BALOO - What Do You Wish You Were Told

[Scouting4Ever 11]

Saturday I will be co-training my first BALOO for the Council. Besides the curriculum that we teach, what other information do you wish you would have received when you completed BALOO?

[AnnLaurelB 10]

How NOT to end up under the table, wheezing helplessly with laughter with my tablemates after they had us make rolled-newspaper-wax-dipped-string-tied-tampon-shaped "fire starters".

 

After that, it was just pretty much all downhill for me.

 

 

[AnnLaurelB 10]

Oh. And tent repair. That would have been useful last month.

[Basementdweller 608]

Suggestions from this board

 

 

More information on how to conduct a Boy Scout Campfire

 

List appropriate Activities

 

List of appropriate Group/camp games

 

How your councils current tour permit process works.

 

Provide the councils approved campsites.

 

List of District and council family camping opportunitys.

[moosetracker 132]

I as the new District Training Chair have the first BALOO training my district has hosted in ages. (I Resurrected it as I saw it as important)

 

Unfortunatly I now cannot attend and I am depending on my vice chair, and son to do the event.. They were suppose to have a third guy who isn't contacting them, but they have other help for the cooking portion as a pre-planning IOLS is taking place the same time. So these guys will do the cooking part of the round robin and cook the lunches..

 

Of the BALOO I attended, I know the things I thought were done wrong, or could have been done better..

 

1) the Talk on camping equipment was more like if you were a patrol, and just mentioning the stuff.. Then he wasted time talking about how we should all go to Philmont, and his adventures at Philmont.. I would have prefered the talk definatly show the equipment. Show how to light the stove & lantern (which is basic, but may not be to some people.. The to center on ideas for how you organize a group of families to come up with the common equipment the pack needs, like Tarps and stoves & water jugs ropes lanterns.. Then how to find more personal equipment like tents & sleeping bags for some families who do not own any.. (other families with extra, renting, neighboring troops etc..)

 

2) We got some wrong information.. Like Adults ratio to child is 1 to 5.. I know it is more family oriented, but there is something in G2SS that you can name the responsible adult.. I have had the question into my Council as how they interpret this, and if this is a loophole some packs can use to assign the whole den to the Den Leader only.. I just want their interpretation, because I know many will think they don't need to be family oriented and when hit with it needs to be, will see this statement as a loophole..

 

3) I thought too much time was on the campfire program, when the campfire program is basically very similar to things they do for their pack meetings, skits & jokes & run-ons, etc..

[AnnLaurelB 10]

OMG. Now that you mention it, "How To Change The Manifolds On A Coleman Lantern" would have been EXTREMEMLY helpful. And also how to light the thing in the first place, of which I was ignorant until I had to try to light one.

 

With blown manifolds.

 

 

[Eagle92 110]

Here are some thoughts from going through BALOO and teaching one course.

 

1) Make sure it's outdoors. One I attended wasn't and it took something out of the training. i conducted one at camp, and folks liked.

 

2) Make sure you bring as much gear for display as possible. Again indoor one I attended didn't. One I did had a bunch of my "toys" as well as the other 3 folks teaching it. Some folks will need to be reminded to focus on the essential gear, and talk about the fun stuff with those interested during breaks.

 

3) make sure you talk about the 2011 Guide to Safe Scouting, which has some radical IMHO changes to it, and how it is updated every 3 months online.

 

4) Talk about the "new" new health forms and where to download them.

 

5) talk about additional training that is needed or maybe needed for outdoor activities, i.e. Hazardous Weather, Safe Swim Defense, Safety Afloat, etc.

 

6) Talk about resources in the area to get information, i.e. OA Where To Go Camping book, council approved list for Cub Camp Outs (if your council has one, don't ask )

 

7) Talk about resources to get equipment, i.e. Scoutdirect.com, Campmor.com, governement surplus, Scout friendly retailers, etc.

 

8) Talk up the need to develop a very good relationship with the brother troop as they may have resources you may need, i.e. DEN CHIEFS (caps for emphasis), stoves, and some specialized equipment.

 

9) talk up RT as a source of getting new campgrounds. One opening I liked with my old BS RT Com. was that everyone introduced themselves, and had to name the last place they went camping.

 

10) Always remember the following, "OUTING is three-fourths of ScOUTING," (the current BSHB has it misquoted it's 3/4, not 2/3) and "ScOUTING IS OUTING!"

 

GOOD LUCK!

 

 

[61rover 11]

Our BALOO trainer was quite indifferent to First Aid training. I would like to see it encouraged.

[moosetracker 132]

Eagle92 - just mentioned the "council approved list for Cub Camp Outs", I just so happen was in the process of asking for it from our council.. I recieved it about an hour ago.. On it was stated something about "Not all of these are approved for winter camping"..

 

Well this prompted a question, as I was told that Packs are not allowed to camp in the winter months.. I recieved the info winter camping is only in heated cabins, so those not approved are the ones with no heated cabins.. But this prompted her to send me another very helpful piece of Council specific paperwork.. The "Cub Scout Outdoor and Camping policies"..

 

In it they had plugged the loop hole for the Webloes G2SS statement of "each youth participant is responsible to an adult" to being one that spells out, the following:

 

 

A Webelos Scout may participate in overnight den camping when supervised by his mother or father. If a parent cannot attend, arrangements must be made by the boy's family for another youth's parent (but not the Webelos leader) or another adult relative or friend to be a substitute at the campout. No parent should be responsible for more than one boy other than his or her own.

 

 

Strangely the Pack Campouts were left with the loophole..

 

In most cases, each youth member will be under the supervision of a parent or guardian. In all cases, each youth participant is responsible to an adult.

 

So one adult could be made responsible for a multitude of kids..

 

Not part of BALOO, but in it I discovered our Council has tightened the OWLS course to requiring one person on the Webeloes outing needs to have OWLS training.. So I now have to backpeddle what I have told our Cub Scout leaders having just stated the Nationaol policy..

 

Definately worth asking if your council has something like this, it will make sure you are stating YOUR COUNCILS rules, and not Nationals.

 

Here is a link to ours.

http://www.nhscouting.org/openrosters/DocDownload.aspx?id=27769

 

 

 

[Basementdweller 608]

Lighting a lantern?????

 

I don't even know what to say. Then we get into the realm of how to set up a tent, light a stove, apply a band aid, how to pick a spot to set up a tent.

 

The list could go on for ever.

[moosetracker 132]

True - Basement.. Let's make it a week long course.

 

Can't really do set up a tent.. Especially with family style camping, you will not have the basic pup tent.. Woe be the poor soul that borrows a tent from someone with no directions..

 

Just saying, if you have to spend time on something, best be it things like camping equipment, and the special rules BSA & your council has pertaining to Cub Scout Pack camping.. Rather then campfire program.. When the campfire program is the same type of entertainment they do every month at pack meetings.(This message has been edited by moosetracker)

[Eagle92 110]

Base,

You'd be surprised at what folks do not know or have not done, especially CS families who are new to camping.

 

Heck even some campaholics don't know what some consider basic knowledge. I admit I never, repeat NEVER, lit a camp stove until December 2009. I'd always use wood or charcoal prior to that. So it was interesting "testing out" my Chrsitmas present to make sure it worked and it could be wrapped up

 

Everyone,

 

One thing that may seem 'basic" but you'll be surprised, is to make sure the folks takign BALOO know that oen of their jobs back in the pack is to help teach the new families how to pack and camp.

[AnnLaurelB 10]

Well, in my case, what they had was a newly appointed CM who had ~never been camping before~. So, no. When I took my Scout Hut key and pulled the camping locker out, and opened it, and pulled out a Coleman lantern with NO instructions (and blown manifolds), I'm afraid I didn't know the first thing about lighting it, let alone servicing it.

 

I thought the "B" in BALOO stood for... *sigh* I'm lame, sorry.

 

[Basementdweller 608]

I can't tell you how many mom's who have done exactly that......So I am stuck figuring out how to set up a tent after dark in the rain with no instructions. They borrowed it and there are no stakes or it is missing a fly or poles or it is moldy to the point it shouldn't be slept in.

 

 

 

 

 

My point is.....if you honestly don't have the basic skill set. a couple hour course isn't going to do it. You shouldn't be leading a group on a camp out. I would have a troop or someone who knows what they are doing come along and teach you.

 

 

 

 

[AnnLaurelB 10]

Okay, but... *lacking* the "basic skill set," as you call it, wouldn't I assume something called BASIC Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation might *just might* GIVE me the BASICS?

 

Or am I expecting too much?

 

And I guess my point was that the one I went to DID cover a lot of things which weren't specific to being outdoors. I KNOW how to look up ghost stories.

 

And TWO HOURS?!? Mine was like 8 am - 1 pm!(This message has been edited by annlaurelb)(This message has been edited by annlaurelb)