SSScout

Ja, ja, ja, stimmt das... serves me right for not checking in mein worterbuch... ..."ornament, trimmings, adornment..." usw. nicht "putsch".

Here 'bouts in the Bawlmer Marlyn area, we have a tradition known as a "putze", from the German for "set" or "install". Also called "Train Gardens", they are often elaborate model train displays set up by private citizens, shopping malls , fire departments or auto body shops. Anything from 1890s towns to Smurf villages to frigate sea battles are modeled with a model train as a tie in (don't say 'toy' train!! ...shiver...). Ever see the USS Enterprise launch jets over an express train? Miniature circus next to the Daylight Limited? Movement and fun are the OOO and AAAHH factors here. Here's a listing in our area, if you're in the neighborhood, check 'em out. Steamed crabs are optional...... http://www.wvmgrs.org/ click on "Grandpa's Holiday Train Garden Page"

I was visiting my wife's office when a collegue came in laughing ,with a box in her hand. Seems she was cleaning out a storage cabinet that had not been used in some time and wanted to know if she should keep this new, unopened box of... carbon paper.

Doesn't hurt to practice and remind folks about "the SSign". CM or SM stands in the front of the room, raises right hand in the SSign, looks at left wrist (watch). When room is sufficiently quiet he/she says (as appropriate) "2 minutes 17 seconds. We can do better than that. ALL RIGHT! LET'S MAKE SOME NOISE!!" ( noise is made) SM/CM puts up SSign. Looks at watch. "OK! 12 seconds. Much better." Meeting continues....

Home school is no obstacle. Check with your other H/Sers and form a combo! Share in the cost of a tutor. Scoutson is H/Sed and is Troop Bugler. The main obstacle is the PRACTICING! Mostly he gets inspired when he sees/hears me warming up for the next Camporee. Even piano lessons will transfer to reading bugle staff. My problem initially was in the paper music. My trombone is bass clef, bugle is treble clef. But the basic theory is the same. "If bugling be the food of Scouting, play on..." or something...

Datswatimtawkinbout... Thanks, Stosh.

Ah, the turn of a word. Mottos (Whatsa motto? nothin'. Whatsa motto wit' you?), slogans. I suppose each generations has their own,in it's own context... Stosh made me think ... "Bet you don't do that again" "Hey! Watch this!" (comment after a grey area comment) "Mebbe, mebbe not". "More like, they be guidelines, actual" "What a revoltin' developement this is" "Yada, yada, yada..."

Search this site for lots of good discussion about bugling. First thing I would recommend, does your school offer a band program? Learning the trumpet or cornet is a good intro to bugle! Actually, any brass instrument can complement bugle . or vice versa.. I played Trombone before becoming Troop bugler (uncle's bugle. Family history!), and still play the occasional camporee or Woodbadge course. Go to the Scoutshop and pick up the bugling CD #AV-054CD, then he can have something to copy/model. The previously mentioned site is very good, too. Buzzing with just the mouthpiece is good practice to strengthen one's embrouchure. The usual bugle only has a range of 6 notes, 7 if your really good. You can play bugle without learning to read music, but the ability to read the charts makes one much more flexible. Pursue the band program if possible. If your Cubson shows real interest, replace the original bugle mouthpiece with a trumpet/cornet one. It is much more comfortable on the lip and the tone is better. A good silver Bach 12C is kinda expensive, but worth it if your boy is the least bit serious about playing bugle. Tie a string on it to prevent it's lose (mine is driven so tight in the bugle I'd have to heat the tube to extract it now!). A man is on his way to a concert at the Kennedy Center in DC. He stops a man on the sidewalk and asks," Hey, can you tell me how to get to the Kennedy Center Concert Hall?" the man shakes his finger at the questioner and proclaims, "PRACTICE! my son, PRACTICE!" Good luck!

If the "commands" make sense (and these are what are used in our area CSDC and Troop and Pack meetings: "Color guard advance, post the colors, Please join me in..., color guard reform, about face, color guard retire/dismissed..."), then where is the problem? The goal is a respectful placing of the national emblem at the front of the room. We, as Cub Scout or Boy Scout leaders are under no real obligation to follow any set military protocol. "It oughtta go like this..." is always a welcome comment but we are here as examples, not necessarily rule givers. I will remind us of all the "rules" about flag handling we have to debunk all the time. We are teaching respect, and the reasons for that respect. The necessary ritual need be adaptable to the situation and personnel involved. The boys will catch on. It is a learning process for the boys. Do they need prompting? often. Do we smile and gently shake our heads at the gaffs? yes. Do they learn? absolutely. Are we proud when they do it well? heartily so. When they smurk and giggle uncomfortably when the flag staff bumps the ceiling, do we chastise them afterward? perhaps in private. Maybe it is then an opportunity for a CMMinute or SMMinute about history and striving for perfection and not acheiving it.

Long ago, humans discovered that cloth/animal hides stretched between/around poles (trees)could protect from sun and rain. My Scoutdaze tents were of three types: * Tarps, either canvas or plastic. Drape over a rope stretched between two trees, or some other creative means of support. * Wall tent, or it's cousins, the Baker, or Camper or Explorer. Canvas and not usually anything else. * The Pup tent, canvas or coated nylon, of varying size. Surplus shelter halves, bigger Eureka types, or on up to the classic summer camp Wall tent on a platform. The rained on canvas was dry until you touched it. But , it kept the rain off and sun out of your eyes and the drip of what ever it was from the trees at night. Temporary shelter was changed forever by four developements, which seemed to come about the same time: The improvement in materials (coated nylon, plastic self healing zippers, fiberglass poles), the external support systems ("umbrella tent"), and attached waterproof floors! No more seperate ground cloth! Thus you had ease of erection, lighter weight, more unobstructed space inside, nothing to forget or set up badly (ever had the rain come down the tent, onto your groundcloth and into your tent? Tuck that GC inside!)and NO CREEPY CRAWLIES! I have found this last to be the single most unapreciated improvement between then and now. If you want a tent to entertain in, yu can get a big dome tent. If only shelter for the night, then a tarp will still suffice. I went on a Troop trip and the Scouts oohed and aahed at the tarp I set up. Course, it was only me, but what more did I really need? A 10 by 15 foot tarp, 5 feet on the ground, staked snug, folded up 4 feet with two poles I cut on the spot, and over the last 6 feet to cover with two more poles. I did bring the pegs with me, but cut four just for show. It was roomy and protected from the morning drizzle.

Parcel out duties such that the boys are not just busing tables. Boys should be cooking, serving, welcoming, cashiering, entertaining (skits, anyone?) right along with the adults. Make a display of activities, pictures and Scout memorablia in the entry hall. Get the media involved. Pester the local TV and newspapers to come and see some "good news" to report. Lots of advance notice. Taste test the menu a week before. Leave time to "correct" things. Bake sale? Dessert included? Make sure you invite the CO's IH and COR and get on their newsletter/ bulletin. And everyone wear the Troop Tshirt (or class As? Spaghetti stains?) and hats.

All of the above... Ask around and find someone with a good telescope and look at Jupiter and Saturn, both of which are visible this time of year, Jupiter early in the evening, Saturn much later (how late do you want to stay up??) http://www.astronomy.com/News-Observing/Astronomy%20Kids.aspx Altho it is no longer a FC rank requirement, find the North Star and talk about navigation. Learn the major constellations and you can tell some of their stories, either American Indian, or Egyptian or Roman or whatever. I always liked the Iroquois story about the bears...

But aren't things already "standardized"? Isn't that what the Scout Handbook is about? Unless we get specific "Train the Tester" requirements, then a Maryland First Class should still be equivalent to an Oregon First Class. It is the local folks' responsibility to see that the Scout really does know how to tie the knot and light a fire and ID Poison Ivy. That is where we have our discussions, how so and so isn't really REQUIRING the Scout to show "proficiency". Parlor Scouting vs Trail Scouting? It's not as tho the Maryland Scout uses a different HB than the Oregon Scout. Different school systems use different textbooks, BSA uses ONE textbook. We could, I suppose, start on about the "dumbing down" of Scouting, again. But that's been done. As to teaching to the test, at our last IOLS, our Fearless Leader reminded his staff that we had a syllabus from National to teach, but it was alright to add our own experience to it. For instance, teaching fire building and safety, not only what was in the BSHB (10'safety circle, fizzle sticks, etc.), but such things as using Cheetos© to start the fire, or demo a fire piston, or tell the story about how the OA wanted a really well illuminated Camporee campfire program, so they built twin 8' high oak pallet campfires but neglected to arrange any water source nearby...and how certain Scouters spoke gently to them about it...

Scoutnut has the correct answers. see also http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Awards/ReligiousAwards.aspx and www.praypub.org What is often not recognized is that ANY Scout may earn ANY religious award, with permission of the faith. I met a young man at a formal Scout event and recognized three religious awards on his pocket, the God and Country, the Ad Altare Dei, and the Ner Tamid. I asked him about this and this is the story he told me. His father was Jewish, his mother Catholic and the Troop was sponsored by a Methodist Church. He had no trouble finding the time to earn all three awards, the faith leaders involved evidently were very cooperative.

Anybody have a link to the Johnny Carson routine selling the "new and improved toy, Dickie the Stick"? Needs no batteries!

As WB Staff, I asked this question and was told: "it depends" * extensions are granted (house burning down just might qualify!) * ticket item situation might change due to no fault of the participant. * or... just sloth and poor planning might lead to a missed deadline, in which case, the participant can take the course again... AND "it depends" whether or not they would be REQUIRED to take the two weekends again, or just plan another set of tickets. That's what I was told. Now, that being said, I met an older man with a chest full of square knots. He said that this was the SIXTH WB he had been to, in more than one council. He just liked the comraderie and such... He was a 4 beader, but did not wear them thru the course, he was just "one of the boys". No, he was not a "plant" from National. Everyone on Staff knew about him.

Thanks, S/N, I couldn't get the National source to work...

http://www.boyscouts-ncac.org/openrosters/DocDownload.asp?orgkey=1933&id=33083 It really is all inclusive. The "Cub Scout Outdoor Program Guidelines for 2007" is the quotable source. Print it out and point fingers at will.

The idea of the Charter/sponsoring Organization is, I think, a good one. Compare to the GSUSA model, where the GS unit is "chartered" to the local Council, but the Leader(s) are the defining quality. After several years, that GS unit ceases to exist. The BSA unit, on the other hand, has some continuity. There are GS leaders that are seeeking to modify this reality, but that is another thread. Of course, that continuity depends on the BSA unit Leaders and Scouts in recruiting and such. I knew a Cub Pack that was very successful for 20 plus years, and then could not drum up any Tigers or Wolves for three years straight and , poof, no more Pack. It happens. As to the Charter Org being a "non-Scouting entity", I would think that most COs ARE truly Non-Scouting Entities. Just because the CO is a "Friend" of a Scout Troop, doesn't make it/them any more Scouty. What the CO needs to be is "sympathetic" to the purposes and ideals of the BSA. This could be a Lions Club or a church or VFD or Mosque. The important thing is that , if the Unit NEEDS some help, the CO should be willing to give it. If the Unit appreciates a "hands off" CO, great, but that is not the real idea, is it? ""I could see a potential CO having trouble committing to supporting a Scouting program with such specific, rigid and expansive goals and methods."" The goals and methods are hardly so "specific, rigid or expansive". Most COs in my experience do what they can for their units, or do very little, depending. It is a two way street. The unit can "require" and so can the CO. Or not. I knew a unit sponsored by a church where the Pastor actually DID NOT KNOW(!) they had a Scout unit until I called them (as a UC). Once the Pastor was more knowledgeable, the unit was much better off. The Charter Agreement (check with your local Council for a copy) is, I would say, loosely specific about who does what. I always liked the first paragraph on the Council side, tho: "Respect the aims and objectives of the organization and offer the resources of Scouting to help in meeting those objectives". What exactly IS/ARE the objectives and aims of the "hands off" CO?

Bandaid, Nylon, Plexiglas, Rayon, Walkman, Saran...

Trailer can have: >> Fenders over wheels are used to hold water jugs (eyebolts in wall hold bungies), only when in situ. >> Swing out arm is used to hold hand washing station (gallon milk jug on string, soap bar in nylon mesh on rope, towel) >> Small flood lights in rear, hooked into trailer electric wiring, for night loading/unloading. >> Separate rack over hitch triangle to hold tarps, firewood, etc. >> Signs on sides/rear give Troop ID, phone number to call. >> Include jack, patch kit, tools for tire change. Train Scouts in Tire Change (Auto MB?)

*sigh* BALOO G2SS and..."Cub Scout Outdoor Program Guidelines for 2007" (actively reffered to by the Council Cub Camp Program)::: http://www.boyscouts-ncac.org/openrosters/DocDownload.asp?orgkey=1933&id=33083 ...which talks about CSDC, Pack Camping, Cub Scout Resident Camp, and oh, just oodles of things to complicate your mind...

...and if you collect the poptop levers off soda cans, you can exchange them for time on a kydney dialysis machine...

It's an accronym, people, it codifies what successful teachers have been doing for centuries. Even the Socratic method can be seen as EDGE. Ask the right questions, you'll get the desired answers (or actions). Try teaching a Scout the Bowline without demo ing it with a piece of rope. Teach him with verbal direction, and see how that goes. I had a public speaking coach say it this way: "first, TELL them what you're going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you told them". And motivation. How do you make it DESIRABLE to learn the skill. That is not included in EDGE, but should still, I believe, be part of the process.

"Reverence to God and reverence for one's neighbour and reverence for oneself as a servant of God, is the basis of every form of religion. The method of expression of reverence to God varies with every sect and denomination. What sect or denomination a boy belongs to depends, as a rule, on his parents' wishes. It is they who decide. It is our business to respect their wishes and to second their efforts to inculcate reverence, whatever form of religion the boy professes." ==Robert Baden-Powell, Aids to Scoutmastership