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Now the new year has come Scouts registered after January 1, 2016 must use the new rank requirements. What about Scouts registered before December 31, 2015? The answer is a little complicated, but not too hard to understand; Here's the logic chart as a PDF file , and the BSA document I used to make it.
Brick Mason, Scoutmaster, Superhero Please enjoy this encore edition while the podcast is on vacation right along with you as you enjoy the holidays with your friends and family. I'll be back on January 11th with podcast 298. You can listen to our archived podcasts here Sponsored By ScoutmasterCG.com Backers Listen to this episode (00:15:09)…
Brick Mason, Scoutmaster, Superhero Please enjoy this encore edition while the podcast is on vacation right along with you as you enjoy the holidays with your friends and family. I'll be back on January 11th with podcast 298. You can listen to our archived podcasts here Sponsored By ScoutmasterCG.com Backers Listen to this episode (00:10:18)…
Please enjoy this encore edition while the podcast is on vacation right along with you as you enjoy the holidays with your friends and family. I'll be back on January 11th with podcast 298. You can listen to our archived podcasts here Get a copy of "twas our first night out camping" here Music on…
Wait just a darn minute, one aim one method, I thought there were more? Well, yes, we commonly hear about multiple aims and methods employed in Scouting, but I think you can reduce them to one each. Understand I am not suggesting we change things, but just presenting a (hopefully) better way of understanding our…
One last reminder – be sure not to miss my holiday wishlists!
How do you decide who is right for the job? I think it's a mistake to select a new Scoutmaster as you would hire an employee with interviews, applications, etc. This is something very, very different. I wouldn't choose a new Scoutmaster based on knowledge of the outdoors, training, or experience because those are very…
During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters. Each Sunday I'll publish a selection from his writings in the hope that you'll draw inspiration and understanding from his timeless ideas.
As a holiday thank you to readers and listeners… I've created a special holiday package of e-books and my PDF package. at 40% off the regular price of $25.00 The package includes: Ebook Edition Learn more about the book Ebook Edition (two Books in one!)
Tents, tarps and sleeping gear form the foundation of your camping kit, here are my choices for adequate shelter and a good night's sleep. Kelty Noah Tarp In most camping situations I prefer a tarp to a tent. The tarp can be pitched in more places, configured in different ways, and provides plenty of space.
You can spend as little or as much as you like on camping gear and accumulate lots of things you may use once or twice and lay aside. My choices here are all personally tested and proven, with a good balance of cost for value and durability.
A modest investment in well-made outdoor clothing will assure that you are comfortable in all weathers and better able to enjoy your experiences in the out of doors. I have never regretted spending a little more for clothing that is as durable as it is functional.
Apples and oranges – I love a good idiom! A lot of us get caught making "apples and oranges" comparisons between our Scouts. It may be useful to remember t here are no comparisons in the Scout oath – only personal pronouns; on my honor I will do my best.
During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters. Each Sunday I'll publish a selection from his writings in the hope that you'll draw inspiration and understanding from his timeless ideas.
Cooking over an fire is probably the thing I like most about camping. Over the years I've tried a number of tools and techniques – here's some of my current favorites – You can send a wishlist from this post too! You'll find it after the descriptions below.
When we found the spear point and the potsherd under a sheltering wall of rock the dig began. An archaeologist's expert hand uncovered the story. A fire-blackened circle of stones, charcoal, fragments of bones. A dozen centuries ago our unmet friends sat around these stones sharing food, warming themselves against the cold.
Create a wishlist of books you can send to yourself and others at the bottom of this page! Here's a big selection of Scouting and outdoors books have helped me as a Scouter and outdoorsman, they have been a source of inspiration and learning practical skills, Scouting history, outdoor lore, and the Scouting program for…
What if you aren't running the show? Not every Scouter is in a key position to effect change, not every scouter shares your exact understanding of the ‘right' way to do things, so how do you volunteer cooperatively? The answer isn't all that complicated, it's one you likely remind your Scouts of all the time.
During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters. Each Sunday I'll publish a selection from his writings in the hope that you'll draw inspiration and understanding from his timeless ideas.
Here are time-tested and reliable choices that make great gifts for Scouts and Scouters! You can send a wishlist from this post too! You'll find it after the descriptions below. Pocket Knives High quality Victorinox Swiss Army Knives will last a lifetime.
I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think" ? Socrates On a long November night our group of eight was crossing Indian Pass in the Adirondacks when all but one of our flashlights quit in the cold and rain.
Peace Scouting is nothing new, and it's very simple… In this podcast I'll share some thoughts about peace Scouting as described in an address Baden-Powell made to what would later become the World Organization of the Scouting movement in Paris in 1922.
During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters. Each Sunday I'll publish a selection from his writings in the hope that you'll draw inspiration and understanding from his timeless ideas.
The eight knot contest can be an individual or patrol contest, it's one of my favorite inter-patrol competitions. To hold the eight knot contest you'll need four ropes of equal diameter, three six foot long, one twelve feet long. A two foot long log about six inches in diameter, and two trees 12-16 feet apart.
If you are wondering what to do next, the answer is always "do what Scouts do". Can it be that simple? Actually, yes! It's just that simple! When Scouts do things Scouts do they develop character as an after-effect. Don't get sidetracked by anything else or you may miss powerful experiential opportunities.
During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters. Each Sunday I'll publish a selection from his writings in the hope that you'll draw inspiration and understanding from his timeless ideas.
Imagine, for a moment, there is nothing called "Scouting", no program, no troops, no councils, no districts, no uniforms, no badges. Someone comes up with an idea for helping young people develop character by getting outdoors and going camping. They share this idea with young people who get pretty excited about it.
A lot of our Scouts are subject to many demands on their time… .. and some are under extreme pressure from their parents. What if one of our Scouts wants to quit because they say they have no time for Scouts?
During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters. Each Sunday I'll publish a selection from his writings in the hope that you'll draw inspiration and understanding from his timeless ideas.
Although the founder of Scouting Baden-Powell and the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu lived centuries apart on opposite sides of the world, each describe the same three distinct leadership styles. More often than not we'll find some aspects all three styles in the same person.
Be a champion of goodwill and cooperation! We could solve most of our problems, not only as Scouters but as human beings, if we simply choose goodwill and cooperation. In this podcast I'll also share how I would resolve a scary, scary, (okay not too scary) dilemma.
During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters. Each Sunday I'll publish a selection from his writings in the hope that you'll draw inspiration and understanding from his timeless ideas.
Can a Scout fulfill more than one requirement with a single activity? The answer is always clear after a careful reading of the Scout requirements and the directions in the Guide to Advancement 2015 – 4.2.3.6 Fulfilling More Than One Requirement With a Single Activity From time to time it may be appropriate for a Scout…
How do we decide if a Scout is an active Scout? There are very clear directions about how to determine if a Scout is an active Scout in the Guide to Advancement. Why, then, does this cause so many problems?
During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters. Each Sunday I'll publish a selection from his writings in the hope that you'll draw inspiration and understanding from his timeless ideas.
I have seen elaborate gateways, bridges and towers lashed together at Scout events but have yet to see anything remotely like the giant pioneering projects lashed together by these Israeli Scouts. (see more in my post Pioneering Unleashed ) Characters from video games, movies, cartoons, and folklore are all featured.
Jonathan Fillmore, of North Providence, and his son Jonathan Jr., who just signed up last week with the Scouts, take advantage of a special trail built by the Scouts and the Appalachian Mountain Club that is designed to be handicapped-accessible.
Is Scouting a system of measurement? Scouting is more, much, much, more, than a system of measurement, yet it has lots of "yardsticks". Baden-Powell wrote " Scouting is a game. But sometimes I wonder whether, with all our pamphlets, rules, conferences, and training classes we may not appear to be making of it too serious a…
During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters. Each Sunday I'll publish a selection from his writings in the hope that you'll draw inspiration and understanding from his timeless ideas.
When's the last time you went on a night hike? Nighttime is a great opportunity to learn about wildlife, to conquer fear of the dark, and to understand how our eyes work. Night hikes build important outdoor skills and hone your powers of observation.
Like most three-year-olds my granddaughter is a expert learner – she soaks up everything around her like a sponge. There's a new discovery every hour of the day, it's a challenge keeping up. How do three-year-olds learn? Through a process of discovery.
When is a group of Scouts a Troop, and when are they a patrol? We begin answering that question by forgetting everything we think we know and building a logical approach, by serving the interests of the individual Scout rather than the interest of an organizational chart.
During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters. Each Sunday I'll publish a selection from his writings in the hope that you'll draw inspiration and understanding from his timeless ideas.
What are the basic principles behind Scouts taking on positions of responsibility in Scouting? Our procedures are based on something more than policy or practice they have to have a basis in principles, in what makes Scouting what it is.
During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters. Each Sunday I'll publish a selection from his writings in the hope that you'll draw inspiration and understanding from his timeless ideas.
Are you motivated and inspired by the Scout requirements? What about your Scouts? Are your fellow Scouters inspired to administer them by adopting an encouraging, inspiring tone themselves? Can you smell the wood smoke and feel the warming glow of a campfire against the cold sting of a winter campout when you read them?
What do we do about outside influences in the lives of our Scouts? To begin with let's figure out what's "outside" and what is "inside"? Let's interpret outside influences on our Scouts as something that is beyond our scope of control and inside influences as something within the scope of our control as Scouters.
During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters. Each Sunday I'll publish a selection from his writings in the hope that you'll draw inspiration and understanding from his timeless ideas.
Emma Gatewood read about the Appalachian Trail in National Geographic Magazine"I thought it would be a nice lark," she said. In 1955 at the age of 67, she put on her Keds sneakers, put an army blanket, a raincoat, and a plastic shower curtain in a homemade bag slung it over her shoulder, and headed…
What do Assistant Scoutmasters do? In this week's podcast I'll opine on the reaction to a recent post on a Scouts Duty to God . I'll also answer email questions on what assistant Scoutmasters do and Webelos dens as Scout patrols.
