SSScout

Rain gear... "it depends" on the expectation. In hiking the Camino , I saw many "solutions", from NOTHING (!), to ponchos to school crossing guard yellow rain slickers. I used a poncho, covered my backpack and me, the condensation and splash up on the inside surface was troublesome, but the overall effect was good I thought.. Ventilation. True story: Movie production company was doing some work in New England (I think) about ocean fishing, sails and working sailors. The cast was dressed in new bright yellow slickers. The locals reminded the crew (politely, of course) that since realism was desired, the cast should look the part , and the locals were willing to "loan" them some "experienced " rain gear. The movie crew gave the entire town new rain gear, the town got rid of all their old worn out gear, happy ending....

Those leetle scraps of cardboard... I can look at the ones in my shoebox collection and remember the folks that taught/exampled/pushed/cajoled/applauded/rewarded me along the way. Merit Badges, ranks, OA, camps.... will today's Scouts save those scraps? WIll they miss them... There is a comic with a fun stand up routine who struck a cord with me... he mentioned the photos we like to show people.... "here we are at uncle frederick's house. That's grandma Matilda and ...." then he talks about WHAT we photographed: special events, formal photo portraits, everyone neat and pretty.... "Now, what will our grandkids show off their phone..."here's my breakfast in 2024, isn't that a NEAT waffle....the maple syrup was just too too..."

Plumb was the company for the BSA handaxe for many years.

MiF KiS,,,, arts and crafts,,,, Make gifts for mom and dad (and brother/sister? wadda concept). The Scoutcraft stuff can be included, should be included as the Cubs grow into it, but the Make it Fun Keep it Simple has to be the watch word. Give the Cubs , no matter their age, things they can accomplish and take pride in. Long time ago, I remember taking scraps of plywood, sanding them smooth, gluing pretty National Geographic photos to them and then CAREFULLY shellacking them . After they dried , we glued picture hanging hooks on the back, and PRESTO , Mom Day presents. Along the way, we went hiking, learned about birds, visited the zoo and local firehouses. I kept many of those kids as friends all thru high school and into adulthood.. Were my parents involved? Absolutely. Were the other parents involved? Absolutely. Are things that changed, maybe three generations later? Perhaps, but that's what we are here for, for the Societal History. Today's parents must be made aware of the need to make their kids feel worthy and loved, so that THEY will want THEIR kids to feel worthy and loved. "The purpose of life is the planting of trees under whose shade one does not expect to sit".

Is it "Good Enough" ? Worksheets for Merit Badges.... Texting LOL, LMAO, letters not written, knots that don't hold, "like", "hacks" that have nothing to do with axes or hatchets or cheap taxis or lousy attorneys,,, Believe what I say despite what you see, "You mean I CAN make that decision?", "What if everybody acted like that, eh?" Well, I was only joking, I didn't really MEAN that, it's just a manner of speaking, it's what everybody says.... History is what we agree on, not what we have proof of.... Oh, I'll never use that silly knot... "Oh, I have people to take care of that." We can pay for that , no need to do it ourselves. It's easier to use paper plates and plastic stuff.... Well, the other Merit Badge Counselor let me... "Was THAT good enough?" Can't we get an extension for my boy? He's only late by a few days.... I can't take off work for this, isn't there someone else that can lead this hike/meeting/training/show and sell? What are we paying these dues for, anyway? I want my kid to be a Scout, it will get him a higher rating when he joins the military/applies for college/trains for the Olympics/fills out the application for (fill in the blank)....

The Amish have a saying (they have lots of sayings): Show me what a man does with his hands that I might know his heart. One of my observations concerns the youth I encounter , both in and out of Scouting. Hand manipulation. Tying knots that HOLD. If one is concerned about a small thing like a shoe lace tied so it won't come undone, that person might also be concerned about other things, done right, so they won't come undone. The standards we set. "Oh, that's good enough." Is it? The idea that the Scout/youth can be taught, trusted, to do what is necessary, not just "good enough" (whatever that may mean). Kids in first grade that don't know their right from their left, over versus under.... I see it when Cubs try to fold the US flag in that triangular tradition. It takes time, and I often have to shoo the father away from the Cub who is really experimenting with his hands, seemingly for the first time.... The misguided EBoR that asks an Eagle candidate to tie a Bowline... If they can't tie it then, it does no good to ask them, and it is not a failure of the Scout, but of the Troop.

And so our history becomes stories for our children. If it is OUR history, tell it so it can become THEIR history. I made it a point to take Scoutson to the grandmother's farm site, which is now mostly a subdivision, and we found the original culvert that was under the driveway, it was still there, but the driveway had gone back to nature (!) into the backyards of the houses....

True story: Way back when, our Troop had a regular campsite on the property owned by somebody's uncle's aunt (....) way back in some timber. It was a good mile back off the paved road. We had even developed some regular "Patrol " campsites. One sunday after breaking camp, I was the Patrol leader, and would be the last one out of the camp. I packed up, shouldered my pack and walked out up the trail. When I got to the road parking area (it wasn't really a "parking lot"), I discovered there was no one there! I had been left behind ! My Patrol buddies hadn't realized I was not there with them. Poor planning on my part, as PL.... Nearest phone might be 3 or 4 miles down the road... Knock on a house door? Naw.... I walked on out to the main road and sat down. I knew my folks would realize I was not at the church to be picked up (or was I going to be dropped off at home? I forget). I had a canteen of water, some snacky food, it was about 1pm I guess, so I sat down to wait. Yes, I was disappointed no one missed me, no one "counted noses", there would be a discussion later, I guess... Cars drove by, no one stopped or asked about me. I guess I looked "equiped", backpack and all. A couple of hours later, my dad showed up, and none the worse for wear, we went home. What would happen today?

Hoot, hoot, hoot.... Get your tent set up in your back yard. Make sure the mice haven't got to it, it has all the ropes, stakes, RAINFLY (we had one new Scouter show up with a "new" tent he just bought at a yard sale, "oh, is that why it has all that nice ventilating screening on top!" ), it is still RAINPROOF, and you remember how to set it up. New boots, broken in? Gear check list checked? Questions answered? Uni complete? Comfy (!) camp chair ready? Pencils sharpened? Smile and singing voice ready? See you on the trail !

Show them "The Guardian" .

Perhaps (perhaps) a case in point.... Fellow Commish once helped a Catholic church stand up a Scout troop. They REQUIRED their Scouts to be Catholic. They averred that ANY male youth could join, so long as the family belonged to a Catholic church. The Troop lasted exactly three years.... Scouts is Scouts. Our diversity and acceptance of any who will agree to the Scout Promise and Law , at least to say them together(?), and do Scouty things, is what we must/should be about. The CHARTER ORG is another issue. By BSA/SA edict, the CO can define who will join their Unit. How big the included community is may well define it's success and longevity. In our council we have Vietnamese community Troops that are large and successful, and Muslim Units that survived the pandemic and abuse emergencies when others folded.

"Mechanically powered hydraulically propelled aquatic vehicle."" Someone died because of .....

Got a Red Shoulder hawk family at one end of our woods and a Bared Owl family about a mile west in the same woods.... Blue Jays alert the folks at our feeder when they come by..... We seem to have two nests of Ruby Throat HBs here at our sugar water feeders. Buzz fights.

It is a very complimentary article, for a change....

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-lasting-impact-of-scouting/ar-BB1hZS2p?ocid=msedgntp&pc=DCTS&cvid=2ef7e5d620e44e149813bbca2b7259a5&ei=88

"It depends".... I was a Cubmaster, and then a ASM when Scoutson aged up. As an "alumnus" of the Troop (earned my Stegasaurus Husbandry Merit Badge), the Troop very graciously pays all my fees. I went to take Woodbadge. Some of my tickets concerned Cub Scouts, but I was told my tickets had to deal with my "current" registration, BOY Scouts.... What to do? ummmm. AHA ! (they said) you can be a Commissioner, they can deal with any part of BSA stuff !. Wonderful. What's a Commissioner? I had never heard or seen or met one.... Paperwork... PRESTO ! I was a Unit Commissioner for my home Troop. And so it goes... "The work is done by whoever shows up". Committee? Boards of Review? Our dedicated Troop CCh asks and often needs folks to fill in. So long as they are a registered Scout adult/ parent, and not the Scout in question's parent, and never the SM, the BoR will happen, and the Committee meeting will happen.

Very nice. Exactly what is desired for an Eagle Service Project. Congratulations.

https://nationaltoday.com/world-scout-scarf-day/ World Scout Scarf Day, celebrated on August 1, honors scouts across the world by encouraging them to step out of the house with their scouts scarf on! But why wear a scarf, you ask? Because a scout’s scarf brings the spirit of scouting into the limelight and also sheds light on the basic everyday life hacks that scouts are taught. For instance, the scarf around the neck is used to protect the body from sunburn and can also be used as a band-aid in situations where a first aid kit is unavailable. Hence, over time, the scouts’ scarf has become a symbol of strength and courage. If you have been holding onto your scouts’ neckerchief, now is the time to sport it! https://www.facebook.com/Scout.Scarf.Day/

Somewhere, in somebody's attic or basement crawlspace, is piece of Redwood that the Eagle Patrol of Troop 759 carved for a Patrol Campsite gateway. 13, 14 year old kids using chisels and hammers. We didn't have a Patrol flag, but for this weeklong Troop sponsored summer camp, it was us. Somebody's dad had this scrap of Redwood from a project , and we used it. We might have had a flag, someone's mom helped make, hem, paint on the cloth, but I don't remember that. The carving I remember. Patrol cooking. For that summer weeklong the Troop parents decided, since somebody had this property (it is now part religious retreat center and part county park and part subdivision) , they decided it would be fun for the Troop to build a small cabin for "headquarters" and Quartermaster , they found a natural spring that was capped and tested safe, and so we created a campground. Patrol campsites were created and so we learned Scoutcraft. Yes, we created campfire sites and cooked for our meals. We cooked or went hungry. Patrol cooking? As we went on with our Scout careers, sometimes kids couldn't come, that was alright. Two of us made a Patrol. You didn't combine unless there was only one (Moose, Beaver and Eagles?) But it was certainly not enforced. You want to cook alone? No problem. You can share our stove or fire. The parents/dads made sure we were safe, but it was up to us to cook and eat. And a Scout that didn't help or "cooperate" in the chores might not eat, the other Scouts enforced that, it got back to the parents and sometimes that Scout didn't come back (hello Randy?). It can only need one active engaged Scout to sparkplug a Patrol. Make that your "gang". Kids need neighborhood "gangs". The only decision is what kind, to what end? See you on the trail.....

I am not as active as I once was (or would like to be) but in my time as a Scout (dim past) and adult Scouter (blurry present) I must say my observation here would be that the Scout is not so concerned with numbers, but with using the hatchet he/she was given for their birthday, seeing if that new way of tieing boot laces works or really canoeing that last mile (when the planned take out was closed and 5 extra miles of paddling had to be passed). All Scouting is local. Even the National Jamboree and Philmont and Seabase are local. The "locality" must be supported and encouraged by the National org, but the DOING cannot be anything else but local. This is what I sometimes think that National might forget. I have a 1952 edition of the Scout Fieldbook. Greenbar Bill was the editor. In it is a photo essay about knife and axe use, with some photos of a perhaps 14 or 15 year old Scout using (safely!) an axe. I found myself , as an adult, looking this over and realizing not everyone of the umpteen thousand Scout would ever have the opportunity to chop down a 12 inch in diameter tree., but there it is, in black and white, a Scout doing just that. There's an ideal. That Scout is somebody's (I hope) grandfather, perhaps Great grandfather. Local. What opportunities can we LOCALLY give our kids? The world is LOCAL, and PHYSICAL. The world is not on that 3inch by 4 inch battery driven screen. This is what National forgets. You want numbers? How do we LOCALLY get that canoe paddle or axe handle into the hands of that 12 year old?

Not sure how to add this as a "file" , but here goes..... “…to do my duty to God…” 29 April, 2011 Blue Ridge Center , WVA ** Opening/Welcome **BSA Promise and Law: Universal? **Scouting as a religion? Or religious organization? ”Declaration of Religious Principle” **B-P’s Quotes: the origin, the result… **Us or Them? WHY “Scout’s Own”? ** INclusive or INsulting? Choices::: Nada, Particular, Sort of (with understanding but mushy), Spiritually Suggestive HOW? ** Setting : Apart, special, **Parts: Gathering, Middle (Reminders & Suggestions), Closing & Benediction. ** Music? ** Program? ** Chaplain Aides::: Scout Led. **About 15 to 20 minutes, max. Some References: Bible, Qur’an, Book of Mormon, Lotus Sutra, Hindu Vedas , Gospel of the Redman=E.T.Seton, The Scouter’s Companion=Gibbs Smith, Strength For Service=Nygard & Hunsberger, The Best of the Leader Cut Out Pages=Scouts Canada , In Our Own Way = R.L.Edmonds, The Scoutmaster Minute = R. Wendel. www.religioustolerance.org , www.macscouter , www.usscouts.org , www.boyscouttrail.com , www.religionfacts.com , www.scouter.com P.1/7 A Sample Scout’s Own Worship Service A Gathering === O Great Spirit whose voice I hear in the winds And whose breath gives life to all the world, hear me. I come before you as one of your many children . I am small and weak. I need your strength and wisdom. Let me walk in beauty. Make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset. Make my hands respect the things you have made And my ears sharp to hear your voice. Make me wise so I may learn the things you have taught my people, the lessons you have hidden under every leaf and rock. I seek strength, not to be superior to my brothers, But to be able to fight my greatest enemy, myself. Make me ever ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes, so when life fades like the fading sunset, my spirit will come to you without shame. =attributed to Chief Yellow Lark, Blackfoot = P.2/7 A Re:sponsive Reading The Scout Law Leader: “The person who is dishonest shall not live in My house; the person who is untruthful shall not stand before My eyes.” Psalm 101:7 Troop: A SCOUT IS TRUSTWORTHY. Leader: “And Ruth said: “Do not beg me to leave you or to return from following after you, for where you go I will go; and where you stay, I will stay.” Ruth1:16 Troop: A SCOUT IS LOYAL. Leader: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Leviticus 19:18 Troop: A SCOUT IS HELPFUL. Leader: “Can two walk together unless they agree?” Amos3:3 Troop: A SCOUT IS FRIENDLY. Leader: “Honor your father and mother.” Exodus20:12 Troop: A SCOUT IS COURTEOUS. Leader: “Withold not good from the person to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it.” Proverbs3:27 Troop: A SCOUT IS KIND. Leader: “Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to the words of knowledge.” Troop: A SCOUT IS OBEDIENT Proverbs23:12 Leader: “A glad heart is good medicine.” Proverbs17:22 Troop: A SCOUT IS CHEERFUL. Leader: “Precious treasure remains in a wise person’s dwelling, but a foolish person uses it up.” Proverbs20:12 Troop: A SCOUT IS THRIFTY. Leader: “Be strong and of good courage.” I Chronicles28:20 Troop: A SCOUT IS BRAVE. P.3/7 Leader: “Who shall ascend the mountain of the Lord? And who shall stand in His holy Place? The person who has clean hands and a pure heart.” Psalms24:3-4 Troop: A SCOUT IS CLEAN. Leader: “It has been told to you what is good, and what the Lord requires of you; to do justly, and to love mercy , and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah6:8 Troop: A SCOUT IS REVERENT. * * * * A Dialogue When Night Ends… A: The rabbi asked of his students: “How can we determine the hour of dawn – when the night ends and the day begins?” B: “When , from a distance , you can distinguish between a dog and a sheep?” one of his students suggested. A: “No”, the rabbi replied. B: “Master, is it when you can distinguish between a fig tree and a grapevine?” another student asked. A: “No “ he replied. B: “Please tell us the answer, then” said the students. A: “It is when you can look into the face of a human being and have enough light to recognize in him your brother” the wise teacher replied. “Until then, it is night, and the darkness is still with us.” * * * * P.4/7 A Choice Silent Worship Listen! To the world. To yourself. To the Spirit within and without. Listen! If something occurs to you, something stirred perhaps by what has gone before, allow the Spirit to move you to speak and share your thought. But do not break the silence merely to break it . Listen! * * * * A Reading “See thou that it is God whose praises all beings in the heavens and earth do celebrate, even the birds (of the air) with wings outspread? Each knows it’s own (mode of ) prayer and praise.” Qur’an, Ch.24, V.41 P.5/7 A Prayer (found on a wall of an old inn in Lancashire England) Give us health, our keep to make an’ a bit to spare for poor folks sake; give us all in th’ struggle and splutter our daily bread and a bit o’ butter. Give us, Lord, a bit o’ sun a bit o’ work and a bit o’ fun; give us sense, for we’re some of us duffers, an’ a heart to feel for all that suffers. Give us, too, a bit o’ a song, an’ a tale, an’ a book to help us along, an’ give us our share o’ sorrows lesson that we may prove how grief’s a blessin’. Give us, Lord, a chance to be Our goodly best, brave, wise and free, Our goodly best for ourselves and others Til all men learn to live as brothers. (Amen) * * * * Benediction (together please) “ May the Great Scoutmaster of all Scouts be with us, til we meet again.” P.6/7 Various Prayers, Graces, etc. *Prayer to say before White Water Canoeing (or do anything, come to think of it)::: “Dear God, we are about to go Canoeing. In a little while, we will be very busy. Please forgive us if we forget about you. Please do not forget about us.” *Superman Grace (to the tune of the first movie theme) with appropriate hand motions::: “Thank you Lord, thanks for the foooood! Thank you Lord, thanks for the foo-ooood! Thanks for the fooo-ood, it really is goo-ood! We thank thee, oh Lord! Thanks for the food! (buddadadum)” *Old Scottish Grace (with accent, if possible)::: Sum ha’ meat and canna eat, Sum ca’ eat and ha’e none. But WE ha’e meat, an’ WE ca’ eat, And so the Laird be than-ked. *Philmont Grace::: “For food, for raiment, for life, for opportunity, for friendship and fellowship, we thank thee, oh Lord.” (depending on when you visited Philmont, there may be other versions of this) *Irish Blessing::: May the road rise to meet your feet, the wind be ever at your back and the sun be over your shoulder, and may God keep you in the palm of his hand, til we meet again. May ye be in heaven 15 minutes afore the deevil knows yer dead! *From Rumi::: Let the beauty we love be what we do. *Navaho:: Before me peaceful Behind me peaceful Under me peaceful Around me peaceful. *Kum-Ba-Yah::: Sing the traditional hymn, but add verses about the Scout Law: “A Scout is Trustworthy, Lord, kum-ba-yah, a Scout is Loyal, Lord, kum-ba-yah…” …and so forth. You might be surprised how well it fits!

"Aye, it be more of a non-recommended technique than a 'policy''. Three cars, mebbe. More'n that, them traffic lights and things interfere, dun ye know...""

I'm not going to try and quote stuff here, but the gist of the survey mentioned may be correct, and the sex abuse settlement may be one of our crosses to bear (reputation?) ,but that is not why kids join Scouting.... Some sort of Scouting. Kids go to school usually because their parents want them to. We (parents !) realize we want our future (kids!) to know stuff. How to read, how to write, how to , as my dad used to say "cipher" . They stay in school, hopefully, because they (the kids ) come to LIKE learning, if it is done well by gifted, talented teachers. It is a challenge to speak, spell, realize numbers can be fun.... The challenge is the thing, not merely the achievement, the "AHA" moment. But the certificate, the little trophy does mean alot to the kid. So to with Scouting, whether it be BSA, or GSUSA, or Royal Rangers, or BP Scouts,,, The National policy makers have , indeed , lost track of this. The kid doesn't join Cub Scouts because she/he wants to "learn leadership". They convince his/her parents to let him/her join because it is seen as fun, an adventure . The patches mark the path taken, but the kid now knows about rope and knots, knows they can hike 3 miles, carry a canteen and maybe even cook a meal (grilled cheese is a meal). It cannot be about sitting down and discussing , describing, stuff. It must be about DOING stuff, and therefore taking pride in that accomplishment. Knowledge of Poison Ivy or the old stuff in that museum we visited (with buddies), can lead to Philmont or the summer camp over there (at least). That is where the Leadership stuff comes from. To lead, one must first be somewhat confident in one's self. AND be able to see the connections between the problem/task at hand and the solutions (AHA !) . The national folks of , fifty, sixty years ago who did not own up to the abuse claims must bear the responsibility of BSA's lose of reputation. The camps sold are the sad result. Where do our Scouts go to learn , experience ? The Army, Marine Corps should not be the first place to go to learn self responsibility and life skills. The adult may realize what the end result can be (leadership? Cooperation? Building? Happy life? ) but the kid has not thought about that, Sheldon Cooper not withstanding. Keep on keeping on, friends.....

Internal, external, Aluminuminum, magnesium, bushwah... Bring back the universally useful, eminently adaptable war surplus plywood M4 Pack board:

Again. Bugling MB... Scout attempts to play the call(s). After each attempt, he asks, "Did that pass?" When I ask, "what do you think?" He responds, "mmmaybe not(sheepish grin)""... We part company with a partial, but I do not hear from him again.... It's the high G that get's 'em. But I insist I hear SOMETHING approximating the call as we both hear it on my ancient CD . Three brothers arrive with new "Hunting Horns", also seen online as a "Cavalry Horn" ( the short little ones , not a "real" bugle). I tell them, yes with expertise, the calls can be made on these horns. Are they ready? One says he played trumpet in his school band last year, but not this year. Why? He didn't like to practice (honesty !). The other two , younger brothers have never even attempted the new (still in the plastic wrap !) horns they have, that their mom bought for them. For the time allotted, we instruct and they learn to "buzz". Can I give them a "partial" ? Do they have their Blue Cards, as mentioned in the "prerequisites" ? No, thought I provided them. So, the mom didn't get them? I remind them that they , the SCOUTS need to take some more personal responsibility.... I remind them, they have all my contact info, call me when they are ready to DO the Merit Badge . That was three years ago. Never heard back from them. This is an all too usual thing for me.... I have done this by ZOOM, mom or dad in the background.... Discuss, listen, counsel, come back in two weeks, by golly, I can scan off a new Blue Card to them... Will they come across somebody who will be that Russian MBCounselor (It's Gudinov for me !)? Yeah... It's like we are not out of the Cub Scout mentality of "Do Your Best" as sufficient. Then there are the few Scouts who come ready. An hour later, I sign a Blue Card . A new Wynton Marsalis? Perhaps....