Hey there, Eagle Scout gone Outdoor Tech Entrepreneur present!

[jamesprepatrip]

Hey there Scouters!

 

I am an eagle scout from Troop 36 in the Orange County Council in California. When I was in scouting, backpacking was my thing. I went to Philmont twice as a scout, once as a volunteer, and once as an adult leader.

 

Now that I'm in my late 20's, I am no longer involved with scouting but I am still an avid overnight backpacker, kayaker, and biker. I lead groups of 10-25 individuals in the outdoors at least once a month, teaching them the skills I learned in Boy Scouts. I'm located in the SF Bay Area now and spend my time on weekend adventures and innovating with online technology for outdoor recreationists. My most recent endeavor is http://www.prepatrip.com , an online tool to build and share equipment lists for individuals and groups. I love meeting other outdoor tech entrepreneurs out there and mentoring budding ones.

 

In my spare time I hope that I can share the experiences I have with scouts, outdoors, and technology on this forum.

 

Great to meet you all!

James

[SeattlePioneer]

Hello jamesprepatrip,

 

 

It's not clear if you8 are leading nthese trips as a hobby or as a professional.

 

I'm always disappointed that Scouting retains so few of the leaders the program develops as adults.

 

May I ask why you haven't considered volunteering as an adult leader? Or perhaps you would, if you were asked.

[jamesprepatrip]

Hey there!

 

I lead these trips just as a hobby. Friends, friends of friends, friends of friends of friends. The amount of people just keep growing.

 

In terms of getting involved with scouts, I'm just not sure where I fit in anymore. Here in Oakland I think there are a lot of nonprofits helping get high risk, inner city youth out to the outdoors; but I don't see much scouts exposure. I also assumed if you don't have a child in the scouts, its frowned upon to help out at a scout troop, at least thats how it was in my council back in the day.

 

What kind of involvement do you think I could partake in as a volunteer?

 

James

[Eagle92]

WELCOME TO THE FORUMS! (and I am shouting at ya this go around.)

 

Now to get to this:

 

What kind of involvement do you think I could partake in as a volunteer?

 

Yes some units will look at you funny if you show up and offer to help out if you don't have kids in the program. And let's face it, they want to make sure the Scouts are safe. But I have found that if you talk to them, things will work out. I know I got some funny looks when I moved around and was looking at troops to help. But talking to leaders helps.

 

And if a troop don't want you, try the district level. Grant you, you will be workign with adults and not kids, but I've foudn the following advantages to being on the district:

 

1) By working with the adults, you can "multiply" your efforts with the youth, especially in the area of training. One good trainer can affect dozens of youth by providing them with a leader who knows his stuff.

 

2)It gets units a chance to know you from you district work, and they become more comfortable with when you decide go back to the unit level. One caveat, I've found that once you are on the district level, they will always find a place for you.

 

3) It gives you a chance to scope out the units and see which one is best for what you are looking for. If you really want to give back, and give back a lot IMHO, you can find the struggling unit and help them out. If you are looking for a unit for your kids to join when the time comes, you know what you are looking for.

 

In that last case, that is what I did. I narrowed the list of packs for oldest to join, and took him visiting.

 

Now all of the following is my opinion, so you can take it with a grain of salt. And this is based upon your post on the outdoors. Your website is being blocked by the filters at work.

 

It sounds as if you are an "outdoor freak" as some of my friends would way. You have heavy expereince in the outdoors and are comfortable teaching thsoe skills. THERE IS A SERIOUS NEED FOR GOOD INTRO TO OUTDOOR LEADER SKILLS TRAINERS! (emphasis not shouting this time)

 

I conducted an IOLS in January, and was very surprised at how much basic outdoor info is missing from the current BSHB. The lack of information is so bad IMHO, that I actually created a booklet with various basic outdoor skills that use to be in the BSHB and field book.

 

I was fortunate in that I recruited good staffers who knew their stuff. Ok so the first aid guy was a little long winded, we won't mention names SCTDAD, but his FA expereince is phenominal, he made the entire presentation fun, especially since all of the folks already had basic first aid certs or higher (EMT instructor, USN corpsman, and RN were in the class), and on the evals was the #1 class. I just hope the guy never reads this and get a swollen head

[SeattlePioneer]

Hello jamesprepatrip,

 

 

I have no children, but I started volunteering as a Boy Scout Assistant Scoutmaster in 1981 and served as Scoutmaster of the troop I joined as a leader from 1982-1987.

 

I've volunteered as an adult leader with numerous packs and troops, and am currently Treasurer for a Cub Pack and Unit Commissioner for a pack and a troop.

 

The background I brought to Scouting was in backpacking, climbing and leading outings I brought from the Seattle Mountaineers. The kind of background you have would be badly needed by many Scout Troops who find it difficult to find skilled outdoor leaders.

 

Personally I think you would be warmly welcomed as an adult leader by many troops.

 

One easy way to shop around for a troop in your area would be to go to beascout.org and to select the volunteer option. That allows you to identify local troops in your area that you can contact about visiting.

 

Another option would be to identify the district executive who served in the district you live in and e-mail or preferably visit him for information on troops you could contact.

 

Unfortunately, all too many Scout troops are poor at following up inquiries from interested adult leaders. I'd aim to call the Scoutmaster or Committee Chair and preferably meet them for coffee or attend a Troop Committee meeting to find out more about the Troop.

 

And visiting your District Committee meeting which meets once per month would be another good way to be introduced. Look up your council website and then identify the district where you live. Usually the district has a website where the time and place of the district meeting is identified.

 

 

In short, there are a variety of ways for an adult like yourself to get involved in Scouting as an adult. I hope you will give it a try!

 

It may pay to shop around for a troops that you really like and has a need for your services. I tend to volunteer with weak units that need help to develop a quality program, but many adults like volunteering with strong troops.

 

I hope you will give that a try and let us know how your efforts work out.

[jamesprepatrip]

Seriously great suggestions both of you =) I will definitely take a look and see whats around. If I end up doing anything I will definitely let you know of the results of your encouragement.

[Oldscout448]

Welcome, Welcome, Welcome!!!

Scouts NEED people like you, the number one reason kids join scouting is to "go out in da woods,hike, swim,light fires, track animals,climb mountains,paddle down rivers, and do cool stuff".

We have a lot of scouters nowdays who love their boys,like the program, and put in countless hours to make it click.

BUT they were raised in the big city, or the suburbs,and you simply can not learn all of that in a weekend training event

My brother and I love to hike. I went the scouting route (Philmont etc.) he went the Outward Bound way. On the rare occasions we hike together he is always showing me new and improved ways to do things, that aren't in the handbooks. Scouts have no monopoly on good ideas! Most I pass on to the scouts,some I think "Umm... a little too dangerous for 11 year old scouts"

So jump in! the waters fine!

Oldscout

 

[perdidochas]

Try to find a local troop to volunteer with. My sons' troop has several leaders that aren't fathers.