The Bloggers
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How Vilhelm Hans Bjerregaard Jensen and a crate of WWI surplus semaphore flag poles changed the course of the Scouting movement. 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 null REI OUTLET 20% Off Coupon!
When a Scout arrives at summer camp with our troop he deposits all of his money in the troop bank. He's been told to bring his money in one dollar bills to keep things simple. The troop scribe collects all the money and records deposits in a small notebook.
This post is a bit of a bait and switch. You think this is about term limits for Scout leaders and it is – kind of. Thing is I don't have a strong opinion one way or the other. I can see good arguments for and against the idea of a limited term of service for…
This post is a bit of a bait and switch. You think this is about term limits for Scouters and it is – kind of. Thing is I don’t have a strong opinion one way or the other. I can see good arguments for and against the idea of a limited term of service for a…
Should Scout troops use standard two burner propane stoves for camping? Half of the world's households and 80 percent of rural households in developing countries cook with solid fuels like wood, coal, crop residues and dung. Many of these households use traditional open fires or simple stoves that release smoke into the dwelling and do…
PROGRAM OVERVIEW Tahosa Alpine Adventure is true back country mountaineering. Backpack thirty to fifty miles in the Indian Peaks Wilderness with a trained guide while learning all about mountaineering skills and practices. Rock climb in a true back country environment, glissade down snow fields in July, learn about weather patterns, summit peaks of over 13,000…
Interview with Mark Ray; author of the Scoutmaster's Other Handbook and The Eagle Court of Honor Book. The Scoutmaster's Other Handbook on Amazon The Eagle Court of Honor Book on Amazon Mark Ray's Website Eagle Court of Honor Backdater Mark's Parenting and Scouting in free PDF format Subscribe to the Scoutmaster Newsletter Call and leave…
What the heck is going on here? What's this Scout thinking? Share your best caption idea below (one entry per person please!) and most importantly: VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE CAPTION! Can you vote for yourself? Sure, but one vote per person please.
SKIING: So easy, even a Scoutmaster can do it! Winner Joe Pelletier is a Webelos Den Leader for Pack 48 and an ASM for Troop 48 in Moreland, GA, Flint River Council. Joe has earned the coveted Kyber Pass granting him the privilege of moving to the front of any line at any camp trading…
Our Troop Committee Chairman has stepped down and another parent has volunteered. This is fine and I look forward to working with her. The problem is with her husband is a military man used to having people answer to him.
The Paper Chase" started as a novel, was made into a movie and, finally, a TV series in the 1970′s. The story follows a law student in his first year at Harvard. Professor Kingsfield, the student's nemesis, has a reputation for a brilliant, dispassionate relentlessness.
My hiking stick evolution goes something like this: - A number of ones found in the wild; some with natural twists, ones I carved, sanded and varnished. - A number of bamboo sticks like my backpacking hero Colin Fletcher. - A few I machined from hardwood (oak, mahogany, etc.)
Adult Leader Summer Camp Equipment List Stuff Personal Gear Tools/etc. First Aid Kit Pillow Hammer Paper Towels Hanging Kit(4) Pliers TP Shower Sandals Nails Hanging Light(1) Hangers(5) Tarp D Batteries Coffee Cup/Mug Rope AA Batteries Water Bottle String Liquid Hand Soap Notepad Duct Tape Hose Pencil/Pen Shovel Broom Knife Saw Clothespins(2) Snacks Tacks Clorox Wipes…
Reader Mike Duff, Scoutmaster of Troop 381 in Prairie Village Kansas, sent this picture that needs a good caption: post your best idea in the comments and don't forget to vote! VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE CAPTION! Read the captions in the comments listed below.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW Philmont style High Adventure Treks and Stake Encampment features. Slot canyoneering and Bicycling the top trails of Brian Head are two of the most requested side trips that can be built into the program for the units. Areas such as Mountain Men, Rappelling, Aquatics, Mountain Biking and Canyoneering areas all have a different…
Dan Marner's caption drew the most votes for caption contest number one: Bad news, guys, the SPL says that each night will NOT count twice towards our Camping merit badge. Dan wins the coveted Khyber Pass . Send in your humorous or curious Scout picture for the next caption contest and get a your own Khyber…
From the archives this week. Volunteering with some limits, a story from summer camp. 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 null
I turned 18 in 1943. The draft board was very prompt in calling people during the war and I got my draft notice right away. I was going to graduate from Milford High School in mid June so I wrote the draft board and requested I be allowed to stay and graduate with my class.
Phil Peck Scoutmaster of Troop 141 in Cocolalla, ID is the randomly selected winner of the giveaway for the May Scoutmastercg Newsletter! Phil won a Rite in the Rain Outdoor Journal . Watch for the June Newsletter on the 15th – It's all about Summer Camp!
A reader (who wishes to remain anonymous) asks; My son recently joined a Scout troop who, to my horror, burns almost all their trash in the campfire. Most leaders that do this either don't think it's a problem, or have just learned to be indifferent.
In August fifteen of our Scouts and leaders are off to visit Kandersteg International Scout Center in Switzerland. We started planning and raising money last spring. Lots of research has gone into constructing a budget, planning the trip and making reservations.
One of my Scouts was out last fall for a while playing football and was thinking about not coming back. His dad encouraged him, he came back, and in February he was elected Patrol Leader. This led to him participating in our Troop Leader Training Conference (TLT).
Here's an illustration that shows the phases of the moon and explains how to roughly determine direction. If the moon is the quarter, crescent or gibbous phases it's easy to note the position of the shadowed part of the moon and know where east or west is.
When we're in the back country on backpacking and canoeing trips we have to purify our water. I see providing safe drinking water as a group rather than an individual responsibility. It is also something that needs to be simple, as foolproof as possible and reasonably affordable.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW Backpacking, Climbing, Kayaking, Cycling Crews backpack from outpost to outpost on mountain trails on a schedule they choose. Program outposts include forge, caving, rock climbing, mountain biking, mountain man, civil war, and lumber jack. Crews arrive on Sunday and leave on Saturday.
Reader Bill Macfarlane spotted this curious sight that needs a good caption. Send your caption here or post it in the comments. The contest ends a week from today. The winner gets the coveted Kyber Pass granting you the privilege of moving to the front of any line at any camp trading post.
The podcast experiment thus far and managing our roles as parent and Scout leader: how do we do both without driving our sons crazy? 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 null
Here's a game to help Scouts with requirements that have a number of things to remember or identify For example First Class rank requirement 6: Identify or show evidence of at least ten kinds of native plants found in your community.
You don't lack intelligence, fortitude, motivation or common sense; you lack experience. You get experience from trying things out, from EXPER-imenting , from experiencing the results of your actions. How do you think the wild mushroom called the Death's Cap got it's name?
Leadership is not all about ticking things off the ‘to do' list – or even having the list in the first place. Leaders possess the initiative, sense of purpose and skill that motivates others. They are able to look beyond the task into the motivation behind it, they are able to see what needs to happen…
Here’s a Scoutmaster’s Minute on the subject of experience: You don’t lack intelligence, fortitude, motivation or common sense; you lack experience. You get experience from trying things out, from EXPER-imenting , from experiencing the results of your actions. How do you think the wild mushroom called the Death’s Cap got it’s name?
Scout leadership is not all about ticking things off the to do list – or even having the list in the first place. Leaders possess the initiative, sense of purpose and skill that motivates others. They are able to look beyond the task into the motivation behind it, they are able to see what needs to…
Click on the images to enlarge in a pop up window Our old Eureka Timberline tents were starting to show their age. Many of them have been in use for 15 years, some more, some less. I was just about ready to tell our committee it was time to order some new tents when it…
Let's Get Cooking! Building a campfire and cooking a meal – what could be better? I know it's my favorite part of camping; haul out the dutch ovens, the fire grates, the pots and pans and let me at it. With all the modesty I can muster I'll tell you that I am one heck of…
PROGRAM OVERVIEW Some people have called our High Adventure Program at SPSR a "Little Philmont". We think our program has as much to offer in a smaller, more secluded setting. One of the big differences is that you won't be hiking on trails that are more than knee-deep or running into many crowds in the…
Advice about being a District Commissioner. The Story of a Scouting dad. 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 null
Our perception of learning shapes the way we instruct and lead. Here are four common models of learning and the corresponding methods applied: Learning Model – EMPTY VESSEL - BLANK STATE Students are empty vessels that are filled by learning new things.
Devin Montgomery has designed a new take on an old wood fueled water boiler generically known as the chimney kettle. The Backcountry Boiler is toted to be just a bit heavier than a standard Nalgene bottle and is approximately the same size.
Jason Pettis is Scoutmaster of Troop 130 in Golden, Colorado. He wrote in to say: I've got a tote I bring with a bunch of extra gear that I loan out to adults (and occasionally scouts) that I call my "Be Prepared" box.
Good administrative skills go just so far when leading a group in an extended outdoor experience. What works at a Troop meeting or in the boardroom does not always translate well on a week-long backpacking or canoeing trip. Scouting offers great administrative training and valuable supplemental training in outdoor skills and safety.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW Climbing and Rappelling from several heights ranging from 50 feet to 110 feet Mountain Biking on a 10.2 mile trail with elevation changes of over 600 feet Shooting Sports with rifle, pistol and shotgun Whitewater Rafting on the Oocee River Sailing and canoeing on our 21 acre lake Backpacking All Treks at Latimer…
An interview with Alex Kosseff author of the AMC Guide to Outdoor Leadership. We discuss leading teens, expedition behavior and risk management for outdoor leaders. AMC Guide to Outdoor Leadership on Amazon Alex Kosseff's Outdoor Safety Institute AMC Leadership School National Outdoor Leadership School Subscribe to the Scoutmaster Newsletter Call and leave a voice mail…
If the Patrol Leader's Council (PLC) is supposed to be responsible for planning meetings and outings for their Troop how does this happen in practice? There is no universal model, agenda or method but there are some broad underlying principles: Give them the tools A little bit of training, a lot of questions and a…
If you've been following the blog for a while you probably already know Larry Geiger . Larry is a Scoutmaster in Veira, Florida who started commenting on the blog frequently some time ago. His well-reasoned and thoughtful comments often sparked a conversation.
AllGearAnnotated CampBoxSmallPacked ChairFoldedUp ChairSetUp02 Cooking02Annotated DuluthTradingRollClosed DuluthTradingRollOpen LightMyFireKitAnnotated Here's two camping boxes that house some essentials I like to have on hand when we are out with the troop. The smaller is a 8 gallon and the larger a 24 gallon Action Packer by Rubbermaid.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW The trek or "quest" is a 5-day and 4-night excursion that will follow the North Country National Scenic Trail with optional rendezvous with the Muskegon, Pere Marquette, Pine, or Manistee Rivers for day or overnight float trips. All treks will be accompanied by a trained Owasippe trail guide.
In this Podcast: Action, Reflection, Discovery – a simple method for training youth leaders. Scout service projects for rank advancement – what counts and what doesn't? Subscribe to the Scoutmaster Newsletter Advancement guide PDF Call and leave a voice mail comment or question at (484) 734-0002 Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes Podcast Music null
New post in the works – no ready for posting yet
PROGRAM OVERVIEW Week-long treks catered to what your group wants to accomplish. From kayaking in the Apostle Islands to backpacking in the Porcupine Mountains, Hanna Venture Base welcomes all that strive for the ultimate challenge of experiencing the outdoors. No trip is impossible if your Scouts have the imagination and courage to attempt it.
In this Podcast: Notes for Eagle Scoutmaster Conferences – preparing the candidate for the his board of review. Listener's answers to questions from podcast 65. Links in this Podcast: Subscribe to the Scoutmaster Newsletter Podcast Music null
