End of the Iraq Campaign
The other day I shot out a tweet about the end of the Iraq Campaign. I said that I had some thoughts on it. I will share those, but first I thought it was worth mentioning that the war is not over.
The Bloggers
The Scoutmaster Minute
- Active 2008–2017
- Posts 1,066
- Words 522,832
Original site: thescoutmasterminute.net (opens in a new tab) ↗
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The Pulk Project
This year our troop has decided to expand our winter camping skills by making a piece of gear that will assist in a better cold weather camping experience. We are building Pulk Sleds. A Pulk sled is a sled that is used to haul gear, tools, wood, whatever in the snow.
December 7th (opens in a new tab)
December 7th, 1941 is a day much like September 11th, 2001. They are days in our history that live in our hearts and minds. 70 years ago today we were attacked thrusting us into war with Japan. At 12:30 PM on December 8th, 1941 President Franklin D.
The Boy Scout Creed
Within minutes of the last post being published I got an email asking for the contents of the "Boy Scout Creed" pictured in the post. Here is the complete text of the "Boy Scout Creed" by Ludvig S. Dale To be trustworthy in all things.
Inquiring minds want to know…
As always, the conversations that we have with our Scouts are so telling and rekindle hope that these young men are going to bring so much to our future. Last night I told the Troop of our pending move. I did not want to get into the weeds with the boys, but made an open…
Scouts Own
Where two or more are gathered in his name, there am I among them" (Matthew 18:20) This passage has been stuck in my mind and my heart for some time now. You see, Church to me is less in the building as it is in the community and in the heart and mind of the…
Can't or Won't?
It's that time of the year again, when we talk about Troop budgets, recharter, and PLC meetings to execute another great year of Scouting. The other night at our Troop's committee meeting we looked deep into our budget to see where we could save the Scouts some money.
Gear Junky
As you all aware I am a gear junky… It's time to replace my old MSR Whisperlite stove. I have had it since the mid '80′s and it has served me well. But its time for something new and improved.
One Door Closes
It is said that when one door closes.. another door opens. Much as one chapter of a book leads to the next chapter we had a door closed last night opening the door or moving on to the next chapter in the history of our Troop.
Quick romp in the snow for Hot Chocolate
It was a great Thanksgiving weekend.. we took advantage of some great weather and headed to the Mountain for a fun day of snow shoeing. The sun was bright and it the temps were nice. It was a fun time hanging out on Mt. Hood. Enjoy. Have a Great Scouting Day!
Genealogy Merit Badge
As my son's worked to earn their genealogy Merit Badge they learned a lot about our family and as politically incorrect as it sounds, Our People. My dad has become a real student of our family history, he has spent the better part of 2 decades researching, studying, and collecting information on our family and…
Thanksgiving 2011
Today as we gather together with friends and family to celebrate yet another year that we all have been so fortunate and blessed, let us reflect on all that we have to be thankful for. The list is long my friends.
Video: Dead Horse Camp out (opens in a new tab)
Last weekend our Troop went caving up at the Dead Horse Cave. We had a great time. Here is a little video of mostly the adult Scouters of the Troop. Sorry, it was way to dark in the cave to get real good video. Enjoy! Have a Great Scouting Day!
SMMPodcast #98 Gear Q&A
Welcome back, in this show we answer a listeners email on gear. It is a peek into some of the gear I take and why. Hope you enjoy the show. I am looking for help with the 100th Show.. drop a voice mail to the SMMVoicemail Box by calling 503.308.8297 or you can email me…
LNT v. The Outdoor Code
Last night I sat with a couple Scouts, they just crossed over on Friday and were having their Scoutmaster Conference for their Scout Badge. I love this first conference, it is a great way to learn about the new Scout and a little about where he comes from.
Test of Facebook
Sorry if this is post bugs you… but I have to test the settings for Facebook. I have had multiple people ask if we could get this blog feed directly to the Scoutmasterminute Podcast page in facebook.. so I am test it now. Thanks for your patience. Have a Great Scouting Day!
Skill and Gear
This last weekend our Scout Troop headed up to Trout Lake, Washington to venture into the longest Lave Tube cave in North America, called Dead Horse cave. We tried to get up to the cave last year, but with record snow fall we could not get to the entrance.
Knowing who you work with
It is not enough as a Scoutmaster these days to take boys camping, teach them a few skills, and hand out merit badges. Kids today, like kids in the past, and certainly this will apply in the future as society changes, kids grow up differently, and attitudes and norms change, are different.
Make them Normal (opens in a new tab)
I just spent the better part of the morning volunteering in my wifes classroom… well I shouldn't say in the classroom.. in the swimming pool. Each Friday during the fall and winter months the class, along with a number of other classes go swimming at the Middle School's pool.
Blog update
Well, it took a while to figure this computer stuff out… and really don't think I have it down yet, BUT.. I did get an update in on the SMMPodcast tab (page). You can now listen to the last 10 or so show right here on the blog.
SMMPodcast # 97
Shakedowns, Winter eats, and Service Howdy, welcome back. This is show #97 and we are talking about conducting shakedowns for your next adventure, a great reciepe for filling up a cold belly, and providing service opportunities for our Scouts during this season of giving thanks.
The Importance of Service (opens in a new tab)
My twins are 18 and are getting close to graduating from High School. The other night they brought home a form for documenting Community service. In our State there is a requirement to perform 8 hours of community service. I agree with this requirement, I think it, at a minimum forces today's youth to at…
12 steps to Shaving Weight
Backpacker magazine published a good article called "Ultralight Makeover" 12 steps for cutting weight. I found this article interesting and all in all agree with it. Now, I should say that I am not considered a UL guy. I do, as stated ad nauseum, like to keep my pack weight down and take a critical…
HalfEagle Answers (opens in a new tab)
Many of you that hit this blog are aware if not very aware of Gregg Hilferding's HalfEagle.com site. It is a great place to keep up with Scouting web sites and whats going on in the online Scouting community. Gregg wrote me the other day saying; If you've spent much time on some of the…
My Gear and Packing it
Well, as promised, here is a video of my gear. A quick break down and then packing it up. It's in two parts and I hope the quality is ok. I will be posting a gear list in the near future with a link on the blog.
Winter Pack Weight
Managing your pack weight when winter camping is a task that seriously needs consideration, skill, and knowledge. I know that most of us are always looking to shave some weight here and there, lets face it, most of us need to shave the pack weight, and body weight too.
Money for Nothin' (opens in a new tab)
This post is all about curiosity”¦ and I should say right up front that I am calling no one out, nor am I saying this is right or wrong. I have noticed a lot of blogs out there and other web sites, both Scout related and non Scout related that seem to be making an…
Leave No Trace (opens in a new tab)
I am a big advocate of the Leave No Trace program. We spend a great deal of time in our Troop teaching and coaching the Leave No Trace principles and and the Outdoor ethic. I stumbled on this video from our friends at the National Park Service and thought I would share.
This weeks Poll
Winter Camping? Do you? It's a yes or no question.. but what I really want to know is this: If you camp in the winter (with your Troop), what kind of training do you do to prepare? What kind of gear do you have and and/or modify to have great winter camping experiences?
Inspiration
The last couple of days have been days that were inspiring for me. Inspiring in a couple of ways, lets start with Veterans Day. Our High School held its first ever "Living History Day" on Wednesday. This was a day in which the entire school honored Veterans from all era's.
Knowledge
He who knows not and knows not he know not; he is a fool – shun him. He who knows not and knows he knows not; he is simple- teach him. He who knows not and knows no he knows; he is asleep- wake him.
SMMPodcast # 96 The Scoutmaster Conference Live!
Welcome Back! In this show you will listen in on a class I taught at our Councils Program and Training Conference. This class is on the Scoutmaster Conference. I used the National Supplemental training on the subject and if you would like to follow along with the slides from the class you can download them…
Monitor the net
The internet, I think you all agree is a great thing. Right? It has opened up the Scouting World literally. I mean, think about it, when I was a Scout I can remember thinking how great it was to participate in Jamboree on the Air.
PTC and not the Podcast…
Yesterday I had the opportunity to be a trainer at our Councils Program and Training Conference.. PTC. I was asked to help teach a class on using Social Media and Websites with my Wood Badge buddy Adam. Then Jackie this years Coordinator asked if I would want to teach something else.
From Pinewood Derby to Eagle Project
Today my oldest son completed his Eagle Project. It's all over but the paperwork now… But today was a day of reflection for me. On our way to my Dads house to put the final touches on the project, John and I went to breakfast at the biscuits Cafe.
Are You a gram weenie?
The SMMPodcast show #95 is now available for your listening pleasure… well for those of you that still enjoy the sound of my Scouter voice. In this show I talk about shaving weight and reducing volume in your backpack. Take a listen to the show and let me know what you think.
Skills
Skills are the next important part of planning and preparing for your next outdoor adventure. What ever that adventure is. Last night our Troop began preparation for the next camp out, a caving trip up in Washington. So as is the custom of our PLC, they alway begin with First Aid.
Gear junky
A few posts ago ( on Sept 30th ) I promised that we would continue the discussion on elements of successful backpacking planning and preparing. I said that some key elements of planning and preparing are; gear, physical conditioning, skills, and attitudes.
Meal options
Ok.. lets talk about food. I love to try new stuff on camp outs, like I have said in posts before, meals and food occupy a large amount of time on outings. And since I am a Do as I Do kind of leader, I figure the more creative or at least having a variety…
Krusteaz "One Step" Muffins
Planning and preparing for an awesome time on the trail typically revolves around food in one way or another. I mean, face it.. we walk till we eat.. then we walk some more till we get to camp… and eat.
Backpacking- Planning and preparing (opens in a new tab)
Every time we go out into the woods for an outing with our scouts we should expect that some planning and preparation has occurred. In a Backpacking style troop this is an absolute must. You are walking away from your cars and comfort items, you are sustaining on what you bring on your back, you…
When did things change?
I just came home from the High School. I volunteer to work the concession stand during the JV Football games so the parents of JV players can watch their sons play. There were a couple other Dads working with me and during the slow periods of the game, we had a chance to watch the…
Where do we go now?
Its been a month since I posted my last podcast. I won't go into too much detail here, but lets just say that "the tribe had spoken" and it looked like I was being voted off the island so to speak.
The Light at the end of the Tunnel (opens in a new tab)
Tonight, under the leadership of the new SPL and a handful of Patrol Leaders and interested Scouts, the Troop finalized its Annual Plan. This years planning seemed to take a bit longer, but looking back at the last few years, the goal has always been to get it completed by the end of September.
The BigFoot Challenge (opens in a new tab)
As we move into the Fall season Scout Troops everywhere are packing into the woods for great adventures. Winter will soon be here and so Fall is a great time to reinforce the Leave No Trace Principles with the Scouts (and Adults) of your unit.
Challenge
This past weekend our Troops plan was to float a portion of the Deschutes River in Central Oregon. We all knew going into this activity that there was risk as well as the opportunity to challenge our selves. What we could never plan for was how well the Scouts did in the adventure leading to…
Whats the Main thing
Monday night another young man joined our Troop. He is a 6th grader, never been in Scouts before and looking for adventure. I met him and his parents and he joined right into the gathering activity fitting in with his new Patrol mates as if he'd been in the Troop for years.
11 days
It has been 11 days since I last posted.. Announcing a winner to the SMMPhoto contest. 11 days since I have really sat at the computer and gave the time to jot something down of significance. Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites are great ways to let the world know about our minute by…
The SMMPhoto contest!
The winner of the first SMMPhoto contest is Dominic Galloro! There were many great pictures submitted.. but this one seemed to capture the spirit of summer camp and the adventure of Scouting for me. Three guys with a common goal..
AND THE WINNER IS….
The winner of the Summer Camp SMMPhoto contest is going to be announced on THURSDAY! I have received a lot of pictures and I thank everyone for sending them in. They all tell a great story about the summer camp experience! Check the Blog on Thursday for the winner! Have a Great Scouting Day!