SSScout

You Fired !!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZAt6NJWfWk

During college, I studied German, so I got a job as an assistant cook in a German restaurant. Very fun job. The owner/chef taught me her recipes. Her chicken salad was a favorite. It was made with turkey.....

Way to resuscitate a thread. Good topic, tho. "It's for the kids". Absolutely. "One of my most memorable (insert activity here) was with (insert Scout name here)." Absolutely. That's why we do what we do, some of our threads not withstanding. And so I have experience. One of the things WB is supposed to teach is the idea of "leaving a legacy". Look to my previous post , the "leaving a wake " nautical metaphor. Yes, I can have a salutatory affect on some boys, that's what I remember from my days as a Scout, the men (and women)(Dad and Mom, too) that set examples, gave me standards, applauded my successes and helped me correct my mistakes. That is one of the things I seek to do in my time as an Adult Scouter. But what about that legacy thing? How far can I spread that? I do a lot of Adult Training. I help with the Cub Leader Specific, IOLS, and Round Table., among some others. I get thank yous, and see the "aha" moments. I see I am doing something right. Maybe, just maybe, some of me goes into the Scouting that the WBer gets from me , from the IOLS course I help with. "Oh, so THAT'S how you do/respond to/manage that", and that little part of me is passed on to a Scout waaaaay over there, not only just here in the neighborhood. Look at the conversations we have here. How many of them are about successes? How many about events and incidents that should not need to be discussed here "if only" the folks involved had been "TRAINED" in the Scout Way... ? Are all WB/IOLS/CSLS/NAYLE courses the same ? Well, theoretically, yes. They all utilize the same curriculum, but "the work is done by whoever shows up". Some courses and training turn out to be superior to others. "Hey, you gotta sign up for Xxx Y's course! He's great !" All Scouting is local, despite what Irving may say, after all. "If I am doing something right, tell my boss. If I am doing something wrong, please tell me." See you on the trail.

Here is an idea I have used. Go to the local Scoutshop. Look in the leather working kit section, and you will find a leather fleur des lis (Scout symbol). Turn it up side down and squint your eyes alittle, see if you can't make out a short canoe against a paddle, if you cut off the upper (lower?) hooks. Cut off the hooks, punch a hanger hole in the "handle" of the "paddle", outline the canoe and write on the date and such NEATLY with a black ball point. Voila ! A custom canoe trip award....

""The Many Problems With Trump's Boy Scouts Speech " by Ted Genoway, Eagle ""I’m an Eagle Scout. But I’m glad my son wasn’t at President Trump’s Boy Scout speech."" https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2017/07/25/im-an-eagle-scout-but-im-glad-my-son-wasnt-at-trumps-boy-scout-speech/?utm_term=.bbc8f91e7cd8

"Stuff happens". Scoutson staffed at the 2010 Jamboree. We drove him down and helped him schlep his trunk etc. to his staff camp, and met his roomies. shook hands/hugged him goodbye and left. When we picked him up twelve days later, he was tan and fit and had stories to tell. One of them involved the number of staffers that were kicked out on the second or third day for marijuana use. He also said he was glad I suggested a padlock on his trunk, as others reported stuff missing.... Sad.

Wow, way to resuscitate an old thread. We never did hear back from onetallmama, did we? Guess we scared her off with our encouragement as to how to work her group.... And yes, Welcome @@Bridget_in_MD. I am in Mungumry County Murlin..... Or are you up near Balmer?

"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and supporting your government when it deserves it". = Mark Twain =

Here's the model for Irving's statement: From Marc Ryan, Lake Erie Council SE, the day after.... Look to the 25 July page.... https://www.facebook.com/LakeErieBSA/

Sounds like a new manager wants his fiefdom to be operated his way, make his mark, leave his org in his image. Loss of face to face? How is IOLS , WB, other training to be done? Scouting is NOT an "online " activity. It is an out in the woods activity, if you catch my drift. I was a Deputy District Commissioner, a few years back, show you my patch if you like. I was told it was a "specialized" Commish, mine was to be helping with new units, which I did. Then I was "promoted" to Assistant DC, and told the title of DDC was to be "retired" from the National lexicon. Sorry for your angst, Tahawk. Maybe they are trying to economize by eliminating underused DEs.... naw, couldn't happen. The DEs will be made Assistant Chief Scout Executives, bet. Wait a bit. They will feel the heat from the volunteers, the lack of "service" from the pro's and presto ! Eastern Service Area, Western Service Area, River Bend Service Area..... See you on the trail.......

Antique gear.... This was my Scout packframe, lashed a Yucca pack to it.... http://www.ebay.com/itm/WWII-US-Army-Marines-Packboard-American-Sea-March-1944-/232173807534 It's up in my attic. I am surprised, that when I took it to a Troop meeting for a "show and tell", none of the Scouts had any interest in it, but the Dad's mmmm'ed and nodded.... Back in 1959- 60, it was all the rage at Philmont.

""SUPPORT THE PARMIGIANO INITIATIVE >>>> MAKE AMERICA GRATE AGAIN""

Three words no Scoutmaster wants to hear: ""HEY ! WATCH THIS !!""

""We pick a week in July and hike for 7-10 days."" umm- mmm-mmm. Yep, that's the way to do it. Go south. Work with the rotation of the earth to help push you along. And, just look at the globe, heading north is always uphill...

Please hold the iPad to your shoulders and feel my back pats.... Are you hiking with anyone else? Are you headed into Maryland?

Hat courtesy... a contentious topic historically. Here, in Scoutworld, the answer is.... "It Depends " Tsk, Tsk, Tsk…. The subject of “Hat Courtesy†goes back at least 400 years. For our purposes, the short answer to the original question is… “It depends†. Back in the 1600’s, in England and in many other european countries, folks that had a hat on (and the wearing of hats had as much to do with unwashed hair as with anything else), were expected to take it off as a sign of respect to their “social superiors". There was no law about it , it was just expected, and if you didn’t you might be hauled before the local Magistrate and thrown in jail. Quakers were the first to challenge this, they chose to treat all as equal before God, and kept the hat on, even indoors.. And were thrown in jail for their timerity. So Jews wear their hats in temple, and elsewhere, “church ladies†wear theirs seemingly everywhere, oldtime male Quakers would wear their hats in Meeting (worship), taking them off only if moved of the Spirit to stand and speak a message. Sihks wear theirs everywhere, so do our Muslim brothers, if they wear any. Our military direct that theirs be doffed indoors, unless in a ceremony. Scouts? If it is "the uniform" (Cub Scout Day Camp uniform, Uni of the Day at Camp Woebegone), keep it on and salute as usual. Take it off in the dining hall, indoors, tuck it in the back belt. My Woodbadge cap kept the sun out of my eyes and rain off my head, but got tucked into my back belt when I entered the “barnâ€, my Quaker sensitivities not withstanding. I took my hat off not out of “respect†for any person, but as part of the expected routine. So, “it dependsâ€.

Hoo boy, are you in deep. Welcome to the Forums. Lion Cub eh? Remember the Cub Mantra: Kis Mif, Kis Mif, Kis Mif...... Keep it simple, Make it fun. See you on the trail....

"A Scout is Trustworthy, loyal, helpful, courteous, kind, etc. " It sounds like the Troopleadership (adults?) are holding to MOST of that list, but maybe not all. If the records are correct, and the Scout has earned the MB/rank correctly, that's good. If the actual BADGE has not yet been presented because the Scout could not (for whatever reason) attend the CoH, then some adjustment should be made. Has the Troopleadership made effort to find out WHY the Scout did not attend the CoH? We still have telephones. Knock on his door. Is he still a registered member? On the Charter list? Then he is a Scout still. Either (1) wait for the next CoH ( phone him and remind him !) or (2) Make some other arrangement (present it to him at his hospital bed?) or (3) Mail it to him. Include a letter (what a concept !) to congratulate him, remind him he is still welcome in the Troop) and wish him well. If he is no longer an "active" member (it is known he quit, moved, family is down on Scouting, ) mail the awards to him and wish him well in his future activities. When our Cub Pack fizzled out and de-chartered, I found a box of awards (ranks, Den Leader Knots, craft kits paid for/assigned/never done...) in the detritus. I made it a personal goal to find and give these out. It took some research, but oh, the surprised looks when I knocked on their door and presented the badges, sometimes more than a year late. But the person who EARNED it, received it.

A prediction: "... a really, really, great organization...."

I know some of you have "done" Philmont, done Northern Tier, done the AT for some distance. I few years ago, I was invited to walk the Camino de Santiago with a friend. He had some large changes in his life and wanted to get away, to have a different perspective for awhile. He called me his "lifeguard". I took that as a very big compliment. And so we mostly walked, carrying most of our material needs on our backs for several weeks. What is it that makes these events, call them "expeditions". so memorable , so important to a person's life? Such treks are "lived simply", taking only what we can carry. Yes, we often depend on a lot of modern technology (whatever that technology is at the time. Compass? topo map? GPS?), but it is what we carry on our back. That's all we really need, isn't it? On my Camino trek, I had my friend and many new friends met and walked with along the way. People helped us and we helped many when we needed the help. Clean Water and places to rest on our way. How complicated do we really need to make our life? We are constantly bombarded with messages about what other people think we "need". Vitamins? Shingles? Types of tea or water purification systems? Detergents? shampoo? Potatoe chips? What do we really NEED in our backpacks?

Haven't seen that here in NCAC. This is to be an "in person" meeting, not online or phone conference? ? Town Meeting? Including who? The CORs ? Anyone labeled "Scouter"? Sounds interesting to me....

A letter? What's that? When I was asked to Scoutmaster the Troop to Summer camp one year, I brought along a pack of Post Cards and stamps. One afternoon (I think it was Tuesday), I sat the Scouts down , passed out the cards and said "today we are writing home about camp". Duh.... "what should I write?" " Do I have to"? "My folks know where I am..." I wrote one myself. They were put in the camp Post office box that afternoon, they arrived home on Monday and Tuesday the next week... Would you believe , out of ten Scouts (they were 12 and up), TWO did not know their address? Pull out the record book.....

Back in 2013, the Consol bridge was a really neat design. It copies the design of Millenium Bridge in London. It was discovered that it had a possibly(!) fatal flaw, in that if too many people cross at the same time (it's a tourist attraction!) a harmonic swaying is set up. They don't even have to "march" in step to set it up. Many good documentaries about this on line... The supports of the bridge swayed many meters over the center line, actually throwing people off their feet. The Consol Bridge has the same basic design. On opening day, all of A & B camps tried to cross at the same time (it is the shortest route to the center of Jambo). Scouts ,10 across, all eager to get there, packed the bridge, walking across. As the bridge started to sway, left and right, the walkers would sidestep to catch themselves from falling, and correct the sway , but this actually reinforces it. Another Scouter and I (he turned out to be a civil engineer !) watched in amazement as the top of the vertical supports deflected almost 3 feet left and right ! We spoke with another Scouter and we closed the bridge until the bridge was empty and the sway settled down. He took some pictures. We both wrote a report about it. After the bridge stilled, we allowed one third of the "gate" of the bridge to allow Scouts across. That seemed to be okay. The bridge rattled and bounced, but did not start the back and forth . Hence my comment about "rocking" the bridge..... The Millenium Bridge was retrofitted with "dampers" and stiffeners. I have not heard if the Consol Bridge was ever "fixed". I was told it was built strong enough and wide enough to permit a small ambulance/Jeep to cross it, but that was then.

There is "Caravaning" And "Convoying". The Convoy idea is not necessary and can lead to taking chances unwarranted. "I havta keep up with the leader!". No, you don't. You have to drive safe and get there in one piece. The army may "convoy", but we ain't the army. The POTUS may drive thru DC in convoy, but we ain't him. We do not have that purpose or permission. To "caravan" implies the same idea, but to me, it means knowing the route, having some idea of a realistic schedule, and having "meet-up" places along the way, if the destination is some distance away. It does NOT mean keeping each other's car within eye shot. It DOES mean driving safely and legally. My old Dodge Caravan (four cylinders, 5 speed, 30mpg) could (and did!) carry 5 Scouts and all their gear to summer camp many times, but it could not (physically!) do over 60mph. At least not uphill.... I told folks I'd meet them there, depend on it, but I wasn't about to feel bad about not getting there earlier....

In my physiology class, right after the candle wick trimming workshop, I remember being taught that the human body had three main functions: thinking, muscle use and digestion. They said that the circulatory system usually had enough blood and exerted it's effort in supporting any two of those functions, the third would be , shall we say, toned down, put on a back burner, not be at high efficiency. Therefore, after a big meal, your thinking may be slow(er), your running/swimming/log splitting might not be at their best. Therefore, do not engage in life supporting events (mile swim? Scuba? Free Rock climbing? ) or heavy thinking (debate team? Presidential elections? Wifely discussions?) right after fried chicken picnics. Coffee, tea, a donut might not be as handicapping. But mama's pot roast, dumplings and celery sage gravy, stay on the deck for awhile before demonstrating that Olympic Butterfly. Not so much "cramps" as "lack of ability"....