Virtual Campfire

[Stosh]

14 minutes ago, LeCastor said:

Hillcourt does deserve mention in the national museum and I hope that he will get that in the new museum being built at Philmont Scout Ranch.  Back about three years, I made a pilgrimage of sorts to the Bill Hillcourt Museum near Syracuse, NY.  Pretty cool place!

Does anyone have any inside scoop on why GBB gets a tad bit of recognition in the Scouting magazine after the long snub he's gotten?

[LeCastor]

It's really cool that a whole new generation of Scouters are getting exposed to Bill's legacy now that he has that nice write-up in Scouting.  If any Forum readers haven't read this article I encourage you to do so.  Then, if you want to know more, read Nelson Block's biography here.  Then, find yourself a copy of the 1st edition Field Book and get to reading!  You'll be glad you did.

[LeCastor]

22 minutes ago, Stosh said:

Shoot, I didn't know there was a Hillcourt museum near Syracuse.  I was out there a couple of years ago and would have stopped in. 

Yeah, it was pretty cool!  And I got some sweet patches there.

[Eagle94-A1]

I may have to go to New York after all now.

[DuctTape]

I am in NY, about an hour from Syr. I have a small campsite in my woods. The virtual campfire can turn into a literal one if anyone chooses.

 

As to books, my collection is not large but I am proud of what I do have. My first edition Fieldbook and First Ed Handbook (found at an estate sale for 50cents). Along with random assortments of other handbooks and fieldbooks. I also have two other non-bsa-commissioned books from the 19-teens by Edward Cave... The Boy Scout Hike Book, and The Scout Camp Book. He wrote them to provide more details and "how tos" . Like a  fieldbook. Also Daniel Beards "Shelters, Shacks and Shanties." 

 

 

[RememberSchiff]

Stosh you like to be contrary so Syracuse may be your town, as I recall, the traffic lights are upside down. Green is on top, red on the bottom. 

[Stosh]

  What are traffic lights?  And what are the red and green lights for?

[Stosh]

Seriously.... One of the things that BSA might want to consider along the way is a defensive driving course for volunteers just like YPT.  Yes there's danger involved with not having YPT, but the way some of these scouters drive with other people's kids concerns me.

For the Red Cross, I have to have taken the course to drive certain Red Cross vehicles and I hadn't taken any driver's education for 50 years.  It was on-line, cost $15 and was well worth it in valuable information.  I haven't ever had a bad accident other than a few fender benders, but after taking the course I drive differently.  It also lets me know now important it is when volunteering for other organizations and the expectations I have placed on me when I have other volunteers in vehicles with me.

I was tasked with driving a 14,000# vehicle from Orlando Florida to Santa Rosa CA.  Going across Texas the speed limit is 80 mph.  I did NOT drive that vehicle 80 mph because of what I learned in that class.  After working the wildfires, I drove another one of those vehicles back to Wisconsin driving 65-70 mph. 

Every now and then we get reports here on the forum of someone injuring or killing scouts.  Maybe we need to revisit this.

[LeCastor]

8 hours ago, Stosh said:

Seriously.... One of the things that BSA might want to consider along the way is a defensive driving course for volunteers just like YPT.  Yes there's danger involved with not having YPT, but the way some of these scouters drive with other people's kids concerns me.

 

Something like this?

[Stosh]

Kinda, but I get a 15% discount on my insurance for having taken the course.

What surprises me is that after all the years in scouting I have never even heard of this information.  No training I have taken from Cub Basics through Venturing Basics, all the way to WB and ne'er a word.

The defensive driving course spends it's time focused on actual driving, not just the rules of the road that the scout information focuses on.  Instead they talk about speed limits, stopping distances, etc. just as if one were taking the driver's ed program.

I guess I would describe it more like taking a class instead of getting a rules manual from the DMV.

[skeptic]

18 hours ago, DuctTape said:

I am in NY, about an hour from Syr. I have a small campsite in my woods. The virtual campfire can turn into a literal one if anyone chooses.

 

As to books, my collection is not large but I am proud of what I do have. My first edition Fieldbook and First Ed Handbook (found at an estate sale for 50cents). Along with random assortments of other handbooks and fieldbooks. I also have two other non-bsa-commissioned books from the 19-teens by Edward Cave... The Boy Scout Hike Book, and The Scout Camp Book. He wrote them to provide more details and "how tos" . Like a  fieldbook. Also Daniel Beards "Shelters, Shacks and Shanties." 

 

 

Another interesting thing about those two books is that they were the first books illustrated by Norman Rockwell.  Do you have the individual books from 1913 and 1914 or the double with the two combined?

 

[Stosh]

I thought the Rockwell portion of the museum in Irving the best part.  Nice history as to each of the pictures.  No need for the docent in that the write-ups were really well done.

[Stosh]

Quality units with full committees and leadership staffing is not the goal.  Getting girls to register, i.e. pay money, and get eagle is.

[DuctTape]

On 1/14/2018 at 2:28 AM, skeptic said:

Another interesting thing about those two books is that they were the first books illustrated by Norman Rockwell.  Do you have the individual books from 1913 and 1914 or the double with the two combined?

 

I have the individual books. I did not know that about Rockwell.

[blw2]

On 1/13/2018 at 2:49 PM, Stosh said:

  What are traffic lights?  And what are the red and green lights for?

maybe leftover Christmas decorations?  reminds me of some of my work trips to small towns in Louisiana.  Middle of the summer and lots of folks still had their Christmas lights hanging on their house!

On 1/13/2018 at 2:56 PM, Stosh said:

Seriously.... One of the things that BSA might want to consider along the way is a defensive driving course for volunteers just like YPT.  Yes there's danger involved with not having YPT, but the way some of these scouters drive with other people's kids concerns me.

For the Red Cross, I have to have taken the course to drive certain Red Cross vehicles and I hadn't taken any driver's education for 50 years.  It was on-line, cost $15 and was well worth it in valuable information.  I haven't ever had a bad accident other than a few fender benders, but after taking the course I drive differently.  It also lets me know now important it is when volunteering for other organizations and the expectations I have placed on me when I have other volunteers in vehicles with me.

I was tasked with driving a 14,000# vehicle from Orlando Florida to Santa Rosa CA.  Going across Texas the speed limit is 80 mph.  I did NOT drive that vehicle 80 mph because of what I learned in that class.  After working the wildfires, I drove another one of those vehicles back to Wisconsin driving 65-70 mph. 

Every now and then we get reports here on the forum of someone injuring or killing scouts.  Maybe we need to revisit this.

I've often thought about that very thing....but I suppose based on the lack of attention to it, that historically hasn't been too big of a problem

I once took a 1 day class for work.  Some company out of Deleware, I believe, where the corporation was based, came down complete with skid simulator rig on a rental car.  rented out a big parking lot at a dog track, set up cone courses.  taught basics such as mirror adjustment (the one big takeaway for me), driving posture, etc.....like half a day classroom.  Then we went out on the track and in our own cars practiced maximum performance braking, maneuvering, etc.... and then the skid simulator.  Not so usefull for me, having spent my teen years horsing around off road on muddy roads sliding and doing donuts...and having a fair bit of snow/ice driving experience..... but a lot of folks had never been in a real skid.  It was quite interesting.

 

 

Stosh

Love this thread idea.... but honestly I kinda figure most all threads on this or any forum are or at least should be like this.  Let conversation flow naturally I say.

It'll be obvious by the initial post if it's something more intended to be "on topic" versus a conversation.  A specific question or survey, for example, would be more of a stick to it kind of thing.... naturally.  Like patrols and scouting should be.  Not adult lead.