SSScout

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 happened. The Committee made the connection between my name and the name on the Eagle Award Plaque! Was I the same boy way back when? Yeah, I was. WoW! How'd you like to be our UC? We haven't had one in a while... I told'em my training said the UC really couldn't be connected so close to the unit he commished. And the Unit usually doesn't name it's own UC. Oh. News to them. The last UC had been the CC. (!) So the SM is urging the PLC to take an active role in planning and leading. Then the fellow in charge of planning the family camp over the LAbor Day Weekend (park permits, etc.) announces that , due to a lack of interest, (true) anyone going will be family camping (boys camp/eat/ with family, not boys). Presto! lot's of interest, but no boy planning. Big fun weekend had by all, but no boy olanning. SM realizes it, we talk about next time... Is it the Patrol Leader's Council or the Patrol Leader's Parents' Council? Aside::: Anyone heard the Bob and Rays' "Slow Talkers of America"?

""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 add a Bronze Eagle perched on it's top. OOO OOO... I bet somebody knows somebody who knows a wood carver that might be inspired to help out with the project...There was a chain saw carver at our County Fair that did outstanding work. Proceed as the Spirit leads! YiS

##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 picture. Elicit congratulatory letters from them. Any famous or nearly so among them? Heck, Make it a reunion... Put ads in the papers, articles in advance, to scare up 'old Scouts'. ## The White House loves to hear about these things... Who knows who might show up if you invite him/her??? ##The local Town Politicos, State Legislature/ Federal Senator, Congressman...Their attendance will guarantee media attention... Scouts do good, yes? ##Scout around for a local "Scales and Tales" program from the local State Park service. Can you get a REAL Eagle (or Hawks, at least?)to be present?. A Falconer? Hoo boy. Congrats to the nascent Eagle(s). YiS

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 Park (Clarksburg, Maryland) Good group camping, well kept. 20 minute drive down to Shady Grove Metro Station. Rural, locals. Historic hiking trails.500+ acres. +SW side: In Virginia: Camp William B. Snyder, O&O by National Capital Area Council (Hay Market, VA). Almost new. Large swim pool. Cub Scout venue camp (play areas), but large wooded camping area WITH TENTS (!) if you ask soon enough. Dining hall possible. 400+ acres. Off I66, must drive to Metro 25 minutes. Udvar-Hazy on the way. + S side: I have heard that if you know someone who knows someone, arrangements can be made to camp in Quantico or Fort Myers. Just a rumor, you understand... Suggestions::: Avoid August, most humid, hot time of year here. But OTOH, traffic is down 15% as lotsa folks MOVE OUT...Get Metro passes ("PASSES"...good all day from 9:30am m-f & Sa-Su for unlimited on & off. not "farecards") in advance, by mail. Not a bad idea to order extra. They get lost. Good on day started, like cash, keep'em until you use'em)... Avoid driving into DC at all costs. Parking is expensive when you can find it. Use Metro and shoe rubber. Bring water jugs and pack lunch, if you can, but lots of good little eateries in area. ("Keep Washington Green... Spend Money") +The National Aquarium is in Baltimore (as are lots of other neat things to see and do, another thread), but in DC there is a small Aquarium in the basement of the Commerce Dept. It's free (or was) and worth an hour of air conditioning on a hot summer day. +"Smithsonian" includes many, many museums and exhibits including the A&S, the Nat. Zoo, most of the Art (Hirschorn, Portrait,etc.).All free. +Air & Space Museum on the Mall , Udvar-Hazy A&S addendum is out in Chantilly, VA. Free adm. Special Metrobus from the Mall, or drive. Lots of REAL aircraft in each, ya pays yer money and takes yer cherce. ***Now Metro::: As I said, buy the passes in advance, parking is available at most of the outer Metro stations (check your map), but the space gets eaten up early by commuters. Legality and Irony: the All Day Pass doesn't start until 9:30am, but by then the lots are often 110% full. There is a section marked "Reserved". In this section, folks pay extra for a special permit. The spaces are 'permitted' until 10am, then anyone can park there. And if you want some adventure, get a Metrobus and Ride-On and Fairfax Connector Bus maps to get around. All Day Bus Transfer is $3.00 cash, buy'em on the bus. Parking is $4.00 per day. Credit cards accepted at the Stations. ++++White House? Capitol? Congressmans Office? DO NOT take your pocket knives. They will be confiscated. You CANNOT leave them with the guard.He/she WON'T keep them except permanently. +++Use the Buddy System, carry watches, make firm plans to meet HERE at THIS TIME. Gas is presently $2.78 per gallon in my Maryland Cheap Station. Wear the uni everywhere you go, and accept graciously when some old man pays for the whole Troops ice cream. Happened to me. Good luck and Good Scouting. See you on the Metro, mebbe.

""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 Go" (Camporee, Webelos weekend, Cub Activity Day, CSDC,etc.). * As the Cub progressed,The Pack provided the Cub with the awards, beltloops, rank patches,neckerchief, new rank book, and some stickers for fun and PR. This was for convenience and accountability and wow, look at all the neat new stuff at the awards ceremnoy, small as it might be, and we had awards at every Pack meeting. The family provided the uniform. Going to the Council Store was seen as a hassle for the parent, so the Pack Committee kept up a reasomable store of stuff in the Pack closet. So our income came from PopCorn sales (yeah, it's expensive and doesn't seem to have the panache of GS Cookies, but the boys learn alittle about sales and responsibilty along the way if it's pursued right. "It supports the Cub Scouts"), dues, and the occassional car wash and bake ssale. We always seemed to have enough in the treasury but never too much.

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, sliced in rings, 1/4 inch thick) One layer carrots (three or more big ones, scrubbed clean, top and point off, sliced 1/4 inch thick. Do it at an angle if you feel gourmet...) Put skillet on bed of coals or medium fire, cover on. Wait 30 minutes. do not peek. Dutch oven, do not top coals, heat from below. Salt & pepper to taste. Catsup will only improve it. Barbecue sauce at your peril. Do not tell your cardiac surgeon. Sit back and regale your Scouts with tales of the past...

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 compared and measured. Finally we discovered that the wall was about an inch out of line from the bluprint. No problem, we just adjust the ceiling and floor a little. After the plaster and paint are up, who'll know? Said the old fellow as we tore the wall down to the joists: "I'd know". What do YOU know?

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 striking top edges, etc. (lots of etc.!)

" 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 really upset folks when they insult you? Don't return epithet with similar, instead correct their usage. The literal, accepted meaning of the words is often IMPOSSIBLE, if not undesirable. Adult leaders do what? Set examples to follow... "Get your curly, greasy haired head over here and bring the rest of you with it!" "Man, this knife is really poor. Dull enough to pound nails". "Jeff, if Mr. K asked me to point out the best fire builder in the Troop, I'd ask you to come over and then say 'look for someone who doesn't look like this'". ((overheard))

" 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 in the fall, but usually don't all fall off. Pretty red berries. Everything about the plant is affective, and can cause the rash: roots, leaves, stem, berries. Your dog can give you the rash after his romp in the woods. Your boots can give you the rash when you tak'em off. Your pant legs can give you the rash when you pull'em off. Double the amount of detergent when washing affected clothing. Wash hands and the rest of you with the strongest soap and hottest water you can stand. Pretend you are a surgeon, going into surgery and you don't dare touch anything for fear of contamination (!true!). Once the toxin is washed off, the blisters will not spread the rash, but being sure the toxin oil is eliminated is hard to judge, so often folks will think the rash spreads itself. The liquid in the blisters, when and if they break,(don't encourage that, bacterial infection can happen) should be carefully dabbed off with a clean cloth or paper towel. Some say the blister liquid will spread the rash, I think not, but washing the oil off before it can really soak into the skin is important. Really bad occassions should seek medical help, especially if it is around the face or genital areas. The rash will show up within 12 hours or less, if it is to happen at all. Wash as soon as possible. Calamine lotion, Ivy Dry, other OTC stuff will help dry the rash and sooth the itch. Folk medicine says Jewel Weed rubbed on the rash will neutralize the toxin (no opinion there). Yep, and my dad could pull it up bare handed too with out effect. Brrrr, I get itchy just thinking about it. Oh, the irony of God's creation.

Once more into the breech, dear friends... My stint as a Chaplain at the '05 Jamboree was very rewarding and educational. I was most gratified to see men (and women) of various faiths (no Presbeyterians for some reason) working together to help each others faith. Catholics and Methodists help set up worship space for Muslims. Quaker and Jew went to visit the Scouts in the hospital. Mennonite and Greek Orthodox took water to the Troops. I did notice some gnashing of teeth among a few when Icons were transported for Orthodox services and it was interesting when the Quakers asked the Episcopals to turn down their PA during Sunday services because it was really loud from across Fish Hook Lake. (turned out the facilities crew had put the amplifier in a locked box and it couldn't be touched! But the E's just stood further back from the mike, so it worked out). 'Course, if what this thread is trying to do is DEFINE God, well, I don't think the thread is/will be long enough. Everyone chooses a religion/belief based on three factors: Their family's basis, their own experience, the outside world's influence.And the old saw about there being no athiests in fox holes probably isn't true at face value. Everyone finds their own way to or away from G(g)od as they must and as circumstances dictate. But I try to testify about the truth of my experience as best I can to them that ask me. From B-P:::: ""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. There may be many difficulties relating to the definition of the religious training in our Movement where so many different denominations exist, and the details of the expression of duty to God have, therefore, to be left largely in the hands of the local authority. But there is no difficulty at all in suggesting the line to take on the human side, since direct duty to one's neighbour is implied in almost every form of belief."" (Aids to Scoutmastership, 1919) AND... ""By their fruits ye shall know them"" AND... "The humble, meek, merciful, just, pious, and devout souls are everywhere of one religion; and when death has taken off the mask they will know one another, though the diverse liveries they wear here make them strangers." = William Penn = "It is a sad Reflection, that many Men hardly have any Religion at all; and most Men have none of their own: For that which is the Religion of their Education, and not of their Judgement, is the Religion of Another, and not Theirs." ==William Penn== from "The Fruits of Solitude" As a nascent UC, I have been given the assignment to help with the formation of 2 Cub Packs, a Scout Troop and Venture Crew at two Muslim Centers/Associations. The CRs assure me they see nothing in conflict between the goals and vision and methods of Scouting and the Q'ran. Pray for us... YiS

What they said... My only complaint was that I had some great ideas but THEY wouldn't let me ticket'em because they were for CUB SCOUTS (specifically the Day Camp) and I am a registered BOY Scout leader. But it's all good. Even tho I have been the First Assistant Everything Else to the CSDC Director (wife), for the last three years. Sooooo (as my Math teacher would say) fall back, dig in, and save the equipment.And then, because of the range of my tickets, I had to CHANGE my Leader status from ASM to UC! I was fine tuning the last of the tickets at 1pm on the Sunday of the second weekend. That was three months ago. One ticket is almost automatically finishing itself (can't believe it), the others are in various stages of needing attention and soooo I must get off the computer. Trust in the Spirit.

Lessee now... 600 miles, say,12 plus hours driving (breaks for lunch, potty, sightsee) 40 plus Scouts/Scouters, mebbe 10 cars, (okay, 8. Minivans. ) Gear on roofs, under seats, in trunks, one adult driver per car, driving the whole way BOTH ways. Can't convoy, must plan on meeting up periodically or just meeting at the camp at the end. Cell phones, walky talkys? Federal Mileage allowance in 2005 was $0.48 1/2 per mile (make it realistically $.75/mile. (Not everyone drives a Prius). Including gas+oil+insurance+depreciation+amortization+tolls+wear&tear. 600x.75= $450. per car. 4 or 5 people per car? 6? 7? tight. Bus driver is pro. Likes what he/she does. Will go, stop, adjust the trip as you wish. Bus is spacious. Potty on board. TV for watching "Follow Me Boys". Cushy seats. Big windows. Gear stowed in the bottom hold. Lead songs. Sell snacks and drinks. Play cards. Boys ride in something other than the family Taurus. Write SM memoirs. "The wheels on the bus go round and round..." Somebody else cleans the bus at the end. Don't see any down side. I think at $120. a piece is very reasonable for peace of mind, sleep deprivation recovery, Troop/Scout socializing, econonmy (8 or ten cars off the road), even at the bus' 5 or 6 miles per gallon of diesel. Mebbe the driver is a Scout and can stay over? I had a friend at work who REFUSED to ride in any car unless SHE drove. Many a time she drove by herself to many activities. She was a safe, courteous driver, friendly and helpful, and we rode readily with her, but she-would-not-ride with anyone else. One smiles and makes allowances. The SM can drive himself, some one might go with him to keep him company, and yeah, he could be the advance man. Yer either on the bus or off the bus... (was Tom Wolfe a Scout?)

I do not do 'serious' climbing, but watch alot, and have been bottom belay for my sons Troop with much direct oversight by some very experienced climbers. Retire rope conservatively... Education... Some years ago,I was given about 200' of 1/2" Plymouth "Goldline" and since I had a set of double blocks, I thought I'd use it to help move some large rocks and concrete chunks. Made a yoke, wrapped the rock, set the up block on a sturdy Oak tree branch and set out to hoist the first rock and push it over to its desired spot.( four fall, plus a pull, about 18' or so rope in each fall and about 25' in the pull). The two of us pulled and pulled (yo heave ho!!) and pulled. The four fall set didn't move the rock, but (by measurement) the 200' of rope became almost 300'!! Never knew nylon rope to stretch like that, but we had, I guess, over reached the limit of the cord! Eventually the rock moved, but , boy!

Ditto the above on my end. When Scouter .com opens, or when I click on "Today's Active Topics", the bottom activity line shows "opening page www.xvgaoke***", then shows "display picture" ((etc stuff)) and this repeats several times, before the Scouter page displays and "Done" shows on the bottom activity line. Things are very slow here, relatively. I operate from a server with a very tough fire wall, so I'm not concerned about my end, but from my experience and the above comments, something is in or trying to be in Scouter.com that shouldn't be. No unusual pictures, but still slow to display Scouter pages. Terry, How can we help?? Please don't post spam links in messages - moderator (This message has been edited by a staff member.)