AnneinMpls

LOL! Well, as Girl Scouts, we think it'd be pretty lame to let the boys cook for us! My newest scouts just flew up - they are 9 year olds, so the parameters I set for their patrol were a one pot meal, and a tinfoil meal - they picked which method to use for which meal, and then which recipes and things to complete the meal. One is sleeping over at my house tonight and has approved the sausage/egg/hashbrown (good thing! she's the picky one!), and looks like if there's interest, they'll pick a muffin to bake in oranges or the biscuit thing (oh yes! honey! yup!!) Our two older patrols are completely free to choose from whatever methods they think will/might work - I throw em a challenge of choosing to incorporate foods from a list of "10 healthiest foods for women" which goes towards patrol competition for the weekend. (cf our dutch oven sweet potato pie I wrote on here about a while back!) We're also hoping to do some trout fishing - cook those up easily in foil packs with butter. Not *counting* on the trout, just an extra treat if things pan out! Blue skies! Anne in Mpls (only my mommy calls me Annie

Yha, I looked all over the scout stuff site and couldn't find em. I thought there were other patch companies that did them, but now I'm not finding those either (maybe the same companies that also did spoof position patches and patrol crests, etc.) Anne in Mpls

Thanks for your responses! The hashbrowns and eggs and sausage sound good - and pretty likely to turn out well (which is of course important for new campers!) We are cooking by patrols, and since others are planning things like pancakes, I'm wondering what ideas to offer in the sweet/carbo type breakfast category? Do the cakes/muffins cooked in orange peels turn out pretty dependably? This isn't one I've done. Or I'm thinking toasting biscuits on dowels while the foil packs are cooking, serving them with jelly/preserves. Thoughts? Anne in Mpls

I used to be able to find this stuff all over the web - where did it all go? Anne in Mpls

Good morning! I've got dsome younger scouts going on their first tent camping overnight with us, and I suggested they do one one-pot meal and one tinfoil meal. They went with a one-pot meal for dinner, so we're needing ideas for a breakfast of tinfoil. (Or, if you have alternate ideas for what makes sense in terms of progression in skill, let me know!) Thanks! Anne in Mpls

Also, this could be done by Junior GS's earning their Junior Aide award. Generally, this is mainly for helping Brownies prepare to fly up to Juniors, but it often grows into a more ongoing assistance to a younger troop. Peace! Anne in Mpls

Tempest in a teapot indeed I think this can be salvaged though (and it sounds like you'd prefer to find a way to keep this kid in Scouting!) I think what happened is mom got only a quick snapshot of "what was happening on the campout". Maybe her son isn't communicating too much about what goes on out there in the woods I think an invite to coffee - along with a couple of your strongest supporters among your troop's parents could be very helpful. Guide the conversation around to (or put it on the agenda up front and center) "the boy-led troop and developing leadership", then use the football game as one of your main examples of how it all works. It'll be a lil harder for mom to complain with 3 or 4 others nodding their heads and smiling at the ability of their SM to guide young men on the path to leadership (This is a technique called reframing - in which you take a different view of events - a change in perspective - kinda like, if you have a piece of art that doesn't really do it for you, and sometimes all it needed was a different frame!) Peace and all good, Anne in Mpls

G'mornin! I know of a super-sweet 12 year old - tried cub scouts for a millisecond and found it boring. Then went to what he thought was Boy Scouts and they were making cars... (Yha, most likely it was a Webelos den meeting, but now he's got the idea that Boy Scouts is just like Cub Scouts!) So, we're looking for a good active troop, with a great outdoor program, and is good at accepting quieter intellectual types. We're looking around the Coon Rapids, NE Mpls, Fridley area, and willing to travel a bit from there. Chartered to a Catholic parish would be awesome too (Dad's active in K of C). Help appreciated! Thankee! Anne in Mpls

Okeydokey...lots to chew on here! Goals: prevent loss of troop equipment and funds, strengthen scout program by way of effective CO involvement, ___? I agree with getting that new trailer purchased quickly, and marking it BSA TROOP whatever (kinda like licking the car to mark it as yours Whether or not your troop ultimately switches CO's, there is value in making the effort to improve relations. Yes, pandering is not what you want to do. Ideally, you want to encourage both the CO and the troop to meet on the 2 way street. You might ask the COR to make a brief presentation to the troop or PLC on what the Lion's Clubs are and what they do. This requires a bit of buy-in from the COR. you might with the next invitation offer rides to the CO members to come to a COH - many many older folks are not comfortable driving at night, and it sounds possible that they may not even be familiar with where your troop now meets. If the CO becomes actively involved in the troop once again, that's really cool. If they don't, and the troop decides to move to a new CO, at least you'll be leaving them with friendly thoughts, and you'll be more likely to retain troop property.... Anne in Mpls

No, they do not publish anything on patrol leader training anymore. Keep searching ebay for when the old patrol leader handbook (comic book style) comes up for sale every now and again. The also through the 60's published two versions of the Patrol Book - one for Junior GS and one for Cadette GS - these are record books. There are a very few resources available online from troops that are trying to implement the patrol system more fully. I spend about $30 photocopying materials everytime we elect new patrol leaders in order to make older materials available to them. The old handbooks from the 50s and 60s (intermediate GS, junior GS, Cadette GS)had from 3 to 10 pages of information in them on the patrol system. Go vintage!! I am in the process of attempting to self-publish materials for training patrol leaders in GS, but no idea when I'll be able to make these available as there are copyright issues. Anne in Mpls

Howdy First key concept in Girl Scouting is progression. Do you have a copy of Outdoor Education in Girl Scouting? Actually the earlier edition of the book has a better chart of outdoor progression. These steps are commonly talked about in GS circles: Look out, meet out, move out, explore out, cook out, sleep out, camp out, pack out. As an example, this is how the progression has played out with the girls in the troops I work with so far. Starting in brownies, we learned basic skills during troop meetings like how to roll or stuff different types of sleeping bags, how to pack gear efficiently, what to wear for different activities and for the weather, we met outside for troop meetings as often as possible so girls were used to dressing properly for conditions, I wrote newsletter articles about proper footwear (can get muddly and can climb trees) and buying good quality sturdy clothing and equipment inexpensively (parents need to learn along with the girls!), went to the yearly Service Unit Spring Encampment (always takes place indoors - troop houses or multipurpose rooms - bleah.) and used that as an opportunity for learning to use kaper charts and prepare meals, and we did a hike and cookout as a troop each year (should have done these more often...), and we did a longer trip up to a youth hostel at Itasca State Park. In Juniors, we continued to do all of the above (particularly because we are always taking in new girls) but skills are taught by girls and we utilize the patrol system, we plan troop overnights for every season of the year (wish we could move up to monthly, but families just don't really see their girls camping *that* much) so we do indoor camping in the cold months and tent camping in the summer months - we practice setting up tents and dining flies during troop meetings. Our indoor camping tends to be at our Council's camps, and our tent camping tends to be at state park group campsites. *If* I were moving on with our older girls who are bridging, I'd introduce them to backpacking and canoe camping but the leader who is moving up is not as physically fit for too much strenuous outdoor activity. They might opt for some travel car camping - the leader who is moving on does quite a bit of that with her family. Also, this summer I am instituting "endless summer beach parties" at our local city park beach to help encourage girls to develop as swimmers - once a week I'll be there with each week's party "hosted" by one of our troop's patrols. Let me know how goes it! Anne in Mpls

In our GSUSA local council we have a well-publicized crisis communication plan that is to be put into play anytime police, EMS or media are involved. The main step is putting in a pager call to whichever staff person is on call - they take turns so that the pager is answered 24/7. Do BSA councils have a similar procedure in place? I did not receive any training about such a plan back when I was a BSA volunteer. Anne in Mpls

Obviously there are many many different species of buzzards in different parts of the country. My head is spinning now as my research into the fabled Chartreuse Buzzards takes on the proportions of a quest for the Sangraal. (Those playing the home game may remember my birding interests began sometime ago with one handsome fish and wildlife ranger teaching our then Brownies all about woodducks, but I digress...) Buzzard is most likely from the French word Busard, the French term for hawk. English settlers may have mistakenly called the vultures here buzzards, while in Europe a buzzard is a hawk. Given the difficulty of tracking these common names, I was unable to find ornithological mention of a Chartreuse buzzard, until I stumbled upon a french birding site, detailing encounters with hawks (buzzards) in the area of the Chartreuse mountain range in Grenoble. Is it possible that this song is of French origin? I have continued my research. Using an eclectic approach to research methodology, I elected to attempt approximating the evolution of the song from its theorized French origins, by singing the song repeatedly in many different French accents as well as attempting reverse translation (cf. Trois Chartreuse Busards, zitting in zee dead tree. Vun flew avay - vhat a shame!) Thus far my results are both inconclusive and unsatisfactory. Submitted for publication May 7, 2006 Anne Varberg (zitting in zee dead tree in Minneapolis)

But...why did it take them an hour to call 911?? I'm asking not to point fingers but to understand how that decision was made in case there's something to be learned from it. I know our waterfront rules required immediately sounding the alert if someone was missing for even a second after a buddy check. A canoe flips and you cant find one of em?? That's an immediate emergency I would think. It's not like someone's going to flip their canoe and then just "wander off for a bit". Anne in Mpls

Ahem. Did you not ever wonder, as I did, what these durned buzzards were doing with sharp *teeth*? I mean, they're *birds*. Birds do not have teeth. Didn't this *bother* hyou, even just a little bit? You might, or might not, be amazed to learn that the birds in the above misnamed song, are three.... CHARTREUSE Buzzards. There's a Chartreuse Buzzard song society and everything. The International Order of Chartreuse Buzzards. http://www.scoutingweb.com/ScoutingWeb/SubPages/ChartreuseBuzzards.htm Enjoy Anne in Mpls, sitting in a dead tree

"Hands off the freaking can opener!!!" (Terminology variance follows as this is GSUSA, not BSA) My asst. leader was sitting with the dolphin patrol as usual (her daughter is in the dolphin patrol). Dolphins and Tigers were to make vagabond stoves. I handed each of the patrol leaders a can opener with the reminder that they should ensure that each girl in their patrol gets a chance to help make a stove. I turn around. I turn back. My asst. leader has the can opener in her hand. Arrrrrrrrgh. I hand a meal plan form to each patrol leader. I field questions from other patrols as they come up (how many green peppers should we buy if ...? etc.) At the end of the meeting I ask patrol leaders if they want to turn in their meal plans to me or keep them. Cougar patrol leader elects to keep theirs. Tiger patrol leader hands hers to me. My asst. leader hands the dolphin meal plan to me. We've run late. I don't get a chance to look over the meal plans until this morning. The Dolphin patrol's meal plan is neatly & completely handwritten.....by my asst. leader. ARRRRRRRGH. Thank you for allowing me to vent. Do I need to make a rule that she does not physically sit with her daughter's patrol???

I'd like to try again to put into words why I am (mildly, not strongly!) in opposition to this project. Currently we have the tradition in place as it has been for a long long time. It's a good tradition. It's enjoyable and has just enough air of mystery of something that's been carried forward from time immemorial to be really pretty durned cool. There are all these various threads of history passing down through entertwined interweaving lineages of these campfire ashes. At any point, someone could begin the tradition anew, or add on to an existing lineage, keeping the tradition alive and vibrant. My fear is that by combining all these existing lineages (or as many as you would be able to get) and creating a "superlineage" soon folks would start to believe that it was the only "real" and correct" interpretation of the tradition. It would lose its vitality. "Lord of the Flies" indeed It's a fabulous tradition as it exists. Don't mess with it Anne in Mpls

Make one the CO, ad the other The Sponsor. That way they each have separate and distinct roles to play. Anne in Mpls

Hey don't dismiss the yacht club so quickly - it sounds to me like he just isn't very familiar with Scouting in general - it may take a little time for the idea to gel. He has probably now in the meantime heard from more folks there that are a little more informed about scouting. Anyway, keep your options open and see what's available. Anne in Mpls

Umm, ok, I had to look up corrugated culvert... That's a lot to lug along on a campout. Ed, I like your idea with the foil.

Found it online... The Parting Hour By Edward Pollock There's something in "the parting hour" Will chill the warmest heart-- Yet kindred, comrades, lovers, friends, Are fated all to part; But this I've seen--and many a pang Has pressed it on my mind-- The one who goes is happier Than those he leaves behind. No matter what the journey be-- Adventurous, dangerous, far To the wild deep, or black frontier, To solitude or war-- Still something cheers the heart that dares, In all of human kind, And they who go are happier Than those they leave behind. God wills it so, and so it is; The pilgrims on their way, Though weak and worn, more cheerful are Than all the rest who stay. And when, at last, poor man, subdued, Lies down to death resigned, May he not still be happier far Than those he leaves behind?

Really good suggestions being shared here. I also suggest doing a search in the archives on Aspergers Syndrome (which is on the high functioning end of the autism spectrum). We had a pretty lively thread going a few months back. Anne in Mpls (Kiddo with Aspergers, now having a total blast as patrol leader where she gets to figure it all out at her pace!)

Yup, that's why I put it over a hot flame for a few minutes. If that oil isn't heated up sufficently it's going to go bad. Anne in Mpls

Well, so I dug out my appelskiver pan from the depths and discovered in the last couple years it had developed some rust and one of the indentations had some kind of dark liquid goo in it. A scrubbing of Kosher salt did the trick! It absorbed most of the goo and cleaned up the areas starting to rust. Amazing stuff. Then I dumped the salt, rubbed in a tiny bit of oil, and set it on my gas stove with a high flame. The remains of the goo emitted the lovely scent of lingonberries....ahh...mystery solved. Burned and scraped off the remains of the lingonberries and my pan is good as new The seasoning is intact and ready to go. Anne in Mpls

As I understand it, the tradition is that only those actually present at the campfire may recieve ashes, so I would be loathe to contribute - it just doesn't feel right to me Anne in Mpls