Food For Thought.

[Eamonn 61]

I 'm not the most handy person to have around the house. I'm however an outstanding Chef.

I have cooked for a couple of Prime Ministers and a couple of members of the Royal Family. Before moving to the USA I was employed as the Executive Chef for the BBC.

I love food.

I happen to love cooking, it is one of the few tasks that requires the use of all of your senses.

You can see, smell, taste, hear and touch what is cooking. I have a passion for food.

Back when we had the restaurants running, I was very happy when the local community college asked if we would accept interns.

Of course the students ranged from the good, the bad and the ugly. One didn't last two hours! But that's another story.

I had a couple of really good chefs working for me. I know I guilty of paying them a little more than they would have got working else where, but I wanted good people and expected good work.

Talking to my meat supplier one day, he offered me whole legs of veal at a really good price. I bought them.

Feeling very pleased with myself at our next staff meeting I mentioned to the chefs that it would be a good idea if they broke down the legs with the interns. I had lists of what we could use the different parts for.

Sadly our chefs had never broken down legs of veal. They were used to them coming in already broken down.

Of course they wouldn't be able to show our interns because they didn't have the skills in the first place.

In the end I broke down one with everyone watching and let them work on the others.

The need to know how to break down a leg of veal is not the most important thing that a Chef needs to know, some might say that there is no need to know, or that it really isn't a Chef's job.

At the risk of sounding like "An old timer".

I still think a Scouter should have a good grasp of outdoor skills.

I worry that we are spending so much time on Leadership and theory that we will in the very near future not be able to provide the youth we serve with the skills they need to take on the challenges, adventures and excitement that makes Scouting fun.

I fully accept the fact that outdoor skills are not needed to make Scouting and the purpose of Scouting work.

Still,the skills are needed to hold the interest of the youth members. When we fail to hold their interest, they become bored and quit. Which of course means that the purpose goes out with the bathwater.

I'm saddened when I meet a 15 year old Ex-Boy Scout, who is an Eagle Scout. Who can't read a map or a compass and has allowed this lack of know how to prevent him from ever going on a hike or enjoy the great outdoors.

To put it very bluntly I feel that we the adults have screwed up and let him down.

I'm worried that in time He will return as an adult leader, still not knowing or ever learning the needed skills and then the cycle continues.

I have an adult in the Ship, who has two sons in the Ship and in a Troop.

The adult came in as an Assistant Cubmaster, went on to become Cubmaster and has for the past five years or so been a ASM.

He is a super nice guy. But he knows squat about Scouting.

He has never learned the skills and seems happy to leave that "Stuff" to someone else.

Both Boys are working on Eagle projects, but I've met Cub Scouts who have more practical skills.

I do not feel that when we are out on the water we need adult passengers. Thankfully he understood this and is now happy to sit in with the Scouts as we cover what I think are the essentials. But this is five years after he became an ASM. The truth is that there isn't anyone in that Troop who really knows enough to be able to pass things on to the youth.

The Troop has made advancement an aim not a method and seem willing to either by-pass the stuff that they don't know or leave the teaching of it to a week spent at Summer Camp. Then as the Skills are never used as part of the program they are either lost or forgotten.

I know some will say that we should offer more Training's for adults in order that they can learn this type of stuff. Maybe that's true? But until we can really accept that knowing this stuff is really important they are not going to take the time.

The Troop OJ was in boasts of how many ASM's they have. Summer camp will see about 30 Scouts and about 20 Dads in attendance. The Dads /ASM are there to keep a watchful eye on their kid. They rarely leave the Troop Camp site and when they do its to eat and answer calls of nature. The Troop will have these Dads run Merit Badge Classes during the down time at camp. Scouts will return from a week at camp with all sorts of merit badges. Sadly again because not everything that they need is on hand for practical purposes they will skip over them bits by talking about them.

Back in the UK when I was a new Leader, when you had proved that you had knowledge of practical scouting and some know how of the running of a Troop, there was a small patch with one Wood Badge bead on it. We called it the Peanut Badge! Maybe we need something like this for our leaders to ensure that they have the practical knowledge to be able to deliver the program?

Eamonn.

[OldGreyEagle 5]

You may be onto something Eamonn

 

When I was a scout, I saw every leader grab an axe, fall and tree, trim and make firewood out of it. I doubt that skills resides in half of the Districts adult leaders. At summer camp I was in the Axe yard chopping away and a fairly large "gallery" developed, seems the boys had never seen anyone split wood before and couldnt beleive I could do it. I tried to assure them anyone of them could as well, after all I was splitting wood when I was their age, but had no takers. I guess while a fireplace is de rigeur in the suburbs, but one is only to burn store bought or delivered wood, one never chops his own (after following leave no trace of course).

 

I forget his name but a comedian had an entire routine based on what his parents knew versus what his generation knows. My father could replace the water and fuel pump on his car, adjust both brakes and clutch and he wasnt alone, every dad on the block could as well, we all saw them. Who can do this today? He could wire and plumb houses and hang drywall as well. Again, he wasnt alone. It was regarded as an everyman skill. Today we have computers and just about everyone can google just about anything, but I wonder about what physical skills we have lost? How many adults feel confident in orienterring? Maybe more in depth wood craft skills courses would be good, can we find instructors?

 

[SR540Beaver 116]

OGE,

 

Sadly, my dad passed away about 5 years ago. There was nothing my dad couldn't do. I have an older brother and sister. When my twin brother and I came along, more than a two bedroom house was needed. Did my parents buy a new house? Heck no, dad added on. He built a den, bedroom and bathroom onto the house. He did every single job himself except pour the foundation. The man never put a car in the shop for engine or body work. He seldom paid anyone to do anything.....he simply did it himself. Unfortunately, Imy brother got those genes and they bypassed me. I'm fairly dangerous when I attempt DIY.

[eagle-pete 11]

~On The Other Side of the Tracks~

 

 

I grew up in the Big City - L.A. Calif. My dad didn't have the outdoor skills. His idea of an outing in the woods was an R.V. with plumbing and electrical hookups. Consequently, any outdoor skills I have learned, I got in Scouting - but much later in life. I have the fortune of working with an excellent Scout leader who does have those skills. He is teaching them to me.

 

For someone like me, now an adult, those skills are only picked up as occasion arises on the few campouts or troop meetings when we go over them. I am greatful to be able to learn them now, but many years (and outings) have gone by where I have been outdoor handicapped.

 

As an example of my inept skills... some years ago I was on a family outing. We setup camp and had a tarp setup over the eating area of the camp. A storm rolled in and it started to rain. It was coming down pretty hard and the wind was blowing. One of the lines broke on the tarp which was holding down one of the corners. The piece on the rope broke which had the metal slide - you know, those things which work like a taut-line. I went over to repair it. I could not find the metal thing, and so the only way to fix it was to tie a true taut-line and secure the corner of the tarp. I actually had to run and get my Boy Scout Handbook and look up how to tie the dang thing. Fortunately I brought mine along. It took a few minutes but we got it tied down. This experience taught me how valuable those basic skills really are and how much I really needed to learn. I can say this, I'll never forget how to tie a taut-line.

 

I think most Scout Leaders are willing to learn the skills, but they need a mentor. It's one thing to sit with the boys in a comfortable, dry building and go through knot tying. It's quite another to be in need of those skills while out in a storm with your family. A few outings in the great outdoors with a well trained leader would be invaluable for a new Scout Leader. It has sure helped me out.

 

Eagle Pete

[mtm25653 10]

I'm sorry there are troops that don't teach/let the boys learn outdoor skills. I completely agree that you need some leaders skilled in camping and the outdoors. All the troops I know have that, I guess because I'm fortunate to live in a rural area of the south near a large military base. Every troop has leaders who grew up on farms and leaders who are ex (or current) military.

 

I agree that mentoring is important, but in the troop you described, where the EAgle Scout with no outdoor experience, did the leaders want to learn more and want to be able to teach the boys to be confident in the outdoors?

 

Our current Committee Chair (and former SM) had never been camping when his oldest boy joined scouts. He learned along with his son. He wanted to learn, so he found opportunities. My son recently commented that this leader's strength was in leading and administration, not the outdoor skills. But under his leadership, this troop (and his previous troop) have gone to a wilderness camp in Canada, rock-climbed every year, made regular backpacking trips (including several to Philmont). He knows a lot, but he also knows what he doesn't know, and turns to other leaders. But most importantly, he thought it was important to learn and to teach those outdoor skills. That's what I think is missing in the kind of troop you mention.