SSScout

MiF KiS,,,, arts and crafts,,,, Make gifts for mom and dad (and brother/sister? wadda concept). The Scoutcraft stuff can be included, should be included as the Cubs grow into it, but the Make it Fun Keep it Simple has to be the watch word. Give the Cubs , no matter their age, things they can accomplish and take pride in. Long time ago, I remember taking scraps of plywood, sanding them smooth, gluing pretty National Geographic photos to them and then CAREFULLY shellacking them . After they dried , we glued picture hanging hooks on the back, and PRESTO , Mom Day presents. Along the way, we went hiking, learned about birds, visited the zoo and local firehouses. I kept many of those kids as friends all thru high school and into adulthood.. Were my parents involved? Absolutely. Were the other parents involved? Absolutely. Are things that changed, maybe three generations later? Perhaps, but that's what we are here for, for the Societal History. Today's parents must be made aware of the need to make their kids feel worthy and loved, so that THEY will want THEIR kids to feel worthy and loved. "The purpose of life is the planting of trees under whose shade one does not expect to sit".

Is it "Good Enough" ? Worksheets for Merit Badges.... Texting LOL, LMAO, letters not written, knots that don't hold, "like", "hacks" that have nothing to do with axes or hatchets or cheap taxis or lousy attorneys,,, Believe what I say despite what you see, "You mean I CAN make that decision?", "What if everybody acted like that, eh?" Well, I was only joking, I didn't really MEAN that, it's just a manner of speaking, it's what everybody says.... History is what we agree on, not what we have proof of.... Oh, I'll never use that silly knot... "Oh, I have people to take care of that." We can pay for that , no need to do it ourselves. It's easier to use paper plates and plastic stuff.... Well, the other Merit Badge Counselor let me... "Was THAT good enough?" Can't we get an extension for my boy? He's only late by a few days.... I can't take off work for this, isn't there someone else that can lead this hike/meeting/training/show and sell? What are we paying these dues for, anyway? I want my kid to be a Scout, it will get him a higher rating when he joins the military/applies for college/trains for the Olympics/fills out the application for (fill in the blank)....

The Amish have a saying (they have lots of sayings): Show me what a man does with his hands that I might know his heart. One of my observations concerns the youth I encounter , both in and out of Scouting. Hand manipulation. Tying knots that HOLD. If one is concerned about a small thing like a shoe lace tied so it won't come undone, that person might also be concerned about other things, done right, so they won't come undone. The standards we set. "Oh, that's good enough." Is it? The idea that the Scout/youth can be taught, trusted, to do what is necessary, not just "good enough" (whatever that may mean). Kids in first grade that don't know their right from their left, over versus under.... I see it when Cubs try to fold the US flag in that triangular tradition. It takes time, and I often have to shoo the father away from the Cub who is really experimenting with his hands, seemingly for the first time.... The misguided EBoR that asks an Eagle candidate to tie a Bowline... If they can't tie it then, it does no good to ask them, and it is not a failure of the Scout, but of the Troop.

And so our history becomes stories for our children. If it is OUR history, tell it so it can become THEIR history. I made it a point to take Scoutson to the grandmother's farm site, which is now mostly a subdivision, and we found the original culvert that was under the driveway, it was still there, but the driveway had gone back to nature (!) into the backyards of the houses....

True story: Way back when, our Troop had a regular campsite on the property owned by somebody's uncle's aunt (....) way back in some timber. It was a good mile back off the paved road. We had even developed some regular "Patrol " campsites. One sunday after breaking camp, I was the Patrol leader, and would be the last one out of the camp. I packed up, shouldered my pack and walked out up the trail. When I got to the road parking area (it wasn't really a "parking lot"), I discovered there was no one there! I had been left behind ! My Patrol buddies hadn't realized I was not there with them. Poor planning on my part, as PL.... Nearest phone might be 3 or 4 miles down the road... Knock on a house door? Naw.... I walked on out to the main road and sat down. I knew my folks would realize I was not at the church to be picked up (or was I going to be dropped off at home? I forget). I had a canteen of water, some snacky food, it was about 1pm I guess, so I sat down to wait. Yes, I was disappointed no one missed me, no one "counted noses", there would be a discussion later, I guess... Cars drove by, no one stopped or asked about me. I guess I looked "equiped", backpack and all. A couple of hours later, my dad showed up, and none the worse for wear, we went home. What would happen today?

Hoot, hoot, hoot.... Get your tent set up in your back yard. Make sure the mice haven't got to it, it has all the ropes, stakes, RAINFLY (we had one new Scouter show up with a "new" tent he just bought at a yard sale, "oh, is that why it has all that nice ventilating screening on top!" ), it is still RAINPROOF, and you remember how to set it up. New boots, broken in? Gear check list checked? Questions answered? Uni complete? Comfy (!) camp chair ready? Pencils sharpened? Smile and singing voice ready? See you on the trail !

Show them "The Guardian" .

Perhaps (perhaps) a case in point.... Fellow Commish once helped a Catholic church stand up a Scout troop. They REQUIRED their Scouts to be Catholic. They averred that ANY male youth could join, so long as the family belonged to a Catholic church. The Troop lasted exactly three years.... Scouts is Scouts. Our diversity and acceptance of any who will agree to the Scout Promise and Law , at least to say them together(?), and do Scouty things, is what we must/should be about. The CHARTER ORG is another issue. By BSA/SA edict, the CO can define who will join their Unit. How big the included community is may well define it's success and longevity. In our council we have Vietnamese community Troops that are large and successful, and Muslim Units that survived the pandemic and abuse emergencies when others folded.

"Mechanically powered hydraulically propelled aquatic vehicle."" Someone died because of .....

Got a Red Shoulder hawk family at one end of our woods and a Bared Owl family about a mile west in the same woods.... Blue Jays alert the folks at our feeder when they come by..... We seem to have two nests of Ruby Throat HBs here at our sugar water feeders. Buzz fights.

It is a very complimentary article, for a change....

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-lasting-impact-of-scouting/ar-BB1hZS2p?ocid=msedgntp&pc=DCTS&cvid=2ef7e5d620e44e149813bbca2b7259a5&ei=88

"It depends".... I was a Cubmaster, and then a ASM when Scoutson aged up. As an "alumnus" of the Troop (earned my Stegasaurus Husbandry Merit Badge), the Troop very graciously pays all my fees. I went to take Woodbadge. Some of my tickets concerned Cub Scouts, but I was told my tickets had to deal with my "current" registration, BOY Scouts.... What to do? ummmm. AHA ! (they said) you can be a Commissioner, they can deal with any part of BSA stuff !. Wonderful. What's a Commissioner? I had never heard or seen or met one.... Paperwork... PRESTO ! I was a Unit Commissioner for my home Troop. And so it goes... "The work is done by whoever shows up". Committee? Boards of Review? Our dedicated Troop CCh asks and often needs folks to fill in. So long as they are a registered Scout adult/ parent, and not the Scout in question's parent, and never the SM, the BoR will happen, and the Committee meeting will happen.

Very nice. Exactly what is desired for an Eagle Service Project. Congratulations.

https://nationaltoday.com/world-scout-scarf-day/ World Scout Scarf Day, celebrated on August 1, honors scouts across the world by encouraging them to step out of the house with their scouts scarf on! But why wear a scarf, you ask? Because a scout’s scarf brings the spirit of scouting into the limelight and also sheds light on the basic everyday life hacks that scouts are taught. For instance, the scarf around the neck is used to protect the body from sunburn and can also be used as a band-aid in situations where a first aid kit is unavailable. Hence, over time, the scouts’ scarf has become a symbol of strength and courage. If you have been holding onto your scouts’ neckerchief, now is the time to sport it! https://www.facebook.com/Scout.Scarf.Day/