morganfam7

Thanks for the encouragement, Alki! My husband and I spent about 5 minutes (as a closing) sitting with the kids at a picnic table after dark with a hurricane lantern (no campfires allowed in a state park), and we explained that the activities and fun we had was just a taste of what they could do. We tried to strike the balance between keeping them excited about the fun but emphasizing that this was their "baby," If it is going to get done - they would do it. We also made it clear to them that we were there to help and provide guidance and, on rare occasions, veto (only M&Ms for breakfast on a campout! etc.) We're really trying to do this right, but we feel like the blind leading the blind sometimes. Oh, and we explained to our oldest son, the PL, the 4 step method of training new leaders, so he knows he will be planning the meetings soon. He will start being responsible for the setup and running of the weekly meetings next week. He really liked the idea of the 4 steps. And I really like the idea of the leadership skills he will be learning. Yours in Lone Scouting, Marcy

Hello, We are Lone Scouts living in a rural area. Last night, my three boy scout age sons elected the oldest to be PL, the second oldest was appointed ASPL, the next asked for Historian, and then their sister (working the Girl Scout program) was assigned the job of scribe. We hope that Lone Scouting will develop into a regular county-wide troop chartered through our home school group, but until that time my sons can reap the benefits of being scouts. We're all in our first year of Scouting. My husband has a little experience with scouting when he was 12. Do y'all have any suggestions about making the patrol method work for our small "patrol?" Last night at the lake, we had a full scout meeting. We merged the New Troop Meeting Plan (out of the SM book) with the Camping plan (from Program Features). After we got back home, the newly elected PL watched as I planned the next 3 weeks worth of meetings and campout. I think we're on our way, but I thought someone here might have experience with small patrols that might help us avoid some rough spots. Thanks! Marcy

I haven't went to camparoo, so I hope this isn't duplicate info. When we went camping with 3 boys 4 and under, we carried our playpen. Padded with blankets, it makes a great bed for a little one. Of course, like you said, the stroller is indispensable. It doubles as a highchair. Last night it kept our 18 month old corraled while we had a Lone Scout Troop meeting at the lake. Also, those "leashes" are good for toddlers around water. Our little one kept trying to run back to the parking lot, so that helped him explore closer to us. A two room tent helps the little one take naps, and we can still get to whatever's in the tent. Hope that helps! Marcy

The boys went camping last night by themselves. I insisted that they "do it by the book." They assumed they needed a latrine (and so did I), but we couldn't find it in the scout book. I did find something in the 77 field book. What are scouts supposed to do when in an area without bathrooms? What is the boy scout way now? Thanks, Marcy

I got a good laugh out of >>he and his friend will eat things burnt if they cook it (would cause a major scene at home).

I absolutely LOVE soup or stew fixed like this, but I have never seen too many kids like it. I have noticed these type of recipes offered for campouts - do the boys eat it when they're camping? Maybe it's the romance of the outdoors and they don't notice? I think I'll give the boys a choice of what they want to fix for the first campout and include this recipe. After that, they can find their own recipes. Do you have any others that I can add to this one that would be appropriate for Tenderfoot Scouts to prepare? Thanks, Marcy

We are planning on a campout to satisfy the rank requirements for our sons who are Lone Scouts. It's possible that we'll have a troop by the time we actually go camping. We have never really been so defined about our camping areas - we just did what worked at the time. We want to camp the BSA way because I'm sure it's much better camping than we have done. Does anyone have any tips or sure-fire things to do or not do? There needs to be dishwashing area, a kitchen area (near the fire, I assume), latrine, dining fly, tent area and what else? I read something about an entry into the site. Also a flagpole area. Am I forgetting anything? And how do you go about splitting those responsibilities up among a bunch of new scouts? I read in the 1969 Fieldbook that if you attach 8 20 foot long ropes that will make a 50 foot circle, which is appropriate for one patrol. Is this still the reccomended area needed? I especially want everyone (if we have a troop) to have a lot of fun so that they will be enticed to keep coming. If we do get a troop started (recruiting meeting on the 5th), we'll do First Aid the first month and Camping the next. I know safety is the best way to ensure that everyone has fun. Also some of the Dads are paramedics, so we might have a paramedic along at the campout. We will probably camp on our own land, if that matters. It's pretty rural and isolated. Thanks, Marcy

When I took a Master Composter class, they encouraged us to bury our food scraps because it quickly enriches the soil. My 1969 BSA Fieldbook says you can bury your food scraps in the latrine area. Is it now reccomended to never bury food scraps? Thanks for all the great information that I'm reading on these forums! Marcy

I was just told that the shadow part of a full moon - the valleys and canyons always points north while the bright half always points south. Is this true? I can't find anything about it in my books. Thanks for the good information above! We need to work on our knowledge of the constellations. Sounds like a good topic for a month of troop meetings. Do you think finding certain constellations would be a great outside preopening activity? Thanks, Marcy

Eman, What kind of aids do they have? We have the protractor style compass. We're going to another meet around Valentine's Day thatis put on by the local Orienteering Club. I'm not sure how that will be different than the Scout O Challenge we just attended. We sure had a lot of fun! Weekender, thanks for the invitation! I'm going to put a print out in our scout file. Maybe we'll make it through there some time. Is your troop a home school troop? I'm interested in starting a home school troop here and would like to email back and forth if you have any information about that. Blessings, Marcy

We're back and we had a really good time! Our guys weren't used to the steep (to us) ravines, but they found about half of the markers, I think. One mistake we made - we overpacked. They had full packs - layers of clothing, extra water, gorp, scout essentials, ect. We didn't realize that the (easier) area was encompassed by a park road on all sides, so it would have been pretty hard to get lost. If they would have taken fanny packs and canteens only, they could have climbed better and made better time. There were three water stations, which we didn't expect. A pint's a pound the world around....that water was heavy to pack! It was great fun and they made some wonderful memories with their Dad! Maybe next year we'll have a whole troop of boys going! Thanks for the help! Oh and we're in Van Zandt county. Where are you from Weekender? Blessings, Marcy

Thanks for all the suggestions and help! We set up a course yesterday. It was good practice. We figured the length of our pace, and my husband ran the course to make sure it was accurate like eisley suggested. I had them go through some thick stuff and go around dead trees. It was a lot of fun. We're about to leave. I hope no one gets lost - it's 3500 acres and a 200 foot difference in altitude in the park. I'll let you know how it goes! Thanks again, Marcy

We are seriously thinking about going to the Scout-O Challenge in Bastrop, TX this next weekend. "My three sons" are new Lone Scouts. We don't get **any** contact from council no matter how many times we try so I don't know an O merit badge counselor to ask. I'm going to contact an O club about an hour from me....in the meantime, maybe someone here can help us. We just learned how to orient a compass, take bearings, minus our declination number and that sort of thing from a section in a book on camping last weekend. We have land that the boys can practice on, but we're not sure what to do. Set up a course? We only have a week to prepare them. We have the USGS map for our area, but not an orienteering map. The heart of the matter is this: Does anyone have any suggestions that I can implement over the next week to help them get ready for the Challenge next weekend? How does one choose a route? How can you know if it will be faster to go around than go up or through? The boys have the clear base compasses, and we've discussed maps and symbols and have studied the USGS maps I have. We don't have the o merit badge book, and the council is about 70 miles from here. Is the book worth the drive? I've read Ed Scott's Lesson plans and the stuff at meritbadge.com. I just don't see much there about HOW to choose a course. There is one short page at www.williams.edu:803/Biology/orienteering/rtechce.html Can someone elaborate? Is this something that you learn in the field, or are there more guidelines? The rules for the Challenge are: "Each team will be given one punch card and have four hours to find as many control markers (orange & white nylon bags) as possibe with the markers having different point values based on distance and difficulty." TIA, Marcy

Congratulations, Mike! You're beginning the hike of a lifetime! Thanks for the tips on hiking with children. I have made notes and hope to use them soon. I need to get some louder whistles. I think we might hike that short trail at the State Park without camping for the first time out. Then maybe I'll take the younger ones to the playground and a sack lunch while my husband and the older boys go for a more challenging hike. That way everyone will have fun. We've got to get some packs first. We're seriously considering Alice packs because they're cheap; and around this house, anything military is a big hit. Chippewa, I think it's great that you have been successful running. In my BC years (Before Children), I played soccer (a lot)and ran track (some) along with basketball, volleyball and tennis. Alas, that was many years ago. After having seven children, walking is about as competitive as I get nowdays. Running is hard on women, and I don't reccomend it for women who have had more than three children or who have had more than one big baby (9+ pounds). Of course I don't have all the training you do, so you may know something I don't. Thanks for all the help! Marcy

Eisly, We live in northeast Texas. We do have panthers, but they rarely show up (2 sightings on our property in 6 years) and they are still afraid of humans. We have coyotes, too. We also have bobcats. The main thing we have to be concerned about when walking behind our home is wild pigs, so my husband carries a gun. The state park is almost an hour away, so I don't know what they might have there. We live in one of the wildest areas in a rural county, and our land backs up to river land owned by the TRA. So, what I'm trying to say is that I would think that the park might be safer than our own backyard. The older boys are pretty big for their age, but I'm not sure what size pack they'll be able to carry. We don't even own real backpacks yet - only day packs. My oldest son is 5'11 1/2" and weighs 165. He's almost as strong as my husband, but I don't know about endurance. He's working on the cycling merit badge, so he bikes 5 miles easily. And he does a lot of work repairing fences, working on the tractor and that sort of thing, so he may have more endurance than I give him credit for. Uh, I figure Mom will be the least fit hiker of the bunch. (Not for long, I hope!) From the guideline numbers y'all posted, I'm figuring that my oldest will be able to carry 20-30# for a couple of miles as a beginner. So for computing loads we can carry, we essentially have three adults (for a very short hike), three kids age 8-11, one preschooler and one toddler. I don't have hiking boots. For a hike under 5 miles, can I just use my tennis shoes? It's pretty flat. Also, I don't necessarily think that running is such a great activity (to help train for hiking) due to the damage caused by the jolts over time. We save running for playtime - not exercise. Thanks! Marcy