Grizzly Adams and Car Camping Calvin - Scouts

[Tampa Turtle]

While I loved Calvin when it was being written and my 13 year old has rediscovered them --he was a miserable little bugger.

[drmbear]

I set a standard for my den this year - a first year Webelos den - that for all the things we had to learn in activity pins and for the Webelos badge that required "talking," we would do all of those while out hiking on area trails and parks. For example, pretty much the only time we have spent learning the Scout Oath and Law is while we are out hiking in the woods. It's been fun, and I think it is working.

[Tampa Turtle]

drmbear,

 

Excellent idea! Get them out of the "classroom". I had a college professor who would, during boring bits where he was reading to us, would take us outside to sit on the grass or cook hotdogs or something.

 

I have done Forrester three or four times...gotta do it in the woods so you can point to the parts of the tree, etc.

[Eagledad]

Well done drmbear, that is how it supposed to be done.

 

I spent a lot of time teaching Webelos leaders to use activity pins themes for developing fun program activities and pay less attention to advancement. If they are having fun, advancement will come by itself. Its the same thing with PLCs scheduling MB themes in their meetings; use the themes for program, not advancement and the rest will follow.

 

Our older scouts simulated a car wreck once on a campout with fake blood and wounds on the month first-aid was the theme. The scouts talked about that for months. It was a very fun way to learn and practice first-aid.

 

And sadly, too much is made of Webelos learning the Scout Oath and Law. I let my guys read off a card while they recited the oath and law at each meeting. They pretty much knew them when they crossed over.

 

Barry

[Callooh! Callay!1428010939]

Kudu,

You observe:

"So you prefer a corporate-speak mission statement to the BSA's statute-defined mission of Scoutcraft."

 

Prefer corporate-speak? No. But it's the language they're speaking. It's what we've got. The fed is not going to step in to enforce the statue-defined mission... nor should we wish for federal involvement in such a thing. They say the road to Hades is paved with good intentions - and the fed sees paving it as a "shovel ready" project.

 

"Congratulations. I see Wood Badge Course Director in your future."

 

Now that's a cutting remark - and well played. I hope my future is brighter than your dark prognostication.

 

[qwazse]

Our nation has a vast public lands. Most private property is outdoors - not indoors. Cleaning water for (and waste from) 300 million people is no trivial task. Understanding how one person can manage these limited resources is the first step in good citizenship. Walking the trails that Native Americans once walked was my first history lesson of substance.

 

When we enter a wilderness recreation area for some adventure, I remind my youth about how that designation is no trivial matter. In some cases it involved citizens banding together, looking at a land that was ravaged by logging, fire, overgrazing, and bombing, and in reflection saying "Oh God, What have we done?". The "recreation" is not for us, it is for the land, and the only way the wilderness will truly be re-created is if they take up the mantle as citizens and advocate for its right to be left alone.

 

Personally, I would rather have an electorate who has reckoned with the outdoors. When they turn 18, that's one reason why I give a scout or venturer a voter registration card and say "Ok now, run my country."

 

Citizenship cannot be separated from the outdoors.

[Kudu]

The fed is not going to step in to enforce the statue-defined mission... nor should we wish for federal involvement in such a thing.

 

Maybe we can get the Tea Party to spearhead the repeal of socialized Scouting: The fed's imposition on all Americans of one monopoly Scout corporation in exchange for the statute-defined preservation of Scoutcraft.

 

Let the free market decide if Scoutcraft is defined by the First Class Journey or the EDGE method.

 

Yours at 300 feet,

 

Kudu

http://inquiry.net/advancement/1st_class_requirements.htm

 

 

 

 

 

[Scoutfish]

"Let the free market decide if Scoutcraft is defined by the First Class Journey or the EDGE method. "

 

 

Yeah, but looking at the fact that BSA is still going on, that people are still joinging up from cub scouts to crossing over to Boy Scouts...and the fact that BSA is not a "used to be" organazation....

 

well. it seems the market has decided>

 

If BSA was really that horrible, the membership numbers would be ZERO.

[Kudu]

 

Scoutfish writes:

 

people are still joining up from cub scouts to crossing over to Boy Scouts

 

The fact Boy Scout recruitment is limited to Cub Scout survivors should tell you something about the appeal of our monopoly product, Scoutfish.

 

The numbers could be much higher. 28% of non-Scouting sixth-grade boys will register with the BSA if you describe it like the Scoutcraft Adventure program of 1916.

 

http://inquiry.net/adult/recruiting.htm

 

Scoutfish writes:

 

If BSA was really that horrible, the membership numbers would be ZERO.

 

We need a Free Market Merit Badge

 

In a government imposed monopoly the only choice is between:

 

A) Inferior Product

 

or

 

B) Nothing.

 

When the BSA declared war on Scoutcraft in 1972, two million Boy Scouts left the BSA.

 

In a free market two of their choices would have been:

 

A) BSA Program: (Schoolwork + Office Success Formulas + Non-required "The Fun Stuff" Scoutcraft).

 

or

 

B) Baden-Powell Program: (100% "The Fun Stuff" Scoutcraft).

 

Yours in the 300 foot Tea Party

 

Kudu

 

"Free Markets, Free Minds"

 

 

[JMHawkins]

The fact Boy Scout recruitment is limited to Cub Scout survivors should tell you something about the appeal of our monopoly product, Scoutfish.

 

The numbers could be much higher...

 

I believe this is true. We started a new Troop and promised outdoor adventures and that the Scouts would be in charge of deciding what their adventures would be. In less than a year, we've recruited nearly 20 boys into the Troop who were not in cub scouts, in addition to all the Webelos who crossed over (we're about 60-40 non-cubs to former-cubs). This is in a small town of about 5k population with established Troops in neighboring communities.

 

 

 

[Gunny2862]

I take issue that Calvin doesn't like Camping, he doesn't like Family Camping see the link - no problem with Scouting...Hey, I think I know that kid... http://dlazechk.dl.funpic.org/weekdayboyscout.html