NH195SM

One year at resident camp there were a couple of scouts that wouldn't stay quiet even when the SPL asked me to talk to them. An hour later he stopped outside my tent with an idea. I told him your in charge and the idea works for me. He went over and informed the scouts to quiet down or at 5:00am he and their PL will be by to wake them up so they can clean the entire latrine as well as the scout shower house. The scouts yelled at the SLP and PL for about 10 minutes, telling them they couldn't do that. The SPL and PL just left and about 1/2 hour later they were quiet. I got woken up at 5:15 to the scouts from the tent outside my tent complaining about having to do latrine duty. All I said was you were warned. Never herd another peep out of the entire troop after lights out during the rest of the campout.

Some years ago when my youngest was a tiger the 2 tiger den leaders decided to take the two dens to a pizza buffet restaurant for the meeting before Christmas. I was the CC of the pack already for 4 years so there was the two leaders, cub master and myself the only adults in uniform along with all 18 scouts. The leaders stayed in the room while the cub master and I supervised the scouts getting food. When the last scouts were going back to their seats the CM and I started to get our food. An elderly gentleman got up and came over to me saying " I am an eagle scout and my friend you are doing the Lords work! I just want to shake your hand" I thanked him and then he went back to his seat.

It depends on the camping. If we are doing a setup camp since we only have a couple of trucks to haul the gear we have a community kitchen and the SPL dictates the kitchen schedule including the adult times. Each patrol provides it's own food. It has happened that the patrol leaders have gotten together with the SPL and each patrol is in charge of a different meal. Adults do have to fend for themselves. At one campout a patrol traded to the adults some bratwurst for the barbeque chicken we were cooking.

When we go to resident patrol camp the boys cook breakfast and supper for everyone including the leaders. The leaders are on their own for lunch but we get together with the leaders from other troops on the first day and create a patrol and each day a couple of us make lunch for everyone.

Backpacking trips everyone has their own food.

I have a good friend who was the scoutmaster of a troop of 18 boys charted thru a Christian school. As soon as the gay issue was voted upon the troop was dissolved. Only 2 scouts joined other troops the rest just quit scouting.

I would say yes, since the work can be verified. However, you need to Scout to come to you and ask about the MB and not the other way around.

I have a scout who is in his 2nd year of welding at the tech high school. I had a conversation with his teacher the other day to be the MB counselor. He will not sign up do to the fact that he doesn't give out his SS# to anybody and doesn't want to take the time to do YP. He told me that this scout has done all the requirements to get the badge, he is willing to write a letter to the effect. Can this scout just find a MB counselor with the letter and have his blue card signed off?

Our Council's camp in Gilmanton, NH is broken up into two parts, Hidden Valley and Camp Bell. HV is a traditional MB scout camp with the classes in the morning troop activities in the afternoon and we eat in the dining hall.

 

Camp Bell is a patrol camp with the scouts having to pick up their food and cook it at their site. The camp provides all the necessary kitchen equipment a standard menu is provided and they get a cookbook also. Only three problems occurred when we go and they are 1) The scouts trying to agree on how something is to be prepared, such as French toast or scrambled eggs and toast. 2) The 15 year old scout who's mom does everything for him and doesn't know how to even peal a vegetable. 3) I have to eat whatever they make because at Bell the scouts cook breakfast and dinner for the leaders. The leaders get together for lunch with the camp director and we cook our lunch.

 

At a pre-camp meeting the patrol leaders select what they want to do for the whole day. Say they choose waterfront for Tuesday then they spend the whole day at the waterfront

 

Our troop alternates camps each year. Some troops do both each year.

Base Camp

The launching point for your next Scouting adventure! Base Camp, at the center of Camp Bell, is where you'll get to meet Scouts from other troops, brush up on your Scouting skills, and take on challenges that will put your skills to the test.

"LAUNCH!" First Year Camper Program

Scouts will learn the fundamentals of Scouting, including Patrol Method, Scouting ideals, and all the basic outdoor skills. A great way to complete most advancement requirements from Tenderfoot through First Class.

Wilderness Engineering

Pioneering like you've never seen it before! Learn advanced techniques and construct the most impressive project you can imagine.

Wilderness First Aid

Learn how to help when something goes wrong in the woods. Work on First Aid Merit Badge or go above and beyond to develop techniques that can make all the difference when help is hours away and there's no easy way out!

Leave-No-Trace Trekking

A two-day program with an overnight outpost, you'll learn how to travel responsibly in the backcountry and explore the far-reaches of the reservation. You can even complete requirements for Camping or Environmental Science merit badges or work on the Leave No-Trace Award.

Search and Rescue

Learn the basics of how to help when someone gets into trouble in the wilderness and practice all the skills you need to get everyone out safely!

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Challenge Valley

"Physically fit and mentally awake" - that's what Challenge Valley is all about. Your patrol must work together to get the most out of your outings and to have the most fun. You will need extra clothes and sneakers - that you don't ever want to see again - to take on the extreme obstacle course.

Ultimate Patrol Challenge

A real "Adventure Race"! Use GPS to get from one obstacle to another and tackle mental and physical challenges with your patrol.

Extreme Obstacle Course

The Obstacle Course is intimidating to even the most fit Scouts in your patrol. Scouts will stretch their abilities and their perceived boundaries as they struggle through this grueling course. They'll climb, run, crawl, sprint, and swing through the muck. They'll need to bring some old clothes and shoes to participate in these events!

Climbing

To set a goal and overcome obstacles experienced on the way to achieving that goal is one of the most amazing things – and it happens all the time in Scouting! In happens every minute of every day in Camp Bell’s extreme Climbing program! Where you consider yourself a ‘rock monkey’ or as someone who has never even considered confronting a destination higher than six feet in the air, the indoor climbing barn offers challenges of all levels for climbers of all experiences. All you need is the will to do it and the support of your Patrol. Once you have mastered the interior walls, head to the wall made of granite in the GSR backcountry. Or, head straight up into the ropes, towers, trapezes and zip lines of the COPE course. Any way you choose to get there, you will love the view from the top!

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Equestrian

Cowboys of the Wild West were some of the original American heroes. Come to the stables of Camp Bell to become acquainted with some of the skills which made these Cowboys great! A mastery of horsemanship and cattle driving skills which are unmatched today were essential skills for life in the western terrirtories of the 1800s. This experience will challenge Patrols and excite the imagination with the lore of the Wild West. The Camp Bell stables feature twelve well-trained trail riding horses and two dynamic and fun Staff members. When you come to the stables, you will see what caring for horses is all about, and you will see why they make such great companions. Chances are, you will make some new four-legged friends before long!

Foxfire

The rural towns of the Appalachian mountains are home to rustic, self-reliant communities and hard working men and women. Through the early 19th and 20th centuries, these small-town folks cultivated the skills they needed to survive; from metalworking to lamp-making to storytelling. A few decades ago, a group of journalists from a small school began to chronicle these dying arts in the Foxfire book series and created a set of a dozen books loaded with interviews, instructions and stories. At Camp Bell, Foxfire is our metalworking shop. At the Foxfire area, you will hear real folk tales of the American past and learn how to bend raw metal into something useful. The experiences you will take from Foxfire are the legacy of the days of America’s past.

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Logging Camp

BACKWOODS WOODCRAFT

Experience the challenge of yesteryear! Scouts will meet our Logging Camp foreman and after receiving the camp training course on woods tools they will be given a series of projects to complete. These projects will vary based on the skill and age of the Patrol. Some include:

? Make a mallet

? Build a rustic bench

? Carve a knife, fork and spoon from a branch

? Create a three-legged stool

? Craft a rocking chair

Totin’ Chip is quite necessary for work in these parts. But, we can teach it to you if you have forgotten or are starting out new. Woodwork is a Merit Badge the most daring can participate in, if desired. Or, just enjoy the day working with the tools!

EXTREME LUMBERJACK

Prove your manly strength as one of the roughest and toughest of characters to wield an ax or a two-man saw! Refresh your skills with woods tools while earning the Totin’ Chip Award and possibly even the Paul Bunyan Woodsman Award for extremely motivated Patrols. Forestry Merit Badge can play a part in this adventure if you want to learn about the types of trees which are best for this kind of work! Together, as a Patrol, you will fell a tree and finish the lumber for a specific task in the campground. Then, you will certainly get into the Lumberjack spirit with some timber sports which include the springboard, speed crosscut and lighting a match with an ax! Leaving the Logging Camp feeling quite accomplished as you journey down the road to Four Corners and back into Main Camp!

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Mountain Man

Understand how the Mountain Man lived by spending a whole day living and working alongside our very own Mountain Man deep in the woods. While there, he will teach you to hunt, trap and shoot as the real trappers and fur traders did over a century-and-a-half ago. Scouts will try their hand at shooting the black powder musket, throwing tomahawks and hunting along the action archery course. Each Patrol will cook a delicious stew for lunch and lean into one great story after another of the Mountain Man’s adventures down through the ages.

Special Patrol Challenges:

• "Man vs. Wild" Wilderness Survival challenge

• "Buckskin Rendezvous" Leatherworking

• "Lewis and Clark Expedition" overnight exploration

Native American

To fairly understand our place on this continent, we must explore and understand those who have come before us and who still reside among us. The deep lines of heritage are unshakable and provide great lessons in loyalty for us all. Whether through attire or behavior, the Natives have given us a rich history of celebration and sacrifice which denote much compassion and eagerness to live well and as one. Indian Lore Merit Badge will provide a framework to understand and enter into the livelihood of these true Americans in a most unique and fulfilling way.

Activity options include:

• Native Games

• Dance competition

• Nature and Weather: "One with the Earth"

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Aquatics

The aquatic program at Camp Bell takes place on beautiful Manning Lake. Each member of the patrol will take his swim check at the beginning of the program day. Morning water sport games help the staff evaluate each patrol member's competence in the water. The activity chosen by the patrol may not be appropriate for all its members, however, each boy will have an opportunity to accomplish a goal of his own and participate in the patrol activity chosen. Camp Bell has terrific sailboats, motorboats, kayaks, and water-skiing.

Sailing

Take one of the two patrol-sized, Hunter 170 sailboats for a majestic ride around Manning Lake. Become masters of the high seas and let the wind take you away.

Swimming and Lifesaving

Based on the skill of the members of the patrol, these patrol activities will be combined to provide a complex challenge to all the boys in the patrol. A patrol made of learners through advanced swimmers will spend the day practicing strokes and rescue techniques. Each Scout in the patrol will be working toward individual goals while the whole patrol sharpens its skills in teamwork and aquatics. The final result will vary from Scout to Scout and patrol to patrol, but strong swimmers will have the chance to earn a merit badge or two while learners will strengthen their skills with the support of the patrol.

Kaykaing and Snorkeling

This is a patrol activity that includes snorkeling and kayaking. Scouts will set anchor in the middle of Manning Lake and then go snorkeling throughout the lake.

Water-skiing and Tubing

This patrol activity is fun for the whole patrol but provides a particular challenge for the older boys. The patrol will participate in great activities as part of their time in the boat and all swimmers will have a chance to water-ski.

Truck Driver - Picks up the gear trailer and tows it to our campouts. He is happy with this job because it is his only responsibility.

Our Council's camp in Gilmanton, NH is broken up into two parts, Hidden Valley and Camp Bell. HV is a traditional MB scout camp with the classes in the morning troop activities in the afternoon and we eat in the dining hall.

Camp Bell is a patrol camp with the scouts having to pick up their food and cook it at their site. The camp provides all the necessary kitchen equipment a standard menu is provided and they get a cookbook also. Only three problems occurred when we go and they are 1) The scouts trying to agree on how something is to be prepared, such as French toast or scrambled eggs and toast. 2) The 15 year old scout who's mom does everything for him and doesn't know how to even peal a vegetable. 3) I have to eat whatever they make because at Bell the scouts cook breakfast and dinner for the leaders. The leaders get together for lunch with the camp director and we cook our lunch.

At a pre-camp meeting the patrol leaders select what they want to do for the whole day. Say they choose waterfront for Tuesday then they spend the whole day at the waterfront

Our troop alternates camps each year. Some troops do both each year.

When I was a range master for archery at day camp years ago I had them play a game that the scouts thought was great. I would give them 5 arrows and they had to hit one arrow in each color. Even gave out awards if the scout did it.

DigitalScout

The IH of my organization is an eagle scout but it is someone higher up than him to make the final decision. I have a friend who is the scoutmaster in the town south of me who's troop is being disbanded because his IH said that the scouts have lost their moral code allowing gays to join.

If we do loose our sponsor we have a civic organization who is willing to sponsor us.

I know of 3 troops and 1 pack that are sponcered by a religious organizations will be disbanded in my area if the scouts remove the ban on gay scouts/leaders. Mine is one of them!

Are you in danger of loosing your unit?

Hi Everyone,

I have been lurking around here for a number of years but finally joined.

I was the CC of the pack for 8 years before becoming the troop's scoutmaster. My troop is mostly made up of younger scouts (11-13) with a few older scouts and the oldest being a life scout at 15. I have been working on, with some opposition from some adults of getting this troop from a webelo III to a real Boy Scout troop. It's getting there but slowly

I have 2 sons the oldest is a star scout at 14 and the youngest is a tenderfoot at 12.