SSScout

Manually pressurized water projector.

First, I think it is a great sounding project. Your Scout is to be congratulated for his idea. That said, you have a couple of problems in definition. Eagle service projects may not benefit anything connected with Scouting (no council camp cabins, can't build a Troop trailer, etc.) . This can be seen to include the COs property, as they are the "owner" of the Unit. However, if the work is not pure maintenance, (regular polishing, painting,cleaning) and does not improve the Troop's part of the CO (build shelves in the Scout closet), the scale and overall effect may prove appropriate. One Scout proposed an improvement of the church's sign out front and the committee considered it, but when it was pointed out that the sign also included a "Troop xyz meets here" component, they had to suggest this was a good Troop project but not an Eagle project. Can the Scout organize his "crew" for the work? How much adult help will he need? He will be the organizer, not the adults. This sort of prior defining can go a long way to getting the District committee approval.

"Of course I cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food" ==W. C. Fields== Alcohol abuse is one of the hidden problems in our society and world. On the one side, we are reminded how cool and mature it is to be a "knowledgeable" drinker ("I do not often drink beer, but when I do, it's Dos Equis, Stay thirsty, my friend."), and that to have fun, it is better to be fueled with methenol. ( I happen to prefer Berliner Wiesse). Oh, I tried various "aids" to free the inhibitions, but I discovered early that I liked being able to remember the fun I had the night before. (what is a hibition, if an inhibition disuades one from an action, does a hibition urge one on?) That said, I don't see any reason to allow ANY alcohol use during a Scout event. Camp trip, hike, canoe, District Awards Dinner, makes no difference. We are setting an example, Carrie Nation not withstanding. If the adults in escort on the trip cannot go without the taste of the hop or grape for THREE DAYS, I would suggest they have a different, bigger problem than mere ignorance of the Troop rules, rather written or merrely "understood". I might take them asside and privately, politely, in low key, ask them what's important in their lives, their boy and family, or the beer? As to the OP, I favor a warning, and a general discussion and then proceed.

"Rescue Roping" Create X number of 20' long throw ropes, where X is 1/2 the max number of Cub Scouts in a class/session. Preferred woven polyester 3/8 rope. Melt/seal/whip ends. Put figure eight knot in each end. Teach how to COIL ("BIG coils, BIG coils") the rope to right hand, hold end in left (if right handed) and practice throwing for accuracy to partner (x2?), he coils up and throws back, for accuracy. Next day, set up 6 mil clear plastic sheet, 5' x25' long? Peg/staple into ground, close to level, but a slight incline is OKay. Double over edges for strength. Sprinkle dish or laundry soap on plastic, sprinkle liberally with hose and KEEP soapy and wet. Cubs line up at "downhill" end, one Cub with throwrope on side near "uphill" end. Down hill Cub says "help,help, throw me a rope". The uphill Cub throws the dhC the end, dhC grabs rope and uhC PULLS dhC up the slick plastic. Akelas in attendance (Denwalkers) can help Tigers pull their Bears up the slick. Pulled Cub becomes the thrower, past thrower goes to end of the line at dh end. DoNot walk on the plastic. Get tired of throwing rope? Get a running start and bellyflop on the slide. Keep it wet and soapy!

Clarification: I am speaking for myself, as a Friend (Quaker), and not necessarily for ALL Quakers. I was once told that if you ask any ten Friends (as in Religious Society of) to explain something about their faith, you would get eleven explanations. ""I think it's a rather disrectful (sic) way to justify killing games and fake guns to say that even Quakers with their peaceful ways participate in it."" FScout: Where did I ever say anything approaching that? Or were you referring to someone else's comment? Strategy games, team games, for sure. Make believe killing, no no no...

The best gift the TG from my WB course gave me was to ask me to be on his staff when he became a CD. Nothing like that to validate your efforts. THEN, as the CD, he gave us staffers all leetle gifts: QMs got fancy garden trowels, Scribes got quill pen sets, things like that. But when he was my TG, he did come almost 60 miles to my beading.

I hope you have a banner to carry to tell folks who you are and where you are from. Good PR! Don't forget to learn and lead them in a cheer every so often. "PACK 789! WE'RE DOING FINE!!" or some sort.. KiSMiF

Whoa, Beav... "deep in Quaker circles..." indeed. Full disclosure: For those of you who haven't gleaned it from my previous posts, I are a Quaker, Jamboree Chaplain and all. Our Yearly Meeting summer camps are famous for their "capture the flag " games, taking up acres of woods in the process. The camps are all about building community and acceptance. In our games, it ain't always about winning, but HOW you win. Everybody plays, the team captains (sometimes four teams at a time!) take and use everyone on their team. And here is the defining thing, which should be applied liberally to the G2SS definitions: We are not pretending to kill anyone. Paintball, lazertag, and the like do EXACTLY that, and that is why they are verbotten. Here's another game we play, both at the camps and at several Friends schools I help with: "Jugs". Two (or more!) teams. Each has some number of "jugs" (could be sweaters, tennis balls, five gallon buckets, or what have you). These items are "stored" in a corner of the field or basketball court. Each team tries to grab the other team's jugs, and transport them to their own store house. If a team has no more jugs in their store, they are "out". If a teammember is tagged on the wrong side of the half way line, they must stay on that side, IN THAT SPOT, until they are tagged by a teammember from their side. Various variations appear depnding on the venue, but those are the basic rules. Chess is about war, yes? Even checkers. Even Soccer and American Football. We do not ban those. It is the idea of killing that pushes things too far.. The typical (no, not typical. EVERYONE of them) paintball game center is designed to simulate the ambush and killing of your opponent. No other description comes close. As to the water"gun", I did not know the dividing line had gone that far. The garden hose nozzle serves the same purpose, only the volume is different. I would argue that the multi colored water pistol is a little less like a killing tool than a bow and arrow aimed at a target, or a BB airgun directed similarly, but our purpose there is hand-eye skill learned and pride taken in. Are we agin war? Absolutely, for any reason, in any form. Christ says so, we think. But we are more in favor of RUNNING and having fun and helping our kids learn to think around problems and see the advantage of teamwork and cooperation. Does that help?(This message has been edited by SSScout)

In my Scout carreer, I have been taught/experienced three different phenomena in this vein: 1) Boys that sink no matter what. As they get older, they tend to float easier, more Archimedian stuff. "Eureka!" 2) Different "drown proofing" techniques, all of which depend on being able to float at the surface and NOT sink to the bottom of the pool without motive effort. The type I was taught is to take a breath, and relax with your head/face in the water, arms relaxed at the surface, legs hanging down as they will. About every 20 or 30 seconds, you stroke down with your arms, kick easily and breath out. As you raise up alittle, you raise your head, take a breath and then relax and resume the float position. Wait another 15 or 20 seconds and repeat. The trick is the relaxing part, the reserving of energy and slow breaths. 3) This is the trick to try for kids that "cannot float". Try this in kids stand up deep water. An adult stands next to the learner. The learner should take a DEEP breath, raise their arms over their head, and lay back onto the adult's hand. . The adult holds the learner up, gently, with a hand in the small of the learners back. Holding the arms over the head helps balance the leg weight and tends to open the chest up max. I have seen even "sinkers" able to float nose out of the water in this position. Sometimes.

My how the times do change... When I first joined my Troop back in '59 (!), the Big Boys had just come back from Philmont. So dad and I looked at what they had used and collected my gear accordingly. M4 plywood surplus pack frame. Yucca pack. AL cook kit. And the tents were MADE by the Troop in Mr. Coombs' basement: 6 mil black plastic sheet, cut in 10 x 10 foot squares, edges reinforced with Mil spec duct tape, grommets every 2 feet, and THAT's what they took to Philmont and slept ON and UNDER. And what we used for all purpose camping for a long time. When our Troop established a long term summer camp, we went out and (by Patrol) bought Baker and Camper style canvas tents. They served very well for many years. I remember selling mine to another Scout for $10. I still have (and still use! ) the canvas BSA tarp. But I must admit, it is nice to not have to swat at mosquitos at night...

Correction: That is one Den Walker per FIVE Cubs, (I said ten). Camp Staff is "as many as we can get". Tigers neeed their adult partner. The two can not be the same, the TAP cannot be counted as a DW, etc. Got that from my lovely wife/past CSDCDirector... As the Scout Skills fella, I make sure the Den Walkers do not become Den Sitters at my station. They get up with their Cubs and tie the knots, throw the ropes, fold the flags, drag the Cubs up the slip and slide, walk with'em thru the compass course, and laugh with'em in the cheers and yells. And when my Scout Assistants are working with the Cubs, I'm schmoosing with the DWs. "To the Queen! (drink glup, glub)"

Well, you have four requirements: Gotta be registered Scouters, gotta have a week off (or more!), gotta be fairly conversant or expert in their topic and gotta NOT mind acting silly. Hey, do you have a goodly number of Boy Scout Junior Staff to help? My Scout aides loved the little brother aspect of the CSDC. So where to look. Training Committee, Council Program Chair have any connections? Is there an email newsletter that could send out a "EXTRA"? Phone calling is probably best at this stage. But who to call? Check with the public works folks, paramedics, parks service, Nature centers, they might know some "civilian" people that could be enlisted. Of course, you have already gone thru the Roundtable list... Did I hear you say you ARE the DE? Was going to say contact him/her. Go out of District... Contact your neighboring DEs... Is there any really big industries in the area interested in building the public goodwill? Or small industries? Maybe they could be persuaded to let a worker or two off to help. Any Scout people in their staff? Annual leave waived? Acknowledgement in the Scout world? We had a template letter drafted to thank the boss for allowing the employee to come help CSDC, thus acknowledging the boss' high public spiritedness. Some of our DEs liked the idea, some considered it just an addition to their work load. Need volunteers? go to the volunteer businesses. Ask the Park service for their volunteer coordinator. Bet they have one. Bet they know who does what, or could. Local VFDs? Local hospitals? Lions Club? Kiwanis? Rotary? Elks? AmLegion? Oh, you do require the Cubs be accompanied by Den Walkers, yes? We require one per ten Cubs. Call each DW and check to expand from that crew. 54, eh? Congrats on building your program. The Cubs will have fun and mebbe learn something along the way, right? Our District (soon to be beauracratically divided into three, see previous thread of two years ago) fields three CSDCs, each with over 200 Cubs in attendance. Our biggest problem, and all three of the CSDC Directors agree on this, is that the Council ofice SAYS they will honor the deadline we set for registration, but then accepts fees and issues reciepts DAYS past the deadline. Makes it hard to plan and buy gear and supplies when on Thursday you have a number and then on the first Monday of camp, four days later, ten new Cubs show up with new paper work and receipts saying the Council office has accepted their money. But your Council is sensitive to such things, yes? It will work out. Always does. YiS KiSMiF

Amen to everything that has been said . And.... Take him for a walk in the woods. You and him. Make sure the mom understands you are not trying got take HER place, just making a son/ stepdad thing available.

Much to appreciate about LtCG. Only thing I do not appreciate is his less than family humor in his stage show and some of his "America" segmants. 'Course, I can say the same thing about alot of our modern day stand-up comics. They sometimes forget to "tailor" their routine for the audience. Robin Williams is like that, very clever man, but sometimes alittle too much raunch for the folks listening, even the so-called adults. Still, good to see the BS of A on mainstream TV. Now, if we can just resurrect Red Green...

In Cub Scouting, "Akela" passes on the requirements for any given badge,rank,pin,belt loop. As we all know, Akela can be a parent, a DenLeader, the Cubmaster, depending on the item in question. See the rank book. When it comes to the Shooting Sports, the books (G2SS, Cub Shooting Sports, The Sports Belt Loops,) are fairly clear (surprise!). Cubs can only pass the Shooting Sports BL & Ps at District or Council sanctioned camps/events, supervised by Scout trained Range Safety Officers (or Scout approved. Some archery and gun organizations sanction training that Scouts OK). After each Day Camp, our District puts out a list of the rank requirements and electives the Cub "MAY" have done, depending on his participation. The understanding is that if he attended all days of the camp, he fulfilled the BL requirements for archery and BB shooting (assuming the camp had those ranges. Some don't.). The RSO say "we did it", the Akelas sign the card. The Pins take a little longer, are more detailed. For instance, when I was the RSO , I had the Archery Pin candidates (Bears, Webelos) come in one day at 7am before camp started at 9am, to fulfill the special requirements. I then issued a special certificate to the Cub, attesting to the fact that he had fulfilled the requirements for the Archery Pin. The home Akelas issue the Pin and sign the card. The home Pack Akelas must determine if the boy did anything else (flag ceremony, knot tying, some of Map and Compass, etc.). We say we TEACH and PRACTICE some skills, and try to have fun at it, but we don't claim to be able to TEST and see if all 256 Cubs have that skill down pat. Least that's the way we do it up here in Murlun....

The Pack can decide to use only the "generic" yellow Cub Necker and Bear symbol Cub hat. It is a decission that the Pack can make. The uniforms do need to be replaced, Cubs do grow. The slide (woggle): The metal slide can be bent to grip tighter, AND Cubs can make their own. I always liked the idea of each Den making their own Den specific woggle. As it happens, the loose slide thing began when the necker was made smaller, but the slide was kept the same size as before. I have compared my Cub slide to the modern ones, same size. Neckers are smaller, less cloth for the slide to grip. The profit motive is an obvious consideration, but the style thing, the differation of the Dens, I think was the real motivation when the year specific stuff came out. I don't like it either. But, again, some Akelas do.

* Slip and slides a big hit, as always. Akelas pleased with "value added": Fun, Exercise, throwing skills ("help, help, throw me a rope"), lots of soap and water to clean clothing and boys! * Since we had gone to a new CSDC site (Izaac Walton property. Nice people. FREE!!)) because the County Park service TRIPLED our fees in the last two years, we had extra money, so camp staff had lunch provided (!), more community , less stress over food and drink. More Watermelon! (always a good thing). * Never knew so many Scouts knew so much Monty Python... Cultural education is complete, I guess. But where is the creativity in skit creation? And... * We had set up TWO flag poles this year, one for state flag, too, so more Cubs can help with flag ceremonies. Not til the LAST DAY, the LAST HALF HOUR , did some one trip over the guy rope for the US flag and bring the pole down ("OOOHH! OOHH!! Now we have to burn the flag!!!" No, not yet.). And then , after putting in a new, longer peg and truing the poles and lines, someone ELSE trips over THE SAME GUY ROPE and knocks down the SAME POLE, with one quarter hour to go. Put'er up again, true everything up again, station a Scout on the peg and rope, commence closing flag ceremony again, aaaannnnd..... goes well. "Camp Salute. Two. CAMP DISMISSED!! Have an excellent summer!!"

(adult) "I teach Special Ed and I don't know HOW you are so patient with MY son. I can't do a THING with him..." "Were you watching when I showed you how to do this?" "nooo.. Was I suppose to?" "So, if someone says they are drowning and they aren't, but they're fooling and they tell the lifeguard that they are and they aren't,really, but they say they are, what would happen?" "Well, if I'm the lifeguard, that person isn't swimming any more today..." "Umm-mmm." "Can we take this rope home?" "Can we take this bow and some arrows home?" ((After telling them that the compass is a real compass, that it is a TOOL to have fun with, that you can really use it to navigate with, and that it is theirs to keep, several times during the exercise)): "Can we keep this compass?" "Does it really point north all the time?" (well, not on the hood of your car, not next to your steel belt buckle, etc.) "Can I have a red one I don't like blue". In order to encourage water drinking, we lead 'toasts' to the Queen's (Camp Director) health. Parent comes up and gently chastises Staffer for encouraging alcoholism.... "But wait.... there's more.... NOW how much would you pay...."

Maybe it will rain... What do we do if it rains??? "we get wet!" Sun Burn on the BACK of the knees! More sun block... Ms Director is getting STRESSSSSSED OUT! Give that lady a hug... "Is this a square knot?" "What's your name, Cub?" "Steve!" "Well, looks like a Steve Knot to me!" " My Compass doesn't work!" "Let's see... Well, if you hold it so you look DOWN on it it will work. See? Looking UP at it ain't the way it's supposed to work..." " I can't do this!" " I think you can... Hold your hands like THIS, annnnnnnd throw it like THIS... " "(big smile)" **** more to come**** Gotta go......

Home made stoves... How'bout what to eat? If we avoid twenty dollar a pound (cheap) freeze dry envelopes, how do we feed ourselves on the trail? I have Scouts that don't want to mix things, and insist that the plastic bottle ready mix pancake powder (add water and shake) is the way to go... then complain about the fry pan to clean. "Isn't there a throw away pan?" I had one ask me... If you challenge the Patrol to feed themselves for a budget of $10. a person for a two night, three day hike, (instead of buy the stuff and then divy up the cost), how would your Scouts do?

I really think it should be: (starting with preschool) chipmunk, Coatimundi, Bobcat, Marten, Wolf, Bear, Lion, Siberian Sabertooth, Webelos,,..... Scout Then the Cub mom could understand why the Cub wears his uni shirt out of his pants, to display all the badges!

It is between the (1) Scout, the (2) posted requirements and the (3) Merit Badge Couselor. The Scout COULD fulfill the requirements (check with the MBC !) by doing the following: 1) Plan hikes such as: Take the bus/metro to Georgetown , Wash DC, hike out to Great Falls on the C&O canal, (about 11 miles) and get picked up by parents. 2) Hike along the Underground Heritage Trail in Sandy Spring MD, take in the Museum, the new Fire House, and a couple historic houses. Round trip, coming and going, about 12 miles. 3) At the army pace of four miles an hour, a Scout can theoretically cover 10 miles in about 2 and 1/2 hours. Let's allow three miles per hour. He carries a canteen, small backpack with binocs and first aid kit on his back, and PUSHES a lawn mower around his home's two acre and a half, continuosly for four hours (breaks for water and potty). Could that count? 4) Scout's church sponsors a traveling camp, they hike between sites each day, sagwagon carries essntials, but group decides itinerary each day. Might cover three miles, might cover 20. Camp is over three weeks. Total mileage clocked last year was well over one hundred afoot (some days canoeing, some rock climbing). How to count that? 5) Take train out to Harpers Ferry, WVA. Cover three miles seeing the sights (wore the pedometer). Hike up to Weaverton Hieghts, (another three miles). Stay in Hostel in Sandy Hook MD., Next day, hike down to Antietam Battlefield, about nine miles one way, sight see, lunch, hike back to Harpers Ferry, take the train back. Oops, I forgot, no train on Sunday. Stay in Hostel, call folks to pick up Scouts. How much of that to accept? 6) At Scout Camp, take circuit trail all around camp, see the ruins of the quarry, the mill race, the lumbering camp, three times over. Miss lunch. Poor planning? Not acccept? 7) Take the Metro from Silver Spring Station all the way to National Airport. See the planes take off. WALK back thru DC to Silver Spring Metro, about 12 plus miles one way by map. Might visit sites along the way, mebbe not. Countable? Not much woodsy stuff. 8) Philmont is a special case in Scouting. How does a MBC count those miles? The crews do plan their own routes...

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.