Dec Newsletter

Historic: We consider this item to be historic and as such it may no longer be appropriate for todays Scouts. Please refer to your local scouting policies and use your best judgment.

The December 2013


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InsaneScouter Information


Wow, the end of the year is already upon us. I hope everyone had Happy Holidays, a Merry Christmas and an amazing year, with lots of success and happy memories. As the new year rolls in I wish you all the best including a wonderful, successful, happy Scouting filled year.

The new year will bring many changes to InsaneScouter, which will help make the site easier to use and a better resource for you. I am going to try to roll out one major change every month – so keep your eyes open. 

 

"The most worth-while thing is to try to put happiness into the lives of others."

Sir Robert Baden-Powell, Age 80.
From his last letters, September, 1940.

 


If you have some spare time to help improve InsaneScouter, or just help us copy and paste content from ebooks (we have permission to republish from) into the site please drop us a note at webmaster@insanescouter.org. There are over 30,000 Scouters who use InsaneScouter every month... think about all the Scouts you could be helping...


Lastly, in the 1920 Aids to Scoutmasters Sir Baden Powell says this and I think its a great reminder for all leaders for the coming year.

The Scoutmaster guides the boy in the spirit of an older brother.... He has simply to be a boy-man, that is:

  1. He must have the boy spirit in him: and must be able to place himself in the right plane with his boys as a first step.
  2. He must realise the needs, outlooks and desires of the different ages of boy life.
  3. He must deal with the individual boy rather than with the mass.
  4. He then needs to promote a corporate spirit among his individuals to gain the best results.

 
Happy New Year!!!


New Content

Home > Resources > Ceremonies > Cub Scout

Wonderful Fiesta
CUBMASTER: Tonight, we've had a wonderful fiesta. Fireworks are part of many fiestas. Fireworks also help us to remember our flag.Fireworks remind us of a time when our country was at war and Francis Scott Key waited through the night watching the "rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air."Would the pack please come to attention and join me in singing the Star Spangled Banner.(After the anthem, the color guard can retrieve the colors. The pack is then dismissed.) ...

Home > Resources > The Outdoors

Campfire Magic
Compiled byScouter Stewart Bowman8th Whitby Scout Troop Whitby District Lakeridge Region Ontario, Canada November 1992INTRODUCTIONThe following compilation of "Magic Campfire Starts" has been collected over a period of years and from a variety of resources. Although new methods have been added to this production, the core of ideas was submitted to The Leader magazine in April 1992 and a modified version appeared in print in the October 1992 issue of that magazine.The Leader magazine omitted any of the chemical based...

Home > Resources > The Outdoors > Backpacking & Hiking

Personal Equipment List
  Quantity Equipment Notes 1 1 1 1 Backpack Sleeping Bag Sleeping Pad Ground cloth 2 qts 1 each 1 each Mess Gear Water Bottle Plate, Bowl and Cup Fork and Spoon   1 per trip 1 per trip 1 1 per trip 1 1 1 1 1 1 per trip 1 per trip 1 per trip Clothing Scout Shirt Baseball Cap Tee Shirt Sweat Shirt Jacket Shorts Long Pants Socks Underwear Boots Rain Gear Belt Depends on weather 1 1 1 1 1 Toiletries Toothbrush & Paste Brush and Comb Soap Wash...

Home > Resources > Ceremonies > Flag

Wonderful Fiesta
CUBMASTER: Tonight, we've had a wonderful fiesta. Fireworks are part of many fiestas. Fireworks also help us to remember our flag.Fireworks remind us of a time when our country was at war and Francis Scott Key waited through the night watching the "rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air."Would the pack please come to attention and join me in singing the Star Spangled Banner.(After the anthem, the color guard can retrieve the colors. The pack is then dismissed.) ...

Home > Resources > Activities

Custom Coasters
Personalize your drink coasters with this excellent themed craft. Your kids can customize them for special occasions like New Years, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and more. What you'll need: Graphics software (Avery Kids Printertainment works well) Color printer Avery Kids #03111 Square Stickers Photos, optional Scanner, digital camera, or other means to import a photo into graphics software, optional Con-Tact Paper Cardboard Scissors or craft knife How to make it: Open the graphics software and choose Avery Kids #03111 Square Stickers as the format. Design the coaster to match the celebration that you...

Home > Resources > Boy Scouts

Personal Equipment List
  Quantity Equipment Notes 1 1 1 1 Backpack Sleeping Bag Sleeping Pad Ground cloth 2 qts 1 each 1 each Mess Gear Water Bottle Plate, Bowl and Cup Fork and Spoon   1 per trip 1 per trip 1 1 per trip 1 1 1 1 1 1 per trip 1 per trip 1 per trip Clothing Scout Shirt Baseball Cap Tee Shirt Sweat Shirt Jacket Shorts Long Pants Socks Underwear Boots Rain Gear Belt Depends on weather 1 1 1 1 1 Toiletries Toothbrush & Paste Brush and Comb Soap Wash...

Home > Resources > Activities > Skits

The Grand Fiesta
Fiesta: “Ole, Ole” Mexican: “Si si, Si si” Rocket: “Zoooooo-oom” Castillo: “Ahhhhhhh” Today is the Grand CASTILLO, a special FIESTA day in the village. It is the day that the village honors it’s patron saint, as does every MEXICAN village once each year. In the afternoon, there is a parade up and down the streets. At night the most important part of the FIESTA takes place. All day long everyone waits impatiently for the CASTILLO. CASTILLO really means castle. To...

Home > Resources > Ceremonies > Flag

From Sea To Shining Sea Closing
BOOM!! SIZZLE!! Oooh! Aaah! Don’t you just love a good fireworks display on the Fourth of July? The colors are so beautiful, lighting up the night sky. But did you ever stop to think how boring it would be if all the fireworks were exactly the same? You’d have to sit there in your lawn chair for 20 minutes watching one after the other, every single one being red or...

Home > Resources > Cub Scouts > Webelos

Scout Camp Equipment List
Personal Equipment List Quantity Equipment Notes 1 1 1 1 Backpack Sleeping Bag Sleeping Pad Ground cloth 2 qts 1 each 1 each Mess Gear Water Bottle Plate, Bowl and Cup Fork and Spoon 1 per trip 1 per trip 1 1 per trip 1 1 1 1 1 1 per trip 1 per trip 1 per trip Clothing Scout Shirt Baseball Cap Tee Shirt Sweat Shirt Jacket Shorts Long Pants Socks Underwear Boots Rain Gear Belt...

Home > Resources > Ceremonies > Cub Scout

America Is
CUB #1: America is the sound of fireworks on the Fourth of July.CUB #2: America is the smell of freshly mown lawns on a cool summer night.CUB #3: America is the red-orange hue of the desert sunset.CUB #4: America is the sound of school children at recess.CUB #5: America is the crunch of snow under a child's sled.CUB #6: America is the peal of church bells on a quiet Sunday morning.CUB #7: America is the smell of a country bar-b-que...

Home > Resources > Ceremonies > Flag Closing

From Sea To Shining Sea Closing
BOOM!! SIZZLE!! Oooh! Aaah! Don’t you just love a good fireworks display on the Fourth of July? The colors are so beautiful, lighting up the night sky. But did you ever stop to think how boring it would be if all the fireworks were exactly the same? You’d have to sit there in your lawn chair for 20 minutes watching one after the other, every single one being red or...

Home > Resources > Ceremonies > Flag Closing

Wonderful Fiesta
CUBMASTER: Tonight, we've had a wonderful fiesta. Fireworks are part of many fiestas. Fireworks also help us to remember our flag.Fireworks remind us of a time when our country was at war and Francis Scott Key waited through the night watching the "rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air."Would the pack please come to attention and join me in singing the Star Spangled Banner.(After the anthem, the color guard can retrieve the colors. The pack is then dismissed.) ...

Home > Resources > Leaders > Scoutmaster Minutes

Independence Day
Everybody loves the Fourth of July. In many communities it's a time for parades, fireworks, ball games and picnics. Real fun! But we ought not to forget what the Fourth of July really is - the birthday of our country - because that's when the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776, over 200 years ago. Here's a trick question for you. How many stars were in the US flag on the first Fourth...

Home > Resources > The Outdoors > Backpacking & Hiking

Scout Camp Equipment List
Personal Equipment List Quantity Equipment Notes 1 1 1 1 Backpack Sleeping Bag Sleeping Pad Ground cloth 2 qts 1 each 1 each Mess Gear Water Bottle Plate, Bowl and Cup Fork and Spoon 1 per trip 1 per trip 1 1 per trip 1 1 1 1 1 1 per trip 1 per trip 1 per trip Clothing Scout Shirt Baseball Cap Tee Shirt Sweat Shirt Jacket Shorts Long Pants Socks Underwear Boots Rain Gear Belt...

Home > Resources > Activities > Pre-Openings

Who Am I 2
Have a topic pre-selected such as PARTY. Come up with about 20 related items associated with that topic, example: horn, party hat, favor, balloon, candy, cake, punch, ice cream, music, games, invitations, presents, fireworks, napkins, plates, cups, forks, piñata. Write each item on a slip of paper and as the Scouts arrive, tape a slip with an item on their back (they aren't supposed to see their item). The object of this activity is for each boy to ask questions...

Home > Resources > Ceremonies > Cub Scout

From Sea To Shining Sea Closing
BOOM!! SIZZLE!! Oooh! Aaah! Don’t you just love a good fireworks display on the Fourth of July? The colors are so beautiful, lighting up the night sky. But did you ever stop to think how boring it would be if all the fireworks were exactly the same? You’d have to sit there in your lawn chair for 20 minutes watching one after the other, every single one being red or...

Home > Resources > Ceremonies > Flag Closing

FireWorks
BOOM!! SIZZLE!! Oooh! Aaah! Don’t you just love a good fireworks display on the Fourth of July? The colors are so beautiful, lighting up the night sky. But did you ever stop to think how boring it would be if all the fireworks were exactly the same? You’d have to sit there in your lawn chair for 20 minutes watching one after the other, every single one being red or yellow or green. You’d be ready to go home in...

Home > Resources > Ceremonies > Cub Scout

Hard Work Flag Ceremony
Equipment: American FlagCub #1: When we think of the American Cowboy, we think of long, hard working days. Cub #2: Americans built our country with hard work. Cub #3: In Cub Scouts we learn about the importance of work and service. Cub #4: All workers contribute to the good of society through their labors.Cub #5: Each year our nation honors all workers on Labor Day, the first Monday in September. Cub #6: Some Americans celebrate Labor Day with a rodeo...

Home > Resources > Ceremonies > Flag

America Is
CUB #1: America is the sound of fireworks on the Fourth of July.CUB #2: America is the smell of freshly mown lawns on a cool summer night.CUB #3: America is the red-orange hue of the desert sunset.CUB #4: America is the sound of school children at recess.CUB #5: America is the crunch of snow under a child's sled.CUB #6: America is the peal of church bells on a quiet Sunday morning.CUB #7: America is the smell of a country bar-b-que...

Home > Resources > Ceremonies > Flag Opening

Hard Work Flag Ceremony
Equipment: American FlagCub #1: When we think of the American Cowboy, we think of long, hard working days. Cub #2: Americans built our country with hard work. Cub #3: In Cub Scouts we learn about the importance of work and service. Cub #4: All workers contribute to the good of society through their labors.Cub #5: Each year our nation honors all workers on Labor Day, the first Monday in September. Cub #6: Some Americans celebrate Labor Day with a rodeo...

Home > Resources > The Outdoors > Outdoor Safety

Personal Equipment List
  Quantity Equipment Notes 1 1 1 1 Backpack Sleeping Bag Sleeping Pad Ground cloth 2 qts 1 each 1 each Mess Gear Water Bottle Plate, Bowl and Cup Fork and Spoon   1 per trip 1 per trip 1 1 per trip 1 1 1 1 1 1 per trip 1 per trip 1 per trip Clothing Scout Shirt Baseball Cap Tee Shirt Sweat Shirt Jacket Shorts Long Pants Socks Underwear Boots Rain Gear Belt Depends on weather 1 1 1 1 1 Toiletries Toothbrush & Paste Brush and Comb Soap Wash...

Home > Resources > Ceremonies > Flag

Hard Work Flag Ceremony
Equipment: American FlagCub #1: When we think of the American Cowboy, we think of long, hard working days. Cub #2: Americans built our country with hard work. Cub #3: In Cub Scouts we learn about the importance of work and service. Cub #4: All workers contribute to the good of society through their labors.Cub #5: Each year our nation honors all workers on Labor Day, the first Monday in September. Cub #6: Some Americans celebrate Labor Day with a rodeo...

Home > Resources > Ceremonies > Flag Closing

Fiesta Closing
In Spanish, fiesta means a party with music, wonderful food, dancing, laughter and fireworks. In any language, it means fun. Let us take a moment to reflect on the fun and fellowship we share whenever we’re together, and resolve to continue to do everything we can to give our scouts the chance to have fun while learning and growing....

Home > Resources > Holidays

Significance of January
January, from Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry January is named for Janus (Ianuarius), the god of the doorway; the name has its beginnings in Roman mythology, coming from the Latin word for door (ianua) - January is the door to the year. Traditionally, the original Roman calendar consisted of 10 months, totalling 304 days, winter being considered a monthless period. Around 713 BC, the semi-mythical successor of Romulus, King Numa Pompilius, is supposed to have added the months...
Recipes

Now That's Chili

3 lbs ground chuck
2 lbs chuck roast, cubed
2 large onions, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 can green chilies
2 small fresh jalapenos
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups water
1 can tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
7 tbs chili powder
2 bay leaves
3 tbs cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp beau monde spice
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbs honey
1/2 tsp mole paste
1 tsp beef bouillon
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp corn starch

Heat 1/2 cups olive oil in Dutch oven. Add onions, green pepper, jalapenos, green chilies, and garlic. Sauté until soft. Remove from oven and reserve. Add another 1/2 cups olive oil to oven and heat to very hot. Add meat and brown. Add onion mixture and stir well. Add 3 cups water, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and chili powder. Stir well and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except for corn starch. Mix corn starch with remaining water, bring chili to boil and add slowly while stirring well. Lower *heat, cover oven and slow simmer for 2 hours.


Black Bean Chili Marsala

3 tb Vegetable oil
1 lg Onion, chopped
2 Cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 lb Boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and chopped
1 cn Tomato sauce (29 ounces)
2 cn Tomato paste (6-ounce cans)
1 c Marsala wine *
1 c Water
2 Or 3 cans sliced mushrooms (4-ounce cans), drained
3 To 4 Tbl chili powder
2 ts Seasoned salt
1 ts Freshly ground black pepper
2 cn Black beans (15-ounce cans), undrained
Hot cooked rice
Lime rind strips
Fresh cilantro sprigs

* You can substitute 1 cup of Chablis or other dry white wine plus 1 1/2 tablespoons of brandy for the Marsala.

Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven and cook the onion and garlic over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add the beef, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Marsala, water, mushrooms, chili powder, seasoned salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Add the beans and cook until thoroughly heated. Serve the chili over hot cooked rice. Garnish with strips of lime rind and/or sprigs of fresh cilantro.

Makes 3 quarts.

 

 
Blog

Sing Along for Halloween
Here is a sing along for those who may be doing a Halloween theme pack meeting. It is oneof those echo type song. This is from the Fisher-Price Halloween Sing Along CD.The other day(audience repeat: The other day)I met a...

Scouting Thomas
I recently had the chance to talk with Steve Belkin one of the brilliant minds behind Scouting Thomas, a Scouting & camping related mobile app.What is the Scouting Thomas AppScouting Thomas is an animated app geared toward elementary school aged...

SM Tip - Connect With Special Merit Badge Opportunities
The Scoutmaster’s Other Handbook has always included a section on merit badge programs at museums, and I’ve long maintained that the best counselors are men and women who have a passion for a badge’s subject matter. (Scouters who are a...

Eagle Tip - Picture This, Part 2
My last tip introduced Wikimedia Commons, a source for (usually) free images that you can use in court of honor programs and slideshows. It’s not the only source for free photos online, of course. Another, and my personal favorite, is...

Eagle Tip - Picture This, Part 1
Like most things in our world, Eagle courts of honor have become multimedia affairs in recent years. For example, slick (and easily produced) slideshows do a great job of chronicling the journey new Eagle Scouts have taken since their Cub...

Washing Dishes
Most people are not aware of how to wash dishes while camping. Scouts definitely are not a dishwasher! So they should be aware of how to wash dishes by hand in camp. It is important to practice proper dish washing...

Eagle Scout Scholarships
Are you an Eagle Scout, there are many college grants for you. Being an Eagle Scout Scholar, like any prospective college student, requires a lot of work. For starters, you will need to apply with granting organization.There are many organizations...

SM Tip - A Sense of Wonder
This week, for an upcoming Eagle Scout Magazine article, I had the pleasure of speaking with Mohammed Al-Jumaili, who is apparently the first refugee of the Iraq War to become an Eagle Scout. I also talked with his Scoutmaster, Steve...

Dan Pallotta: The way we think about charity is dead wrong
Todays post comes to us courtesy of the Ted Talks. It is about how we think about charity and "The O Word". The talk is done by activist and fundraiser Dan Pallotta who calls out the double standard that...

The Boy Who Cried Wolf
Recently I was talking with one of my friends daughters, who is six-year-old, about the old fable “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”. As a result she wrote this little story and draw this picture. We also watched the video below,...

Eagle Tip - Going with the Flow
Submitted by James ShepherdDespite your best efforts, something will go wrong at your court of honor. The color guard will put the American flag on the wrong side of the stage, the sound system will produce eardrum-piercing feedback, a presenter...

Selecting Saws
This is part three of a series written by Jon Melick in Quincy MA who is an Eagle Scout, Vigil in the Order of Arrow, and Assistant Scoutmater with Troop 20. I would like to personally thank...
 
Kamp Knots


Used with permission by
Rich Diesslin
www.the-cartoonist.com

KNOTS Cartoons full-color paperback book is here!
Great Gift for Scouts and Scouters!


 
Blogs and Podcasts

Read All Scout News
(Updates Daily)

A Scoutmasters Blog
The Second Patch Blanket Update
It is only five more weeks until Boy Scout Troops and Cub Scout Packs around the country celebrate B.S.A. Scout Anniversary Week. Local units will be setting up displays in...


Issue 377 – December 28, 2013
It’s 9:15 Saturday morning. The Scout should be arriving momentarily; he’s earned Communications merit badge, so I’m hoping his counselor added to his knowledge—but not the requirements—by letting him know...

scoutmastercg.com
Who is Scouting For?
Scouting isn’t easy to get at first, and it never has been. The “small voice” inside us says “this will be great fun, let me at it!”. Our success as...

Scoutmaster Minute
Wrapping up
2013 is coming to an end and as always we tend to reflect on the past year and make promises for the coming year. Wrapping up a year for me always...

fish camp hunt hike
There’s More To Guntersville Than Bass Fishing
By Lawrence Taylor Talk about fishing in north Alabama will reach a crescendo in late February a......

Pinewood Derby Stories and Photos from Maximum Velocity

PINEWOOD DERBY CAR SHOWCASEAlthough this is a break from the "norm", today I am including six photos sent to me by Wade Charlesworth. I know that you will agree...
 

Scout News

Read All Scout News
(Updates Daily)

Boy Scouts of America will start accepting openly gay youths Wednesday
The Boy Scouts of America will accept openly gay youths starting on New Year's Day, a historic change that has prompted the BSA to ponder a host of potential complications...

Boy Scouts to accept gays
The Boy Scouts of America will accept openly gay youths starting on New Year's Day, a historic change that has prompted the BSA to ponder a host of potential complications...

Our Town Events for Jan. 1, 2014
Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains will host Desserts First, a fundraiser featuring local chefs competing to create an original dessert using Girl Scout cookies, from 6 to 8 p.m....

Monterey County Girl Scouts collect coats for needy
How does that old Maurice Chevalier song go? Thank heaven for little Girl Scouts. Cold days and chillier nights on the Central Coast might be a little less teeth-chattering for...

Scouts hold tree pickup in Acton
The Boy Scouts of Troop 5 and the Cub Scouts of Pack 86 will be collecting and disposing of Christmas trees in Acton to raise money for Scouting activities during...

Girl Scouts Create Treasures from Trash
by: Tallie Johnson tjohnson@cbs4qc.com The Girl Scouts of Bettendorf Iowa learned how to turn trash into treasure. In a class taught by the reusable usable staff in Leclaire, girls explored...
 

Thoughts to Ponder

Fresh Start
By Scouter Mom on January 1, 2012 in Character

The New Year is traditionally a time for beginning again. The thoughts below can be used as a Scoutmaster or Cubmaster Minute to encourage Scouts to look forward to a fresh start rather than focusing on the past.
Fresh Start Scoutmaster Minute

Mary Pickford was a Canadian born actress. She was a star in and a producer of the silent movies of old and she had a significant impact on the early film industry. She also had some ideas about what it means to make a fresh start. She once said

If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call ‘failure’ is not the falling down, but the staying down.

We all make mistakes. We can either focus on what we have done in the past or start anew, trying even harder in the future. Just remember that the real failure in life is letting our past mistakes hold us back from doing the good things we are truly capable of.

 



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