SMT224

FYI...

From Coin News, January 19, 2010

"The Boy Scouts of America Centennial Silver Dollars will launch on March 23. The US Mint will produce a maximum mintage of 350,000 Philadelphia struck collector proof and uncirculated $1s to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA)."

Yep, you really do need to ventilate - something that seems counter intuitive when winter camping!

I have a Mountain Hardwear Trango 2, and if I don't open the door a bit, and then open the top vent a bit, it will snow down on my face just from my breath when camping in the single digits!

This is the text from a two-page document I pass out to and then discuss with the Scouts several weeks before our winter camping trip.

Winter Camping Tips

Winter camping can be fun and invigorating! In some ways, its better than warm weather camping. Camping in the winter inspires a feeling of independence and will give you confidence. But, you absolutely must be properly prepared! It is critical to:

- Wear the right kind of clothing

- Stay dry

- Drink plenty of water

- Eat the right kinds of foods

- Watch for the signs of frostnip and frostbite (you and your buddy)

Use the C-O-L-D method to stay warm.

C - Clean

Insulation is only effective when heat is trapped by dead air spaces. Dirt, grime, and perspiration can mat down air spaces and reduce the warmth of a garment.

O - Overheating

Avoid overheating by adjusting the layers of your clothing to meet the outside temperature and the exertions of your activities.

L - Loose Layers

Several loosely fitting layers of clothing and footgear will allow maximum insulation without impeding circulation. Always have a hat and wear it.

D - Dry

Sweaty, damp clothing and skin can cause your body to cool quickly, possibly leading to frostnip, hypothermia, or worse. Keep dry by taking off layers as you heat up. Always brush away snow on your clothes before you enter a heated area. Keep clothing loose so that body heat and sweat can escape.

Food / Water

For winter camping, eat more food than usual eat as much as you want! Food: 50% should starches (cereal, bread, pasta), 20% should be proteins (meat, fish, cheese, eggs), and 30% should be fats (butter, margarine, fatty meats). Eat more fat than your mother would approve of! Beef stew, chili with beans, or macaroni and cheese with tuna or chicken or ham. Simple one pot meals that cook up fast & hot are best. Complicated meals that need lots of pots and preparation are no fun when its cold your hands get numb and everything freezes. Pre-slice or pre-assemble as much as possible at home before the camping trip. Hot chocolate with butter tastes great and will keep you warm. Warm apple cider is good too! Eat proteins like sausage or cheese just before you going to bed to keep warm all night. Jello contains protein and is very tasty its an excellent hot drink in the evening to keep you warm during the night.

Drink plenty of plain water to keep hydrated. Drink as much water as you would if it was 100 degrees out. Winter air is very dry and will dehydrate the body without you realizing it. A good rule of thumb for checking hydration is the color of your urine. Urine will be light colored or clear if you are properly hydrated.

Wear Proper Clothes

Select thermal clothing that can be loosely layered as the weather changes. Use synthetic or wool NOT COTTON! Polypropylene long underwear, wool pants, a synthetic or wool shirt, a sweater, and a shell jacket are much better than a single heavy coat. When hands and feet begin to chill, it's time to put on a hat. Hats help trap body heat by preventing it from escaping through your head. Wear waterproof insulated boots with good tread for walking on frozen ground or ice. Bring lots of wool/synthetic socks. Waterproof gloves and mittens are essential. Have extra dry clothes to change into when you get wet. Chemical heat packs can be good to warm feet and hands.

-- Stay dry to stay warm --

Leave Cotton Clothes at home

In the winter, COTTON KILLS! Cotton is Rotten!! Cotton loses its insulating qualities when it gets wet, whether from rain or sweat. Cotton holds perspiration against the skin which WILL FREEZE! COTTON IS DEADLY!

Sleep Warm

Bring a mummy sleeping bag that is rated to -10F or below. Insulate your body from the cold ground with a closed cell foam pad. A good sleeping pad may be the most crucial element to staying warm at night. Before getting in the sleeping bag, remove all the wet sweaty clothes youve been wearing all day and put on something dry - sweats, pajamas, or the long undies you want to wear the next day. Less is better you want to warm up your body and the sleeping bag, not lots of clothes. Sleep with a hat on to minimize heat loss and keep the rest of your body warmer! Do not keep you head in the bag, as your breath will make the bag cold and clammy. If you drink enough water, you may need to urinate in the middle of the night. Get up and go! Otherwise you won't sleep well, and your body is wasting energy keep all that extra fluid warm. Rules to sleep warm: Wear clean & dry clothes to bed, wear a hat, have a full stomach, and take a quick hike before bed to get your blood circulating.

Use the Buddy System

Stay together!!! Groups of four or more are an even better idea. This way, someone can stay with the injured while others seek help.

Keep an eye on your buddy! Do not let him engage in activities that could get him wet and cold! If the areas around the eyes and lips, or the lips themselves, begin to turn grayish white, the person may be experiencing frostnip. Signs of confusion, inaction, and shivering are all progressive signs of hypothermia (overexposure to winter elements). If your buddy looks wet or cold, do something! Get him somewhere warm! Huddle up or sit by the fire. Action and movement will also stimulate blood flow and move warmth throughout the body.

Ha!! Yep, that is so true!

"The BSA commissioned a series of studies and developed an updated program to modernize Scouting in a manner similar to the changes of the British Boy Scout Association in 1967."

Are there accessible digitized copies of the U.S. or British studies which lead to these changes anywhere on the web?

Thanks for the input and discussion.

I'm heading off on a winter camping trip this week-end with the GS, but will send SctDad a photo of the guys in the pose next week and he can see if it means anything dangerous or really is just goofing around.

I fully appreciate misunderstood signs... a good buddy was severely beat in Oakland, CA about 15 years ago apparently because he had a blue bandanna poking out of his back pocket. He's recovered, and to this day has no clear idea what set the guy off, but police believe it was a misinterpreted gang sign.

Hmmm... well, I looked up the "shocker", and it's not that. More like the the hands are in the "prayer" position, but instead of pointing up, they are pointing at the horizon and the kids always hutch over while doing it.

I basically agree with you Narraticong, they're just being goofy. But they've done it several times the same way, always with big devious grins, I had to wonder what they're up to!

Perchance some of you young whipper-snappers can help out this old goat with regard to today's young people...

When we go on a hike or camping trip, and take photos of the Scouts, the older Scouts like to pose as a group by hunching over and holding their hands sideways with palms and finger together or a sideways victory sign (peace sign). They always have big smiles, like they're getting with something very devious. When I ask them about it, they just grin and make a few vague statements.

Can anyone enlighten me on this?

Every once in a while do a google news search for "Boy Scouts".

You will find that most of the time the vast majority of the news stories across our nation are very positive on Boy Scouts. Yes, there are stories on the failings of some idiot somewhere, but the other 95% of stories describe Scouts who are doing great things for their communities.

Yea, the negative is out there, but so is a lot of positive!

We use which ever book was in use when the Scout joined our Troop.

The Webelos who crossed over last April are all using the old book, and will stay with that until they finish. We will stay current with Eagle requirement issues, but otherwise, the book they joined with defines rank advancement.

Those who join our Troop from this point on will be using the new book, and will follow that rank advancement until they are working on Eagle.

It was very good to see! Very positive for Scouting!

My wife was watching the parade while me and all the kids were scattered around the house. But when she saw this one coming up she called us all in and we watched together. Everyone was happy to see scouting displayed so well.

I was very pleased to hear one of the announcers say that every boy should experience Scouting.

Good job and thanks so much to all those who put this one together!

I like the idea of both.

I love my red wool jacket! It sheds rain and snow and keeps me warm in all kinds of conditions. But I'm the only one in our Troop that has one. My wife gave it to me for my b-day the year I became Scoutmaster, about 10 years ago, and it's held up great.

But I do like fleece, and highly recommend to Scouts for winter camping. It's cheap and keeps you warm in all kinds of conditions. It would be great to have an official fleece that was both warm and affordable.

Right now, the "Fleece Boy Scout Vest" is available at BSA supply for $15, or you go to some place like "4imprint.com" and get an embroidered fleece jacket for about $25 (need to buy at least 12 of 'em, which is still cheaper than the $100 for the red wool BSA jacket).

Convoy - Caravan...

The problem, as Vicki described, and as I've personally experienced, is trying to keep up with (or keep in sight) other vehicles. This is how accidents occur.

Vehicles will inevitably travel at different speeds due to road conditions, other vehicles, driver habits and abilities, and a host of other variable factors. Trying to keep up with other vehicles, or even to keep them in sight, can force the driver to put road conditions and other vehicles as secondary considerations.

I understand the issues of breakdowns and accidents and the need to support each other. We usually have an "omega" car that stays behind everyone else, including the trailer, just in case anything happens. But we do not worry if we loose sight of each other as we all have maps and know where we are going.

Better than trying to keep everyone in the group within sight, have per agreed upon meeting points along the route such as a rest area or fast food joint just off the highway. This way the group can stop and ensure everyone is ok before heading off again.

Caravaning is a really bad idea!

Many moons ago, when I took the Webelos on a Troop camping trip, the Troop leaders told me just to follow them, even though I had no idea where I was going. There I was, with a van full of Weebs, trying to keep up with guys who had been to this place so many times they knew the route with their eyes closed. It was a 3 hour drive, and they drove very fast. I was doing 70-80 just trying to keep them in sight. It was terrifying! At one point I lost them at a light, refusing to go though a yellow/red, and watched them disappear into the night. Not fun!

Now that I'm Scoutmaster, I give everyone a paper map & directions. Some use their GPS, which fine too. We head off with each others cell phone numbers and meet up at our destination. Works much better as everyone can drive at their own pace, and can stop if necessary.

I think Dean's initial point on what a difference one person can make is important...

In this case, this Troop and the families involved will never be the same - this incident perpetrated by this trusted Scout Leader will scar them all for years to come. The Troop may recover in 5 or 10 years, but the families... never. This incident will burn and mark how they feel and what they do for the rest of their lives. This must be especially devastating for the other Scout Leaders and the Scouts.

But one person can have an incredible positive impact as well - the Scout Leader that revives a dying Troop or keeps the program going week after week, year after year. Unfortunately, these Leader's don't get the same kind of press as someone that does something so negative as the Leader discussed in this forum, but have positive impact beyond measure, and in this case, will be the one's who save this Troop and it's Scouts. And yet you will never see them on the news - their recognition will come in the hearts and minds of those Scouts who look back with great fondness on their time in the Troop.

For years we assessed the Scouts $0.50/week dues. Some paid and some didn't, despite numerous reminders. Two years ago we increased the dues to $1.00/week and added a stipulation: only those Scouts who have their dues paid up can participate in Troop outings. We suddenly had a huge influx of funds -- to the tune of $300! Scouts have been very good at keeping up on their dues, especially after watching a couple guys who had not paid not go on a favorite camping trip.

This year the PLC decided to make dues $5/month, payable the first meeting of the month. No dues will be assessed for July and December. This works out to about the same as when we collected $1/meeting. As is already established, Scouts must be paid up to be able to go on camping trips. We'll see how this works.

Do the Scouts hit up their parents for dues money? Yes. But it is the Scouts who are responsible for paying it, and must deal with the consequences when they forget.

Happy Thanksgiving to One and All!!

I'm doing the turkey on my old Weber charcoal grill. I have a gas grill, but like the charcoal better with some lumps of hickory tossed in.

Hope everyone has a great turkey day!

What would happen if the PLC put forth a request to the Committee that henceforth all Committee Members be in full Class A uniform at all Boards of Review?

ScoutNut, I understand hat you're saying, and I guess the culture of the Troop has always been a spring crossover, which works well for us. My concern over bring new Scouts in during the winter stems from past experience with a disappointed new Scout who was not able to go on a camping trip that everyone else was excitedly preparing for.

The thing I hear most from the Girl Scouts I work is that they want to do what the Boy Scouts do - especially the campcraft and woodcraft stuff. They don't want the boys, they want the program!

Eagle92 -

Thanks. I understand and appreciate your approach.

Perhaps I'm a bit overly cautious, but after a difficult late fall camping trip several years ago with some new Scouts who joined in September, the PLC decided that winter camping trips would be rated as hard, and only Scouts with appropriate camping experience would be allowed to go.

Last year it got down to 2F for one of our winter camping trips, and -9F for the other. Once it gets below 0F, it starts feeling dangerous to me, and I want to make sure everyone is well trained and understands cold weather first aid. Brrrrr... makes me cold just thinking about washing dishes in those temperatures!

The culture in our Troop and feeder Pack is to have crossover in April.

I would not want new Scouts now, as we do several heavy-duty winter camping trips in January and February which require camping experience to participate. It would be unfair to bring the new guys in when they could not participate in Troop activities.

We do a Webelos / Troop camping trip in early April and the crossover in mid-April. This way the new Scouts can join us for the May & June camping trips before summer camp, and then camp with the Troop in August, September, October, and November. By the time winter rolls around they are seasoned campers and are ready to do winter camping.

As was stated earlier, check with the Troop they will be crossing over to as to timing issues.

My experience has shown it's not the adults that pull a withdrawn kid out of his funk, but older Scouts and Scouts his own age that are doing things he may be withdrawing from.

This is the great thing about Scouting - the adult leaders enable things to happen, but it's the boys themselves that really are doing it. This kind of learning and growing by example, especially since all the Scouts can participate in it, can be the best thing for a kid that is becoming one with his XBox360. I have a couple examples of boys in our Troop now that went from very shy kids to excellent Patrol Leaders.

On the other hand, I've had mom's drop off very out of control boys with the expectation that we will somehow magically induce character into their way-ward son. Does not work. Usually he hates being there and does not last more than a painful month.

As I've said many other times in this forum (and I say it again below), my experience implementing two co-ed Scout camping trips has turned me strongly against making either the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts co-ed. I firmly believe they should stay single sex.

It seems to me that many of those advocating co-ed-ness do not speak from experience, but from a sincere desire to do something that looks reasonable from their vantage point as an adult. I too would likely have been an advocate had I not experienced the hormonal chaos of putting girls and boys together.

I've been a Scoutmaster for Boy Scouts for ten years and a Camping Adviser for Girl Scouts for four years. I've been on a significant number of camping trips with both groups, and I can tell you that while girls and boys are very different, they both can learn to be very good campers and really enjoy being in the outdoors.

Since there are a number of leaders that have sons in Boys Scouts and daughters in Girls Scouts we have tried a couple mixed camping trips. And while they weren't outright disasters, it wasn't a good situation. Both the boys and girls became very different - the boys showing off & acting like idiots and the girls ignoring each other and flirting with the boys. And I don't think either group meant to do it, as they have know each other outside of Scouts for years, but it just happened. Afterward, all of us - adults and Scouts - said never again.

Separated, girls and boys do very well on camping trips. But together, there were just too many hormones. Based on my experience, I have come to believe that sometimes boys just need to be with boys and girls need to be with girls.

It's rare that we wear Scout pants with our Class B t-shirts. We usually wear Class B during the summer, so the boys are likely to be in shorts, not pants. A few have the new switch back pants, but most just have green cargo shorts. We also can wear the Class B t-shirt during a service project when most will be in jeans.