SSScout

Well, the breakfast was good . AFTER I saw the red jacket....😉 Yer only as old as yer feel. I sometimes feel pretty old, sometimes not so. I still want to know if he can start a fire. I searched, but could not reveal the video of Surbaugh at a local camporee starting his fire with F&S....

Can he start a fire with flint and steel?

The letters were addressed to the Eagle BOR, presumably. As such, they are part of that record. My Eagle recommendation letters (cuneiform on clay tablets) were copied to me by the original writers. But , alas, I somehow did not save them. Perhaps your nascent Eagle could ask the original writers for copies, if they will, good. If not, there may be a reason, and don't push it !

BigDale: If you can PM me a clean email/phone number, if you are willing, I will include your contact info and desire in the local White Oak District Scout Stuff News I send out here in the NCAC.

Gas stations... My parents loved to travel we did a lot of "road trips" as I was growing up, all east of the Missississippi. I had a notebook, I collected names of gasoline brands ! And BIG hamburgers.... Might Mo, Sir Loiner, Big Boy, Esso, Penns Oil, Indian, that sort of thing.

Bizarre. Is there more to what was stolen? How does one "fence" oversize Scout uniforms?

Le V: Didst see my PM, didst?

What we deal with here is three categories of "things"... 1) What is REQUIRED. **Legalities (localities, zoning, county, state, national). **BSA required. (YPT, rank requirements to be awarded a patch/certificate/knot/etc. /bling). **faith/health/conscience ("A Scout is....", what is physically possible) 2) What is POSSIBLE . **financially (not legally, tho a consideration), **physically (I can't reach that high, run that fast, see that well) 3) What is AVAILABLE. ** enough people? **Big enough property for that activity? ** Who forgot the haybales? **at work, we called this "knitting" . Using what was available to do what was needed. This has to do with OPPORTUNITIES. This is all we do as Scouters, offer OPPORTUNITIES. For the kids, for the adults, for each other. If the OPPORTUNITIES aren't there (camporee, Woodbadge, Philmont, Bugling Merit Badge, CPR/ADE training, Mobile Climbing Wall (the Scouterhorn!), what else is there? If the OPPORTUNITIES (KiS MiF) aren't there , for kids to learn, practice, fail at and then succeed at, see that "AHA !" moment for themselves, why are we having this conversation? If the LDS folks see their faith as requiring them to develop a new program for their kids, then God Speed to them. BP had a vision and we are the result of that vision, are we not? "All Scouting is local" absolutely. Hike, camp, pray, carry water, cut wood.

*sigh* Once again, one of us has proven the rule that "those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." BSA has a YP (really AP) training regime that has been lauded by many an expert. Anyone successfully taking this training MUST become aware of the many consequences of some particular action. If the past can be taught as history from which can be learned, we have succeeded. Some actions are less onerous than others. Some more personal than others. This one was both personally unwanted and publically recorded and published. It is like the internet. NOTHING on the internet can ever be considered totally, forever private.

Yeah, it was slow in the old days.... that chop chop chop noise of the chisel on stone always bothered me..... Then cuneiform on soft clay was invented, much more agreeable to the ear....

And here too: Maybe they need the "offishul" training:

Maybe they can start with the "offishul" training. Usually, it is the SM and ASMs that need to back off....

Christmas/Holiday wreaths . . . . Troop 759 (male!) and 7592 (female!) will be offering their last stock (sold the heck out of THAT semi load) of their Holiday Décor at the Olney Maryland Farm and Artist Market, TODAY, Sunday, 8 December starting at 11am.... Some BIG fancy wreaths, more sedate styles, and small plantable shrub table top evergreens (Norway Spruce?) available. Come on out . . . The market also features farm produce (seasonal) and lovely craft/art material... The website sez they close at 1pm, but it will be open past that time...... Near the MedStar Montgomery Hospital, On Maryland Route 108 between Maryland Route 650 (New Hampshire Ave) and Maryland Route 97 (Georgia Ave.) https://www.olneyfarmersmarket.com/

Coding? Enigma? Pigpen cipher? Oh wait... WITRAN, FORTRAN, COBOL, BASIC, those don't count anymore ? Worlds on top of worlds.....

Well, maybe not "move on", just take on the real COR responsibilities. and... Maybe to start a ScoutsBSA Troop? Female? Council chair for the XYZ committee? District Camporee organizer? District eNews writer/composer/editor?

What Jameson76 said... The COR is the voting (!) member of the Council , and as such can have a very important role in Council policy and operations. It is sad that most CORs do not take THAT role seriously. This has led to many after the fact mini scandals in some BSA Councils. Since the COR is the COR for ALL the Scout units sponsored by your CO, maybe a conversation with the Troop leadership, too? Are they having any complaints there? I think a friendly sit down with the COR and some other parents might be good, clear the air, etc. Maybe include your Unit Commish, if you have a loyal one, ? Coffee and peach cobbler ?

Yep. This has been a favorite of mine. I use it sometimes as a lead in for a before meal grace.

""When I was 14, my dad was so dumb I was embarrassed to be seen with him. When I turned 21, I was amazed at how intelligent the old man had become in just 7 years." = Mark Twain = Yep, some kids are like that. I recommend two troops also. Let the older Scouts learn from watching the younger ones. Unless, thru your interviews, you learn some of them are "Instructors". Then, if they are awarded the patch, they'll need a Uniform to wear it on ! When things go right, praise the heck out of'em. If the tent is set up badly, say "ummm, maybe if we do this...." do not chastise, only encourage.

Yep. Mine is made of 2x4...

The topic is "recruiting for Scouting". If the folks on this eDebate are , as I must assume, of the opinion that Scouting is one of the best opportunities a kid may have , one must consider three things: 1) What is "Scouting" ? What EXACTLY sets this activity apart from , say, 4H, MYF, Boys/Girls Club, school drama club, intermural football, SoccerUSA, etc. ? 2) How would any kid (and his parents?) learn of this "special" opportunity? 3) How can we , old fogies, help with #1 and #2 ? And yet NOT limit #1? Let's get personal. I joined a Cub Scout Pack , and earned my Anklyosaurus badge thru the encouragement of my parents, I went on to Boy Scouts because I liked the fun and (didn't call it this back then) "safe adventure" and gained some good friends. My Scoutson Joe joined because mom and I encouraged him, and it seems to have stuck. I was active thru school in dramatics, band, debate, other stuff. These activities didn't set up tents and cook over an open fire or learn how to bandage a bloody (ketchup! ) broken leg.... The popular video made and presented by the South African Scout Association (boy saves young girl from surf, which morphs into the dad saving the daughter...) is the kind of thing I mean. I can truthfully say I have only had to remember first aid and CPR once in my life, but once is enough. Knowing the skill gives one the courage to step in and deal with situations that others might only stare at. The fun part that lets the kid WANT to stick around and learn the DANGEROUS part. That has to be included to. SO, let's interpret the 3 things another way.... 1) A good program that encourages the youth to have that "safe adventure", become confident in their ability to deal with strange activities (chopping wood? Lighting fire and using it to cook one's food? Finding out that yep, I can hike 5 or 10 or 20 miles in a day, I can give a name to that tree, that animal, I can solder a pipe and tie up a canoe that I will later paddle down a lake). One can gain knowledge and confidence thru 4H and Pop Warner football, but as was said above, staying out of a permanent house for 2 or three or ten days can affect one's unconsciousness, differently. So: #2: Personal invite, media attention, publicity, If the world around us has a certain opinion of Scouting, gleaned from some unfortunate events, these can be, MUST be countered by touting the good stuff. We do not say all of America needs to be abandoned due to a few unfortunate events, we look around and smile at the good stuff and work to correct and make the unfortunate stuff impossible in the future. 3) Us "old dinosaurs" as one of my friends termed us, need to step up whenever we can and share our experience, our memories, our hopes with the young whipper snappers (they don't snap whips any more. We need a new metaphor). Go out and teach IOLS, BALOO, NAYLE, Share Totin Chip and Whitlin Chip . Help with CSDC as Scout Skills Pavilion, Archery Range Officer, be the "First Assistant Everything Else" that the CSDC Director needs. To mention a well known story, we can help a few starfish... I will now share a "pithy saying" . This is from a man who lived 200 plus years ago, and I try to remember his prayer often. Stephen Grellet: ""I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it for I shall not pass this way again.

Well, ye're only as old as ye feel... I only include mention of the Shileleigh because folks ask about it after I unveil my sharp tool collection and speak of sharpening and chopping and such. I do not promote it, for sure. Occasionally, I even get a nascent SM trainee who wants to try out my two Scout crosscut saw. Once (once!) at a Webelos Weekend, , I was able to convince a Troop to set things up, let the Cubs cut cookies out of a log, the Troop had a fire set up to heat a small branding iron to write a "TXYZ " in the cookie for a souvenir. Haven't been able to arrange that again. Dempsey's in Ashton, homemade peach cobbler, you name the time..... . PM me?

Thankee, matey... I hope ye got the gist of my total comment about ruining an axe with the "safe" method of splitting bolts. Yep, they call it the Shilleliegh Method. I do not recommend it , but have to mention it in the IOLS training. I gave the Troop a fiberglass hafted axe I bought as an experiment, I encourage them to use that. It would need to be ground down for about an hour to get it sharp enough to actually cut wood, it is so dull in profile, but it makes a good "hand wedge". And the handle will never be broken by over swinging or being run over by a truck....

So did I. Present situation does not permit. But here are the guidelines.... How to Heat with Wood for Free! It is easy to heat your home for free with wood! I have done it for many years , and I have been asked by many to detail the economics of it. Here, then, is my accounting of heating with wood over the last few years! Wood is available for free from many sources. Neighbors may need a tree cut down. Road crews leave wood by the road for picking up. Untended lots need thinning. One just needs a little equipment. Build wood rack from scrap lumber : FREE! Install catalytic equipped wood stove, double wall stove pipe: $3,432. Purchase chainsaw, case, chain oil, hardhat, safety goggles, Kevlar chaps & vest, heavy gloves, wedges, maul for splitting, : (“on special”!) $644.95. Two gallon gas can and 2 gallons of gas: $10.48. Buy old second hand pickup from cousin: $850. Rebuild engine, new clutch, new tires, pass state inspection, tags, title, insurance: $3,347.85. Pay fine for cutting wood without a permit on park land: $250. Replace rear window in pickup (threw log thru it): $87. Sharpen saw chain after hitting rock in tree crotch: $15. Buy 2 extra saw chains: $63.05. Repair neighbor’s roof edge after maple fell the wrong way: $327. Repair chainsaw after using regular gas in it (needs 2 stroke mix): $98.47. Buy two gallons gas and pint of 2 stroke oil: $10.48. Doctor visit after wood rack falls on foot: $20. Copay. Crutch rental: FREE (local service club) Clean rug and smoke damage when wife forgets to open damper: $180.28. Lawyer visit, recommendation of marriage counseling: $250. As you can see, it is easy to heat your house with wood for FREE! Of course , not everyone is as adept at wood cutting as some, so your experience will no doubt be different. Good Luck !

Why be so limited.... Make it a whole state: https://www.cornhuskercouncil.org/programs/activities.html/article/2017/12/14/big-idea-2018