SSScout

Scoutteg83: I have no doubt that your Troop can have a wonderful time, learn the Scout stuff they should have as a Scout's legacy, if you have a suitable "Property" , parents willing to do what needs to be done, and the desire to let go and let your Scouts be Scouts. The planning, and execution of such an endeavor can only add to your friendships and memories. Way back in protozoic Scout time, my Troop's dads and (I guess) moms decided to sponsor a summer camp for our Troop. Somebody's brother's cousin owned some property up by Germantown MD. We soon were camping there on weekends. A spring was discovered and it was dug out, capped with a big concrete culvert and top, and a pipe inserted that provided good water. The stream that ran thru the valley was blocked sufficiently that we had first a place to cool food stuffs and then, further down, was dammed up to give us a deep spot to splash in if not actually swim. A privy was dug, and yes, Scouts dug that. Next, a three sided Adirondack (we learned that name) was built into the hillside with old phone poles. ( Mr. Atwell worked for the C&P Telephone company !) The old phone poles he obtained (!) were dragged in with Mr. Leaman's old war surplus Jeep. That became Mr. McDaniel's Quartermaster's cabin. He always had a cream seperater full of "Bug Juice" for passing Scouts. During our summer week stays, our Patrols would visit there everyday to draw our food supplies and such. It was a little more than a quarter mile hike into the camp ( I measured it for my Surveying Merit Badge) from the parking area, which itself was a couple of miles in on dirt roads from the paved ones. Everything came in on someone's back, or the Jeep. "The Property", as it was called, developed with two Patrol campsites on each side of the stream, with a bigger clearing for a Troop Campfire and "Scout's Own". On the west end, was a knocked down grove of dead American Chestnut, "the Dead Forest", where the nearby Patrols collected the best firewood for camp cooking. Chestnut burned with a blue hot flame, I have never seen the like since. We cooked or we went hungry. We drank water, reconstituted Tang, dry milk and hot cocoa. Mr. Walters taught us how to cook an entire pound of bacon in one pan all at once. We learned to work for and with each other, or we learned who we could NOT depend on, and thus charity. Other than the "official" Scout camps , and Philmont, I think we Scouts went to "the property" at least every other month, no matter the weather. We knew we could always hike and camp at "the Property". A one or two week long summer stay there was operated every summer of my later Scout career. In my collection, I have the woggles we made labeled "CF" for "Camp Freedom" . The Troop utilized The Property for many years after I moved on into adulthood, but was eventually sold, at least part of it, to a religious retreat center. I went up there with Scoutson, some years ago, and found the ruins of the cabin, and the concrete cap of the spring, now sunken into a marsh area. Scoutson often mused he would've liked to have been in "my" Troop. Scoutteg83, I can think of no better , more wonderful project than the one you envision. Good Scouting to you.

((with apologies to George M. Cohen)) Johnnie, wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands cough into elbows, in elbows , in elbows. Gotta kill the virus,, you and me you and me Hurry right away No delay, wash today show that your dad and mommy’s lad knows just what – to – do… separating kid from crew….. Over there, over there Move away, move away, over there Keep your social distance, your social distance, With rubber gloves your hands aren’t bare… Don’t be a boob, sip lots of soup, When they ask take them to task ‘ don’t fly the coop… School’s abated, look’s like we’re fated To stay home and watch all the re-runs on the tube. Joanie wash your hands, wash your hands wash your hands. Joanie show the crowd how to sneeze not so loud, Right into your elbow sleeve That’s where the cough should go , you know Over there, over there, stay away , way away Over there, Til it’s over, pandemic’s over, then we will get back and gather over HERE..

And how were the Bechtel folks included in all this? When the Summit was being dreamed/designed/built, the story I heard (files somewhere)was that Bechtel gave (?) $25M to purchase the reclaimed strip-mine site from WbygodV and then another umpteen million for the construction, roads, infra structure etc. How is this included, or were we misled?

NCAC canceled all Scout events until 30 April. Maryland governor closes all public schools and Maryland college system. Scout District decided to cancel/postpone/reschedule all upcoming events (District PWD, SMS training, Camporee....). Hunkering down time.

Often wondered if one could realistically do Totin' Chip with Wii.

Not specifically BSA related, but our Church has noticed a decided downtick in summer camp registrations. Usually get reservations thru February and March. Not so much at present.

Oh, that is wonderful. 26 mile hiking around the deck of his ship. The SS Leviathan, was it ? Google is your friend: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Leviathan 950 ft long, 100 feet beam. Say, a rectangle 8oofeet long by 80 feet wide, equals 1760 feet into 26 miles.....

Thank you.

This Scouter is acronymically challenged. OEF EOD?

Better visibility ? More notice of How Scouting Improves the Community ? ** Signage outside of meeting places "" Scout Pack/Troop/Ship/Post meets here …… "" **Help your Scouts to not be embarrassed to "BE " a Scout. Wear the tshirts. Wear the Scout Caps. Do the School flag raising. Set up a model campsite at "Back to School Night" (yeah, even in middle and high school). I drive a charter bus for schools sometimes. When we are going to a camp, there will be lots of gear to load. I will ask, "have I got any Scouts out there?" and when the three or four hands go up, I know I've got some expert help in loading. I make sure they get noticed ! *** Wear the Scout stuff your own adult self. Start the conversation when someone askes about your jacket or belt buckle or cap. *** Sure, volunteer your Scout and units for community stuff. Street fairs, county fairs, road cleanups, and make sure the Media know about it.... "How come no one joins our unit"? ask your Scouts. It is NEVER about why they join. It is about why they STAY.....

Yep. Saw this notice too. Waited a day, here I am , alone again with you.....

Well, that is not what was meant. True, no one HAS to follow BSA training guidelines outside of the world of BSA . The Scouting Rules may not have any BSA consequence outside of Scouting, but they can still help guide one's actions . What was it the philosopher said, common sense ain't so common? Protecting one's reputation and safety is a good thing no matter where one is. This is why most schools and offices and sunday school buildings now have windows in the doors (think back. Did your class room have a window in the door? ) and ask that the teachers not be alone with students or office mates. Not make sense? Not practical? As a Sub Teacher, I had to continually ask myself what the possible ramifications of my actions might be. What I said to a student and when and where I said it. I was once saved from a serious accusation by having more than one student at the scene. Why? because BSA YPT made me think about not being ONLY one on one. Safe Swim Defense? How does that not lend itself to good pool management? If you think about it, the history that is learned HOPEFULLY becomes enshrined in better practice. BSA YP when I joined as an adult was already being improved and had become a model for many other youth programs, church insurance programs and such. Not practical? Seat belts in cars were once thought to be "not practical". But they do save lives and so are now required. Doesn't make sense? The Titanic did not have enough life boats because "it didn't make sense". The Titanic was designed unsinkable and if there was a problem, the boats would be used to ferry folks to the (certainly)close by recue ships. Things are only "impractical" and "don't make sense" to folks that never have any problems with the rest of the world. When I was a Scout, I learned the Chest Pressure Arm Lift technique of Artificial Respiration. Even then, the USArmy was experimenting with mouth to mouth CPR. Since those days, I have learned no fewer than 4 distinct methods and each has been an improvement on the previous. The CPR method and rhythm I now know has only been needed once in 50 years. I was glad I knew it. I used it OUTSIDE of BSA. David CO, you are right to question the need for using YPT outside of BSA, but you might reconsider the comparison of life in BSA vs outside. Which might be "safer" now, with our newer training requirements? Which could benefit from the other? See you on the trail.....

Hooowee doggies. That's alotta fried sweet bread.....

Yes, BSA YP rules are there to protect the Scout AND the Scouter. They make good sense. And, like most all of the Scout rules (Promise, Law, G2SS, Safe Swim Defense, Totin' Chip, la la la....) they make sense outside of Scouting too. If you are "outside" of Scouting (back yard Nerf war ?) the ramifications may be different, but the ideas are the same, yes? Transparency, witnesses, safe behavior (nerf war? Don't aim for eyes, etc. ) , it all boils down to the same thing. Playing the "What If Game". We have the Safe Guides in the front of all the Handbooks for that purpose. Yes, some parents do not want to have "that" conversation with their urchin, but BSA makes the reminder. And it is at the very least THOUGHT about. Progress is made, protection is gained, someone is unknowingly saved . My Scoutson (hey, he's almost 26) says he embarrasses himself sometimes when he encourages the older guys he works with to be more careful with the log splitter and axes and tractors and combines. But he thinks he has made them more safety conscious thereby. Third, maybe fourth hand lessons passed on? Same with YP Guidelines..... They are intended to "make ya think."

Okay, I just love it.... Here's the discussion from several years back. I won't look for the reference. Scout has a yard that he mows (a Scout is Helpful) for the family, part of his chores. It's about an acre. Walking/pushing the mower (yes, it is a power mower, but not self propelled) it takes him about an hour and a half. Good aerobic exercise. The US military says a soldier with full kit in good shape should be able to cover about 4 miles an hour. Let's say a Scout can do 3 miles an hour with a light daypack (water, snacks, binoculars, bird book, poncho, first aid kit, etc. ) . Is it fair to say our lawnmowing Scout has covered 4, maybe even 5 miles in his hour and a half? If he carries a day pack while he tours his family lot, can he count that toward any Hiking Mileage Score ? And while we're at it, what is the Metric translation for "mileage"? Kilometerage?

Now, of course, thinking G2SS, camps up in the mountains have advantages over camps on the Bay. Up in the mountains: No Poison Ivy, No Sea Nettles…..

So ? This is nothing new to the BSA . Irving has, in the past, encouraged local BSA Councils to "downgrade" to make payroll and keep the endowment coffers full. Can we say Owasippee, again? The idea that it is cheaper, easier to NOT own the source of the organizations success (places to camp, hike, swim, boat, shoot arrows) is one of my biggest head shakers. If the camp is not paying it's way, that is the fault of "management" not promoting and offering it's use to both Scouty and "civilian" users. God ain't making any more land. Once it's sold to development , it' is never coming back. Even if the camps are sold (??) to a government agency for a park or conservation reserve, it is never a Scout Camp, again. Some years ago, NCAC sold it's four camp properties and purchased what is now the 4,000 acre Goshen Reservation, wayyyyy down in VIrginia. It has been developed nicely, but it is some distance away. The closer in camps became the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, the Maryland Calvert Cliffs State Park, a County Park, a housing development and another small state wildlife preserve area. I was just a Scout back then, had no say in things like that, but I now wonder how things might be now, 50 years later, if Camp Roosevelt still sat on the Chesapeake Bay.

Idea is good. Execution is the key here. *Informational signage, somewhere , for public. Why, how, what. *Why did the beneficiary ask for/approve this? Did the Scout approach them? * We have a brush pile in the back of our Meeting House, in the south end of the Graveyard. Seems to serve the same purpose. We add tree limbs and such to it, groundhogs, rabbits etc, use it. Deer use it. When it gets too big (define that !), we rent a chipper and grind it up to mulch the trees and shrubs. And the pile is started again, maybe four, five years later. How is this purpose built "to blueprint" log/brush pile different? * I like the above comment, is this the ONLY pile being created? * As to the money, yeah, feed the workers and , appropriately, the remainder (if any !) goes to the beneficiary. * Conservation Project patch? Messenger of Peace patch? Hornaday beginning?

Well, who/what are "our" competitor(s) ? BP Scouts (BPSA)? Royal Rangers? Campfire? Vanguard Scouts? I do not see GSUSA as a competitor, as such. Their program is complementary, not so much competatory (word?). Cookies and entrepreneurial training, officially, so it would seem. Ours is outdoorsy, not so much sell as survive.

Another corner heard from.... https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/02/19/what-boy-scouts-taught-me/

The confusion with the old LDS program versus the "regular" BSA program is unfortunate. Merit Badges.... Hereabouts, once a person fills in the four pieces of paper, including having completed the YPT, and the Personal Record Permission , they are listed with the District Dean of Merit Badge Counselors. This list is correlated with the Council, and that is that. Scout needs a MBCounselor? Check with District Dean. If the MBC counsels ONE Scout in a year, they are kept on the active list. If no Scouts in the past year, chances are good they'll be kept "active" anyway. A few years back, Council purged all lists and required ALL MBCs to sign up all over again, fresh from the word Go. Mass hysteria and confusion ensued, as one might expect. But it got done and everyone was YPT'd and signed, sealed and delivered, so to speak. Lost Blue Cards are not unusual. Recreating them is tough but doable. If the Scout is having a good time, and sees his/her time in Scouts as worthwhile (and you do too?), that's what we're here for.

Liz: Remember that your recruitment commission (what? The SMS didn't tell you about the commission for every Scout you enlist? Well. let me get my tongue outta my cheek) does not depend on ONLY AOL/Webelos crossovers. Make sure you have some notoriety in the middle schools . The School Counselors should know of your existence. Take home flyers? Ask about the backpack requirements and see your DE about getting some flyers printed up. Post cards for your Scouts to hand to their friends with an event invitation. Campfire hotdog roast, flag retirement, nature hike , something like that, easy and friendly. "All Scouting Is Local".

I think I've got the answer to the "One Hour A Week" axiom. Where did it come from? The answer is one must use the right clock. In 2Peter 3:8 we are told.... "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day."" So you see, it depends on whose clock you use.

Well, welcome back Merl. I am glad that was sorted out. Around here, a "Public School" could never charter anything, because each school is not a separate corporate entity. Such a thing would mean the County School Board (which owns the school) would be the Charter Org, and that could never happen. PTAs and PTOs are always doing such things, and people end up thinking it is the School that is doing it. Maybe a Principal might sign such "contracts" as a charter org agreement, but the BoE would pull him in quick when they found out. Our Council does have several Scout Units chartered to private or religiously based schools, but the numbers are few. I even know of a Cub Pack chartered by a family owned Hardware store.

I have no idea. This was back in 1960 to 1965. I guess a 1960 Ford Country Squire might hold two hundred dozen donuts, maybe three station wagons full ...… Mr. Richardson, Mr. Allen, Mr. DiNunno, Mr. MacDaniels…… You do the math.....