SSScout

"Use it or lose it". I MBC Bugle MB, and I surprise some people by encouraging the boy to "Be the Bugler". Work with the SPL for the communicative ability the bugle can give. No need to yell! Play "Attention" or "First Call" as appropriate. I offered my services to the WB course, and , wow, I was gratified by the compliments I garnered. It is ultimately up to the bugler to offer the services, rarely does the camp or ceremony or SPL or SM come asking.

Our CSDC is famous for it's fun and adventurous activities. Lots of Scouty stuff, lots of just fun stuff. On the last day (Friday) we had a "Water Fest": Lots of slip and slides, "helphelp throw me a rope" (and get pulled up a soapy plastic chute), water gun target practice (and the DE is the target), popcicle tag (gooey), tug'o war over the mud pit, and such. At the sound of the horn, take your Den to the next station. Lady comes up to me and says "this is the most unorganized thing I have ever seen! It's too messy! I can't see where we should be or when. I can't find my son ANYWHERE. What is the purpose here? What are we supposed to do"? I asked her what Den her son was in, she told me, I checked my schedule and pointed out where her son's Den was pulling on one end of the hawser and being dragged thru the water pool, laughing the whole time. I said, I thought her son was having a good time. She replied she couldn't see how, it was too chaotic, too disorganized..... "The work is done by whoever shows up". If your boy is not having a good time, if YOU think he's not having a good time or not learning the ideals and skills of Scouting, the two (or three? Mom too?) of you need to have a talk. Another Troop with different philosophy may be in the future. Do you have a Scout background? Were you a Scout way back when? Are you comparing that to now? If you see a difference between what you understand Scouting should be and what you observe in the real time operation of the Troop, then, certainly, speak up , politely, truthfully, diplomatically (pray over it first?) and see where the Troop leaders are coming from. I once wanted to join a club (not BSA) that interviewed me for membership. The interviewers were , shall we say, less than serious in their questions. I mentioned that if their attitude was indicative of the way the club operated, it certainly was not what I was expecting from their public pronouncements and reputation and I did not want to continue. I got up and left. They called me back, they apologized, and I joined. I was put on the interview committee. The club did good works, and we both gained from that exchange, so they said. You can have a good effect, but go slow and be upfront.

That is wonderful. More power to them.

Back in High School (you all remember High School, right?), I was the AV guy. Even was trusted with door keys. I helped with "movie nights", 16mm projectors, sound systems, extra exciter bulbs, etc. I have a (foggy) memory of the rental agreements involved.... if the movie was NOT Disney, you could show it FREE to a school group, ONCE (don't try to rewind it). We often did rewind (shudder) and show it again. The agreement was for a particular day, it arrived (by mail!) and was expected back in the mail the next available day. If we were "asking for donations" (charging admission) the rental fee was doubled. If it WAS a Disney film, the rental was more, the agreement specified we could NOT charge admission, NOT show it "publicly" and we DEFINITELY could NOT show it more than once. It had to be returned on the rewind reels provided. Ah, those were the days. The romance of projection....

~~Once upon a time, I went to summer camp with my Webelos Den. While I was there, the camp (alright, Heritage, you dragged it out of me) gave me a form to fill out. It asked me for my name, address, etc. and also my BOSS' name , company, address etc. If I turned this in, the Pitt Council promised to send a letter to my boss, thanking him/them for letting me off and complimenting them for having such an exemplary employee to use his own vacation time to help "mold the future of America". I filled it out, and lo, some weeks later, a letter appeared on my boss' desk, signed by the Pitt Council Chief Scout. I did not know him at the time, just a signature. Somebody by name of Mazucca. . She (my Division Chief) sent me a copy with her acknowledgement and congratulations . It went in my "file" and was mentioned at the next review..... Compliments were counted toward awards etc., so this was definitely a "good thing". Anybody ever seen anything similar? I have passed the idea on to three of the past DE's here, but no repeat recently. Might give the DE or CSE writer's cramp, but what an acknowledgement of our work and duty, eh?

Is this "University of Scouting"? That's what we have here... Read thru the catalog, you are sure to find something to interest you, lead you into other endeavors. BALOO, faith awards, "The Magic of Scouting", shooting sports.... "Is it worth going at the Cubmaster level? Why would it not? Next year you will either say "Gee that was fun!" or "Boy that was a waste of time". or "Darn, I wish I'd signed up for that". Which will it be?

Speaking of coffee mugs..... a local restaurant/hangout invites folks to donate their overage of mugs to them. They use them, sometimes makes for an interesting conversation starter. If the handle breaks off, the owner uses a carborundum (so he says) grind stone to take off the sharp edges and presto, a "navy" mug.....They have bank mugs, Scout mugs(!), museum mugs, school mugs, Master Gardener mugs, alla kindsa mugs ....

Thank you S915. I vote for your interpretation, but I go with Pack's approach, and Tahawk's expectation.....

As Woodbadge Quartermaster (Asst.) I received an engraved garden trowel. Cub Pack gave me a fleece pullover, embroidered with an Eagle, Pack # and my name. Real nice. I like the Opinel knife mentioned. I have two, and they are very good blades.

So far, all the excitement is up narth o' heah. 2" of snow on my back c=deck, 30 degrees F.

And the movie Interstellar is a pre-cumentary (there, I invented a word. "a documentation of historic fact before it happens.").

Another source is the County Media Office/ Public Relations Office, whatever they call it in your county. They will have (probably) a cable TV channel and will love to give the Cubs a tour, and (!) maybe even a shot at a TV show, getting interviewed! Google it, phone book it....

Stosh: In a nut shell, the source of much of our world's problems. This is why a "Scout's Own" should never be planned by the adults.

At last Jamboree, adult staff of same gender slept FOUR to a tent. At previous Jamborees, the circus tents we used slept EIGHT adult staff to a tent. And in those pale days of yore, we had some CPAP machines humming along , too, along with the epiglottal , soft palate vibrations. On my Camino hike, we slept (pick a number with two digits) of adults in a bunk room in the alberges (hostels), sometimes in three high bunks. And physical violence was sometimes threatened against some folks who were, shall we say, more vocal while asleep than when awake....

Aether we are right or we are wrong.... The Theory of Dark Suckers explains all: http://www.rogermwilcox.com/darksucker.html#energy

Bookem has a neat idea about the lunchtime demo. Also make contact with the Counseling office. Because I am a subteacher, I drop my Commissher card off there and , believe it or not, I do get an occasional call about a boy who wants to be a Scout.

One closing I have seen with good effect: The SM asks all the Scouts to join in a circle, holding hands, left over right, (heart over head, it was told), and the SM declares that these Scout brothers are family . Talk about what family means, help each other, support each other, etc. , but this is not all the family. SM then asks anyone else present who was ONCE a Scout to join in the circle. But that's not all, he then asks all the rest of the families, moms, dads, bothers, sisters G-moms and G-dads, to join in. Speak of the importance of family, and the circle unfolds to go home....

Maps. MapQuest. GoogleEarth. Print out, write out directions. We will leave the school parking lot at 5pm sharp. We will regroup/meet for dinner stop at the Snack and Bag on Rt4 at Bingo St. Exchange cellphone numbers. Record phone number of the camp office. Remember to give the cellphone to the "navigator" of each car. Driver drives. Navigator navigates. First Class map reading requirement? Do not depend on following each other. Dangerous. Leads to frustration of folks who drive faster than and the folks that obey the speed limit. Following folks might take chances in trying to keep up, leading to accidents? Not good. Do not plan on "caravan" or "convoy". See Tour Plan form.

Is there any pie left? I brought the coffee.

Montgomery County (Murlin) parents being "investigated" for child abuse because they allow their kids to walk home from local park without adult escort..... http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/montgomery-county-neglect-inquiry-shines-spotlight-on-free-range-parenting/2015/01/17/352d4b30-9d99-11e4-bcfb-059ec7a93ddc_story.html And we try to run a "Patrol Method", "boy led" program................

The answer to all this is "it depends". In our area ( and I can't really find all the weblinks immediately) we have a Quaker meeting that rents space to a fledgling Hebrew congregation, a synagogue the rents space to a small Baptist congregation, a new Sikh temple that opened about 2 months ago, a road that has chock-a-block to each other a evangelical Christian church, a Mosque, an auction house, and a LARGE independent denomination church. Our Interfaith Ministerium is very active and includes (at least on paper) just about every house of worship within a 5 mile radius. I woke up this morning and watched "Religion and Ethics Newsweekly " on PBS before going off to Meeting. One story was about a Catholic Deacon in Missouri who was organizing a Silent Retreat for police officers and had about 35 already signed up to participate. Another was about Jaipur Foot, an Indian organization that helps provide prosthesis for amputees. The leader is a Jain, but the facility is decorated with pictures of Hindu, Christian, Muslim, Jain, Jewish and Buddhist iconic pictures. And after the R&ENW, I watched a documentary about the Tabor City, NC newspaper editor, Horace Carter and his editorial policy concerning the Ku Klux Klan. " The Editor and the Dragon" will make you sad, glad, scared, and spellbound in turn. "It all depends". Mostly on the courage of the people involved to stand up and point at the truth of a matter.

Andy, you are most welcome herein the virtual crackerbarrel. It is elastic, expanding to accommodate all who enter. Greetings from the Old Line State, Murlin.....

Teen Adventure, Baltimore Yearly Meeting: http://bymcamps.org/programs/teen-adventure/

All good ideas. If you choose to copy a home designed flyer at a professional shop, ASK for a Scout discount. My local shop knocks 20% off their usual price. Ask your DE (go to Round Table to meet him? ) and see what the Council has in colorful photo type, paste in your info posters. He should be able to create and print'em up free. DO NOT waste them by putting 500 on the "Info Table" of one school. Put out a reasonable number, maybe 25 at each school, but pursue the "take home backpack" possibility. Learn and meet their requirements. Hey, where is Kudu? His website has some really good ideas for recruiting: http://www.inquiry.net/adult/recruiting.htm

Guten tag, wie gehts? Ich muss meine Deutsch uben! Und ihr inglish auch!