Handbook for Outdoor Skills

[shortridge]

[A copyright post again. Skip if you're looking for Scoutcraft. Sorry.]

 

As a writer and journalist, my livelihood largely depends on the interpretation of fair use. If I'm not allowed to quote short sections of reports, books or publications, that really restricts my ability to do my job. At the same time, I see daily how blogs, websites and other media outlets steal my and my colleagues' work without any regard for copyright or fair use.

 

Books pose a different situation. Just because something's out of print doesn't mean it's fair game for anyone. I were the author of a book, I would definitely want to control my copyright even after its first printing, and there are a lot of reasons why. I could find a new publisher for a second printing; I might want to update it into a new edition; I could repackage the material into an online venture; etc. The author of that book worked hard to create that content, and just because not many people bought it and it went out of print doesn't mean they should lose control of it.

 

Are *we* the BSA? Sure, we're all members. But we can't claim we're the corporation and thus have a legal right to the copyright. That's absurd.

 

Could copyright terms stand to be shortened? Absolutely, I believe. The current length is rather long; there are a very small number of books out there from 100 or 90 or 80 years ago that are still in print and still selling. But the law at its core is exactly what's needed to protect creative workers.

[desertrat77]

One of the best birthday presents I ever received was the second edition of the Fieldbook...I was a Webelo, and could not wait to join scouts as I read those pages over and over again. So much scoutcraft and adventure.

 

Less than impressed with subsequent editions, for the same reasons others have stated, plus the emphasis on high-priced Gucci gear. I'll pick up the last edition if I see one at a yard sale.

[Jeffrey H]

I bought the Fieldbook and have enjoyed going through it. It's not meant to be read front-to-back; it's a resource book. I love the outdoors and possess some good outdoor skills but I'm not that good. The Fieldbook has been a good resource for "city boys" like me.

 

I bought the last edition of the Fieldbook on ScoutStuff.org for $4.88. Go to the "closeout" section of the website.

[TAHAWK]

The older Fieldbooks had much more Scoutcraft in them, as has been noted. It is hard to think of a book as a "Fieldwork" when it does not mention fires, rope work, pioneering, axes, knives, or cooking.

 

Over the years, much Scoutcraft has also disappeared from the Handbook.

 

So we know have a situation where all information on use of the axe, which BSA continues to sponsor, is confined, I think, to a single page of the Handbook. The information there presented does not tell a Scout what he needs to know to earn the Tot'n Chip -- required before he is supposed to use an axe.

 

 

[Tampa Turtle]

It is a shame that the Scoutcraft is less and less in the recent publications. The boys and parents will seek out the latest editions and not realize what they are missing. In addition, ignoring the subject means relying on older info that in some cases is out of date or practices we would no longer recommend.

 

I love the old stuff. One of my treasures is my Dad's 1940 "Popular Mechanics for Boys" book with stuff culled from the magazine. Had Sea Scout boat plans, DIY dynamos, and making your chemistry lab. Of course it also showed how to make a camp stove out of a tin can and gasoline.

[skeptic]

Another valuable resource are the old Boy's Life Reprints that began in the late 40's and continued until the late 60's in various printings. Also, just the old Boy's Life Magazines themselves.

 

A lot of material that covers details of various skills is now easily available on line and can be copied and printed selectively. And there are now more and more dvd's being made that cover much of the material. There is NO reason that leaders need to ONLY use BSA materials for their teaching. We are blessed with an abundance of older materials, including books and so on; but I am continually impressed by the NON BSA material that I find in the old files.

 

Instead of moaning about this, just go out and get what you need, then put it in their hands and have them do it. Reality is that no matter how well a manual is written, or how deep the material may be, it still must be LEARNED BY DOING. Meanwhile, share stuff as you can, and develop your own ways to pass the skills along, ways that work for you.

 

Ultimately, if you are the adult leader, then you need to take the reins of training and pass the info on. EDGE, as noted, is basically doing just that. You can beat this all to death, but the material is there for the taking. Just use the resources you have, and dig for more if you feel it is needed.

[TAHAWK]

"Instead of moaning about this, just go out and get what you need, then put it in their hands and have them do it."

 

The choice is not one or the other. Proper BSA literature would ease the task.

 

"Reality is that no matter how well a manual is written, or how deep the material may be, it still must be LEARNED BY DOING. Meanwhile, share stuff as you can, and develop your own ways to pass the skills along, ways that work for you."

 

Absolutely.

 

[desertrat77]

Skeptic, I understand your point. Lots of good info that is non-BSA.

 

But in an organization that espouses "outing" as its primary selling point, you'd think National would put more adventure and campfire smoke into its literature.

[Kudu]

 

To be fair, "Prepared. For Life." has filled the Scoutcraft vacuum in the Handbook with 22 pages of leadership theory: The first chapter in the "Scoutcraft Section," of all places.

 

Back when Scouting was popular, the index had only one reference to leadership: A page about taking initiative.

 

It's a wonder that any of us survived

 

Yours at 300 feet,

 

Kudu