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Of speeches that is, if you followed me last week, with four speeches to make to four very different audiences. First up on Friday were 700 members of Rotary's District 1110 who had invited me to speak at their conference in Jersey on Friday, but before thenâ
Of speeches that is, if you followed me last week, with four speeches to make to four very different audiences. First up on Friday were 700 members of Rotary's District 1110 who had invited me to speak at their conference in Jersey on Friday, but before then...
Recently, I was asked to make some phone calls to scout families that seemed to have vanished from the scouting program. A simple follow up call was needed to reach out and find out what happened to the scouts in question.
This weekend I completed the last of my required courses to be a "Trained" Scoutmaster. : Fast Start: Boy Scouting : Scoutmaster Specific Training **: Introdiction to Outdoor Leader Skills We had great weather – some extreme winds but nothing …
#241-Double Platinum Disc 1 ScoutJam, effective leadership, returning to Scouting, finding a Committee Chairman, Scouters with legal issues, the Charter Organization lottery, and advice for a new Cubmaster are on tap for tonight's show. Links: The Officially Licensed Ruger Boy Scout- http://www.ruger1255.com/ How Do I rate as an effective Leader?- http://www.scouting.org/filestore/CubScoutMeetingGuide/PDF/Appendix/511-805.pdf Tonight's show sponsored by…
Hello Dear Reader It has been a bit of a busy time recently and so I am going to let Marin Townsend of the Sunday Express do the talking today. Long-time readers of this column will be aware of the high regard in which I hold the scouting movement.
Thanks to the 90 participants who responded to the patrol system survey . I have prepared an analysis of the results that I plan on using during a university of Scouting training event. The patrol system is the essential element of Scouting.
A recent Master Educator course offered by Landmark Learning received a great writeup in the Southeast Missourian .
Usually in our blogs we highlight events of the week and recap the trainings and outreach we have provided. Today, we would like to highlight events we have coming up this week in the Phoenix area. This evening, we will be providing two PEAK (Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids) training at REI.
Geocaching is the perfect mix of outdoors fun and high-tech gadgets. That explains why it's such a hit with today's Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Venturers. Take the participants of the Race to 2010, for example. The BSA just released the list of winners of that exciting race.
Parent's Meeting, Courts of Honor Feel free to send your questions and comments (you can rate the podcast on iTunes). Use the email link above left or the comments feature of the blog. Scoutmaster Podcast 39 Subscribe on iTunes Music in Podcast 39 First Call - U.S.
So another Webelos campout is under the Lightning Dragons’ belts, and overall I am very pleased with how things turned out. Half of the Webelos II boys attended along with 4 of the Webelos I boys. Those seven along with myself and the Webelos I Den Leader were sponsored by Troop 718 who sent 6…
Stuart L. Bergmann (June 25, 1961 - October 17, 2010) Stuart Bergman, Scout Executive of Southeast Wisconsin Council, passed away peacefully early Sunday Morning. Scout Executive Stu Bergmann was diagnosed with a brain tumor in February of this year. Stu had been undergoing treatment since that time.
The Evangeline Area Council Boy Scouts of America made it their 100 year project to vow to clean up the Atchafalaya Basin.
Training webinars are now available for "Scouting's Journey to Excellence!"
It is important for everyone to be knowledgable in first aid. But a Scout has a higher chance of meeting up with an unfortunate incident that requires first aid, either for himself or someone else. Emergencies can spring up at any time, so being skilled in first aid allows you to take control of a…
For the past two years parents and Adult Leaders have been asking me the same question: "What can I do?" Well I finally have the answer and I hope this helps: DO nothing, it's as simple as that. DO nothing; but BE a resource, BE a mentor, BE an example.
October 6th, Reviewed my be a scout presentation for tomorrow night. October 7th, Helped with info packets for roundtable, Gave a quick present at roundtable for BeAScout.org, Committed troop to teach knots at our Troopadillo Adventure (Webelos Woods like event).
On Saturday, we had the opportunity and pleasure to work with Venturing Crew 502 at ScoutFest 100 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. While we did general outreach, Rachel, Scott, Kaitlin, Katrina, and Mary excelled at facilitating "Camp Oh-No" with over 300 young scouts and their families.
There are fewer than 20 full service mints in the United States. Of those twenty, few are as established and well-respected as Northwest Territorial Mint. Their main facility and all necessary equipment to manage their stellar reputation, is housed in a 115,000-square-foot state-of-the-art minting facility just outside Carson City, Nevada.
Friday's Name That Council was tricky. Many of you guessed that the patch above belonged to the San Francisco Bay Area Council. Great guess, but that's not it. The actual answer is Marin Council , the council on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge.
I try to open every Scoutmaster Podcast with a joke, or a funny story. After all a Scout is cheerful; right? Some of these jokes (actually a very few) I came up with on my own. Others come from a time honored tradition in the comedic process – I steal them.
New Activity for All scouts
Take the simple formula for tying a square knot (right over left, left over right) and repeat 4,189 times. That's how a group of more than 2,000 Scouts, adult leaders, and parents broke the world record for the longest knotted rope chain created in five minutes.
Richard Bolt, a Cub Scout Leader from Glasgow, has just returned from the 19th Commonwealth Games in Delhi, where he took to the stage as part of a cast of 352 people in the closing ceremony.
In this episode, I talk about… …staying relevant and answer some questions from the True North Thread on the PTC Media forums Join the forum discussion on this post Share with Others:
I may be mistaken but I am pretty sure this filmstrip was shown at the Scoutmaster Fundamentals course I took 26 years ago. However dated the format it is has some very pertinent advice. Do you remember filmstrips ? There was a special projector and the sound came from a record player or cassette tape.
Hello Dear Reader As we have just come to the end of another JOTA/JOTI, I thought it would be very interesting to share with you this image which I found recently. Click the image to see original The image is a small contribution in the fight against rampant Immappancy, and was created by Kai Krause…
I saw this Tweet this morning from Don District Scouts about the book The Scouting Trail. The book is written by Scouts Ireland and is another useful book showing Scouting skills, and best of all it's available to download for free! Take a look here . Many thanks to Don District for publicising this book!
At the weekend, my Group's Beavers went to Kibblestone for a sleep over (camp). The Leaders all went out the night before to get themselves settled in and everything sorted in advance of the Beavers coming out on the Saturday morning.
For the past decade, we have been on a mission to get to all 58 of the magnificent National Parks that our country has to offer. Our time working with Leave No Trace has helped us travel through parks 31-43 on our list!
2.5 years ago, I blogged about the silliest ScoutStuff products which included wooden forks, knives, and spoons. Evidently, I wasn't the only one that thought they were silly and they are now cut in price to only 17 cents a set!
It is always a good idea to stop and reflect on what just happened while its fresh in the mind. This last weekend our Troop participated in our Districts Webelos Woods Camp out. Cause for much reflection. I know that I say it a lot, and its not to sound like I have the best…
The fall tour for Team East has taken many enjoyable and interesting turns over the past few months. Besides facilitating Leave No Trace Awareness Workshops and offering educational outreach throughout the east, we have been called to some very curious duties as well.
Need a unique holiday gift for the Scout in your life, or want a special way to commemorate a Scouting achievement, like a Scout achieving Eagle status? Framing a large Scout patch can be an artistic and memorable way to show support for Scouting.
The Buckskin staff of Many Point Scout Camp always has a great song to bring the Friday night campfire to a close. This year was no exception. The staff sang a song about being at camp and enjoying the outdoors.
With events that mark the festival of remembrance on the horizon, and the Poppy Appeal in full swing, one Scout Group in Cambridge is taking members of the Scout Troop to Amsterdam to pay tribute to one brave former member.
Hello Dear Reader Do you have an regrets? I am sure we can all think of some but do you have any scouting regrets. I have been involved with scouting now since the age of 8 so 26 years and I have two. One of which I have been able to in part correct ...
The 2010 e-tour season is finishing up this week. We had another successful season and we wouldn't have been able to do it without one of our proud partners and the official outfitting partner of the Leave No Trace e-tour, The Coleman Company .
Additional gifts that add up to $50 million have brought the total contributions to The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve to more than $100 million, the Boy Scouts of America announced today. The BSA, at a special presentation at the Summit site in West Virginia this morning, announced it had received a $25 million…
Eleven months after announcing plans for The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve, made possible by a $50 million gift from the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, the Boy Scouts of America returned today to announce major steps forward in bringing its vision of a world-class Scouting center to reality.
Even in patch form, the sunny scene above looks pretty relaxing. Identifying the location it depicts? Slightly less relaxing. But if you can handle the pressure and identify the council that wears the mystery shoulder patch, you could win our Name That Council challenge.
Hey there Scouts! Another October weekend is upon us, bringing us one week closer to Halloween! If you're looking for a way to raise funds for your troop, a haunted house or haunted trail is a great idea. You could also offer free admission to guests bringing a donation of food, candy or a costume…
So, being a den leader of a group of 5th grade Webelos (and a dad of one of them), I know that it is now closing in on 4 short months until our Blue and Gold Banquet where our oldest Webelos cross over to Boy Scouts.
The Boy Scouts of America has teamed up with America's Charities, a work place giving program. Listen to Brad Farmer, Assistant Chief Scout Executive, and Steve Delfin, CEO of America's Charities, explain the relationship and rationale behind the partnership. Learn more about America's Charities at http://www.charities.org
I recently received an email from Richard Bennett, the author of a new book called " Everything I need To Know I Learned In Boy Scouts ". It is the story of Troop 826 during the 1960′s and 1970′s. According to the website: Former Scout Richard Bennett chronicles the history and stories of BSA Troop 826, a…
Fresh back from IOLS I'm chock full of the ideals of the Patrol method and "boy led." While boy led is how our Troop has advertised itself I have doubts as to how much it has been in practice. It …
The Scout Association is using Trustees' Week to shout about the great work done by volunteer Trustees up and down the country.
As Scoutmasters we are always trying to find creative ways to get the points of the Scout Oath and Law through to our Scouts. We find ourselves being life coaches teaching our young men what it means to be a man, to make those ethical choices and always do the right thing.
The Scout Law states that a Scout is: Trustworthy Loyal Helpful... I want to stop with Helpful because that is exactly what good scouts do. They help. Recently, I helped run an event that was very successful in the eyes of everyone that attended and staffed the event.
#242-Double Platinum Disc 2 Our October Roundtable is on tap for this week's show. Tonight's show sponsored by ClassB.com Join the forum discussion on this post - (1) Posts Share with Others:
This is the time of year when the unknown and unnatural walk the earth. When ghouls and monsters creep up to our lawns. When small boys and girls in costume knock on our front doors and say "trick or Treat!"
This is the time of year when the unknown and unnatural walk the earth. When ghouls and monsters creep up to our lawns. When small boys and girls in costume knock on our front doors and say "trick or Treat!"
Hello Dear Reader I was doing some reading at the weekend and I came across a post about engaging with your readers and keeping your readers informed about what is going on with your blog. The basics overview was don't just make changes without an explanation it puts readers off, so I thought I would…
Photo courtesy of Patricia Douglass, USDA APHIS-PPQ By now, you've probably heard a lot about the issue of invasive plants getting accidentally spread by outdoor equipment like dirty boots. And hopefully, you are aware of the issues surrounding water based invaders- things like zebra mussels- being accidentally brought to new bodies of water on contaminated…
Congratulations to the September winner of Osprey's Kids Essay Contest , Isabella Zimmer! The Kids Essay Contest is a monthly submission contest run by Osprey Packs that encourages kids to tell us about their most memorable outdoor experiences, and how they practiced Leave No Trace along the way.
It's about time! Working the Patrol Method a Scout leader's guide to youth leaderhip training is the best work on the patrol method since 'Green Bar' Bill Hillcourt's Handbook for Patrol Leaders last published in 1965 or Baden Powell's Aids to Scoutmastership originally published in 1920.
Interview with the authors of Working the Patrol Method This podcast lasts 56 minutes (!) - I didn't want to break up the interview. I think it will be worth your time. Scoutmaster Podcast 40 Feel free to send your questions and comments (you can rate the podcast on iTunes).
Hang on for the ride of your life. When Scouting magazine visited the 2010 National Scout Jamboree this past summer, we brought along our newest toy: a GoPro HD Helmet Hero camera . It was our first time using the camera, and we were impressed by the results.
...whether with Members of Parliament, other charities such as Shelterbox or amongst our own teams of staff and volunteers was the theme of my week...
Last week we traveled to Farmington, NM to spend time with students at San Juan College and to visit past traveling trainers JD & Emily. San Juan College has a fantastic outdoor program, which takes full advantage of the plethora of recreational opportunities in the area.
Journey to Excellence is the 2011 unit performance recognition program. This survey is based on the Troop evaluation part of the program. The criteria for Packs and Crews are different so this survey is for Troop leaders only. The new program rates Troops as bronze, silver or gold using a point system based on thirteen…
A St. Charles boy just earned an honor few ever do: a Boy Scouts of American Medal of Merit, for saving another little boy's life. Connor Doherty, 8, jumped into a swimming pool without hesitation as a 3 year old was sinking fast, back in November.
On Saturday October 23rd we were invited to talk with Boy Scouts of all ages from the Atlanta area council at Scoutfest 2010. The crowds visiting the Leave No Trace booth were excited to learn more about outdoor ethics and take home a few of our free educational materials.
New Activity for All scouts
New Song for Cub Scouts
The Mayor of London has called for 3,000 adults to step up and volunteer to help young people fulfil their potential.
This month's blog entry is about Accountability in Scouting. By this I am thinking about the way we run Scouting on a day to day basis within groups, districts and counties, rather than doing actual events or activities. In my opinion, it's something we all know about but it doesn't ...
Note: Over Fall Break one of our Freshman Students took his own life. He felt alone, outside of society and bullied. Two of my Scouts knew him. I also lost my best friend to suicide when I was in High School so I felt it appropriate to speak about it last night at the meeting.
So the boys all got together a few weeks ago in their re-formed patrols and voted on how they wanted to be identified. We were really excited because a visiting scout, who has now since joined our troop, joined in on the fun.
From the popular Boys' Life Series, " Let's Go Geocaching " is a great introduction for those who are just discovering the quickly growing pastime of geocaching. Geocaching is sometimes described as a modern-day game of "hide and go seek", where players use a handheld GPS device to seek out and find hidden containers of various odds…
LTR Products, a subsidiary of Liberty Tire Recycling and manufacturers of Pinnacle Rubber Mulch, has recently formed a partnership with a Boy Scout in Bangor, Maine who is working to make a local playground safer for the children who play on it.
October is rapidly coming to a close and we all know what that means. It's time to get those costumes out of the closet! What creative ensemble will you come up this year? With so many Bigfoot sightings lately, it makes us wonder, will any of you be showing your Leave No Trace spirit this…
How'd you do with our Name That Council challenge last week? It was so tough that you almost had to be a member of the council to recognize the patch! We received 20 correct responses and randomly selected one to be our winner.
When Steve French, DC invited me to see the stars in Croydon, I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I clearly had no need to worry....
Maybe it was a sign, maybe it was a curse, maybe.... ahhh... its just technical Internet stuff... darn you Al Gore... You may.. or may not have noticed that the SMM Podcast disappeared this week from iTunes. Yeah.. POOF!! It just vanished into the bites and bits of the electronic world..
David Axson, author of the The Management Mythbuster , asserts that successful leaders ask great questions. I am big fan of Scoutmasters asking questions and not doing a lot of talking. The problem is I talk way too much. I am conscious of this as I natter away and watch the interest and engagement in my…
Its been over three years since I became an Assistant Scout Master in our troop. That entire time I have been effectively stalked to go to Wood Badge. Each time it came up, there was something always in the way; which didn't entirely disappoint me.
National Geographic Traveler contributing editor Boyd Matson has traveled the world to exotic locations, getting paid to write about his adventures to Nicaragua, Rome, Antarctica, and Bhutan-to name a few. And who does he blame for his unquenchable thirst for adventure?
How do you explain a pile of cigarette butts found on this local trail? This pile was clearly brought to the site (trailhead) and dumped. Who does that? And why?
We spent an exciting week in western North Carolina hiking in the rain, teaching at Montreat College and REI, and visiting friends. We started the week off exploring the Smoky Mountains and enjoying the wonderful fall colors. On Tuesday, we drove up to Montreat College , a small Christian college nestled in the mountains.
I mentioned that we conduct an annual group gear purchase from Campmor on podcast 39. We started doing this at least ten years ago. Before this we would give a Scout a list of gear he needed and he would come back with whatever he and his parents could find.
New Activity for All scouts
Where did Halloween go? I remember a time when kids went trick or treating and had fun going door to door for candy, fruit, and popcorn balls. Halloween parties challenged you to create your own costume (nothing was store bought), bobbed for apples, played a game called, "Sardines."
Hello Dear Reader This is a very quick mini post to point you in the direction of The Academy 2010 The idea behind the first Scout Academy was to provide the space for sharing, challenging concepts and ways of thinking, exploring possibilities and developing new knowledge and practice. Last years events were a ...
Ah, the coast. It's easy to imagine yourself looking out upon the endless blue horizon of the Atlantic Ocean, watching seagulls coasting in the salty air. But snap out of it! You have a mystery to solve. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to tell us the name of the council that…
Hello Scouts! It's finally here – Halloween weekend! Before you head out for the fun, trick-or-treating or visiting your friendly neighborhood haunted house, check out this Halloween Safety Guide and make sure to get a good dose of these Halloween Safety Tips .
The following is an excerpt from the journal I wrote of Boy Scout Troop 68′s trip to Philmont Scout Ranch in 1992. It was our last full day on the trail, the day we would climb the Tooth Of Time.
We held our annual Scout-o-rama today - another perfect day with sun and rustling leaves. One of these days, we're going to get wiped out by a huge storm - all our outings this year have fallen on wonderful weather. It's just a matter of time and averages.
New Activity for All scouts
Have you done your Good Turn today? Let me introduce you to a high tech way of doing a very old and traditional Scouting practice. Doing a Good turn has always been a part of Scouting, in fact is was a Good turn that brought Scouting to America.
Hey gang - Baloo's Bugle is on line (Actually it has been there, this post is late) There are two editions - The Tiger, Wolf, Bear, and Webelos edition has helps and ideas for Meetings 7 & 8 The Pack Leaders' and Pack Meeting editions has ideas for the RESPECT Core Value and other items to help you…
