moxieman

I do not know if they still do it, but back in the early 90's, the largest troop in Lubbock, TX (Troop 157 I think) would not attend the council summer camps (Post and Tres Ritos). They always held their own. Why? 'Cause they'd overwhelm either of these camps and few other units would be able to attend at the same time if they had used the council camps.

At that time, that troop was the sixth largest troop in the nation with approximately 120 scouts. No, I don't know what their secret was.

I've not heard of this state-side. In Canada, I have seen similar, but their loops are green for scouts and I can't recall what color they are for Venturers or Rovers.

Members of our local OA Lodge (Madockawanda) have permission from the Council Executive to wear purple epulets at OA functions within the council. Purple is the lodge's official color.

Campfire Cafe? Guess I'm in the stone age. What channel? Food Network?

How could I forget:

Regardless of the forecast, even if your area is in a 20 year drought, whatever weekend your scouts are camping, it will rain (or snow).

I've actually done the research for my local district and there's approximately an 80% chance of rain any weekend in the spring or fall when most of our units want to camp.

What about a Foil Pack? You think this is restricted to just burger, potatoes, onion and carrots?

The folks at Reynolds Wrap have created an online free recipe center ('cause they hope you'll use their foil for these).

Go on over to:

http://www.reynoldskitchens.com/

Under "Cooking Method", choose "Packet Cooking"

Dozens of Recipes just on chicken, never mind other meats and veggies.

Trail marker indicating 1 mile to base camp (or summit) is actually located 3 miles from base camp (or summit).

What keschmahalen said: What is your son looking for in trade for his activity patches? I have many, many different activity event patches available for trade. Those I pick up in trade go onto one of my scout patch blankets (I'm working on blanket #5--the first four have about 2,000 different patches from around the world) that are displayed at scouting events up here in the Maine Wilderness. Is there a particular theme/design he's interested in?

Personally, my favorites are multi-segment patches (where you put two or more patches together to form a larger design), anything with squirrels on'em, Snoopy, and odd shaped patches (rockets, forts, boot, jug, backpack to name a few in my display collection).

So, again, what is he interested in?

I forgot to mention that there is a source on the net you can reference to in regards to OA flaps for both current and past lodges:

www.oaimages.com

(Chuckle) keschmahalen, who is in my council beat me to it. But all is not lost. I also have a Daniel Webster CSP and Passaconaway 220 trading flap available. Like everyone else, private message me.

Trevorum wrote:

" Wow, I guess our council is behind the curve on this one. I suppose your councils must build the cost of badges into the annual dues structure (probably one rank badge per year per scout?)."

The annual dues you have to pay at recharter goes to National (at least around here). Your local council doesn't get to keep it. Your council relies on FOS, other donations and sales in their scout shop and popcorn/other council-wide fundraisers.

My council does not offer the free badge incentive. I have been in other councils where this has been offered and the requirements are similar to those others have posted:

Recharter on time

Participate in Council Fundraising event

Host a Friends of Scouting (FOS) fundraiser event.

(chuckle) I guess I need to UPDATE my 1984 (copyright 1977 and dedicated to the Founder of the OA who passed away in 1980) copy of the Order of the Arrow Handbook. The web didn't exist back then. It's embarrassing as I can pronounce it, but can't spell it, and was never told it's meaning or if I was, it was a long time ago and "old" age is catching up with me. Suppose I could talk to a few of the youth member in my lodge who know I'm active (cook crew at ordeal/work weekends).

Well, what to tell the overworrying mother has been covered. As for rain in general, I'm a Meteorologist by training (BS from Party...er...Plymouth State College/University and MS from Texas Tech), but working outside of the weather field (not by choice--politics, long story and not on topic).

After our Spring and Fall "Rain-o-Rees" last year where we got over 1.5 and 3 inches of rain respectively (and at the Fall one I discovered that my car which had just come back from the body shop was not properly repaired and now had a jacuzzi in the trunk), and after hearing complaints from many parents and leaders that our district always picks the 'one' rainy weekend, I did a little research (and can post the paper on my website if anyone is interested in reading it).

Over the past ten years here in central Maine, it doesn't matter what weekend you choose to go camping in the spring or fall, you have an 80% chance of it precipitating (there were a few instances of snow) and not lightly. Pulling up the figures for those ten years showed an average rainfall of over an inch over the weekend.

So, if you're up in my neck of the woods, pack your storm gear, 'cause it's gonna rain the weekend of May 19th (our spring camporee) and the weekend after Columbus Day (our fall camporee).

I've never seen or heard High Adventure abbreviated before. It's simply "High Adventure" around here.

Anarchist wrote:

".it's been 10 years since the troop did a Maine H.A. trip...'bout time (overdue) I think!"

H.A. trip? I'm unfamiliar with the term.

flmomscoutw3 wrote:

"We've visited the end of Rt 1 in Key West, maybe some day I can get the troop to go to the other end of Rt 1 (in summer, you know July!)"

Well, Troop 189 of Fort Kent happens to maintain the visitor center at the north end at the historic Fort Kent Blockhouse. In addition to the visitor center they have a campground right at the fort. They don't have a website, but you should be able to contact them through their sponsor, the Lions Club should you ever decide to visit the Crown of Maine. Website: http://www.fortkentlions.org/

and OldGreyEagle wrote:

"And I have bathed in the pools just above Moxie Falls..."

You, my friend, are nuts. Two people made that mistake this past summer. One of them didn't survive the trip over the falls. For those who have not been to Maine, Moxie Falls is one of our tallest waterfalls with the main drop being about 70 feet or so, Doesn't sound like much, but it drops into an angled gorge. If you're crazy enough to risk trying to bathe or cross above the falls and slip you'll get smeared against the canyon wall on your way down.

GernBlansten wrote:

"Wed, OA Chapter meeting - 33 miles one way

Thursday, Roundtable - 33 miles one way"

Roughly 15 years ago, we moved our OA Chapter meeting to the same night/time/location as the roundtable. OA attendance shot upward as the youth members could get rides from the scoutleaders attending roundtable.

Well, this thread was spun off one of my posts, so I guess I need to respond, huh? (chuckle)

Kennebec Valley District (http://www.kv-scouts.org) covers all of Kennebec, Somerset and Franklin Counties and small portions of Lincoln and Androscoggin Counties in west central Maine. North to south, our district is roughly 120 miles. East to west at the southern end it's about 40 miles across...at the northern end it's about 60 miles across. The majority of our population is in the southern end of the district, but we have units up near the Canadian border in the towns of Jackman (northern Somerset County) and Rangeley (northern Franklin County). Leaders from these towns need to travel approximately 2 hours on backroads to attend roundtable.

We hold two roundtables a month, one in Oakland (roughly 20 miles north of the state capital of Augusta) and Farmington, county seat of Franklin County, 35 miles northwest (as the crow flies) of Augusta.

When I hear someone complain about how far it is for them to travel to our roundtable, I introduce them to the leaders of Jackman Pack & Troop 497 who make the meeting (driving 100 or so miles each way through mostly wilderness and having to dodge moose and deer on the way) nearly every month. This usually ends the complaints.

So if you have someone in your district whining that a 10 mile drive is too far, offer to transfer them up to Jackman, Maine. (chuckle)

I'm not from that far north (Haynesville), thought that is more wilderness then where I'm at. Currently, I'm in the state Capital of Disgusta...er...Augusta, at the populated end of my district that stretches to the Quebec border. Area-wise, we're the third largest district to my knowledge in New England, covering an area larger than the state of CT (and possibly CT combined with RI). Some of our leaders have to drive 2 hours each way to attend roundtable.

Considering that moose are occasionally spotted here in Augusta, we're not really all that far from the 'wilderness' of Maine.

I keep this one taped to my monitor and I quote it in the congratulatory cards I give to new Eagle Scouts:

Nothing Worthwile was ever accomplished without

the Will to start, the Enthusiasm to continue, and, regardless of temproary obstackles, the persistence to complete.--Waite Phillips

Who? This is the gentleman who donated his cattle ranch to scouting that now bears his name, Philmont Scout Ranch

I keep this one taped to my monitor and I quote it in the congratulatory cards I give to new Eagle Scouts:

Nothing Worthwile was ever accomplished without

the Will to start, the Enthusiasm to continue, and, regardless of temproary obstackles, the persistence to complete.--Waite Phillips-the gentleman who donated his cattle ranch to scouting that now bears his name, Philmont Scout Ranch

or CSP or OA flaps...yes, my website needs updating, but maybe you'll find something you're interested in.

Yes, I am willing to trade my CSPs for "junk" event patches, if I like what I'm being offered in trade.

I'm a very big fan of squirrels. If you have a patch with a squirrel on it that you want to trade, let me know.

I also like collecting 'mulit-part' patches (two or more segments that fit together to make a larger patch).

Yes, I know my website needs to be redone/updated, but it's mostly up-to-date, especially the wanted section: http://home.gwi.net/~moxieman/patch.html

I'm looking for red and white community strips for Lubbock and Plymouth. I have served as a leader in these two communities (TX & NH respectively) in the past and would like to add these to my collection. I have other RW community strips (mostly from Maine) that I am willing to offer in exchange. Most of mine are unused. I don't care if the Lubbock and Plymouth ones are unused or used as long as they're in good shape. They will get sewn onto a patch blanket.

Well, this isn't the first forum I have joined, but it's been a while since I've found one that actually appears to be active without the trolling you find on the old usenet newsgroups (I was around way back when they split rec.scouting into it's current subgroups).

I've been continuously active in scouting for over 25 years first as a scout, then assistant scoutmaster/scoutmaster and currently as a district volunteer. I have served on numerous camporee/klondike staffs and on the staff of one regional Canadian Jamboree.

I'm an avid patch collector who's collection has gotten a bit out of hand.

Don't know how active I'll be here yet. We'll see.