BlueandSilverBear

A lot of Scouters need to think long and hard about how they are modeling the Scout Oath and Scout Law for their Scouts. That Scouter should reflect on what he is teaching his Scouts about Duty to Country. Others need to take "I will keep myself physically strong" a little (ok, a LOT) more seriously.

Haven't heard from the Troops, but recruiting for our Pack has been phenomenal after a big crossover year. The current Webelos 1 and 2 classes are small, so Troops will have to get creative on recruiting the next couple years and won't be able to rely on crossovers alone.

Pony tail first, clip right above the pony tail holder. #GirlDadScoutSkills

My Bear loves her bow and usually picks to wear it over her hat 🤷‍♂️ It was also $0.99 on sale when it was discontinued.

We have already had 9 girls join our Pack this year with several more interested and 1 more school night to go... after a big crossover last spring (6) we were down to 8 active girls (plus a few more on paper). Our Girls Den is going to our local Girls in Aviation Day this weekend, which is always a hit, and I'm teaching Whittling Chip to our 6 Bears the weekend after that 😬

Camping, shooting, first aid... time in the field was my favorite part of basic training 🤠

I love the original "National Treasure" movie and have gotten a kick out of the new Disney+ series, "National Treasure: Edge of History." No spoilers, but in the season finale two of the main characters are trying to navigate a swamp. One says something along the lines of "I wish I had paid more attention in Boy Scouts." He jokes that his dad made him sign up so he could become an adventurer but he never made it past Scout. When he asks the second character how far he made it, the second replies "Eagle." The Eagle Scout uses some basic navigation skills (direction of the sunset) to go get help and eventually returns to save the day. After the Eagle Scout explains how he did it, the first character exclaims, "Boy Scout!" I was honestly surprised at how long the conversation went on, and even more to see the positive impression of Scout Skills come back for a second time. Great to see some positive cultural relevance. I'm off to MC our pinewood derby... fingers crossed that my Wolf's Princess Peach Mario Kart makes a good showing. Scout on!

Defer to the Scout Law and be courteous and kind.

This is an opportunity to make OA relevant while bringing BSA back to the experience that most of us Scouters want for our kids. It's not hard to imagine... The arrow flies true, just as the order remains true to the Scout Oath and Scout Law. Reinforce the basics... The arrow on a compass points north, just as the Order of the Arrow always points its members back toward service to others. Service at camps, service to Troops, service to Packs... The arrow represents excellence in scout skills. Archery is a scout skill taught from Cub Scouts up through the Archery merit badge in Scouts BSA. Sounds like a great way to serve at the range... The arrow represents a Scouting ideal. Originally inspired by American Indian legends, the Order of the Arrow looks to American Indians and First Nations as the cultures with the longest and deepest knowledge of and connection with the natural environment of the Americas. This part requires making Make REAL efforts to SERVE with Native communities in conservation efforts. It probably requires admitting that the OA has often gotten things wrong in the past. Work to create Trail Crew programs with tribes and Native conservation groups. Learn and appreciate culture while working together to protect something that we both love. Keep the name. Keep brotherhood and service. Leave dress up and dance teams in the past... those don't provide anything that can't be accomplished in another way. Make real efforts to serve and learn.

Our Pack has gone from 79 as of August 17 to 121 as of October 2 with a few more paper applications working their way through the system. We have at least 30 (up from 25) crossing over in the spring, so we needed to backfill if we wanted to keep the Pack rolling. I had 4 new girls at our all-ages girls den meeting today: 1 Bear, 2 Wolves, and 1 Tiger. It has taken a lot of work from our CC, Cubmaster, and Den Leaders, but the program is still relevant and still in demand. Now it's up to us to deliver the adventure. Scout on!

Pack didn’t have anything scheduled but I took BALOO. Nothing groundbreaking, but always great to spend a weekend outdoors and talk scout stuff. Next weekend we’re cleaning a section of shoreline at our local lake for Scouts Trash the Trash Day.

I’m a reserve admissions officer for the Air Force Academy. Several years ago I heard from Admissions that the only statistically significant predictor of success as a Cadet was if they were an Eagle Scout… not sure if that is still the case, but we’re building strong citizens. A toast to Captain Ross.

Hooah!

I was on an ill-fated backpacking trip out of Camp Buffalo Bill 20 years ago… https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming/texas-boy-scouts-head-for-home-after-being-stranded-overnight/article_93767415-3367-5b9d-bfae-fd2f0e8386fc.html The situation was more due to physical limitations of some of our adult leaders, but a wild one for sure. Beautiful country and the highlight of my youth Scouting experience!

We are already +1 Tiger and +2 Lions in our Girls Den just off siblings/word of mouth recruiting before we even make it into schools.