red feather

If I have it right also. ditto with Twocubdad. yis

Kassie, try a search using hobo stoves, should get good hits. I use a couple of variations of the hobo stove. One is a 3lb can bottom with about 3 inches of metal left attached. Cut 4 v's in the metal at about 12,4, 7 and 9 oclock. This provides a good draft with one side useful in blocking the wind. Put coals under the can. Another one that can be used with either the 3 or 1 lb can. This one uses the bottom of the can as the fire box. Using a can opener ( church key type) and Cut four to five v's on one side of the bottom spaaced about 1.5 to 2 inches apart. Around the top cut 6 to 8 v's without cutting the upper ring. Build the fire in the bottom and once going place skillet on top and start cooking. Good luck. yis

Keep your program fun. What scout does like to cause a fire? Well teach them ( or find someone who can) how to build campfires, how to start the fires both matchless and with matches. How to build various kinds of firestarters. What kinds of wood to use. Show the right way and the wrong way. Next show and teach them survival skills. Compass navigation, natural shelters, tarp tents, etc, etc. Star navigation, sun navigation, what to do when lost and what to have with them at all times. Maybe the next step would be cooking skills, both with and with out utensils. How to plan, prepare meals. Maybe have one patrol (usually the adults) make a stupendous botch of it to show how not to do it. Scouts love that! Not just hot dogs, but chicken cordon bleu, roasts, corn on the cob, really go for it! Then combine all of these skills in games designed to test these skills without the scouts knowing it is a test. Culminate all this with a wilderness survival overnight allowing maybe a 10 by 10 tarp, sleeping bag, survival kit, 50 foot of rope and 4 matches, with alternate fire starting methods allowed. Meals that are cooked the utensiless method. With each patrol competing with each other for the coveted "Survival Rock" or whatever. Our scouts really enjoy this and fills 2-3 months of planning and program. Good luck and sorry for being long winded. yis

Variation, seperate the individual wells of a paper egg carton, coat the inside of the well with vaseline, force dryer lint into the vaseline, leaving a center hole about half inch in diameter. Fill this hole with fine or extra fine steel wool. This can then be lit with either a match or a nine volt battery. The battery applied to the steel wool will start the steel wool to burn. A little blowing will start this easily. Handy thing about the paper well is that you can hold it in your hand for a short period to get it started then can be placed into the fires tinder. yis

Our SPL and ASPL on overnights sometimes varies. Often the senior scout on the overnight is 'acting'SPL and the next senior is 'acting' ASPL. Not necessarily the best of situations, but it does teach the scouts that they may have to step in and fill positions that they are not originally tasked for. If the 'acting' SPL and ASPL turn out to be the PLs then the APLs step in .. so on and so forth. We try to get the SPL and ASPL to set up between the scouts and leaders, helps prevent scouts running directly to the leaders to ask questions. The SPL and ASPL are tasked to monitor the patrol cooking sites and tents. They will normally eat with the adult patrol and will often cadge food from the patrols as what they are cooking is judged for the coveted Golden Skillet Award. yis

Hope and prayers to those in harms way and to those to support them. Pray those who may..learn. yis airborne

slarti welcome to the campfire. I think the general translation would be something like....Gee, I really like this scouting stuff. Just a guess. yis

Our troop PLC voted on and passed a proposition to support selected families of deployed Guard and Reserve units in our area. They will develop the contacts and proceed from there. By the way the vote was unamimous and enthusiastic. yis

Chuckle... and frankj welcome to the campfire. frankj, the scout has, as I understand has not been removed from the rolls, he has not been active in troop activities. Major difference. Many scouts reach the age of the fumes. Perfume, and gas fumes and take a hiatus from 'active' scouting and return when they can and will. Remember, (from a earler thread ( I think) some Eagles flap some soar, but they are all Eagles) It is up to us to provide the opportunity to all who try to reach this award to help them atain it. Personal requirements or thoughts do not have a place. Have they completed the requirements or on a deeper level, have they been given the opportunity to complete these requirments? It the scout is working to complete, then it is up to us as adult leaders to try to make it possible within the guidelines. yis

Ozemu, you just listed and showed what a true scouter is capable of. I'm humbled. yis

Welcome to the campfire. Ditto with ASM7. Good advice and good luck. yis

add, at least one all-nighter with a homesick scout. Also, is this badge retroactive? I think I have earned it already with clusters. OGE, I always try to trade up but can get no takers, but they always walk away laughing. yis

ditto to having the APL do the job. That is after all one of the job descriptions, fill in as necessary. yis

imascouter, thanks! Gave goosebumps. yis

Thanks ozemu, yeah 'bear bag' is used to keep food and anything that has a smell to it out of the reach of foraging animals. 'Mossies'= mosquitoes? I take garlic to keep them away, seems to help. Usually not allowed to dig hip or leg holes but have been known to jump up and down a few times to create depressions where I need them. dry biscuit=crackers, yes Thanks again for the input, these are things that make camping fun and more enjoyable and also fun to hear about tips from other parts of the globe. Especially liked the tips on grass rope making and use. yis

We use cracker barrel during overnight campfire, crackers, cold cuts, smores, etc. Each patrol provides their own version. Adult patrol usually does the cold cuts and a dutch oven dump cake or two. Keeps the boys at the campfire and in story telling mood. Camp chairs optional. Makes for a great way to end the day. We do try to limit the amount of sugar so that the scouts will settle down. yis

Ropes for lashing, ropes for teaching. Extra wire, wire cutters, pliers, flashlight, fisrtaid kit are under the drivers seat. Two clothes hangers under the floor mat for the times that keys get locked in vehicles. During the winter, a portable alcohol stove with food and water. Extra blankets, pillow, coffe cup, spare condiments, and emergency fire starters (road flares). Tarps, kindling, wilderness survival instruction kit. Spare matches, tent pole repair kit. Two rolls of duct tape, one role of shiny tape, one roll of bright orange tape, candles, two candy bars that just have to be alright. Most of all of this is behind the truck seat or under the passenger seat. Oh, extra TP just to be prepared. And the usual amount of 'that is where it went'.

I know, I know, dead horse and all BUT, heard a story recently from a Guardsman that when tents were delivered without the 'proper' rope tensioners the tents were not being put up. Being a Scout leader he showed the troops how the BSA does it and the tents went up. These little nuggets are important. Pass on the wisdom, experiences, embarrasing moments, whatever we can. We learn from each other and each has skills that all cannot have. Recently the term 'stealth' readers were mentioned, come on guys and gals give. The boys are all you have to lose. Join and give. Such as a Monkey fist with a one inch leader into a loop provides a good weight to throw a rope to raise a bear bag. Using bright or even a light stick can prevent the comment...where did it go?...look out!! (of course the bear bag rope was tied on with a sheep shank with a half hitch to ensure attachement to the monkey fist) yis

KS? Situation normal....? or even its brother ....beyond all repair? prayers to you and yours, and those you serve with, from one of the things that fell from the sky. yis

Congrats!!! Maybe ask to be the mentor of the troop guides? The older scouts might respond well to you and it would be good experience. Or work with the first years, since you are not that far away in years. Opportunities abound, enthusiasm always. yis

Watching the eyes of the new scouts as they are introduced into the troop and them wondering if they really want to be there. Later watching those same eyes shine with joy as they progress through the ranks. True returns. Watching 15 year old scouts teach first aid or any of the other scout skills. True returns. Watching the confidence of the scouts grow as they complete high adventure or even simple skills as their first eggs and bacon on an overnight. True returns. Many scouts are not skilled enough to be in school sports or do not have the interest in other school activities. But they do have a venue in scouting that lets them participate in group activities and are required to grow as they do so. Watching this growth...true returns. Watching that long ago first year stand proud at his Eagle Ceremony... true returns. just thoughts.. yis

BW, if the scout is not an Eagle after his BOR, then why as part of the closing of the BOR the scout is welcomed as the newest Eagle Scout in the District by the BOR chairman? I do not remember the exact words but the scout is told that he has passed and is an Eagle Scout. Mention is made of the paperwork going to Nat'l but no reference is made that the final ok is to be done later by Nat'l. (to the best of my recollection) Curious yis

No recomendations or suggestions as this is way out my experience but keep us posted and good luck! yis (if you have any Guam type or Pacific Ocean camping, cooking or survival tidbits, please post them in a thread already started, hate to see that sort of information not get passed on and that sort of info should be interesting to the rest of us landlocked types)

Ed, you read between the lines so well. Yeah, it is my youngest son and we are trying to figure out why the request was made and to ensure his eagle is not being held up by Council. Thanks all. yis

A scout passed his BOR for Eagle. Afterward he was informed he needed a religous letter of recomendation to complete his Eagle. Thoughts. yis