Scoutmaster Podcast 314 - Scouting Email Questions

Lots of answers that you may find useful! It’s been a little while since I answered some email questions, so this is catch-up week. Listen as I talk about several different questions listeners have sent in over the past couple of moths, no doubt you have experienced something similar before, or may encounter these issues in the future. In This Podcast A deer in your pajamas?… [0:20] Intro 1:o3 Email about a difficult situation [7:30]...

May 2, 2016 · 1 min

Brunton Restore Solar Charger - Video Review

If you are looking for a reliable way to re-charge portable electronic devices on extended camping trips the Brunton Restore is a solid choice. When at full capacity the Restore’s internal lithium polymer battery will recharge virtually any USB compatible device. Charge he internal battery using USB power from a laptop, a wall adapter (not included), auto adapter, or the Restore’s solar panels. Encased in a durable, water-resistant, rubberized shell measuring 5....

May 17, 2013 · 2 min

Satellite Phone Rental for Wilderness Travel

We depend on satellite phone rental for emergency communications during our annual high adventure canoe trips. Since we’ll be travelling out of cell phone range we want some way to contact help if needed. There are a number of technologies available but a satellite phone is the only one that enables two-way voice communication If you look around you’ll find a number of vendors in the satellite phone rental business, but buyer beware – there can be hidden charges for shipping, obligations to buy a package of minutes and up-charges for things like spare batteries for the phone....

April 19, 2013 · 3 min

Scouting and Social Media - What Works

*This is the fourth in a series of articles about social media and Scouting; here’s the introduction, a post about youth protection issues, my guidelines for appropriate behavior and content.*Also be sure to read the B.S.A. Social Media Guidelines. Getting the word out is a constant challenge to all of us. We want to keep Scouts and their families informed, make records and administrative functions accessible and promote Scouting to potential Scouts....

November 16, 2011 · 5 min

Scouting and Social Media - Appropriate Behavior and Content

This is the third in a series of articles about Scouting and social media; here’s the introduction, a post about youth protection issues, and some thoughts about what works. Also be sure to read the B.S.A. Social Media Guidelines. A personal profile on a social media tool that identifies us a Scout Leader makes us de-facto representatives of Scouting in general and the B.S.A. in particular. I discussed youth protection issues in a previous post in this series but the responsible use of social media as a representative of Scouting also requires us to be thoughtful and circumspect about what we say and how we say it....

November 15, 2011 · 3 min

Scouting and Social Media - Youth Protection

This is the second in a series of articles about Scouting and social media; here’s the introduction, my guidelines for appropriate behavior and content, and some thoughts about what works. Also be sure to read the B.S.A. Social Media Guidelines. Social media tools have powerful potential for communicating with Scouts and their families to share information, supplement training and educate Scouts and adult volunteers alike. As I mentioned in the last post the Boy Scouts of America has published social media guidelines that address youth protection, privacy, appropriate content and behavior....

November 11, 2011 · 2 min

Scouting and Social Media - Introduction

*This is the first in a series of articles about social media and Scouting; here’s a post about youth protection issues, my guidelines for appropriate behavior and content, and some thoughts about what works.*Also be sure to read the B.S.A. Social Media Guidelines. Our Scouts are digital natives; they don’ t know a world without computers and the internet. You and I are likely to be digital immigrants; we were raised and educated in the era before digital technology or during it’s emergence*....

November 10, 2011 · 5 min

The New Scout Handbook

I’ve had my copy of the 12th Edition of the new Scout Handbook for a couple of weeks now and I recently added the Scout Handbook to my Ipod touch. I have also looked over the website bsahandbook.org. As the way we use and manipulate information changes I applaud the BSA in attempting to keep up. Information seems to have aspirations to take on one form or another so it will be used....

September 16, 2009 · 2 min

Texting - 2b or not 2b?

Mark Bauerlein is a professor of English at Emory University. His latest book bears the unfortunate title The Dumbest Generation. I haven’t read the book but based on the professor’s recent opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal is seems to be another false diatribe similar to the grave predictions that comic books would foment the collapse of society. The piece (in part) asserts that texting is eroding the capacity of young people to read non-verbal communication....

August 31, 2009 · 4 min