SSScout

Very nice. One must remember that such artwork was hand drawn, inked and then offset printed. Such a job might be several days in production. My father was a "show card artist" way before he met mom. He's the fellow who would letter. ink, illustrate the advertisements in the store windows, or proof for the theatrical posters. I have some of his original art and lettering style books, also his stylos (pens ) nibs and brushes..... Fancy calligraphy? More's the pity , mere printing legibly is hard to come by these days.....

He has the rep. I'd loan him money.

It sounds like your Pack and Den are active, involved, "For the Cubs". That is as it should be. But the Cub Den should be the "Gang" the kid (be they boy or girl) wants to hang out with. Camping is great, gets the kid ready for Boy Scouts, but there should be other stuff for the Cub too. Go to the zoo, go to the museum, the Police Station, the dad's work site, that model Railroad, camp out on a ship (Baltimore Harbor has this), visit a County Maintenance Garage, the State Environmental Protection Agency Lab, a newspaper printing plant, the Bus Transit Garage, anywhere that is DIFFERENT than school. Organize a softball league among the area Cub Packs, go to a minor league game, pro soccer game (call for "Scout Discounts"), University Astronomy Observatory or planetarium. The Pleides meteor shower came by this past weekend, given a dark clear sky, look for those opportunities to lay on the ground and just WATCH. MiF, KiS…..

The purpose of goals is to provide an encouragement, a shove to learn and achieve and do. Back in my Scout days, I joined a Troop that went places and hiked and camped and did Scout things. The older Scouts (all boys back then, of course) did the planning and dreaming of going places they had heard of or took the suggestions of the adult leaders, who had "been there and done that" themselves to look at the calendar and meet together to decide things. We had parents and grandparents who would take the time to drive us places, sometimes LEAVE us there (!) to come back in few hours or a day or two (!!). We seemed happy to go along, and we earned rank I guess automatically, as we cooked over fires and played with map and compass, getting lost and then "found". Then a young boy joined, whose dad was career Navy, an officer. This dad came to meetings in dress whites. The Scout announced (announced!) that he would be Eagle in so many years. He had done the math (so many months in each rank). WELL.... Us older Scouts ( I counted myself such by then) realized that might make him the first Eagle in the Troop! We decided we couldn't let that happen, nice as he was. So we got together and worked together. Merit Badges. Time in Leadership. I became my Troop's first Eagle, my buddy Don the second, our young challenger was third, late (by his original schedule) about a year. Calendars are important.

The Troop and Scoutmaster mentioned need to have their fallacies put before them. The adult leaders are "selling the Scouts a bill of goods". I rather imagine the story about the swim test must hold true for fire safety, cooking, first aid and navigation. We hear of these things at summer camp, where a young Scout may be put in charge of a Skill Station or MB class, but not from a Scoutmaster? . . The false sense of accomplishment will come back to haunt them. Both the Scouts and their Scouters. Trustworthy? What does that really mean? The Troop of my Yooooth took us to a local hotel (1960's) with an indoor pool in the winter. Spring and summer, fall we were ushered to local "rich " folk that let the Scouts swim in their pools. We also had Red Cross lessons in a local Country Club pool, when we were not at Scout Camp. Looking back, I see now it took a fair amount of asking and organizing and scheduling on our parents' part. I guess they thought it was important, being comfortable and safe around the water. Thank you, mom and dad.

*sigh* "The work is done by whoever shows up." If the Pack/Troop/Crew is small, folks involved will wear many hats. If the Pack/Troop/ is large, you MAY have enough folks to parcel out the duties and needs, or you may not. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves for WHOM the committee works. The adults? Or.... If decisions need to be made, one must trust the folks that "show up" to make good decisions or else WE have to show up to help with those decisions. Voting? Consensus? Command hierarchy? Communication? We are blessed (some might say....) with email, cellphones, facebook, schmarty phones, how can we not keep in touch if we are out of town? Are there "Assistants" to take over if the "official" is not available? How often on these pages have we heard it said that the SPL needs to assign an ASPL if he can't be there? If the meetings are IMPORTANT, people will come. If they are seen as NOT IMPORTANT, why come? Who decides if it is important? In my experience, it is the "head", the Chair, in Quaker parlance, the Clerk. Their attitude is all important. If that person does not treat the meeting as important, what MUST happen? A good chair makes sure things are "covered". If he/she can't be there, don't cancel the meeting, Lord knows it's hard enough to keep a modern schedule, ask an "assistant" chair to chair the meeting. Make the decisions, Hear the reports. If you are really formal, write the minutes, approve them and "publish" them. Record who is /isn't present. Or not. It's for the Scouts. Will ANY Tenderfoot care who was at the meeting? No. He will only care that there were enough parents to drive him and his buds to the campsite. Make sure the donuts are fresh and the coffee and tea (herb? Decaff?) is hot. Make the decisions. Drive the Scouts. See you on the trail.

Our Friends Meeting (that's Quaker parlance) just opened our newly renovated Community House. The Building Care Committee , for "outside users", settled on the fee of $100. per event if you use the new kitchen, and (I have no idea how they came up with this number), $37.50 per hour for the "big room" and a "sliding scale" for the smaller rooms. We have of late had several renters, all word of mouth, for baby showers, graduation parties, birthday parties, etc. It does sound like they are treating your Troop as an "outside user".

A very nice remembrance. As we grow older, we tend to remember those that held us in their hearts, if only for a moment. Concerning that last remark, " Scouts get out of it what they put in to it. So put your whole self in and imagine the SELF that's going to come out. " , I have a t-shirt given me by my mom, it reads ""What if the Hokey Pokey is really what it is all about?"" There you go, put "your whole self in and shake it all about...."

""Character is what one does when one thinks no one is watching.""

Our CSDC theme this year was CSI, seems a little extreme....

There are still folks around here that will plant and care for a grove of Black Walnut, "for the grandchildren".... Neighbor planted a grove of Princess Paulownia with the same intention.

""In the movie "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938) starring Errol Flynn and Olivia De Haviland, list and name any and all archery safety rules disobeyed."

Well, what seems like unnecessary NOW becomes "why didn't we think of this before" . It is always so unfortunate when an avoidable death or injury proves the necessity of safety equipment. Bright yellow vests? Rope and belts on window cleaners and roofers? Anti kickback handles on chainsaws? Safety goggle in shop? PFDs? Training? Last week I had a good conversation with a Sea Scout leader friend who also teaches Coast Guard Auxiliary classes. He can tell you stories.... I recently watched an old movie on TCM. "The Solitaire Man " . It concerns a jewel thief and crooked Scotland Yard officer. The final events in the movie occur aboard an early airliner (it's a Handley Page Type 42 !) on route from France to England. The passenger compartment has light switches, windows that can be opened FULLY for ventilation (throw evidence out), cushy plush seats with NO SEAT BELTS, , NO ATTENDANT (only the two pilots), parachutes for the passengers (just in case), the pilot's compartment is unlocked (part of the conflict revolves around the passengers demanding to be taken back to France, and the pilots insisting "that's against regulations"), AND . . a door to the outside that has a simple latch handle so one of the passengers can jump out ("Excuse me, but one of the passengers just committed suicide" says a passenger to the pilot). I think prop guards are certainly appropriate for training, beginners, Scouts. While we're about it, let's close the airplane's windows, triple latch the doors, secure the pilot compartment, keep the lights on, and give the passenger compartment some attendants to help keep track of things. And peanuts. Give out peanuts.

Teach'em the proper word for an "archery lover" :: TOXOPHILITE all Cubs love a fancy word to use. I always had that on the entrance to the Archery Range: "TOXOPHILITES ONLY BEYOND THIS POINT" Be Safe, learn the techniques, have fun, take pride in your skill.

I do not favor throwing them. I would much rather the hatchet remain in the user's hand . That being said, sharp edges do stick better than dull ones. And similarly to Archery Ranges, a WIDE , ALL AROUND safety area is desired. Those tomahawks can bounce off the target stubs and travel a fur piece. "Be careful out there".

Ernest fan , too. Grand daughter Julia Seton has a website, and has republished his autobiography. A good read, I enjoy well used English.

Check with Heritage Scout Reservation, in Laurel Highlands Council, (used to be Greater Pittsburgh). Very nice, up in the mountains, so no Poison Ivy !

The times do change. People have different attitudes and desires. How to raise money for worthy causes? Raffle a goat? HA ! Back in my Neolithic childhood, my dad's Lions Club sponsored a Horse show (!) at a local dairy farm. It was a community BIG DEAL. The fence for the show ring had to be repaired and painted every year, An all day affair, 6am thru dark, dressage, six and eight horse team demo, riding clubs judged, hunter jumping, we Scouts helped out a lot. Before the Horse show, we went to (among other places. Talk about selling popcorn outside the Safeway....) the county fair and sold Lion Club raffle tickets . The prize? A Shetland pony. My friend Henry R. and I went to the county fair with the pony in Mr. Stabler's big boat of an Oldsmobile, pony sitting in the back seat (!!). The pony had a banner over his back, extolling his virtues and the price of the tickets. Henry and I took turns leading the pony, Mr. Stabler and dad sold the tickets. People bought tickets , sometimes by the dozen, sometimes by the single. Did they have a fenced yard for the pony? I never did get a firm answer from my dad what would happen if we won. We had three acres, could accommodate a pony, but would need a fence. I knew a pony would be a definite asset to the family. The winner was announced at the Horse Show. Sometimes the winner was there to claim it, sometimes not. Ho hum. The dairy is long gone, the property now a shopping center and McMansions on 1/2 acre lots. The milk in our stores is from, I think, maybe, Pennsylvania and Virginia (I think). The Lions Club is having a hard time recruiting "younger" folks to join. They still do good work and "We Serve" is still the motto, but it is harder to serve the way they used to. Sic Gloria mundi.

This is always a big question mark for me. I always choose the train if I can. It is comfortable, relaxing, "knee room" a-plenty. Every time I have taken a train somewhere, it has been , to my eye, fully loaded, at capacity. In my experience in Europe, the trains are THE way to travel between cities. Are they nationally subsidized? Absolutely. Asphalt roads are subsidized. Airports are built with public money, why not the rails?

Nice resuscitated thread. Training , if done right, has only one real goal: to open up new possibilities. If you already have the skill, the talent, training reinforces it. If you haven't been there, done that, good training allows you to see another way, it allows you to avoid having to discover, all over again, what previous generations discovered , often at risk to their lives and limb. The Scouter that has had only ONE experience may think THAT"S the only way to do it. It can be seen as going back to our own parental upbringing. How do we first think "how to deal with kids" except to remember, even unconsciously, how our parents dealt with ourselves ? The Scouts he/she meets and deals with may (or may not?) benefit from that experience. This is why we are REQUIRED to take the YPT... WB is only an option. But it gives the Scouter a chance to gain and give . Any time I train folks (IOLS, CSL Specific, SL Specific, even WB staff), I have also learned from the course takers. How many ways can you tie the bowline? How any different types of SCOUT will you meet? Do you do the same in each situation? There is a story thread on a FB that I follow, concerning a Cub that has been asked to leave a Pack because the DL cannot "deal" with him. The family (mom?) expressing the story tells how much the Cub loves Scouting , that he is "on the spectrum" and did well at summer camp and with previous DLs. Why this particular DL? Perhaps this DL knows no other way to be a DL than in one way. The DL that has many tools in his/her DL Cub tool box is truly blessed. Could WB help this DL ? probably not, but why make the Cub suffer for the lack of training/ability/experience/patience of the adult? We hope the Cub in question can find a way to continue his trail in Scouting. And perhaps the DL can gain a new appreciation and find a way to help EVERY boy/girl be a "good Scout".

It might help to know where on the uni these patches were mounted. pocket, sleeve, etc.?

I was the first Eagle in my Troop. I inched out a Scout, much younger, who had announced "publicly", that he would be Eagle in so many months (he did the math, so many months required in each rank), which would have made him the first Eagle. Us older Scouts (who had been having fun camping and hiking , not so much worrying about ranks), got together and said "we can't let this happen". So we cooperated with Merit Badge classes, service projects, activity planning. The young Scout was good, but "life happens", and he had family issues and did not meet his schedule. He became the third Eagle in the Troop. Each of us had a nice CoH. Back then, they were not so gala, mostly cookies and soda after the regular Troop CoH. Nice special candle ceremony, but not over the top as some are today. For the Troop, thru the Committee, to refuse to officially, publically, acknowledge this Scout's accomplishment borders on the criminal. Either he earned it (thru the regular channels or by appeal ?) or he did not. Either he met and fulfilled the requirements or he did not. The Scout knows, if no one else does. My self effacing Scoutson earned his Eagle, was complimented by everyone who knows him, and he said "naw, don't do anything special". That wasn't sufficient for his family and friends. So, at the tail end of a usual Troop CoH, he had his time in the spotlight, his SM made a speech, his dad made a speech, his mom pinned on his medal, and then we all went outside and ate too much BBQ. Your Scout needs his time in the spotlight. If you are not too far away, I'd even be willing to come up and speechify some encouragement. See you on the trail.

in One of the good things about Scouting (at least it is SUPPOSED to be one of the good things) is that a Scout can earn the next rank at his own speed, in his own way, how he wants... The requirements are what they are. If there are truly mitigating circumstances (physical, emotional), the requirements can be adjusted. But to what extent? The Scout Leaders (even the District and Council) need to consider seriously how those requirements should be eased or adjusted. Hiking? Is the Scout wheel chair bound? Swimming? Nature ? Is the scout visually impaired? It is the summit of judgement calls how the Scout Leader makes that call. If a Scout earns a rank, a badge, he/she should realize that every other Scout earned that rank, that badge, by demonstrating or accomplishing the same skills and goals. The Troop and the Scout in question need to remember that "A Scout is Trustworthy". Nothing is learned or gained if the requirements are short changed or earned by "blackmail" or behind the scenes "deals". The Scout in consideration (and his parents?) here need to be reminded of the above. If the Scout cannot, for whatever reason, camp by himself or with another Scout, a peer rather than an adult "partner", than he has not fulfilled that requirement. (next thing, is that a requirement?) . He may (MAY !) earn that rank later than other Scouts. So be it. I know of a Scout that bridged from Cubs, joined the Troop, had lots of fun, camped, hiked, and was not awarded First Class Rank (won't go into the details) until he was 17. He did not earn Eagle, but he was a Scout in every sense of the word. He is now a cashier in a local bank. Is it possible that too much is being made of this one Scout's possible immaturity problem? It is , ultimately, his problem , and not the Troops. All we , as Scouters, have is a responsibility to create and encourage OPPORTUNITIES. Not every kid will avail themselves of those opportunities. So?

Chesapeake Bay, Sea Nettles. A small jelly, but painful still. If we met with a Nettle's tentacle, we were told to keep actively swimming, and get to shore; unless we were on the Mile Swim, in which case, keep on swimming, unless we were really disabled.In that case, climb in the escort boat. I do not remember (fifty plus years ago, wow !) if vinegar was mentioned. Vaseline was mentioned for prevention, rub it all over, but I never knew a Scout that did that.

10 x 12 tarp, rope, stakes. Clean an area of ground from sticks, rocks etc. (especially those etcs. they can be mean...) . Lay tarp out and stake down the 10' side, and 4 ' wide. Fold over the remainder, two tallish stakes, 3' high. rope stretch out the tarp, fold over again the remaining 5' to cover the original 4' on the ground, two more 3' tallish poles, stake and rope and pegs, voila, shelter for your bag, and pack. Groundcloth, tent in one.