Eagle94-A1

Only time I know about injuries and axes in my 31 years since earning Totin Chip was this weekend. One of my older Scouts broke his ribs from football. He's  still bandaged up after a few weeks, but was feeling pretty well. Was supposed to see the doctor this week about being released so that he could play the rest of the season.  He refractured them this weekend trying to chop wood with a three quarter axe.

At the PLC I had Saturday night, the compass course was a unanimous 'NO" for next year. Heck it was the butt of some jokes at campfire.

True story about the "wet" portion of the compass course. We only did 2 bearings on the lake: one on the opposite side, and one on the deck where they started. Several patrols did not realize that their bearing to land was 180^o from the bearing they shot to get to the control point. So the control point they started at was the control point they should have wrote down on the score card.

Actually one idea we got for next year's compass course is using no compass. Yep have to use either the watch, shadow stick, or other method, and bearings will be limited to the 8 main points.  BUT you got a point about zombies and water

String burning was one of the favorites. Everyone did it, and the fastest time, was 1 minute 42 seconds. That included a time bonus of -4 minutes caused they used a bow to start it. On the opposite end, worst patrol did it in 29 minutes and ??? seconds. They too used a bow and had some issues. We allowed 1 match as a freebee, additional matches cost time. Bonus time for non-match/lighter methods.

Next year is going to get interesting. The theme for camporee is Emergency Prep/Wilderness survival. Since it will be Halloween Weekend again and hoping to get the funeral home to sponsor again, I'm thinking ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE. One of the ideas is each scout is to have a survival kit/ emergency prep kit/bugout bag, and they are only allowed to use stuff they can find or is in their bags for all of the events.

I tried to focus on T-2-1 skills. Had some traditional games, tomahawk throwing and Kim's Game for fun. And also did a bear bag event.

Canoe Orienteering was a disaster. I admit I had it set up as a challenge with false control points, i.e.  2 points within 20' - 30'of each other; one point on the bearing BUT 200'+ from the correct control point etc.  No one actually completed it as some patrols got lost after going to the wrong control point taking bearings. It appeared that they could not understand that they could go back to the last verifiable control point and reshoot the azimuth. That concerns me a little. Especially since BSA appears to be pushing GPS usage not only at the Boy Scout level, but the Cub Scout level.

But what scared the heck out of me was one patrol and first aid. This was a venture patrol with Star and Life Scouts. One scenario used was based upon the 2010 jamboree electrocution incident. After killing off two of their guys, the finally figured out to kill the power. But then the patrol could not figure out what to do. While they attempted to treat the original victim, victims 2 and 3 were completely ignored. During the debriefing after they finished the scenario (they essentially gave up), the comment made by one Life Scout was, "I don't remember how to do this [CPR], I took First Aid my first year at camp." Apparently the rest of the folks in the patrol were in the same boat, except Victim 2. He had recently certified as a BSA / ARC Lifeguard, and had the certifications. Apparently he was the one assigned to do direct First Aid, but when he got electrocuted, it hit the fan. 

Just had my camporee. With the exception of one event, Canoe Orienteering, it was an overall hit.  Scouts liked the competition format. Although it was suggested, don't remember if it was a Scout or adult who commented, but whenthe topic of doing geocaching as an event came up, there was  talk about getting instruction sessions instead of a competition so that everyone could actually do it.

Another comment, more for next years, is possibly have a static display covering the theme (emergency preparedness/wilderness survival)

Yes, I  was shocked. The excuse an ASM gave for his NSP was that we've been in a fire ban since they joined the troop. Yes we had a long period of fire bans, heck we secured special permission from the local FD to have the event IF the fire ban was in effect at the time of camporee (helps if a FD Lieutenant is running the event ) But most New Scouts I know go to that section and start learning form the book as soon as they get it.

But the rest of the patrols?

What's interesting was the patrol that got the fire going was the one that doesn't use stoves UNLESS there is a fire ban or they are backpacking. And the only stoves they have are backpacking ones. Unfortunately they went to Trails Life. Oldest wanted to join that troop first.

I hate to say it, I was at a camporee that only 1 patrol was able to start a fire. ONE. FREAKING. PATROL!  One patrol, an NSP, had no clue on how to build a fire, and everything they needed to build one was there: saw, axe, tinder, kindling, fuel, matches. The event judges even showed them how to build one, and they still had a deer in the headlights look.

We've been sharing a DE for several years now.  And this is our 2nd year doing a joint camporee, although "our" DE is not the DE for the other district as well.

Apparently this is a trend as I am seeing a bunch of councils doing this, and it looks like a form letter is being used to explain why councils are charging "resource fees," "Program Fees,"  what ever it is called.

http://www.bsa-jackson.org/resources/annual-program-fees/64034

http://www.cnyscouts.org/

Connecticut Yankee Council is doing this, but calling it a council operations fee.  https://www.ctyankee.org/resources/opsfee/opsfeefaq

Actually the DE's do not make the  new exempt threshold of I believe $47,000-$48,000/ year.  According to this website $36,000 is the DE's average. http://blog.myscoutstuff.org/2014/03/how-much-is-a-district-executive-worth/

According to this website, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/Boy-Scouts-of-America-Salaries-E7807.htm ,  DEs make anywhere from $37,665 (DE) to $45,488 as a Senior DE.

When I was a DE, the salary was much lower, and someone estimated that we made about $1.50/hour, and that doesn't include those pros working summer camp. 

1)  That's my home council!

2) In the very near future, I believe December 1st,  the minimum wage for salaried workers will be doubled.  That will be an incredible burden on non-profits in general.  Looks like this change in title will reflect that they are limited to 40 hours/week.

Just out of curiosity, when are you going to be at CRB?  Scouts voted on going there this summer, and it looks as if we may be going the week of July 4th.

This makes no sense if two-deep leadership is only required on overnight outings.  

I was the only adult when my son's patrol met at my house for their patrol meeting.

Also had an incident where one leader had an accident ont he way to the meeting, and another got called out minutes after arriving. Only the SM was attending the meeting.

Upon reflection, I was in an "activity uniform" of Scout t-shirt, belt and shorts.  Socks and shoes were off due to sand.

i will say this, the BSA's accident insurance we pay for was EXTREMELY BENEFICIAL. It helped tremendously.

When I was a chapter advisor with one lodge, there was a push to change the name from Ordeal to Fellowship. Rationale was that there were rumours galore about hazing and abuse about the OA and Ordeal weekends. And unfortunately some of those rumours may be true.

My current lodge won't call them Workdays anytime soon. We have one scheduled non-Ordeal day at one of the camps to work each year, and like this year with Hurricane Matthew, we are having additional workdays to get the camps up and running.

Have to be in uniform for insurance to work.  So glad that isn't true 'cause I'd hate to have the uniform on when I attempted the water rescue and became victim #2.

What are isopropyl alcohol canisters? 

I've never heard of isopropyl alcohol being used in camping, except to put on bug bites. 

My Bad. One rough week OK3 weeks if you include Matthew.. My brain is fried. I meant Isobutane-propane.

Also I know that there are alcohol stoves that are authorized if they are not hand made.One of our ASMs who is an ultralite backpacker was not happy he could not use any of his "cat food can" stoves he made, so he bought a Trangia alcohol stove. Funny thing is, he showed th DIY cans and they reminded me of the ones in tHE CUB SCOUT LEADER HOW TO BOOK.

That's what the G2SS states now, but what was it 10 or 15 years ago?  I know that my Troop growing up switched from white gas to propane, and I swear it was required, not optional, because it was a significant investment to replace equipment - money our Troop didn't really have at the time, so I doubt this was done on a whim.  Anyone have a hard copy G2SS from ten or fifteen years ago to see whether this was fact or myth?

To the best of my knowledge there has never been a "ban" on white gas / Coleman fuel, back at least 10 years, circa 2006.    

Some councils have banned white gas on their properties. My council has white gas as a prohibited item. Thankfully, the one time I took my white gas stove to a council event, it was on private property.   Seriously, I didn't know about the council ban until I was reading the sumemr camp leaders' Guide.

A few years back, someone on the district level decided that the camporee should be an "advancoree." Only 2 troops liked the format, and both are heavily advancement oriented. What's interesting is that the troop that incorporates advancement in their program the most wanted a traditional competition camporee. (an aside, while they do not work on MBs at meetings, they are constantly having honest to goodness MB sessions almost every other weekend for those interested. The CO views Scouting as outreach ministry and have a cadre of adults whodonate a lot of their time and treasusure to the Scouts)  And 1 troop boycotted teh event.

In the lodge I grew up in, ceremonies were strictly at night time. There was a light snack offered for dinner, enough for energy. Then eryone but the cook crew was required to attend the Ordeal Ceremony. Once it was over, new members were dismissed for dinner (fest), then Ordeal Members, then the Brotherhood candidates assembled at a location to prepare for their ceremony and everyone else stayed in the ceremony ring. Once the Brotherhood Ceremony was over, new Brotherhood members were dismissed, then everyone else.

Current lodge does it differently. lodge leadership got the idea from a NOAC a few years back. They have tweaked the schedule, but essentially the ceremony is at Dusk.

@@Richard

I don't think the award is well known. Plus looking at the requirements, a lot of them should already be done. Looks like more paperwork and more bling to me. But I'm an old fogey, going to need to ask the Scouts about this. Going to have the opportuity to today with the troop that ran an ARC shelter during Matthew.

All,

While part of it is paying it back/paying it forward, for me it is a job that needs doing, and if I am capable, I'm there. But I admit, my family comes first, want to make sure they are OK, then my job. Very interesting past 2 weeks at work since we dealt with Matthew issues. We had to convert one large room into an impromptu evac shelter since some of my coworkers were stranded, and other would have to make a 2+ hour one-way commute with all the road closings! Thankfully we got a good team. Those stranded at the hospital took shifts for those who were stranded at their homes or ARC shelters.

Well we just got asked to help fill sandbags that will be used to fix a dam breeched by Matthew. I won't be wearing a uniform, but definately a Scout T-shirt.

My understanding is that the switch to propane is because it's easier and safer to use. I got a 2 burner propane stove, and I got a Whisperlight International, which burns white gas, among other things. Yes the propane is easier and  I've had some issues with it. Also one of my buddies had issues with his white gas stove. It was an interesting fireball. thankfully we had a second, propane backpacking stove.

be advised, it's illegal to transport those little canisters if you refill them. And you can't recycle them unless there is a whole in the canister, at least in my neck of the woods. So I got a bunch being collected for when I can arrange to have teh holes placed in them

As for finding white gas, in my neck of the woods it's easier to find it than the isopropyl alcohol canisters.

Yes, I lament the lack of uniforms when Scouts do service. But as mentioned service work and work do not mix. Unless it's in a secured area like running a shelter. I remember in 1999 catching the last flight out of Nashville, which was the day before the All Hands Conference ended, going home getting a few items, and going to an evacuation shelter because the OA did that as a community project. Don't know why they stopped, but a local troop picked up the reigns.

@The Latin Scout

Yes, I had the same situation, Got Ordeal and never heard anything until a buddy was inducted and I went with him to try and get involved. Anyway had a good weekend, but still didn 't hear back for several years.

One thing I've found is teh OA is a lot more work since the focus is youth run.