The Bloggers
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I'll be interviewing three members of the National Advancement Committee this week about the Guide to Advancement for Scoutmaster Podcast 97. Now's your chance to send me questions about the guide that you'd like to have answered. There was a flurry of discussion just after the guide was published and I have been compiled this…
Sleeping well can make or break a camping trip. As I get older it becomes even more important, and sometimes more difficult, to sleep comfortably. In 1974 the first Therm-a-Rest self-inflating foam sleeping pad was manufactured by Cascade Designs in Seattle; a company started by laid-off Boeing engineers.
IN THIS PODCAST How do you welcome new Scouts and their families into a Scout Troop 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…
. (Helsinki/SP-FS) – The Rover Scouts from the Vartiovuori Scout Group in Helsinki (Finland) have combined their knowledge of history of art, with computer editing skills and their love of Finnish nature! The result? A spectacular calendar for 2012! You will probably already have come across calendars edited by the local fire brigade, the sons and daughters…
Here's a couple of really good deals I came across doing a little holiday shopping at Campsaver. (Free shipping for orders over $50.00.) Mountainsmith Pinnacle Trekking Poles I love my trekking poles; a must have for hiking! I don't own this particular pair but they look a lot like an inexpensive pair I bought in…
We'll all have one or more of those meetings or outings every once in a while. A small percentage of Scouts show up and it's discouraging. Youth leaders are absent from their duties and it's frustrating. We can chase our tails trying to figure out why this happens and that can make things worse.
Most of us look forward to a cup of coffee in the morning. According to the National Coffee Association: Over 50% of Americans over 18 years of age drink coffee every day (150 million). Among coffee drinkers, the average consumption in the United States is 3.2 cups of coffee per day.
The basic foundation of humanity is compassion and love. This is why, if even a few individuals simply try to create mental peace and happiness within themselves and act responsibly and kind-heartedly towards others, they will have a positive influence in their community. Tenzin Gyatso the 14th Dalai Lama
A question from a Facebook fan: My son just bridged over into Boy Scouts from Webelos. I feel he is losing interest, he keeps saying he doesn't want to go to the meetings or camp. My son and I have been active in cub scouts since he was a tiger.
IN THIS PODCAST Working with the patrol leader's council 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…
If you aren't cooking in a dutch oven you are missing a lot of fun and some great food! Now nobody is going to carry a dutch oven backpacking; this is a ‘car camping' option for sure. Check out my illustrated dutch oven pineapple upside down cake recipe here (here's the cake recipe and some…
Here's what makes an Eagle Scout; A Scout completes the requirements as issued by the B.S.A. and is approved by a duly constituted board of review. That's it. So what about those oft discussed and argued qualities like maturity and leadership ability and active service?
Bruce Tuckman first offered a theory of group development in the mid 1960′s. Tuckman's model has been a part of Woodbadge training for about a dozen years. Here's Tuckman's three stages: Forming Individuals want to be accepted by the others, avoid controversy or conflict.
IN THIS PODCAST Social Media and Scouting, merit badge questions LINKS B.S.A. Social Media Guidelines Articles about social media on Scoutmastercg: Introduction Youth protection issues Appropriate behavior and content What works Mark Pensky's "Digital Natives" article KEEP IN TOUCH Contact Clarke Green Call and leave a voice mail comment or question at (484) 734-0002 Subscribe…
Amazon has a pretty sweet deal on Victorinox Swiss Army knives; buy $50.00 worth of Swiss army knives and get $10.00 off. Amazon's pricing is already about as good as it gets for these knives and since you don't pay shipping for purchases over $25.00 it's an unbeatable deal.
String burn station Swat-em; inter-patrol game Orienteering station Dad patrol "skins the snake" The egg toss is an exhibition, not a competition. (please; no wagering.) Happy Patrol Leaders Flat Hat Cup Trophies a hearty breakfast Luncheon sample ready for judging Blind William Tell, suction darts, one shoots, one aims Some happy patrol members in their…
An early Father & Son weekend (early 1990’s?) 25 years ago our troop held our first annual father and son weekend. We started the weekend as a way to invite dads that were not otherwise involved to join us for a weekend and see what goes on in Scouts.
Webelos transition or bridge crossing into a Scout troop can be a tricky process. We know that we loose or gain many potential Scouts depending on how well this process is administered. Take a moment to complete the survey and let me know your ideas and experiences: Webelos Transition Survey What is your role in…
‘It Happened to Jane' (1959) starred Jack Lemmon and Doris Day. It's an O.K. movie (Ernie Kovaks is the villain). This clip is a little long , but watch the first part. Note the reasonably realistic, chaotic group of Cub Scouts.
This is the fourth in a series of articles about social media and Scouting; here's the introduction , a post about youth protection issues , my guidelines for appropriate behavior and content . Also be sure to read the B.S.A. Social Media Guidelines .
A personal profile on a social media tool that identifies us a Scout Leader makes us de-facto representatives of Scouting in general and the B.S.A. in particular. I discussed youth protection issues in a previous post in this series but the responsible use of social media as a representative of Scouting also requires us to…
IN THIS PODCAST Focus on the Individual Scout LINKS Ask Andy SMM Podcast 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…
Social media tools have powerful potential for communicating with Scouts and their families to share information, supplement training and educate Scouts and adult volunteers alike. As I mentioned in the last post the Boy Scouts of America has published social media guidelines that address youth protection, privacy, appropriate content and behavior.
Our Scouts are digital natives ; they don' t know a world without computers and the internet. You and I are likely to be digital immigrants; we were raised and educated in the era before digital technology or during it's emergence .
… Our charge as volunteers in the movement is help to create tomorrow's productive, responsible, happy citizens. We can't do that if we don't keep our doors and arms open to these young men, understanding that the "ultimate volunteer" isn't us: It's the Scout himself .
The popular and incredibly useful advice written by Andy is now on a new WordPress based website featuring vastly upgraded features to access and past columns. If you haven't found Andy yet get on over there and check it out.
There's nothing wrong with having a plan Plans are great. But missions are better. Missions survive when plans fail, and plans almost always fail. Seth Godin When first discussing plans with youth leaders they usually tell me the mission or goal they have in mind: "What do you have planned for the next Troop meeting?"
IN THIS PODCAST Scoutmaster panel discussion; three new documents from the B.S.A. Phone-in question: "Where does the Scoutmaster's responsibilities end and the Committee's responsibilities begin? LINKS Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops Guide to Advancement 2011 Evaluating Positions of Responsibility New Eagle Project Workbook Walter's post ‘Changes to the Eagle Process' Troop Committee Challenge online…
I've seen lot's of promotional videos – this one is the best by a mile.
Do your Scouts share your ambitions? You may be pulling in different directions if they don't. How can we align the ambitions of our Scouts, our adult leadership and those of the Scouting program? One way to find out is to make three lists: List number one; adult leader ambitions Sit down and make a…
Do your Scouts like Camporees? We attend a District or Council Camporee every three or four years because it takes that long for our Scouts to forget what the last Camporee was like. At every annual planning conference I suggest to my patrol leader's council that we include whatever Camporee or district event is planned…
Three tests for "active", signing rank requirements, Brick Mason's fire building demonstration. Guide to Advancement 2011 Subscribe to the Scoutmaster Newsletter Call and leave a voice mail comment or question at (484) 734-0002 Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes Podcast Music
My son passed his Eagle board of review in late September and I was invited to join the district advancement committee to review Eagle projects in mid-October. A few days later, the new advancement book was released, so I've been reviewing it in detail.
Do I deserve a box full of beef jerky? I've made mistakes, I sometimes wish I was a better person but am I an prize winner? It's really up to you. I entered a story in Tom Managan's Most Extreme Hiking Tale contest at the Two Heel Drive blog and I am a finalist.
Reader Bill Macfarlane is Scoutmaster of Troop 8 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts writes: I was at Round Table the other day and overheard a rather heated discussion about "boy-lead" troops. I heard one of the participants ask; "Where is it written that troops are boy-lead?".
Trail cooking and the Outdoors blog offers these Recipes For Chilly Weather . Hearty beverages, dinners, snacks and other great recipes from Sarah Kirkconnell. We're off backpacking soon and these recipes look great! Sarah and is also the author of Freezer Bag Cooking: Trail Food Made Simple – a fantastic book for Scouts about trail food.
Can you identify the major species of trees in your area? What's the difference between a tree and a shrub? How do we use the lumber or fruits of from a specific tree? How did Native Americans and our ancestors use them?
In my work with our local planning commission we are charged with interpreting and applying standards in the Zoning code. These interpretations often turn on little words; in fact one becomes adept at finding the little words because they usually clarify the situation quickly.
The new Guide to Advancement repeatedly emphasizes that we are charged with helping individual Scouts succeed. Mentoring, coaching, advocating for the Scout, establishing and defining reasonable expectations are all aspects of Scoutmastership the guide mentions again and again. I am convinced that anyone who follows the polices and procedures in the guide carefully will strengthen…
Safety on a Scout led camping trip. Sweet Sixteen of BSA Safety Safe Scouting at Scouting.org Risk management at Scoutmastercg.com Subscribe to the Scoutmaster Newsletter Call and leave a voice mail comment or question at (484) 734-0002 Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes Podcast Music
MyRoadToEagle.com is a free internet advancement tracking website designed by a current Scoutmaster. There are a lot of ways to track advancement online and with smartphone apps but MyRoadToEagle.com has the best graphic interface I have seen thus far. Here's the individual Scout page: I like the bars that show progress in different areas.
A significant addition the new Guide to Advancement walks us through the sometimes thorny issue of evaluating active participation. I have struggled at times, as have many of us, with judging how to interpret this requirement. The team that assembled the new guide has made this process simple and clear.
Years ago there was some question as to whether one of my Scouts who was a candidate for Eagle had satisfied the ‘active' requirement. He had not attended many meetings or outings in the last six months. He was a high school senior and a wrestler.
Can you locate the north star? What three stars make up the summer triangle? Have you ever seen a meteor shower? Any active Scout Troop will spend many nights under clear skies away from city lights – ideal conditions for observing the stars.
I'm a preacher's kid, so I've sat through a lot of sermons, pretty much all of them longer than a minute. When it became my turn to talk at the close of the troop meeting, I tried to use some of what I'd learned in all that time.
First thoughts on the new Guide to Advancement and Eagle Project Workbook, answers to three email questions. 2011 Guide to Advancement PDF Eagle project Workbook PDF Instructional Methods PDF Subscribe to the Scoutmaster Newsletter Call and leave a voice mail comment or question at (484) 734-0002 Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes Podcast Music
The 2011 Guide to Advancement has been released: The Guide to Advancement is the official source for administering advancement in all Boy Scouts of America programs: Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Varsity Scouting, Venturing, and Sea Scouts. It replaces the Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures and Advancement and Recognition Policies and Procedures, which are no longer…
The outdoors is par excellence the school for observation and for realizing the wonders of a wondrous universe. It opens to the mind appreciation of the beautiful that lies before it day by day… The study of nature brings into a harmonious whole the question of the infinite, the historic, and the microscopic as part…
EDITORS NOTE – Here's a something that should be in our minds every time we interact with our Scouts. I am often focused on problems and missing opportunities to support them positively. We all have a memory of a time when we were criticized.
What new Scoutmasters need to know; a panel discussion with Larry Gieger, Tom Gillard and Walter Underwood. Subscribe to the Scoutmaster Newsletter Call and leave a voice mail comment or question at (484) 734-0002 Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes Podcast Music
