Scoutmaster Musings

A past scout was in town this week so I got to have coffee with him today (well, I had cocoa). Turns out he's heading to New Zealand tomorrow morning, taking a semester off from college to see the world. Good for him!

His plan is to do some hiking and work a couple months on an organic farm for room and board. He needs to be back to start school in January, but other than that his schedule is flexible. He heard about the Rena running aground 14 miles off the coast and may change his plans to see about helping with that clean-up effort.

What a great time of life with few commitments, high hopes, and overflowing enthusiasm. That sense of adventure and exploration is what drives inventors, artists, entrepreneurs, and pretty much all of us to some extent. I'm excited to know this one scout is heading out into the world with just his pack on his back and his head on his shoulders.

I've consistently heard from scouts that their time in the troop really made a difference in how they handle challenges. Whether it's guiding a college backpacking club, studying abroad alone, or leading in the military, they've recalled their outdoor, leadership, and self-sufficiency skills when needed.
That's always good to hear.

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Last day to Win $500 Camping Gear - don't miss out.

I heard and then say the first Loon migrating south on my hike this morning.

You can watch individually banded loon migration activity at this USGS page. Over the next month or so, the loons will be heading south to the Gulf of Mexico - smart birds!

Migrations mean that scouts looking to identify plants and animals for advancement are running out of opportunities for the next 5 or 6 months around here. With the leaves off the trees, snow covering the ground, and most animals holed up or basking on southern beaches, it gets very difficult to identify 10 animals and 10 plants.

I believe identifying them is more than pointing to a picture - since the aim of the requirement is to become aware of the surrounding nature, finding the plants and animals for real is how it should be done.

A gentle reminder at the next troop meeting to finish summer time requirements might save a few scouts some frustration over the winter.

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On the trail this morning, there was a big dark blob far ahead. In the early morning gloom, I couldn't make it out but it was certainly not there yesterday.
It moved.
Oh, just a rodent, another raccoon scrounging around getting into mischief. But, as I walked closer, it didn't scurry off. As a matter of fact, it looked my way and started coming towards me.

Now, wait a minute. I'm 6-1, 175 pounds and he's 1-2, 20 pounds. Why's he coming at me?
"Hey, go away! Hyah, move it!" Nothing, he just keeps waddling towards me so I start backstepping to keep 20 feet or so between us.

He stopped. I stopped and watched. He kind of teetered and swayed like a drunk trying to stay upright.

Now there's no food that he's protecting. No young ones. I can't see or think of anything that makes his behvior make sense. So, I figure there's something wrong with this guy and I'm not about to get bit or scratched by some zombie raccoon.

Since I was in no hurry, I just watched him. He swayed. He turned. He took a few awkward, uncoordinated steps. I waited.

When he finally got over to the side of this wide trail with his back to me, I quickstepped past him on the other side of the trail. He didn't twitch, budge, or react.


So, how should we interact with animals we meet? We should minimize our impact and respect wildlife according to Leave No Trace principles. If our presence is affecting the animal's behavior then we are too close and should remove ourselves from the area.

Normally, an animal will scurry away from humans, recognizing us as threats. You've probably seen squirrels, chipmunks, birds, snakes, rabbits, maybe even turkey, deer, and fox while out hiking. They will run, fly, or slither away as fast as they can until they feel safe. Sometimes just a few feet to stop and look at you. At that point, our reaction should be to continue down the trail, leaving them alone.

But, if their behavior is inconsistent with what is normally expected then the situation might be dangerous. They may feel threatened and cornered, they may have young to protect, or they may be sick. In those cases, any animal may hold its ground or even attack.

When outdoors, keep your eyes and ears open for animals. If you notice any strange behavior, give ground and move away, probably back the way you came. Keep your eye on the animal. When the aggressive behavior stops or you feel you are a safe distance, watch the animal and make a plan. If you wait long enough, most likely the animal will move off the trail and you can continue.

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I met with our council's Outdoor Ethics Advocate and a couple other Leave No Trace master educators last night to discuss ways in which we might get LNT more integrated into the local Scouting program.

One idea that came up was to have Leave No Trace themed camporees. Rather than trying to convince districts to do this and come up with their own camporee program, it would be easier to get buy-in if a prepared program could be provided, thus cutting down their planning efforts.

So, this morning I went hunting for info. As it turns out, there have been a few such camporees held over the past decade. Here are a few webpages that have such LNT Camporee info, some vague and some with good ideas:
http://leavenotrace.info/wp-content/files/LNT_Fall_Camporee_2005.pdf
http://www.greenwichscouting.org/Calendar/tabid/74/vw/3/itemid/5/d/20110930/Default.aspx
http://www.angelfire.com/ill/wt/PDF/fallcamp04.pdf
http://www.housatonicbsa.org/Camping/Camporee/2009SpringCamporeeHandout.pdf
http://www.nonprofitpages.com/muirdistrict/camporee/2005CamporeeProgram.pdf
http://www.boyscoutsla.org/website/Frontier/Events/2011_Fall_Camporee_Packet.pdf
https://1bsa.org/tyfoon/site/fckeditor/file/Mtn%20Lakes%20Spring%202011%20Camporee.pdf
http://troop693.wdfiles.com/local:files/camporee-april-2009/camporee09.pdf
http://leavenotrace.info/wp-content/files/LNT_Camporee_Outline.PDF
http://troop693.wdfiles.com/local:files/camporee-april-2009/camporee09.pdf


Have you been to an LNT Camporee? How was it? If you can send me a document of the activities, contests, or program, that would be great!

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The 2011 Guide to Advancement is ready. It has a few significant changes and gives individual units more room to define their own expectations:

• Active Participation requirements updated. Units can set their own 'active' expectations.
• Position of Responsibility requirements updated. Units can set expectations to define the fulfillment of the position.
• Merit badge section revampd.
• Info about wearing uniform to Board of Review clarified - uniforms can not be mandatory.
• Changes in the Eagle Scout Service Project requirement.
• Awards and recognitions moved to a separate Guide to Awards and Insignia.

Councils may choose to make a transition over the next few months from the former advancement publication to the new Guide to Advancement. After January 1, however, the new guide must be consulted for all advancement procedures.

It would be a good idea to get this new document into the hands of your unit committee chair, advancement chair, and scoutmaster/advisor/cubmaster as soon as you can.
Download 2011 Guide to Advancement - 4.5MB PDF

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Yesterday was almost the last day for a German vistor hiking the White Mountains in New Hampshire. He apparently suffered a heart attack on the trail and went down. Fortunately, he is in a hospital in stable condition instead of a morgue today.

Another German tourist, not with the first, came by just moments later and began CPR. While CPR was being given, other hikers raced to the trailhead where they found a person with a cellphone. She called for help.
When an ambulance crew arrived, they revived him with their portable defibrillator and rushed him to the hospital.

Similar scenarios unfold every day. In just the past two weeks, hikers died in AR, CA, CO, ME, NH, NY, OR, and WA according to a google search. 20 people have died in Yosemite Natl Park alone this year.

If you come upon an injured hiker, would you know what to do? First Aid and CPR skills are overlooked by many that venture into the wilds. Be able to care for yourself, others in your group, and victims you may encounter - get some training.

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This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Boy Scouts of America for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Joining the Boy Scouts of America is the best way to expand a boy's social, physical, and personal health and skills.  I know and believe this wholeheartedly from seeing it happen day after day for a dozen years now.

Here's an example:
These three little guys joined a Boy Scout troop 6 years ago.  They each got a Scout Handbook and learned a wide range of useful life skills, such as swimming, cooking, and first aid.  They also learned cool outdoors skills, like camping, hiking, navigating, and astronomy.
More importantly, they worked together all the time, learning how a team needs leaders and followers to be successful.  Each of them had opportunities to both follow and lead.

As they went on campouts, participated in meetings, and earned awards, they passed their knowledge onto the younger scouts that joined after them.  This mentoring is the main way a troop lives - it's a cycle that repeats over the years.

 I just attended the Eagle Scout ceremony for these same three boys.  Six years after becoming Boy Scouts, they had grown into strong, young men.  They took advantage of all the Scouting opportunities for exploring the wilds, challenging themselves, and developing their leadership skills to reach this milestone. 
Their time in Boy Scouts provided a well-rounded experience, not only physical development or only mental development as can happen with sports or academics.  Scouting provided them with an extremely wide range of challenges so they could strengthen their existing abilities and expand their breadth of skills.

It's not a coincidence that you hear so many famous and successful Americans were Boy Scouts.  Take a peek at this list of Eagle Scouts.  There's no reason a boy you know can't someday be on that list.

Last night, I attended another Eagle ceremony.  It was for a scout across town in a different troop.  Every troop does things a bit differently so I wanted to see how this troop ran its ceremonies.
It was great to see the audience had boys ranging from 6 years old to 18 years old, as well as many adults in Scouting uniforms.  Much of the ceremony was directed at the younger scouts, encouraging them to have fun in Scouting and someday become an Eagle as well.  This encouragement from older scouts to younger is a common theme and one of my favorite parts of Scouting.

The part of the ceremony I enjoyed the most was watching the color guard retire the flags.  It was made up of a Cub Scout from each rank - Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos - and you could see how nervous and proud they were as they bravely walked to the front, retrieved the flags, and carried them out.  These were elementary school boys in front of an audience of 150 or so people.

Every boy should be a Scout and the easiest way to get started is to visit the Be A Scout website to find a pack or troop in your town.

Participation in Scouting helps a boy in many ways:

• Physical Fitness - getting into the outdoors and away from the video games
• Citizenship - leadership skills and respect for others prepares scouts to contribute to their community
• Character - opportunities to make decisions and choices build the boy's maturity, morality, and bravery to handle difficult choices in the world

 

Camping Gear Contest

You could win a way cool camping package in the Go Camping with the Boy Scouts of America contest.  Read the contest rules and then enter.  All you need to do is:

1. Leave a comment on this blog post explaining why you think it’s beneficial for a child to become a Scout  
   And/Or
2. Tweet out a message that links back to this blog post and contains the hashtag #beascout

You have until October 19 to enter.

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I'm going to an Eagle court of honor this evening. It's for a terrific scout in a different troop than my son. He's been highly active in OA and a great scout. He has contributed tons of time and effort to Scouting in our district.

So, I was wondering if boys who stay in Scouting longer actually contribute more to society than the average Joe, why is that so? Did Scouting make them into what they are, OR do they make Scouting into what it is?

I've seen a wide range of guys join the troop, from every ethnic background, financial status, popularity level, and personality profile in our community. Every year, a few of the new guys will stop participating after a few months. When asked, it is usually because they were too busy doing other things - but an occasional honest reply will be that the boy was just trying it out and decided Scouting was not his deal.

Over the next few years, some scouts will stop participating and will usually tell me their honest reasons - sports priority, lost interest in camping, got new friends.

That leaves the guys that advance through the ranks, usually to Eagle; the guys that do high adventures; the guys that run the show; the guys I think of when I think 'Boy Scouts'. These guys stay to the end and are the ones we use as examples. But, did Scouting do that to them or would they be that way anyway?

As I've watched these guys mature, learn skills, and become leaders, I've come to believe that Scouting is just a big piece of canvas.


What do you think would happen if you gave 50 people each a canvas, brush, and paints and asked them to paint something interesting? Some would cover the canvas in a single coat. Others would make stick figures. Some would make a nice picture. A couple might create artistic masterpieces.
Give them a new canvas and ask them to do it again. I'd expect the pictures would improve.
Give them another canvas and with practice the pictures improve for most of them, but there would be some that reached their limit with stick figures. They may not be good artists, but the canvas gives them the opportunity to practice, improve, and discover.

Just like the canvas gives the artist a place to explore, imagine, create, make mistakes, and safely try new things, Scouting provides many opportunities for the boy to make decisions, see results of his efforts, and modify his style in a safe community.
Through that practice, he grows into a better person than he would have been without the practice.

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Hey, Scouts!
Three days to enter this way cool Land of Adventure Boys Life contest. You could win it all, but at least get a free patch for entering!

Check out Boys Life Contests for a half dozen other contests going on at the BSA.

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When it comes to hiking sticks, it seems there's three ways of thinking:

• Hiking Sticks - natural, wood, outdoorsy
• Hiking Poles - light, commercial, hi-tech
• None - we don't need no stinkin' help

If you get out hiking much, I'm sure you've noticed most people now have hiking sticks or poles, especially on mountainous trails. The extra support, stability, and distribution of effort can make an arduous hike more enjoyable and safe.

Poles are more appropriate for long-distant treks, such as the Appalachian Trail, since they are very light and can compact for packing. But a wooden hiking stick has a lot more character and feeling.

I've used a hiking stick often and just received a new Brazos Sassafras walking stick last week. It's beautiful wood, sturdy, and comfortable - a great stick for long walks. Brazos sticks are manufactured in the USA in the Brazos River Valley of Texas. They make walking canes also and the hiking sticks make nice gifts for that hiker you know. They also offer a bamboo hiking stick which is very strong and lightweight.

Read more about Hiking Sticks.

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Saturday was a perfectly beautiful fall day, great for being outside.
The district had it's Camporee and I held Intro to Outdoor Leader Skills training at the same time and location so adult leaders could camp with their troops and spend their day getting trained while the scouts were doing 'stuff'. We've been doing it this way the past few years and it works out pretty well.

There were only 6 participants this time, and only 3 were from our district. The spring session was cancelled due to low enrollment, so I guess everyone's trained. This Training Update at scouting.org talks about changing our training habits, but doesn't provide specifics about how districts should offer training. We certainly need to do something different, I think.

You can now review the ILST Course on scouting.org
Our troop just used this for new troop leader training last week and it went well. Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops (ILST) is similar to Troop Leader Training (TLT) which replaced JLT, but I think it has been fleshed out better and gives a better structure. The idea is to have all newly elected and appointed scouts in troop positions of responsibility to complete this training so they can wear their Trained patch and know their roles.
Your troop should be presenting this training every time troop elections are held so the new scout leaders can be success ful in their jobs.

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The last few mornings hiking have been pretty empty. There's normally quite a few people out getting some exercise, but with drizzle and wind, it seems everyone finds something better to do. Today I got a nice surprise.

As I was almost done with my 8-mile walk, I heard a bicycle coming up behind me on the gravel path so I inched over to the right edge giving all the room I could. Instead of flying by, the cyclist slowed and said, "Excuse me." Well, that's a first.

Beside me was a young lady with panniers full of gear and more strapped on her bike, not just the normal commuter. It turns out she wanted to know what town she was in because she was supposed to meet someone on the trail by Edgefield or Edgeland or something like that. I told her this was Eden Prairie and she said, "Yeah, that's it!"

Being of quick mind and sharp reasoning skills, I figured she wasn't from around here. I asked. She told me that today she came from the town just south of us but had started in Montana and needed to meet her friend along this trail. I explained where the trail went and where the most probable spots were to meet someone. I really wanted to hear more of her trek but she was off again, being in a bit of a hurry. At least I got to do my Good Deed for the day.

I hope she finds her friend and has a great trek, wherever it's taking her.

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