dozer

This past weekend I had the privilege to meet the following patrols.

the seven elevens (a combination of troop one and seventy one)

the flying pink elephants

the mad cows

and the bavarian cornhuskers

as well as 11 other patrols with common names.

We tried to help move the local Salvation Army to thier new storefront, and got turned down because they thought they should pay workers for this?

Years ago there were a lot of teachers registered, I know I got Woodworking and Personal Fitness through teachers. Woodworking covered all the req. just had to get a B in the class, and supply a blue card. Personal fitness was through a gym teacher,he had all the info through the Presidential PF program. They already have the work done, if they would be willing to register. Later

Gags, I collect these things 50 golfballs, used bowling pins, etc etc, then create patrol games that the patrol that works best together will shine. It ends up like a mini JLT outdoor course, for the fall camporee.Last year was around 70 boys, some games just don't live through it LOL

It's all fun

See that is what scouting used to be. I love it!! Scout skill camporees are okay but turn boys loose with a bunch of homemade games and lookout.

Supermario thats great..

Thanks guys!! Eamon I like the pipe idea, I was at a loss as to what to place the balls on, I think that will work.

Now I have a garbage bag full of ball pit balls, and a 20 x 30 foot nylon net, with 1/2 inch holes in it???

Fun fun fun seeya

Hey it's all in fun.right

A while back I asked what could be done with 180 tennisballs. Well I figured it out, I wrote out the scout laws ,motto, and slogan on 111 of them I'll make a board to seat the letters on dump the balls in a storage tub and see how fast they can unscramble them?? Fall camporee time again.

We stayed at the group sites on the battlefield.Nice place, you have to get on the list Jan. 1 or you won't get in. but we weren't travelling from Chicago either. Good luck, listen to a tape of the book, On Angels Wings, on the way there, it puts things in perspective when you get there.

Scouting has tried to involve the parent in all of a scouts projects from Tiger. It could be that the parents think the Eagle project is like any of the other activities the scout has been involved in.

Our first Eagle project were conducted completely by the family of the scout, approvals and all, and I being on second shift,was not around to see the problem develope. So it was refused and we redid portions of it with the troop involved, and it passed.

The home troop has to inform all life scouts , and their parents as to the rules of the requirement before work or planning begins. My 13 year old is alresdy bouncing ideas off me as to what his project will be, It's not my project.

Campfires are a big part of the program here.During summer camp there are opening, closing, and the OA tapout on Wed. Real fires and all. the opening is run by the camp staff, The OA on Wed., and All the troops on Fri. It's a riot.

We even had opening and closing campfires at the district fall camporee. A lot of the opening campfire was a scouter telling of the native americans that lived on camp property at one time. It was so popular he continued the story the second night. after the boys had performed several skits.

Why would you pay people to perform at the local level when the boys like doing it, so much.

But the way the pamphlet reads, it's like a secretary was taking notes, while the insurance company was dictating what they would, and would not cover.

If you follow it to the letter, a scout can't hang streamers, with a step ladder for your red and white, without a climbing instructor? This is excessive, and it's my interpretation, not gospel.

Okay okay, I give, sorry for the rant. I was listening to T Kennedy tear down our troops on FOX while I was responding.

I have read G2SS, and it seems they have taken logic to excess, but I will and do adhere to it. As far as the OSHA thing, when you get to the climbing part, the similarity between OSHA regs. and G2SS are unmistakable.

Bob White, my appology sir. I didn't mean to single anyone out. I'm just afraid, that if this continues, we won't be allowed to tent when it's below 40 degrees outside.

So a group of boys want to play laser TAG, they shouldn't because BSA says it's detrimental to their mental health. Prove it, Didn't you play cops and robbers, cowboys and indians.

They'll teach you how to shoot rifles and shotguns, and the Eco people tell you not to shoot animals to put food on the table. I'm surprised that you don't have to wear helmets to push/pull a klondike sledge.

Knock it off, boys learn from experiencing their mistakes.

Don't climb that tree, we don't have a BSA certified climbing instructor. Who wrote the book on climbing safety? Probably somebody that climbed and learned how. OSHA, insurance companies, and parent lawyers, have stifled a once exciting program. Next we'll be hiking with a rope between us, someone might get lost. We'll teach you CPR but don't use it the victim could die and you could be sued for trying to save them. Mr White loosen up, did you write G2SS or what?

If Johnny gets a bruise, it will heal, and he will be more careful next time.

I love patrol competitions. The tougher the better, but no scoring by judges allowed. I ran a pioneering station at a klondike 3 years ago that required you to score things like patrol spirit, how well did the PL do? I want absolute scoring that comes from times or scores and require the entire patrols cooperation to be completed. Doesn't the score reflect PL skill and unit participation.

Some leader scoring 1-10 on the quality of a square lashing doesn't reflect a whole lot. Now lash a ladder that I can climb up and ring a bell ten feet up a tree. score 1 point every time the bell is rung tied and untied in 20 minutes.

It all came to a head last fall, at our camporee. We had to ask each patrol, if they had come to compete, or play games. 90% had come to compete. But 10% thought they had no shot at winning and didn't want to be scored.

I feel that, not competing is a defeatist attitude and should be discouraged by the scouters in charge. So what if you came in second, did you give it your best. Go home and get better for next year.

Thanks Bob. I always liked using the cards. Keeping track of what Req. was signed where wasn't fun. But not carrying a card on a hike was easier.

I've mentioned these cards at commitee meetings for the last 5 yrs and people acted like they didn't exist anymore.

As far as uniform exchange, we have a few on stock, but the troop is very young compared to others. But we do try to lead by example.

Peer Pressure works sometimes, but sometimes it creates hard feelings, that another boys advancement was premature.

Okay I'll bite I haven't seen the pocket cards since the 70's were can I get them??

As far as the uniform, Yes every meeting I or the other leaders of our troop go to we are in full uniform. Leading by example is pretty easy to do.

I'm getting a worm alert on the site above please explain..

It can be done. Get the EScience reports out of the way before camp.

Wild surv. is an overnighter with other classroom work. Lifesaving is going to be the real working one. showing some good innitiative there, Good luck to him.

Alan

Good to see someone from the home neighborhood on this site.

You would be further ahead to buy a new frame. Just put your pack on a new frame. Cabelas sell just the frame, I think they are camp trails, by the look of them. Good Luck.

Alan

Thanks for the input. I like the idea of one patrol getting behind the other, but knowing our guys we'd be out there in the dark looking for people lol. Maybe a map of the trail to mark where they find human impact or erosion.

Last time we carried 4 lights, the guys with the lights went through before everybody got caught up. The one that hit the wall, was with the lights, go figure.

Ozemu, sorry I missed you, I'm fairly new here, not to scouting though. I talk to Aussies on another site One of them grew up about 50 miles from here, and now works for a part of your Government.

Our troop is going to bike a rails to trails site next weekend. It's a 25 mile trip along the Allegheny River, all slightly downhill, with a half mile tunnel near the end. Fun trip, but last time it only took 2.5 hours,and one boy drove into the tunnel wall and broke his nose, Kinda dark in there LOL. Thinking about putting in a scavenger hunt to stretch the trip out longer, any suggestions?