Scoutmaster Musings

• Walk 3000 miles - that's 800 on the AZ Trail, 1100 on the Ice Age Trail, and 1100 on conditioning hikes.
• Blog 300 times - this will be the most difficult
• Make 30 new friends - not Facebook friends, real people. I hope to meet them on the trail, at presentations, church, and in business.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of New-Skin for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

This Sunday, a scout that I've known since Tigers will be having his Eagle ceremony. Even though I'm not the scoutmaster any longer, he called and asked if I'd say something at his ceremony. I said, "Sure, what would you like me to say?" :-)

Being fairly literal, he said I could mention how he cut himself three years in a row. That's a running joke between the two of us - three years at summer camp he cut his hand or finger with his pocketknife. I've used him as an example in my wilderness first aid courses and when presenting first aid merit badge.

But, he's not unique in his ability to get injured. With 70 scouts in the troop, we've been fortunate to have no serious injuries, but tons and tons of nicks, scrapes, cuts and small wounds that are great for scouts to practice first aid. I bet you have your share of stories from your scouts, too.

Bandaids get sweaty, dirty, soggy, and just plain gross, especially at camp. Besides that, they really get in the way when doing woodwork, cooking, or knot tying.

Here's three products from New-Skin® that are very useful for common scouting problems.

• Liquid Bandage - a super easy, clean alternative to bandaids. Just paint it over a cut and you're good to go. Keeps out dirt and helps the wound heal. It's also useful for preventing blisters by making a protective layer.before the blister forms.
• Poison Ivy Treatment - a foaming soap that lifts, captures, and removes the oils that cause the rash. It also soothes the itching for quick relief.
• Scar Fade™ Gel - for those injuries that leave a mark. Twice daily application helps minimize the visible scar as the wound heals and is much less intrusive than pads that are often used. I know boys like to show off their scars as they get older (remember Jaws?) but making them less obvious is a good thing.

No matter how careful we are, and how well scouts stay on trails, stuff still happens and having these simple products in your troop first aid kit can make life much better on campouts, hikes, and even at meetings. A 1 ounce bottle takes up little room, but can provide quick, safe care immediately.

There's a cool New-Skin sweepstakes until December 22 where you could win a 4-day adventure. Depending on what you like, it could be the ski slopes of Breckenridge, CO or the warmth of the Botanical Gardens in Atlanta, GA or (my favorite) a hiking trip in Yellowstone! You might need the liquid bandages skiing, but not the poison ivy treatment. In the gardens, the poison ivy treatment might come in handy. But, I'd take them both to Yellowstone.

You must be at least 18 to enter, but it doesn't cost anything.
Please leave a comment here after you enter the contest and say why you want to win the sweepstakes and how you might use New-Skin® products. You can post the url of your sweepstakes page too, if you made one - I'll click on it to give you a vote.

You can get New-Skin® stuff at Wal-Mart and other local drug stores, so it's not a big deal to add them to your home first aid kit, too.

So, you wanna hear the bonus? On Dec. 24, I'll randomly choose one of the comments here from people that entered the sweepstakes and send that person a little whittling knife from whittlerbob.com.

Scout On

• Use a map and compass to eliminate the use of marking paint, rock cairns or flagging.
• Leave rocks, plants and other natural objects as you find them.
• Do not build structures, furniture, or dig trenches.
• Respect other visitors and protect the quality of their experience.