SSScout

Home Troop: Eagle kit, award, mentor pins, etc. Family: Cake, BBQ, hot dogs whatever. Picnic, campfire,.... My best Eagle ceremony of memory (other than Scoutson's) : Two Eagle'd friends arranged a campout on grandparents farm. Folks had to hike in about 500 yds with their camp chairs to the site. Everyone brought something, veggies, potato salad, etc. Ceremony with candles, smiles and solemnity. Memories shared. Flames stared into. After dark, when things were officially over, most of the old folks hiked out to home. The Scouts stayed around the campfire and I don't really think many actually went to sleep that night.

Check ScoutShop for "Scoutmaster Emeritus" shoulder patch. If it is an old one (even if it isn't too old), have lots of folks sign the Troop flag and award that to him. Buy a new one for the new Scoutmaster.

The VOA should contact the Scout Exec and ask about their "budget". If the Council really has a line item for the V's, then the VOA should plan some events (Hike-a-ree, Training session at a Council camp, bike tour of the Council Camps ( a century ride?), Shooting Sports Extravaganza, Cook-a-ree, Merit Badge Extravaganza, Scout-a-rama, name it, plan it, ) set up a budget for it and ask for help.... Nothing Ventured, nothing Scouted....

One big point is being missed in all the previous. Boys join Scouts on reputation. What are Scouts known for? What does the boy expect? And what is delivered? If the Troop culture is "get up and get going", older Scouts doing their thing, high adventure stuff, don't let these "kiddies" hold us back, yeah, the younger Scouts are going to be disappointed and drop out. They have, indeed , been left behind, sold a bill of goods, not had the reputation fulfilled. If the Troop culture is one of " here, let me show you how to do", "here, share my adventure, I understand you might not be able to hike 10 miles in one shot, I will wait for you.", " Scouting is worth while, let me help you up this rock". then, that young Scout will have the inclination to stick around. Go back to the previous post that mentioned the Scout Leader acting as the "older brother" to the younger Scout. Repeat that . If the culture is one of "Keep up or Drop out", yeah, some will stick it, but not those that need to stay . How to convince the Adult Leaders (could we invent a better term for the Boy Scout Troop Adult? Maybe Advocate? I dunknow...) to counsel their Scouts to BE that BIG BROTHER to the younger Scouts....

My suggestions to nascent Scouts and leaders is as follows: 1) If Big Pot is not being used for cooking, fill with water and put on stove/fire at first. Let it get to boiling. In any event, get a pot of water on to boil BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE. 2) Use for cocoa, oatmeal, coffee, other cooking as needed, Dip out with "dedicated " dipper cup. 3) Water duty Scout keeps it near full. Keep on fire thru meal. 3) When it is time to do dishes, put out three tubs or however it is intended. Dip really hot water into #1 Wash tub, temper with cold water, add detergent. Dip really hot water into second rinse tub, temper with some cold water. Do the chlorine rinse in cold water third tub. 4) When first tub gets too dirty, dispose into "sump", move #2 into #1 position, add detergent. Temper with dipped hot water. First tub now becomes second. Hot water, temper with cold. Note that having boiling water ready BEFORE dishwashing is desired is a good thing. And SM likes the coffee first thing in morning. As an alternative to dishwashing, I also offer the Courageous Cookery plan, but this supposes individual cooking.... https://www.dropbox.com/s/je3wh2ao0u2fd4v/CourageousCookery.docx?dl=0 I have and can again copy this in toto onto these pages, but it is rather lengthy. Buon appetito. .

SMC is as has been described above. No pass, no fail. That said, if the Scout needs a skill at any given time (tie a knot, keep tent up in a storm), it might be good to "PRACTICE " that skill every so often. SPL might be encouraged to hold a knot tying Patrol competition . Make it a game. Patrols earn some bragging rights. One game I have seen: Scouts pair off. Each pair hold one pair of hands, (Tom's right hand holds Jeff's left hand ), then with their free hands, they do the knots! Cooperation? hoo hoo....

Usta be : Hot soapy water scrub, rinse clean, lower into boiling water in a mesh bag, hang to air dry. If it was really boiling water, the dishes dried very fast....

Child abuse of any sort should always be confronted and never be ignored. If someone (Scout, parent, whomever ) witnesses or hears of such or is the abused party, and they report that to the Scout authorities, on what basis do the BSA folks make their judgement, and it is a judgement? I would hope there would be an extensive investigation. I feel the idea is not to tar the person with too large a brush, for fear of being sued for defamation of character (?) Now, if the allegations are reported to the legal authorities, then , if the person is indeed found guilty in court of the charges.... Coming up, here in Alexandria VA, , ( this is how it is listed in our local eNews) the BSA sponsored National Youth Protection Symposium Discussion, workshops, networking, latest information and training on Youth Protection. Anyone, any organization that deals with young people is invited to attend. **Share with your Scout Unit, House of Worship, School, etc. What: Symposium on threats to our young people. When: 12 – 14 October, 2016 Where: Sheraton Suites Hotel, Old Town Alexandria, VA. What: Discussions, workshops, information, networking. Why : Because we love our kids. Because we want to recognize the unthinkable. How Do & How Much: See website: http://www.nationalyouthprotectionsymposium.org/ Check for updates and listing of featured speakers.

Oh, this is great. I like the ideas of being a "conservation" site, promoting native plants, pollinator food, all that . AND great publicity. AND public approbation. ""By next summer, Kietzman hopes to place two or more bee hives at the site. Their honey could be sold at the camp's trading post. Local beekeeper Brett Kent has been offering advice, including how to deter black bears that roam the camp."" How to deter black bears? Good luck. Maybe they can be enlisted as a n endorsement as to how good the honey is..... And maybe this will help prevent the Council from selling the camp....

JSN = Join Scouting Nights. Here abouts, we reserve some night at the school, do Cub Scouty things (PWDerby, etc. ) and sign folks up.

Wife complains to me when I do not "dress warm" when it starts getting cold. I know from my personal experience that when the summer is over and the winter is a comin', I need to turn up my personal thermostat. I will dress up later, when it does get cold. Body does produce more heat easier in winter than summer. Then too, come summer again, I go without cover so my internal thermostat dials down. I am less hungry,eat less, burn fewer calories. Last two Klondike Derbies were in late January, here in Murlin, we had wheelie sleds rather than sliding sleds.

Scooterdog: Welcome to the forums! You will get many a good idea here. There are a few of us here from Murlin, I'm in White Oak District. Some thoughts: Congrats on taking on CM. You will have nothing but fun, but do not try to do everything yourself. USE that committee. Ask for help, do not wait for volunteers. They will come, but not when you may need them. You and the CChair should TALK, be mucho sympatico, nicht wahr? *Good you have your Unitcomish. This must mean you already know the DE and DCommish. Put them on speed dial. * Look to the District and Council Training Calendar, get everybody trained. YP, everything else. EVERYBODY can take the CM training, couldn't hurt. DE can arrange a custom /for you/ all at once training, if that seems good. * Make a list of Pack activities, possible dates/months and pass it out to the parents . Ask each of them to take on ONE activity to shepherd . *Den Leaders: Train'em. Work together, but separate Dens. Put'em on "BALLOO'S BUGLE". Foster Den Pride with flag banners, stickers, special woggles for rewards for good behavior, neat cheers, funny skits, whatever. * Get everybody (somebody!) to RoundTable. I know you have a good one out there. Use it... See you on the trail....

Half of all science is the naming of stuff, so we can talk about it. I had a friend in Scouts (you out there, Henry?) who half jokingly explained to anyone who would listen that all plant science could (and should) be divided into "big green plants and small green plants". Sycamore trees and moss were aberrations of this lexicon. Mad Science helps kids get into science. The "Galloping Gertie" CONSOL Energy bridge at The Summit can teach about sympathetic resonance. One could learn about resonance by watching the Tacoma Narrows bridge shake itself to pieces https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-zczJXSxnw , or the Millenial Bridge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obWZ61zcDsU in London throw people about, but what better way to teach about such phenomena than to live it at the National Jamboree? Wish someone had caught a video of CONSOL rockin' that first day in 2013 as 8,000 Scouts tried to cross the CONSOL bridge to the Central Area from Camps A and B... Can we teach Scouting in the lab? Some of it, but certainly not all of it. IMNSHO, I think Scouting is meant to be 6/8 "outing" .

Money issues are always a concern, but compared to other activities, Scouting can easily be seen as a bargain. Sports? Buy the uniform, equipment, traveling teams, injuries, it can add up. Music, band? A good trombone can cost $800. A Stratocaster? Hey.... Zildjian cymbals? Look'em up. The Troop can ask around for "Campership' help. Your local service clubs (Kiwanis, Lions, Rotary, American Legion, etc. ) are often eager to help. When we were in a low ebb financially, an anonymous donor (!) decided Scoutson should be the Troops' Trek Guide to Philmont before he aged out. We (he!) are "paying it forward". As to "boy led"... People (kids especially) learn by one of three means: Instruction, Example, or Practice. >>Instruction...History has to be Instruction. Someone who lived that time passes on what happened to those who come later. Books, word of mouth, video... >> Example... Kids will definitely learn from watching older people. Right from wrong, how to boil water, how one treats others. Hold the door open for the person behind you? Pick up that piece of trash? Your example, or that of the SPL.... Has it worked for them? It should work for me. This includes sympathy and concern for others' welfare, not just how to prevent blisters. >> Practice....Trying things out. How does one learn to walk except to do it? When Scoutson was about 13, he came to us and proudly announced to good wife and me "I just did my laundry!" GW and I looked at each other and smiled. I said, " Wonderful! How much soap did you use?" Scoutson replied, "Soap?" He is now a strapping young man of 22. When he was 16, he got a summer job with a local farmer. He is now the manager of the operation, at 22. He schedules work, assigns men to duties, plants and harvests, sees to repairs of equipment. His clothes get filthy, and he gets them clean. The bruises he got stumbling over obstacles are now callouses that cushion his efforts (how's that for metaphor?). Your Scouts are no different. Adults can teach, and some of your Scouts will claim expertise in a skill. Knots and ropes? Fire safety and building? Cooking? Let the new "experts" proudly pass on their knowledge to the younger Scouts. Trust? Encouragement? If your adults DEMONSTRATE these , what do you think the result will be in your Scouts? How do you build a fire? How do you safely cut firewood? If that lashing is not done right, tight and neat, what WILL happen to your Pioneering project? If the skills are not PRACTICED, how is one to become expert at them? If I ever need the help, if I have the choice, I would much rather have someone who has PRACTICED his CPR help me than one who only READ about it. But then, someone who has READ or BEEN LECTURED about CPR might be better than a "OhmygodhelpwhatdoIdohelphelp" type of person.... Read the motto under Eagle 94-A1 entries. See you on the trail...

Straw campaign hat? Isn't that the Park Ranger hat?

The usual story: Fresh out of out of state college, Loves Scouting, sees a chance to get paid to advance the Scout Movement. Signs on with our District, (previous DE is promoted to "Senior DE" at a struggling neighboring District after just over one year with us), we like him, does a good job, even did some FoS presentations. And now, after 3 months(!) is resigning, but is choosing to be our volunteer Pop Corn Kernel because he "likes the way we operate". I understand he already has a good job lined up already (two weeks notice). Ho hum....

RoundTable, eh? I'm the Bscout RTCommish. Filling the year RTs is a challenge, but some months are "defined" already. November has to have Rechartering included. December is "Holiday Party" and award time, picture show. May is "Program Launch , Midway exhibits. June is the last "Offishul" RT, so along with the regular announcement stuff, I invite a Troop to do some Camp Cooking Demo. Our usual meeting site has a nice "back yard", so if the Host Scout Troop doesn't want to do it, another Troop can easily step in. We have had one Troop offer to do the year end, and it was GOOD! "Walk around Tacos", look it up online. We always invite the Cub RT to attend our cook out and the Cub folks enjoy it. Give'em ideas, I hope. If you have to "Change Venue" to accommodate the RT Cook out, just make sure you have a good email list for notification, (another issue entirely).

"Grand Canyon Council"! I have been to your namesake site! Truly you have a spectacular neighborhood! And welcome to the forums. Some of these discussions do get pretty deep :-)

""...how much.... your pack should weigh." When Scoutson crossed over to an active Troop, I told him I would buy him anything he wished in the way of equipment . He chose (!) a five D cell Maglite, super bright, super cool. He carried it ONCE on a back pack trip. After that, he borrowed dad's 2 AA cell light. The Maglite later went in his pickup for work.

Awwww, preserved overly salted fatty prepared meat product (bologna). Everyone knows the basis of all knowledge is Mathematics, hence the proper acronymic mnemonic is MAST Math, Arts, Science, Technology (includes Engineering. The APPLIED ARTS, which come from applying the Math, Science in an Artistic way) "Form Follows Function" Buckminster Fuller, Robert Loewy, Henry Dreyfuss, et al....

Pie Irons. "Mountain Pies". Like these: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Pie-Iron-Set/26128070 Mine are probably 75 years old already. Butter/grease each inside, Slice of bread on each side, "stuff" inside, close'm up, over the coals for maybe 10 minutes, crispy yum.

Gee, I thought I put in a suggestion, but it wasn't here when I checked in today. Here goes again.... The GSUSA website store has some "general" patches that can be adapted to special activities. Look into those. Also, if you step into your local BSA Scout Shop, you will find a plethora of general patches, mostly in the Cub area, such as fishing, boating, hiking, other topics. I don't imagine your Daisies would object to having a little fleur de Lis in the corner of their patch. And you've got the Patrol patches, lots of animal silhouettes to adapt to your purpose. And Qwasze has a fine idea with the blank Patrol patch. Art? Cut off a small paint brush and hot glue it on a safety pin.... At the Nat Jam, a group of us commemorated a particularly hot afternoon gathering by taking the ice cream Dixie Cup lids and punching holes in them, tie a loop of string, to them, and presto! we have an pocket award that will start a conversation and remind ourselves of a good time.

""New Improved Cooking Merit Badge"": 1) Trap, kill, butcher, cook and eat a rabbit, or other mammal of your choice over a wood fire. Add vegetables (in season) as available. Season to taste. Serve to your Counselor. With prior Counselor approval , fish or shellfish may be substituted. Don't forget beverages (fruit juice, milk, coffee, tea, iced or hot). 2) Provide proof to your MB Counselor that you survived the above process. 3) Cook a breakfast for your family or friends , a group of at least 5 (including yourself), on a home stove (electric or gas as available). Include items OTHER than only oatmeal or Cream of Wheat or toast or pasta, such as bacon, beef, eggs, pancakes, Johnny Cake, sausage, hash, home fries, omelets, hush puppies, pan fried trout, oven scratch biscuits , corn pone, or cream chip beef. Include fresh fruit on your table, and other condiments as appropriate (maple syrup, salt and pepper, garlic powder, Rosemary, Paprika, etc.). Again, do not forget the beverages. 4) Provide to your Counselor testimonials from the group in #3 attesting to the fact they survived the meal. 5) After #1 and #3 above, the previous activities, Clean up and put away all utensils and clean up all cooking and prep areas such that your grandmother would approve. Acquire her signature on an affidavit attesting to such. If a personal grandmother is not available, anyone's grandmother may be substituted for this requirement.

Welcome to our eCrackerbarrel, Thrifty. No time like the present, huh? Back in my day, and in some present days, the Scouts plan their camping trips before hand, "notify the parents" (need for transportation, registration, gear check, pack up, etc.) , and on the day of departure, it goes something like this: Meet at the "church" at 7am (6am??), load up, disperse scouts to their rides, head out. Stop at the Safeway and do the Patrol shopping, pack up , divide the load amongst the Scouts, and head on out to the camp ground/trail head. The money has already been collected by the Patrol Treasurer or Grubmaster, and THAT is the budget. Need more ? put something back, buy something cheaper. No big coolers, just stuff you can carry. Powdered milk, powdered "Tang" etc. Eggs will keep, meat is wrapped up. Fresh veggies (carrots, onions, potatoes) are roots that need no refrigeration ever, Lots of freeze dried stuff available in the ordinary big grocery store, just look for it. It works. As for the PLC, your Scouts have to be convinced BY THE ADULT'S ACTIONS AND WORDS (emphasis intended) that they really CAN make those decisions and plans. Every time the adults "insist" and then "impose", they are showing their hypocrisy in their dealings with the Scouts. How will the Scouts react? By "sitting around, waiting for the meeting to end." This can be avoided by: (1) giving the Scouts the training they deserve. The In-Troop Leadership Training known as http://www.scouting.org/filestore/training/pdf/ILST%20FINALS%202011%20-%20Item%20Number%20511-016.pdf can help. Read thru this and imagine what the Scouts will come to expect as a result. The adult leaders need to read and buy into this, too. And or.... 2) Send some of the Scouts (any Scout can attend)to the NAYLE in your area. Some Councils do this annually, some more often, check with your Council. Or go to one of the National courses, like at the Summit, or Philmont. see http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/BoyScouts/Resources/NAYLE.aspx No Scout ewho attends a well run NAYLE will ever be satisfied with a "Webelos 3" Troop . And... 3) By the Adults, (SM, ASMs, CCh, ,,,,) all consistently and constantly asking, "well, what do YOU want to do?" and "Go ask your Patrol Leader", and "did you ask the SPL?" 4) Insist, when questions come up, "is this consistent with your Scout Law? Your Scout Promise"? Note I said YOUR not THE, there is a difference in that reference. The one is PERSONAL, the other is not. Make it personal to the Scout. 'Course now, this is only my personal observation and suggestion. You won't find it in any BSA offishul stuff. But does it make sense? Does it help with your situation? See you on the trail....

Better outdoors, but can work indoors: "Steal the Bacon, Low Fat" If you remember the "usual" Steal the Bacon (two lines, call out numbers, numbers somehow rassle for the 'bacon' and bring it back to their line), you will recognize this. **Count off into two even groups, line up opposite each other on two lines about twenty yards or so apart. Adjust for age, skill, etc. Place the "Bacon" in the middle , equally between the lines. This can be a cap, or sweater or a soccer ball, for instance. **Declare the rules so as to minimize injuries, for instance if a ball, "Soccer rules! Feet only! No hands!" The goal is to bring the Bacon back across YOUR line to gain a point. Now, how do you do that? **As The "Caller" , I will make a statement. If that statement is true for YOU, then you come out and "Steal the Bacon!" If it is NOT true for you, stay where you are! You will have your turn, I promise! Now, STAY BEHIND THAT LINE, unless the statement applies to YOU! "On My Honor", now, I do not know anything about you or your families, so it's up to YOU to be honest about these things! ** The "Leader" or "Coach" or "Caller" must be creative and observant . Give an example: "Now, don't move, but raise your hand if you had Orange Juice for breakfast! OKAY! If we were playing, you Scouts would have come out after that Bacon! Again, don't move, but raise your hand if your dad wears glasses! Right! Any questions? Okay, this time we play! Listen carefully! I am wearing BLACK SOX!" (watch them lift up their pants!) **Some samples: My mom wears glasses, we own a red car, I had oatmeal for breakfast, I have a cartoon character on my shirt, I have a fish/cat/dog/snake/rabbit/guinea pig for a pet. I was born in November/December/April... I have a younger sister, I have visited New York/Canada/Mexico, I have ridden in a canoe, someone in my family serves in the military, Last week, I went to the dentist, had a haircut, went to a movie, real theater. I have a Boy Scout/Girl Scout for a sibling. ** I am wearing stripes. I have LETTERS on my shirt. Last night, we had hamburgers/fish/black beans for dinner. ** Be creative ... I like raw oysters, I am wearing a belt, my mom was NOT born in the USA, I was born in Virginia, My dad has a beard, my mom has a beard (OOPS!), my birthday is an even number,,,,,,,, Have fun......