SSScout

Hoo boy... Bobcat, Wolf, Bear, Lion, Webelos... Now Tiger, Bobcat, Wolf, Bear, Webelos, Webelos... Soon to be... ?? Lion, Tiger, Bobcat, Wolf , Bear, Webelos, Webelos...?? see http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Lion_Cub_Scouts and http://www.cnyscouts.org/forms/2009_Lion_Handbook.pdf and http://www.angelfire.com/trek/pocketchangelimited/scouts.html "Coming to a concil near you...." Will it be a Lion Cub, or a Lion Roar? I think it depends on who is first in the National Office Monday morning...

Okay, all this talk about not going to Council Camp, and memories related about days of yore, and discussions about new equipment and ultra light weight stuff got me thinking.... How much stuff... gear, food, tools, etc. can one find in the local home, workshop, grocery, hardware store, mega mart, that one can use for serious (not back yard ) camping? What are the limitations? *Tarps, plastic sheet --not popup tent? * dry milk, dry soup, repackaged Bisquick, oleo margerine, egg beaters, (real eggs specially packed?) -- not Mountain House? * Plastic forks and bowls from dollar store, old yard sale pot, -- not titanium cook set? * Blankets from home, -- not fluffyloft3 from Alpine House? * Aluminum 24 penny spikes (gutter nails) -- not Campmor tent pegs? What think thou?

Don't one door close that another opens. The only regret here should be: "why didn't we think of this earlier ourselves?" In the Troop of my youth, the dads and older Scouts planned the three summer camps I remember most. (I also attended the Council camp). A cousin of the son in law of somebody's uncle (or something) had some property and our Troop made it into "Camp Freedom" (from what? Parents? School? Town? Lots of things...). In the early spring we built a three side Appalachian cabin from the telephone poles one dad got from the phone company, gratis.... Dragged in behind someones War surplus Jeep. This served as the "Commissary". Each Patrol had it's own campsite, two on one side of the creek, two on the other. The property had a spring which we dug out and capped, haul your water in buckets to your site. . A privy was dug and built over (only one holer). The creek was dammed down stream for a wading/splash hole, wasn't deep enough to actually swim. A stone sided pit was created in the side of the creek for a food cooler. Talk about weekend activities! Each Patrol created a tarped dining fly and formal fire place to cook on. Since we would be there awhile, we hauled in some prefab picnic tables, and Patrol boxes. We had lots of dead American Chestnut still available in the woods adjacent. Best cooking wood in the world, blue flame coals. The camp was planned to include advancement and trips out of camp to museums and an outside hike/overnight somewheres. You had to automatically pass all the TF, second class and most of the first class requirements, including signaling across the creek with wigwag and flashlight at night! Camping, cooking, hiking merit badges were included, and mostly covered. Pioneering was also covered, I remember not getting all of that one the first week because of a lack of rope! The "property" became the backup campsite for the Troop for a long time, because we could go there almost any time at all. I did my Surveying MB by creating a map to it from our CO (there's a term I didn't know then). My Scoutson hasn't had that luxury, but has attended the Council camps and the camps sponsored by our Yearly Meeting. He prefers the latter, as it includes a traveling camp. Two or three weeks at camp includes three nights each week out either canoeing or hiking somewhere. Granted, the counselors do most of the cooking (safety !), and the food and equipment is "sagwagon" carried, but the campers travel "under their own steam", the itinerary planned to include visiting historic sites and "places of interest". One year they traced the path of Lee's retreat thru Virginia to Appomattox. Pull out the maps, create a path of memory for your boys. Don't know where you are, but there's bound to be trails unwalked (by you!). The Appalachian trail is always available. C&O Canal in my area. The only obstacle is your own confidence level. Go out and do it. Your boys will be glad you did.

I have served as instructor at many IOLS, under at least four different Directors/organizers. I have "taught" (facilitated? demonstrated?) Woodtools, Animal&Plant ID, Fire building and safety, Cooking and sanitation, LNT, Scout's Own Faith, and Campfire planning. I've seen Saturday-Sunday types, Friday-Saturday types, Friday eve thru Sunday late afternoon. I've never seen a class bigger than 35, and we have a large District. For such a large group, I would suggest a choice of: 1) Arrange a choice of weekends, give a choice of Friday-Saturday (allows for sunday sabbath folks) and Saturday-Sunday (allows for Friday Sabbath folks). Needs seperate staffs, but often the same good trainers can do several weekends, if you approve. Leads to consistancy in training, yes? Instructors can see all the group at once in a smaller group, but they can still be organized into Patrols and work as such, electing their PL, APL,etc. 2) Divvy the big, one weekend group into three smaller training camps, each with it's own director/SM, and set of instructors. Give each camp a name (not just "1, 2, 3"). Could be on the same property, might even consider some inter-troop competitions. 3) Arrange the whole thing as a Camporee. Divvy up the 100plus as Patrols, let them choose Patrol Names, flags, elect a PL and APL, QMaster, etc. Make sure they all have the chance to organize together (after the Indoor section?) to plan cooking and food. Networking across boundaries! Who can help with what! Acknowledge that some experience will become apparent in the group, but the goal is to learn to do things "the Scout way". Make the official training on the day as a Camporee would have "stations". Each teaching session is a station, the Patrols rotate around them on a schedule, thus each instructor would teach a smaller group multiple times. One BIG campfire in the evening with the Patrols having planned skits and such. The greater PLC meets to coordinate the affair, after learning about fire safety and axe wielding and Campfire planning (PLC?). 4) Make sure your training makes sense: Don't have the campfire on Saturday night and have Fire Safety on Sunday afternoon. Teach Campsite choice and preparation while the "boys" are setting up camp, not later. Every problem is a learning opportunity. You definitely have one here. I know from your previous posts that you are up to it. Good Scouting to you!

If your nascent bugler is serious about his craft, suggest (birthday present?) he replace the narrow, cheap brasss mouthpiece that came with the bugle with a true trumpet/cornet mouthpiece. The feel will be easier on the lip, and the tone a little clearer, mellower. I bought a Bach 12C for my bugle a loooong time ago and have never regretted it. Some music stores will even let you try them out, the feel can be very personal. Hope your neighbors enjoy brass music....

When the PtB declared "Bugler" no longer a PoR, no one in our home Troop wisht the post. First, you need someone who can PLAY. Second, someone willing to take up the responsibility to learn the various calls, and play them WELL. Third, opportunities to play. I heartily recommend offering your Buglers to local Camporees, Webelos Weekends, Cub Scout Day Camps, and summer resident camps. A good bugler can be a paid staff position. And other Scout venues. Also, offer them to local festivals, and events that might want a flag ceremony. And, if they are GOOD, connect them to http://www.buglesacrossamerica.org/ and see if they can be of real service. One more idea. We have an adult that plays trumpet/cornet and does bugle for several CSDC in the area (not all the same week). The Cubs love it, and respond to his calls. I played bugle when staffing my Woodbadge course, and actually got some positive feedback(!), much to the CD's chagrin. He wasn't sure how the reveille at 6am would go over! Turned out , most folks were already up and about, but the reast (CttC, First Call, Assemby, Mess, etc.) was ok with everyone. See if there are any ADULTS in the area that can be an EXAMPLE for the Scouts.

Need: 100 plus 3x5 cards, Large paper bag, marker. Write the Cub Scout Promise, one word on each card. Then write the Law of the Pack on the cards, one word on a card. Place in bag and shake it up. At the next Pack meeting, when Johnny Cub is about to lead the Pack in the CSP, step up and say: "Pardon me Johnny, but I know you and all these Cubs know the CSP and the LotP, but (and here you walk back toward the parents lined up in the back of the room), I want to know if your PARENTS have learned them! Here, take a card please,(shake shake), yep, here ya go, " And then ask them to come up front and arrange themselves, WITHOUT TALKING... in the proper order... The Cubs will love it. Then , next month, do the Cubs. My experience is you can do this maybe once a year, with variations. KiSMiF

Nicknames are one thing... can build comraderie, make the team cohere, lend uniqueness and individuality to a group... But this is NOT that. This name is meant to belittle, to put in his place, to give a "test" to the young Scout. And it is NOT Scoutlike, NOT appropriate, and is NOT to be tolerated without response. The CIT did the right thing. He contacted an adult he trusted, his SM. He could have called his parent, but he didn't, ostentiably because it is a "Scout" thing. So the SM calls the Camp Director, and hopefully the CD will do the right thing. If it was me, I would first call in the CIT and ask him about the situation, and LISTEN, making him aware that this was not acceptable, that I would make sure everyone realizes it. I would not single out anyone, or ask for any names. I would then call a general staff meeting and do a discussion about bullying and name calling. I seem to remember a BSA video about this topic. Then, I would keep my ear to the grapevine, so to speak. If the boy(s) responsible do not get the message, it will become apparent again. Then, take names and get specific. My Scoutson, when he first joined his Troop, met up with the then SPL, who was a BIG kid, frontline on his football team. Seemed he liked to give the new Scouts "funny" names. Scoutson didn't think his was so funny, it was an ethnic pun-slur on his family name. Scoutson came to me, and we talked about the big SPL's possible purpose in his renaming the new Scouts. I called the father of the SPL, explained the situation, and he agreed that this might be a result of his son being the "new" guy on the football team, and he was mistakenly taking the team's habit of nicknames to an extreme. SPL came to Scoutson and apologized. They eventually became good friends. even tho they were 4 years apart.

Yep, you can do it both ways , with good reasons for both. Desert: I collect old USFlags for retirement purposes. When I see a flag on a pole in my travels, I very often stop by and and ask them when the flag is faded and worn from the weather, and about to be replaced, please give me a call and I will come by and collect it for a proper retirement ceremony. I explain what that may entail, and boy, do I collect flags. I give them one of my ADC cards with a note about why to call me. When I teach IOLS, my campleader always gives a small patiotic talk about what America means to him, and invites the rest of the class to speak as they are led. Often, we have enough flags to give each a whole one to place in the fire, but usually, we cut up the flags I have collected into pices and give each participant a piece . Each participant that chooses to speak , says his piece and tosses his/her flag piece into the fire. It is explained that just as each is a piece of the flag, we are each a piece of America. It was once explained to me by one SM that he cut up the flags so that no one could claim we were burning a USFlag out of disrespect, that once cut into pices, it was no longer a flag. I think I like my campleader's idea better.

Assignment in "Health": write a first aid manual, collecting the instructions we have discussed. Title (in BIG letters) to one page: "Symptoms of CPR"

Actual question from a student ::: "So when did they decide to celebrate Independance Day? On the Fourth?"

If you order a new flag from one of the several manufacturers, it will arrive in a rectangular box folded rectangularly. I see nothing disrespectful about that. The triangular fold is a tradition of unknown origin, the US flag lends itself very well for the fold. The proportions just happen to be suitable to end up all blue. Congratulations to your nascent Eagle. May he always be an Eagle.

Oh, it can happen. Happened to me. Three times. #1. Fourth grade trip. Local museum. No, I'm sorry, it was the fire house...We walked to it, as I remember. Walking back, I ended up as the tail end charlie (didn't know the term then), and missed the turn to the school. Teacher didn't miss me until they got all the way back to the class room. But I did what my folks had taught me, when I realized I was lost, I stayed in one place until the teacher and principal found me in a short while. Oh, and I knew my address and phone number (still do, come to think of it. Walker 4- 9724...) #2. Newly minted Boy Scout... 5th grade. Whole Troop went downtown to the Warner Theater to see "Ben Hur" at Easter time. Went by parents cars. My folks were busy, so I rode with another group. After the movie, somebody miscounted and I AND a buddy were left behind. Sunday afternoon in DC, we thought, wow, what an adventure. We counted our joint finances, decided we didn't have enough for a taxi, didn't know the bus routes, but we did know what street we were on and which way home was (we are Scouts, right?). ummm. We could walk. No, better call our folks and let them know. Theater manager would'nt let us use his phone! I remember that! So we had to use the pay phone. We had enough nickles and dimes for that. Had to wait almost two hours for one of our parents to come get us. I understand my dad had a polite conversation with someone about this, but accidents will happen. #3. Much later Scout trip. Pack up, clear camp, I'm the Patrol Leader. I tell my buddies to go ahead, I have to pack my tent yet, meet me at the trail head, a mile down the trail. My mistake there. Later, when I'm at the trail head, I discover , they've left without me! Umm, weell no worry, I'm self contained, I hike the three miles out to the main road, and lo and behold, Mr. Walters has had second thoughts, and comes back looking for me. Any other stories out there to share?

Very interesting post. If you ask the Cub's mom, you'll also find out that they won't be celebrating Jesus' birthday , either. Not least reason being, we don't really know when it is, really. I would ask her, is she glad her son was born? Then the acknowledgement of the boy's birth need not be a super brouhaha, merely an acknowledgement that, "hey, we're glad you're here". Same for the rest of the Pack, "hey, we're glad you're all here". No singing, then go swim. Cake is optional. No exchange of gifts.

I like the demarcation of the Benefiting Organization versus the Scout. The Scout SHOULD NOT solicit donations TO HIMSELF of any kind for the project. The donations must be made ON BEHALF of the benefitting organization, TO that organizatiion. Perhaps that is where the difficulty lies?

Ms F.Fish: I am surprised that it this take has not yet been mentioned. "I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout." How does the Scout's behavior and language square with the above? And how does the mom's behavior support the Scouts' (plural) adherance to the above? This is where I would begin my discussion and counsel.

Upside down airplanes on postage stamps... Baseball uniforms (first day a couple of years ago) "NATINALS" Graduation programs, this year (washposttoday) "GEORGETOWN UNVISERTY"

I wish Filson made Scout coats. Seems like the right green to me. http://www.filson.com/products/double-mackinaw-cruiser.10041.html?fromCat=true&fvalsProduct=mens/coats-jackets&fmetaProduct=1011

Amen, brother... PRETTY PUL-LEEEZZE can we have a "Faith and Chaplaincy" forum???

May we PLEASE have a "Faith and Chaplaincy" forum?

Yes, I've been away for this very reason. Last I was here, a cover page appeared that declared my machine was infected with mucho bad stuff, and it TRIED to look like a legit windows page, but the weird grammar was my tipoff. "many virus in attack machine" and such. it was a dotczdotcc www2dothardguardwhg site. Beware. All appears okay now, Norton spent about an hour and a half rescanning the whole machine.

PWD , like the rest of Scouting, can bring out the BEST in folks, and the worst. Lots of good ideas here. I will suggest one more: Since the problems seem to be with Pack parents running the event, remove that problem by having someone else run the event. Contact a local BSTroop to run the event. Our local CPack has it's BSTroop run the whole shebang. The Pack owns the equipment (new AL electronic track, record software, milk crate and pillow stopper, race flags, etc. ) The Scouts come in and run everything: weigh in, size cert, announcements, heat starts, running cars, EVERYTHING except the record point keeping, which the SM does 'cause it's his laptop and projector. This has many good results. The Cubs see Scouts at work, the parents know it ain't so and so causing his son to win (or lose), the Cubs can enjoy the races (along with the parents) because once the car is checked in, the car is out of their hands. The BScouts get a kick out of doing something "official" and can give vent to their talents and also be a "big brother" to the Cubs for the day. And it is a DAY, the Pack is big one and they make it a picnic with hotdogs and drinks to sell. Almost 5 hours of racing and other stuff. When the Cubs get tired of racing, they take'm out and run'em around with Steal the Bacon and other games. KiSMiF

All good ideas... Partner with a local bike shop, and contact a local bike club, I recommend the League of American Bicyclists (usta be League of American Wheelmen). They sponsor Effective Cycling classes and love to come to schools and talk to kids. I dare say the local Bicycling Merit Badge Counselor may be a member. http://www.bikeleague.org/ Bicycling Belt Loop!! http://usscouts.org/advance/cubscout/sports/bicycling.asp May is National Bicycling Month !!

"So take a look, it is a book, a reading rainbow...." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6j8EiWIVZs "... I can be ANYTHING, a reading rainbow..."

Yes, that is all well and good (to make a moral judgement) but would you like someone to care for your pet? Jesincase?