The Bloggers
Original site: thetrainerscorner.wordpress.com (opens in a new tab) ↗
Games, crafts, recipes and training tips for Cub Scout and Webelos leaders.
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Hello fellow Scouters, Welcome to The Trainer's Corner ! The Trainer's Corner was a series of Cub Scout leader helps that ran from October 2008 to June 2010. As you navigate through the various pages and postings, hopefully you will find ideas, thoughts, and examples that will help you run a better Cub Scout program.
Hello fellow Scouters, This is the seventh and will be the last in a series I've written on Webelos to Scout transition. This time we are going to look at what the goal of the Webelos to Scout process should be.
Hello fellow Scouters, We had a family in my former pack that were some of the nicest people you could meet. Along with being wonderful people, they were awesome outdoor cooks! They were so good that I would do whatever I could to make sure my campsite was next to theirs, so I could mooch…
Hello fellow Scouters, Games are a vital part of your Scouting program, and some of the best games are the ones that take very little setup or supplies to do. If you have enough Scouts, and a couple of rolls of new toilet paper, you have what you need for a fun game!
Hello fellow Scouters, It's so important to have a game anytime you have a den meeting. When I was a Cub Scout den leader, I loved relay games. You can make almost anything a relay game. A balloon that doesn't touch the ground, an oversized shirt pulled from one Scout to the other (with both…
Hello fellow Scouters, I was recently talking with a great Scout leader, and we were discussing something we all deal with: how to keep ourselves from taking too much on as an active Scout leader. As we discussed how important it is to balance getting things done in our unit without taking everything on ourselves…
Hello fellow Scouters, This past Saturday, my council (the San Diego-Imperial Council) had its annual Scout Fair, in the parking lot of San Diego's football stadium. It's an event they hold each year, and every year it's so much fun.
Hello fellow Scouters, I was talking with another Scouter recently about how, when a Cub Scout Pack gets press coverage, it never seems to be about the good that pack did. You don't hear about the service projects. You don't hear about the Blue and Gold banquets.
Hello fellow Scouters, We live in a society that is increasingly moving indoors. Kids rarely play outside all day (unless it's some organized "play time"). And families seem be spending less time together in the outdoors, doing activities like camping.
Hello fellow Scouters, Recently, MSN.com ran an article on new uses for old items . One of the things they showcased was using ketchup bottles for pancake batter (see #5 on their list). When I saw this, I immediately wondered if that would be useful in a camping situation.
Hello fellow Scouters, My tenth podcast is short and personal, without any Scouting information or discussion. I quickly share what I've been up to the last month or two, and I share what Christmas means to me. – Here is the link to listen to or download this podcast on your computer: The Trainer's Corner Podcast…
Hello fellow Scouters, As I've written about previously, I have a pith helmet and a sombrero in my district training gear (see this blog post here ). The pith helmet is to remind leaders that Cub Scouting needs to be an adventure.
Hello fellow Scouters, Hallmark has their annual collectable ornaments, and we can have our own annual Scout collectable ornament! The great thing about our Scout ornaments is that they are made by our Scouts! Last year I wrote about a Scout-made Christmas ornament using paint for snowmen (you can find the blog entry here ).
Hello fellow Scouters, When I was a Cub Scout leader, I absolutely loved taking training classes. So when our pack started to look for a Pack Trainer, I jumped at the chance. In a special single-subject episode, in my 9th Scouting podcast I discuss my time as our pack's Pack Trainer.
Hello fellow Scouters, For my eighth podcast, you get to come along with me to training! We had a lot of great discussions at our district's recent Webelos and Boy Scout Leader Outdoor Training. I was on staff for this training, and I brought along my new digital recorder.
Hello fellow Scouters, If you are looking for an easy-to-make and great tasting Dutch oven dinner for your Scouts, consider Little Smokies in a biscuit! You and your boys will love them! Here are the ingredients: 1 tube of refrigerator biscuits (makes 10).
Hello fellow Scouters, As you know, I'm always looking for good camp coffee (maybe to the point of obsession!). One thing that I've never considered is instant coffee, because instant coffee is usually just plain terrible. Recently, however, Starbucks has come out with their own "Via" line of instant coffee.
Hello fellow Scouters, In this special "low-IQ" edition, in my seventh Scouting podcast I discuss: Feedback from previous podcasts Favorite Cub Scout memory – A 3-mile night-time hike as a Tiger Camping tip – Using a torpedo level for your camp stove Leader's tip – Snacks at den meetings "Just Say No" – To awards baggies Scouting discussion – I…
Hello fellow Scouters, I learned an excellent way to make omelets a few years ago at Baloo training. These are easy to make and would be great for your next campout. They create very little mess, and although aren't the greatest looking omelets, they taste wonderful and are easy to make!
Hello fellow Scouters, I came from a pack that loved to get outdoors. In a special single-subject episode, in my sixth Scouting podcast I discuss my time as our pack's Outdoors Chair. **Please note that this is not instruction on how to be an Outdoors Chair; this is just how I did it when I…
Hello fellow Scouters, One item I inadvertently collected as a Cub Scout den leader was those small tubes of craft paint. By leading two dens and working on countless crafts, I ended up with quite a collection – sometimes I feel like I have the entire color spectrum in my craft box!
Hello fellow Scouters, There are many great tabletop campfires on the Internet. Here's one that I made for a centerpiece for our pack's 2005 Blue and Gold banquet. Actually, I made three of these for that banquet, which celebrated the 75th anniversary of Cub Scouts.
Hello fellow Scouters, Along with all-to brief visit from Homer, in my fifth Scouting podcast I discuss: Feedback from previous podcasts Favorite Cub Scout memory – Climbing a volcano Camping tip – How to pack your car for a Cub campout Leader's tip – Things I always carried in my trunk "Just Say No" – To blue uniforms and…
Hello fellow Scouters, If you are a Tiger leader, you are taking on your first steps on a truly wonderful adventure. Your boys will be in the same den until sometime towards the end of the 5th grade (the exact time in the year depends on when your pack bridges to Boy Scouts).
Hello fellow Scouters, If you are looking for a fun and useful craft for your den, consider making a Scout bucket. You can use the bucket to store craft supplies, snacks, their Scout book, some basic tools, and anything you want to send home.
Hello fellow Scouters, Hoping to not be accused of being "The Jerk", in my fourth Scouting podcast I discuss: Feedback from previous podcasts Favorite Cub Scout memory – A special-needs Scout that was once in our pack Camping tip – Protecting your tent floor using furniture leg coasters Leader's tip – Tissue paper in fall colors (O.K., there's…
Hello fellow Scouters, Since the theme for October is "Jungle Safari", what goes better with a jungle theme than jungle animal kerchief slides? You can make kerchief slides that you construct yourself, such as foam animals, or you can buy toy jungle animals and hot glue them to a cut section of 1/2″ PVC sprinkler…
Hello fellow Scouters, Hopefully you are using a den advancement chart in your den meetings. They are a great way to show the progress of the boys towards their rank, and show off how many electives the boys earn. I used them in my two dens to chart progress.
Hello fellow Scouters, For my first ever gear review, I will look at the GSI Outdoors Personal Java Press. If you've listened to one of my recent podcasts, you will know that I'm fairly obsessed about coffee, maybe at an unhealthy level.
Hello fellow Scouters, Along with a healthy dose of movie trivia, in my third Scouting podcast I discuss: My Scouting experience as a youth Camping tip – The search for perfect camp coffee Leader's tip – Increasing attendance by being a cheerleader "Just Say No" – To lectures Favorite Cub Scout memory – A surprise from my son Scouting…
Hello fellow Scouters, In the second podcast, you get to hear what you've always wanted to hear – Jeff talks sewing! In this podcast: Feedback from my first podcast My position in my son's troop Camping tip – Keeping food warm Leader's tip – Using easel presentation paper pads "Just Say No" – To pack meeting announcements Favorite Cub…
Hello fellow Scouters, Since the Webelos program allows you to camp as a den, why not consider working on your Outdoorsman activity badge at your own den campout? When I was a den leader, I would only work on the Outdoorsman pin at an outing – I just couldn't work on any of the requirements at…
Hello fellow Scouters, Since I love to talk about Scouting, I have decided to add a podcast to this site. In this inaugural podcast, we look at: Background about me Camping tip – Camp showers Leader's tip – Teaching others how to camp Favorite Cub Scout memory – "Capture the Flag" Scouting topic – Adult leader mentorship – Here is…
Hello fellow Scouters, I learned a great campout cooking technique from our former Cubmaster years ago that I'd like to pass on to you. I love to barbeque, but if the campground I am going to doesn't have a grill, I can make my own out of my existing Dutch oven equipment and enjoy burgers…
Hello fellow Scouters, My wife makes an incredible chicken pot pie. A few years ago, I converted it to a Dutch oven recipe, so I could have it at campouts. So here's an easy chicken pot pie recipe you can make at your next campout.
Hello fellow Scouters, The Cub Scout theme for August is "Fun in the Sun". But who can have fun in the sun if you get sunburned? Since it's easy to forget to bring sunscreen or reapply it, here's a kerchief slide that will guarantee sunscreen is always close by (at least while your Scout is…
Hello fellow Scouters, Songs are an important part of the Scouting program. Hopefully you are a pack that sings Scout songs. If you aren't singing, you are missing a wonderful part of the Scouting program. I have a feeling that this is one of the toughest areas for a leader to do if they (like…
Hello fellow Scouters, One game that my two dens used to enjoy playing was a game we called "Sweep Potato". It was a fairly easy game to play, and the boys always enjoyed it. I picked up a couple of cheap brooms from a discount store, and a couple of large, similar-sized potatoes (one broom…
Hello fellow Scouters, With July's Cub Scout theme being "Be A Sport", I thought I'd share a golf ball slide we made once. This was simply half a golf ball glued to a section of PVC, but the boys really loved it.
Hello fellow Scouters, Now that it's summer, it's time for many of us to go on vacation. I'm sure that there are many who would want to get away from Scouting when on a family vacation, which is OK. But for those who don't mind a Scouting activity while traveling with the family, don't forget…
Hello fellow Scouters, This past weekend, I made a cake with my son, who's enjoying his first year in Boy Scouts. We got a delicious Dr. Pepper and cake mix recipe from Scoutmaster Cleary , and since it had several ingredients my son loved (including his favorite soda), it was easy to talk him into making…
Hello fellow Scouters, I had a real positive response to my dutch oven dessert recipe, so I thought I'd share one more. Our Cub Scout den's favorite breakfast was a breakfast one-pot casserole. A portion of it was prepared at home, so it was easy to make at a campout.
Hello fellow Scouters, I was fortunate to belong to a pack that spent a lot of time outdoors. We had around six outdoor activities a year, with 2 or 3 of them being pack campouts. And we would usually participate as a pack twice a year in council family campouts.
Hello fellow Scouters, I am in the process of moving my RSS feeds to another service. If you subscribe to this blog via an RSS feed, can you update your subscription to read as follows: http://feeds2.feedburner.com/TheTrainersCornerBlog Please let me know if you have any troubles with this feed. Thanks! In Scouting, - Scouter Jeff
Hello fellow Scouters, One of my favorite camping activities is dutch oven cooking. We converted one of my favorite desserts to make in a dutch oven. It's a fruit cobbler dump cake that is easy to make and comes out great!
Hello fellow Scouters, Cub Scouts love to bowl, but an outing to a bowling alley can be expensive. But with enough 2 liter soda bottles, a ball and a flat surface, you can bring a bowling alley to your meeting!
Hello fellow Scouters, Several Webelos activity badge requirements ask you to visit a professional in their respective field. To make my Webelos meetings more fun, I used this opportunity to invite as many professionals as I could to den meetings.
Hello fellow Scouters, One of my favorite games when I was a Cub Scout leader was the old pie tin and washer game. It was an easy game to make, and was small enough that I could keep it in my game backpack .
Hello fellow Scouters, This is part 6 in a series I've written about Webelos to Scout transition. This time we will look at preparing for the costs you will incur when you transfer into the Boy Scout program, especially the first summer camp.
Hello fellow Scouters, As a district trainer, I am accumulating a lot of training supplies (otherwise known as "Scouting clutter"). My training supplies include a pith helmet and a sombrero. Now I know that these are most definitely not official uniform pieces.
