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So what arbitrary rules do you enforce?


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1) cooks are served last.

2) head cook leads grace. (His choice of any grace.)

3) NO ONE IS TO EAT ANYTHING UNTIL GRACE HAS BEEN SAID.

 

This solved a heap of problems. No more little guy who didn't get dinner. No more cook sitting alone eating while the others are done and playing. Encourages patrol spirit. Promotes duty to God. Sets the mood for the meal... Some how they plan better meals if it will be "formal".

 

 

Finally one of my own - I am a volunteer. I am under no obligation to do any thing I don't want to. This includes driving any one to camp who chooses not to wear their uniform. This include both scouts and adults. You can wear what you want and go to the event just find your own ride. If no one wants a ride on my terms I leave the car at home and take the Goldwing.

 

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Pepsi has not and never will be coke or Coke. It's just not good enough.

 

Besides, coke (with a little "c") means:

 

a) the solid product resulting from the destructive distillation of coal in an oven or closed chamber or by imperfect combustion, consisting principally of carbon: used chiefly as a fuel in metallurgy to reduce metallic oxides to metals.

 

b) cocaine

 

Coke (with a big "C") is a registered trademark of the Coca-Cola Company.

 

I never understood "pop". "Soda" on the other hand, referred to soda water, or carbonated water, and most carbonated beverages are nothing more than flavored carbonated water.

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Pop as into bubbles from the carbonated water or the pop of the cap when removed. When you look whose say pop in the map they stretch from the Pacific across to eastern New York and Pennsylvania, down to Oregon, Nebraska and West Virgina. Not the most population but the most area.

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No duffel bags or backpacks in tents.

 

We tried this at summer camp and it worked great. No tent damage and nobody lost all theri stuff cause it was strewn all around the tent and mixed in with the tentmates stuff.

 

Bring a trash bag and cover the duffel at night or use the tent vestibule.

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It is the SPL for Troop events, or PL for Patrol events, duty to ensure the fire is OUT and trash and food are appropriately stored before lights out.

If he chooses to go to bed before the last adult does then that adult will be waking him up to perform those checks.

 

No vehicle movement for travel until the SPL has checked that all Scouts are accounted for.

 

We don't worry about the soda's and stuff, meal wise - it only took a couple of times where they had an all sugar campout before institutional memory kicked in - the older Scouts, "counsel" and "encourage" the younger Scouts to purchase appropriate foods.

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"Cocoa has caffeine too, as does tea/honey. Both have a bit less than soft/energy drinks, though. "

 

Just FYI informational

 

http://www.energyfiend.com/the-caffeine-database

 

Drip Coffee - 18.1mg per oz

Brewed Coffee - 13.4mg per oz

Green Tea - 3.1mg per oz

Tea - brewed - 5.9mg per oz

Iced Tea - 5.9mg per oz

Coke Classic - 2.9mg per oz

Diet Coke - 3.8mg per oz

Mountain Dew - 4.6mg per oz

RedBull - 9.5mg per oz

Monster Energy - 10mg per oz

 

A big glass of sweet tea could be worse than a can of Coke. That big thermos of coffee may not set the example of what to drink.

 

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shortridge,

 

It's just the way WE do things.

I don't mind the fireguard concept but it seems to break down( and an unattended fire in these heavily forested areas is NOT going to happen) and I am against having an adult have to get up or keep a parallel watch - so we always kill the thing before the last adult goes down - at lights out.

As to the food and trash storage; yes it's great if it gets done by the person doing the job but the supervision belongs in the hand of the SPL or PL so if it needs to be corrected either I can let the animals have the food or spread the trash or the SPL/PL can take the appropriate action as they see fit - either fix it themselves or wake the offender... not a rule per se but the way WE do it...

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Hanging food and correct food storage can be a pain to enforce. One outing to the beach at the the Olympic NP, one scout must have left some food in his pack. Everything in the pack was spread out all over, clothing, food and other gear in a classic Washington heavy mist -- rain to the rest of you. Sandpoint is raccoon heaven.

Another time at summer camp a scout's high tech ($$) sleeping bag had a nice little tunnel chewed in to get at a candy wrapper.

 

All the Scouts learned something on those outings.

 

Even this old SM learned on 50 miler high in the Cascades. I left out a small thick skinned plastic bottle with spice mix in it next to the stove. It had a small hole chewed in it and most of the spice gone.

 

BTW if any of the young females in your life are in the Twilight book's, Forks is inland between Sandpoint and the Olympic Mountains, they get 150+ inches of rain a year.

You haven't lived as SM until you have tried stopping young scouts setting at a campfire using their flashlights as spotlights on a x rated raccoon show on snag in the underbrush.

 

 

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Uniforms when traveling. Began from experience of guys forgetting to pack their uniform. Wear it to the meeting place and you know you have it. Now, it's just tradition in our troop.

 

Electronics are OK on long drives to campouts. Once in camp, the boys have been taught that they are there to enjoy nature and each other, not playing a video game or walking around with ear buds. Still having a bit of a problem with the cell phones. I know they can take pictures, but when a scout pulls out his cell I haven't seen him take a picture with it yet.

 

Poptarts, doughnuts, sodas, candy, etc. for food. We encourage our guys to plan and prepare healthy meals. Not always successful in this. Not much difference really in a breakfast of poptarts or cold candy coated cereal.

 

Poptarts though are a very handy snack and guys eat them during the day and have nothing for breakfast the next morning. No big problem to me as it has happened before. Just trying to help the guys do work on campouts and not settle for the easy way.

 

Ramen is OK. Guys usually add something to it, like chopped chicken, ham, or SPAM.

 

No sodas or candy. Empty calories. Candy has been a problem many times. Well meaning Mom thinking little Johnny Scout may get hungry at camp packs a bunch of candy and snacks for him. Candy wrappers and snack debris in the tent. Ants and other bugs next. Upset stomach and sluggish Johnny Scout in camp. No fun for anyone. One time, we had to take upset stomach Johnny Scout to the emergency room. Parents and Johnny Scout learned a BIG lesson on that one.

 

Yes, the guys learn on their first campout - no food or drinks in tents. Doesn't stop the smugglers some times, though.

 

Patrols must cook at least one hot meal on a campout that involves more than just boiling water.

 

No personal gear in the trailer until Quartermaster's OK. It's his job to make sure everything is stowed in the trailer properly and he takes it very seriously.

 

If you are seen misusing your knife, you must teach the knife safety part of Totin' Chip to another Scout - even if that Scout has already earned Totin' Chip. Side bonus to this is it helps to reinforce the rules to both the offender and the other Scout. Same goes for misusing an axe or hatchet.

 

And, lastly, my personal favorite arbitrary rule: The Scouts must always refer to me as "Your ladyship, supreme ruler and benefactor of our happiness."

 

 

 

 

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When it comes to food ethics, how do you tell the difference between raccoons and the boys? Answer: the raccoons are more clever.

 

NWScouter, my wife and I were on Mt. LeConte in the Smokies one summer, having lunch by a spring. Suddenly my wife exclaimed that there was a bear approaching. I looked and sure enough a bear was headed toward us. We quickly gathered as much of our stuff as we could to leave the area but the bear charged us. So we took what we had packed and scrambled out of there and up the hill a ways. We had left behind some sampling gear: bottles of specimens from the spring, preservative, pipettes, etc. So after a couple of minutes I walked back to check to see if he was gone. He was, I could hear him leaving, snorting down the trail, so I picked up the remaining gear. The top of the preservative bottle kept leaking and I couldn't get it to seal. That's when I noticed the clean, neat hole on either side of the bottle. It contained a mixture of iodine, acetic acid, and formaldehyde. I suspect that bear thought twice before he went after another picnic.

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Here in the Land of Pleasant Living, we drink "Aruh See Cocola". Usually served with Snickuhs or Moon Pahs.

 

When we do get real Coke in a 6 oz bottle, you have to dump in some salted Planter's Peanuts. (not boiled peanuts)

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I'm not the big cheese in our Troop (lowly ASM) but I have what I call "DG's sayings" instead of rules that all Scouts in our Troop hear at one time or the other, over and over and over, till it sinks in....sorta, till the next victim, er.. Scout does it.

 

After each saying, the "deer in the headlight look" usually lasts 3-10 seconds before either they "get it" or ask again. They get a straight answer after that if they still are ????.

 

Mr. Adams - Do you know what time it is?

me - yes (then I usually look up into the sky, or under a rock for confirmation).

 

(untucked Scout shirt or unbuttoned shirt pocket at a COH/Troop meeting)

Me - Wow, I did not know you are a Girl Scout now...nice skirt Cadet.

 

Me - Tuck it or shuck it....

 

Me - Hey, your chest fly is open!

 

Me - XYSP (Examine your shirt pocket)

 

And a couple old favorites...

 

Mr. Adams, Can I go to the bathroom real quick?

Answer - I don't know, but I'll time ya.....

 

Mr. Adams - Do we need our handbook/MB Book?

Answer - heck no, but I am surprised you have it memorized by now.

 

I heard a saying of A. Lincoln's at Woodbadge, that I may start using.

 

"No matter what you are doing...be the best at it"

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