Slouchhat

HAIX mountain boots, my footwear of choice.

Hello,

last Saturday we visited a local museum of natural history.

http://bp2.blogger.com/_-ufCAEBarME/R_fPx_l6oJI/AAAAAAAAASE/DnOwXsTbQSQ/s1600-h/Museum_Savanne.jpg

http://bp2.blogger.com/_-ufCAEBarME/R_fPq_l6oII/AAAAAAAAAR8/A1TwC12JQX4/s1600-h/Museum_Sonnensystem.jpg

http://bp3.blogger.com/_-ufCAEBarME/R_fPlPl6oHI/AAAAAAAAAR0/8uAegZGbYyE/s1600-h/Museum_Mitmachecke.jpg

http://bp2.blogger.com/_-ufCAEBarME/R_fPd_l6oGI/AAAAAAAAARs/7L0f1RavSR0/s1600-h/Museum_Computer.jpg

http://bp1.blogger.com/_-ufCAEBarME/R_fPUvl6oFI/AAAAAAAAARk/kN8lwgtapkg/s1600-h/Museum_Nilpferd.jpg

We, my Lady SM and I, have been thinking about making museum visits regular events for the troop.

Does your troop visit museums regularly as part of the program or is this more a "weather's bad, let's hit a museum today"-decision?

best regards,

Volker

Absolutely.

That's why we buy our stuff here: www.kleiderkammer.info

We get a discount and the material is field-tested.

If the rules say no, they say no.

But what's better: prohibiting something and thus making it especially interesting or telling them that the dose makes the poison?

Agreed, there are many fine beers produced in the US. I remember the Bricktown Brewery in OK City quite well.

I don't think that it is harmful idf a child sees Dad (or his Scoutmaster) drink a beer now and then, if the adult handles his dose of alcohol responsibly.

After all, some day we will have to teach the kids that having a drink is okay, but drinking and driving isn't and getting blind-drunk isn't either.

best regards,

Volker

Not that I'd ever bring alcohol (except as part of the First Aid kit) to a scouting event, but being from a country where beer has a cultural meaning, I can tell you that you have no reason to be overly afraid of the effects of American beer on the average person. It reminds me of the difference between American beer and sex in a canoe...nonexistent, both is very close to water.

Still, if the rule says no alcoholic beverages, then you either follow the rule and be fine or get the rule changed.

best regards,

Volker

Well, if I were still active-duty and it was my job to train a gang of kids, I'd be wearing my uniform, be it dress or cammies.

Although I like BDUs for their practicality and ruggedness, I don't think that camo clothing (military or hunting camo) is good for scouts. It may be readily available at next to nothing, but since the scouts are not military nor para-military, we should try to avoid leaving this impression.

If you want to use BDUs or ACUs as an outdoor/activities uniform for your troop, I think it would be a better idea to buy dark blue, brown, kgaki or coyote tan uniforms which have all the positive features of the cammies but everybody will see that they are not a camo uniform.

best regards,

Volker

Hi Okie!

Back in 1994, I used to live in Jones, just up the road from Chocktaw and we hunted down in McAllister.

How's Okieland these days?

best regards,

Volker

Hi,

over here we call 22 Feb. "Thinking Day". Many scouts go to work or to school/university wearing their uniform or at least the neckerchief.

Many troops start charitable projects on that day.

Do you celebrate Thinking Day, too?

best regards,

Volker

Nothing's wrong with wearing the official uniform if your organisation has one.

We are an independent scout troop so what I described is our official uniform.

But I agree that the official uniform is the only uniform to wear and so it should be practical in the boonies.

best regards,

Volker

Our troop uses khaki ripstop BDU trousers for the kids along with khaki ripstop shirts.

I'm currently working with a manufacturer on a khaki windproof smock for the kids which can be upgraded with a gore-tex shell or fleece jacket underneath.

Untill that's finished, everybody uses what he has.

The scouts use the Smokey the Bear hats, Wolf Cubs and Beavers wear khaki ball caps.

I estimate that the troop will be fully and completely uniformed this summer. After all, it's a financial issue for the parents.

The SM and ASM wear the same clothes, only in ripstop coyote.

best regards,

Volker

Today a shipment of Campaign Hats came in from the hatmaker for distribution to the kids tomorrow evening at the troopnight.

My two children who are Beaver and Wold Cub in our troop cried: "Mountie hats!"

There you have it.

best regards,

Volker

PS: I'm excited to see that although you all belong to the same organisation, basically everybody seems to be doing things his own way.

To be honest, I like that.

Lisabob,

so if I understand you correctly, most troops don't wear a real uniform anyway as they are just wearing bits and pieces of the official uniform.

There is confusion whether "optional" means "full uniform" or "no uniform at all".

In my book "bits and pieces" is just like "no uniform at all".

However, a troop where everybody is wearing, let's say, brown BDUs, is wearing a uniform as everybody is wearing the same type and colour of garment.

best regards,

Volker

@FScouter:

I've heard of the Patrol Method, but could you please explain the term "Uniform Method" to me?

If a troop is dressed in Wal-Mart tan shirts and green pants, it very well is a uniform. It is not the BSA label which makes a uniform, but the standardized wear of the same type of clothing within one troop. That way even a pink bathing suit worn by all members of a troop could be their uniform.

Plus if BSA leaves the uniform as optional, a self-styled uniform from Wal-Mart doesn't distance a troop more from BSA than a troop which chooses not to wear a uniform at all.

best regards,

Volker

So since the BSA uniform is optional, a troop could go ahead and buy shirts, pants, etc. from, let's say, Wal-Mart, and uniform themselves this way.

Why not?

Strike a deal with your local Army-Navy shop and buy a complete kit at the price of one BSA shirt.

best regards,

Volker

Bob, my point is that it is possible to get the troop uniformly clothed in a good quality shirt and trousers, even in the BSA colours, for significantly less than what the official sources would charge you.

If you buy right, you can look the part, pay less and still have a good quality kit.

My approach is that for the beginner scouting isn't necessarily a cheap thing. I don't feel well to talk about spending money every other week: this time it's the uniform, next time it's the sleeping bag, rucksack, other bits of kit which the scout will need to come to a campout or trek with the troop. Then there might be travel cost, admittance, share of the food, etc.

It simply sums up.

best regards,

Volker

Hi,

@Bob: Eamonn is right, we are based in Germany and we are not BSA, so we chose to look different. If we wanted to copy the BSA uniform,we could buy green trousers instead and attain that BSA look. The BDU pants are available in a dozen different colours.

The only difference would be the colour of the neckerchief as the troop voted to wear green neckerchiefs. So we're now buying green neckerchiefs to be handed out at the oath ceremony end on 30 March.

However, we don't want to copy the BSA look as we're not BSA. I'm just saying that good quality uniforms are available for a lot less than what the "official" sources charge you.

@Eamonn: I'll check out the Rockwell motif. Clemens is a really eager chap, he just passed his fire-starting test this Saturday, excelled in Rappelling and will do his knots this coming Friday.

best regards,

Volker

Hi,

here's one of my boys in his brank-spanking new uniform being worn for the first time.

http://bp2.blogger.com/_-ufCAEBarME/R6Ns8kYzLEI/AAAAAAAAAGw/H9GeOtadBUA/s1600-h/Clemens.jpg

You will notice that he or his mom still have to sew on the troop patch.

The shirt is ripstop cotton, the trousers are a ripstop poly-cotton blend. The whole outfit you see here including troop patch costs just under 50 USD.

best regards,

Volker

Of course, we should talk about the same kind of quality in the items.

best regards,

Volker

I like the idea of asking the child permission to touch him/her.

After all, I'm not their dad (although they may regard me as their much) older brother or uncle at some point).

Asking permission shows respect for the children, their opinions and their right to determine who can touch him/her in what situation or circumstance.

We don't allow everybody to touch us, why should the child?

best regards,

Volker

We have been able to work out a good discount with a supplier so we can pass on a complete uniform (shirt with troop patch, trousers and leather belt with buckle) to our scouts for something around 50 USD, plus another 5 USD for the neckerchief. The troop has voted to wear the old campaign hat as headgear so we now have to find a good source for these.

But overall, we try to keep the cost for the kids as low as possible. Money is in short repair in many families.

best regards,

Volker

I agree, it is a tightrope.

In the German military, it is a tradition that a superior may not touch a subordinate without his expressive permission. The superior has to ask "Darf ich Sie anfassen?" (May I touch you?).

This works well with me touching the kids outside of teaching knots, demonstrating blade safety, first aid, etc.

Last week when one of my leatherstockings put his new uniform on for the first time, the buttonholes on his BDU trousers were somewhat tight so he couldn't force the buttons through and wanted a bit of help, I asked him first. Same with his new belt which needed adjusting in order to hold the pants up properly.

I want the kids to reserve the right to reject physical contact if they don't feel comfortable with the adult or the situation.

best regards,

Volker

A really big trip such as this: http://nordatlantik.cps.de

On a sailing ship across the Atlantic. Talk about high adventure.

Or visiting F.C. Selous' grave in Tanzania.

best regards,

Volker

Positively yes.

After all, we want well-trained, confident, self-reliant kids so we have to allow them to do something on their own without being overly protective.

They will manage fine and yes, check it out, that's what the old Chief wrote about, too.

best regards,

Volker

Troop Frederick Selous from Oberpleis, Germany is sending their heartfelt condolences to the family of the boy.

Volker Griesser

on behalf of the Troop