SSScout

Canoe trip planning... The boy and I can have the Grumman tied down on the roof of the Villager and paddles, bailers, PFDs, knee pads, waterproofs, first aid kit and snacks and water in the back seat within 30 minutes of our realization that I''m off work and the laundry was done yesterday. 45 minutes if the mom comes too and the two boat rack is installed. The lake is 20 minutes away. Call the Grandmom and tell her we''ll be back dinner time. The SM wants to go to Boundary Waters next summer. This means the Troop needs to learn and practice on river water. PLC is all in favor. Onc

Not done yet... Almost forgot the best bargain in travel next to the used Kelty backpack. Hosteling! Washington has a fine Hostel and so does Baltimore. Right down town. Try Hosteling International USA: www.hiusa.org and the local council, the Potomac Are Council, Hosteling International usa: www.potomachostels.org You need to join HI-USA. As an individual, a family, or a group (think Scout Troop). Hostels are all over the country and the world, in ski resorts, big cities, Cape Cod, you name it.A Hostel is an inexpensive accomodation, it might be a converted j

Our Pack (unfortunately) fell apart just like that... One September, 14 Tiger Cub families expressed interest... 12 came to first organization meeting... Gave them the program, had a Den Leader for them... "Go Sees" already lined up and scheduled..1 Tiger, 1 Adult... Two Den meetings a month: one in someones rec room, one "Go See", One Pack meeting a month... "too much, I don''t have the time for that, Johnny wants to do Karate"(! Johnny is having a ball in the sample Den meeting)..." I don''t know how to do Scouting" ( the Den Leader was in place) NOT ONE family signed the papers. O

I hear three points to discuss: 1) Was the Troop out of line to ad lib a canoe trip after another scheduled activity? MHO: Certainly not. Cut brush on the trail, "hey, let''s go get pizza and hang out at Joe''s house". Finish Jeff''s Eagle project , "You boys did a heckava job. You call your folks, and if it''s OK, come on over for the evening in our pool". Them that are there, are invited. If the Troop does the invite, it is a Troop activity. If Mr. Washakovsky does the invite, PERHAPS it is a private party, but I doubt it, in Mr. W''s position of SM. 2) Should the Boy Who Wasn

Volunteer Fire Companies... Hospitals (Charitable Foundations, Public serice departments)... Service Clubs (Lions, Rotary, Elks, The Grange, Kiwanis, etc.)... School PTAs... Private schools... Outing Companies.. Animal Rescue Organizations... Yachting Clubs... Police Fraternal Clubs... Union Locals... Audubon Society... Isaac Walton League... Friends of Troop XYZ (so called self charter)... Community center/club of Ourtown... Friends of Correctional Center... Church... Synagogue... Shrine... Temple... Mosque... Consider first the REASON behind having

Been alittle there, done some of that... When the boy crossed over, I followed along. Offered my time as a ASM, and was accepted. Started making suggestions at Committee meetings, and sat in on PLC with SM. Listened and mused. Turned out I was the first ASM to try and be active. I soon realized the SM saw me as a possible threat, so I took him aside one night and assured him I thought he was an OK guy and I had no desire to be SM. I was beginning to be active on District level. So I go to R/T and bring things back to Troop... (SM sings in Choir on same night) Then an interesting thing

""A bad day camping is better than a REALLY bad day camping"" Worse piece of gear? The one I forgot to bring... "...no. YOU were supposed to go in the pantry and get the OFF".

1) ?Life Ring Throw?? 2) Recruit more SScouts? From other local Troops? VCrews? Ships? 3) ?Bucket Brigade relay?? 4) More than one station (see #2) Oww...

Our sponsoring church has a nice plaque on the wall, three actually, that list each Eagle, and date of award. There is room for more, it can easily be added to as the corps grows. I think it's very impressive and tasteful, in the hall from the entrance door to the Scout meeting room. The stave idea is good, but I wonder about it's 'portability' and (?)lack of obviousness? Could it be 'borrowed' or (shudder) lost? Reminds me of a Roman Legion's 'Signe", perhaps. Perhaps make it from a rough log, even larger than 3", just strip the bark off, leave it 'branched, polyurathane it, and a

##Have a seperate, appropriately solemn ceremony for the Scouts, let the Scouts and family have their day, but make the rest of the world aware... This is an occasion, after all, doesn't happen every day... What an opportunity.... RUN WITH IT!! ##Make sure your DE and Council Scout Executive are aware. ##Media attention. Call/write/email every tv station, newspaper in the county and state.Dun them. Appoint a "Media Chair". Don't forget the Scout Media... Boy's Life... Scouter Mag... Local Council screed... ##Contact every Eagle from years gone by you can. Group pict

All good ideas above...Sounds like you want to camp and travel by car to the DC area... I work for the transit system, so some of my stuff may be biased, but any way (all this is personal exp.)... +Greenbelt Park is nice (NPS), reserve a long way ahead. Lots of out of towners. Walk (hike) to the Metro station. Nearby: Goddard Space Flight Center (drive), College Park Aviation Museum (oldest airport in America. Wright brothers trained the Army there. Sikorsky did NOT invent the helicopter)(Metro= College Park), University of Maryland. +On the NW side of the area: Little Bennett State

""Webelos lll"" I like that. Think I'll use it for descriptive purposes...

Find/beg/borrow: "Flanders and Swann: At the Drop of a Hat" and give a listen to "The Cannibal Song" for the proper perspective on carnivores...

Herr Jambo: Wo finden sie die "umlaut"?

Guten Tag, wie gehts? Welcomen zu der Campfuervirtual. And that's about all I can remember at 5am . Ich muss meine Deutsch uben.

We always had a few parents who wanted a strict accounting of where the money came from and where it went. I made sure the treasurer and committee obliged. Things to remember: *Popcorn sales support the District and council activities (camp, newsletter, etc.) too. *When a unit only sells/washes cars/does service for pay and keeps the $$ to itself, the District and Council are short changed * A portion of the dues paid go to Insurance, National, Council and District, but a small portion each. *Boys Life is only Boys Life. * most other activities are self supporting, "Pay as you

And we will eventually find out about this thru "official" channels, I suppose...

Search "courageous cookery". Super light weight camping. Tarzan Cooking: place roast right on coals, same for potatoes, etc. Fish out when you think they are done and cut off really burnt parts. Never tried it... Layer Cake Dinner: In a suitably big pan (preferably big, deep cast iron skillet or dutch oven) place the following in this order: One layer of bacon (Half pound or so) One layer ground beef( 2 pounds or so, crumbled) One layer potatoes (three or so big Idahoes, scubbed clean but not peeled. Cut out bad spots, slice 1/4 inch thick or so) One layer onions (peeled

Once upon a time, I worked for a master carpenter. He was an older fellow. Although he used powertools and was a "production" carpenter, he could cut roof rafters by hand on the ground from the measurements his partner called down to him from the second floor and the angles would be true, they would fit close and neat; every one. Me, I was a 'helper' , a gofer. I knew which end of a hammer to hold. But I listened. And watched... One day, we had put up a stud wall and after looking at it critically the old fellow said, "nah, that ain't right." He took out his tape and we measured and c

When I visited in Florida a while back, I had to smile and shake my head when I saw signs touting ""Maryland Fried Chicken"". Tasted just like the ""Southern Fried "" we had back home... in Maryland! Eyah... Blue Crabs wid a touch of Old Bay Spice... or Jo Jo's ... Don't over fish'em.

Easland makes excellent hand axes and rock hammers and other special hand tools. Head and handle are forged in one piece n their line. I still have and use the hatchet I was given as a Scout and now my First Classer is using it. Doesn't Totin'Chip require knowledge and safe use of knife, axe and saw? We teach all three and see that the boys are knowledgeable with bow, pruning and crosscut saws. After instruction and practice, Scout must produce a really finely made tent peg, at least 12" long with his hatchet or hand axe to pass his T/C. Good point, wings on the notch, chamfered s

" I know you think you know what I meant when I said what I thought I meant, but I'm not sure I think you know that what I meant is not what you think you heard" Or something like that. It is the sexual connotation that upsets people. I always try to point out that (more often than not) what the boy is saying has nothing to do with what he MEANT to say. I encourage precision in language. Knives can't suck. They have no capability to produce vaccuum. If the knife is less than satisfactory in achieving its purpose (?cutting? turning screws? hinge loose?), then say that. Wanna

" Wash the rash with soap and water often, dry it gently with a paper towel and it'll clear up in a week or ten days. Treat it aggressively with Ivy Dry and Calamine and you'll be clear in about seven days to a week and a half" + My Doctor +

Thankee, John. Is that Shakespeare? Hoot Hoot.

Hoo Boy... After several summers as a surveyor, (rodman, chainman, gofor... )I can claim INTIMATE knowledge of PI. I have come home from work wearing gloves so I wouldn't touch my car steering wheel. I could not even sneeze safely. PI always has three leaves in a group. These leaves can be as big as your hand, as small as a quarter. The leaves can be smooth edged, or have a notch or two in the edge. It can be a ground vine, a small shrub, a 4 inch in diameter vine growing up out of sight on the side of a century old tree. Tree vines tend to be very hairy. Leaves turn golden reddish i