buffalo2

Lots of our Philmont crew used the bladder system this year; mostly Platypi(?) I think the convenience really contributed toward keeping their water intake up. Gotta make a conscious effort to grab a bottle when you're away from your pack for any length of time however! Watch yourself at the end of the hiking day when you're still equalizing that water debt and your pack is way over yonder - another contributor to late afternoon/early evening headaches. And yes refilling them is a pain but you might try using a 1/4" tubing coupler from the hardware store (nylon is preferred and lighter too!) and connect your water filter output straight into the drinking tube. Watch R&Ring that fragile bite valve though. Think that I'll try to hang mine on the outside next time in some sort of homemade absorbent fabric holster if that's not too tacky - rather than give up a precious pocket. Perhaps a zip-off camo pant leg? Would also make side hikes with a fanny pack easier... O yes and a spare lid (for sealing up the bladder during filling and reloading) and a bite valve can be real handy! I'll certainly use mine again...

Nice to see a bit of serious interest to this thread... Would like to see a map-making component attached to Orienteering MB. Search and Rescue would be pretty cool as well And we're missing a bet if we don't pay some attention to upgrading some of the Technology series! Are you ready for Robotics? Might there be interest in breaking out the Engineering MB a bit? Or maybe consider adding some optional tracks ie, Electrical, Mechanical, Civil; trying to stay somewhat generic and engage an interest rather than just add requirements?

Our Council has opted to convert the annual Cub Scout Pow Wow into a University of Scouting, including presentations of interest to Boy Scout and Venturing leaders. Truly a noble cause, and in excellent hands as well, but I'm wondering if anybody out there has maintained any kind of records on attendance and participation from something similar. To be brief: which sessions were well attended and which ones weren't worth the effort? What topics get overlooked? Your thoughts and ideas are welcomed! Thanks

If I might back up several posts to address the fixing up of homes for shut-ins; there's an outfit called 'People Working Cooperatively' that specializes in just this sort of thing. They do a Repair Affair in the Spring and a Prepare Affair in the Fall. Worth looking into perhaps; this is a really good cause and always in need of expertise on every level. Good Luck!

Think obstacle course... and keep it safe! BSA's COPE manual is a great place to start

Sadly, etiquette is not one of those things that we can teach our children, but something that they absorb from every part of their environment... Now back to Mr Spock et al.

Not to belabor the obvious, but this addresses one more good reason for Scouts training each other...

Mike This is some good information; your tips address questions that I had on the process. I'm wondering about your note on opacity when making the artwork master; can you just pump it out on a laserjet or inkjet printer (maybe setting the font to BOLD? or looking into printer options) or is it better to paint over the original toner? Might you gain something by stacking multiple copies of the printer output? Would you suggest working with some sort of a kit for we amateurs? Any thoughts on Tshirt quality? How about printing on a pocket? Thanks for sharing your expertise!

Recently involved with reviving a crew at a small private high school - went for an intro to SCUBA as a kickoff activity and are next electing officers and penciling in a schedule to carry us thru the summer. Surprisingly, most of the current members don't come through Troops; you have to speak slowly and carefully when you bring up concepts like advancement and service projects... Lots of sports buffs in this group but many have not been camping nor done much in the outdoors. I think that we're on a good course but would like to solicit advice from all concerned; this is a different environment from the Troop that I'm familiar with and we're hoping to get it right! Also, I would like to direct any who aren't already familiar with it to the 'Venturing Electronic Magazine' and its 'Lessons Learned' section. Thanks in advance (This message has been edited by buffalo2)(This message has been edited by buffalo2)

Ya know, it's a fine thing to draw our boy's attention to the lives and works of famous people. But did anybody notice their eyes glazing over? They're missing the connections between these world figures and their own lives. Maybe I'm working a little out of context, but can see a value in staying a little closer to home and dealing with some real folks and issues. You can start at your local fire department or even an American Legion post. You could mention the people that visit the terminally ill in our hospitals. You might be surprised at how many people and groups ended up in New York City last September crawling through piles of rubble. I think it's perhaps more important that our Scouts understand that we all have opportunities to set good (and not so good) examples to others, and that we all can contribute at whatever place in life we find ourselves at. And yes, that can be tough to get across sometimes...

Perhaps I'm a little simple but: But what lesson does the Scout learn from all of this? And what (who) are we involved in the program for again? Understanding that we all want the best for our sons and those that we care about; perhaps we should look a little further down the path... My $.02 worth

Gotta agree with OGE, some are better than others - kinda resembling our own Troop programs and indeed sometimes our personal motivations/achievements versus intentions. You might consider looking over the scheduled topics and seeing where you might apply your own expertise; just as we all take something away we all bring something to the table. Your local Roundtable staff would be more than willing to receive any assistance that you might feel moved to offer. Down from the Virtual Soapbox...

Kinda wondering where that SM finds all that time...

One of the things I think needs to happen on this is that the Venture Patrol members must remember that they are a significant element of the Troop, and CAN offer much more than they would give themselves credit for. These Scouts are on the high end of the food chain now, and should understand that their unique skills and abilities are needed and that they now have the opportunity to give back some of what makes them what they are. Maybe what you could do is to require say 50% of the Venture Patrollers to attend Troop meetings and regular outings, and let them figger out who and when. They should have representation at your PLCs, and be a substantial presence on your Instructor and Guide staffs. Their Venture Patrol meetings and training should be scheduled around the Troop's regular activities. Perhaps another way of smoothly integrating this into the Troop program is to run it on a by-event basis, so that the membership is revolving a bit. Again it is important to make this a supplement to the normal Troop program instead of a replacement. If you're running at 3 or 4 Venture Patrol activities a year (be they larger or smaller) things should stay pretty fresh and flexible... Having said all that I can't get the buy-in from our SM, who does an excellent job and supports an annual High Adventure activity Go figger

Le Voy: Thanks for details on the bleach soak, hadn't realized that the dwell time was so long. We might make a note as well that those with ceramic filter elements should make sure that its pretty dry before freezing lest there be cracking... Haven't tried to refill the hydration reservoirs in place yet, but 'twould be pretty handy! Probably find a neat little connector/adatpter/widget at an industrial hardware store or auto supply house - I'd start with 1/4" ID. I'm concerned about venting the bladder as it refills? One last thought for you more medical types: hows about flushing a wound (thinking road rash) with the pressurized flow from the filter output instead of using an irrigation syringe?

Following a sincere moment of silence... Listened to a presentation at last summer's Roundtable by one of the founders of this AHG program (started in northern Cincinnati I think?) While only watching from a distance (no daughters!) IMHO they sounded like the beginnings of an outfit that we as Scouters would feel right at home with. To the point that you might find yourself welcomed as an external resource... Enough said lest we begin to split hairs over details!

After last campout worked over our Troop's Pur Hiker filters... One was much stiffer than the other, usually a sign that the cartridge is getting plugged. Pulled it apart and cleaned and lubed the pump O-ring (silicon grease per the manual) and all is better - wasn't all that dirty either(?) Gives you a chance to inspect the check valves as well even if you can't access them In my innocence I flush most pieces out with a bleach solution but not the filter elements. Seems kinda obvious but gotta be pretty careful to keep the cootie-exposed parts separate from the clean internals. Lots of tap water rinsing and air drying completes the process - be nice to get 'em out in the sun if you could I guess... This is only about a 15 minute process and you're good to go! We've retrofitted Sweetwater's external SiltStopper prefilters (advertised as effective > 2 micron particles) and had good success with them in extending the life of the internal filter elements ($10 instead of $25 as well) Got 'em at Campmor even if they're not listed in the catalog. O yeah keeping the hose assemblies isolated is a pretty good idea as well - again apologizing for the obviousity!

While it seems most appropriate to address retention from the aspect of the Scout himself, there is the issue of parental support. How many times do we see a lad going through a tough time in his life and respond by dropping out of Scouting? I believe that much of the time its easier for his parents just to let him react with a poorly thought out response to a longer term issue than to deal with the root cause, and we lose another boy to the program. Further believe that this comes from these parents not knowing enough about Scouting in general or their son's unit. There's a pretty fine line between supporting and pushing... So how do we share these ideals that we hold most important and demonstrate the values of Scouting without sounding rabid? How do we draw these parents in and offer them ways to contribute? Do we scare them off with all of our scheduling and organization and multiple acronyms? How do we address the 'Eagle and out' mentality that some parents maintain? There may be another side to all this that accounts for all the Weblos Scouts that don't cross over to a Troop but its beyond me! Questions are easy and sometimes not well expressed, but answers are a little slower in coming I've found...

We're heading back to Camp Crooked Creek again; we usually hit it on alternate years and always have a great time. We'll be there for the first week but have every confidence in their staff. Hoping to get to Camp Powhatan again next year but thats a bit out there yet...

Might seem kinda obvious, but as we focus our retention efforts on our Scouts through a pretty comprehensive outdoor program we can be neglecting their parents... How do we OPEN this effort to include parents? Certainly there are some tried and true avenues, but what about the ones that only make it to Courts of Honor? Heard it said earlier that many of these folks are going all out for their kids but are just ignorant of what we're going after with Scouting.

Scoutmom: Sounds like your heart is in the right place, and you're certainly receiving some good advice from the frequent flyers... My $.02 regards the difficulty you may be encountering in finding BSA training opportunities. One of the more important things that will make you an effective Scouter is a constant association with those who are involved in the Scouting movement (did I get that right?) This sharing of thoughts and ideas (and please don't discount your own) keeps the program fresh and flexible, while helping us all to move in the same direction. In short, consider going to some extra trouble to find the training that you're after. Might be a pain if you've got to drive over to the next Council but in the long run it'll be worth it. Good luck!

Some pretty good stuff here - thanks for sharing this link Nice to see some of the classic stuff surface By the way, what does G2SS say about throwing axes(!)

Two more cents to add to Bob White's: Lay out an ax yard Some sort of gateway w/flags Set up your camp kitchen - stowed between meals Different types of tents and tarp shelters Water point? Maybe some sort of program area - lashing crossbar? Camp gadgets Gear layout within tents Depends on where you're heading We use something like this for WELOT and SM Fundamentals Offering a lot to see and using your Scouts to explain

Our Council has decided to expand the current Cub PowWow out to include BSA and Venture topics (similar to that shown in the latest SCOUTING magazine perhaps) One of our quality DEs will be heading it up, and lots of training folks from the District and Council levels will be involved. Probably be kept separate from the District level training programs; should be a great event. SO: What sort of programs would the group see as most useful on the Troop/Crew side? Obvious things would seem to be hands-on introductions to various outdoor skills, Merit Badge counselor training, exposure to some of the more exotic MBs, local vendors displaying their wares perhaps...

Our Troop typically has a campout right after Crossovers are finished and our new Scouts are aboard - usually comes out pretty well. The bonus comes from your present Scouts having to relearn and practice their skills to avoid being shown up! One of our best PLCs involved planning this campout; coming up with the various activity stations and discussing the Patrols responsible, breaking out the tasks and equipment required to pull it off. Older and younger Scouts working together as equals; each knowing what was appropriate and when to stretch out some. The execution phase will be an additional hurdle, but with the current attitude should be no trouble... Almost brought tears to my eyes; when it works it really works!