didn't think Johnny was listening. He must have been listening more than he knew.

Thank goodness he has you there, talons out, ready to fight the good fight.

Hi Neil, and thank you for the words and advice. No Sir, I don't think it would be prudent to wear beads while sailing. But, you ought to see us rappell in white!

I'd also like to mention that the VFW has a Wood Badge Scholarship for its members to attend WB. Notre Dame didn't want me for football, but I did get a full ride to Wood Badge!

Yes, but if I don't finish mine....I am certain that I would unmercifully jabbed and ribbed all my remaining days on this earth and then into the great beyond.

Did Beckett Sail?

aaargh! Me trustee Mate. Trustworthy has a bad main halyard and won't be available. But, alas, the fine sailing vessel, SSS Loyal, would be a fine, fine platform for such an event.

Submitted all my ticket items several days ago. Waiting on my ticket counselor to approve them or put me back to work.

If he OK's my work, I'd like him to present the beads, and wouldn't it be a fantastic idea to award them on the Sea Scout Ship Trustworthy out on Lake Michigan in the very near future?

Thanks OGE, appreciate that. A Scuba Ship is a registered Sea Scout Ship that has SCUBA as it's main theme. An example would be the S.S. Scuba Dog. The unit uses the Sea Scout advancement program, Sea Scout uniforming, participates in our Sea Scout events, but instead of sailing with us, they dive. The leadership are qualified master divers and the majority of the Sea Scouts are qualified open water divers, as of this summer. Fantastic program. Fantastic Ship. One of our Ship's highlights this year was to take a Discover Scuba session that the Scuba Dogs hosted for us.

Call your nearest American Legion Post. They will most likely be more than willing to help out!

Uh? What is Uh? Uh, go pound sand!

Why create something newish, when it already exists? An aquatic Venture Crew is called a Sea Scout Ship. Isn't it? Sailing, motorboating, waterskiing, canoeing, camping, shooting sports, alpine skiing, backpacking, SCUBA, snorkeling, Philmont, Sea Base, limited only by your Quarterdeck's imagination.

Sea Scouts has an advancement program, it has standard uniforms, it has its own ceremonies, and other unique program items. Presenting the Small Boat Handler and Qualified Seaman alone takes months of work and effort to earn. Able Sea Scouts need to teach many requirements themselves in order to earn QM. Somebody just needs to teach them "how" to teach an hour block of instruction. Hey, that's a class right there. I'll have to have one of my trustee Mate's design a train-the-trainer course for our Ordinarys and future Ables. Hint, hint. Sea Scouts need to be BSA lifeguards, no easy task. They need to be CPR certified.

One of the best things you can do is get a boat. We've had gatherings on meeting days where they worked on the boats all day long. Never seen them happier. Get a boat!

Sea Scouts also have the SEAL Training program. Without a doubt, the toughest 7 days of Scouting they'll experience. My SEAL graduates came back extremely proud of graduating that course, and by golly, they even looked an inch or two taller.

I, personally, me, like the structure and program that the Sea Scouts offer compared to a Venture Crew. Even the weakest Sea Scout leader has some type of program example to use, whereas a weak Venture Crew leader is doomed.

The current Sea Scout manual illustrates and describes two youth Sea Scout uniforms. Our ship has decided to use this national standard as our example.

My advice to a new ship would still be to uniform your new ships exactly as the current manual describes, both for youth and adults. Why would you do it differently?

Hey Terry,

How about a Sea Scout forum!!!

Following Seas

TP

meamemg,

I had a private laugh to myself regarding regretting being drawn in. It brought back a memory of my Army Basic Training. A bus full of teenagers being bussed from Ft. Jackson, SC, where we got shots and uniforms down to Ft. Gordon, GA, where the basic was held, and not a peep was heard on that bus. We got to Ft. Gordon and the bus pulled into the Brehms Barrracks area and several of the privates out on a work detail started waving their arms at the bus and were hollering, "Go Back! Go Back!" I was terrified. "Go Back!"

So is backpacker FOG trolling from a different library or what?

Mike, so you've been putting up this arguement based on what you remember from the past? The new national standard has the bugs gone as are the youth dress blue uniform. I believe the National Commodore wants all ships uniformed uniformly. So, we've done it, and you would surely recommend to any new unit to stay with the current guidelines. I would anyway.

Bob, did you kick backpacker's dog in a past life? Nice research.

Another idea for you Eamonn, would be to hold your meetings near some water. If you have a boat club or a yacht club on a lake or river, it has been my experience that the club members love to see scouts out boating around. Last Father's Day weekend we got in a huge amount of sail time, and before we left our ship sat together in dress whites at a breakfast buffet at the yacht club we were visiting. I overheard one member whisper, "those are Sea Scouts, they've been racing in the harbor." Then I overheard a lady whisper to her table, "Don't those Sea Scouts look fabulous?" LOL. By golly, we did look fabulous.

In the current edition of the Sea Scout Manual, the youth have two uniforms, work blues and dress whites (the crackerjacks). There is nothing in the Sea Scout manual about youth blue dress or any type of Coast Guard uniforming.

In our Council, there are around 32 Venturing Crews on the books and maybe 5 or 6 who are actually active. I'm just stating what's working for us, I really don't care what you do or what you wear. But, our program is growing, we're keeping the kids, they are advancing, earning Small Boat Handler, attending SEAL, working towards Eagle and Quartermaster, all Sea Scout stuff. They are required to attend in either blue work uniform or dress white uniform or sometimes bring both. All the adult leaders have their three uniforms except one. He'll need to acquire his dress blues prior to him attending Sea Badge (uh umm).

We meet twice a month for a three hour meeting on a Sunday afternoon and hold at least one outdoor event (sailing, shooting, scuba, skiing) per month. In the winter the ship calls themselves Ski Scouts.

I wish all you leaders reading all the luck in the world in your pursuit of delivering the promise!

I went home with the lawyer, the way I always do...

How was I to know oh oh, she was an accordian player too? HA

Hey Bob White! Welcome back from Jamboree. We'll meet you out there at the next one.

Hey Good Morning,

It seems to me that you are describing the difference between the two programs. In Sea Scouts, the youth quarterdeck is there to lead their ship. Actually it is the neverending goal to train youth leaders to take the responsibility to step up and lead their ship. I'm just disagreeing with you about Sea Scouts, there is an advancement program to follow and there is a national standard on the uniforming to be worn.

If a unit does not follow the Sea Scout advancement program or where the standard Sea Scout uniform per the manual, then they would be called a Venturing Crew.

Walker,

Sailboats, motor boats, backpacking, shooting sports, skiing, and Scuba.

That's what we do anyway.

P