Balance (opens in a new tab)
Yesterday I was listening to some talk radio and over the course of the day the recurring theme of child raising came up. I heard a fantastic quote on one of the programs that I thought needed to be shared here.
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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Showing 201–250 of 1,066 · page 5 of 22. Each title opens the post in a new tab.
FOS
Back in 2009 I had an email exchange with a "Concerned Eagle Scout" about Friends of Scouting. As this month in our Council we are in full swing with our FOS campaign, I thought I would blow the dust off of this post and share it with you again.
Obstacles to Objectives (opens in a new tab)
In an effort to "fix lazy" it dawned on me that one of the problems is that our young men, and I am not just talking about Scouts here, tend to get caught up in the obstacles rather than focusing on the objectives.
How do You fix Lazy? (opens in a new tab)
Here is a question for you… How do you fix lazy? I do not intend this to be a rant, rather a real look into why are people.. in particular.. some of our Scouts so lazy. Yes.. I said Lazy, and if the shoe fits they need to wear it.
Founders Day 2014 (opens in a new tab)
Today is Founders Day. A day in Scouting when we celebrate our Founder Lord Robert S.S. Baden-Powell of Gilwell. This would be his 157th birthday. It is fitting that today was spent training Adult leaders this morning and celebrating a Cub Scout Packs Blue and Gold this evening, along with the crossing over of 6…
What's in your Backpack? (opens in a new tab)
I was bouncing around on some of the blogs and found a cool post on a blog that I follow. The subject was something that I think we all do or have, but give little or no thought to… What do you keep in your pack, or items that never leave your pack.
Philmont Poem (opens in a new tab)
As you all know I love Philmont. I found this poem on the internet. It is penned by author James Roberts. As I read the poem it took me back… back to the Silver on the Sage, the Country that I love..
Unit Culture
Monday night our Troop held its annual Order of the Arrow election and its six month youth leadership election. Our Troop elections are like most Troops in that we hold the elections for youth leadership. We may differ in this aspect, we only elect the "assistants".
Come along side (opens in a new tab)
Yesterday we "Celebrated" Presidents Day… Not sure what that means, but lets go with it. To me Presidents day is the day that we recognize two great leaders. George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. I think in their own right, those two Presidents did more to earn a day than any other in our history.
Finding the Arrow
I do not talk much about the Order of the Arrow on this blog, and maybe I should. I have not received a lot of requests for OA topics, but over the past few months I have been giving the Order of the Arrow a bit more thought.
Somethings are just worth sharing.
We find ourselves in Scouting working with young men of every color and stripe. They come to us as they are in the hopes that they will realize the adventure of Scouting. In many cases in their own way. I was bumping around on Facebook this morning and stumbled on this little video.
Why do we do this?
Scouting is not an abstruse or difficult science: rather it is a jolly game if you take it in the right light. At the same time it is educative, and (like Mercy) it is apt to benefit him that giveth as well as him that receiveth."
Saturday Quick Tip (opens in a new tab)
Today we are talking about controlling your guy lines. Whether you are a tent camper or sleep under a tarp you will have lines to control. I hate it when lines are tangled and become a mess. This simple way of controlling your lines is a perfect fix.
Hot Chocolate
A good friend of mine shared this with me and I shared it with you a while back on the blog, but I was digging through some old stuff on the computer and stumbled on it again. Then last night at Round table I talked with my good friend and this post came up.
IWGBTP
Sitting here this morning going through some Scouting Pictures and getting my stuff ready for the Red and Green Dinner today I clicked on one of the Blogs that I follow. It is Mr. Harrison's Blog. Now, the blog itself is not updated often, but I really don't mind because every time I go to…
Snow Peak 700 Review
Well, It's Sunday and today we are celebrating our Troops 10th Anniversary as well as Scouting's 104th. Every year our Troop hosts its annual Red and Green Dinner. A celebration of the Troop and Scouting. This year we will recognize former Troop members and have a great time looking back on the 10 years that…
104 and going Strong! (opens in a new tab)
Me and my sons at the National Jamboree 2010 Today marks the 104th Anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America! And the BSA is going strong! As I thought about today's anniversary in preparation for our unit's Red and Green celebration tomorrow I could not help but think about why the Boy Scouts of America…
Saturday Quick Tip – Sleeping bag storage (opens in a new tab)
Here is your Saturday Quick tip. This week we are talking about taking care of your sleeping bag. The best way to store your sleeping by laying it flat. But most of us just do not have that kind of room in our house, so the next best method of storing your sleeping bag is…
Frost Bite and Hypothermia (opens in a new tab)
Well, It snowed here in Oregon today. The first real snow fall of the "Winter". And as much as we have already prepared for our winter camping experiences, the snow reminded me of the risk we accept when winter camping and more to the point the risk that we mitigate or manage through proper training…
Training for the Parents (opens in a new tab)
It is often said that "Every Scout deserves a Trained Leader"… well.. sure.. Every Scout certainly deserves a trained leader, but do you really think that the Scout cares? The saying should say, "Every Parent deserves a Trained Leader". Right?
Leadership – Initiative
Initiative is really what makes leadership work. Those leaders that understand their Patrols [the make up of the guys, how they are motivated, and their skill levels], know what right looks like, and have an idea of the plan, should be able to get anything done.
Baden Powell and his List of Do's (opens in a new tab)
Before I get into today's post I want to thank every one for their interest in the review of Scoutbook.com. Unfortunately I was only given three free subscriptions and they went to the first three emails I received. But the response was overwhelming.
Scoutbook.com (opens in a new tab)
Every unit has a method of tracking their Scouts. Advancement, activities, special awards etc. There are software programs and online resources for tracking, even an Excel spreadsheet can be used. But I want to introduce you to a real cool way of tracking your unit.
Leadership – The power of the mind
Mental toughness is a great leadership trait. It allows the leader to think clear and make good decisions. I recently ran into an article in Backpacker magazine that reinforced some of the leadership training that I learned early on in the Army and it applies real well in Scouting and out-door adventures.
Saturday Quick Tip 2-1-14
Every Saturday, we are going to add a "Tip of the Week" to the Blog. A tip that will be focused on Backpacking, camping, hiking, cooking, or other skills associated with the great outdoors. This weeks tip is a simple one that will save wear and tear on your pack and keep your gear organized…
Leadership- Building Confident Leaders
The other day I talked about the four "C"s that when added to the leaders tool box makes for ease in decision-making and better leaders. I will add that when our young leaders start using the four "C"s they will also become Confident leaders.
J Falk Wood Burning stove (opens in a new tab)
For those of you looking to play around with other stoves for backpacking you know that I have played around with a couple different Wood gas or Wood burning stoves. I currently use the Solo Stove for wood burning, but I found this older video of my first shot at wood burning stoves.
Leadership – Teaching Opportunity
One of the main functions of the Scoutmaster is to train the Junior Leaders, in particular, the Senior Patrol Leader. I take this responsibility serious and am in a constant mode of looking for opportunities to train the Scouts to be better leaders.
The best conference
This weekend I sat with a Scout and talked with him. It was a Scoutmaster conference, but unlike other Scoutmaster conferences that I have done, this was a first. It was the first time I sat with a Scout for Eagle Palms.
Teriyaki Chicken
Back in 2009, I posted this recipe and a video on my YouTube channel. Well since I have been consolidating the channel and working hard on Blog content, I stumbled on this recipe and the video on an old hard drive.
Using Evernote ™ for Scouting
One of my goals for this year and in particular in working on the blog is to use tools to be more successful. There is nothing worse than a goal that is not attainable because of lack of want to or know how and sometimes tools can assist in making a goal more attainable.
Mike Rowe.. Distinguished Eagle Scout (opens in a new tab)
While I am camping with my Troop this weekend I thought I would leave you with some great entertainment and a message that is priceless. I stumbled on this video on YouTube the other night while my wife and I were talking about our experience at the National Meetings that we got to attend.
Money and Scouting (opens in a new tab)
I am going to tread lightly on this subject as I have some unpopular opinions when it comes to money and Scouting, but bare with me as I make an attempt to articulate my thoughts on this. When we talk about money and Scouting there are always a couple of concerns.
My Cook Kit
The other day some discussion on Google + about cook kits got a few us talking. I thought it was time to show what I am currently using. I know that I tinker a lot with gear, but this cook kit seems to be the go to kit and really the only thing that changes out…
Your Ticket
When I went to Wood Badge in 2005 I was introduced to a goal setting and achieving process called "The Ticket". The term comes from an old British Army practice of earning a ticket home. British soldiers that were assigned afar would begin working their ticket closer and closer to England, through assignments, favor, and…
Talkin' 'bout my Reputation!
At last nights Troop meeting I began my Scoutmaster minute by talking about reputation. What is it? How do we get it? Do we like it? And how do we view other people's reputations? I gave the Scouts an assignment, one that I am working on myself, you see it may take a bit of…
Mountain Hardwear Bandito Gloves
I recently talked about my gloves and layering system for keeping my hands warm. Here is a closer look and review at the Mountain Hardwear Bandito finger-less gloves that I wear. The Stats: The body of the gloves are made of Deflection ™ Soft shell which is 100% Polyester.
We have a Winner!
I am back from an awesome weekend out with the Cascade Hangers for our annual winter Hammock Hang. I'll have a video up on that soon. It was a great weekend of fun and hanging (no pun intended) with some really neat people.
Heading out for the Weekend
Tonight I will get getting up on the mountain for my first "Winter" camp of the year. I have the pulk loaded and everything is double checked… except it looks like old man winter has taken a nap. I checked the weather service yesterday..
Gloves
Gloves play a major role in your warmth system when cold weather camping. Your gloves and your boots are key to keeping you warm. Think about it. Your hands and your feet are the farthest body parts from the core and when they get cold you are cold all over.
Three Promises (opens in a new tab)
Last night at our Troop meeting I had the pleasure of meeting with a group of super enthusiastic Webelos. They came to the meeting to wrap up their Arrow of Light requirement of participating in a Scoutmaster Conference. During the course of our discussion, we did it as a group, I talked about the Scout…
Sharpen your Ax (opens in a new tab)
Abraham Lincoln is a man often quoted, but not always in the context of Scouting. I stumbled on a great quote that speaks directly to Scouts and Scouters. "If you give me 6 hours to cut down a tree, I will take 4 hours sharpening my ax."
Interview w/ Greg Cieply
I recently was asked to review a new "Scouting Book" by new author Greg Cieply. I quickly read the book and posted a review on Amazon . After reading the book, I thought it would be a great idea along with Greg to interview him here on the blog.
Pardon the Interruption
It is early Saturday morning and instead of firing up the alcohol stove, rigging up some hammock stuff, or prepping for a gear review, I am adding to a response post that I have been working on for two days.
Gratitude
No matter how many times I say it, it seems to always be there.. a theme… Like the opportunity to do a good turn daily is just a matter of opening your eyes, a another theme for this week has rendered itself in front of me.
Conflict Resolution (opens in a new tab)
So who here has a perfect Troop? A group of Scouts that get along with no issues? A unit that has a culture of absolute peace and harmony? Yeah? If you have that Troop, please let me know what side of Utopia you live on and I will come and check that out..
New Year Giveaway (opens in a new tab)
I want to thank all of the folks that follow and subscribe to the blog. One of my goals this year is to post more and show more appreciation to those that keep me going. I don't do this for money or fame, but the emails and feedback that I get that tell me just…
The Boy (opens in a new tab)
This is sort of a follow up to yesterdays post. As some of you know I collect Scouting Literature and memorabilia. I often like to look back at the old Scoutmaster handbooks and see how things are different. The one thing that I have seen that is constant is "the boy".
Scouting… Cool? (opens in a new tab)
First off.. if you are a Scout or Scouter read this post with caution. You may not agree with some of what I am going to say. Know that I love the Boy Scouts of America. I am always trying to tell our story in the best light of Scouting.
YouTube Channel bump
Again with the reset subject. Yesterday, I did some major work on the YouTube channel. I am phasing out the old channel, which became a real pain switching back and forth between accounts… so it's all in one nice bundle now.