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mrkstvns

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Posts posted by mrkstvns

    Protect Yourself Rules - New Training

    in Open Discussion - Program

    Posted

    11 hours ago, malraux said:

    Given that this replaces cyber Chip, it’s just better videos over bad videos. 

    What's wrong with the NetSmartz videos?

    I've led several Cyber Chip classes and have noticed that some of the NetSmartz videos resonate strongly with the boys and spark lively discussions. I like that there are videos on different topics for each age/grade group, letting the scouts view those of most interest to themselves. That also lets the adult facilitator "mix it up" a little bit by selecting different videos each time so that the course doesn't get too predictable.

    The only complaint I have about the NetSmartz videos is that the collection seems a bit stale, with most of the videos being the same as they were several years ago, while the issues around cyber security and personal safety constantly evolve.  Privacy is an increasingly problematic area and the culture of tech constantly shifts (for example, my son shuns most of the sites you probably think are "popular social media sites" and he never reads email. If he's typical, then discussions about sharing things via email will ring hollow with him, and even if the videos are updated to talk about whatever messaging platform is most popular with his age group today, that video will be outdated tomorrow. Keeping up with the technology is a challenge...

    Protect Yourself Rules - New Training

    in Open Discussion - Program

    Posted

    4 hours ago, MikeS72 said:

    Not a complete replacement of Cyber Chip, but an alternative that can be done in place of Cyber Chip.  If it is used in place of Cyber Chip, it cannot count as one of the elective adventures for rank advancement.

    From the perspective of an adult in a Boy Scout troop, I wonder what the impact of this will be on helping new scouts earn their Scout rank.

    Currently, requirement 6 calls for the scout to earn Cyberchip. Some scouts have a valid Cyber Chip card that they earned in their Webelos den, and the ASMs accept that towards their Scout requirement.  If those scouts now have an option of doing the "Protect Yourself Rules" instead of a Cyber Chip, should we accept that as a Cyber Chip equivalent when the scout asks to be signed off on Scout rank?  Or should we tell them to do Cyber Chip (as we do for all the incoming scouts without current Cyber Chip cards)?

    2019 GUIDE TO SAFE SCOUTING

    in Open Discussion - Program

    Posted

    19 minutes ago, an_old_DC said:

    Been there too. After two trips about the distance you mention  to the dining hall/camp HQ through pouring rain, thunder and lightning with 45 Scouts and a couple of AsMs, it was about 1:30 am. The camp director called all of the SMs together and said the storm cells were moving so fast and it was taking so long for all of the troops to reach shelter that trying to reach shelter was too risky. He told us that next time we heard the lightning siren we were to stay in our campsites and shelter in place....at least that way everybody wouldn’t be bunched up on the trail

    I bet a lot of scouts look back on that camp with fond memories and good stories to tell the younger scouts.  A challenge makes the event worthwhile...

    Be Prepared

    in Open Discussion - Program

    Posted · Edited by mrkstvns

    Good thing scouting teaches emergency preparedness!  A troop camping in the Allagash Wilderness area of Maine found out why when they suddenly found themselves needing to rescue two men whose canoes had capsized on the lake.  Thanks to the scouts, both men are safe...and so is their  dog, even though he nearly drowned the two men in an effort to save his own furry skin...

    Here's the story:
    https://kstp.com/national/boy-scouts-rescue-brothers-canoes-capsized-maine/5378861/ 

    My takeaway:  What we teach the boys matters.

    • Like 1
    • Upvote 2

    2019 GUIDE TO SAFE SCOUTING

    in Open Discussion - Program

    Posted

    2 minutes ago, Eagledad said:

    I guess one can never be too safe, but when the rain is coming down at five inches in two hours in the middle of the night is mixed with thunder that sounded like machine gun fire, what is the safest action for 80 scouts. 

    Hopefully, you're camping deep in the woods, and not in an exposed field with only scattered trees.

    In a forest, you're generally at fairly low risk of a lightning strike. Even still, you do best if you camp under a cluster of lower trees (not the tallest trees in the forest). 

     

    10 minutes ago, Eagledad said:

    I don' t know, I don't have an answer, but the answers to my many prayers made me an even more devoted follower of God.

    The power of prayer should not be underestimated...

    The more secular technique I teach is this:

    1. Crouch down as low as you can.

    2. Put your head between your legs.

    3. Kiss your butt good-bye.

    • Upvote 1

    2019 GUIDE TO SAFE SCOUTING

    in Open Discussion - Program

    Posted

    1 hour ago, malraux said:

    In general, most camp standards allow the use a open shelter if it includes wiring (ie grounding).

    Most of the summer camps I've visited in this region do have buildings that would be appropriate shelters in the event of lightning.  The dining hall is typically the best choice because of its size.  Rest rooms that have plumbing and/or wiring are good options. Some camps have stables, boat houses or other facilities that would provide safe shelter.

    Few summer camps these days are truly rustic.

    The "Right Way" to retire U.S. Flag...

    in Open Discussion - Program

    Posted

    13 hours ago, The Latin Scot said:

    ... My father (a noted vocalist) even sang the words to "Taps" as the different sections of the cut-up flag were placed in the fire and soon burnt to ashes....

    I bet I'm not the only person here who never even knew there WERE words to "Taps"...

    I've heard it played on the bugle a thousand times, but never once do I recall hearing somebody sing to it.  That alone would have been worth the price of admission.

    My Way Or The Highway

    in Wood Badge and adult leader training

    Posted

    11 hours ago, SSScout said:

    Yep...   A Scout is Brave....   It all depends on how untenable the situation is, and whether one either transfers out or tries to improve things where one is. 

    I remember cigarette commercials back in the 70s featuring people with black eyes saying, "I'd rather fight than switch."

    I don't see many scouters with black eyes....

    If EDGE is bad/wrong/poor, How do you Teach Youth to Teac

    in Working with Kids

    Posted

    There's nothing wrong with EDGE ... quite the contrary, as a tool that enables youth to teach each other practical skills, it's quite useful, and I have yet to hear a naysayer suggest something that is as practical, effective, and useful.

    Of course, EDGE has its limitations. It really works only for skills, not so much for concepts. If you're teaching knowledge, you'll have to use other strategies, but those aren't really relevant to kids who want to show each other HOW to do something.

    Better-than-Subway Meatball Subs

    in Camp Recipes and Cooking

    Posted

    Who says campout lunches should consist of the same boring cold cut or PBJ sandwiches that every other new scout patrol in the nation serves?  Wouldn't a really TASTY hot sandwich be so much more appetizing?  Sure it would!

    Here's a few tips to help you have a BETTER sandwich for lunch...

    • BREAD.  Find a really good sub roll. If you can get small French bread loaves, like the ones that Vietnamese restaurants use for their Banh Mi sandwiches, you're in luck!  A Mexican panaderia near my neighborhood sells fresh-made bolillos that are perfect!  Another good choice is a sourdough sub roll...
    • SAUCE:  Canned marinara (spaghetti sauce) is really the way to go, simply for reasons of practicality. That doesn't mean you can't spice it up though.  I always add an Italian seasoning mix, or I make my own using oregano, basil, rosemary and marjoram.  Sometimes, I like adding minced garlic to my marinara. I often add pepper.
    • CHEESE:  A good meatball sub has good cheese. Pick a cheese that you like and that is sufficiently flavorful. I like a cheese that melts when the hot marinara and meatballs are spooned on top of it. Mozzarella is a time-honored classic for meatball subs. Provolone is popular too. I like the slightly acidic edge of a good Manchego cheese. 
    • MEATBALLS.  The easy way to do this for scouts is to use frozen meatballs. Those work fine, but if you want to up your game, try making your own meatballs from scratch. My mother used to blend in ground veal with the beef. Today's health conscious eaters might try ground turkey or vegan meat substitutes (though I personally find those to be unappetizing and to have an unacceptably pasty texture).  

    Directions:
    Brown meatballs in a small amount of olive oil. Add marinara sauce and simmer.  Slice sub rolls lengthwise (if not pre-sliced). Put a layer of cheese in the rolls. Spoon hot meatballs in sauce on top of cheese. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if desired. 

    • Like 1

    Scouting Heritage merit badge is easier than I thought....

    in Open Discussion - Program

    Posted

    When I first heard about the Scouting Heritage merit badge, I thought it was a challenge for many scouts because it seemed like "the way" to earn it was to go to a jamboree or visit BSA's scouting museum, with merit badge classes doing a cheesy workaround to write a letter to the scouting museum asking for info.

    After reading RememberSchiff's interesting post in the Scouting History forum about an Eagle scout who put together an exhibit about scouting during World War I, I started googling around the web to see if there were other exhibits about scouting that could be used to meet requirement 4c.  Boy was I surprised!

    Turns out there are many scouting museums around the country and scouting exhibits are not uncommon.  A scout who wants to earn that badge (or a troop looking for a day trip activity) might easily find relevant places right in their own backyard....

    Here's a list of scouting museums and exhibits that look like they would satisfy that requirement....


    Scout Museums

    Scout Exhibits


     

     

    • Upvote 3

    Service

    in Open Discussion - Program

    Posted

    I like reading about the different kinds of service projects that scouts do, and I like contemplating the relative merits of each: which projects make the biggest impact?  which ones best meet often neglected communities?  which ones satisfy true "needs" as opposed to being mere window dressing?  which ones exhibit leadership?  These mental sojourns help me build up an understanding of how to best guide scouts looking for a project to organize.

    There's an interesting article in Bryan on Scouting about a scout with a creative idea for a service project:  teach senior citizens how to use smart phones.  I like that project because it builds empathy with a part of the community that's too often ignored, and because it is more selfless than a project that benefits the scout's own school, church, neighborhood, etc. 

    I particularly like the line:  "Eagle Scout projects don’t have to include construction work. Scouts can make a permanent impact even if there’s nothing permanent left behind."   Very true.... 

    See: https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2019/04/29/service-project-idea-teach-senior-citizens-how-to-use-their-smartphones/ 

    Good merit badge classes "make it real"...

    in Advancement Resources

    Posted

    As it gets easier and easier to find merit badge classes, it gets harder and harder to find GOOD merit badge classes.

    Council-run summer camps increasingly expand their merit badge offerings into classroom subjects that they are ill-equipped to teach --- particularly in the inadequate time they allow. Merit badge universities (or colleges or midways) are sometimes even worse, with some events alotting as little as 2 hours to teach a subject that requires 6 hours or more to cover the requirements as written. Scouts are shortchanged with poor experiences.

    That's why it's so refreshing to me to hear about groups or individuals who make the effort to create merit badge "experiences" in which scouts get an honest chance to see what a field is about. In a good merit badge class, they interact with adults with deep experience and expertise in a field. In a good merit badge class, they get a chance to do real, hands-on activities. 

    Here's an example of a "good" merit badge experience....
    https://www.dvidshub.net/news/323430/air-force-dentists-boy-scouts-team-up-dentistry-merit-badge 

     

    • Upvote 2

    Planning for Next Year {special awards}

    in Cub Scouts

    Posted

    On 6/2/2019 at 7:55 AM, Momleader said:

    Question:  What if I planned a meeting on Sunday Afternoon for 1/2-1 hour once a month for STEM meeting and followed up with a Religious Emblem Class afterwards for about and hour.  Would that completely fry young families? 

    I would suggest doing the STEM on a different day than you do your Religious Emblems and definitely allow more than 1/2 - 1 hour once a month. . 

    There are usually about 4 elements of a typical NOVA award for Cubs. Two of them are easily done in a meeting setting (watch videos / discuss, and complete an Adventure), but 2 are best done by getting out and going somewhere (typically an experiment/investigation and a field trip to go see where relevant science is done).

     

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