The Bloggers
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Anyone venturing into the wilderness should leave a detailed tour plan with a reliable contact who will contact emergency services if they have not returned on schedule. Here's a great idea – a free service called ‘ShouldBeBack.com'. Here's how it works: Create a trip with an interactive map and provide information for your emergency contacts.
Tradition is a form of complacency and innovation is a form of restlessness. Complacency resists change: "We've always done it that way" "Nobody would like that change" "We don't get any complaints (well, one or two from people with sour grapes.)" "People will get confused if we change that."
Splitting wood with a retaining chain and bungee cord: This video features a wicked-good looking splitting axe by Fiskars. It looks to me like their X series splitting axes that come in 17″, 23 1/2″, 28″ and 36″ lengths. The geometry of the axe head creates a wedge whose top curves outward sharply – looks very…
Experience, maturity and skill are not prerequisites to leadership; they are the traits produced as we practice leadership. We often get email or comments from Scoutmasters with a troop of young Scouts wondering how they can be anything like boy led.
IN THIS PODCAST Merit Badges, Qualifications for Youth Leaders KEEP IN TOUCH Contact Clarke Green Call and leave a voice mail comment or question at (484) 734-0002 Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes Listen on your mobile device with Stitcher Smart Radio Follow us on FACEBOOK – TWITTER Subscribe to blog posts & the Scoutmaster Newsletter Join…
EveryTrail.com is a great resource for researching and sharing outing information. EveryTrail is free and useful for a variety of trips – including road trips, sight-seeing tours, sailing trips, hiking, cycling, flying, hang gliding, geocaching, skiing, kayaking trips and more. EveryTrail has trips from over 80 countries in all corners of the world.
Hiking Jim is obsessed (in the best possible meaning of the term) with backpacking stoves. I have never run into anyone more expert on the subject; it really is something! His blog is ‘ Adventures in Stoving'. Now Jim is kind of maybe sure that he has tested the ultimate ultralight stove system.
When I served as a camp director I got some complaints about our dining hall steward's attitude towards Scouts setting or clearing the tables. Scouts rotate the responsibility of serving as a waiter at our camp. They go early to set the table, serve the food during the meal and clear up afterwords.
In ornithology ‘fledge' generally means independence of the chick from parents; a young bird whose feathers and wing muscles are sufficiently developed for flight. Fledge is also a term that describes raising a young bird. Ornithologists apply the term differently to individual species because individual species develop differently.
IN THIS PODCAST What's a Clinker? Scout leaders need Vision, Perspective & Determination KEEP IN TOUCH Contact Clarke Green Call and leave a voice mail comment or question at (484) 734-0002 Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes Listen on your mobile device with Stitcher Smart Radio Follow us on FACEBOOK – TWITTER Subscribe to blog posts & the…
Share your challenges, inquires and interests with the listeners to the Scoutmaster podcast. What would you like to hear discussed during this month's Scoutmaster panel? Would you like to be considered for inclusion in the call in session? Contact me here or call (484) 734-0002 and leave a message.
I heard somewhere that a Unit Commissioner read the new Guide to Advancement and said: 'Council and National expect us to set requirements for being active and if they eventually find them too strict OR too lax they will step in and start setting them.'
Scouting is outing but Scouting is not just an outing club or another activity. Scouting is aimed at "preparing young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law".
Scouting is outing but Scouting is not just an outing club or another activity. Scouting is aimed at “preparing young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law”.
Adult leaders often say things like; "I don't override the boys decisions at all. " "I asked them what they wanted to do." "This was their decision." What most of us fail to recognize is that many of these ‘boy led' decisions were probably coerced, at least in part, by the presence of adults when they…
WordPress is a wonderful platform for blogging because it's so flexible. That flexibility sometimes causes trouble and I ran into some yesterday when I went to publish Podcast 102 . Until I got it fixed I could not update the blog properly.
IN THIS PODCAST One Essential Element LINKS IN THIS PODCAST Aids to Scoutmastership KEEP IN TOUCH Contact Clarke Green Call and leave a voice mail comment or question at (484) 734-0002 Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes Listen on your mobile device with Stitcher Smart Radio Follow us on FACEBOOK – TWITTER Subscribe to blog posts…
Rule No. 54 from Andy at Ask Andy : The more logical and simple the Scouting procedure or policy, the more it will be ignored. This isn't simply a curmudgeonly observation – it's true. True things ought to inspire us to think for a minute or two (at least).
The National Outdoor Awards program recognizes Scouts for some above-average participation in challenging outdoor activities. A combination of merit badges, rank, and activities qualify Scouts for hiking, aquatics, camping, adventure and riding awards. Has anyone out there applied for these awards on behalf of their Scouts or otehr wise participated in this relatively new award…
I had a few concerns over 911 calls being made by Scouts. I spoke with Eric Parry, a Emergency Response Specialist with MIsson Critical Partners : We travel and camp in some reasonably remote areas. How can we know if there is 911 coverage?
At our council camporee in December I walked around the entire camp and saw only two troops that had identifiable patrols. Most troops were set up as one unit, with all the tents lined up and no discernible internal division into patrols.
IN THIS PODCAST Scoutmaster Panel Discussion - Scoutmaster Conferences Journey to Excellence Listener Question – Getting things done without overstepping youth Leadership LINKS IN THIS PODCAST Advancement Resources Page KEEP IN TOUCH Contact Clarke Green Call and leave a voice mail comment or question at (484) 734-0002 Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes Listen on your mobile…
It ain't ignorance that causes all the trouble in this world. It's the things people know that ain't so. Edwin Armstrong , electrical engineer and inventor of FM radio. Sometimes in Scouting tradition and long practice usurp the way things ought to be.
Patrol Choice Chart PDF FILE I am often asked about how patrols are formed, who does the choosing and how the choices are made. Scouts do the choosing and one way for them to choose is using the chart above (open the PDF file to see the chart in detail).
Hikin' Jim is "a guy who likes being out in the outdoors who happens to like stoves." That's a bit of an understatement - Jim owns over one hundred backpacking stoves. Over one hundred! Jim maintains the Adventures in Stoving Blog where he shares his expertise on the subject with his fellow outdoors enthusiasts.
IN THIS PODCAST Thanks to all of you listening and participating! Join me in celebrating a milestone. KEEP IN TOUCH Contact Clarke Green Call and leave a voice mail comment or question at (484) 734-0002 Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes Listen on your mobile device with Stitcher Smart Radio Follow us on FACEBOOK – TWITTER…
Thin ice and cold water boating accidents result in cold water immersion – a serious danger of winter in the out doors. Dr Gordon Giesbrecht coined the phrase 1-10-1 to describe the three critical phases of cold water immersion: 1 - Cold Shock An initial deep and sudden Gasp followed by hyperventilation that can be as much…
Thin ice and cold water boating accidents result in cold water immersion – a serious danger of winter in the out doors. Dr Gordon Giesbrecht coined the phrase 1-10-1 to describe the three critical phases of cold water immersion: 1 – Cold Shock An initial deep and sudden Gasp followed by hyperventilation that can be as much…
First published in 1884 Camping and Woodcraft was the first widely read "how-to" book on on the subject . It's author Nessmuk wrote ' ' The temptation is to buy this or that bit of indispensable camp kit has been too strong and we have gone to the blessed woods handicapped with a load fit for a pack…
Winter time is not ‘down time' for nature study – there's plenty happening in the natural world. Here's questions you should be able to answer: Why does winter happen? The Earth's axis is tilted at an angle of 23.5 degrees. The varying amounts of sunlight around the Earth during the year, creates the seasons.
Winter time is not ‘down time’ for nature study – there’s plenty happening in the natural world. Here’s questions you should be able to answer: Why does winter happen? The Earth’s axis is tilted at an angle of 23.5 degrees. The varying amounts of sunlight around the Earth during the year, creates the seasons.
Essayist and Critic William Deresiewicz delivered a lecture to the plebe class at the United States Military Academy at West Point in October 2009 concerning Solitude and Leadership . What follows is my condensed version of his key ideas: … Solitude is one of the most important necessities of true leadership.
IN THIS PODCAST Summer Camp Promotion, Connecting the Dots KEEP IN TOUCH Contact Clarke Green Call and leave a voice mail comment or question at (484) 734-0002 Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes Listen on your mobile device with Stitcher Smart Radio Follow us on FACEBOOK – TWITTER Subscribe to blog posts & the Scoutmaster Newsletter Join…
Earnest Shackleton set out to cross the Antarctic on foot in 1914. When his ship Endurance became trapped and subsequently destroyed Shackleton and his crew spent the next two years rescuing themselves. Shackleton's leadership has been closely studied in recent years as an example of adaptation to tremendously difficult circumstances.
This week the Scoutmaster Podcast takes a holiday but there's a lot of work going on behind the scenes; Next Monday we'll publish podcast number 99 . January 9th the Podcast reaches the century mark with podcast 100! I've been pleased (and surprised!)
Happy holidays to all of you! Thanks for your loyalty and friendship over the past year as we continue in our quest to become better Scout leaders. Enjoy your holiday with the ones you love. I salute you! There is nothing I can give you which you have not; but there is much, that, while…
You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something: your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.
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1. Go to bed Warm Jumping jacks, push ups or something similar – just enough to warm yourself up but before you start sweating. If you getin a sleeping bag when you are cold you'll likely stay cold. 2. Fuel up If it's going to be a very cold night consider a pre-bedtime snack that will…
IN THIS PODCAST Scouts and planning (yet again!) and Arrow of Light requirements applied to the Scout Badge LINKS IN THIS PODCAST Scoutmaster Podcast 40 – Interview with the authors of Working the Patrol Method Buy the book Working the Patrol Method KEEP IN TOUCH Contact Clarke Green Call and leave a voice mail comment or…
If you still have some shopping to here's a rundown of more ideas and great deals on gifts for Scouts and Scout leaders. (I've been doing some shopping for myself at holiday discounts; some of the best pricing all year on camping gear.)
Read about the book Natural Navigation at The Next Challenge blog by Tim Moss. Tim took a course with Tristan Gooley the author of Natural Navigation: On an east-west running path in the northern hemisphere, you'll find more puddles and dips on the southern side as it invariably gets less sunlight.
Selecting a backpack for Scouts can be confusing; here's one that I think fits the bill. Backpacks fall in to two basic types; ones with an external frame to which the pack bag is attached and ones with the frame built into the bag (internal frame).
The Cabbage Palm The fronds at the trunk of the palm Where the monkey fur collects A bunch of monkey fur ready to start a fire I am sitting and watching a circle of Scouts (boys!) around a fire ring.
JERMM's Outside blog has some interesting posts for campers and backpackers. Here's a couple of DIY projects: Soda Bottle Capsules The capsules are water and airtight allowing for several types of usage such as carrying balms and lotions, solo fire kit, maybe salt/pepper or spices.
IN THIS PODCAST Interview with members of the National Advancement Team about the new Guide to Advancement and Eagle Project Workbook LINKS IN THIS PODCAST B.S.A. Advancement Resources Guide to Advancement 2011 (PDF) Eagle Project Workbook Email the National Advancement Team KEEP IN TOUCH Contact Clarke Green Call and leave a voice mail comment or…
Around the holidays I can get great deals on solid, tested gear; here's some Leatherman tools marked down 30-50% : Leatherman New Wave I have had a few different multi tools over the years but none of them compare to the Leatherman Wave.
Hello world! Meet Sawyer: my new granddaughter! Born December 9, 2011 Mom, baby and dad all happy and healthy. Grandmother & grandfather pretty happy too!
What do Scouts really need? To start with he should never go camping without the Ten Essentials (a list of items experts generally agree are essential to enjoying and surviving in the outdoors) to assure his health and safety. There's hundreds of opinions and ideas of the ideal list of gear.
Here's some of the books that have helped me as a Scout leader and outdoorsman. This collection has helped me learn practical skills, history, outdoor lore, the Scouting program and provided inspiration for many years. Wildwoods Wisdom Ellsworth Jaeger was an educator, author and curator.
