300 Feet Apart

[Beavah]

Interestin' comment on da footnote, Kudu. I think if yeh go through all the places BP used "Parlor Scouting" he's generally referring to West's corporate, adult-run organization with big HQ buildings and not much contact with kids and the outdoors.

 

Guys, I reckon Kudu's right on the 2nd Class requirement, eh? There's just no meaning to "select your patrol site" unless it's really somethin' that yeh have to go off and look for and choose, eh? If it's a troop camporee-style encampment, you don't really get to exercise any judgment or leadership, except perhaps choosin' not to camp on top of the fire pit .

 

But Kudu, yeh can catch more flies with honey than vinegar, mate. OGE's right, this forum is mostly a unit volunteers group, eh? Other places have more gold tabbers. If yeh want to spread the gospel, yeh have to do it by inspiring the masses, not haranguing 'em.

 

Beavah

 

[Stosh]

In the early literature of BSA a parlor scout was one who spent all his time in camp using his skills for such activities, but never being able to develop them for real life. If a boy only plans on doing scout activities while being a scout he will always be a parlor scout. If he uses his scout learned skills for other activities outside of scouting then he isn't a parlor scout. The term was somewhat derrogatory. It would be comparable to book learning and then never applying what one learned outside the classroom walls. It's like having a 4.0 GPA and can't figure out how to balance a checkbook.

 

Stosh

[ASM857]

Kudu you mis understood whsat I wrote, each patrol camps together and adult leaders set thier tents up on the perimeter of the campsite. This allows our COG the comfort level they desire while the boys have thier patrol dioning flys and patrol boxes to do as the will. I don't consider a saftey or security precaution not letting the boys lead themselfs.

 

YIS

Doug

[BrentAllen]

"Baden-Powell came to Gilwell frequently, sleeping out in a hammock at first and later in a caravan. 'As far as the eye can see beneath the trees - are tents and more tents' he observed enthusiastically. 'Among them half-naked men and boys are busy about the little nothings that go to make camp life so fully occupied. And everywhere the air is humming with the songs and whistling of happy lads.' A koodoo horn which Baden-Powell had acquired in Matabeleland was used to sound reveille; and whenever he was there, Stephe himself would blow it. If he wanted to impress a potential benefactor, he would bring him to Gilwell 'to see Scouting in action'. Each weekend anything between 50 and 500 boys would be encamped.

Baden-Powell, by Tim Jeal Chapter 16, pg. 504

 

Hard to imagine those Scout patrols mentioned were camping the supposedly required 300 feet from each other. Gilwell park is only around 50 acres in size. This was not just camporees, but every weekend, and BP brought people out to see "Scouting in action." I take that to mean he approved of the camping style he saw.

[Kudu]

"Each weekend anything between 50 and 500 boys would be encamped"

 

Hard to imagine those Scout patrols mentioned were camping the supposedly required 300 feet from each other. Gilwell park is only around 50 acres in size

 

So even on the most crowded weekends the density at Gilwell Park was only 10 Scouts per acre. On slower weeks it was only one Scout per acre!

 

Four acres per Patrol on average is plenty of room to practice the Patrol System between Jamborees.

 

Beavah writes:

 

OGE's right, this forum is mostly a unit volunteers group, eh? Other places have more gold tabbers.

 

No, Beavah, the interesting event here is the swooping down of the outspoken (in other threads) proponents of "21st Century" Wood Badge to discourage unit volunteers from daring to experiment with Baden-Powell's traditional methods.

 

The most visible function of Wood Badge is to keep Patrol leadership dumbed-down to the indoor Den Leader level.

 

Ten years ago the most visible function of Wood Badge was to keep the Uniform Method dumbed-down to the indoor dress-designer level.

 

Lesson Learned: If we flatly reject the bad ideas of Wood Badge, the "Gold Tabs" will follow.

 

Kudu

 

B-P's Aim (the pretty words) = Producing citizens of character who are service minded.

 

B-P's Method (the meat and potatoes) = Separate each Patrol by at least 100 yards to develop the responsibility of the Patrol Leader for his distinct unit.

 

[BrentAllen]

Well, there you have it. Anyone out there who earned their Eagle in a Troop where the Patrols didn't camp at least 300 feet apart on each and every campout, please return your award to your Council HQ immediatly. You didn't earn it. You aren't a REAL Scout, and certainly aren't a REAL Eagle.

 

I can only imagine the tongue lashing the poor new Scout in Kudu's Troop must receive when he sets up his tent only 297 feet away from the other Patrols. "300 FEET! 300 FEET!! WHY IS THAT SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND?! B-P SAID 300 FEET, AND IT WILL BE 300 FEET! NOW, MOVE THAT TENT AND MAKE IT SNAPPY, OR I WILL MAKE YOU WEAR THESE WOOD BADGE BEADS AND NECKERCHIEF AS PUNISHMENT!! WHERE IS THAT SPL?! HOW COULD HE LET THIS HAPPEN?? HE IS ACTING LIKE HE ATTENDED WOOD BADGE AND HAS BEEN DUMBED DOWN TO A DEN LEADER! GET OVER HERE AND PUT THESE BEADS ON, AND DON'T TAKE THEM OFF UNTIL I TELL YOU TO!!"

 

Kudu, do you carry a tape measure, or do you have a rope measured out to exactly 300 feet?

[Kudu]

"Each and every campout"?

 

This is a good example of the problem with Wood Badge: The hysteria with which its proponents attack any of Baden-Powell's actual methods, even as an experiment.

 

Ten years ago this kind of Wood Badge behavior was directed toward anyone who proposed nylon zip-off cargo pants. Now we call them "Switchbacks."

 

Concerning incompetent Eagles: Baden-Powell's requirement that a Scout re-qualify for all of his Badges on a regular basis would weed them out soon enough.

 

Kudu

 

[BrentAllen]

"Each and every campout"?

 

Kudu: "Of course Baden-Powell's rule that Patrols always camp 100 yards apart was based on Troops having a maximum of 4 Patrols." (from your first post in this thread)

 

Doesn't "always" equal "each and every"?

 

I bet it's a rope.

[Kudu]

Doesn't "always" equal "each and every"?

 

That would be the standard in a Baden-Powell Troop.

 

For most BSA Troops it is an experimental adventure.

 

As for judging distance: Most Scouts understand "Set up a football field apart."

 

Kudu