SWScouter

Not to be a picky son of a gun or anything, but the name tag goes above the BSA strip over the right pocket if there is an OA lodge patch on the pocket flap. A member of the OA without the lodge patch, should place the name tag on the pocket flap. SWScouter

Anarchist, You're welcome to try it and see if your finger will burn or not. Personally, I never really considered a lit candle as a fire. Of course it's burning with a flame at the wick, but it's not a fire is it? When you light a stove, it's lit and there is a flame but again, it's not really a fire is it? Of course, if you look in the dictionary, my two examples are fire. Heck, why else would people say, "Put a kettle on the fire." So, I guess I'm wrong, but hey, what else is new. But back to your example of lighting a gas stove with a match. Of course, that is okay because you would be using the match to light the fuel, not using a match to light the liquid fuel to light the fuel for the fire (wood). But then, what do I know. SWScouter

when you strike a match to light your stove aren't you using a liquid fuel to start a fire? Do we not use stoves any longer?...... No, you're using a match to light a stove, not a fire. A fire uses wood for fuel, the stove uses a liquid for fuel (ignoring other types of fuel burning stoves). What you're not supposed to do, per the G2SS, is start a fire (wood burning) using liquid fuel. Of course, as always, the G2SS is perfectly clear on this SWScouter

By "inclusive scouter knot" do you mean the knot that's used for the various trainer awards, e.g., Boy Scout Leader Training award? Trevorum, what do you mean by, "optional patch pocket?" Do you mean the right pocket where temporary patches go? That seems strange. Why wouldn't you place the knot above the left pocket where the knots are supposed to go? Thanks, SWScouter

Well, I think Jerry (schleining) had a great idea for "singing" a virtual round of Back to Gilwell here. Unfortunately, we didn't seem to quite get through it. So, let's try again, using Gilwell order. I know we have members of all the critters so be patient and don't jump the gun. Yes antelope can be skittish and owls need to strike fast to get their prey but we all are trained aren't we. Gilwell order: Beaver, Bob White, Eagle, Fox, Owl, Bear, Buffalo, Antelope. If there's a Wolf or a Raven here I assume you know where you go. I'll even put a piece of the song for you to cut and paste from: I used to be a Critter, and a Good 'ol Critter too, But now I'm finished Crittering, I don't know what to do. I'm growing old and feeble and I can Critter no more So I am going to work my ticket if I can Back to Gilwell, happy land; I'm going to work my ticket if I can. Okay, let's get started. Is there a Beaver in the house?

Here's wishing John-in-KC a happy 49th birthday six days early. It is the 19th isn't it?

Not to defend a Fox or anything, but it does appear that an Owl jumped the gun. Now I think it's time to continue the round; where is that Buffalo?

I used to be an Eagle and a Good 'ol Eagle too. And now I'm finished Eagling, I don't know what to do. I'm growing old and feable and I can Eagle no more, So I am going to work my ticket if I can. Back to Gilwell, happy land. I'm going to work my ticket if I can.

Straight from the Program Helps: Cub Scout Rescue Tune: "I've Been Working on the Railroad" We're a pack of helpful Cub Scouts, Tigers, Webelos. We are ready to help you, As everybody knows. We can come to the rescue, And do it with a smile. Our pack is really really special, We go the extra mile. Rescue here, rescue there, Rescue if we n-e-e-d. Rescue here, rescue there, Cub Scouts take the lead. Straight from the Roundtable Pack Resource Sheet: They Come to our Rescue, Thank You! Tune: "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean" The firefighters, they put out the fires, The doctors they make us feel swell, Our teachers they give us all knowledge, Scout leaders teach us to do well! Chorus: Rescue Rescue, they come to our rescue, thank you, thank you! Rescue, rescue, they come to our rescue, thank you! New skills that you learn in Cub Scouting Will help you to grow and be strong. To help other people who need it, To the rescue, you just can't go wrong! Chorus Hope that helps, SWScouter

The first thing that came to my mind was to "Be Prepared." By this, I mean to do all the necessary preparation before the trek begins. Way back when I was a scout, we did a fair bit of backpacking. Usually, there would be several backpacking trips building up to a long trek. For example, May would have been a five mile in/out trip, June a seven/eight mile in/out trip. Then in July a nice 20 miler. Finally, the 50 miler would come in August. Maybe we'd just do a 10, 20, 50; like I said it was a long time ago. I don't remember fitness ever really being a question. We were pretty active kids though, not much TV, no computer games, etc. I don't remember any fat boys in the troop at all, not like I see frequently now. It really is more important to just get used to hiking the distance and knowing your equipment. You need some real life experience on the trail with your equipment to get confidence and to figure out a menu that will work. I guess, what I'm saying, is to be prepared, you're going to have to do at least a couple backpacking trips before the trek to get the kinks worked out. If all you've done is car camping, then you may want to do a "car camp" that only uses your backpacking equipment. This would simulate the real deal in a controlled environment. You need to really do it though, i.e., no chairs, no ice chests, no duffle bags, no big griddles, no patrol boxes, no trailers, no pillows, no whatever you won't pack. This needs to go for everyone too. No faking it. Good luck and have a great trek! SWScouter

Currently I'm a Webelos leader for a group of second year Webelos working on their Arrow of Light. One of the requirements is for the den to both visit a troop meeting and to go on a boy scout outing. Who should I, as the Webelos leader, contact in the troop to set these activities up, the Scoutmaster or the Senior Patrol Leader? Thanks, SWScouter

Acco40, You know, that just might work. I think though, that the Webelos would have had to finish all the rest of requirements 1-5, go to the meeting with his den, have a quick talk with his den leader, then run out the door with his parents and then come back in to the meeting and have the SM conference. Oh, and somewhere in there he will need to set up the conference with the SM. Seriously, I think the intention of the AOL requirement is that requirement six is one of the last things the boy should do so that he will immediately start going to troop meetings as soon as he crosses over. Don't forget that one important part of the requirement, "you think you might like to join." This really is a requirement that the boy should do with his parent since it really is for him to join the troop. This requirement used to have another step that was removed in the 2003 update. That step was, "Complete and turn in a "Join Boy Scouting" application to the Scoutmaster during the conference." SWScouter(This message has been edited by SWScouter)

First a little bit more background on the Webelos AOL requirements. There are seven total. Requirement 6 (the one we're discussing) is to be done after the first five. The first five are: tenure knowledge of Boy Scout joining requirements activity badges With den: boy scout troop meeting, boy scout outdoor activity Webelos campout or hike The sixth requirement is the one we're discussing, and the seventh is the honesty character connection. Okay, now back to the discussion. Trevorum, I think that the SM conference can be done in an outdoor setting as you suggest. However, I don't think it can be done if the outing is being used for one of requirements 4 or 5 since then it wouldn't be after requirements 1-5 are complete. and the Webelos hasn't spoken to his den leader. SWScouter

Trevorum, I agree with you and did not mean that the boy has a SM conference that includes his parent/guardian. I apologize for the confusion. My point though, is that the Webelos needs to go to at least two troop meetings, one with his den and one with his parent/guardian. Also, as stated, at the latter, he should have a SM conference. Since the latter visit is without the den, the issue of a group SM conference really shouldn't come into play. SWScouter(This message has been edited by SWScouter)

I think it's important to read the whole requirement, not just that quoted above. It is: After you have completed all five of the above requirements, and after a talk with your Webelos den leader, arrange to visit, with your parent or guardian, a meeting of a Boy Scout troop you think you might like to join. Have a conference with the Scoutmaster. To me, the boy should be going to the meeting with his parents and himself, not with the den. In this situation, the problem of a "group" SM conference tends to go away doesn't it. Oh, and one of the previous five requirements is to go to a troop meeting with your den so the boy needs to go to at least two troop meetings, one with his den and one with his parent or guardian. SWScouter

In the pack I'm in, it is traditional for the Webelos to make their own shadowbox as part of their Craftsman activity badge and then display it at the blue and gold when they crossover to Boy Scouts.

Gads, I don't know how I missed that. The last sentence for the description of ASPL states, "Large troops may have more than one assistant senior patrol leader." Just another confirmation that my wife is correct in that I can't find things. Heck, I probably can't find my way out of a paper bag. SWScouter

I just looked in my Scoutmaster Handbook and p. 13 doesn't say anything about multiple ASPLs. In fact, it never mentions ASPL in plural at all, nor does the whole of chapter 3, The Boy-Led Troop. I double checked, then checked again. Perhaps the Senior Patrol Leader Handbook does. I have the 2005 printing, 33009C. SWScouter

Zionia, That's great to hear; congratulations! SWScouter

charle9997, Will you give an example of how you may want to deviate from the requirements. My gut reaction is that no, you shouldn't because we shouldn't add nor subtract from the requirements. However, what you mean by "deviate" may not really be doing that. SWScouter

I find this interesting since I grew up in Des Moines, WA which is just a few miles from Federal Way. I've never heard of Camp Kilworth though my troop was in Chief Seattle Council. I'm curious where the camp is. I assume it is South of Redondo Beach. Where is it in relation to Dash Point? Thanks, SWScouter

I agree with Anarchist. Go to Home Depot, or similar, and get two 8' lodge poles (in the garden section). Get a small piece of wood you can screw on for a cleat and then a lag screw with a hoop for the top. Shear lash the poles together. Get three stakes and some rope to hold the pole up. Caribiners or some clips work well for attaching the flag to the halyard. SWScouter

It's Me, you might try listing all the Fitness Activity Badge requirements. The Webelos scout doesn't need to do all of them, just most of them. Also, the Fitness Activity Badge, may be better named Health instead. Your physical activity comparison would work better with the Athlete Activity Badge. It has requirements that are almost exactly the same as the physical requirements for Tenderfoot. Then you can compare the First Aid requirements with the Readyman Activity Badge requirements and some others to the Arrow of Light requirements. Comparisons can continue but they get tiring at best. In general the Webelos/AOL requirements cover most of the same stuff that the Scout/Tenderfoot/2nd Class/1st Class requirements cover but normally not as in depth nor breadth. SWScouter

Akaluga, I'm a member of the Wipala Wiki lodge of the Grand Canyon Council, AZ. The namesake of the lodge, Wipala Wiki, was a Hopi indian, who I believe, was a chief of his clan by birthright. Wipala Wiki was still alive when the lodge was named and was even the ceremonies advisor for the lodge. For a time, he was also the ranger for the Heard Scout Pueblo at S. Mt. in Phoenix, AZ. A brief history of the Heard and Wipala Wiki can be seen in the April and May Tom Tom's. Some more on Wipala Wiki is in the August Tom Tom. The Tom Tom is the lodge newsletter. http://www.wipalawiki.org/lodge/tom-tom/march2005small.pdf http://www.wipalawiki.org/lodge/tom-tom/april2005small.pdf http://www.wipalawiki.org/lodge/tom-tom/august2005small.pdf I hope you find this useful. Regards, SWScouter

Wahoonfp, I imagine that in February when your parish has its Scout Mass, the boys will still be busy working on the emblem since it is meant to be completed in six to eight months and work usually starts in September. What works good in this case, is to recognize the scouts working on the emblem by giving a short description of the emblem and having the boys rise. For example, in a mass recognizing scouts earning all four awards (cubs through venturers), you may have something like this (from the Phoenix Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting Religious Emblems Counselor Reference Book, 1st Ed, June 2003): The next step in the Catholic religious education program, which is geared for 13 to 14 year old Boy Scouts, is the Ad Altare Dei emblem. The Ad Altare Dei program is a 6 month long independent course with classroom discussion involving an intense study of the seven sacraments. In church today we also have several Boy Scouts who are presently studying for or who have received the prestigious Ad Altare Dei award. They expect to receive the award in May by Bishop xxxxx. I ask those scouts to please stand up. I hope that helps, SWScouter