SSScout

Oh, these things aren't so new. It was, let's see now... yep, 28 years ago. I was the late night Dispatcher for our bus system. I checked in the last drivers, inventoried the fleet, closed and locked up the joint, went home at , oh, maybe 1:20am if all went well. One Friday night, about 11:30pm, I get a phone call. The male voice on the other end asks, if I could answer a question about the subway system (suburban Maryland into DC) (which our busses connected to). After I asked and he told me how he got this phone number (he first called the police (!) and they gave it to him), he asked how his child could get down to George Washington University Saturday morning . The boy was going to attend a special science program. Are you going with him tomorrow? No, he will go by himself. And he has been chosen to attend this special program? Oh yes, he is very smart. When was this scheduled? He signed up about a month ago. How old is the boy? He's 15. If you are not going with him, and he is going by himself, shouldn't he be speaking to me? There was a noticeable silent pause on the line. A younger voice came on the line.... I asked, are you looking forward to this symposium? He said This what? Eventually, I was able to describe to him how to catch the Metro line and get to George Washington U. I did not ask him how long he would "allow" his father to plan his itinerary, but I felt like it. No one ever called back, I never heard about how he made out. Sic semper parentis . When we check in the Cub's Car, we have three categories: Cubs, SIblings/guests, and Adults/Unlimited. This is made clear in the rules handed out and discussed in the months leading up to the PWD day. Saves some bad feelings.....

The activity in the OP is NOT this : https://midimagic.sgc-hosting.com/candbal.htm This is the display we see here in Munky County MD: (another version of the NY thing): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MJFa392gnc and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkT_BycQd3Y I think it would be a neat side trip for the Cubbies and their families.

I have always thought our nation does not need to stoop to the standard of behavior of our "enemies". We need to act from the "moral high ground" of open, honest dealings. When we act to support dictators and fascist states because it "suits our purpose", we show the world not what our ideals are, but what we see our realities are. The hypocracy of our actions speaks louder than our protestations to the contrary. We often seem to show that our military strength is what is important, not our desire to help bring health, economic stability and freedom of life to others. Scouting values as a basis of action is not the worst thing possible., but it is hard to follow. The world intrudes on our dreams of brotherhood. Do we dare to act on our ideals, or do we give way to the "realities" propounded by the latest radio pundit?

Yep. International franchise traveling display. Other than taking the Cubs to walk tu the display, eat some Moo Goo Gai Pan, how would your Cubs participate? This looks/sounds much like the Christmas lights displays that spring up around here, put up by franchise companies to help be a fundraiser for local charities. Drive or walk thru, enjoy the pretty displays, marvel at the clever animated figures. The annual display at Seneca State Park here in Munky County MD is always crowded. Dragon in the lake, jumping pandas, eagles flying among the trees, sparkling snowflakes, very pretty. Raises mucho money for several worthy causes. Takes almost an hour to drive thru.

Oldscout: If everyone is dressed the same (uniform), they have succeeded in blending in to the background!

"Death by Power Point" existed long before the advent of digital projection. A teacher reading a list of stuff off the poster. Pointing out the list of stuff in your book. I once took a class in Anthropology, the professor listed was well known in his field, one of the reasons I signed up for it. He unfortunately gave lectures that were re-hashes of his textbook. When he asked for questions (In writing!) before the midterm, he would answer by saying "you'll find that in chapter 6". or "We covered that on Wednesday. Check your class notes". Wonderful researcher, poor teacher. It is THAT kind of teaching/learning I would avoid. IOLS should be adults practicing Scouting, not learning Scouting. Patrol method? Adults in Patrols, working together to plan, accomplish, teach each other. One knows, one learns. Peer instruction is often remembered better than adult instruction. But then, the adult teacher that can get down on the Student's level will often be more successful (and remembered!) than the didactic professor. Teaching knots? Get beside or behind the Scout and let his hands follow yours. Stand in front and try to show the technique backwards? Nah, doesn't work as well. Tell someone the Patrol Method? or let them live it? Which might make it stick? Wood Badgers will revert to the "Adult Led " Troop model, if not confronted with their error, but hey, at least the Scouts are out in the woods. They are out in the woods, aren't they?

The difference between our financial experience as Scouts and the modern boy's experience is , I believe, caused by the invention of credit. Fifty years ago (!), almost everything monetary, save perhaps a home mortgage, was handled on a cash basis. Cash in hand, or a check (handled as cash), paid for your clothing, gasoline, food, electricity bill... My dad bought our Buick with cash, I remember that handful of money . As a Scout, I remember collecting cash for our dues weekly, our Patrol had a Treasurer, who handed money over to the Troop treasurer (an adult). Hike or camping trip? We collected cash up front either before the trip or on the morning to buy food. $3. per each is my memory for a weekend camping trip. Then on the way out, we stopped at the Safeway and bought our supplies. Not enough money? Change menu/plans. Where did this money come from? We had allowances, did jobs for neighbors, family. At age 13, I had a $3. a week allowance, and kept a bank savings account. Working for my dad's landscaping business (boss's son!) earned me some more during the evenings and weekends I wasn't camping or marching in the school band. Fund raising? Cub Pack sold popcorn at school events (popped ourselves!) and later, my dad found a place that sold prepopped popcorn to movie theaters and they GAVE our Cub Pack huge bags which we re-bagged and sold, The Boy Scout Troop sold Christmas trees and donuts. Scout Troop would gather at the church at about 6am on a Saturday morning and meet the Troop parents who had gone down to the Krispy Kreme Company and brought back several hundred (!) dozen donuts. Still warm and gooey, they were divvied up among the Scouts and parent's cars. We drove around the neighborhood and sold (CASH, now) fresh donuts door to door. At 7, 8am on a Saturday morning? Folks came to expect us , bought two and three dozen to freeze, they said. Now THAT was educational! What was this donut money used for? I truly don't know, but hey, the Patrol gear was always there, the award patches were always there, the church room was always there, and I was told we (Scouts) bought the church a new lawn mower (did I mention mowing the church lawn was a "good turn" each Patrol took on per month?) As the idea of credit took hold (pay for it next month?), and the idea of "convenience of the card" took hold, we began to lose the idea of saving up and , in essence , paying for something BEFORE we bought it. Now, we have the idea of paying for something AFTER we have bought it. Buy the camp food and then divvy up the expense? Pay Pal? Square swipe? The cost of things is not realized by the Scout (is it realized by the parent?) because of the ease of racking up debt. And somebody else is making boocoo bucks on that "convenience". "A Scout is Thrifty" sounds good, but how to actually do that when the Scout doesn't deal with it? What is the reality now? Scoutson wanted a telescope. We required him to do some research into what kind of telescope, how much the price, how to order it or buy it locally... He came up with his desire, well planned, and we sat down with him and helped him determine how to combine his bank savings, birthday and Christmas checks and a small loan from the "bank of Mom and Dad" to buy the instrument. Even Eagle projects are often done on credit . Mom and dad foot the bill, Scout works out (does he really?) how to fundraise for it? Kids as young as 10 and 12 have debit cards. How is that limited? Cash in your pocket is self defining and limiting. It used to be a Gracie Allen joke that " How could I be overdrawn? I still have checks". Now, it is no joke. The kid "overdraws" the debit card account and mom and dad repay the overage, the overage fee and the interest accrued. How does a kid learn to use money wisely if they don't "see" the money? Balance book arithmetic is not the same as counting it in your hand. To use OPM used to be a real estate adage , now, "other peoples money" is so easy for "others" to obtain legally, it is accepted that one will pay for the privilege of buying things. Rant and reminiscing over. We now return you to your regularly scheduled discussion....

Yes WB works the Patrol Method , and the SMSpecific SHOULD teach the Patmeth, but IOLS is meant to let the erstwhile Scouter LIVE the PatMeth themselves. BSA wants everyone to at least try to be equally knowledgeable. Not everyone is experienced in camping when they decide to help the unit. Scouting? Absolutely the thing I want our boys to have, to experience. Look at Neil Armstrong and all those other great Eagle Scouts! But how do you do it? If you are to "judge" the Scout in his earning First Class, what does that mean? Which way is North? Is that really a bowline, or will it slip when you need it? Tautline hitch? Aw, I'd rather use a bungee cord (you would? The rope is always there. bungees break...). B-P wanted our boys to be amateur naturalists, not only to be comfortable in the woods, but to appreciate them. Not everyone is that ready. IOLS is meant to give folks a primer in these skills, maybe make a neophyte want to explore things more. I tell the story of the American Chestnut to our IOLS classes. Most are totally ignorant of this classic example of ecological disaster. On the trail above our campsite, I point out the American Chestnut stumps, with their short treelings , trying to grow, only to be killed off by the blight before they are a foot high. If ,as you say, IOLS looks "not too interesting" because of your own expertise, go and share your knowledge. Help someone else "get the urge". Heck, I bet your District would love to have some help setting up the next course! I know "death by Power Point " deflated our Round Table sessions. Same thing can happen at IOLS. Like all things Scout, it SHOULD be learned by DOING, not by watching only. I once had a man attend our course, he said he was eager to help his son's Troop do Scouting, but he said he would never think of being a Scoutmaster. This (IOLS) was his first camping trip. He had bought a tent at a yard sale, would I help him set it up? It was an old Eureka, a good tent, but it had no rain fly! Oh, what's that? We found a tarp to stretch over his "almost " tent. The mere fact that others would help him thru his problem (yes, it rained that night) made Scouting all the more important to him. "Pass it on" by attending and teach as well as learn.... See you on the trail.

What he said.... IOLS is supposed to be Scouting For The Adult Leader. The idea was (is?) originally to "earn" the First Class rank: Find trees and animal sign, cook and clean up, Do map and compass, knots, lashings, Knife and Axe (make a tent peg?) and learn what "Scout's Own " is supposed to mean. And the ever popular "et cetera". They (they) dropped First Aid from the offishul curriculum , but our training committee decided to add in a "Human Physiology Under Duress" section as an "added value". Class room instruction next to a Camporee? Might work, but I dunno... You need the overnight thing, the Patrol thing, the Campfire thing.... Even the Sabbath Allowed weekend is appropriately needed. Walk around the Camporee site and note the different types of Troop Camping bring that to your IOLS instructors for discussion. See what they say about the different philosopies demonstrated. See you on the trail.

Gumby! Your Cub Scout gives his emotional state in percentages? I love it !

Busted zipper? Most can be repaired. Take it to a good dry cleaner, it will be worth repair, I dare say. I had a nice Coleman bag that needed a whole new zipper. It became a "Duvet" for the guest bed. All it needed was a new pretty cover to please SWMBO, insulation is nice. Comparable value Duvet, $70. or so....

I once dated a girl for whom I had "great expectations" to be literary in my image making. We went to a Mexican restaurant. I watched her eat Habenaros like they were potato chips..... We were "friends" after that.

Previous thread read: ""Take care of yourself and focus on the good moments, like when a scout comes up to you and says thank you. "" I will share one of mine: Our CSDC theme that year was "Lewis and Clark Across America". Each morning, at opening, the staff would do a funny skit, illustrating a part of the L & C expedition. Selling canoe insurance to the Merriweather, checking his AAA map for directions, stopping at the 7-11 for supplies, etc. My partner Ted took on the persona of a French Voyageur ( I didn't say we were absolutely historically correct), at Scout Skills: "Hah hah hah, you tie zee knot lak aziss, an' ziss, hah hah hah" . Months later, he met a young boy in the grocery store with his mom, and Ted said the boy pointed at him, said "HAH HAH HAH !!" and ran off..... Mine is having the Webelos Scout years later, out of the blue, invite me to give him his Eagle Charge at his CoH.... So I ask folks to share: What moments do you remember? Like when the boy said.....

Yeah, so the human specie is so great at teaching, eh? http://theconversation.com/milk-bottle-raiding-birds-pass-on-thieving-ways-to-their-flock-34784 and http://www.britishbirdlovers.co.uk/articles/blue-tits-and-milk-bottle-tops Examine, Demonstrate, Getouttatheway, Eat....

I take no responsibility for the clock on this site. It wasn't in the AM, fershur. I write THIS at 11:30am Tuesday 3 January 2017.... aaaaaand the post is hit NOW>

Well, what are the most important things in science? Observation? Interpretation? MATH? Testing? Trusting your senses/instruments? MOIST. ? Howcum MATH is at the END of that acronym? Shouldn't it be the FIRST? It is the basis of the Technology, the Engineering and the Science..... E equals MCHammer?

My ustabee "public speaking" class teacher always said first, tell your audience WHAT you were going to tell them.... Second, TELL them what you wanted to tell them...Lastly, tell them what you had TOLD them. Then THANK them for their kind attention, and GET OFF THE STAGE.

The EDGE "method" merely acronymizes what good teachers have done for centuries. Note I said "teachers", not students. The assumption is the EDGE-r already knows his/her subject. If a person does not already know how the knot is tied (and for what purpose?), how would he be able to teach it to others? The "reference" book or video or illustration or whatever is used by the Scout to Explain, Demonstrate, Guide and Empower (I prefer that to Enable) to himself. My dad taught me a lot about carpentry and the building trades, but I also learned a lot about tool use by reading Eric Sloane's books. Did dad EDGE me? Absolutely, over and over until I could push his 9 point saw without binding it in the kerf. Did he do EDGE consciously? I doubt it. He Demonstrated, Modeled, Exhibited, Instructed, Corrected , Encouraged and Provided Practice Opportunities. How else to teach knife and axe safety? Make an Acronym out of those !

Well, what you saw is what I got. I am not even sure "they" are asking for Scouts to help with directions and crowd control as in years past....

FYI, Scout participation promises to be minimal.... sort of last minute requests.... http://dc.about.com/od/specialevents/tp/Presidential-Inauguration-2017.htm and Wanted: Eagles to March in the Parade ! http://www.ncacbsa.org/blog/2016/12/23/2017-inauguration-updates/

Going into the sixth page of ruminations. The child experiments. If I cry, do I get my diaper changed? Aha, it works. If I say "MAMA" , do I get a smile? Aha, that works. If I say "Gimme a Cookie!" will I get one as quick as if I say Please, may I have a cookie?" Is pushing a toy bulldozer thru the sandbox as fun as setting up the dollies for a tea party? Or a Barbecue party? I did both. At age 8, the child is experimenting. I wore flannel jeans, flannel shirts, just like my timber cruiser dad. I also played with "Mr. Bunny" and helped mom cook (she was our Den Mother), and take care of my younger brother. I dare say, with the media what it is, this girl is experimenting with her "role", as she sees it, but to an extreme most kids would (are ) not (s)extend their experimentation to. Mom and dad are letting her experiment. Cub Scouts? Why not? She/he will figure it out eventually. Gender change surgery? Wow, not at 8 years old. Not even close to the Age of Reason. I had a boy in my Cub Pack who would not button up his shirt. His mom said "Billy doesn't like his shirt buttoned, he feels it too confining". One evening, at the Pack Meeting, I kneeled down and buttoned up his shirt and told him how handsome he looked. He came to Pack meeting after that with his shirt buttoned.

If it looks like a camp, smells (!!) like a camp and tastes like Camp Cooking, it's close enough to camping. Eeeeeeease them into it. A daylong hike, campfire at the end, hotdogs and veggie burgers over a woodfire in the back of the church lot, the Cubs are tired and educated in seeing the teeth gnaws on the tree trunk as signs of Beaver (not Justin) activity, that's enough for me to count as a "camp" activity . They get home after dark, sleep in their own bed, Mom and dad are gently stressed out and the idea of sleeping under cloth (or in a cabin?) is no longer foreign to them. What's to not like?

""Follow the money"" The issue here has been and will be where the money to run Scouting comes from. The Unit (Pack, Troop, Crew, Ship) will need some corporate money for patches, camp fees, boat maintenance, etc. The Council needs money for salaries , camp maintenance, property taxes (if any), Xerox repairs, etc. If the Unit sells Popcorn, the Council gets a share by contract. If the Unit sells Christmas trees or Hannakah candles or canned peanuts or flag pole rental, the Council gets naught ,save for the Unit's charity and thoughtfulness. Hence the "begging" of FoS, and Foremost Eagle Dinners and such. Districts are all volunteer (!) and must operate their activities under the Council fiscal imprimatur on a "cash" basis, zero accounting. Pity the poor CSDC Director that actually shows an overage in the black, no "free " pizza parties for the Staff, if the Council Program Director is under pressure to show a (shudder) profit.

“â€When the song of the angels is stilled, When the star in the sky is gone, When the kings and the princes are home, When the shepherds are back with their flocks, The work of Christmas begins: To find the lost, To heal the broken, To feed the hungry, To release the prisoner, To rebuild the nations, To bring peace among people, To make music in the heart. “""†= Howard Thurman =

Latin: You have the right idea. There is nothing so aggravating to a Manager (leader?) as a crew that expects and REQUIRES a leader to lead. If your Scouts EXPECT and REQUIRE their Patrol Leader to lead, what might happen? Now there's a motto for you... EXPECT and REQUIRE.