Eagle74

Maybe somebody should tell these folks about Scouting! http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-11-21-no-child-left-inside_x.htm

May be some things of interest to you here: http://www.uscg.mil/leadership/lead/comp.htm

FastFingers; can you email me a contact at Idaho State that is involved with this? I've made some initial contacts locally to see what can be done to gain ACE credit recommendation for Woodbadge participants. (I had anticipated maybe using this for a Woodbadge ticket, but my participation in a WB course has taken a back seat to degree work, work commitments, a remodeling project, and regular scouting commitments)

Traditions are good as long as they serve a purpose and we know/learn the meaning behind the tradition. There comes a time though when we sometimes need to respectfully bury the old tradition. And sometimes start new traditions. My vocation (fire & emergency services) is steeped in traditions that are an integral part of the bond holding together all firefighters as brothers & family. But even we get trapped at times as noted in this firehouse quip: "Two hundred years of tradition unimpeded by progress." (Look on the wall in the background of the fire station scenes in "Backdraft."

EagleInKy, Looks pretty good. We are in the process of a rewrite as our guide hasn't been redone in eons. This will serve as a good example. BTW, I've visited your troop website in the past, but never got around to telling you how much I like it. Excellent site layout, ease of navigation, and information!(This message has been edited by Eagle74)

The mesh size as I referred to it is the sieve mesh size (sand granule size). Stainless steel mesh is used in place of metal flashing for termite shielding or laid around the foundation to protect openings in foundations though. It wouldn't really help for the project noted above unless laid under and then up around the sides a bit. The mesh is fine enough that termites can't pass through it and tough enough that they can't chew through it.

What goes around comes around? Brings back memories of Dan Beard's "The American Boy's Handybook" that was one of my "bibles" as a youth. Anybody in for kite wars (kite aerial dog fights) with razor blades attached to the kite tails?

Cinder Blocks or brick definitely works. Some other thoughts: Sand Barrier under and around - at least 6", 10-16 mesh (termites can't tunnel or establish tunnels in this) Commercially available termite resistant woods: Redwood Cedar Sappy southern yellow pine (heartwood) Charring the wood in contact with the ground seem to help. This is an old trick used by farmers for instance, on the buried part of locust fence posts. Other moderately or very resistant woods: (Trees found locally that can be cut into boards at a local saw mill. I've had this done and have seen this done when somebody cuts one of these trees down on their property) Any of these would usually be quite expensive as a commercial board product. Arizona Cypress Black Cherry Black Locust Black Walnut Burr Oak Catalpa Chestnut Oak Gambel Oak Junipers Mesquite Osage Orange Post Oak Red Mulberry Sassafras White Oak

First new "field useable" pants and now a single app without the medical info on the back that almost always ended up messing up the front page. Hooray! Hooray!

Excuse my slide back to the basketry discussion for a minute. . . I just had a "things that make you go Hmmmm?" moment. Just came back from summer camp (had to leave a day early) and there were numerous basketry merit badge blue cards completed, but . . . I don't recall seeing a single basket anywhere in our site; neither being worked on nor a completed one. I must have missed something. For that matter, I haven't seen a camp stool seat for several years.

The previous thread is here: http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=111672#id_111672 BTW, I sent a nice letter by mail pointing out the inconsistency - no response.

Headed off to summer camp in a couple of weeks with "It's Your Ship" and "Freakonomics".

Sounds like what I had in 1978. One could do either the "Scout Leader Development Course" or both "Cornerstone" and "Outdoor Experience" to fulfill the training requirement for the Scouter's Training Award. I did the SLDC. We were Troop 99. It consisted of several classroom type sessions (troop meetings) and then a weekend camping experience. Troop meetings were spent learning assorted things like how to run meetings, planning, rules & regs, etc. We were divided into patrols (had a couple patrol meetings in addition to the course sessions), had patrol flags/yells, and functioned like a troop. During the outdoor weekend there were stations set up for learning various outdoor skills, patrol cooking, etc.

Great story Eamonn! Lisabob; we always put one senior scout in each vehicle with the responsibility for keeping the other boys behaving appropriately. Also, if there is not another adult in the car as the navigator, the senior scout is in the front passenger seat as the navigator and communications person (cell phone, FSR radio, etc.) so that the driver can concentrate on driving.

Here is a clue from the back of the Tour Permit Form in the Our Pledge of Performance section: 18. If more than one vehicle is used to transport the group, we will establish rendevous points at the start of each day and not attempt to have drivers closely follow the group vehicle in front of them. Convoy driving is not something most people know how to do or do well. - The tendency is for vehicles to follow each other too closely. "Close the gap!" - Groups traveling in convoy frequently don't give each driver good directions/maps. "Follow the leader!" Now everybody else is more concerned about losing the leader than paying attention to safe driving. - If the lead vehicle decides that the trip is a race, or a lane changing game, convoy driving forces all other drivers to drive in a manner that they are not accustomed to or desire to. - Some people will do some very strange things when another vehicle or vehicles end up in the middle of the convoy. - If there is an "emergency" such as a boy who gets sick to his stomach, or a boy with a need to take care of very important business, that driver feels obliged not to leave the convoy to address the problem. - Another problem is when one vehicle makes a mistake (almost missing exit for instance) and tries to make a quick correction causing the rest of the convoy to maybe do something dumb also. The recommended practice is to provide clear concise directions/maps, establish regular "pit stops" for regrouping and group checkups, and let each driver set their own pace. Our troop uses a loose convoy. - We all leave at the same time, but every driver is free to drive at their own pace. - We establish regular rest stops/meeting points along the way to check that everybody is doing OK. Every driver knows where they are and that they are required to stop. - With cell phones commonplace, if a driver needs to leave the established route for one reason or another, or has a breakdown, etc., that driver phones the caboose to make them aware (see next bullet). - We usually have one of the seasoned leaders take the role of caboose or sweeper. This driver is always the last vehicle. If another vehicle leaves the route, gets lost, needs to make a stop or experiences trouble, the caboose provides assistance as needed. Or makes the two-deep if the situation dictates.