I would guess that one Troop in twenty schedules actual, independent Patrol outings. More likely than not the Patrols all go camping at once – AKA a Troop outing (like my Troop). I haven’t pursued independent Patrol outings for a couple of reasons; Logistics – Planning, supplying and launching three or four separate outings is more difficult than planning one Troop outing. Leadership – Maintaining prescribed levels of adult leadership would be a problem....
The spectacular Frontline documentary on PBS by David Breashears on the 1996 Everest tragedy includes interviews with expedition members and interactive maps of the mountain and the accident. The documentary is a fantastic case study in risk management, judgment and decision making and is highly recommended as a Scouter training tool. On 10–11 May 1996 eight people caught in a blizzard died on Mount Everest. Over the entire season, 12 people died trying to reach the summit, making for the deadliest day and year prior to the 16 fatalities of the 2014 avalanche and the 18 deaths resulting from avalanches caused by the April 2015 Nepal earthquake....
Dr. Steven Parker at Web Md writes about childhood memories of two schoolmates: In my defense, I wasn’t overtly mean to Billie or to Fred. But – to my eternal shame – neither was I at all friendly. Never did I tell my friends to cool it with the cruel taunts. Never did I attempt to get to know either of them. Never did I empathize with the hell they were going through....
Kim’s Game is a game of observation and memory. In Rudyard Kipling’s 1901 novel Kim the hero, Kim, plays the game as a part of his training as a spy. Kim spends a month in Simla, India at the home of Mr. Lurgan, who runs a jewel shopas a cover for his real work as a secret agent for the British against the Russians. Lurgan tosses a handful of jewels brings out a copper tray and says:...
By Jeremy Joslin, M.D. from Medicine for the Outdoors It always happens by accident. You’re using your new, lightweight pack saw to collect downed wood for an evening fire when the saw slips and slices into the back of your left thumb. Blood flows immediately, and you feel a rush of pain up your hand. You’re four days’ hike from civilization and the cut looks like it needs stitches. Let the first aid begin....
Canned programs for Scouts are attractive because they are easy. They are also poor excuses for a Scout activity. Canned experiences require little preparation, skill development or leadership. In our part of the world there are whitewater rafting trips, ski weekends, museum lock-ins and similar activities that only require Scouts show up and be led by the hand through an activity or presentation. Scoutmasters should be adamant that activities are aimed at fulfilling the promises of Scouting and not simply entertainment....
Dr. Paul Auerbach discusses blisters at Medicine for the Outdoors: If a blister is caused by pressure (ill-fitting boots), you have a couple of choices. As mentioned above, prior to actual blister formation, you can protect or pad the area. Once a blister forms, the blister site can be padded with moleskin or other adhesive foam, so that rubbing no longer occurs, the blister should be ringed with a doughnut of padding and left intact....
Some of us spend an inordinate amount of time worrying over the entertainment quality of troop meetings. Some of us are actually running the meetings – this is a big no no. A Troop meeting is not a television show hosted by the Scoutmaster. Here’s some thoughts from an old Scoutmaster’s Handbook on Inquiry.net As the years have gone by, some Scoutmasters have set this Troop Meeting upon a too elevated pedestal....
The season of the tick has returned – time to review appropriate strategies to prevent Lyme disease and a host of other tick-borne agents. Most everyone in this part of the world knows someone who has had or is battling Lyme disease. Knowledge of how to properly identify, avoid, remove and treat the bites of ticks (despite years and years of educational efforts) is still low. Conflicting advice, old wive’s tails and urban legends still persist....
Every so often Scouting gets an outside-in evaluation that reveals how we are regarded by those with little or know connection to the movement. I expect many commentaries as Scouting celebrates its 100th anniversary. Scouting began as, has been, and always will be a work in progress based on the simple goals of making the world a better place. No doubt we will continue to be lauded, chided, loved and hated....
Scoutbase UK (United Kingdom) has an extensive and growing library of fact sheets on Special Needs Scouting that may be downloaded in PDF format free of charge. From Managing Behaviour: What is the ‘praise’ or ‘blame’ culture of your Group like? You may want to look at whether the atmosphere is full of criticism or a constant reinforcing of acceptable behaviour. ‘Thank you’ and ‘Well done’ need to be heard (and meant) when talking to young people and between Leaders too....
Here’s a plan for a simple plan for a tin can Barometer made from a beer or soda can and a soup can. Looks like a fun way to demonstrate the principles of barometric pressure and its relationship to weather and altitude. See the full plan and instructions at Instructables
From the CNN website: A 12-year-old Boy Scout missing for four days in North Carolina’s wilderness wandered away from his campsite because he was homesick and planned to hitchhike home, the boy’s father said Tuesday. Michael told his father he slept in tree branches during the night, drank river water and prayed he wouldn’t get sick. He said he got homesick because some of his closest friends had not gone on the camping trip, so he planned to walk to a highway and hitchhike to his home in Greensboro, North Carolina....
A good discussion of most common questions about Webelos to Scouts transition at Ask Andy: The Webelos bridge crossing ceremony is to publicly show the transition, or crossing over, from a Cub Scout pack to a Boy Scout troop. At one side of the bridge is the pack he’s leaving. On the other side are the representatives of the troop he’s chosen to join (always the Scoutmaster and most often the troop’s Senior Patrol Leader—the highest-ranking youth leader of the troop—too)....
Custom award ribbons are an inexpensive way to recognize patrol or individual achievements; Troop Honor Patrol Camporees Attendance/Participation Nights camping Inter Patrol Scoutmaster’s Challenge I’ve used Dinn Brothers for years and have been very satisfied with their pricing and service. A 2″ x 8″ custom imprinted ribbon in quantities of 100 costs only .44 each. It’s not difficult to put together an order of 100 with free imprinting and color changes....
From a letter by the 2005 National Chief of the Order of the Arrow; The Boy Scouts of America recently completed a survey of boys who had left the Scouting program. I would appreciate it if you read this letter and share the information with your unit leadership. The major conclusions from the survey are that young men drop out of the program due to the lack of a good unit program and not enough outdoor adventure....
Some years ago we started a tradition in our troop called Scout vespers every Saturday evening when the troop is camping. “Vesperas” is a Latin word that means “evening” and is a root of the English word “west” where the sun sets. Gathering for a moment of reflection or a religious service in the evening has a long history in practice and symbolism; The Jewish Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday....
Every so often we dedicate one Troop meeting to inter-patrol games; an evening of skill, spirit and leadership competition. These evenings are designed to be very loud, continuously active and, as a result, are tremendously popular with the Scouts. The Scoutmaster must maintain a brisk pace as the evening proceeds to keep up the excitement and to keep the Patrol Leaders on their toes. One of the most important aspects of the challenge is how Patrol leaders prepare and lead their patrols for the event....
In his book, The Left Handshake, Hilary St. George Saunders recounts the history of the Boy Scout Movement during the Second World War. 1939-1945. The book is available in PDF format. The Left Handshake is the story of how scouts in occupied countries aided resistance movements, maintained their troops and provided many public services often at great personal risk. Poland, The Warsaw Uprising- “After sixty-three days of bitter fighting, the insurrection was crushed, and on the 3rd October, 1944, Warsaw fell for the second time....
Let’s build a “membership standards” Scouting checkpoint at the gate of our scout camp. Adult leaders can gain entrance only after they pass inspection on their adherence to the scout oath and law to enter. This way we can be sure to exclude atheists, the divorced, smokers, drug users, alcoholics, tax cheats, people who are overweight, adulterers, fornicators, the envious, homosexuals,the lustful, the prideful, the gluttonous, the dishonest, and the slothful....