Ramblings Blog


  The Second Troop Meeting for my Sons

Hello Everyone,Well, just got home from the second Troop meeting with my son's. My oldest who is Special Needs had a great time and his younger brother surprised his Scoutmaster. The Scouts today worked on advancement items for Tenderfoot and once my youngest got his Scout Handbook he cracked it open and started to read through it.He asked his Scoutmaster after the Troop meeting to test him on an additional requirement they didn't cover in... [More]

By: Steve O'Connor On: 2013-07-13

  SM tip - Wrestle With This

A Scoutmaster emailed me with a question the other day. On an outing he couldn’t attend, his Scouts played several games like Indian leg wrestling, after which the assistant Scoutmaster in charge allowed the Scouts to engage in “plain old wrestling.” His question was whether this activity should have been allowed. (I assume the style was more Greco-Roman than WWF!)How would you answer that question—other than making up an answer, of course?Your first stop should... [More]

By: Scott Robertson On: 2013-07-10

  Selecting Axes

This is part two 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 him for allowing us to republish his "Wood Tools" document. AXES“Leave ‘em Home”All too often, a Scout who wants his or her own axe will “take over” an axe which has been sitting in someone’s garage or basement... [More]

By: Scott Robertson On: 2013-07-08

  Special Needs Scouting, What will work best for your Scout

Hello Everyone,PtSteve again here and now Scoutmaster Steve as as Special Needs Scoutmaster. One of the questions we run into much of the time is when is the best time to see if a Special Needs Troop will work best for your Scout. Below are some considerations.If a Special Needs Scout is thriving in his Home/Traditional Troop we would suggest he should stay there. If a Special Needs Scout needs additional help/time/attention in addition than... [More]

By: Steve O'Connor On: 2013-07-06

  Eagle Tip - Old-timers and Uniforms

Eagle courts of honor tend to attract lots of people from the honoree’s (and the troop’s) past, including former Scout leaders. Ceremony planners often wonder whether former Scouts and Scouters should wear their uniforms to courts of honor—and if they’re allowed to do so.Technically, BSA uniforms are only to be worn by registered members. As Article X, Section 4, Clause 1 of the BSA Rules and Regulations explains, “The badges and other official insignia and... [More]

By: Scott Robertson On: 2013-07-03

  Selecting Knives

This is part one of a three part 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 him for allowing us to republish his "Wood Tools" document.Over the years, I have seen many publications which tell the reader how to use a knife, axe or hatchet, or saw; but I have not seen... [More]

By: Scott Robertson On: 2013-07-01

  Simple Wood Tools Safety Rules

I would like to thank Jon Melick in Quincy MA for granting us permission to republish this. High 5...Make sure that your woods tool is sharp and in excellent condition. If it isn’t, fix it. DON’T USE IT ANYWAY. Make sure that nothing is within your “bubble” except you and the wood which you are cutting. Good tool control will do much more for you than sheer muscle ever will. You want to cut wood,... [More]

By: Scott Robertson On: 2013-06-29

  SM Tip - From the Sports Page to the Scoutmaster Minute, Part 2

My previous tip talked about finding Scoutmaster minutes in the sports section of your daily newspaper. Of course, any sportscast on TV is probably good for one or two Scoutmaster minutes, as are shows like ESPN’s SportsCenter.Another great resource is the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which posts sports-themed devotionals at http://fcaresources.com/devotional. One I read recently talked about women’s basketball star Maya Moore’s humility; another addressed the time swimmer Michael Phelps was photographed smoking marijuana.Given the... [More]

By: Scott Robertson On: 2013-06-26

  Announcing the Guide to Advancement 2013

This post was taking from a series on the Scouts-l mailing list. Please let us know what you think, of anything that may be missing or wrong, etc on facebook.Now that I got your attention. Let me introduce you to the new Guide to Advancement 2013. READ ALL THE BULLET POINTS YOU MAY BE SURPRISED!Announcing the Guide to Advancement 2013 Over the past two years, the 2011 Guide to Advancement has proven its worth as... [More]

By: Scott Robertson On: 2013-06-24

  Reflections

Hello Fellow Scouters and Friends,This Scouting year is nearing the end, but beginning of Summer activities and camp. My youngest son has already made Tenderfoot after just bridging into his Troop. The Special Needs Troop the local District asked me to start is gaining traction and taking form.I have been looking at what has worked and what hasn't this Scouting year and I have made decisions to make my Scouting responsibilities more focused. I have... [More]

By: Steve O'Connor On: 2013-06-22


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