SSScout

PP, welcome to the Forums. Hope you find a comfortable virtual log around our eCampfire…. As a past Lifeguard (waaaay back), I would advise doing the gradual rather than the all at once thing. If you are a competent swimmer, get BSA Lifeguard certified first. If done correctly, you should also get a Red Cross cert too. This will naturally lead to the Waterfront Aquatics Manager Supervisor (or whatever it is called these days). You've got time. The Lifeguard thing can lead to a part time job (?) but the Supervisor thing is meant for folks that want a longer term gig. Good luck to you and your Scouts. KiS, MiF.,,

I had a good friend who lived in Alaska. His address, mailing or otherwise was "Joe Friend, 2 miles Douglas Island Rd. Juneau AA. "

Repeat after me: "There is no meal so mediocre..... "That it cannot be improved with ketchup." Even grits.

Flashlights.... D cells..... Scoutson had just crossed to Big Scouts. We said we would buy him ONE new item for his camping to celebrate. He had, for a kid of 10 or 11, been camping quite a lot, but no heavy duty, hike the AT type camping, we expected some type of "hiking" thing... He chose a 5 D cell Maglite. This thing could've warned airliners away from mountain peaks, served as a tent pole. He took it on the first Troop hike on the AT, maybe five miles into the campsite/cabin. It stayed home after that. It is presently in his kit for when he drives the snowplow for the county.

CO of course is produced, but most of a candle's production would be CO2, I think. Canvas? Yep, leaky tent. Modern, waterproof bathtub bottom, zipped up ? Not so good, unless it has a screened top and open rain fly above for ventilation. I have awoken in the morning with icicles hanging from the top of my tent back when I camped in such atmospheres. I leave that to my adventurous Scouts now.... Teepee is good. Haul wickiup behind pony. Washte... Urban BBQ ? Noon ? Friday ?

Who will buy this wonderful gluten? Such a cookie you never did seeWho will wrap it up in mylar?And put it in a box for me So I could eat it at my leisureWhenever things go wrongOr keep it in my freezer To last my whole life long ? Who will buy this old Girl Scout Cookie??It's so good, my glucose is high, Me oh my, I guess I won't eat it,So what am I to do to keep this box so blue?There must some place it can hide ? ? ?

Here's the situation: a local non-profit organization has an BIG annual event. When I say BIG, I mean thousands of people attend over a weekend. Games, stuff to buy, entertainment, food, history re-enacted, etc. etc. I attended the planning session, and yes, there will be a Scout presence, but that is not the issue here... A local Scout Troop has separately volunteered to direct traffic in the parking area. It is across the street from the event area, and there is one safe, allowed crosswalk (police/crossing guards) across the road to the event area. This Troop plans to put out a basket and "encourage" folks to "pay" for their parking direction. The Scout leader I spoke to was very honest about asking for this. They did the same thing last year, and when I approached the Scout leader about BSA not allowing the asking for donations, he said they were asking folks to pay for their "service". I still think this is asking for donations. No, there is no charge to enter the parking lot. There is an admission charge into the event area, AFTER you cross the road. When I approached the non-profit about my concern, I told them they could pay the Troop for their service (there is precedent for this in our area), they said that this was their fund raiser, they had no idea they should pay a Scout unit for this service when the Troop had volunteered to do it. I have an email into my DE about this. Comments?

Combustion in a closed tent? Have we forgotten our chem 101? Yes, the flame is a hazard worth remembering and avoiding, but I might worry more about the collection of CO2 in the confined space.

Here in the Murlin, DC area, it has been noted by many wildlife experts that we probably have more White Tail Deer per acre now than in colonial times. The environment has changed that much, folks in the suburban areas like the look of the deer. Humans have become the apex predator for the White Tail, so safe hunting is important. The Parks people schedule "cull hunts" periodically, which have gotten very popular (among humans, maybe not among the Deer). . In a similar vein, I have observed Deer stop on the edge of the highway and look before crossing the road ! There is a definite evolutionary thing going on.... Then too, I have hit deer that didn't..... so much for THAT genetic line.....

Whooo Do You Love ((with apologies to Bo Didley)): I walk 47 miles of Philmont, I use a cobra snake for a woggle, got new Scout Hut on the roadside made outta Antelope hide, it's got a little bitty chimney right on top made outta a Buffalo skull. Come on Troop Guide, take a walk with me, tell me, whoooooo do you love oh honey, whoooooo do you love....... I got a Boy Scout staff and a Woodbadge Mind, I'm just 42 and I don't mind Hiking..... Whooooooo do you love….. Come on B-P make me understand, let the boys LEAD , win all you CAN, WHOOOOOOO do you love, oh Course Director, tell me, whoooooo do you love…......

BSA Zcouts ! Girlz unite ! Boys Stand Around ! Better say alot , because somebody already believes, singly and by surely all , beautiful sisters are being summoned and beckoned, so America behoves such absolutely.

Here is one classic outline : http://www.inquiry.net/adult/recruiting.htm Publicity is your goal. Contact the local TV news, they would love to have a "human interest" story about the "NEW" (Boy) Scouts.... and , yes, there is a "local" TV news, you have to look for it. Same for the newspapers.... Good Scouting to you !

What MBs to take at Summer Camp? The ones that would be difficult if not impossible at home. Waterfront: Swimming, Lifesaving, rowing, canoeing, sailboat, motorboat, Outdoor stuff: Astronomy (clear skies?), Bird Study, maybe Geology, Nature, fishing, Map & Compass, Orienteering, Crafts? Woodworking (carve that woggle !), basketry, I have seen Sculpture done well (clay and kiln?) "other" : Hike around and explore.... Don't forget the "unofficial " MBs: **The Write a Post Card Home. When I was SM protemp one summer, I was surprised at the number of Scouts the DID NOT KNOW their own address. Write a card home? Glad I brought some, the Camp Store didn't sell post cards or stamps. **The Re-tie the Tent So It Doesn't Fall Down or Leak. Got to practice all the knots you learned back home (I hope). Pioneering introduction. ** Read the Camp Map and Bulletin Board: Yes, I do know where the Crafts Pavilion is . Do You ? ** Scout Organization Study: Sure I'm the SPL. Do I have to be the SPL at camp, too? Duty roster? This is camp, I don't have to clean up, do I?

Latin: One suggestion, it was something I had kinda known for a while, in the back of my mind, so to speak, then I read about the same idea in an article by a well known journalist.' He had, as you had, been hospitalized and went home to recover. He said , on advice from a good friend, to not dwell on the "bad" stuff, the pain, the lack of motility, but to concentrate on the positive stuff to come. And to aid in this, to watch Laurel and Hardy movies, because these were the best examples of "what COULD happen" but didn't , to him... So out came the VCR (at the time) , and in went a newly acquired collection of Laurel and Hardy flicks, and the recuperation went a lot quicker, our writer reported.... You might try the same. "Why can't you do something to HELP me....." "Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into...." "get a GRIP on it..."

Back in my High School dayz, our marching band had a fundraising drive for new uniforms. Us kids brainstormed and came up with the idea of selling "self adhesive wound dressings", and therefore the donator would be a BAND-AIDE (!) We wrote to the Johnson & Johnson company about using their named item, they wrote back, sent us boxes of "SAWDs" and we went ahead with our campaign , and presto, in about three months we had new uniforms on order....

I wasn't sure where to place this story, but I thought it might fit here. I just returned from a tour around the local Klondike Derby. The sleds were all on wheels, but the weather was cold (went down to about 15F Friday night). By all reports the Scouts had a good time. Games, races, sharpshooting contests, fire building contests..... No chilblains, nothing broken, the EMTs on site told me they had slept peacefully. While I was walking around the camp about 5pm Saturday, I came upon a BIG pile of snow next to the headquarters cabin. The Parks department snowplow had done a good job the past week. Up on the pile were four Scouts, busily engaged in excavating a tunnel. Lots of conversation, snow flying. I stopped and asked, " Almost dinner time, eh? Who's cooking back in camp?" Because in all the other campsites I had passed, the Scouts were busy preparing the stews and chili that aroma-ed the air, my intention was to find out if these Scouts might indeed should be back in camp. The tallest Scout stood up, pointed back behind him and said "My mom is cooking our dinner." I hesitated at that answer, and said, "and who is going to clean up?" At that, the four Scouts looked at each other, climbed down from the snowpile, and ran off into the woods. I continued my walk...

And have we forgotten the fate of the (2 ?) families' Scouts? Anything to report about them in this brou haha ?

What I read in the OP sounds more like the University of Scouting Catalog. I have to agree, Powder Horn (which I have not taken), should be about multi day treks outside of Philmont, canoe trips on the Shenandoah and Missouri, week long tramps on the Appalachian trial. Not rehash of First Class requirements. Gear? Food planning? Drop off/pick up or carry everything? Sanitation? Boot/sock choice? foot care, blister prevention and cure? Rain prevention? er, I mean, Rain accommodation? Advanced back country First Aid? Navigation sans battery? Those topics I would expect in Powder Horn. Messenger of Peace? Why?

Now, why was THAT important to note? Were they also all born in America? BSA training ? Guilt by association? "They all drank coffee black " ?

Google is your friend. ** Check with the local County Highway Department, ask about their "Cycling" program, if they have one. **League of American Bicyclists https://www.bikeleague.org/ (used to be League of American Wheelmen) have a program called Smart Bike, kids taught bike safety, etc. ** Effective Cycling was THE program at one time. Here is the Wikipedia about it... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effective_Cycling ** Even AAA has a Bike Safety program you can hook up with. https://midatlantic.aaa.com/traffic-safety/bicycle-safety#

I think it is an eloquent explanation of what we should strive for in Scouting. I am not so sure I could do as well. I like the way you made it as anonymous as possible. I am sure the folks involved would recognize themselves, none the less. I would go thru it and remove even veiled references ("... his son.." make it "another Scout..." ). Personally, I would add a short introduction, and say " You asked me if you were the reason I left the Troop. There were several reasons. " and go on from there. I think I would send it. Some people need to be reminded of their own humanity. You might shake some dross from their cabinets. And save the son. The downfall of democracy ? Velcro shoe fastening...…

Yep, I've seen that happen. Bummer. The Captive's Knot was supposed to be a First Class requirement, but when the HB went to press, back in the 1930's, they ran out of pages and had to cut back somewhere., I guess. Kinda like what happened with the neckerchief, why they had to make it smaller.... "they"....

Good googamooka, either he is in or he is out. What is so hard about that? Your UC and DC and DoFS (Boy Scouts?) and CSE have NOTHING to do with this. All they can do is nod their heads and say "okay" to your Pack Committee/COR's decision. This problem is for YOU, your Pack Parents, your COR and IH to solve. If he does not sign the proper papers, take the proper training, get the proper clearances, he is NOT a Scout Leader. If he refuses to "play nice" and cooperate with the other parents (your committee !) and work for the good of the Pack, he needs to be sat down with a BIG cup of coffee, and dealt with. End of story. Give him the letter. Speak with your lawyer. As for the mother, are you sure she would be a good choice? The wannabe CM will always be in the background. The resentment will always be there. She will have a difficult time too, dealing with his "controlling" behavior. I would hope you could find a proper , not tempo, CM who would be willing to "sign the papers, take the training, get the clearances, play nice " and KiS, MiF for the Cubs.....

It sure is good they had the solar charger for the Lithium batteries ….