The Bloggers
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How does one control a group of Scout-aged boys? Boys are known as experts in mischief, subterfuge and misdirection. Physically they lack the gray matter required to make mature decisions. Rationality often looses out to the influence of hormones. They cannot calculate or analyze risk reliably.
If one reads this story in Britain's Daily Mail they will get the idea that UK Scouts have adopted a hyper-reactive policy to what the Mail calls 'blade culture' that bans pocket knives. The story is followed with outraged comments predicting the end of the world.
The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of…
Here's a great tip from Trail Divas I don't know about you, but I carry a few plastic bottles for things like sunscreen, alcohol (the fuel variety, of course) and various other sundries. I learned the hard way a few years ago that in rare cases if you squeeze the bottle hard enough or somehow…
I picked up a new centennial uniform shirt this summer and have only just now put together all the patches and started sewing them on. The new unit numbers and square knots have a slick plastic backing that looks a lot like it could be ironed on.
Here's a video from Jason Klass at Gear Talk . A really good way to shave several ounces from your pack. I'd add a lid and maybe wrap it in duct tape. Why did I not think of that?
Mark Bauerlein is a professor of English at Emory University. His latest book bears the unfortunate title The Dumbest Generation . I haven't read the book but based on the professor's recent opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal is seems to be equivalent to grave predictions that comic books would foment the collapse of society.
I have been spending some time the past couple of weeks educating myself about social media. Take a look at this video: For the past ten or twelve years during our week at camp a fellow Scoutmaster and I run a fundraiser amongst the other adults in camp for the week to purchase something that…
Continuing an examination of Patrols based on the 1960 Book The Patrol System (opens PDF file). 'Patrol Spirit' as described below is key to fostering strong Patrols- Patrol spirit doesn't spring up like a mushroom overnight. It can't be made to order.
Camping in the rain need not be as bad as it sounds. Here's ten tips on staying comfortable and maintaining morale if and when the rain comes. 1. AVOID IT I am the first to tell you that we have canceled or rescheduled weekend camping trips if lots of rain or horrendously bad weather is…
We spotted this young moose with it's mother in the passage between Big and Little Crow Lakes Well, we're back from our sixth annual canoe trip to Ontario's Algonquin Provincial Park and it was a great success. This year a record 23 people in three crews participated.
Red Pine at Sunrise C.A. Green Friday morning we'll load up our vans and head north for a week of paddling in Ontario's Algonquin Provincial Park. Getting things in line for three crews has been taking most of my free time this week so the blog has been quiet.
The Patrol System was published by the General Council Boy Scouts of Canada in 1960 and is available in PDF format here (do make sure to check out The Dump ). The next several posts will feature most of the text of this book and some of my ideas about implementing the concepts described nearly fifty…
Chances are you have discovered Facebook already. Facebook? Come on are you serious? Yes. If you are in the 40+ crowd you may not 'do' Facebook in the same way that ten or twelve years ago you didn't 'do' email or cell phones.
As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence. The next best, the people honor and praise. The next, the people fear; and the next, the people hate. ...When the best leader's work is done the people say, 'We did it ourselves!'
You do not lead by hitting people over the head - that's assault, not leadership. Dwight Eisenhower
Here's an interesting piece from the Outdoor Ed Community blog; Teaching is listening, learning is talking. This wonderful rule of thumb, from the educator and writer, Deborah Meier , reminds us that real learning comes, in large part, from being actively involved in the educational moment.
My first reaction to this title was "yeah, right". I've been a camper all my life spending a thousand or more nights under canvas or on the trail. My camping education started forty years ago with Colin Fletcher's book 'The Complete Walker' and expanded to the classics written by Horace Kephart, Nessmuk and Bradford Angier.
Maintaining a written log is one of the requirements of the Standard Patrol Award at our summer camp. A few years ago we expanded on the idea and now a Patrol Logbook is kept year-round. Every night at camp ends with the Patrols gathering to record their thoughts in the Patrol Log.
We had a wonderful, if somewhat damp, week at summer camp and our Scouts arrived home happily tired from having a great time. Merit Badge work is a big part of summer camp so there are usually some conversations about the quality of instruction and the effort extended by Scouts in completing requirements.
I'm off to camp this week so the blog will probably be pretty quiet.
Scouting magazine: Front Line Stuff How Would You Manage Rapid Growth in Your Troop? Over the past few years our troop has doubled in size due to good programming and good promotion by our committee chair. Although this is a great problem to have, it's hard to keep youth and adult leaders in step with…
What would your Scout Troop look like without a manual, by-laws or a reasonable facsimile thereof? Would anybody notice? B.S.A. literature, to my knowledge, does not mention such documents so one wonders where they came from? In my case as a young Scoutmaster I encountered the usual litany of problems and disappointments.
Here's the latest from Ask Andy - I think his take on Advancement in Scouting is spot on and important enough to publish here in its entirety: B-P described "advancement" as like a suntan: something you get naturally and effortlessly whilst having fun in the out-of-doors.
The Scoutmaster Blog is nearly four years old. I have published just over eight hundred posts viewed by about 500 readers on an average day. Starting in August I will also be offering a bi-weekly email newsletter that will feature posts from the Scoutmaster Blog, information for Scoutmasters and others involved with Scouting and an…
The Boy Scouts of America has launched a comprehensive licensing program. Any Pack, Troop, Crew or Council must purchase any item bearing a BSA trademark from an officially licensed vendor. From the BSA Licensing Opportunities website: "For some, this will be a significant change in the way products, like T-shirts or patches, are purchased.
This weekend a young man I know is getting married. He's a great guy whom I have known and worked closely with for many years. These days I don't get to see enough of him but we can usually pick up where we left off pretty easily - he's a good friend.
2010 Rank Requirement Changes 2010 Rank Requirement Changes The centennial edition of the Boy Scout Handbook will soon be available, and with the new handbook come several rank requirement changes that will be in effect as of January 1, 2010.
Now that you are an observer rather than a participant, a listener rather than a talker, a coach rather than a player your observations will reveal strengths and weaknesses in the way things are done and those that are doing them.
A healthy Patrol Leader's Council (PLC) is the heart of a youth led Troop. It should gather often to discuss and plan the Troop's program. The Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) chairs the PLC, the Scribe keeps minutes and the meeting is open to Patrol Leaders (PL) and any other youth leaders.
Advancement in Ranks, earning Merit badges, and making Eagle recognize that Scouts have passed through a number of challenges and experiences. As laudable as they are the results are not an end in themselves, Scouting is all about the process that leads to them.
We've understood what a Scout led Troop promises and are ready to get underway - so what next? Start Listening Your role is about to change drastically. From now on you are permitted a minute or two at the close of a Troop meeting to share a story or to say something encouraging.
Placing the leadership of a Scout Troop squarely in the hands of the Scouts themselves and keeping it there is the single greatest service a Scoutmaster can offer his Troop. Before this can happen the adult leadership must understand exactly what they are trying to accomplish, define their relationship to the Scouts and overcome the…
A prime trek in Philmont, the crown jewel of Scout Camps, under crystal blue skies in moderate temperatures with no bugs and five star meals becomes a slow death march with a dysfunctional, poorly prepared, poorly led crew. Likewise a few days hiking in less inspiring environs as it rains day in and day out…
Training and skill development is important to the success of a Troop based high adventure trip. Adult Advisor and Youth Crew Chief Training - All trip leaders should take advantage of online courses offered by the BSA . Youth protection and Weather Hazards is a good idea for any trip as well as activity-specific courses: Trek Safely…
God, as Miles van der Rohe once said, is in details. A trip of some length, far from home, that involves several people requires a dedication to detailed preparation. Place State, provincial or national parks are the most likely destinations.
Enough Lilliputian arrows will eventually fell Gulliver just as a phalanx of tiny details can deflate a vision. It is important to establish and protect the vision, to build anticipation and excitement that will motivate Scouts to work their way through to its realization.
Where to go and what to do? The simple answer is just about anywhere and just about anything. It may be a week of backpacking, canoeing, touring, cycling, boating or the adventure of your choice. Making the trip a reality requires four things: Vision and Leadership Someone has to say "let's go!"
Philmont, Seabase and Northern Tier are the three most familiar national High Adventure Bases, there are dozens of other Council Based Programs. Thousands of Scouts participate in and enjoy the big three high adventure bases each year. I have colleagues in Scouting who recommend them highly.
This weekend I completed my 16 hours of Wilderness First Aid training. Crews bound for Philmont this summer must have "... at a least one person, preferably two, (either an advisor or a youth participant) in each crew be currently certified in American Red Cross Wilderness First Aid or the equivalent and CPR from the American…
I've hung in there long enough to enjoy watching some of my old Scouts grow up and journey far into adulthood. Scouts from my first few years as Scoutmaster are now approaching forty years of age (!) and have families of their own.
Boys are pragmatic vestiges of our hunter-gatherer past who see little reason to linger lovingly over the preparation or consumption of food. Left to themselves I believe they would gravitate towards gobbling down whatever fistful of uncooked food was most convenient.
This is Lightning Safety Week. Dangerous yet fascinating lightning demands respect and inspires reverence. Here are three important lightning safety resources and three interesting lightning phenomena: If you haven't already do complete the Weather Hazards training offered at MyScouting Lightning Safety Week Information from NOAA Summer is the peak season for one of the nation's…
This week at least three Scout Camps report outbreaks of the H1N1 swine flu virus; In Asheville North Carolina Camp Daniel Boone Camp Daniel Boone workers will continue monitoring campers and staff throughout the summer after 47 people came down with symptoms of the H1N1 flu virus, or swine flu.
Our Troop had planned a canoe day trip down a local river last Saturday. Despite a rainy week Saturday looked like a fine one for a paddle. I had checked water levels and the river seemed to be back to normal after having been swollen by the weeks rains.
This article from the New Your Times reports that children with ADHD benefited from short walks in natural settings. I wonder if there are even greater benefits to a weekend in the woods? A small study conducted at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign looked at how the environment influenced a child's concentration skills.
BSA Scout Troops, Packs, Crews and Teams are currently administered by separate committees under a chartering organization. (Chartering Organizations are the entity that 'owns' the unit such as a Church, Civic Organization or similar group). Scout Units, even under the same chartered organization, are required to have separate administrative infrastructure.
A review of the Trangia Stove from Cool Tools : I've used the Trangia 25-7 UL/HA for a year now, and it's as reliable as sin. Since I got it, I no longer use my MSR Whisperlite stove. This model comes with a frying pan lid (which doubles as a pot lid and serves as the…
What follows is my three point plan for reversing the membership decline we have witnessed for the past ten years. This is written with the clear knowledge that it represents one point of view (your plan may differ) and is purely an exercise in seeking resolution to some difficult problems.
This article in the Chicago Tribune reports on the progress of Hispanic recruitment efforts in the Windy City; "You can feel, I would say, awkwardness on both sides," said Roberto Colón, a former Eagle Scout in Puerto Rico who coordinates Latino recruitment in Chicago.
