Stosh

I have one red coat - Pendleton that I have my patches on. My official BSA red coat doesn't. At flags, I take the Pendleton coat off, the official BSA coat stays on. Stosh

There has always been a fine line between individual scout accounts and money laundering. If people give to a scout troop, the money is to be used by the troop for their program. If people give to an individual scout, it can be used by the scout, i.e. grandma/grandpa pay for a kid's summer camp fees. As a non-profit organization if someone gives money to it and they turn around and give it to it's membership instead of the program there could be problems down the road. The fine line is when tents are bought are they the property of the troop or the boys? Over the line is giving boys money directly out of troop funds that they can use to buy personal scout gear. I know there are a lot of people out there that do this, but that doesn't make it right. Stosh

When you refer to GO, is it the classic GO or the modernized GO (Pente) of getting five in a row? I prefer the classic GO, but there aren't many players out there anymore. Stosh

3 - 1/2" x 4'-5' steel poles. Drill hole through on one end. run a long bolt through adding a lightweight chain(s) that hangs down the middle after the three legs are spread. Use a variety of different hooks and fasten pots to hang over the fire. If one is creative they can add three chains and fasten on the hooks a circular grill suspended over the fire. If that is not enough. hang a turkey on the hook add 3 circular tubes made of chicken wire (about 3"-4" diameter, 4' long and wrap the whole thing in aluminum foil adding charcoal down the chicken wire tubes to keep the fire going for the allotted time to bake what you're cooking. I saw a troop do a 42# turkey once. It was too big for a standard kitchen oven, but the boys did a nice job of cooking it up for a lot of guests. One can find light-weight versions of this at a lot of the sporting goods stores, but they don't hold up to the abuse of use doled out by the boys. A project like this can "inspire" the Webelos boys to look forward to using it when they get into Boy Scouts. Stosh(This message has been edited by jblake47)

The camp I used to attend allowed for the boys to do their own menus and bring their own food. The menu was sent in early. It was verified by the camp as nutritious and approved. The boys then packaged up 3 boxes for each meal. One non-refrig, one refrig and one frozen if needed. If they did not need refrig/freezer they would pick up just the one box. They were marked accordingly and then they went up to the commissary and picked up their boxes for the patrol and took it back to the camp to prep. They received a discount on their fees accordingly. Stosh

Many years ago... Cake Walks were really popular. Everyone brings a decorated cake. X number of boys place their cakes on a table around which they all stand. Music starts like musical chairs and the boys keep walking around the table until the music stops. Each boy has the option to take the cake by them or stay in the game. For each boy that opts to take the cake, they are replaced by another boy and his cake in the circle. Keeps going until all the cakes are gone. A little luck is involved in getting the cake you might want, strategy of taking what's there or trying again, etc. No competition, no judging (except each boy decides if the cake by them looks good enough to take home) and when it gets down to the last 5-ish boys, they need to take what's in front of them the last time the music stops. Prizes? Hey, the boys all get to take home a cake and if they are really lucky, they even might get a chance at taking their own home. Of course the parents get a chance to cheer their boys on to the "nice" cakes and then give "recommendations" on strategy to take the cake or try again. Stosh

Camp stoves made out of tin cans. Charcoal lighters made out #10 tin can. Shebang shelter made out of recycled nylon from old tents. Divining rods made out of clothes hangers. Bird houses made out of sheet metal. As mentioned, macarame plant hangers are great for learning knots. Home evacuation rope ladders with PVC steps. Water skier tow ropes made with nylon rope and PVC pipes. Campfire tripods made of 1/2" pipe and chain. Make it into an oven with chickenwire chimenies and aluminum foil. Safe swim markers made of old gallon milk jugs and nylon rope with two brick anchors. Reflection ovens with clothes hangers and sheet metal. Make loom out of PVC and screws and use to make woven hotpads for mom. Braiding material can be use to make key chain fobs, lanyards, etc. Paper egg cartons, sawdust and parafin wax to make fire-starters. PVC neckerchief slides Metal bar with holes in it, bolt jar covers to it and have the plastic jars collect small odds and ends in shop, kitchen, etc. hang by screwing to beam, inside cupboard, etc. Cut out cutting boards using plexiglass instead of wood. Add hooks for key holder and hang on wall instead. Use wood burner to etch labels on in the plexiglass. Picture frames out of plexiglass (two sheets bolted together at corners) Glue a stand on the back to hold upright or add wire on back to hang on wall. And for the serious scouter! 4" PVC 2' long with a cap on one end and a screw cap on the other half full of cat litter makes a very functioning backpack toilet. Stosh

The granddaddy of all earthquakes in North America didn't happen on either coast. Back in the 1700's the Madrid Fault near St. Louis let loose and rang church bells as far away as Boston, MA. The Mississippi River ran upstream in certain places for as long as 3 days. Now there's something to think about. Hunker down or get out East Coast! Safety first! With Tornadoes, not much warning, but you can get out of their path if caught in the open. Otherwise head for the basement. With Hurricanes, you can get out of their path, they give plenty of notice in advance. With Earthquakes, well, no warnings, no place to go, just ride it out and hope for the best.

Hmmm. DC gets an earthquake as a major category 4 hurricane draws a bead on it..... Sounds like even God is getting tired of the political shenanigans going on in Washington.

I'm surprised that "cooking" for a lot of troops consists of re-hydration, plastic bags and boiling water. Even the complete pancake mix of just adding water requires no more effort than venting a can of beans and putting next to a fire. Boys think they are learning to cook, but for the most part only reheat previously prepared meals/mixes. At least one of the MB's does require a boy to catch, clean, cook and eat a fish. At least it's a start, but that is at the MB level. Basic cooking is a T-FC requirement which most boys fudge enough on that they actually can get "credit" for not really cooking at all. None of this is all that difficult, but it does take time to teach and actually cook. How many boys actually know that any 9"X13" can be adapted to two 9" pie pans and cooked in two standard dutch ovens? A real stew can be made with fresh ingredients prepared at home, put in plastic bags and dumped into a dutch oven and cooked easier than most re-hydrated meals? Taste better too. A mess kit is really cook-ware, not dinner-ware? How many scouts/scouters have ever noticed that the cup in a mess kit is marked as a measuring cup? A mess kit is really a mini-dutch oven? Etc..... By the time most scouts get to Eagle rank, never having had to actually start a fire, can actually cook for themselves? When I was SM we attended a summer camp that provided stoves. When the boys realized it wasn't gas stoves but the old shepherd's stoves they were really bent out of shape. They played with the fire, etc., but cooking didn't go over very well. They put the griddle on the stove and did 6 pancakes at a time. I suggested they clean off the top of the stove and oil it up. They did and then all of a sudden they could do 20 pancakes at one time. For the rest of the week, it was a battle as to who got to cook! And yes, they did figure out that one can make a cobbler in a fry pan. Last time I cooked while primitive camping (sandbar camping on a kayak trip) it was, steak w/sauteed onions , rice, corn on the cob, coffee using only mess-kits and a lighter. The breakfast was fresh blueberry pancakes, sausage and camp coffee. It was a luxury having a kayak carry a small cooler because it really made a wider variety of options for meals. Where did I learn all this? I can guarantee everyone it wasn't by eating in a camp mess-hall. Stosh

On the other hand, I love popcorn. I eat it 2-3 times a week. I don't use Trail's End, however. If a boy, in full uniform, asks me to buy, I will, other wise, not. My last year as SM, I had a 13 year old take lead on the popcorn drive for the troop and through his efforts the troop had the most successful sales in troop history. If the boys are going to learn from the process, it's a great thing. If all they are going to do is collect money, it's a waste of time and energy. Stosh

When I was a Webelos leader I held weekly meetings and once a month activities throughout the summer months. It's the best time of the year to get the boys outside and doing their advancement pins. Parents complained, boys loved it. The real rub came when the boys complained to their parents that they would rather be at scouts than whatever the family had planned. In my situation, it was not necessarily a case where the boys were not interested, it was more with the support of the parents. Stosh

There is a huge chasm between what a kid will do for himself and what he will do for others in today's culture. I once was told at one point, that maturity progresses through life by means of focus. A newborn baby is 100% self absorbed. I'm wet, I'm hungry, I'm cold and YOU need to do something about it!!!! As a person matures, the focus begins to shift towards others until one achieves the ability to 99.9% focus on others. It's the basis for marriage, for family, for friendship, etc. If somewhere along the way this process gets derailed, the individual will never reach their full potential. Many believe this process gets slowed with the definition in our society of adolescence. Some cultures feel that 12-13 year olds are mature enough to handle marriage, family and adult commitments. However, our culture doesn't support that and is willing to halt the maturity process until the "child" reaches 18/21 years of age and then they can re-kick-start the maturity process if they are able. Some just can't/don't/won't. Scouting may be from a few generations in the past, but in 1910, schooling for the majority ended at 8th grade and as a mature adult they went out into the world to enter into marriage, employment, etc. Yes, the world has changed, so has scouting. It's unfortunate. The mantra seems to be, What do I need to do to get MY Eagle!!! Stosh

Any scout that asks what he's going to get out of doing anything is in the program for all the wrong reasons. I'm sure these boys all take "Do a Good Turn daily" seriously!~ This attitude is why I never want to be part of an Eagle mill program. Stosh

A scout is helpful. Put your uniforms on and show up to help, it's what scouting is all about, even if the SM for some reason doesn't give the boys service project hours. Any boy that shows up to do his Good Turn deserves everyone's respect. Stosh

If one doesn't think the badges are important to the boys, have all your POR's prove they can do the task before giving the badge. Even if they aren't qualified, the dedicated leader will at least make the effort. For the most part, unless one dangles a patch in front of them, they won't budge, and for some, even after giving them patch they still won't budge. Stosh

Everyone likes to see how far they can push an issue. Many times these attempts can be used as useful teaching events. In the case described. The SPL needs to stop the meeting until all are back on task. A simple comment such as, "We need everyone focused on this activity to do it right." That places the onus of the problem on the person disrupting rather than on an irate leader. Peer pressure to have them cut it out will be more effective than trying to disrupt a single leader. LNT means that even the cigarette butts left by the former campers get picked up and tossed. The boys all refused so I set out to do it myself. As driver no one was leaving until the job was done. It took me an extra half hour to get it done. When the boys complained, I "did the math" showing that if 5 other boys would have helped the half hour job would have been done in 5 minutes. Peers quickly realize that disobedience towards each other often times means extra hassle for everyone and will quickly squelch the problem. In all the years as SM of a troop, I never used "sign's up" to quiet the boys. When I needed to talk with them, I simply got up and went to the front of the group. I would not interrupt them to tell them not to interrupt me. So I would wait. Eventually the boys figured out that when I stood and came to the front, they quickly finished their discussions and gave me their attention. I also would stand if I was not in front of the group when I addressed them. When I talked to the boys in a discussion I addressed all my comments to the person leading the discussion. I would think that the leader who was leading the discussion of a group, would take out his cell phone turn it off and lay it on the table next to him, that those in the group would take a hint and do the same. Lead by example. Often times respect given is respect received. It doesn't take very long for the boys to realize this and police themselves in these issues. Stosh

I'm not much of a traditionalist but for the weekend I have had: oatmeal eaten Philmont style Gaterade powder beef jerky string cheese trail mix dried fruit Those are the basics that I munch on while on the trail and in camp if there is no fire available. In camp, if I have access to firewood, I go with: Soft-packaged tuna/chicken, Minute Rice That's pretty much it. Normally when I backpack, I'm more interested in scenery than I am with fancy meals. Also I try not to cook in bear country so I don't have such a huge bear bag to run up a tree. Also if I have to carry a bear-proof I don't have to get a really big one. If I cook, my only "mess kit" is a tin cup and metal spoon. Cook and eat out of the cup. Stosh

Every troop needs a "Daniel Boone" SM or ASM on it's roster. If the SM spends all day at a desk, he needs to find someone else who will take the reins and get outside! Maybe the SM goes along to learn or maybe he/she stays home. No never mind as long as the boys get out into the woods. Heck the SM might find it a lot of fun if he has a strong ASM guide that the boys enjoy the woods with. This, of course, only works if the SM has an ego that allows such things to happen. Stosh

I have run into this problem in the past and solved it. Unfortunately it is not a quick fix. What most troops do is latch onto a few of the natural leaders and while everything is rolling along smoothly, sit back and enjoy the ride. However, very little if anything is done to train, develop, inspire, younger boys to take on leadership. Thus the leadership pool remains quite small. As long as the strong leaders keep taking up the slack the adults don't think much about it. However, once one has these strong leaders quit, age out, or "retire" it leave a large vacuum in the system. All the boys and every position needs depth. That way when the one "elected" to the position is not available, there is always someone waiting in the wings for a chance to step up and take over. No one is going to step up if they have never had the chance to try it out a few times in the past. As a last resort, the pool of older leaders can be asked to come back for an event and lead a patrol or be QM, or whatever. It starts with the NSP where every boy is taught under the tutelage of the TG to be the PL. By the time that boy is 13 he should have have enough confidence under his belt to be able to step up for real. This also allows the older boys to step back and leave a controlled vacuum of leadership so the younger boys have a chance at the reins now and then. The 16+ year-olds should be in their own patrol, that as the need arises they can step into the leadership positions to temporarily keep things running if a boy is going to be gone for an event. I believe that the 13-15 year-olds ought to be running the show for 98% of the time. I watched this process when I was a kid in my church's Sunday School. After confirmation there was no more official teaching being done for the youth. Instead, a high school teacher from the church taught the 13 year olds how to teach. There was always a pool of substitute teachers from that class that could take over and run a class on an as-needed basis throughout the year. At the end of the year, the entire Vacation Bible School was taught by the students in this class! The VBS had 3, maybe 4 adults in supportive roles and the rest were kids teaching kids. Why can't this dynamic be applied to leadership in the troop? There is nothing worse for a troop to have, after 3 years in the troop, a 14 year-old boy that can't take on SPL, PL, or whatever. Too often elections means that someone with no training gets stuck with a position that no one else can have. If that person can't make an event, no one else has a "patch on their sleeve" that can take over and help out. No one is going to step forward and take on a task that they do not have the training and confidence that allows them to be successful. Stosh

OGE, Kudu, and were are these rugged, outdoor individuals? Most of the leadership is training in superficial skills and then expectations to pass on in-depth knowledge on subjects that are book learned at best in the first place. It's kind of like thinking that the FC scout that has Eagle-milled his way through FC in 6 months is ready for Philmont. I totally appreciate anyone stepping forward to lead in a unit regardless of their background, but if a parent takes on SM duties and has never slept in a tent until they take their BSA training, there's going to be less of an emphasis on outing than the parent that has been out in the wilds since he/she was a kid and knows nothing about the BSA program. The program one can learn, the skills and the will to use them frequently are two entirely different animals. Stosh

My former district basically has ignored me for 6 months (the troop I served was out of my district, I would travel 40 miles a week to attend meetings). My current district (the one I actually live in) has ignored me for 3 months. I am still registered as a unit commissioner and as of yet received any units to be commissioner for..... Politics is the reason I got into this situation and politics is the reason why it has stayed that way. And yes, I continue to attend roundtables, etc. and do my thing to support the district in spite of the shun. I have had numerous visits to the scout office, visited with the DE's of both districts, I've been in contact with both district commissioners, I've visited with the field executive as well as the SE. Still I haven't heard Aye, yes or no from any of them. Am I paranoid or am I being black-balled after 30 years of scouting. Maybe it's because of my propensity to emphasize boy-led, patrol-method that runs afoul with their thinking. Until then, it's all the camping I can get in in one summer of no BSA. Stosh

Since the 4th of July, I have spent almost as many nights in a tent than I have in my house. Unfortunately for the BSA program this has been compliments of having been relieved from my position as SM of a troop. I have always camped more than my troop and now, without the responsibility of organizing, etc. I camp, hike, kayak/canoe, more than ever. I have put over 3,000+ miles on my vehicle getting as far west as Yellowstone and as far east as Manassas VA, as far north as Lake Superior and as far south as Kentucky. I still have time for a trip to FL to kayak the Everglades yet this year. I hadn't realized until I got on the other side of the fence, how much BSA's "outdoor" program really wasn't all that much outdoors. By the time one sorts through all the "other-stuff" that doesn't leave much room to get out and have fun. Stosh

For open water kayaking there are a number of training programs/seminars. These seminars go far beyond the river/lake kayaking needs. Fast water and rapids don't scare me half as much as a squall hitting in open water. The dynamics are two entirely different animals and just because some kid paddled a lake or two in a 8' kayak doesn't mean he's anywhere near ready for open water in a 18' kayak when it rolls over. Lots of prep, seminars, and training need go into it before considering something other than paddling out to the Indian pictographs on a Saturday afternoon. Stosh

"...so you can focus on the everyday skills you will need for our program like climbing knots, 2-person cooking on backpacking stoves, GPS, paddling, and bike maintenace." I don't climb, but I was "re-taught" all my basic scout knots for an Emergency Rescue Technician class I took a few years back. It was the easiest part of the class for me, I already knew them and ended up helping my classmates learn for the first time. If I don't cook for a group, i.e. family, I will cook for myself. Never did the 2-person thingy in 55 years of camping. GPS? I have a TOM TOM in my car, but I exclusively use a compass while hiking, hunting and traveling off-road. Paddling? I'm an avid canoist/kayaker, but I also don't stay in hotels when I go paddling. Camp skills make the trip cheaper. Sandbar camping is a lot more fun than in a crowded campground, too. Bike maintenance. I ride occasionally for pleasure, but normally just walk for exercise. I own 4 bikes and tinker on them all the time and never had any instruction on how to do it. It's not that hard. Easier than fixing the car. I remember back in 1999 when everyone was abuzz about Y2K. Someone asked me what I was planning on doing in the harsh Wisconsin winter when everything shuts down. I said my freezer has plenty of food and without electricity, it should stay cold until spring. I will throw my 0-degree bag on my bed and sleep at night and when it comes time to cook, I'll start a fire in my backyard (plenty of wood in the woods behind the house) and drag out the dutch oven. I use basic scout skills every day of my life, more so on weekends. Got lost once in the woods hunting. The forest was criss-crossed with fire lanes and while wandering around looking for deer I lost count of lanes. It was getting late, built a fire, cut a few branches off the trees and spent the night. No big deal. For lunch today, visited a friend who had "nothing in the house to eat". Looked in the fridge and saw a pint of blueberries and within 5 minutes there were blueberry pancakes whipped up and frying out nicely. Scout skills have served me well over the past 50 years and to think that GPS is going to ever replace my trusty compass, it'll never happen. 6 hours in sub-zero weather, your GPS is deader than a door nail and my compass is still working just fine, thank you. Stosh