Scouting News From InsaneScouter

[News] Its a celebration of scouting history Sarasota HeraldTribune

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 23:54:00 -0700

It's a celebration of scouting historySarasota Herald-TribuneThe show, organized by the Manatee District Southwest Florida Council, celebrates the centennial anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America and the history of ...Go & Do: Sept. 9Bradenton Heraldall 2 news articles »

[News] Its a celebration of scouting history Sarasota HeraldTribune

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 23:54:00 -0700

It's a celebration of scouting historySarasota Herald-TribuneIn the collection are items chronicling the evolution of the Southwest Florida Council's Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts as well as the Eagle Scouts and Troop 10, ...Go & Do: Sept. 9Bradenton Heraldall 2 news articles »

[News] Boy Scouts 100th anniversary marked locally nationally NorthJerseycom

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 22:29:00 -0700

Cincinnati.comBoy Scouts 100th anniversary marked locally, nationallyNorthJersey.comWAYNE – The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) recently celebrated its illustrious 100th anniversary via a nationwide broadcast from the National ...Scout's project beautifies Bargersville parkIndianapolis StarBoy Scouting Turns 100KIMTBoy Scouts Reunion Reflects on Past and Honors LeadersMuskego NowPembroke Mariner & Reporter -Easton Journal -Cincinnati.comall 53 news articles »

[News] Boy Scouts 100th anniversary marked locally nationally NorthJerseycom

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 22:29:00 -0700

Cincinnati.comBoy Scouts 100th anniversary marked locally, nationallyNorthJersey.comWAYNE – The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) recently celebrated its illustrious 100th anniversary via a nationwide broadcast from the National ...Scout's project beautifies Bargersville parkIndianapolis StarPembroke scout celebrated at Court of Honor ceremonyPembroke Mariner & ReporterBoy Scouting Turns 100KIMTCincinnati.com -Muskego Now -Easton Journalall 53 news articles »

[News] Girl Scout project to help RamapoBergen Animal Refuge NorthJerseycom

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 22:29:00 -0700

Girl Scout project to help Ramapo-Bergen Animal RefugeNorthJersey.com... brainchild of Cavallini Middle School eighth-grader Nicole Booth, who is holding the party to meet the requirements for her Girl Scouts Silver Award. ...

[News] Boy Scouts get donation NorthJerseycom

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 22:25:00 -0700

NorthJersey.comBoy Scouts get donationNorthJersey.comRecently, Hillsdale Boy Scout Troop 109 held a fund-raiser with Zocco Ristorante Italiano of Hillsdale making a generous donation to the troop. ...

[News] Child ID kits are Eagle project for Dumont Scout NorthJerseycom

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 22:25:00 -0700

Child ID kits are Eagle project for Dumont ScoutNorthJersey.comNone of the information is kept with the Boy Scouts, the police department or the board of education. The Dumont Child ID kit will contain the information ...

[News] Boy Scouts get donation NorthJerseycom

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 22:25:00 -0700

[News] Child ID kits are Eagle project for Dumont Scout NorthJerseycom

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 22:25:00 -0700

Child ID kits are Eagle project for Dumont ScoutNorthJersey.comHe supported the Cub Scouts at camp between Saturday and Wednesday, and then worked with inner-city kids on Thursdays as part of a Learning for Life program ...

[News] Boy Scouts help out with Pompton Day clean up NorthJerseycom

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:42:00 -0700

Boy Scouts help out with Pompton Day clean upNorthJersey.comThe Cub Scouts pack 9038 volunteered to help clean up on Sept. 6 after Pompton Day took place on Sept. 5 and brought out a large crowd. ...

[News] Boy Scouts help out with Pompton Day clean up NorthJerseycom

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:42:00 -0700

Boy Scouts help out with Pompton Day clean upNorthJersey.comThe Cub Scouts pack 9038 volunteered to help clean up on Sept. 6 after Pompton Day took place on Sept. 5 and brought out a large crowd. ...

[News] United Ways Volunteers Help Clean Sandscrest Scout Camp Wheeling Intelligencer

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:29:00 -0700

United Way's Volunteers Help Clean Sandscrest Scout CampWheeling IntelligencerI would have never expected this type of turnout of volunteers and this amount of work done to benefit the Boy Scouts of America," said Robert Drury, ...and more »

[News] United Ways Volunteers Help Clean Sandscrest Scout Camp Wheeling Intelligencer

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:29:00 -0700

[News] Student combines JROTC scouting Savannah Morning News

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:27:00 -0700

Student combines JROTC, scoutingSavannah Morning NewsRHHS JROTC Cadet Cpl. Beau Corbin stands next to the overhead ladder he and members of Boy Scout Troop 400 built as part of Corbin's Eagle Scout project. ...and more »

[News] Student combines JROTC scouting Savannah Morning News

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:27:00 -0700

[News] Boy Scouts Murphy Monitor

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:10:00 -0700

Boy Scouts!Murphy MonitorEvent Details: Boy Scouts will have a Join Scouting Night for Dodd, Hartman, Smith, Tibbals, Watkins, and McClendon Elementary on September 9th at 7 pm Cub ...

[News] Boy Scouts Murphy Monitor

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:10:00 -0700

Boy Scouts!Murphy MonitorEvent Details: Boy Scouts will have a Join Scouting Night for Dodd, Hartman, Smith, Tibbals, Watkins, and McClendon Elementary on September 9th at 7 pm Cub ...

[News] Second town hall scheduled to discuss future of Joy Hollow Girl Scout Camp KTIV

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:12:00 -0700

Second town hall scheduled to discuss future of Joy Hollow Girl Scout CampKTIVSIOUX CITY, Iowa (KTIV) -- The land is not for sale, but the Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa say they are still in the information gathering stage as to the ...

[News] Girl Scouts to hold annual open house on Saturday Sept 11 Conroe Courier

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:07:00 -0700

Girl Scouts to hold annual open house on Saturday, Sept. 11Conroe CourierStart by attending Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council's (GSSJC) annual open house Saturday, Sept. 11, from 10 am to 3 pm to learn about the endless ...Girl Scouts set open meetingsSt. James LeaderHingham Girl Scouts to hold membership driveHingham JournalGirl Scouts host open housesIssaquah PressUltimate Kingwood (blog)all 7 news articles »

[News] Sherborn Cub Scout registration Wicked Local Sherborn

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:51:00 -0700

Kuna Melba NewsSherborn Cub Scout registrationWicked Local SherbornBy Anonymous Sherborn Cub Scouts Pack 10 will be holding registration at the Sherborn Community Center (the 1858 Town House, 2 Sanger St.) on Saturday, ...Cub Scout Pack 681 Hosts Back-to-Scouting NightFalls Church News PressCub Scout pack wants new membersChesterfield Observer (subscription)Sign-up event for Shakopee Area Cub Scouts is Sept. 15Shakopee Valley NewsTriValley Central -Wilkes Barre Times-Leader -Tri County Leaderall 15 news articles »

[News] Washington GOP Candidate Feels That Girl Scouts Are Lesbian Feminist Training Lez Get Real

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:08:00 -0700

Washington GOP Candidate Feels That Girl Scouts Are Lesbian Feminist Training ...Lez Get RealRepublican House candidate Hans Zeiger certain has some interesting views about, well, just about everything, including the Girl Scouts of America. ...House Candidate Says Girl Scouts Just Want To Fingerbang Some Commie 'GinaWonkette (satire) (blog)all 2 news articles »

[Blog] Tech Tips Gear Happy Feet

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:07:00 -0700

Illustration by Jamie Givens It’s this simple: sore feet and neglected shoes lead to poor performance. Climbing your best means paying attention to footwork before the rubber touches rock. Revive your footwork in three steps: get the right rock shoes, treat those shoes like your firstborn, and give your feet some TLC along the way. See? Your edging is looking better already. FIND THE RIGHT SHOES Choosing rock shoes is about as easy as getting up 5.14. Every company uses different lasts (the molds used to give rock shoes their fi nal shape), as well as different sizing. Some shoes will stretch and conform to your foot over time, while others won’t. Add to that the array of fi ts for the various types of climbing, and you have quite a puzzle on your hands… er, feet. Before shopping, first decide what type of climbing you plan to do most in the shoes. Then, get a good night’s sleep, hydrate thoroughly, and prepare to spend an afternoon trying on numerous pairs and brands of shoes, while asking the store rep many questions. For crack climbing or all-day routes, fit on the comfy side and pick a shoe designed to let your toes lie relatively flat. For hard face climbing on short routes, go for a tighter fit and a shoe that coaxes your toes into a crunched position, which will give you more power to push off small edges and pockets. Color sometimes matters, too: If you climb long routes in the hot sun, think twice before buying a dark-colored shoe. And “cut your damn toenails before you try on rock shoes,” says Winston Voigt of Neptune Mountaineering. In fact, carefully trimmed toenails always make climbing feet happier. CLEAN UP TO STICK ON Once you’ve picked the perfect rock shoes, don’t stand around in the dirt in them. Dirty rubber soles lose their stickiness and wear fast, so, at the very least, give your shoes a wipe between burns. Tote a hand towel or carpet scrap in your pack to lay out like a doormat below routes. At home, wipe down the soles with rubbing alcohol on a rag to revive the rubber’s grip. GET SOME AIR “A rotten, nasty smell can be an indication that the leather is actually decaying,” says Eric Pauwels, owner of Rock & Resole in Boulder, explaining that this often happens when moisture builds up under the rand. Don’t stow sweaty shoes in your pack when you get home. At the crag, take off your shoes between climbs to let feet and shoes dry. You can even take off shoes at belays on multi-pitch climbs (clip them in!). If it’s hot, don’t leave shoes out in the sun, and keep your feet shaded while belaying. Cool feet are comfortable feet PREEMPTIVE MAINTENANCE Before your next crack attack, Pauwels suggests painting a bit of “rubber putty” onto worn spots of your shoes. Made of liquid urethane and rubber particles, the putty (such as Five Ten Stealth Paint) helps shoes weather the shredding that crack climbing unleashes. The same product can be used on the shoe’s upper; keep some putty in your pack to doctor impromptu blowouts. COOL THE HOT SPOTS Despite your best efforts, the repeated act of forcing your feet into tight shoes may take its toll. “The biggest foot problems climbers have are associated with compression and friction,” says Dr. Thomas Shonka, attending podiatrist at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine. Spot-stretching can help climbers with these and other issues (such as swollen nerves caused by repetitive movement) made worse by restrictive shoes. Any shoe-repair or ski-boot shop should be able to make the modifi cations. Dr. Shonka also recommends silicone pads to alleviate pain caused by hot spots. “You want to be sure to put more pressure around a pressure point than over it,” he says. In other words, encircle problem spots in little doughnuts of relief. KILL THE STINK It’s only natural that hot feet stuffed into airtight rubber tombs will start to smell like dead animals, but having your $150 rock shoes turn into a potential health hazard is no fun. Rock & Resole, which deals with stinky rock shoes on a daily basis, uses an odorcide spray to make less-than-pleasant shoes bearable. Anne-Worley Moelter, owner of Movement Climbing + Fitness, relies on an antifungal powder spray to keep the rock gym’s rental shoes sanitary. For shoes with really bad odor problems, Moelter runs them through the washing machine. Moelter’s final tip is to stick dryer sheets in your shoes to keep them smelling Downy fresh. Your friends will thank you, and maybe they’ll start climbing with you again. Kate Nelson, a Boulder-based freelance writer, used to have a foot fetish until she started hanging out with climbers. By Kate Nelson / Illustration by Jamie Givens

[News] Register for Easton Girl Scouts on Sept 27 at Easton Library Easton Courier

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:07:00 -0700

Register for Easton Girl Scouts on Sept. 27 at Easton LibraryEaston CourierRegistration for the Girl Scouts of Connecticut in Easton will take place Monday, Sept. 27, from 6 to 6:30 pm, at the Easton Public Library community room, ...

[News] Girl scouts recognize award winners Eden Prairie News

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:59:00 -0700

Cincinnati.comGirl scouts recognize award winnersEden Prairie NewsThe Eden Prairie service units of Prairie Star and Prairie Sun of the Girls Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys recognized several the girls who ...Girl Scout Leaders Sued Over Missing Cookie DoughNBC MiamiGirls invited to Girl Scout registration eventRedwood TimesBook honoring Girl Scouts' friend to be releasedStatesville Record & LandmarkTexarkana Gazette -Westwood Press -Greeley Tribuneall 53 news articles »

[News] Milford girl scouts host art show Milford Daily News

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:22:00 -0700

Milford girl scouts host art showMilford Daily NewsBy Anonymous The Milford Girl Scout Troop #30290 will host an art show on Sept. 26, at the Milford Youth Center, 24 Pearl St. Participants will be able to ...and more »

[News] News 46 interviews Pahrump Boy Scouts About Flag Retirement

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:18:00 -0700

News 46 interviews Don McDougall Troop Leader of Pahrump Boy Scouts and Threodore Ward Local Boy Scout about properly disposing American Flags.

[Blog] Seattle Area Upcoming OutdoorsFest

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 10:36:00 -0700

If you live in the area you might consider attending The Mountaineers OutdoorFest this coming September 18th in Seattle. This is a first time event and looks like it could be fun – from a backcountry cooking contest to a kids gear swap, vendors and more. PS: Cat and I will be there for the cooking contest, so come say hi! ~Sarah

[News] Cub Scout Pack 681 Hosts BacktoScouting Night Falls Church News Press

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:49:00 -0700

Kuna Melba NewsCub Scout Pack 681 Hosts Back-to-Scouting NightFalls Church News Press16, Falls Church Cub Scout Pack 681 will hold its annual Back-to-Scouting Night. The evening will be filled with fun, games, crafts and a demonstration of ...Cub Scout pack wants new membersChesterfield Observer (subscription)Cub Scout open house Sept. 10The LandmarkCub Scouts at the CommWilkes Barre Times-LeaderWilson County Newsall 15 news articles »

[Blog] Food Review Justins Chocolate Hazelnut Butter

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 08:43:00 -0700

I love Justin’s Nut Butters, having been a long time fan of them…I have to say it was embarrassing to realize I had not tried any of the 3 chocolate flavors. Like how did that happen? How did I pass over chocolaty goodness? Well I made sure to remedy that this week I picked up some of the Chocolate Hazelnut Butter, in the always convenient single serving packs. What is nice is it takes less kneading than the traditional nut butters require, it is also more fluid so it comes out of the packet easily with no ‘left behinds’. Justin’s is a ‘natural’ style product meaning that it will separate over time. As I opened the packet I wondered what the texture would be like compared to a certain other chocolate hazelnut spread. What one notices right away is that they are not at the same. Justin’s has texture, a pleasing finely ground nut texture. It is also nowhere as sweet. I have always used Nutella© as a dessert item, perfect for topping cupcakes and going between cakes, or dipping fruit into it. Where as the Justin’s I could see it on sammies or on wraps. The lower sweetness makes it easier to eat bigger amounts. It is also dairy free, which Nutella© isn’t and also is gluten free. It is good stuff, it would be great on a wrap as mentioned, with a sprinkling of granola and a sliced banana. It is also wonderful stirred into rice pudding (hot or cold). And best of all the packets are slowly but surely showing up in mainstream grocery stores making it easier to find. ~Sarah

[Blog] Cub Scout Outdoor Activity Award

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 04:00:00 -0700

If your Cub Scouts attended day camp or resident camp over the summer, you might want to encourage them to work on their Cub Scout Outdoor Activity Award.

[News] Northern Star Council Base Camp Open House and Dedication

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 22:44:00 -0700

On Saturday, October 2, between 12:00 noon and 4:00 PM, Northern Star Council’s Base Camp will host an open house and dedication to give visitors a look inside and a taste of the tremendous program opportunities it offers to our Scouting family and all youth groups. This is the first Northern Star Council camp to open in more than 20 years, and a great kickoff to our second century! You are invited and encouraged to attend this exciting event! The Open House will be a much casual event with no preregistration or fee. Car pooling is recommended, with some participants already planning to arrive by light rail, bicycle, hiking and even by canoe. Northern Star Council hopes to see you there! Base Camp Open House/Dedication •Tours of all the facilities •Demonstrations of all program areas •Opportunities to try out some of the climbing spaces •Brief dedication and recognition ceremony from 1:00 – 1:20 PM •Additional Program Opportunities with our Base Camp Neighbors including •Free Admission to historic Fort Snelling •National Park Service “Bike with a Ranger” •Sales of Centennial History Books and centennial items Learn more about Northern Star Council’s Base Camp at http://www.basecamp2010.org/ Source: Northern Star Council

[News] Girl Scouts to host chocolate fundraiser Hilton Head Island Packet

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:13:00 -0700

Girl Scouts to host chocolate fundraiserHilton Head Island PacketGirl Scouts of Eastern South Carolina's annual "Death By Chocolate: A Chocolate and Champagne Affair" fundraiser will be held from 7 to 9 pm Sept. ...

[News] Girl Scouts to honor inspiring women Bakersfield Californian

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:09:00 -0700

Girl Scouts to honor inspiring womenBakersfield CalifornianWayne, who participated in Girl Scouts as a Brownie "a thousand years ago" praised the organization's emphasis on being goal-oriented. ...

[News] Junior Girl Scout badge activities Earth Connections Helium

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:59:00 -0700

Junior Girl Scout badge activities: Earth ConnectionsHeliumThe 'Earth Connections' Junior Girl Scout badge was created to teach young girls more about the world around them, specifically the ...and more »

[Blog] El Paso Boy Scout saves his teacher from oncoming car

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:06:00 -0700

At Scouting magazine, we hear a lot of stories about heroic Scouts, but they never get old. That's why we wanted to share with you the story of Fernando Espinosa, a Boy Scout from El Paso, Tex., who pushed his teacher out of the path of an oncoming car near his high school. Fernando's teacher suffered a broken foot but says that she's alive thanks to him.Fernando didn't make it out of the way, though, and the car hit him, throwing him into the windshield and injuring his head and knee. He's recovering well, and this week he'll receive the Honor Medal with Crossed Palms (left) for his bravery. The medal, one of the rarest in Scouting, is given in "exceptional cases to a youth member or adult leader who has demonstrated unusual heroism and extraordinary skill or resourcefulness in saving or attempting to save life at extreme risk to self." The medal was first awarded in 1938, and only 231 have been given through the end of 2009.Read the full story about Fernando in the El Paso Times.

[Blog] Food Find Granola Thins

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:01:00 -0700

Came across Nature Valley’s Granola Thins, found with the granola bars in most grocery stores. Think of traditional crispy Nature Valley style granola bars, only very thin and the bottoms coated in Dark Chocolate or Peanut Butter. They are not a huge snack, at around 80 to 90 calories each but are easy to snack on, think 2-3 bites each. Being flat they tuck into a food bag easily but the downside is the coating can and will get soft in heat. Consider them for cool weather trips. ~Sarah

[News] Belarusian Republican Scout Association BRSA becomes a member of World Scouting

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:25:00 -0700

The World Organization of the Scout Movement is happy to announce that Belarusian Republican Scout Association (BRSA has become the 161st Member Organization with effect from 5 September 2010.

[Blog] The EDGE Method

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 04:00:00 -0700

The EDGE method is useful for anyone trying to teach another person a skill. So it is not only for Boy Scouts, but for Cub Scout leaders also.

[Blog] The power of the internet Thanks a hundred and six thousand

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 21:59:00 -0700

Now I am no Al Gore and certainly not as popular as Adam Carolla, in that I did not invent the internet and I don't get Thousands of downloads a day but what a handful of us have done is tapped into this internet fad and turned it into something positive in the Scouting community. I started Blogging on the 18th of July of 2007. The Podcast went live on March 3rd, 2008 and the rest they say is History in the making.. I suppose. I mean, its not about numbers and pats on the back, its about helping deliver the promise of Scouting and sharing this great organization that I love so very much. The fact of the matter is that it does reach out and touch folks. I can not tell you how much email I get about the blog and podcast and for the most part it is all great stuff. I rarely check numbers and oh and ah over how well the blog and podcast are doing, the truth of the matter is that I am always afraid I am going to see real bad numbers. Tonight I was messing around and checked out the numbers from my feedburner account. Now this won't count number from iTunes (I think), but it really doesn't matter. 106,009 downloads of the SMM podcast as of yesterday! Wow.. I am amazed. I would love to be able to pull those numbers monthly, but I will leave that up to Adam Carolla! We are reaching out and making a difference in Scouting.. and that is all the pat on the back I need. It will surely keep me doing this long into the future. Thanks Al, for inventing the internet and thank you all for listening and reading the blog! I really appreciate it! Have a Great Scouting Day!

[Blog] Food Find Lindsays Snackers Olives

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 17:22:00 -0700

I came across these last week – and yowza! They are addicting! Lindsay Snackers Olives – they come 4 small cans per box. Each can has a pop-top opening and is one person sized. Just drain off the small amount of brine and enjoy. The Garlic flavor is fantastic, even more so in dishes, they would be great used on Last Minute Pizzas. ~Sarah

[Blog] Think Outside the Cache

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 12:51:00 -0700

If you have done any amount of geo caching at all, you are familiar with finding cache in film canisters, prescription bottles, snap top or screw lid containers, and disguised with tan, black or camo duct tape. They’re in the hole at the base of the tree, dangling off the limb, stuffed behind the post, or under the lamp post cover. Occasionally though, you come across a really tough one. A couple of examples are one that was hidden in the pine straw in a pine forest with no clues. Another was one I found just yesterday, very cleverly disguised as the lock on a metal door. Brilliant! Don’t get me wrong, any find is a fun find, but those you have to search harder for are the ones you remember. Right? I challenge you to take it up a notch when you go to place your cache. Look around on the web for ideas. There are cache stores as well as some only found on ebay. One such site, I had a fun time on today, was the Caching Containers store. I started off looking at a bid they had on ebay and from there, I spent an hour browsing their selections. They have your traditional stock as well as several natural looking containers that will make even the most experienced seekers scratch their head.

[Blog] 5 Days to Webelos Wodds 2010

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 04:24:00 -0700

Labor Day, now marks 5 days away from the Webelos Woods event that I have spent months to plan with my scout friends Shawn Cleary, Bob Hawkins, and Pat Laes. The event, which will be held on Sat. Sept. 11, will host Webelos scouts participating in a wide variety of events for Naturalist, Outdoorsman, Forester, and Readyman as well as allow them to learn about cooking over the campfire in a mock boy scout camp setting. The preparations are in place and the staff were selected and all that will be working are, what I call the "A" listers of the District," and each member offers their personal touch to the program which will guarantee a quality program for the event. Things are set to go, and although being extremely nervous, I want this event to be over. The anticipation is like being a child again and waiting Christmas Day with presents around the tree and it's only June. It is tough to wait it out. This year's event will work out and the boys should gain a lot of information but still it's the wait that is killing me. I would like to thank the staff that has agreed to step up and help at this event as this would never even fly had it not been for your dedication.Thanks for everything in advance (in case I should forget on Sat.).

[Blog] American Labor Merit Badge

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 04:00:00 -0700

Labor Day marks the end of summer, but it is also a good excuse to introduce the American Labor merit badge to your Scouts.

[News] Scouts of the World in Egypt is helping to protect World Heritage

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 03:55:00 -0700

The Egyptian Federation for Scouts and Girl Guides has run 3 Scouts of the World Discoveries in 3 Environment protected areas. These discoveries was through 3 years (2008 – 2010) as part of the Egyptian trial for the Scouts of the World Programme. The initiative came from a cooperation between the Sea Scouts in Cairo and Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) as main partners along with Cairo International Scout Centre and Faculty of Agriculture in Ain Shams University. In this regard, The Egyptian Federation for Scouts and Girl Guides accredited the Sea Scout Centre in Cairo (Hares) as the first Scouts of the World Base in Egypt.

[News] Scouts of the World in Egypt is helping to protect World Heritage

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 03:55:00 -0700

[Blog] Scouting Video of the Week September 5 2010

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 12:43:00 -0700

In this week’s video Buttons the Radical Boy Scout answers the questions of some cub scouts. Enjoy!

[Blog] Red Skeltons Pledge of Allegiance

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 09:30:00 -0700

[News] Cub Scouts Earn the Marks in Video Games

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 09:02:00 -0700

Check out this news story about the Video Game Belt Loop featuring Scouts from Last Frontier Council. One of the few positive and factually correct stories about the addition of the Video Game Belt Loop. Props to their Marketing Director Chris Daughtrey (@ChrisLDaughtrey). Video may be the last thing to load… You can read a transcript of the video here: http://www.news9.com/global/story.asp?s=13102321

[Blog] There Aint No Flies on Me

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 04:00:00 -0700

We have always done this as a cheer with two groups. The idea is to see which group can be the louder. This makes a fun activity for a Pack meeting or a campfire program.

[Blog] Tiger Den Meeting Plan for Bobcat Badge

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 04:00:00 -0700

When a new Tiger den is formed, the first advancement step is for them to earn their Bobcat badge. This den meeting plan also throws in some other fun

[Blog] Commercial Meal Review SW Black Beans and Corn Salad

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:55:00 -0700

For lunch yesterday Kirk, Ford and I sampled PackItGourmet’s Southwest Black Beans and Corn Salad. Photo © Kirk Kirkconnell. In the bag is the veggies, tortilla chips, dressing packet, oil and vinegar packets: Photo © Kirk Kirkconnell. The meal offers a couple ways to prepare it – first is a cold prep where you add cold water and let it sit for a couple hours to rehydrate. Great for backpacking – simply do this mid morning and by lunch you will be feasting. Second is to use hot (not boiling) water and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes, then let it cool down or you can do it as a hot meal and use hot water and eat hot. The hot meal isn’t on the package, that was my “hey…this should work” theory and it came out perfect. Hah! I used a cozy to insulate the meal – PIG meals fit in our quart FBC cozies well. Easy to do, simply add the dry ingredients into the larger outer bag with 1 cup water and the packets, Seal tightly and knead gently to mix up, then set aside. After a good 15 minutes I gave it a good stir and divvied it up between us. We had it with the sausage I talked about earlier, to round out the meal. It has excellent flavor! Zingy, tart and the tortilla chips add crunch to the meal. It would make a very hearty single serving (I know it would be too much for me – Ford could eat it all) and it passed the Ford test with flying colors. I would also consider serving it over rice or couscous for a hearty dinner, the sauce of the salad would work well with it. ~Sarah

[Blog] Checking Out Glacier Basin

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:29:00 -0700

Years ago, in 2003, (has it been that long??) when we had first moved to this area, Ford and I checked out The Glacier Basin Trail at Mt. Rainier NP early in the season. We had been turned back by snow maybe a mile short. Mostly due to me postholing so bad I was lucky I didn’t snap my leg. So instead we backtracked and went down to the junction for the Emmons Moraine Trail, crossed the Inter River and went exploring. Ford and I back in 2003 – he was 5 at the time: It was good we did it back then – we never got back…other trails called to us. Then in 2006 both trails disappeared after the flooding. A “trail” was picked through to Glacier Basin, through the river bed, so that climbers could get access. The WTA (Washington State Trails) stepped in to help the realization of a new trail that would be permanent. Read this link to see what was going on last summer in 2009. The first third or so is done now and is an absolute dream to hike on. The trail begins as the old one did, the parking being at the picnic area/climbers parking lot near the end of the White River Campground Rd. You have to road walk a tiny bit and then jig through a path in the woods where you come across the trailhead sign. The new trail pulls up above the river, getting out of the flood path. It is so smooth and evenly graded that you can walk without looking down. No twigs, roots or rocks! Well built bridges cross the streamlets pouring down. Kirk and Walker before we got on the trail: Ford and Kirk: Walker and I in the woods: Ford hanging out, he was carrying the gear for both him, Walker and I…nice to have the help! After a lovely mile or so in the woods you start getting views of the mountain: About where the trail used to hook off to the left to Emmons Moraine is this open area: The good trail ends here, where the trail clips down the Inter Fork River. It is flagged and you skim the side on the rocks. There is though a whole new section of trail being built here, it isn’t open yet and we passed a worker. You can see right before the water where the new trail will switchback to go up and around this area. We followed the flagging (yellow and pink ribbon) and kept going. But realized that while I could go uphill coming back downhill with the baby strapped on to me was not so easy. The trail here is a rough boot path, zagging through the woods and boulder fields. So we didn’t make it. Oh well! Going to where it clips the side of the Inter is a lovely turn around. When the work is finally done this trail will be as nice or nicer than Summerland. Even then, it offers views and more without the crowds that swarm Summerland, just down the road. We headed back and had a picnic in the trees above the White River, along the Wonderland Trail. A last look at Rainier from the river bed: ~Sarah

[Blog] Food FindMesquite Smoked Dried Sausage

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 08:55:00 -0700

In our lunch yesterday was a pack of Mesquite Smoked Sausage from PackItGourmet. We enjoyed it as an appetizer before lunch, Ford doing the slicing up: A pleasant chewy texture and a mild flavor. No greasy aftertaste either. This is great snacking sausage, diced up it would be great added to a pasta or rice dish as well. ~Sarah

[News] A new Communication training area

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 04:24:00 -0700

A new area for training opens today on Scout.org, for all the communication responsibles of the Scout Movement. The organization of the second series of regional communication Fora allowed to reinforce the training programme of those responsible for Communication in the Scout Movement. Derived from the Scout.Boom.Comm method, a series of modules have been created to accompany you in all the stages of elaboration and implementation of your future strategy.

[Blog] Banana Wheels Recipe

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 04:00:00 -0700

Cub Scouts can make this snack at home for themselves or it would work as a snack at a den meeting.

[News] USNS Comfort Hosts Boy Scouts During Baltimore Navy Week

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:35:00 -0700

More than five hundred Boy Scouts and parents arrived aboard the USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) Aug. 30 for a tour of the hospital ship during Baltimore Navy Week 2010. The Boy Scouts of America are celebrating their 100th anniversary this year and welcomed the opportunity to learn about the Comfort’s mission and abilities. “Both organizations promote strong character and leadership,” said Scout Master Chip Galloway, of Troop 944 from Ellicott City, Md. “Touring this ship gives our boys a sense of what their Navy is doing on a day to day basis.” During a quarterdeck address and ceremony, Rear Adm. Scott A. Weikert, deputy commander, 1st Naval Construction Division, addressed the Scouts directly and highlighted the link between Boy Scouts and the Navy. “The Boy Scout oath of honor, duty, courage jumps out at me because it so closely parallels the Navy core values of honor, courage and commitment,” said Weikert. “To each of the scouts here today, I hope you realize how unique and special you are in today’s society. You have chosen a path filled with learning that others can only dream about.” Following Weikert’s speech, Ethan Draddy, chief executive officer and scout executive of the Boy Scouts, also spoke to the Scouts and Comfort’s crew. “I can’t think of a finer group of men and women to be with than the Sailors of the U.S. Navy,” said Draddy. “I want our Boy Scouts to grow up and be just like you. We need you to be ambassadors for scouting. Congratulations on a great Navy Week.” After his speech, Draddy then awarded the Boy Scouts of America’s 100th anniversary sterling silver dollar commemorative coins to Capt. David K. Weiss, Comfort’s commanding officer; Weikert; and retired Navy Vice Adm. James A. Sagerholm, of Timonium, Md. Following lunch, the Boy Scouts went below deck to view Comfort’s floating 1,000 bed medical capabilities and operating rooms. “The tour was fun, and I learned a lot,” said Boy Scout Peter Lay, from Columbia, Md. “I think it’s great that people are willing to serve in the Navy to protect us from people who can harm us.” Baltimore Navy Week 2010 is one of 20 Navy Weeks planned across America this year. Navy Weeks show Americans the investment they have made in their Navy and increase awareness in cities that do not have a significant Navy presence. For more news from Navy Office of Community Outreach, visit www.navy.mil/local/navco/. Story by: Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Pat Migliaccio, Navy Office of Community Outreach Public Affairs

[Podcast] MSPP 92 The Leaders Of Scouting Hanson

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:00:00 -0700

Part one of this five part series features Mary H., a mother of a Boy Scout who also went through the Cub Scout program. This series is from the "Women Of Scouting" show filmed in 1989.

[Blog] When you have built it did they come

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:00:00 -0700

As promised in the last post, we are going to wrap up this topic with a few FAQs that I have received relating to recruiting and building the program. It is fair to say that the last few blog posts have hardly scratched the surface of this subject and that working toward building and maintaining a great Scouting program is on going and lots of work. The key is that the Scouts own the process and have great support from all of the adults of the unit. That would include the Committee, Scoutmaster and Assistants, and parents. So here you go. Question #1. What if your unit is just starting out and the Scouts are not mature enough or old enough to take on this level of planning? Good question, the simple answer is this, train them. Be a mentor through the process. Make lots of suggestions but allow the final decisions to be theirs. Newer Scouts may not be able to articulate what they want and certainly may not have the planning experience of older Scouts, but they do know what they want out of Scouting. They want adventure, they are looking for a challenge, and even though they won't admit it, they are looking to learn something. So training the young Patrol Leaders Council is critical. Question #2. What do I do about my unit that wants to do the same old stuff year after year? This may not be all the problem you see it as. Remember, this is their program. If they are happy doing the "same old stuff" and that is what they are planning, then let them do it. OK... you really didn't think I would let that one that easy now did you? Ask yourself this. Are the Scouts having fun? Is the unit losing membership? Is the unit gaining new members? What are your older Scouts doing? The first few questions are the easy ones, the last one is important. If your older Scouts are engaged, having fun and sticking around, then what they are doing is what they want to do. No matter how boring or unexciting that is to you. On the other hand, if they are not engaged, not having fun, and not sticking around, then you have a problem and I would suggest a few things. First. Get a copy of the Troop Program Resource Books. Introduce it to your Patrol Leaders Council and allow them to use it in planning. Second. Show up at the next planning session with a number of things (places, activities etc) that you think they would be interested in. Give them to the Senior Patrol Leader and say something like, hey check out this stuff I found, it may in neat to see or do. Chances are they may work it into the plan. Finally. Get some help from folks in your area. A local climbing outfitter, the local Scuba shop, a rancher near by that may allow the Scouts to come and ride horses or camp on his land. Bring in guests to the meetings that talk about adventure and Scouting. Use these resources to light a fire in the Scouts you have. When they see the endless possibilities that Scouting offers, they may just jump on it and work it all into their plan. Question #3. How do you work advancement into the plan? Advancement is one of the eight methods to achieve the aims of Scouting. Using the Troop Program Resource books is a great help because it outlines throughout each activity what advancement opportunities are available in the out come of each plan. That is a great place to start. I am not a big fan of using meeting time to work on merit badges or rank, but setting some time aside each week is a good idea. When it comes to the planning part though, here is the suggestion that I make to the PLC. Make it one of the Troops goals in the plan. Then come up with a plan, hopefully at the Patrol level to complete the goal. For example; The goal is that everyone in the Patrol earns at least one rank or merit badge this year. Don't get so hung up on advancement that you forget about a great program. Advancement comes when the Scouts are engaged and having fun. Participation is what you need to look for. When they are participating, they will advance. Ok that will do it for this post. Thanks for the questions that were emailed to me regarding this subject. You can email me and ask questions as much as you like. Send your email to: tbirdironchef@gmail.com Have a Great Scouting Day!

[Blog] Recruiting New Boy Scouts

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 -0700

We know of a number of middle school students who are not currently involved in Scouting. So this is a good time of year to try to recruit them into the Troop.

[News] Navy Marines Support Centennial Celebration Hosts Record Number

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 22:11:00 -0700

Naval Support Activity Washington (NSAW) and elements of the U.S. Marine Corps, Navy Leadership Training Site Washington and the future Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling,recently supported Boy Scouts from across the country, converging on the nation’s capital to celebrate the Centennial anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America. Nearly 800 scouts and adult leaders from 16 states, came to NSAW’s Naval Support Facility Anacostia from July 22 to Aug. 6, to visit the scout exhibit in the shadow of the Washington Monument and to watch or participate in the Centennial parade in Washington and attend the 2010 Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill, Va. Each evening, an average of 131 scouts, stayed at the NSF. Nearly 400 were housed the nights before and after the anniversary parade, held on July 25, according to an official report. “We had many more requests than we could safely accommodate,” an NSAW community relations official stated. During the day, scouts toured the DC area, Navy Museum and Display Ship USS Barry at NSAW’s Washington Navy Yard and visited Fort A.P. Hill. Area newspapers, websites and television news reports included images of scouts visiting Congressional representatives, touring the Navy Yard, Capitol Hill, Union Station, the monuments in Washington, Arlington National Cemetery and other sites. “They were everywhere,” NSAW Executive Officer Cmdr. Phillip Raimondo proudly observed. Military installations, including the NSF, have a long history of providing support for scouts during their National Jamboree, held every five years. This time, the number of military installations with available berthing space, showers and mess facilities has since declined, as many military personnel have shifted to off-base housing and installations adopted leaner budgets. Making a memorable experience “When it became clear that none of the other area military installations were able to host the scouts, we redoubled our efforts to overcome the many challenges posed. We wanted to assist as many scouts as possible and help make their Centennial a memorable one,” Raimondo said. The planning, cooperation between various offices in NSAW, JBAB, the Judge Advocate General’s office, Navy, Marines, DOD, local and national Boy Scout offices and the resulting implementation efforts, resulted in a record number of scouts from as far away as California and including a group who bicycled some 2,000 miles, over a period of weeks, being able to participate in the once-in-a-lifetime event. Jerry Judd, a scout leader in Goldsboro, N.C., commented, “Thank you for [helping] make the Centennial Jamboree a success.” Bruce M. White, the mentor of the 2000-mile Cycling the Loop Adventure, said, “Our cycling event was a huge success. We certainly appreciated the hospitality. It was great to spend the morning biking to DC from Annapolis; the afternoon hiking in the parade and knowing we had a place to stay when the day was done.” In spite of a record breaking heat wave, reaching 105-degrees, coinciding with the parade, there were no injuries, illnesses or other emergencies reported at any time during the scouts’ stay. In case of emergency, 59 U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps personnel, many from the WNY-based Henry E. Mooberry Division, trained and equipped to provide, first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, firefighting, emergency communications, incident management and crowd control, took turns standing fire, safety and security watches throughout the night, keeping the scouts secure while they slept. The excessive heat cancelled the outdoor performances of the Naval Academy’s Electric Brigade rock band and the Air Force Band’s Airmen of Note jazz band, scheduled by JBAB’s Protocol Office on different evenings during the scout’s stay. However, performances by the U.S. Marine Corps Band, U.S. Marine Corps Drum and Bugle Corps and the U.S. Marine Corps Silent Drill Team went as scheduled. Once in a lifetime Los Angeles, Ca. Troop 121 Scoutmaster Ruben Hueso, said jokingly, “Yes, it was hot, but that was part of the fun. If anyone complains send them the [lodging] bill.” He added, “We traveled cross-country. Not having to pay for a week’s lodging was very important for our meager budget.” Staying at the NSF, “Allowed us to spend a solid week in the Capital, touring all the important landmarks. The memories made possible for our troop are priceless! We salute the Navy for opening [its] doors to us,” Hueso added. JBAB’s Warfighter and Family Services team permitted the scouts access to its volleyball and soccer fields; bowling alley and outdoor pool, as well as the Funari Dining Facility, where scouts ate and purchased boxed lunches for use during their day trips. More than one scout leader made it clear – without NSAW’s hosting, some scouts would never have been able to be a part of history. “The experience will be one that our boys will cherish for years to come. Our community has been hit hard over the last 20 years with seeing more than 20,000 manufacturing jobs disappear. Our troop fills a void in one of the hardest hit neighborhoods. I have no doubt that the opportunity to visit our nation’s capitol will in fact be a once in a lifetime event for most of our boys,” Assistant Scoutmaster Brad Knick of Anderson, Ind. said. Scoutmaster Mark Arlauckas, from Troop 140 in Scottsville, NY, said, “As budget-conscious as our trip to the National Jamboree was, this was a truly essential part of our tour.” While nearly all scouters were happy, at least one had a special request. “You did a wonderful job,” said Kevin M. Welsh, a scout leader in Murrells Inlet, S.C. “In the future, I would ask for a few things to help improve the stay: coffee please! I had a few people that require coffee before they are considered human,” he said with a smile. NSAW Commanding Officer Capt. John Sears, said, “The military and scouts have a special relationship that goes back decades. Many people in our military have been scouts. We are proud to have opened our doors and provide the scouts with an opportunity to visit DC and help make the Centennial celebration a huge success.” Story by Joseph P. Cirone, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling

[News] Boy Scouts Settle Suit With Victims of Abuse New York Times

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:11:00 -0700

ABC NewsBoy Scouts Settle Suit With Victims of AbuseNew York TimesThe Boy Scouts of America have reached a financial settlement with six men who say they were sexually abused when they were members ...6 Ore. men settle Boy Scout sex abuse casesThe Associated PressSix men settle cases with Boy Scouts for childhood abuse by leaderOregonLive.comBoy Scouts Changes its Tone on Sex AbuseYouth TodayPortland Tribune -OPB Newsall 290 news articles »

[News] Boy Scouts Settle Suit With Victims of Abuse New York Times

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:11:00 -0700

[Blog] Generosity part 2

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:31:00 -0700

In my last post I talked a bit about Escouts and the forums they provide. As well as the forums, until recently, they also provided free hosting for UK Scouting websites. This has been of enormous benefit to many Groups around the country who have been able to set up a sit without any cost. However their free hosting service has been stopped recently due to a number of reasons, but mainly due to technical problems and the lack of time available to the Escouts owners. This is of course, because they have jobs, families and other Scouting commitments before they even think about the hosting. So they’ve called it a day. Interestingly, by providing this service, they recon they’ve saved UK Scouting in the region of £100,000 – £150,000! Now if that’s not generous, I don’t know what is! So a big thank you for all their hard work and generosity in providing that service!

[Blog] Commercial Meal Review Basil Walnut Penne

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:33:00 -0700

Today’s lunch was Outdoor Herbivore’s Basil Walnut Penne: The vegan friendly meal is a powerhouse: Cal: 870 Fat: 28g Sodium: 465g Carbs: 95g Protein: 35g – it boasts whole wheat pasta and plenty of chunky walnuts. Easy to make and ready to eat in under 15 minutes. I have found for best results with the whole wheat pasta to add the oil packet and dry ingredients to the water and then bring to a boil. Gives the pasta a little extra help (the directions state to add the dry ingredients to boiling water). The single serving bag is huge and will easily fill up even the hungriest man. If you have a smaller appetite you can easily split it between two with maybe a nice hunk of bread with it. The flavor is robust and not of the normal ‘commercial meals’ type. If you like organic non-dairy foods you will like this one. And beyond that – the sodium level on this meal is stellar! ~Sarah

[News] BSA Receives 100000 Centennial Grant From The UPS Foundation

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:51:00 -0700

To honor 100 years of service, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has received a $100,000 grant from The UPS Foundation, the charitable arm of UPS (NYSE: UPS). The grant will be used toward the Boy Scouts of America Natural Resources Conservation Local Council Grants. Conservation programs are popular activities for Scouts of all ages, and the Boy Scouts of America adheres to its long-standing policy of teaching youth and adult members to conserve, protect, and respect the environment. The BSA has been a positive force in conservation and environmental efforts for 100 years. Scouts have rendered distinguished public service by helping to conserve wildlife, energy, forests, soil, and water. The goal of awarding the Natural Resources Conservation Local Council Grants is to educate youth on the positive impact they can have on our environment through our conservation initiatives. Councils will apply for $10,000 grants in support of project development and implementation of new conservation programs or initiatives. “The importance of good stewardship of the land is taught to every young person in the program,” said Bob Mazzuca, Chief Scout Executive for the Boy Scouts of America. “We appreciate the grant provided by The UPS Foundation, which will ensure that the newest generation of Scouts will learn more ways and better ways through the generous contribution.” Established in 1951 and based in Atlanta, The UPS Foundation identifies specific areas where its backing clearly impacts social issues. In support of this strategic approach, The UPS Foundation has identified the following focus areas for giving: nonprofit effectiveness, economic and global literacy, encouraging diversity, community safety, and environmental sustainability. In 2009, The UPS Foundation distributed nearly $43.6 million worldwide through grants that benefit organizations or programs such as the Boy Scouts of America Natural Resources Conservation Local Council Grants and provide support for building stronger communities. “Every day, Boy Scouts across the country learn vital life skills, as well as to value and appreciate the world around them—so we are proud to support the Boy Scouts of America’s 100–year effort to educate youth on the positive impact they can have on our environment,” said Ed Martinez, director of philanthropy and corporate relations for The UPS Foundation. About the Boy Scouts of America The Boy Scouts of America is the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. The Scouting organization is composed of 2.7 million youth members between the ages of 7 and 20, 1.1 million volunteers, and nearly 300 local councils throughout the United States and its territories. For more information on the Boy Scouts of America, please visit http://www.scouting.org/. About The UPS Foundation UPS (NYSE: UPS) is the world’s largest package delivery company and a global leader in supply chain and freight services. Since its founding in 1907, UPS has built a legacy as a caring and responsible corporate citizen, supporting programs that provide long-term solutions to community needs. UPS promotes community involvement through its ongoing volunteerism and grant programs, environmental sustainability, and corporate philanthropy. In 2009, UPS’s charitable contributions totaled nearly $100 million, and UPS employees and their families contributed more than 1.2 million hours of volunteer service. The company can be found on the Web at UPS.com. To get UPS news direct, visit pressroom.ups.com/RSS. Source: Boy Scouts of America Press Release

[Blog] The UPS Foundation delivers 100000 grant to the BSA

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 08:42:00 -0700

The UPS Foundation announced today that it will give a $100,000 grant to the Boy Scouts of America in recognition of the organization's 100th Anniversary. The grant will go to local councils to help fund conservation programs. Local councils can apply for $10,000 grants to support the development or implementation of conservation programs in their area. The role of Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Venturers in conservation efforts has long been a cornerstone of the BSA. And The UPS Foundation, which is the charitable arm of the world's largest package-delivery company, has long supported groups who make a difference in their community. Making a difference? Scouts have been doing that for 100 years. "Every day, Boy Scouts across the country learn vital life skills, as well as to value and appreciate the world around them — so we are proud to support the Boy Scouts of America's 100–year effort to educate youth on the positive impact they can have on our environment," said Ed Martinez, director of philanthropy and corporate relations for The UPS Foundation. Chief Scout Executive Bob Mazzuca made sure to formally express his gratitude to The UPS Foundation. "The importance of good stewardship of the land is taught to every young person in the program," he said. "We appreciate the grant provided by The UPS Foundation, which will ensure that the newest generation of Scouts will learn more ways and better ways through the generous contribution."

[Blog] Name That Council winner Aug 27 2010

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:05:00 -0700

Friday's Name That Council patch depicted a stark landscape, which meant clues were in short supply. But 35 stellar sleuths sniffed out the correct answer anyway and identified the Northwest Texas Council, headquartered in Wichita Falls, Tex.We took those correct responses and used a random-number generator to find our winner, Geoff Heintzelman of the Occoneechee Council in North Carolina. Geoff will get the patch seen above and our congratulations.Keep checking Cracker Barrel for more chances to Name That Council.

[Blog] Kickball Belt Loop

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:00:00 -0700

Thanks to the recent addition of the kickball belt loop and pin, Cub Scouts can now use their recess skills to earn an award.

[Podcast] Responsibility

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:30:00 -0700

With a great team of volunteers, Sheryl Oakman was instrumental in rolling out the new Cub Scout delivery method. She has held numerous positions in her 23 years as a volunteer and graciously spent time with us to go over her ideas for the next core value: responsibility.

[Podcast] Popcorn

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:00:00 -0700

In one of the most popular Cubcasts of the year, the secret to selling lots of popcorn is revealed! Join us as we talk with Doug Dent, vice president of Marketing with Trails End. He is also an assistant den leader in the Sagamore Council in Kokomo, Indiana. Let’s get popping, shall we?

[Blog] Unresponsive Posts And Blogs

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:43:00 -0700

All, We have noticed that many blog sites and posts have become unreachable. Consequently, the problem has affected many blogs that are registered with PayPerPost. This is not a PayPerPost issue but an issue with the services that publish the blog content. The blogs all return a parsing error for the wordpress config file. If you are experiencing these issues on your blog it may have been hacked. Go here for help. Check with your administrator as your entire wordpress installation may have been compromised. We are trying to isolate the affected blogs and post so we can provide users with more information. Advertisers should remain vigilant of the blogs they extend offers to and have extended offers to. Attempted post submissions on affected blogs will fail our validation system. Blogs that are affected after they have been approved will fail automatic payout, therefore the associated posts will be set to be manually reviewed by the Advertiser. However, currently (as always) the manual review process ends after 3 days and the post will be paid by our system. We are trying to reach out to the necessary administrators so they can resolve their issues promptly but Advertisers should handle their manual review offers accordingly. We are addressing these matters and will keep everyone posted on its progress.

[Blog] A Year of Trail Eats Column

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:44:00 -0700

With the newest issue of Washington Trails Magazine coming out today, the September/October 2010 issue, Kirk and I celebrate a year of fun creating new recipes for our favorite non-profit! I do the recipe creating, he takes the photographs. A great relationship indeed – and Ford does the taste testing. Some of the recipes were recently added to the website for archiving so you may have missed them – but don’t hesitate to try them out before the end of summer! I will add to Trail Cooking in a month or so the newest recipes. This month’s issue is all about foraging and we did two recipes using found items - Blackberry Green Beans Nettle Pesto Pasta Our first issue was September/October of 2009: Curried Salmon Pilaf Double Ginger Huckleberry Cobbler November/December 2009: Blustery Day Double Potato Chowder Harvest Pasta January/February 2010: Spam©-Tastic Fried Rice Cherry Chicken Couscous March/April 2010: Hiker’s Primavera Pasta Cran-Mac Caramel Bars May/June 2010: Last Minute Meat and Olive Pizzas Pina Colada Mini Pies July/August 2010: Asian Chicken Slaw Wraps Ice Cream In a Bag! PS: And as always….if you live in or love the great Pacific Northwest please check out what WTA does for this area! ~Sarah

[News] Scouting on Tiananmen Square

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:51:00 -0700

We, Scout Association of Hong Kong are lucky to have the blessing of the Chinese Central Government Liaison Office in Hong Kong, and have their utter trust and confidence in conducting scouting activities in China in scout uniform. These functions are under the invitation and with full support from the Chinese Government and the All China Youth Federation (another name for Communist Youth League in external affairs).

[Blog] PositionSpecific Training for Cub Scout leaders now on MyScoutingorg

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 06:55:00 -0700

Just in time for the start of the program year, Position-Specific Training is now available for Cub Scout leaders. The training courses have been updated to reflect the new Cub Scout delivery method, which Scouting magazine introduced to you in our May-June issue.Just go to MyScouting.org, log in, and click on "E-Learning" on the left navigation bar.From there, under the Cub Scout tab you'll find these new courses: Tiger Cub position-specific Wolf Cub position-specific Bear Cub position-specific Webelos position-specific Cubmaster position-specific Pack Trainer position-specific Pack Committee position-specific Take the online courses soon to make sure you're fully prepared to lead your den or pack this fall.

[Blog] Chaplain Aide Description and Self Evaluation

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:00:00 -0700

The Chaplain Aide works with the Troop Chaplain to meet the religious needs of the Scouts in the troop and to promote religious emblems programs.

[Podcast] An Hour A Week 237

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:51:00 -0700

#237-Dream Warriors Part 2 of our August Roundtable Join the forum discussion on this post - (1) Posts Share with Others:

[Blog] Looking Across From Erie

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:10:00 -0700

Last weekend Kirk and I had gone up to the Island for family things and we had been expecting cold, overcast weather. When in the afternoon it cleared up and we instead got balmy winds and blue skies. We hadn’t been able to get away till late afternoon and on the way home we stopped to look at a house I had lived in for a couple years along tiny Cornet Bay, which sits in Deception Pass State Park. It was back in the days when one could live in a “Wow!” place and not have the mortgage to go with it.We lived at the head of the bay, with Goose Rock visible as we sat in the house. When we moved there it was culture shock, we had lived in an area with a bustling city and suddenly I was living 10 miles from town, no transit buses…nothing but eagles, coyotes, a vast state park to roam (it was across the road!) and a zillion jets from NAS Whidbey screaming over at odd hours. I may talk a lot about Rainier but one of my true loves is the islands – all of them, from the San Juans to the ones in the Puget Sound. The state owns a lot of land and much of it is open to the public. North Whidbey though is easy to get to…being that there are bridges connecting it to the main land. The park receives many visitors a year and it boasts 38 miles of hiking, much near the water. But as we sat there, enjoying the views I could see Mt. Erie in the distance, across the water. And I knew where I wanted to go on the way home. Mt. Erie is on Fidalgo Island, which sits between the main land and Whidbey Island. Many people drive onto Fidalgo and don’t realize they are even on an island, the crossing is very narrow. Fidalgo is home to the town of Anacortes but beyond it lies a number of small peaks (and yes, small they are but wonderful none the less). The Island boasts many lovely lakes to go with the peaks. It is also home to the Anacortes Community Forest Lands (ACFL) with over 50 miles of trails and which is where Mt. Erie resides, the high point of it and as well of the island (at over 1200 feet). Sitting up so high one gets a birds eye view of the area spread out below them. Mt. Erie is one of the places where one can either walk up to or drive a steep but short road up to. When Ford was little he and I walked (and also him riding in his jogger on the bike friendly trails) Below lies Campbell Lake with its tiny island, beyond is the water of Deception Pass, Cornet Bay’s marina is visible. The tan-ish area to the right is NAS Whidbey, which lies on West Beach. There are many little islands off of Hoypus Point on Whidbey. Walker and I checking out the views below us. The viewpoints are varied – there are a couple of them, all worth checking out: Walker hanging out with mom: Looking across at Whidbey with Campbell Lake, Pass Lake and West Beach stretching in the distance. Across the Strait of Juan De Fuca is the Olympics: Ford having fun climbing on the rocks: Just a nice break in our drive before we headed back inland…. ~Sarah

[News] World Scouting at the World Youth Conference 2010 in Leon Mexico

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:49:00 -0700

Monday 23rd August, marked the beginning of the long awaited World Youth Conference 2010 which is taking place in Léon, Mexico. The event ran from the 23rd August to the 27th of August. The World Youth Conference (WYC) was an initiative of the Mexican Government with the support of the United Nations and other organizations to open a space for discussion and reflection about the role of young people in development, with special emphasis on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. At this event World Scouting was involved at all levels, there were the official World Organization of the Scout Movement delegates who participated in the NGO Forum and were selected due to their involvement and participation in events such as these. Their responsibilities were to not only represent the Scout Movement but also to be involved in the negotiations during the drafting of the NGO Declaration. Others coming in as international volunteers were assigned to facilitate the discussions and round-tables on the various topics surrounding the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

[Blog] Alex Lloyd wins award for his impressive comeback

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:32:00 -0700

Alex Lloyd knows something about perseverance. He vaulted from 22nd to 10th place in the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma on Aug. 22, a comeback that required hard work from Lloyd and his BSA Motorsports team. Lloyd's latest comeback, though, came thanks to the hard work of Scouts and Scouters like you. For his performance at Sonoma, Lloyd was nominated for the "Firestone Tire-ific Move of the Race." And as we told you last week, he needed the help of the Scouting community to win the award, which was decided purely on fan votes. Well, you responded, bigtime. He trailed for the first day after voting opened, but once the community of Scouts and Scouters across the country stepped up, Lloyd catapulted into the lead. And on Saturday, he was presented with the award as a token for the impression he left on fans like you. Lloyd even thanked his fans on Twitter, posting this message: "Want to thank everyone who voted me for the Firestone Tire-rific award from Sonoma. I appreciate all your support!!" The award presentation was part of the pre-race ceremonies at Saturday's PEAK Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 in Chicago. In that race, Lloyd and the BSA No. 19 car suffered a cut tire early and a gearbox problem late. After losing 37 laps while his team repaired the car, Lloyd returned to the field looking to score as many points as possible to keep his Rookie of the Year lead in tact. After Saturday's result, he still holds an 11-point lead over seven other rookies. Lloyd finished 21st overall and led three laps, the first time he has led this season. Lloyd is back in action this Saturday in the Meijer Indy 300 in Kentucky. Catch the action at 8 p.m. (ET) Saturday on Versus.

[Blog] This Sept 11 Scouts will show a Surge of patriotism

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 07:50:00 -0700

Scouts, Scouters, parents, and non-Scouts everywhere will unite next month to honor the Americans who died in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Scout Surge 9/11 is being billed as an opportunity for remembering the victims of the attacks nine years ago while also celebrating the patriotism on which this nation was built. Start planning now to hold an event with your pack, troop, or crew. If you're an adult in charge of a troop or crew, suggest this event to your unit's junior leaders. Ask them to consider planning something that will bring your community together at 8:46 a.m. on Sept. 11, a Saturday. Planning tips and more information is available at the Scout Surge 9/11 link above. Here are some of their suggestions: Things to do: Decide on a specific location to meet. Tell people to arrive so that at 8:46 a.m. exactly, they can recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Use Twitter, text messages, e-mail, Facebook, and MySpace to spread the word. Be as public as possible without obstructing traffic or creating a safety hazard. (Standard Scouting policies apply.) Ideas for the event: Have everyone wear a red, white, or blue shirt. Hand out flags to wave. Fly the Flag of Honor. Honor a local hero. Visit a local fire or police department to say thank you. Invite a band to perform. Have everyone meet for breakfast after the event. Invite the media.

[News] Your Scouts of the World Discovery at KISC

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:47:00 -0700

Running activities in the middle of an alpine setting, experiencing an international environment and helping scouts from all over the world to have the time of their lives; that’s the kind of things you can expect on doing when you volunteer as staff at Kandersteg International Scout Centre (KISC). KISC, founded by Baden Powell, is the World Scout Centre, with enough different nationalities together, among staff and guests, to hold its name as the “Permanent Mini-Jamboree”. KISC is also one of the best places to learn about the Scouts of the World Award, and experience first hand what is it about.

[News] Your Scouts of the World Discovery at KISC

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:47:00 -0700

[Blog] The Legend of Paul Bunyan

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:00:00 -0700

The story of the Paul Bunyan at a 3rd grade level - written for use with Cub Scout Bear Achievement 4: Tall Tales

[Blog] Scouting Video of the Week August 29 2010

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 09:30:00 -0700

This week’s video comes straight from the National Scout Jamboree. In this video two scouts try to interview Mike Rowe. Enjoy!

[Blog] Geocachers Save Two Women Stranded in Desert

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 08:09:00 -0700

WAY TO GO GUYS!!! The obvious thing I couldn’t help but notice was that he had two sets of water and two first aid kits. Geocachers Save Two Women Stranded in Desert Imagery ©2010 TerraMetrics, Map data ©2010 Europa Technologies, Google – Terms of Use Geocachers Roy Joseph (Rojo464) and Paul Fox (Pauleefox) drove through the rugged desert of Eastern Utah searching for five geocaches on Tuesday the 17th of August. But they never made it past their second find. What they encountered instead led to grateful tears and news headlines. Roy and Paul had finished finding their second geocache and were looping around for a third – called “Bugy Softwear” (GCGMJT). The area of the desert that they searched is referred to as the Dolores Triangle. It’s one of the most barren regions of the United States. The average temperature in August bakes the cracked ground at nearly 100 degrees F (38 C). Bumping along in Roy’s jeep the two men stopped. Just head of them, a mini-van sat wedged into the sandy soil. Desert rescue Paul says, “We saw the van in the gully from the road above it. Out here a vehicle in that position is either abandoned or there is somebody in need of help. Either way we needed to check it out.” Roy adds, “When we first saw the car we could tell it was stuck. But it looked odd with the towels over the sun visors. We were concerned with who might be in the van. With it being in such a remote area we knew we had to make sure the occupants could get back to town.” They drove the jeep next to the stranded vehicle. Two women looked out. Roy says, “When we stopped beside the van the daughter said ‘Thank God’ and then started crying.” A mother and daughter had been stranded in the van for two days. Roy says he’s prepared for geocaching in the desert and they were able to offer immediate help: “I have a backpack I carry with water, snacks, SWAG, a first aid kit, a short rope, and batteries. In the Jeep I carry tools, spare parts, a tow strap, a first aid kit, a fire extinguisher, extra water and some blankets.” This wasn’t his first encounter with someone needing help, but never before has the situation been this dire. “We have helped strangers get unstuck, hauled a bicyclist to the hospital, given water to hikers, but this was different – both these two women could have died.” After the rescue, the mother and daughter will be okay. Paul says the situation is a first for him: “In my 64 years I don’t believe I have ever been in a position to rescue damsels in distress before.”

[Blog] Some Funny Things Happened to Me on The Way to Dad and Lad

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 05:58:00 -0700

You know that line, " A funny thing happened to me on the way to....?"Well a couple of interesting things happened to me yesterday and the first one was when Ed Gerczak and I stopped for breakfast, in Suring, on the way to Dad and Lad Camp.While eating, a gentleman approched us and asked if he could chat with us a little bit and we, while being good scouters did ask him to stay. He commented about how the Boy Scout program is probably the only program of worth out there in the world and was glad that the boy scouts haven't compromised their morals.He also stated that if he had the time, he would love to get involved in this program but he could not do so at the present point in time.He told us that he knew what it was like to face adversity being a war veteran from the Vietnam war and knew that there are some people who are quick to attack those things that should never change and that he was extremely pleased that the Boy Scouts have not submitted to the pressures of certain factions that want to put an end to the movement.He then asked if it was possible for us to accept a donation to help within the scouting program.I accepted the 100.00 he deposited into my hand and I thanked him for his generous donation.Ed and I left the restaurant and headed to camp.The second incident was my chance meeting with Malcolm, a first year Webelos scout, whom preceded to inform me that he was going to become and Eagle Scout.I inquired why he'd want to be an Eagle and his response was:"Its the journey not the destination."And with that, I wish Malcolm all the success in his quest for Eagle and I know he will make it.

[Blog] Conclave 2010

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:43:00 -0700

So, this year our lodge hosted the Section NE-3A Conclave that was held on August 13-15, 2010 at Camp Russell. Over 180 arrow men attended this outstanding event. Friday afternoon I arrived at camp at around 2:00pm to start setting up camp and get ready for the storm of scouts that was set to hit later that day. Once I had set my gear down in the site were I thought I was staying I headed back to the camp headquarters to start checking in the members of our lodge who had arrived. We soon set up a registration area and got ready to check in the rest of the lodge’s as they arrived. For the rest of the afternoon and evening I spent most of my time in the office checking in lodges from all over the state and some from as far away as Pennsylvania, I did get a chance to sneak over to the trading post for a few minutes to get a cookiewich though. At dinner time I took a short break to grab some food from the dining hall but soon I was back on the job. Registration went very smoothly which was good since the sorting of memorabilia which was being done by our lodge as well was not going as smoothly. A mistake in ordering had occurred and they where short t-shirts and other memorabilia. They were still trying to fix the problem when the rest of us left for the opening show which was a movie made by one of the lodges that showed us the place of an ordeal member in the lodge. After the show everyone converged on the dining hall for a great cracker barrel. Following the cracker barrel I headed over to the program center to help take minutes for the Council of Chiefs meeting since the section secretary was not going to be able to come to conclave. After the meeting we headed back to the office with the section advisors to sort out the memorabilia problem once and for all. After that was taken care of we all headed off to bed since we had a very long day ahead of us tomorrow. After being a sleep what only seemed like a short period our alarms were going of and immediately we knew we needed to get moving, or else we would miss the flags raising, which we were in charge of. Soon enough everyone had assembled in front of the flag poles on the parade field and we were raising the colors. Immediately after flags we all headed over to the dining hall where we were greeted by members of our lodge guarding the doors, preventing unauthorized access before mealtime. When the doors to the dining hall opened it was like opening the flood gates as almost 200 people stormed in to have breakfast. Breakfast was served family style and was a delicious meal of eggs and bacon. After I was finished I headed back over to headquarters to finish registration for lodges who had not checked in all their members at once. Once I finished fixing the registration I headed over to the program center for my first training class, Costuming and Beadwork. During this class our instructor discussed how to choose a period of American Indian history to emulate and how to find what types of materials where available then. It was a very interesting course and I walked away with some valuable information that will definitely help us improve our costuming. After my costuming class I took a short walk outside to the handicraft pavilion for a class on ceremonial team retention. While I didn’t feel the class was very good at what it was supposed to teach I did learn that you should try to have your ceremony team made up of scouts from many units and that you have to make it fun (duh). I also got to learn a bit about how other lodges conduct there ceremonies. After that class had ended I took a longer walk down to scout craft for the high adventure class, taught by none other than our Northeast region chief. The class was very interesting as Brian discussed the different high adventure opportunities that the OA offers and he even shred his own ex experience with us which was very interesting. After high adventure myself and some of our other lodge members headed back up the hill and we decided to stop at the camp cooking area to see what kind of food they had going. A couple of our guys got to have some fantastic cobbler and many other great foods that they had made. After our guys had gotten there fill of cobbler we decided to go help set up the dining hall for lunch. Soon the dining hall became a full of activity as we all worked quickly to set all the tables with silverware and the food for lunch which was sub sandwiches. The one good thing of helping to set up the dining hall is that you are the first to enter and the first to sit down and eat. I was only halfway done with my sub though when Nolan, our lodge chief came in and told me that I was being sent in his place to the Very Important Arrow men Luncheon, a luncheon for the lodge chief and the youngest member of the lodge. This luncheon gave me a chance to meet people from all over our section and the food was pretty good too. So after my second lunch I headed back over to the office to check in and see how things were going, then I headed down to the chapel to watch the meet-the-man with the northeast region chief, Brian Ahrens. After the meet the man I headed back up to the trading post for a slushy and then I decided to take a trip to the waterfront to see what was happening down there. When I arrived at the waterfront I heard he national anthem playing and i soon discovered that a water skiing show was happening out on the lake! After the ski show ended the waterfront soon became packed as everyone ready for the swamp-a-thon. The swamp-a-thon is a contest in which everyone tries to sink each others canoes as the area they are in steadily shrinks. This is a very fun event and I was more than happy to stay on land and take photos then get stuck out in a canoe without a paddle. Following the fun at the waterfront a candidates forum was held with those who were running for section office. After the candidates forum it was only a matter of time before i was back in the dining hall setting the tables for dinner. Dinner was another fantastic meal of roast beef, mashed potatoes and green beans. Following dinner everyone headed once again to the chapel for a religious service that was led by our own lodge chief. After the great religious service everyone headed back to the council ring for another great show, this time it was a star wars version of the ordeal ceremony complete with guys dressed up with light sabers. The show was a bit funnier than the movie the night before and I found it rather enjoyable. After the show we all gathered outside the dining hall for a conclave staple, the chief’s pie eating contest. The rules are simple, whichever lodge chief eats his entire pie, crust and all, first wins. Oh and you may not use your hands. This is always fun to watch and this year proved no different as each lodge’s chief proceeded to get pie all over his face as he tried to win the title of pie eating champ. As the whipped cream cleared a winner was declared and sadly it was not Nolan but he made a good run and we know our chief next year will try his best to. After the pie eating contest it was time for another great cracker barrel, this time with ice cream. As people came and went from the cracker barrel another event got under way in the dining hall, the patch auction. The patch auction is a big deal at conclave and this year many great patches went up for auction and were won. While the patch auction was going on in the dining hall and Star Wars was being shown in the program center I took to the parade field to play some glow in the dark ultimate Frisbee. To do this each team was given glow sticks of different colors, the boundaries were marked with glow sticks and we used a light-up jambo 2010 Frisbee. It was an intense game of ultimate and while tempers got rather hot during the match in the end the spirit of the game prevailed and everyone walked away happy from a fun game of ultimate. Soon after we ended our game it was time to head off to bed as we had a lot to do tomorrow with breaking down camp. Sunday morning we got moving right on time and I headed over to the dining hall to help set up for breakfast which was going to be pancakes and sausage. Soon enough breakfast was served and it was time for the section business meeting. During this meeting the election of section officers was done. We elected a new section chief, vice-chief and secretary. After the section officers had been elected the conclave awards were given out and Nolan and I were both honored with the two awards for individual arrowmen. Nolan was given the most outstanding arrowman award and I was given the most cheerful arrowman award. We were very surprised and honored to receive these. After the section meeting we all went outside to sing the OA song and we attempted to make a circle. Once that was done I headed back to the office to do check-out as the lodge’s left camp. Slowly but surely every lodge was gone and it was time for us to go, but not before getting some free ice cream and slushies and of course a little lunch. As we all left camp we knew we had done well and this had been a very successful conclave in the books. Are you an OA Member? Have you ver been to a section conclave? Please share your experience in the comments below.

[News] Scouts come together with WAGGGS and UNICEF to discuss poverty

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:18:00 -0700

August, 23, 2010 – Day 1 at the World Youth Conference 2010 Mexico and the youth didn’t hesitate to speak out about issues that affect their society. Members of the World Organization Scout Movement, World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts along with one of UNICEF’s Adolescent Development Program Officers, Trang Ho, teamed up to discuss their projects and ideas on how to eradicate poverty at a round table activity scheduled for the WYC. As of now more than half of the world is in poverty and being one of the eight millennium development goals, poverty became a vital issue to discuss during the first days of the conference.

[Blog] Win a free patch if you can Name That Council Aug 27 2010

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 07:46:00 -0700

You might "strike gold" if you can tell us the name of the council that wears the patch above.We've removed all text, leaving behind only the desert landscape. Do you have enough clues to guess the council's name?Send us your thought, and we'll select one lucky winner at random to receive the patch seen above.Here are the rules: Submit your guess by e-mail. Make sure the subject line reads "Name That Council Aug 27" Only one entry is allowed per household. Include the following information with your entry: Your name. Your unit number. Your council name. Your mailing address (so we know where to send your patch if you win). The contest closes at 12:01 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Sept. 1. We'll announce the winner and the correct answer on Wednesday, Sept. 1. Good luck!

[News] Scouts from around the world set up for first day of WYC 2010 Mexico

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:59:00 -0700

August 22, 2010 - Sunday kicked off the setting up process and beginning of the World Youth Conference 2010 Mexico in Leon, Guanajuato. A group of approximately 40 scouts from all over the world gathered in Poliforum Leon Sunday morning and put their scouting skills to the test by building up constructions and setting up the Scout Activity Center proving that when scouts come together they form an empowering social force.

[Blog] Ten strategies for using Facebook in your recruiting efforts

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:26:00 -0700

More than 500 million people now know that Facebook is a great way to reconnect with old friends, but it's becoming more and more popular as a recruiting tool for packs, troops, and crews. Does your unit have a Facebook page? If not, now's a great time to start one. Just head to Facebook and sign up for a free account to get started. Once your page is up and running, converting followers of your page into members of your unit is the next challenge. To help with that problem, here are the Greater St. Louis Area Council's Top 10 tips for using Facebook in recruiting: Show your friends you're involved in Scouting. Share the fun you've had during Scouting activities. Promote planned Scouting activities. Post photographs of fun Scouting activities. Talk about your satisfaction with Scouting in your unit, training courses, camps or other programs. Join Facebook groups in your community and spread the word about Scouting. For example, join your elementary school's Facebook page and promote School Night to Join Scouting and other events. Promote your School Night to Join Scouting date. Share your School Night to Join Scouting success stories and how youth and adults can still sign up if they missed the event. Shine the spotlight on your new Tiger Cub dens, parents who will lead the dens and how they're getting started. Educate and encourage new parents and leaders to visit Scouting websites and subscribe to e-newsletters. Now that you're a Facebook pro, be sure to connect with fellow Scouting magazine readers on our Facebook page.Chime In: What works and doesn't work on your unit's Facebook page?

[News] National Cold Weather Camping Headquarters Northern Tier is open for reservations

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:50:00 -0700

Experience the beauty of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in the winter. A silent snow covered landscape, with no bugs or people around you. At OKPIK you can: - Cross country ski and snowshoe in the back country. - Camp comfortably in below zero temperatures. - Experience the Introduction to Dog Sledding program offered to Scouts and Venturers attending OKPIK. - Do Musher Camp and Dog Sled Treks (our more extensive dog sled programs) with your older youth. Also Webelos with their adult partner can participate in most winter activities but get to “camp” indoors. Council’s should also consider sending staff or volunteers to the OKPIK: Cold Weather Leader Training, January 4 – 9, 2011. This is the perfect training for your Council to learn how to put on Local Council Cold Weather Camping events safely from the experts. Reservations can be made during business hours 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. Visit www.ntier.org to obtain a reservation form, view an OKPIK video, check the OKPIK availability chart, and learn more information about the summer, autumn, and winter programs we have to offer.

[Blog] If you build it they will come pt4 The Annual Plan

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:32:00 -0700

The meat and potatoes of building the program so young men come to and stay with your unit is the annual plan. The plan that delivers the promise. OK.. stop.. what is this promise that we keep talking about? Simply put the promise that Scouting is supposed to deliver is Adventure, learning, and challenge and responsibility. We do this through the Aims of Scouting using the methods as building blocks to achieve Citizenship training, Character development, and Fitness. What does that mean to a teen aged young man. Fun, Adventures, and meaningful time spent with his friends. Now most teen aged young men are not going to express "meaningful time" as one of the reasons they join and stay in Scouting, but it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that when they are bored they leave and when they are not having fun with their peers, they leave.. so we have this game with a purpose and the outline, rules, and execution of the game is in the annual plan. So let me take you through our Troops process. The caveat here is that this works great for us and our youth. It is fair to say that this is the process we established and have trained the Junior leaders to use. The important thing to take home is establishing a workable process and refine it within your unit. I am not saying that we are the end all be all.. but the saying goes "the proof is in the pudding" and our process works very well. We have had sustainable growth every year and little by way of loss. We have had our share of loss, but the good news is that when we do have a Scout leave, they typically transfer to a Troop that is better suited for them. Backpacking may not be their ideal Scouting experience and we encourage young men to find the program that fits them, they will be successful in that environment. Our planning starts before the Troop attends Summer camp each year. The patrols begin the process of building lists of activities and places they want to go. These ideas are then brought to the Patrol Leaders Council after summer camp and a discussion of Troop goals and desired outcomes for the year are committed to paper. For example, this last year the Troop wanted to climb Mt. St. Helens, they wanted to backpack in the Olympic National forest, they wanted to do a 50 miler, they wanted to canoe, they wanted to climb at Smith Rocks, and they wanted to do 2 winter camp outs on Mt. Hood. Those were their plan above the regular Camporee, Summer camp, and Webelos Woods events that we always do. Once the PLC came up with places, they assigned specific activities that would be the focus of the camp outs or outings associated with locations. Some of the specifics looked like: While backpacking on the St. Helens Trip they would focus on Leave no Trace, they would be inviting Webelos Scouts to go on the trip with us, and they would work on better planning process's with the New Scout Patrol. Once the calendar with filled in with places and activities the PLC looked at training opportunities, service projects, and special events. They were plugged into the plan. The plan is now taken to the Troop committee for approval. It is the committee's job to say yes. The committee began the process of permits and cross checking our dates and events with the council and district plan. Everything worked out except for the Mt. St. Helens climb. The permits were sold out on opening day and so an alternate location had to be picked. The PLC did some research and came up with climbing the South Sister in the Sisters Mountains. They determined this because the difficulty was moderate and the summit could be reached in half a day. It was a good location to accomplish the goals and activities they had set for this camp out. Upon completion of the planning session and invitation for Troop Junior Leader training was extended to any Scout that was interested in leadership within the Troop. No training, no leadership. The SPL and the PLC would conduct the training over a weekend. During the TJLT the annual plan was brought back out and all of the participants took part in refining the plan. This is a great opportunity to get everyone, especially those Scouts that are going to lead for the next year, to get on board and become versed in the plan. The vision of the Troop is made clear and the expectations of the leaders are made real as they all own a piece of the plan. After training, the plan is published, posted, and made available to the whole troop and those visitors that are interested in our troop. The local packs are also given a copy of our plan and dates are set aside for visits and other ways that we can interact with the Packs. Now obviously there are a lot more little nuts and bolts that hold the plan together, but in a nut shell, the process is not complicated and kept simple. The key ingredient is the Junior leaders. Our plan is not a dictate from above and the Scoutmaster acts only as an adviser and coach. This is their plan, I will train them, teach them, and make myself available as much as they want or as little as they need. The more we go through this process, the better we get and easier it is for the Youth leadership to handle on their own. Once they build their plan, the word gets out.. and they come. If you can help build a plan that offers Adventure, Challanges, and develops self reliance, the Scouts will recruit harder than you can ever imagine. Remember they are looking for meaningful time spent with their buddies, they can find that is a well planned and youth executed Troop. We will wrap this up next time with some FAQ's! Have a Great Scouting Day!

[Blog] Help Alex Lloyd win the quotFirestone Tireific Move of the Racequot

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:13:00 -0700

Alex Lloyd's task was daunting. After qualifying 22nd out of 25 racers for Sunday's Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma, he wanted to move his No. 19 car from the back of the pack to a good finish. Mission accomplished. Thanks to hard work overnight to improve Lloyd's car, the BSA Motorsports and Dale Coyne Racing team helped Lloyd catapult over the competition and into a 10th-place finish. "Our strategy worked really well, and our changes to the car overnight really gave us a very good race car, one that we could move through the field quickly with," Lloyd said after his third top-10 finish of the season.The drivers he left in the dust weren't the only ones who noticed the big jump. IndyCar Racing also took note and nominated him for its weekly "Firestone Tire-ific Move of the Race."That's where you come in. Be sure to vote for Lloyd's big move by clicking here and scrolling down. You'll see the box to vote on the right side. Voting closes Thursday, so be sure to vote today.You'll also want to catch Lloyd and the BSA IndyCar this weekend as he races in the PEAK Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300. Watch it starting at 7 p.m. (ET) Saturday on Versus.

[Blog] National Outdoor Awards

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 06:32:00 -0700

FROM THE SCOUTING MAG. BLOG (I love this idea, this is Scouting folks!)With its new National Outdoor Awards, the BSA honors guys who can't stand stillGuys join Scouting to experience the outdoors. It's that simple. To recognize that passion for adventure, the BSA announces its new National Outdoor Awards. As we told you last year, the awards are available to Boy Scouts and Varsity Scouts who meet specific requirements in one of five subject areas: camping, hiking, aquatics, riding, and adventure. There are two levels of the award. Boys can start with the National Outdoor Badges, seen at left. These are earned by boys who demonstrate "that they are knowledgeable, safe, and comfortable in the outdoor activity covered by the badge." Each segment is earned by completing the First Class rank, earning relevant merit badges, and accumulating experience—nights of camping, miles of hiking, hours of swimming, etc. Once they earn a segment, boys can go the extra mile (in some cases literally) and shoot for gold or silver devices, available for spending extra time on a particular activity. The badges and devices are impressive, but the highest honor for outdoor lovers is the National Medal for Outdoor Achievement, seen at right. We originally reported that boys needed all five segments to earn the medal, but the National Camping Task Force has altered those requirements slightly. The list of requirements is still daunting, though, meaning this medal isn't for everyone. Boys must earn the Camping badge with a silver device and two other badges, each with gold devices. They must also earn four outdoor-specific merit badges, plan a unit outing, and take a Wilderness First Aid course and a Leave No Trace course, each 16 hours long. Ready to introduce these new awards to your guys? You'll need the full requirements, listed after the jump, and the award applications (link opens PDF). (Thanks to Brent C. for the tip.) Follow the jump for the complete requirements. National Outdoor Badges for Camping, Hiking, Aquatics, Riding, and AdventureCamping Earn the First Class rank. Earn the Camping merit badge. Earn two of the following three merit badges: Cooking, First Aid, Pioneering. Complete 25 days and nights of camping—including six consecutive days (five nights) of resident camping, approved and under the auspices and standards of the Boy Scouts of America—including nights camped as part of requirements 1 through 3 above. A gold device may be earned for each additional 25 nights of camping. A silver device is earned for each additional 100 nights of camping. The Scout may wear any combination of devices totaling his current number of nights camping. Hiking Earn the First Class rank. Earn the Hiking and Orienteering merit badges. Complete 100 miles of hiking or backpacking under the auspices of the Boy Scouts of America, including miles hiked as part of requirement 2. A gold device may be earned for each additional 50 miles hiked. A silver device is earned for each additional 200 miles of hiking. The Scout may wear any combination of devices totaling his current number of miles hiking. Aquatics Earn the First Class rank. Earn the Swimming and Lifesaving merit badges. Earn the Mile Swim BSA Award. Earn at least one of the following merit badges: Canoeing, Rowing, Small Boat Sailing, Whitewater. Complete at least 25 hours of on-the-water time, applying the skills that you learned in the merit badges. Complete at least 50 hours of any combination of swimming, canoeing, rowing, small-boat sailing, or whitewater activity under the auspices of the Boy Scouts of America, including time spent in requirements 2 through 4. A gold device may be earned for each additional 25 hours of aquatic activity. A silver device is earned for each additional 100 hours of aquatic activity. The Scout may wear any combination of devices totaling his current number of hours of aquatic activity. Riding Earn the First Class rank. Complete at least one of the following: Cycling merit badge and 100 miles of cycling; or Horsemanship merit badge and 50 miles of horseback riding. Complete 200 miles of riding activities, either on a non-motorized bike or a stock animal, under the auspices of the Boy Scouts of America, including the miles in requirement 2. A gold device may be earned for each additional 100 miles of riding. A silver device is earned for each additional 400 miles of riding. The Scout may wear any combination of devices totaling his current number of miles of riding. Adventure Earn the First Class rank. Complete either the Wilderness Survival or the Emergency Preparedness merit badge. Complete 10 of any combination or repetition of the following adventure activities under the auspices of the Boy Scouts of America: a. A backpacking trip lasting three or more days and covering more than 20 miles without food resupply b. A canoeing, rowing, or sailing trip lasting three or more days and covering more than 50 miles without food resupply c. A whitewater trip lasting two or more days and covering more than 20 miles without food resupply d. A climbing activity on open rock, following Climb On Safely principles, that includes camping overnight e. Earn the National Historic Trails Award f. Earn the 50-Miler Award g. Attend any national high-adventure base or any nationally recognized local high-adventure or specialty-adventure programItems 3a-g may be repeated as desired. A single activity that satisfies multiple items in 3a-g may be counted as separate activities at the discretion of the unit leader. Similarly, a single activity that doubles an item in 3a-d may be counted as two activities at the discretion of the unit leader. A gold device may be earned for each additional five activities. A silver device is earned for each additional 20 activities. The Scout may wear any combination of devices totaling his current number of activities. National Medal for Outdoor AchievementThe National Medal for Outdoor Achievement is the highest recognition that a Boy Scout or Varsity Scout can earn for exemplary achievement, experience, and skill in multiple areas of outdoor endeavor. In order for a Scout to earn the National Medal for Outdoor Achievement, the Scout must complete the following requirements: Earn the First Class rank. Earn the National Outdoor Badge for Camping with a silver device. Earn any two additional National Outdoor Badges, each with two gold devices. Earn the following merit badges: Backpacking, Emergency Preparedness, Nature, and Wilderness Survival. Complete a 16-hour course in Wilderness First Aid from the American Red Cross, Wilderness Medical Institute, or other recognized provider. Become a Leave No Trace Trainer by completing the 16-hour training course from a recognized Leave No Trace Master Educator. Plan and lead, with the approval of your unit leader, an outing for your troop, team, patrol, or squad in two of the following activity areas: hiking and backpacking, aquatic activities, or riding. Include in each outing a service element addressing recreational impacts resulting from that type of activity. With the approval of your unit leader, you may plan and lead the outings for another Cub Scout pack, Boy Scout troop, Varsity Scout team, Sea Scout ship, or Venturing crew. Complete at least one of the following: a. Plan and lead, with the approval of your unit leader, an adventure activity identified in the National Outdoor Badge for Adventure for your troop, team, patrol, or squad. b. Successfully complete a season on a council summer camp staff in an outdoor area, such as aquatics, Scoutcraft, nature/environment, climbing, or COPE.

[Podcast] An Hour A Week 236

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 22:26:00 -0700

#236-Seven Nation Army Part 1 of our August Roundtable Tonight’s show sponsored by ClassB.com Join the forum discussion on this post - (2) Posts Share with Others:

[Blog] If you build it they will come pt3

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 22:05:00 -0700

Welcome Back. When we left off I teased that we would talk about open houses and Troop visits. But going back to the relationships that have built with the Packs, they get the first invites to the open house, even though they should be familiar with the workings of the Troop. The open house or Troop visit is an important part in the recruiting process. There are as many ways to do this as there are troops, but the important part is that you need to conduct these events. They are opportunities for parents to see the Troop in its environment, they get to see the youth leaders, they have the opportunity to talk to the committee and ask questions about the Troop. It is a great way to show case the unit. Our Troop is a backpacking troop. At our open house that we do annually we present the Troop as it normally camps... in the backpack style. Our philosophy is to be very up front and show the Troop how we are. We set up a camp site in our meeting hall to show the types of gear we use and provide lists of the recommended and required gear. This is important for the new parent to know just what they are getting into. We have photo albums and a slide show running for the new parents and Scouts to see, as well as invoke a story or two from the older Scouts. I think that is real important for both new Scouts and parents to see. It is the shared experience of the Scout that is what we are selling. This is a big part of the promise that we deliver. Our open house is not on a meeting night. Meeting nights are for meetings... and Troop visits. During a Troop visit we conduct business as usual. When we have visitors, we treat them as guests and have a regular meeting. We think this is important so the visiting Scout and his parents see just what a meeting looks like and they get a real feel for the Junior leaders and how the Troop operates. Keep in mind sometimes this is ugly and confusing to the untrained eye.. that is where Assistant Scoutmaster (insert name here) comes in. He is the wrangler of parents and acts as the translator as the evening progress's. He can be a great help in answering questions and explaining the process's that are unfolding before these shocked parents... he should also be versed in treating for that shock and also how to fill out applications and merit badge counselor interest cards. The bottom line is that the Troop visit should reflect the true flavor of the Troop. If you put out your best, then it is fair that you should be that way all the time... it is ok for visitors to see reality and understand that young men run this program. Some key items for both the Troop visit and the open house: 1. A copy of the Troops Annual plan 2. A copy of the Troop budget 3. A list of "Must haves" that include uniform standards, gear, handbook, and other things unique to your Troop. 4. Business cards for key leaders (Scoutmaster, Committee Chair, Membership chair, Treasurer) 5. Hand out with "GO TO INFO" : Troop website, email address's, resources, FAQ's. In our next edition of "If you build they will come" we will talk about the annual plan, the meat and potatoes of the recruiting effort. Have a Great Scouting Day!

[Blog] With its new National Outdoor Awards the BSA honors guys who cant stand still

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 08:31:00 -0700

Guys join Scouting to experience the outdoors. It's that simple. To recognize that passion for adventure, the BSA announces its new National Outdoor Awards. As we told you last year, the awards are available to Boy Scouts and Varsity Scouts who meet specific requirements in one of five subject areas: camping, hiking, aquatics, riding, and adventure. There are two levels of the award. Boys can start with the National Outdoor Badges, seen at left. These are earned by boys who demonstrate "that they are knowledgeable, safe, and comfortable in the outdoor activity covered by the badge." Each segment is earned by completing the First Class rank, earning relevant merit badges, and accumulating experience—nights of camping, miles of hiking, hours of swimming, etc. Once they earn a segment, boys can go the extra mile (in some cases literally) and shoot for gold or silver devices, available for spending extra time on a particular activity. The badges and devices are impressive, but the highest honor for outdoor lovers is the National Medal for Outdoor Achievement, seen at right. We originally reported that boys needed all five segments to earn the medal, but the National Camping Task Force has altered those requirements slightly. The list of requirements is still daunting, though, meaning this medal isn't for everyone. Boys must earn the Camping badge with a silver device and two other badges, each with gold devices. They must also earn four outdoor-specific merit badges, plan a unit outing, and take a Wilderness First Aid course and a Leave No Trace course, each 16 hours long. Ready to introduce these new awards to your guys? You'll need the full requirements, listed after the jump, and the award applications (link opens PDF).(Thanks to Brent C. for the tip.) Follow the jump for the complete requirements. National Outdoor Badges for Camping, Hiking, Aquatics, Riding, and AdventureCamping Earn the First Class rank. Earn the Camping merit badge. Earn two of the following three merit badges: Cooking, First Aid, Pioneering. Complete 25 days and nights of camping—including six consecutive days (five nights) of resident camping, approved and under the auspices and standards of the Boy Scouts of America—including nights camped as part of requirements 1 through 3 above. A gold device may be earned for each additional 25 nights of camping. A silver device is earned for each additional 100 nights of camping. The Scout may wear any combination of devices totaling his current number of nights camping.Hiking Earn the First Class rank. Earn the Hiking and Orienteering merit badges. Complete 100 miles of hiking or backpacking under the auspices of the Boy Scouts of America, including miles hiked as part of requirement 2. A gold device may be earned for each additional 50 miles hiked. A silver device is earned for each additional 200 miles of hiking. The Scout may wear any combination of devices totaling his current number of miles hiking.Aquatics Earn the First Class rank. Earn the Swimming and Lifesaving merit badges. Earn the Mile Swim BSA Award. Earn at least one of the following merit badges: Canoeing, Rowing, Small Boat Sailing, Whitewater. Complete at least 25 hours of on-the-water time, applying the skills that you learned in the merit badges. Complete at least 50 hours of any combination of swimming, canoeing, rowing, small-boat sailing, or whitewater activity under the auspices of the Boy Scouts of America, including time spent in requirements 2 through 4. A gold device may be earned for each additional 25 hours of aquatic activity. A silver device is earned for each additional 100 hours of aquatic activity. The Scout may wear any combination of devices totaling his current number of hours of aquatic activity.Riding Earn the First Class rank. Complete at least one of the following: Cycling merit badge and 100 miles of cycling; or Horsemanship merit badge and 50 miles of horseback riding. Complete 200 miles of riding activities, either on a non-motorized bike or a stock animal, under the auspices of the Boy Scouts of America, including the miles in requirement 2. A gold device may be earned for each additional 100 miles of riding. A silver device is earned for each additional 400 miles of riding. The Scout may wear any combination of devices totaling his current number of miles of riding.Adventure Earn the First Class rank. Complete either the Wilderness Survival or the Emergency Preparedness merit badge. Complete 10 of any combination or repetition of the following adventure activities under the auspices of the Boy Scouts of America: a. A backpacking trip lasting three or more days and covering more than 20 miles without food resupplyb. A canoeing, rowing, or sailing trip lasting three or more days and covering more than 50 miles without food resupplyc. A whitewater trip lasting two or more days and covering more than 20 miles without food resupplyd. A climbing activity on open rock, following Climb On Safely principles, that includes camping overnighte. Earn the National Historic Trails Awardf. Earn the 50-Miler Awardg. Attend any national high-adventure base or any nationally recognized local high-adventure or specialty-adventure programItems 3a-g may be repeated as desired. A single activity that satisfies multiple items in 3a-g may be counted as separate activities at the discretion of the unit leader. Similarly, a single activity that doubles an item in 3a-d may be counted as two activities at the discretion of the unit leader.A gold device may be earned for each additional five activities. A silver device is earned for each additional 20 activities. The Scout may wear any combination of devices totaling his current number of activities. National Medal for Outdoor AchievementThe National Medal for Outdoor Achievement is the highest recognition that a Boy Scout or Varsity Scout can earn for exemplary achievement, experience, and skill in multiple areas of outdoor endeavor. In order for a Scout to earn the National Medal for Outdoor Achievement, the Scout must complete the following requirements: Earn the First Class rank. Earn the National Outdoor Badge for Camping with a silver device. Earn any two additional National Outdoor Badges, each with two gold devices. Earn the following merit badges: Backpacking, Emergency Preparedness, Nature, and Wilderness Survival. Complete a 16-hour course in Wilderness First Aid from the American Red Cross, Wilderness Medical Institute, or other recognized provider. Become a Leave No Trace Trainer by completing the 16-hour training course from a recognized Leave No Trace Master Educator. Plan and lead, with the approval of your unit leader, an outing for your troop, team, patrol, or squad in two of the following activity areas: hiking and backpacking, aquatic activities, or riding. Include in each outing a service element addressing recreational impacts resulting from that type of activity. With the approval of your unit leader, you may plan and lead the outings for another Cub Scout pack, Boy Scout troop, Varsity Scout team, Sea Scout ship, or Venturing crew. Complete at least one of the following: a. Plan and lead, with the approval of your unit leader, an adventure activity identified in the National Outdoor Badge for Adventure for your troop, team, patrol, or squad.b. Successfully complete a season on a council summer camp staff in an outdoor area, such as aquatics, Scoutcraft, nature/environment, climbing, or COPE.

[Blog] Road Trips

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 09:50:00 -0700

Took a road trip with the family this past weekend and my family and I spent time at 6 Flags Amusement park in Illinois and then took the Milwaukee Zoo.Not really all that excited about 6 Flags, being a former amusement ride operator for 14 yrs., I tried to keep an open mind about visiting a place packed with people.We arrived early, determined to take full advantage of the park's facilities and me not being crazy about the rides, I looked forward to the movie theater and shows...all of which were closed for the day.Decided to take the train around the park to orient ourselves where the rides and activities we wanted to see were at...train closed for the day.Plan B...take a ride on the sky tower, or whatever it was, and were first in line.Had to wait 20 min.'s before boarding, only to find out that they wouldn't run the ride for less than 24 people.We waited another 10-15 min.'s listening to the ride attendant complain about her partner not being ready and at the site.Did you know that at the end of each ride that the operators are required to say,"Have a great 6 Flags day!" and they do (with about as much emotion and enthusiasm as someone going for root canal work.From the perspective of a former ride operator, the "Have a great 6 Flags day..." translates to "hurry up and get the heck out of here so we can load the next herd onto this ride."My son, still recovering from a concussion he sustained in a soccer scrimmage, wasn't up to going on any rides and our was to spend half the day with the rides and the other half in their water park.That did not happen.Amber, Jean, and I went on maybe 8 rides altogether and sought some relief from the sun in going into various "sucker bait" shops which were air conditioned.By 2pm, I was fried to a crisp, or at least me head was, and really was burned out hearing, "Have a great 6 Flags day," we decided to find our hotel early...in spite of the fact the Jean was bound and determined to stay until the last dog was hung.We left.Day 2. Spent the night at a hotel in Racine, we headed to the zoo for Ala Cart.Arrived early.We were all impressed with the changes that had taken place at the zoo from the last time we were there (some 5 or 6 yrs.ago) and were eager to spend the day there and listen to good music, eat food, and enjoy the antics of the animals.Took the train ride first, and then the family farm area. Amber displayed her artistic talents with marble painting and printmaking, Dane was busy checking out the girls (especially the employees), and I waited for the upcoming music acts staged throughout the zoo.First stage... empty, second stage...empty, third stage was a couple of people that the acoustic guitarist showed his talents but could not sing or tell jokes to save his life and his singer could sing marginally well for free entertainment.The next stage had a band called, "Siren," with the lead looking something like Sheryl Crow, and her other two band mates harmonized while playing violin and bongo drums.Dane had a special interest in them and we stayed through their first show.He commented that one reminded them of a hippie and she had lots of "jiggle" when she played bongo.At 3pm, we once again faced burn out as the catch phrase of the day was, "Have a great 6 Flags...."even though it was the zoo we decided to skip the evening concert by the Gin Blossoms and head for our hotel and take advantage of the outdoor pool.Just leaving the zoo, a storm hit and by the time we arrived at the hotel, it was closed on account of the weather.Stayed in the room and ordered in pizza from one of the local establishments that delivered and we had one of the best pizzas ever (the second place Jean discovered that had the best food). In Racine, we had food brought in from the London Broil and ate a ton of food for almost next to nothing.In Milwaukee, I cannot remember the name of the place, but it was on Blue Mound Rd. about 7 miles west of the zoo.The whole trip does seem like it was a bust, but for what may be the last family road trip that we take altogether; it was a nice time bonding with each other.

[Blog] If you build it they will come pt2

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 20:15:00 -0700

Well, it took less than a day for someone to read the post and fire an email to disagree... thanks for the email... now Mr. Anonymous... I would like to invite you to read all the way to the end of the last post.. it says "We will talk more about the other pieces to building the program in the next few posts.. so stay tuned!" So here you go.. Part 2 of "If you build it they will come". In the last post I focused on the Scout Leadership and how fundamental that point is in developing your program so 'they' will come. Once that is established, or at least progress is being made to that end, it is time to sell the program. How do you sell a calendar? As simple as I can put it, just show it. And how you show it is through relationships. Your unit needs to have several relationships to grow. The first is obviously with the Packs. Yeah, PACKS, plural. It is not good enough to rely on a single Pack to "Feed" your unit. The reason I say that is because we are selling a specific program. Let me take a minute and explain that. Our program, our plan, our Troop is not like every other Troop. Each Troop has its own flavor, its own way of delivering the promise, its own style. The beauty is that given the Mission, Goals, and Values of the Boy Scouts of America we (all Scout units) can do it that way, we can all have our own flavor or style to achieve the Goals, work through the methods and deliver the promise to the young men that come to and stay with the Troop... so having said that what we are selling is OUR program, and that applies to every Troop out there. Relationships with multiple Cub Scout Packs is critical if you want to maintain sustainable membership numbers. It is realistic that not every Webelos Scout will cross over to your unit. It is fair to give the Webelos Scouts and their parents choices in their selection of Boy Scout Troops. Den Chiefs that assist the Pack and Dens are great recruiters and sell our program weekly. They demonstrate through their stories, there teaching, and their presents that we have a unit that values their leadership. The Den Chief is encouraged to make open invitations to the Webelos Scouts to attend Troop meetings and camp outs. The Den Chief is the front line of recruiting for a Troop. The second line of recruiting and relationship building between the Troop and the Pack is Adult leaders that have their hands in the program. The Scoutmaster or Assistant Scoutmasters should maintain a friendly presents within the Pack. Attending Pack meetings, Den Meetings and participating in special Pack functions. Relationships with Den Leaders and Cubmasters are important in the process of transitioning a Webelos Scout to a Boy Scout Troop. This process never ends and is only effective when it is real and part of the annual plan. Dedicated time and energy is a must to the recruiting effort. Your Troop should have dedicated leaders, both youth and adult that can and will give effort to building and maintaining relationships with those Packs. The relationships that you build become lasting and meaningful when you give that time. Some things that we find are successful are; helping the Packs with their recruiting efforts, providing assistants with Pack programs like family camps, pinewood derby races, parades, and working with the Webelos Scouts on activity pins. Providing youth "teachers" to help the Dens of the Pack achieve belt loops is another great way to get your Troop program sold. That and by having the Scouts do it, they develop their leadership styles and demonstrate to the parents of the Cub Scouts that our program fosters youth leadership, skills development, and and over all delivery of the Scouting program. Taking the Cub Scouts on a Fishing derby, working with them on a Wildlife conservation effort, participating with any of the sports related belt loops provides opportunities to lead and recruit, all the while selling the Troops program. These are building blocks in the "Field of Dreams"... if you build those relationships they will come. In our next post we will talk about the open house and troop visits... Stay tuned. Have a Great Scouting Day!

[News] The Buzz Talks about the New Robotics Merit Badge

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 22:13:00 -0700

The Buzz is on location at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree to talk about one of the newest merit badges: Robotics! Featuring: Marianne Elden from Internal Communications and Brad Lauer with VEX Robotics.

[Blog] If you build it they will come pt1

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 21:35:00 -0700

Its that time of the year again when District Membership chairs, Troop and Pack Committee Chairs, and leaders all over Scouting start seeking out the future of the program. Yes ladies and gentlemen, its recruiting season in the BSA and the fever pitch ramping up. With a new and exciting program delivery method for the Cub Scout program hitting the shelves, and the BSA's commitment to enhancing the recruiting effort through the BeAScout program, you can see that an effort this year on membership is a high priority. Membership is the life blood of any organization, and Scouting is no exception... but that really goes without saying, right? Whiz Bang programs, fancy fliers, and cool websites are great tools in the recruiting effort, but I will share with you a tried an true secret to effective recruiting. A GREAT PROGRAM at the unit level. No matter what type of a unit it is, Cub Scout Pack, Boy Scout Troops, or Venture Crews.. if you build it (the program) they will come. I call this the "Field of Dreams" philosophy. Simply put, you need a great program to both sustain membership and recruit new members. So the question then is how do build this great program? Let me give you a few tips that have worked for me. I apologize to the Cub Scout leaders at this point because I will really only focus on the programs that are Scout led (Boy Scouts and Venture Scouts). And having said that... that is the first key. SCOUT LEADERSHIP. The Scouts need to be the owners of the plan, they need to be the decision makers of the plan, and they need to be, with assistance, coaching, and support of adults, the folks that execute the plan. Ownership in their plan leads to leadership development and action. An annual plan that allows the Scouts to use their imagination, test their skills, seek adventure, and challenge themselves are key. Allow them to develop that plan. The beauty is that imagination, skill levels, adventure and challenge are extremely subjective and can be tailored to any type of unit. Allow the Senior Patrol leader or Crew President the chance to lead. They will develop the right course of action when they understand that leadership requires them to provide Purpose (through their Vision and plan) Direction, by communicating their plan and setting an example of skills, attitudes, and Scout like behavior, and Motivation. But how does this get new Scouts into your unit? When parents see a unit operating the right way, they want to learn more. Understanding that it is not always pretty (but that's the Scoutmaster and Committee chairs job to communicate that to the new parent) and that this is the simple design of the founder Baden Powell, the parent will soon see that in order for their son to get the most out of his Scouting experience, he needs to be in a unit that has a great program. We will talk more about the other pieces to building the program in the next few posts.. so stay tuned! Have a Great Scouting Day

[Podcast] MSPP 91 Aint Gonna Rain On Two Rivers

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:15:00 -0700

The Boy Scouts of Troop 68 sing It Ain't Gonna Rain No More and the assistant scoutmasters perform a skit.

[Blog] One rope one pole one camera pole aerial photography

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:04:00 -0700

Aerial photography gives a persepctive on the world that we normally miss, down on the ground. Aircraft are a pretty expensive way of getting these images, so amateurs have been using balloons and kitesto get aerial photographs for a long time. The cheapest way of getting a view from the sky is Pole Aerial Photography, demonstrated in this photograph by Phoenix Rover Crew.This rig consists of one 3m (9 foot) thatching lath, one light rope, a tripod (with one broken leg) that is round lashed onto the end of the thatching lath, and a digital camera. More sophisticated systems use a remote control for the shutter release, but this system uses a 10 second timer delay on the camera- the kind you would use to press the shutter and run to pose in a group photograph. To operate it, you would set the timer, press the shutter, then quickly hoist the camera up and aim it in the right direction. Half the fun of this rig is getting used to the system- you won't take fantastic photos every time, but you will take photographs that can't be obtained any other way.These 4 images were all taken with this simple PAP rig. This Flickr pool has many more examples by other photographers, some made with aluminium telescoping poles up to 10m long

[Blog] One rope one pole one camera pole aerial photography

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:04:00 -0700

[Blog] Generosity

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 01:32:00 -0700

One of the things that always impresses me about Scouting is the generosity of everyone who is involved. From the parent who is part of the cooking team at a Cub camp to the Leaders and so on. But it’s the stuff that people do which is ‘above and beyond’ that is always the most impressive. For instance, I know if I have a question or problem, that as well as ringing the Info Centre at Gilwell and speaking to my District’s people, I can post a question on Escouts or PTC Media’s forums or email any number of Leaders in the UK, Europe or the USA. And by doing this, I will get the info I need. They don’t need to do this, but we always like to help our fellow Scouts (A Scout is a Member of the Worldwide Family of Scouts – UK Scout law number 4). Another recent example of generosity is the creation of a WordPress theme for Scouting websites designed by Chris Hawes (see the Be Prepared link in the Scouts in the UK section of my links). Chris has made this theme for his District’s site and then offered it to anyone who wants it for their site! So I’ve used it on my District’s new site, which I’ve recently re-launched (after waiting since March to hear what the District wanted, I got bored and did it anyway!). You can see it here. Since the original release, Chris has made a couple of variations which can bee seen and downloaded from here. So many thanks to Chris for his hard work and to all those Scouts out there who do that extra bit to help others!

[News] Clean Up the World Weekend

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 03:44:00 -0700

Clean Up the World Weekend on 17–19 September is fast approaching. It’s a weekend for celebrating your year-round achievements or organising your own local activity. This year, in support of the United Nation’s 2010 International Year of Biodiversity, Clean Up the World encourages National Scout Organisations and Scout Groups to join the campaign to focus on protecting biodiversity in your community – that’s protecting the variety and wonder of your local nature.

[News] Clean Up the World Weekend

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 03:44:00 -0700

[Blog] Opp Management Updates

Sun, 15 Aug 2010 18:40:00 -0700

We want to let you know about some updates we just rolled out. The updates are mostly on the advertiser side but we do have one change that affects all users. We have added the ability to change your password under the account tab. Sorry bloggers, but that is it for Blogger side updates. Back to the advertisers and staying under the accounts tab, we have removed the payouts section. We replaced it with a section to add/edit/review opp groups. Groups operate like directories, allowing you to organize your opps. Moving to the opps page, the major changes here are group filtering, match count caching, removed pagination, opp cloning and blog search capabilities. After you have created a new group you can filter for groups on the opps page: Caching the match counts allows this page to load much faster. Since this is the advertiser home page, logins should also be faster. As you can see, the pagination controls are also removed. We decided to remove pagination because advertisers with a large number of found it cumbersome. Now all of you opps will show; use grouping to organize them. We also like to introduce a cloning feature for opps. The feature is accessible through the opp overview feature (magnifying glass icon). When you click the clone button, the create opp lightbox will magically open, prepopulated with the same options as the opp you cloned. To round out the changes to the opps page, we have added the ability to search for blogs in a list of matches. At the footer of an open blog match list, use the search feature to search for blogs by url. No need to include “http” or “www” when searching; these will be ignored. The match feature sorts by the closest matching url to your search string. Like all sorting the sort will be maintained when moving between blog match lists. Moving along to finances, we have added a phone number requirement to the add credit card form: We have moved payouts to the transactions page and added sorting and a filter for transaction types. Loading your transactions takes more time, however, all transactions are loaded at once so sorting, filtering and viewing transactions is super fast once the page loads. We at Izea hope that you are pleased with this release. Please keep submitting your ideas and issues so we can provide a better experience. Thank you and enjoy

[Blog] If Everyone was a Scout

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 10:10:00 -0700

What would the world today be like if everyone was a scout?Imagine every single person living the oath, motto, and law of a scout.For starters, had the Executives at BP been in scouts; would there be the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico right now?Maybe...but if they practiced "Leave No Trace" or were "prepared" then it might not have been as catastrophic.If more people were scouts; would we have more environmentalists or conservationists available?We might not have the endangered species list or issues with global warming and issues with pollution.Political leaders should learn to practice "Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, and Friendly" and we might not have the border wars and conflicts we have today.If everyone were a scout and followed the fundamental principles of scouting to be prepared for the "game of life;" we would certainly be having fun while living it.Baden Powell would certainly be smiling if we were all scouts.

[Blog] From WOSU Arts Blog

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 19:15:00 -0700

With our program airing tonight on Idaho Public Television I was delighted to read this message from Stacia at WOSU out of Ohio State in Columbus. The link is here.

[Blog] Scouting Makes the Impossible Possible

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:11:00 -0700

It seems that every time I look back at my scouting life, and it is far from over (I hope); I am increasingly more amazed at what a scout can do or what can happen if a scout does his best.Going back in time 100 yrs. ago a scout never thought that he would impact the movement as he did when he helped William D. Boyce in that London Fog.That scout is famous and yet no one knows who he is.Senator and Astronaut John Glenn, I imagine, never thought he would travel to space or become an American leader.Film director Steven Spielburg probably would not be making movies had it not been for the photography merit badge he completed in boy scouts.Sam Walton probably would have never believed it if someone told him that he would become the owner and CEO of one of the world's largest department stores.So here am I looking at some of the greatest people that have succeeded in life, thanks to the boy scouts, and while I am not in that same class as these people mentioned; I do have some interesting milestones in my life as a scout: One of the first people in Green Bay to view the moon rocks as a cub scout. Became an Eagle Scout and earned my God and Country religious medal and the International Catholic Awareness Medallion. Became a Cub master and a host of other pack positions. Visited scouts in Australian and volunteered to help with the Elmore Jamboree in Australia in 2007. Radio presenter for Scouting Radio and the list is not complete yet.Had someone told me that these milestones would occur in my life, I would never have believed it.Like Mike Rowe, who told the scouts at this year's national jamboree, that he was a shy boy and his father made him go to a scout meeting. I was in that similar situation.My two grandfathers were involved in scouting as was my uncle and my father.I became a scout and little did I know that it would be the best thing that happened in my life-even the raccoon visitation at my first summer camp at Bear Paw.Scouting gave me many opportunities in my life. I hope that I can give back as much as I got out of the program.So when someone tells you that you could be the next international singing sensation, or next master artist, future leader, etc. Believe it.For if you do your best; everything impossible becomes possible.

[News] International Youth Day ushers in the International Year of Youth

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 07:22:00 -0700

In December of 2009, the United Nations General Assembly in New York proclaimed, in resolution A/RES/64/134, that August 12 2010 – August 12 2011 will be the International Youth Year. This also coincides with the 25th anniversary of the first International Youth Year proclaimed in 1985.

[News] The Buzz Talks About the New Be A Scout Recruitment Program

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 22:20:00 -0700

The Buzz is on location at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree to talk about the new “BeAScout” recruitment program. http://www.beascout.org Featuring: Marianne Elden from Internal Communications and Marty Walsh from Membership Impact.

[Blog] BSA Be Prepared Newsletter

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:34:00 -0700

ScoutStuff.org’s Be Prepared Newsletter provides news, tips, and other useful information about Scouting and the outdoors. Information is for all program ages, including Cub Scouting. This newsletter is emailed every month. link Filed under: Communications, OUTDOORS

[Podcast] An Hour A Week 235

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 21:42:00 -0700

#235-Walking After Midnight Annual program planning and the Sports & Academic programs are on tap for tonight’s show. Tonight’s show sponsored by ClassB.com Join the forum discussion on this post - (3) Posts Share with Others:

[Blog] Its Been a While and a Lot Has Happened

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 13:44:00 -0700

Wow, where to begin. Let’s start with Eagles. In the past 6 months (off the top of my head) Cameron, Corey, Tim, Sean, Dillon, Kyle, and Hunter have reached the honorable rank of Eagle Scout. We’re very proud of each and every one of them and their unique methods of reaching Eagle. As the older boys fly away into adulthood, they are always followed by new scouts. We have several young men who are very eager to learn and progress through the ranks. This year’s campouts have been nothing short of amazing. The boys have really clicked and work quite well together. We see more innovative cooking, serious planning, and even goals of international travel on the table. Times are exciting at Troop 483. The boys have really gotten into geocaching, a few of them now list it as one of their favorite hobbies. In fact, they located a coin at Spring Creek park in Tomball that honors a fallen soldier. Before summer is over, a group of scouts will participate in placing that coin back into another cache. In June, the troop went to Camp Cherokee in Athens. There was a collective – BEST CAMPOUT EVER – from the boys and adults alike. Granted, a few of them are new, but that comment actually came from the older scouts on the trip. Heck, even the food wasn’t too bad. Scenically, nothing beats BTSR to this camper, but troop wise, I was very impressed. As with any summer, attendance slows a bit, allowing for those attending to make great headway on finishing rank advancements. Just last night quite a few members of the troop gathered at the bowling alley for a fun night of midnight bowling. The Crew hasn’t let up either. In late June, the Crew placed the Mt. Fuji geocoin it found in Georgia last December into a new cache that it created. Fast forward to July, they traveled to Tyler where they sampled the local skateparks and then on to Dallas to go to Six Flags and geocache their way back to Houston. I’m happy to report that they located another geocoin so the mission continues. School draws near and with it, a new batch of smiling boy scouts. We can’t wait to meet them. We have an exciting year planned.

[Blog] Scouting Video of the Week August 8 2010

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 12:45:00 -0700

Since our OA Section conclave is next weekend I felt this was an appropriate video. Enjoy and WWW!

[Blog] Back from Jambo

Sat, 07 Aug 2010 13:51:00 -0700

We are back from Jambo and full of Scouting! That is not to say that I have had my fill... What I am saying is that I have never been more excited to be in Scouting.I have been in Scouting since I was 7 years old and the 2010 National Jamboree sealed the deal for me that Scouting will always be a part of my life.The shows, the demos, the action centers, the outback activities, the people.. they all added up to a wonderful experience that will long stay with me. I am ready for 2013 at the Summit!I will be putting out a few podcast about Jambo in the next few weeks, so stay tuned to the SMM podcast.Speaking of which. The Scoutmaster Minute Podcast is undergoing a few changes, starting with the name. We are in the midst of negotiations with the BSA as we speak and in the interim, the Scoutmaster Minute needs to change a bit. From now until things get settled and maybe into the future, the Scoutmaster Minute will be called the SMM podcast. Nothing else will change, you can still get it on iTunes and via PTCMedia.net.. just a name change. Thanks for staying with us and being such great listeners and readers of the blog. I appreciate it. Have a Great Scouting Day!

[Blog] Mike Rowe

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 02:45:00 -0700

If you live in the US, you’ll know who he is, but if you live anywhere else, like me, you’ll probably say ‘Who?’. He is a TV host who hosts a show called Dirty Jobs, amongst others, and is someone who is promoting the importance on the ‘blue collar trades’ and the fact that there is a need for people to be trained in such areas (plumbing for example) and that everyone should not necessarily have a degree (as seems to be a common theme these days). He was a Scout when he was a boy and is an Eagle Scout. He has taken it upon himself to promote Scouting and it’s values and achievements. He will even send a personalised letter to any Eagle Scout who wants one (see the example here). He recently appeared at the BSA’s recent Jamboree (unlike a Mr. Obama who sent a video & went on a chat show, much to the annoyance of a lot of Scouts) and spoke to all the Scouts and their Leaders about the need to get out and get dirty while staying physically and mentally clean. But the thing that interests me is that he has done all this off his own back. As far as I know, he doesn’t have an official position within the BSA, but has decided that Scouting is something that is important and relevant to the youth of America and he is going to tell people that. However, I can’t think of anyone over here who is doing a similar thing. We obviously have Bear Grylls doing his thing as Chief Scout, but he, as are thousands of other adults, is a volunteer within Scouting. There is no one I can think of who is outside Scouting in an official capacity doing the same as Mike Rowe and I guess we’re the poorer for it. If we had someone who is in the media spotlight, be they a sports person, musician or politician, for example, who is willing to say ‘ this is my team, record or policies I’m promoting and I got here partially because of the skills, lessons and fun I had in Scouts / Guides etc as a kid. Take a look you might enjoy it’. I wonder if anyone out there is prepared to say that?

[Blog] Cartoon the sheetbend

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 06:04:00 -0700

By Bill Sykes, from page 91 of the book Scout Smiles, edited by EGW Wood, published in 1950 and long out of print (but possibly available second hand on Amazon.com)

[Blog] Cartoon the sheetbend

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 06:04:00 -0700

By Bill Sykes, from page 91 of the book Scout Smiles, edited by EGW Wood, published in 1950 and long out of print (but possibly available second hand on Amazon.com)

[News] BSA Appoints National Youth Protection Director

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 21:34:00 -0700

The Boy Scouts of America announced today that, as part of its commitment to youth protection, it has created the new full-time position of Youth Protection director. Michael “Mike” Johnson, an internationally recognized expert on child abuse detection and prevention, has joined the BSA as Youth Protection director effective July 24, 2010. Johnson will report to Assistant Chief Scout Executive Jim Terry. “Protection of our youth is at the very heart of Scouting and our most essential goal,” said Chief Scout Executive Robert Mazzuca. “The Boy Scouts has long sought continuing improvement in our Youth Protection program in order to provide the safest possible environment for our young people. We are confident that Mike, working in close coordination with other experts in law enforcement, psychiatry and other disciplines, will build upon existing policies to further enhance Scouting’s educational and training programs and continue to improve our existing policies and procedures.” “Throughout its history, the Boy Scouts of America has been at the forefront of youth protection,” Johnson stated. “I believe in the organization’s commitment to youth protection, I am encouraged by the continued progress the Scouts have made, and I will do everything in my power to ensure that Scouting is as safe as possible for all of our members.” Johnson has conducted hundreds of trainings for law enforcement and child services professionals worldwide. A native of San Antonio, Texas, Johnson most recently served in the juvenile division of the Plano (Texas) Police Department. He joined the department in September 1982 and began working in the criminal investigations division devoted to investigating child abuse cases in 1986. He is a founding member of the Collin County Children’s Advocacy Center, and in 1996 he was named the center’s Child Advocate of the Year. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a minor in psychology from Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. Johnson has served on the National Board of Directors for the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC) and was president of the APSAC Texas State Chapter. He has served on numerous other national boards and task forces, including the National Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers, the Law Enforcement Subcommittee for several of APSAC’s national colloquiums, and the working group for the establishment of the National Center on the Sexual Behavior of Youth. And, he has been instrumental in helping shape state laws to protect children from child abuse. About The Boy Scouts of America Serving nearly 2.8 million young people between 7 and 20 years of age at more than 290 councils throughout the United States and its territories, the Boy Scouts of America is the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. Source: BSA Press Release

[Blog] My 2010 Heroes

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 14:23:00 -0700

I was watching the shining light concert from the BSA National Jamboree at Fort A.P Hill, and I was thinking about some of the people that should be heroes or at least friends of the BSA.Cheers to:United States Soldiers (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard)-these servicemen and women do incredible things to serve out country and do so without complaint. They do things that we would never do or probably never be asked to do.Mike Rowe (Dirty Jobs host)-an Eagle scout and proudly endorses the BSA. If you don't believe me, check out his web site www.mikeroweworks.comJeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. -both took the time to visit with scouts and scouters at the National Jamboree. Ted Nugent- sent video to the Jamboree stating that he loves people that are always prepared. Who wouldn't add him to the good list?Kid Rock-assisted Fla. scouts with replacing camping equipment while on route to camp when equipment and trailer were stolen.President Gerald Ford- Eagle scout and proponent of the boy scout movement.Jerry Tilton- a local scouter in Green Bay who celebrated his 75th yr. of continuous service in the scouting program. Brady Poppinga -Eagle Scout and Green Bay Packer. Brady shows that he still lives the oath and law today in the way that he plays on and off the field.Geers to (actually it isn't scout-like to geer but it rhymed with cheer) but the loser in this category): President Barack Obama- invited to speak at the National Jamboree and sent video taped message instead. Yes, I know he is the President and he is very busy, however; the Jamboree was practically in the White House back yard and if he could take time out to be on the "View"...

[Blog] Merit Badge Corner Bugling is Here to Stay

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 06:54:00 -0700

Shine up your bugle and get ready for some reveille, because today it was announced that the bugling merit badge has been reinstated. Scouting magazine originally reported back in June that BSA was planning to combine the bugling merit badge with the music merit badge, which it already shares the book with. But after concerns from hundreds of scouters Scouting Magazine reported today that the BSA has decided to reinstate the merit badge. You can read the original post about the combining of music and bugling here http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2010/06/ask-the-expert-what-happened-to-bugling-merit-badge.html. And you can read the original post about it’s reinstatement here http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2010/08/bugling-reinstated-as-separate-merit-badge.html. http://scoutingmag.typepad.com/.a/6a011168d129d3970c013485faf7d1970c-800wi

[Podcast] An Hour A Week 234

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 22:54:00 -0700

#234-Edge of The World Youth protection, cheap canopies, training, BeAScout and lots of other topics on tap for the show tonight. Links: The canopy sunshade-http://bit.ly/bLN3PD Tonight’s show sponsored by The Boy Scout Store Join the forum discussion on this post - (12) Posts Share with Others:

[Blog] National Jamboree Show Should Have Been on National Television

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 04:29:00 -0700

The Boy Scout National Jamboree was televised on the Internet via the National Jamboree Website in conjunction with Facebook, Twitter, and other sites.The show should have been on national television with the BSA celebrating 100 years of scouting.Highlights included "Dirty Jobs" star Mike Rowe, the Trinidad and Tobago Steel Drum Band, the US Army Special Op's group the Black Daggers, Olympians Steve Holcomb, Shawn White, and Gretchen Blieler.Also appearing Alex Boyea, Ted Nugent, Switchfoot, and Honor Society.The show was pretty well conceived with scouts participating in between acts.President Obama mailed in a video message to the boy scouts and was not as inspiring as the personal message that Mike Rowe gave "in person."Overall, the show was spectacular and should have been on national TV for the world to see.

[Podcast] Cooperation

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 19:30:00 -0700

This is the first Cubcast to address ways to enhance the new Den & Pack Meeting Resource Guide! Lucia Cronin serves on the National Program Content Committee among her other Cub Scout activities. She helps explain the new guide with ideas for the first core value: Cooperation.

[Podcast] Fall Recruiting

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 19:00:00 -0700

A few months ago, we talked about spring recruiting. Now it’s time for fall recruiting! Matt Budz, Community Alliances team leader at the national office in Irving, Texas, joins us to explain the best way to have a successful fall recruiting effort.

[Blog] What Part of NO Do You Not Understand

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 10:26:00 -0700

Interesting title for a scout post, isn't it?Let me start by apologizing for the double negative in the title.Webster's dictionary defines the word no as:Pronunciation: ˈnōFunction: adverb Etymology: Middle English, from Old English nā, from ne not + ā always; akin to Old Norse & Old High German ne not, Latin ne-, Greek nē- — more at ayeDate: before 12th century1 a chiefly Scottish : not b —used as a function word to express the negative of an alternative choice or possibility 2 : in no respect or degree —used in comparisons

[Blog] Scouts amp The Invasion of Britain

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 04:02:00 -0700

Back in March, the UK Government released some previously classified files about the relationship between Scouting and the Hitler Youth (Hitler-Jugend). As usual the media made a big fuss about, well nothing really. There wasn’t a link between the two organisations and the WOSM put out a rather good press release explaining it all (read my post from March here). One of the points they made was that Scouting was mentioned in the book “Informationsheft Groß Britannien”, which was to be issued to soldiers when the Germans invaded Britain. I was in the library the other day and noticed a copy of this book, translated into English and now called “Invasion 1940 – The Nazi Invasion Plan for Britain by SS General Walter Schellenberg”. So I looked at the relevant section on Scouting and found that if anyone who had written about the supposed link between the Hitler Youth and Scouting had read this book, then they would have realised that there was no connection! Here is what the book says (please don’t be offended by the language, it’s as originally written): The International Boy Scout Movement This was created in 1907 by the English military officer Lord Baden-Powell, who defended Mafeking in the Boer War. His organisation first limited its activities to England, later expanding over Europe (1911) thanks to propaganda from the British government and finally extended to the whole world. The Boy Scout Movement was established in the Dominions only after pressure from the English authorities. Lord Baden-Powell is, as World Chief Scout, the leader of the International Boy Scout Movement. Its central headquarters is in London, in the so-called International Bureau which until recently has been managed by a half-Jew, Mr Martin, who was simultaneously the head of the Passport Office. The current manager of the International Bureau, John Wilson, also works at the Passport Office; for the previous eight years he was Chief of Police in Calcutta. It is possible that his successor there is a certain Mr Lunt. The International Bureau builds links between the individual national scout associations. An International Commissioner heads each national association and is responsible for maintaining the link with the International Bureau in London.The International Commissioner is required to draft monthly and quarterly reports on the economic, cultural and political situation of the relevant country and pass them to the International Bureau. In addition, any personal or written contact between groups have to go through him. The individual national Boy Scout sections are structured similarly to the International Bureau. Although the individual Boy Scout organisations are ostensibly almost entirely devoted to pre-military youth education, the Boy Scout Movement is a disguised instrument of power for British cultural propaganda, and an excellent source of information for the British Intelligence Service. Lord Baden-Powell was run as an agent against Germany during the last war. The dissolution of the Austrian boy scout association has, amongst other things, provided proof of the link between the Boy Scout Movement and the Secret Service. The English Boy Scout Movement follows a similar model, altered to fit English circumstances, to the German Free ~Youth Movement. Accordingly, there has been close personal contact between members of the German Free Youth Movement and the English Boy Scout Movement. The 1926 Kanderstag Agreement on Minorities has special significance for international relations since it guarantees the constitution of minority scout groups in every country with a national scout association. The German Youth Front, a gathering of émigré youth leaders, also enjoys close ties with the International Bureau. Furthermore, it is suspected, due to its numerous connections abroad, the International Bureau works for British Intelligence. Hahahahahahahaha! Well, when I was looking through the records of my District which were from the 1920’s onwards, I never noticed any reference to MI5 or MI6! I think the Nazis got their summery of Scouting a bit wrong (to use an understatement). The other interesting point is that, had Britain been invaded, BP was on the list of 2800 or so people to be rounded up and arrested (and probably shot). Of course BP was in Kenya by this time living out his last days. It’s just a shame that when information is released, people don’t research things properly before coming out with the thought that Scouting was a right wing paramilitary organisation. Last word to BP himself writing in 1917 after 3 years of the First World War - The roots of Scouting have grown among young people of all civilised countries and are developing more each day. It might be thought that if in years to come, a considerable proportion of the future citizens of each nation forms part of this brotherhood, they will be joined by a bond of personal friendship and mutual understanding such as has never existed before, which will help to find a solution to terrible international conflicts.

[Blog] Scoutings Best Kept Secrets

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:38:00 -0700

There's an old saying that is still repeated by scouts and scouters throughout the world and that saying is,"What happens at camp, stays at camp."Well, I am going to expose exactly what happens at camp and use Johnny Scout as a classic example for this post.Johnny Scout is 11 years old and is going off to camp for the very first time.It's his first time away from family for more than a couple of nights.The first activity Johnny faces is check in or registration and the medical staff review his physical and medication documents.Johnny then marches to his camp site and quickly changes into his swim trunks for the BSA swim test which will certify that Johnny can out swim the freshwater croccodiles and piranhas that are imagined in the lake.This test is required if Johnny wishes to take a canoe, or rowboat out into the lake.What, Johnny in a canoe or boat without an adult!?!Yes, that can happen when Johnny has the proper instruction and meets the swim test requirements.Johnny can also have the opportunity to swim the mile.During Johnny's week of summer camp, he will also visit the shooting sports range and learn to shoot a .22 rifle, or shotgun, or a compound bow. He even may get the chance to try a black powder rifle.Johnny, shooting things!?!Why not? With proper instruction, Johnny will learn to safely handle firearms and could quite possibly earn a marksmanship badge.Summer camp may also find Johnny hanging 4 stories in the air off a zip line and riding that through the woods.Johnny may take several nature hikes, make new friends, sing songs, cook over a campfire and become a master at baking a fruit cobbler.Johnny will within one week's time have stories to tell as big as Paul Bunyan's blue ox, Babe.Now here's the secret: Everything Johnny does at camp is under the watchful eyes of instructors and camp staff and he will have the time of his life provided he tries his best (this isn't the secret yet).Johnny will return home showing some signs of growth (physically and mentally - this isn't the secret either).The Secret: Anywhere in the BSA where a boy chooses to go camping; he will have fun, learn, and grow. And that secret is known by scouts and scouters all over the world.

[Blog] Commissioner Keith Comments Scoutings Best Kept Secrets

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:38:00 -0700

Commissioner Keith Comments: Scouting's Best Kept Secrets: "There's an old saying that is still repeated by scouts and scouters throughout the world and that saying is, 'What happens at camp, stays at..."

[Podcast] An Hour A Week 233

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:07:00 -0700

#233-Back In The Saddle I get back to doing Scouting (finally). Tonight’s show sponsored by ClassB.com Join the forum discussion on this post - (1) Posts Share with Others:

[Blog] Big Rig 18 Wheeler Kit

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:21:00 -0700

Create your own PWD 18 wheeler big rig that comes complete with the Adventure Base 100 Tour graphics that will be on trucks traveling across the US in 2010. Kit includes 1 trailer, 18 wheels, 2 axles, 8 long axles, trailer connector, 1 small wheel base, 1 large wheel base, 2 cab panels, 1 woos cab block, instructions with template for carving. Truck races on existing Pinewood Derby track. Filed under: Crafts, CUB SCOUTS, Den Meetings, Pinewood Derby, Uncategorized, WEBELOS

[Blog] A Fork in the Trail

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:03:00 -0700

This week 40,000 Scouts will flock to Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia for the National Scout Jamboree. This year a drama smolders: will Barack Obama, the Honorary President of the Boy Scouts of America, make an appearance? Most Presidents (but not all) visit the Jamboree to give Scouting a boost. This year’s celebration has special significance: it is the 100th Anniversary of the Boy Scouts. If Obama doesn’t attend it will be a clear sign that the Boy Scouts have problems. For eighty years supporting the Boy Scouts was a political no-brainer. Elected officials from both sides of the aisle embraced the Scouts. It was easy: the values of the Boy Scouts lined up exactly with the values and aspirations of mainstream America. But over the last ten years, things have changed. The core of the problem is the Boy Scout policy that bars gays and atheists from leadership. In 2000 this issue came to a head at the Supreme Court in Boy Scouts of America et al. v. Dale. Assistant Scoutmaster James Dale was expelled from Scouting when it was made public that he was gay. The Boy Scouts won the case and affirmed their right to discriminate against gays as a private organization. The problem is that the Boy Scouts is not an ordinary private organization. The Boy Scouts of America is technically private but–like the Red Cross, Fannie Mae and the United States Olympic Committee–it was granted a Charter by Congress. With Barack Obama as Honorary President and backed up by a Congressional Charter the Boy Scouts of America enjoys a special status in our society. The Charter is also the basis of a muscular intellectual property approach used to “protect the brand.” The Boy Scouts of America have registered dozens of exclusive trademarks including “Be Prepared,” “Scoutmaster,” “Merit Badge,” and “Scouting.” Unlike France and Germany, which have a variety of Scouting programs with different membership rules, there is only one brand of Boy Scout in America. This means that the Boy Scouts have it both ways. They enjoy a government-sponsored monopoly and, like a private club, they get to discriminate against gays and atheists. No wonder Barack Obama is taking his time to decide whether he wants to attend their 100th Birthday Jamboree. Sooner or later the Boy Scouts of America will need to make a decision. It can follow the lead of the US military (lead by Distinguished Eagle Scout Robert Gates) and change the discriminatory policies. Or it can cut ties to our government, retreat into a niche and recognize that their values no longer represent all of us. -Justin Szlasa Eagle Scout & producer/co-director 759: Boy Scouts of Harlem justin (at) harlemscouts.com

[Blog] 365 days to the 22nd World Jamboree

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:46:00 -0700

On the 27th of July 2011 I will be joining several thousand Scouts from around the world near Rinkaby, Sweden, for the 22nd World Scout Jamboree. I will be an Assistant Troop Scouter with the South African Contingent. I am looking forward to the trip, and hopefully to meeting some of the people who've shared ideas with me here on the blog.

[Blog] 365 days to the 22nd World Jamboree

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:46:00 -0700

[Blog] Cub Scouts Meet Here

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:11:00 -0700

Cub Scouting means “doing.” Everything in Cub Scouting is designed to have the boys doing things. Activities are used to achieve the aims of Scouting—citizenship training, character development, and personal fitness. Many of the activities happen right in the den and pack. The most important are the weekly den meetings and the monthly pack meetings. National Council’s Cub Scout page has links to download the NEW meeting plans. Filed under: Advancement Management, Books, CUB SCOUTS, Cub Scouts 2010, Den Meetings, WEBELOS

[Blog] Holiday Time

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 08:00:00 -0700

Well all the schools have broken up for the summer holidays and the pupils / students and MOST of the staff (only 4 weeks until MY holidays – but that’s a rant I don’t want to go into here!) now have six weeks off. The summer holidays bring an interesting dilemma for Scout Groups and their sections – whether to stay open or close for the holidays. To be honest, we normally close, so the Beavers and Cubs finish tonight and the Scouts are carrying on an extra couple of weeks because of a camp at the beginning of next month. I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing for two reasons. First of all, it’s the school holidays so families er, well, go on holiday! With all the kids scattering to the four corners of the globe, it’s nigh on impossible to know who is going to turn up from one week to another which means a normal programme can’t be run – you tend to end up playing games all night. Secondly, it gives the Leaders a break. It gives them time off, to go their holidays and recharge the batteries ready for starting back refreshed, renewed and full of enthusiasm in September. So have great summer holiday and see you all in September (well actually not entirely true, of course, I’ll be posting here over the hols!).

[Podcast] MSPP 90 I Want To Marry The Princess

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:45:00 -0700

A peasant wants to marry the princess in this skit performed by the Boy Scouts of Melrose Troop 68 during their 2001 Laughs For Lunch Show.

[Podcast] An Hour A Week 232

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 21:38:00 -0700

#232-Mr. Big Stuff A new marketing campaign, Be A Scout promotion, disposable wooden utensils, attendance at Pack events, day camp, and Leader book PDFs are on tap tonight. Links: Words To Live By-http://bit.ly/9MWW3x Disposable Wooden Forks-http://bit.ly/bIVVWr Disposable Wooden Knives-http://bit.ly/baMmYI Disposable Wooden Spoons-http://bit.ly/9p951E PDF versions of a bunch of BSA manuals.-http://bit.ly/9aaqKe Tonight’s show sponsored by Badge Magic Join the forum discussion on this post - (11) Posts Share with Others:

[News] Circular N 22 July 2010

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 09:28:00 -0700

39th World Scout Conference / 11th World Scout Youth Forum - Registration Fees

[Blog] Digital Resource

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 11:55:00 -0700

For those Cub Scouts leaders who prefer digital resources, your wait is over. Part of the new Cub Scout Delivery Model, this new resource offers den meeting plans for all ranks, plus pack meeting plans connected to monthly themes. Also includes a light overview of the Cub Scouts program, an introduction to den leader responsibilities and den management, and an online resource list. Other resources available include: Cub Scout Leader Book Webelos Leader Book Roundtable Planning Guide Cub Scout Den & Pack Ceremonies link Filed under: Books, CUB SCOUTS, Cub Scouts 2010, Den Meetings, Pack Meetings

[Blog] PTC Meet and Greets at Jambo

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 19:56:00 -0700

Come and Join Miss Kris from the MISS Show and Scoutmaster Jerry from the Scoutmaster Minute Show for a PTCMedia meet and Greet on Tuesday the 27th of July. Bring your lunch and come by and say hello. Bring your lunch on Saturday the 31st of July for a greet time meeting MISS Shannon from the MISS Show and Scoutmaster Jerry from the Scoutmaster Minute Podcast. Fellowship, fun, and even some onsight Podcasting.. then stick around for the Shinning Light Across America Arena Show and celebrate the BSA's 100th Anniversary with your friends from PTCMedia! Have a Great Scouting Day!!! We will see you at JAMBO!!

[Blog] The Fine Line

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 10:27:00 -0700

Some say there is a fine line between being the Scoutmaster and a Dad when your boy is in your troop. I think this is an interesting discussion and one that I live with every day. I have two sons that are in my troop and my Jamboree troop also. So when the subject of the "Fine Line" came up at a Jamboree meeting a while back it got me thinking, is there a fine line and if so, where is it? What is it? and how do we deal with it? So the Fine line, Where and what is it? I suppose the line is one that real from a few perspectives, first from the view point of those not in the relationship. The folks that look at a Father that is his sons Scoutmaster and wonder if there is favoritism being played or lesser expectations toward the son. Then there is the point of view of the Scoutmaster that has his son or sons in his troop, how does he maintain a Father/Son relationship while not playing favorites or giving his boy a break. Then there is the point of view of the Son, the Scout who has his Dad as his Scoutmaster. This must be the toughest position of all. This young man is constantly bombarded with peer pressure and the comments of "he's the Scoutmaster's son"... So there is the relationship issue, in all of these cases. So the question then is how is this dealt with? First, I will tell you that every Scout needs to be treated equally, even the Scoutmasters son (s). This is the best way to make everyone Scouting experience fun and without to much drama. So here is where it gets sticky for the Scoutmaster. No one has the right to treat the Scout with anything but respect and equality. Just because the Scout is the Scoutmasters son does not make him a target for comments or unequal treatment. Now the Scoutmaster has a big part in making this happen. He can not treat his son with any favor, that is not to say that he dismisses his son, but he needs to maintain equality in the treatment of every Scout in the Troop. Leadership positions, elections, awards and advancement all need to be conducted by the book. I was asked once if the Scoutmaster should conduct the Scoutmaster conference for his son, I say yes. After all he is the Scoutmaster, the Scout (his son) does the work and they have a conference... there should be no issues there.. as long as it is done by the book. The conference should be completed just like every other conference, in the open, scheduled, and within the appropriate conditions of youth protections and BSA policy. On camp outs and other troop activities it is OK to be a Dad with your son, but the fine line would dictate that be a Dad, but not at the expense or neglect of the Troop. Your son is part of a Patrol, he is hanging out with his patrol mates and you should encourage that as much as possible. I have made it a point to spend time with both of my sons in a Father/ Son relationship throughout their Scouting lives. We do this by hiking together, jumping in a canoe together and I make sure that while at summer camp I sit with them during meals on occasion. There are times and places that the Fine line can be crossed, but never if the troop is effected in a negative manner. A good rule of thumb is to think about the Scout. If he is made to feel uncomfortable or picked on, then you need to back off. I have seen Scoutmasters that spend too much time with their son and the appearance is that of playing favorites.. "Little Johnny does not have to collect fire wood.. he's the Scoutmasters son". That kind of stuff will rip at the patrol and troop and the Scout will start to feel rejected by his peers. I would just say that there may be a fine line, but it is not one that reduces the Father and Son experience in the Scouting program... when the leader understands this and watches out for the good of the Troop. Have a Great Scouting Day!

[Podcast] An Hour A Week 231

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 22:28:00 -0700

#231-Rocky Mountain High Two Rivers Scouting Blast, Youth Protection reminders, Scout Shop closeouts, iBooks, merging Packs, what to do as a new Webelos 2 leader, newsletters, and the new training validation are on this week’s show. Links: Closeout Deals-http://bit.ly/bUZwPN Tonight’s show sponsored by ClassB.com Join the forum discussion on this post - (13) Posts Share with Others:

[Blog] Family Camp Video

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:30:00 -0700

At the Family Camp we held back in May, as well as taking a load of still pictures – see here, I managed to take some video with my little hand held Flip Video camera. I’ve finally got round to editing it all together and you can see the short version below (YouTube is limited to around 10 minutes). If you want to see the full 40 minutes or so, then click here. In the short version you can see the Beavers and Cubs making their pirate equipment(!), the BBQ we had on the Saturday evening and a few songs from the campfire. If you watch the long version you can see the camp site in the rain (just for a change), the Beavers and Cubs making their pirate equipment, the BBQ and finally the full camp fire. Hope you enjoy.

[News] Circular N 21 June 2010

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:22:00 -0700

39th World Scout Conference & 11th World Scout Youth Forum – Brazil 2011

[News] Circular N 20 June 2010

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:17:00 -0700

53rd Jamboree-On-The-Air - 14th Jamboree-On-The-Internet, 16-17 October 2010

[Blog] New Public Television Air Dates for CA FL ID KY MD MI NH NC OH ampOR

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 06:31:00 -0700

An updated list of when the show will air on Public Television Stations around the country on our events page.

[Podcast] MSPP 89 The Killer Cattle Song

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:30:00 -0700

The Boy Scouts of Troop 68 perform the Killer Cattle song during the 2001 Laughs For Lunch show.

[Blog] Recognising the Commitment

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 15:03:00 -0700

Last night was my Group’s Annual General Meeting. As well as the ‘formal’ stuff, awards were given out. It was pleasing to see three Beavers get their Chief Scouts Bronze Award and the Cub of the Year Award presented (we really need to have Beaver and Scout awards as well!). But it was also pleasing to see a A Chief Scout’s Commendation for Good Service given to the Group Treasurer. A Group Treasurer is one of those mythical things that appears when money is needed or is required to be collected! Seriously, a Group Treasurer is worth their weight in gold. It means that the Leaders don’t have to worry about keeping the Group’s finances in order. And, for example, it means that the Leaders do not have access to the bank account (like in our case). Our Treasurer has been in the position for seven years now and we’re really lucky to have him. He was recently awarded his 5 years service award, but to get the Chief Scout’s Commendation for Good Service is very impressive. Like our DC said last night, its great when uniformed adults get these awards, but even more special when a non uniformed member gets one. They too show their commitment to Scouting, but in different ways to the uniformed members, and rightly deserve to be honoured for their work!

[News] Circular N 19 June 2010

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 02:34:00 -0700

11th World Scout Youth Forum, Brazil, 3-6 January, 2011 - Call for nominations for Youth Advisors

[News] Circular N 18 June 2010

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 02:30:00 -0700

39th World Scout Conference, Brazil 2011 - Call for nominations for World Scout Committee Membership

[Podcast] The Leaders Campfire 77

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 21:11:00 -0700

#77-Trivia Night We got most of the PTC Hosts together for a trivia night. Girls vs. guys! Guests: MISS Kris MISS Shannon MISS Emily Scoutmaster Shawn Scoutmaster Jerry Join the forum discussion on this post - (3) Posts Share with Others:

[Podcast] An Hour A Week 230

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 21:06:00 -0700

#230-Train In Vain Acronym soup, Unit Commissioners, and training is on tap for tonight. Links: Kids Bowl Free-http://bit.ly/iaJK0 Cub Scout Pack Adult Participation Form Sample-http://bit.ly/92nqLk Ways to Involve Parents in Your Pack-http://bit.ly/cr6WRS Tonight’s show sponsored by ClassB.com Join the forum discussion on this post - (9) Posts Share with Others:

[Podcast] Waves of Fun

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:00:00 -0700

Join us as we talk to Jamie Dunn, volunteer extraordinaire with the Northern Star Council in St. Paul, Minn., about exciting ways of making this final program helps theme truly Waves of Fun!

[Podcast] New Cub Scout Delivery Method

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:00:00 -0700

You’ve heard the rumors; you’ve read about it on Scouting.org, and now the new Cub Scout Delivery Method is at the starting gate! Here to demystify everything for us is Sara Lacobee, training designer, and Don Shepard, Youth Development Team leader, for the Program Impact Department. This is the Cubcast you don’t want to miss!

[News] Scouts of the World Network

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 06:56:00 -0700

Scouts et Guides De France have offered to run an event to develop plans for a Scouts of the World Network from 25 to 30 August 2010. This is a key part of Scouts of the World but a formal network has not yet been established. This event is open to Rover Scouts and leaders in NSOs that are running or are planning to introduce the Scouts of the World Award.

[Blog] In time for the Jambo Boy Scouts of Harlem patches are here

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:47:00 -0700

The “759: Boy Scouts of Harlem” patch has arrived. Designed by our own Jake Boritt and created by Rob Faurot at the venerable Chicago Embroidery Company, the handsome design will no doubt be much-coveted at the National Jamboree this summer. Right now we are including a patch with DVDs that are purchased on our site or you can order a pack of five for $12.50 plus shipping and handling here.

[Blog] Earning It

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:31:00 -0700

It’s pleasing to know that one of my ex Scouts will be representing his Country, County, District, Explorer Unit and Scout Group at next year’s World Scout Jamboree in Sweden (no pressure then!). To attend this exciting event is going to cost him about £2100 or $3145 or kr24,375. Now this is quite a lot of money to pay to go away for a fortnight or so, especially in the current economic climate. So he is not just getting his parents to ‘cough up’ the amount, but doing various activities to raise the money. He, along with the other 4 Explorers from my District who are going, have done sponsored walks, held a charity stall on the local charity market and done car washes to name but a few. He is also, in the best traditions of ‘Bob a Job’, going to do work for people in return for a donation to the fund (hmmm, the car needs washing I think!). A couple of weeks ago, a District colleague of mine was at a meeting and was chatting to someone from another county. This person was apparently quite surprised to learn that our Explorers are fundraising to enable them to go to the Jamboree. He, apparently, just wrote a cheque for the full amount for his son to go and couldn’t understand why our Explorer’s parents don’t do the same! Now apart from the small matter that they probably cannot afford to just write out a cheque for that much, it gives the wrong impression to the Explorer attending the event. As our Explorers have to work for the money, they will appreciate the actual cost of going to the Jamboree and realise that it’s an honour to go and will be a once in a lifetime event (I am, of course, very jealous as I never had the opportunity to go on one!). The Explorer whose Daddy just wrote the cheque will think that this is the normal way to get money for things they want in life. I think our Explorers will have a better understanding of the value of money and that it doesn’t just grow on trees in the future.

[Podcast] An Hour A Week 229

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 22:36:00 -0700

#229-Oh Daddy Scout Shop Deals, ScoutParents, Pack Campouts, Training and Summertime activities are on tap for tonight. Links: Boy Scout Utility Knife $$3.99-http://bit.ly/awwPDK PTC Media CSLS 1 Training-http://bit.ly/bWndTJ Tonight’s show sponsored by Badge Magic Join the forum discussion on this post - (4) Posts Share with Others:

[Podcast] Welcome to The Trainers Corner

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 09:42:00 -0700

Hello fellow Scouters, Welcome to The Trainer’s Corner! The Trainer’s Corner was a series of Cub Scout leader helps that ran from October 2008 to June 2010. As you navigate through the various pages and postings, hopefully you will find ideas, thoughts, and examples that will help you run a better Cub Scout program. Good luck with your program! “Keep it simple, make it fun!” In Scouting, - Scouter Jeff <>< – Questions? E-mail me at thetrainerscorner@gmail.com –

[Podcast] MSPP 88 The Jedi Patrol sings Yoda

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 17:30:00 -0700

The adult leaders of Boy Scout Troop 68 sing their version of Yoda.

[Podcast] An Hour A Week 228

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 21:33:00 -0700

#228-Hurt Planting trees, 100th anniversary items, Presidential rumors, Youth Protection training, some notes from the National meeting in May and lots of feedback. Tonight’s show sponsored by ClassB.com Join the forum discussion on this post - (8) Posts Share with Others:

[Blog] The Most Popular Posts

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 16:19:00 -0700

Whenever you write a post on a blog or an article on a website, you want people to read it and hope that they find it interesting. Recently there has been a post on here that has proved to be quite popular. But not for the reason I would have expected! Last year I wrote about a local District who were being advised not to parade on St. George’s Day carrying the English and Union flags (read it here). And to illustrate I had pictures of both the flags taken from a site which had pictures of national flags available to download free of charge and without copyright. Sadly this site seems to have disappeared now. However, due to England being in the World Cup (yawn – sorry can’t be doing with football, cricket is more of my thing!), whenever people are looking for the England flag, the search engines are sending them to me! It’s nice to see the blog’s stats on the up, but sadly people are not stopping to read about Scouting Also interesting is the fact that my Group’s site is getting quite a lot of hits on the post I made which includes a video on how to tie a friendship knot (see here). Again it’s the search engines sending people towards it and because people are ‘Scouty’ in their outlook (why else would the be searching how to tie a friendship knot?) they are looking at what my Group gets up to. However, I’ve had to update the post as people think my Group has made the video and we didn’t! I don’t want to take credit for something that’s not ours! Luckily I found out who did, so if you look at the video, please take a look at the site of the 3rd Ware Scout Group and tell them how helpful their video is!

[News] Circular N 15 May 2010

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 11:09:00 -0700

World Scout Committee consideration of Governance Review Task Force report

[Podcast] Webelos to Scout Transition The Goal

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 17:36:00 -0700

Hello fellow Scouters, This is the seventh and will be the last in a series I’ve written on Webelos to Scout transition. This time we are going to look at what the goal of the Webelos to Scout process should be. Too often I hear people say that the goal of the Webelos to Scout transition process should be getting a boy to join a troop. This can be A goal, but I feel this falls short of what we want from our Webelos Scout. We are not selling cars, where we want someone to sign the dotted line and then the deal is done. If we think of the goal as getting a boy to join a troop, we will design our recruiting tools for this. Instead, we should define the goal as getting the boy to find a troop that fits him and his family, where he will stay in and find success. Each troop is unique. Some are fully boy-lead. Some have more adult involvement. Some are high-adventure oriented. Some might do more car camping. And some might be more community-service oriented, with a little less focus on the outdoors. And all of these are the correct way to run a troop. We shouldn’t fall into the trap of saying a troop should be this way, or a troop should be that way. If a troop has a stable or growing membership, and the boys are having fun while their character is being developed, then that troop is doing the right thing. So when working towards our Webelos to Scout transition goal, we should look at which type of troop fits the boy and his family before he joins. The boy and his family should look for a troop that fits their family needs and their idea of what a troop should be. This is why visiting multiple troops as a Webelos is so vital. And I would charge all Webelos den leaders to let your parents know that the choice of a troop is a family decision. This is the time where your den might go their separate ways, and that’s OK. Although it’s great when boys go from a Webelos den to the same troop, sometimes it’s best in the long run for a Scout to go to a separate troop than some in his den. – We should want more from the Webelos to Scout transition process than getting a boy to join a troop. The Webelos to Scout transition process should be about getting the boy to join a troop that fits in with his and his family’s idea of what a troop should be and where he will get fully engaged in that troop. We want a boy to find the right troop for him and his family, so he will join and stay in and enjoy all that Boy Scouts has to offer. – Previous Webelos to Scout transition postings can be found by clicking the “Webelos to Scout” page above. – In Scouting, - Scouter Jeff <><

[News] Circular N 16 May 2010

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 03:29:00 -0700

Scout & Guide National Organizations (SAGNOs)

[News] Circular N 14 May 2010

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 03:24:00 -0700

Meeting of the World Scout Committee, Kandersteg, Switzerland, 20-21 March 2010

[Blog] Bear Thanks Adult Volunteers

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 10:04:00 -0700

Another video message from the Chief Scout, this time thanking the adult volunteers.

[Blog] A Transition for KISMIForg

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 15:47:00 -0700

About two-and-a-half years ago, I started this noncommercial blog website with the goal of helping Cub Scouters put on a great Cub Scout program. In particular, I wanted to share with others the things which, as a Cubmaster, I found had been very helpful in our pack with Cub Scout recruiting and retention. Among the things that worked well for us were having good planning and communication, fun activities and field trips, an emphasis on getting rank badges earned, and remembering that the boys want and need to do things in the outdoors. I have been pleasantly surprised at the level of success KISMIF.org has had in being able to reach a wide audience since it has been in operation. At present, my time commitments (work, family, my hiking website) are such that this is a good time to pass administration of the site on to someone else. I am pleased to announce that Nancy Davis, a long-time Scouter in Florida, will be handling the administration of KISMIF.org from here forward. I know she will do a great job. I am very appreciative of her being able to carry on the goal of KISMIF.org of providing helpful information and tips for Cub Scouters. –Mike Newman Filed under: CUB SCOUTS

[Blog] Adventure Base 100

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:58:00 -0700

I accidently missed the Cinncinati, Ohio stop on May 29 to May 31 but I am not going to miss stops again for a while because I have a new plan. I am going to try and feature all of the stops starting tomorrow that go through the weekend of the Fourth of July. This will mean I will have to feature at least 3 stops between today and tommorrow.The stop though that starts tomorrow June 5, 2010 and ends on June 6, 2010 is that of the stop in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In Pittsburgh the Adventure base 100 campus will be located at the Heinz History Center. The Heinz history center is located at 1212 Smallman Street Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222. Directions the History center are as follows:From the North and West (via Ohio and PA Turnpikes):From Exit 28 (Cranberry, old Exit 3) on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, take Interstate 79 South to Interstate 579 (the Veterans Bridge). Drive across the bridge and follow signs for Seventh Avenue. Turn right onto Grant Street. Go one block, get in the left lane and turn left onto 11th Street. Go two blocks and turn right onto Smallman Street.*Alternatively, stay on I-279 S. Get in the left lane as you cross the bridge and take the left-most exit, following overhead signs to the Convention Center and Strip District (via the 10th Street Bypass). At the red light go straight, traveling under and around the Convention Center, then take the first left turn onto Smallman Street.From the South and West (via Interstate 79 and Parkway West):Take Interstate 79 North to Interstate 279 North toward Pittsburgh. Go through the Fort Pitt Tunnel.*Stay in right lane across Ft. Pitt Bridge and curve right to access Interstate 376 East. After about a quarter mile, exit Grant Street on the left. Follow Grant Street, and after the Seventh Avenue intersection, get into the left lane. Turn left onto 11th Street. Go two blocks and turn right onto Smallman Street.*Alternatively, get in the left-most lane through the tunnel. After exiting the tunnel, move to the far left lane of the bridge. Take the left-most exit, following overhead signs to the Convention Center and Strip District (via the 10th Street Bypass). At the red light go straight, traveling under and around the Convention Center, then take the first left turn onto Smallman Street.From the East (via Pennsylvania Turnpike and Parkway East):Take Exit 57 (Pittsburgh, old Exit 6). Follow signs to Pittsburgh via Interstate 376 East. Take the Grant Street exit. (Exit from the left lane.) Stay on Grant Street and after the Seventh Avenue intersection, get into the left lane. Turn left onto 11th Street. Go two blocks and turn right onto Smallman Street.*Alternatively, take Exit 57 (Pittsburgh, old Exit 6). Follow signs to Pittsburgh via Interstate 376 East. Take the Ft. Duquesne Bridge/North Shore exit. *Stay in right lane across the bridge, following signs to Interstate 279. After crossing the bridge, stay to the right and take exit 7C, to PA 28 North. Immediately after this exit, take the Chestnut Street exit. Take a right and cross the 16th Street Bridge. After the bridge, take the first right on Penn Ave. Take a right on 14th Street. and the next left is Smallman Street.Dates and times of operation are as followsSaturday June 5, 2010 9 am to 6 pmSunday June 6, 2010 9 am to 6 pmAdmission to this event is free.More information about the Heinz History Center can be found by clicking here.More information about the host council which is the Greater Pittsburgh Council can be found found by clicking here.More information about adventure base 100 can be found by clicking here.Yours in Scouting ServiceMark WAssistant Webelos Den Leader Pack 69Frontier District, Denver Area CouncilNSJ '05 Youth Participant '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff WSJ '07 '11Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood MemberBig Horn NYLT QM Philmont AA '08If you are paid to do Scouting, you are called a Professional. If you are not paid to do Scouting, you are called a Volunteer. If you pay to do Scouting, then you are called a Scouter. -- Author Unknown

[Blog] More Adventure Base 100 Videos

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:34:00 -0700

These adventure Base 100 videos will be from Minneapolis Saint Paul and Grand Rapids. Minneapolis Saint Paul video will be feature first below.The Second Video will be of the adventure base 100 stop from Grand Rapids, Michigan.Yours in Scouting ServiceMark WAssistant Webelos Den Leader Pack 69Frontier District, Denver Area CouncilNSJ '05 Youth Participant '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff WSJ '07 '11Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood MemberBig Horn NYLT QM Philmont AA '08If you are paid to do Scouting, you are called a Professional. If you are not paid to do Scouting, you are called a Volunteer. If you pay to do Scouting, then you are called a Scouter. -- Author Unknown

[News] Circular N 17 4 June 2010

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 01:25:00 -0700

Belarusian Republican Scout Association (BRSA)

[News] On World Environment Day World Scouting receives recognition for its support to Clean Up the World

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 01:21:00 -0700

In the Clean up the World Report for 2009, World Scouting receives recognition for its support to Clean up the World (CUW). CUW works in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and in its Global Activity Report, launched to support World Environment Day on 5 June, WOSM is recognised as a key 'Ally'. Scout activities are highlighted in the report. Activities ranged from cleaning up small villages to national clean up events. Across many regions, communities also implemented recycling programmes, energy conservation, tree planting and awareness raising activities.

[Blog] Football friday South African flag car

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 22:14:00 -0700

The Football World Cup starts in South Africa next week. South Africans are getting into the spirit of things, and flags of all the participating nations are lining the roads and filling offices and shopping centres.People have been particularly displaying our own flag, with street vendors selling flags to fit into the side windows of cars, and also covers for wing mirrors.Aiden Choles is a friend of mine who decided that it wasn't enough to fly a flag from his car- he covered his entire car in a (removable) vinyl wrap. A number of local companies helped sponsor this, and he will be keep the flag flying until after the World Cup ends on July

[Blog] Football friday South African flag car

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 22:14:00 -0700

[Blog] Football friday Soccer variants for troop meetings

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:56:00 -0700

With the World Cup just a week away, here are some soccer variants that our Scout troop has played.Crab soccer-Players all move 'crab-style' - lying on Three-legged soccer-players are paired up and one leg is tied to the other player like for a three-legged race.Wheelbarrow soccer-players pair up as for a wheelbarrow race. The 'wheelbarrow' player handles the ball with their hands.New rules soccer-This game starts out as normal soccer. Every time a team scores a goal, they are allowed to make a new rule eg. all players need to hop on one foot when they are kicking the ball

[Blog] Football friday Soccer variants for troop meetings

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:56:00 -0700

[Podcast] MSPP 87 The Leaders Of Scouting Mike R

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 18:30:00 -0700

The fifth and final episode of this five part series features Mike R., a Scouter with a lot of Cub and Boy Scouting background.

[News] Scouts of the World Discovery and Trainers Seminar at KISC 30 August 4 September 2010

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 03:23:00 -0700

Two events to support the development of the Scouts of the World Award will take place in Kandersteg International Scout Centre from 30 August to 4 September 2010. A Scouts of the World Discovery will be organised for Scouts aged 15-26 years old in the area of environment/sustainable development, and in parallel there will be a seminar for Rover Scout Commissioners and Trainers who are interested in developing Scouts of the World in their Associations. The seminar for Commissioners and Trainers will cover all three aspects of the Scouts of the World Award – peace, environment/sustainable development and community development.

[Podcast] Celebrate Freedom

Mon, 31 May 2010 19:00:00 -0700

Discover what makes America so special to us! Susan Faull, a 25-year member of the Greater Pittsburgh Council, shares with us her grand ideas for helping your den or pack stay active this summer with the July theme as they learn about their country and community.

[Podcast] Fall Program Planning

Mon, 31 May 2010 18:00:00 -0700

Charles Flowers, director of field service with the Greater Pittsburgh Council, helps us to “Be Prepared” by explaining everything you need for a successful fall program—and that it needs to start now!

[Blog] Country setting updatesMissed offers due to downtime

Fri, 28 May 2010 10:03:00 -0700

Hello All, I recently made a new update to the PayPerPost logic that sets your country. For 99.99% of people who have the wrong country set and can not cash out this should be resolved. For advertisers, the same is true for matching your opportunities with the correct regions you specify. For those of you who had expired offers during our unanticipated downtime, I have reopened the offers but only for offers from advertisers who had the available funds. If the advertiser has already spent their money extending new offers there is little we can do. We apologize for the inconvenience.

[News] Circular N 13 May 2010

Thu, 27 May 2010 09:47:00 -0700

Statement from the World Scout Committee on Human Rights issues

[Podcast] Easy Delicious Dutch Oven Burritos

Mon, 24 May 2010 15:18:00 -0700

Hello fellow Scouters, We had a family in my former pack that were some of the nicest people you could meet. Along with being wonderful people, they were awesome outdoor cooks! They were so good that I would do whatever I could to make sure my campsite was next to theirs, so I could mooch food. And yes, it got so bad that I even abused my position as Outdoors Chair to get my campsite next to their campsite. I’m not proud of it, but I’d do it again! We would exchange food when we camped, but I have a feeling they got the short end of the deal, as their food was so much better than my cooking. One of my favorite recipes they made was their Easy Dutch Oven Burritos. This recipe was so easy to make, and tasted so, so good. I am so glad they gave this recipe to me! It’s so good, in fact, that we make it at home (we half the recipe listed below). The recipe below will serve around 10 – 12, making 20 – 22 burritos (depending on how much you stuff them). A 10″ or 12″ Dutch oven would work for this recipe. Ingredients 1lb bulk sausage 1lb ground beef Pinch of salt 2 medium onions (sliced fine) 1 bell pepper (sliced) 2 cans pinto or black beans (drained) 2 small cans chicken broth 1 package taco seasoning mix 1 can whole kernel corn (drained) 3 cups (1 small box) Minute Rice (white or brown) Vegetable oil (a couple of tablespoons) 20 – 22 flour tortillas Shredded cheese Your favorite salsa Optional: sliced avocado and cilantro If you have a legless Dutch oven like I do, you can do this on your stove. Or you can prepare around 9 to 10 coals and do this in your Dutch oven stand (and have a few extra coals ready if needed). You can even cook this on a small stock pot on your stove – but where’s the fun in that Spread out a little oil in the bottom of your hot Dutch oven. Add the onion and sweat them until they are translucent. Add the meat and a pinch or two of salt and chop/crumble the meat with your spoon and brown the meat, stirring as needed. As the meat is just about finished, add the bell peppers. If your beef or sausage produces a lot of juice, you can use some tongs and paper towels to sop up some of this (this isn’t required, though). When the meat is cooked add the beans, chicken broth, taco seasoning, and the corn. Bring to a high simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally (add a few more coals if you’re not getting a good simmer). After 5 minutes of simmering, stir in the rice, cover with the lid, and remove from heat. Let sit around 10 minutes, or until the rice is soft and most of the moisture is absorbed. (If it’s cold or windy, add a couple of coals on the top and bottom to keep the Dutch oven warm). Once the filling is done and the moisture has been absorbed, spoon on to your tortilla, and add some cheese and your favorite salsa. If you want extra goodness, add slices of avocado or cilantro, or whatever else you like to add to your burritos (sour cream, olives, or whatever gives you your perfect burrito!) [Please note that the image I used for this blog post was an image I pulled from the Internet, and not fully reflective of this recipes' results] – This is not some generic recipe out of a book that I’ve posted. This is one I’ve eaten at campouts, and I’ve cooked at home. And it’s so good that even my teenage picky eater loves it! Try it and you’ll see why I picked campsites close to my friends! – Enjoy! In Scouting, - Scouter Jeff <><

[Blog] Boston Museum of Fine Arts screening seriesBoston Globe review

Mon, 24 May 2010 15:14:00 -0700

“a genial documentary…Boritt and Szlasa have talent” -Wesley Morris, Boston Globe Yes, we are in the middle of our run at the fantastic theater at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and were happy to have a review in the Boston Globe. Sure, the reviewer mixed up some of our subject’s names and relationships and Jake never was a Scout and it was Manny combing Keith’s hair (or Ms. Ann giving KC braids) but we were happy to get some positive attention, a very nice quote and 2.5 stars out of 4 which actually is pretty good in the Boston Globe’s world. Anyway, almost all working film critics are stretched thin (and my guess is the Globe is short on fact-checkers) so we were happy Mr. Morris could knock out this review between screenings at Cannes. From afar, it seems like Cannes is all parties and red carpets but anyone who has ever been at a festival knows that for people like Mr. Morris it is serious work. If you are interested you can read the whole “759″ review here.

[Blog] Survival and New foods Which cacti are the most edible and nutritious

Fri, 21 May 2010 14:29:00 -0700

While this doesn't really answer the question... It does help you to figure out how to harvest and prepare the fruit of our beloved Prickly Pear. Just don't go hugging any of them.From Survival Guru Tony NesterPrickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia spp.) is the most common cactus found throughout not only the desert but much of the U.S. It is my favorite cactus to harvest, and I usually gather up the red, golf-ball sized fruits in August or September, depending on the elevation.The surface of the fruit has tiny hairs called glochids which can get into your skin (or tongue!) and cause irritation. When gathering the fruit with my kids, I always bring along Elmer's Glue, which can be poured onto the hairs impaled in the fingertips or skin and later peeled off to remove the glochids. Tongs can be most helpful for picking fruit, but it always seems like you end up with a few hairs in your fingertips.After obtaining the fruit, we then place them over a grill on the fire for 1-2 minutes to singe off the glochids. They can then be eaten raw or cut in half to dry in the sun to make cactus fruit leather. Like most cacti fruit, prickly pear is 80-percent seed on the inside, and it takes quite a bit to make a meal. Your lips and hands also will be stained purple for the next few days.As with any edible plant or cacti, make sure you know what you are putting in your mouth as some can be toxic and downright deadly. Take a class at a desert botanical center or with a reputable instructor. One such course that focuses on desert edible and medicinal plants is taught in Arizona by Mike Masek (theforagerspath.com) and provides a hands-on approach to learning how to gather your own wild foods.Other than prickly pear, there are many desert succulents (another name for cacti and their relatives) that can provide fruit, such as the Saguaro, barrel cactus, and cholla. Some are protected, so you will have to look into state laws when gathering.An excellent book to get started is Food Plants of the Sonoran Desert, by Wendy C. Hodgson.Here's a list of nutrients you find in the paddle.Cactus pads contain beta carotene, iron, some B vitamins, and are good sources of both vitamin C and calcium.There has been medical interest in the Prickly Pear plant. Some studies have shown that the pectin contained in the Prickly Pear pulp lowers levels of "bad" cholesterol while leaving "good" cholesterol levels unchanged. Another study found that the fibrous pectin in the fruit may lowers diabetics' need for insulin. Both fruits and pads of the prickly pear cactus are rich in slowly absorbed soluble fibers that help keep blood sugar stable. There are on going studies and at this point there are no proven results on humans. You can make your own study and see if works for you, which is the only test that really counts.Here's a recipe for a tasty, spicy dish:CACTUS CREOLE2 cups of diced cactus1 pound of hamburger (cooked and drained)6 ounces of tomato paste1 cup of water1 diced jalapeño pepper6-1/2 ounces of canned shrimp (drained)salt and pepper to tasteMix all the ingredients together in a pan and cook them over medium heat for about 20 minutes or until the cactus turns a deep green. Serve hot over noodles, rice, or potatoes . . . or in pita bread or a folded tortilla. It's delicious!Cactus also tastes great with fish. Here's a recipe for pescado, desert-style:CACTUS OVER FISH1/2 cup of cooking oil1 clove of garlic (chopped)1 teaspoon of chili powder1 cup of flour1 pound of filleted fish1 cup of diced and boiled cactus1/2 cup of water (from the boiled cactus)1 hard-boiled egg, sliced2 teaspoons of lemon juicesalt to tasteHeat the oil in a frying pan, sauté the garlic until light brown, and then remove the garlic pieces with a slotted spatula or spoon. Combine the chili powder and flour in a bowl and roll the fish in the mixture. Fry the coated fillets until they're golden brown . . . add the water (be careful to prevent spattering — pour in just a bit at a time). . . reduce the heat . . . and cook the fish for a few minutes longer. When the fish flakes easily, remove it from the pan and serve it smothered in cactus and topped with sliced egg, lemon juice, and salt.

[Podcast] MSPP 86 Weve Hit An Iceberg

Thu, 20 May 2010 17:55:00 -0700

The Boy Scouts of Troop 68 perform a skit about filming a movie about a ship hitting an iceberg. Unfortunately, the new actor is not very bright.

[News] Kiplings Mowgli revisited at Sunderban to save the tiger

Thu, 20 May 2010 01:57:00 -0700

On 1ST & 2nd of May 24th Asoka Group,South Calcutta Bharat Scouts & Guides organized a camp in Sunder ban’s Bali island in collaboration with We Stand for Environment & Education (WEE). WEE is a society dedicated to environment & education to create an awareness among the local people to save the tiger in order to save Sunder ban from further demise.

[Blog] 100 Days in the Future

Wed, 19 May 2010 10:17:00 -0700

100 Days of Scouting has come to a close. It began with the centennial anniversary of Scouting in the United States. The original idea was to motivate people--and especially me--to make sure we did something to improve the Scouting universe each day. Things Big things like becoming a BSA Speaker or beginning a new Scouting blog. Medium-sized things like using Twitter and Facebook to encourage other Scouters to get active and stay active. Small things like taking a phone call from a Scout, shooting the breeze with a former leader in line at Walmart, or signing another blue card. They all add up to moving Scouting along. What's Next? First, if you are just discovering 100 Days, jump in. Get started. Right now. Blog it. Add a comment below to tell us all that your 100 Days blog is running. Tweet it if you like. But get started today. Don't be bashful--A Scout is brave. Do your best. If you've been here awhile, you have either jumped in or been following along. Following along is fine. Nothing like reading and being inspired. Now, here's your chance: 08 FEB 2011 (and each year thereafter) we should commemorate the anniversary of Scouting by exercising the 100 Days again. It is the middle of winter then, so the weather isn't cooperating for much Scouting. The Scouting year is just over half finished. For many Scouts and Scouters, the blahs have set in. No more. This is the time of year we need a swift kick to get us moving. Spring and Summer are coming fast, and will be all the better for our February focus. Interested? The best way to get reminders is to Subscribe--click on the "Posts" button and have it added to your RSS feed. Another great way is to follow along on Twitter--you'll see the automatic posts from the blog there. Any other ideas for making the most of 100 Days? An annual re-dedication seems like a commitment I can live with--how about you?

[Blog] 100 Days of Scouting Day 100

Tue, 18 May 2010 13:29:00 -0700

Today I: Spent a lot of time thinking about the 100 Days of Scouting project. I wanted it to make a difference in Scouting, for my Scouts, and for me personally. At this point, I hope that has happened. We'll see what seeds sprout. Publicized our Scout-A-Rama. Posted a couple of Scout related links to our council's Facebook page--one is for an Eagle project that ties out to D-Day and the other is for the Scout-A-Rama. ...and that's it. Simple beginning, simple ending. Hope you've enjoyed your 100 Days--and I'm enjoying reading about yours!

[Blog] 100 Days of Scouting Day 96 to Day 100

Tue, 18 May 2010 13:13:00 -0700

Well, the end is here. 100 Days of Scouting (and effort) have been tied up. There are other Scouters following along, completing their own 100 Days trails. Catch the spirit of Scouting--whether is is for 100 days or a lifetime! Final days: Day 96 Day 97 Day 98 Day 99 Day 100 ...now back to the regular Scoutsigns blog.

[Blog] MayJun 2010 Magazine News Briefs

Mon, 17 May 2010 16:27:00 -0700

Trailhead (formerly “News Briefs”) in the May-Jun 2010 issue of Scouting magazine includes the following news stories of interest to Cub Scouters: Scouting Centennial Csatari Mural BSA Motorsports Marketing Program BSA Alumni Program 2009 Annual Report Link Filed under: CUB SCOUTS

[Blog] 100 Days of Scouting Day 99

Mon, 17 May 2010 15:05:00 -0700

Today I: Helped a Tiger earn another elective: #42 Worked with the council office to confirm our troop, pack and crew commitments for the Scout-A-Rama this weekend. Swapped email with a new Scout dad about being able to camp with his son this weekend at the Scout-A-Rama. He wanted to let me know that he thinks that a couple of campouts will help get his son off on the right foot. OK. Well, tomorrow is the big day! 100 Days of Scouting becomes 100! What did you think of it? Did it help? Learn anything? Get any fresh ideas? Share your thoughts...and wish 100 Days a "Happy 100th!" tomorow!

[Blog] 100 Days of Scouting Day 98

Sun, 16 May 2010 16:31:00 -0700

Today I: Hosted a Patrol Leaders Council with our incoming and outgoing Scout leaders. Completed a Scoutmaster conference for a new Scout. Followed up with a dad who needs to be dropped at the airport on the way home from a backpacking trip in June. Now that is dedication! Yep, we'll accommodate him. Thought about how to turn 100 Days of Scouting into something more lasting... PLC is just one more meeting a month that eats up our time, but yields great results down the road. Always tough with the new patrol leaders, too. ;-)

[Blog] MayJun 2010 Scouting Magazine

Sun, 16 May 2010 12:58:00 -0700

The May-Jun 2010 issue of Scouting magazine is available at the magazine website. This issue has articles of interest to Cub Scouters on the following subjects: Cub Scout Geocaching Fun. Link New Cub Scout Program (Cub Scouts 2010). Link Belt Loop Day Scheduling. Link Building Durable Self-Esteem. Link Outdoor Footgear. Link Rattlesnake Safety. Link Camp Java. Link Filed under: CUB SCOUTS, Cub Scouts 2010, Gear, Safe Scouting

[Blog] 100 Days of Scouting Day 97

Sat, 15 May 2010 14:47:00 -0700

Today I: Relaxed after planting 48 tomato and 48 pepper plants, by reading Scouting blogs. It was the perfect way to recover. Flipped through a few random 100 Days of Scouting posts--I'm amazed at all the stuff I've already forgotten! It was hot and that was all I accomplished. Definitely an early bedtime tonight! What did you do today?

[Blog] Adventure Base 100 Videos

Fri, 14 May 2010 14:41:00 -0700

The first adventure base 100 stop video that I will be featuring in this post will be the Louisville, Kentucky.The second video in this post will be that of the video for the Chicago, Illinois.

[Blog] 100 Days of Scouting Day 96

Fri, 14 May 2010 14:26:00 -0700

Today I: Fixed a new Scout's Boy's Life subscription. He paid for it but it wasn't marked on the registration form. Contacted all of the troop's dads about stepping up to help handle one campout year. Helped a Dad get the dates for Cub Scout summer camp so that he can surprise his son and go! That was it for today--busy at work, but just a little time for Scouting. Always try to make a few minutes for Scouting. What was in your minute today?

[Blog] Adventure Base 100

Fri, 14 May 2010 11:24:00 -0700

I missed the Grand Rapids, Michigan stop because I was moving out of the dorm that weekend, had finals, and my parents were in town, just too busy of a week to do much on my blog. This week I will be featuring 2 different adventure base 100 stops. These two stops will be in Minneapolis, Minnesota and the first of two stops in Ohio.Minneapolis/St. Paul Adventure Base 100 StopFor this stop of the adventure base 100 2010 tour, it will be held on May 15, 2010 and May 16, 2010. For these two days the adventure base 100 campus will be specifically setup at the Mall of America in the North parking lot which is located at 60 East Broadway Bloomington, MN 55425. The hours of operation are as follows:Saturday May 15, 2010 10 am to 6 pmSaturday May 16, 2010 10 am to 6 pmMore information about adventure base 100 can be found by clicking here.More information about the Mall of America can be found by clicking here.More information about the host council which is the Northern Star Council can be found by clicking here.Adventure Base 100 First stop in OhioThe first adventure base 100 stop will be in Columbus, Ohio and will be located at the Ohio Zoo and Aquarium which is is located at 4850 West Powell Rd, Powell Oh 4306. For this stop Scouts/Scouters in uniform will receive free admission to the Zoo. A special lunch may be purchased for those Scouts/Scouters for $9. For family Friends and guests the prices will be as follows: Admission to Columbus Zoo ONLY: Guests 10-59 Years old - $9.00 (normally $12.99)Admission to Columbus Zoo ONLY: Guests 2-9 Years old & 60+ - $5.00 (normally $7.99)Admission to Zoo & Zoombezi Bay Waterpark - $10.00 (normally $29.99)Admission to Zoo, Free Parking & Special Lunch: Guests 10-59 Years old - $16.00Admission to Zoo, Free Parking & Special Lunch: Guests 2-9 & 60+ Years old - $13.00BEST DEALS:Admission to Columbus Zoo, Zoombezi Bay Waterpark, Lunch & Free Parking:Guests 10-59 Years old - $19.00Guests 2-9 Years old & 60+ - $19.00Directions are provided below from several different locations are provided for your convience.From west of Columbus: Take Interstate 70 East to 270 North. Follow 270 North to Sawmill Road (Exit 20) and go North (or left) on Sawmill Road. Sawmill Road will become Sawmill Parkway. Continue on Sawmill Parkway until you reach Powell Road/SR 750. Turn left onto Powell Road/SR 750. The Zoo entrance is approximately 1 mile on the right.From east of Columbus: Take Interstate 70 West to 270 North. Follow 270 North to Sawmill Road (Exit 20) and go North (or right) on Sawmill Road. Sawmill Road will become Sawmill Parkway. Continue on Sawmill Parkway until you reach Powell Road/SR 750. Turn left onto Powell Road/SR 750. The Zoo entrance is approximately 1 mile on the right. From south of Columbus: Take Interstate 71 North to 270 West. Follow 270 West to Sawmill Road (Exit 20) and go North (or right) on Sawmill Road. Sawmill Road will become Sawmill Parkway. Continue on Sawmill Parkway until you reach Powell Road/SR 750. Turn left onto Powell Road/SR 750. The Zoo entrance is approximately 1 mile on the right.From north of Columbus: Take Interstate 71 South to 270 West. Follow 270 West to Sawmill Road (Exit 20) and go North (or right) on Sawmill Road. Sawmill Road will become Sawmill Parkway. Continue on Sawmill Parkway until you reach Powell Road/SR 750. Turn left onto Powell Road/SR 750. The Zoo entrance is approximately 1 mile on the right.The dates and hours of operation are as follows:Saturday May 22, 2010 9 am to 5 pmSunday May 23, 2010 9 am to 5 pmMore information about the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium can be found by clicking here. More information about adventure base adventure base 100 and to preregister for the event to get a adventure base 100 passport can be done by clicking here. More information about the host Council which is Simon Kenton Council can be found by clicking here. Yours in Scouting ServiceMark WAssistant Webelos Den Leader Pack 69Frontier District, Denver Area CouncilNSJ '05 Youth Participant '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff WSJ '07 '11Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood MemberBig Horn NYLT QM Philmont AA '08If you are paid to do Scouting, you are called a Professional. If you are not paid to do Scouting, you are called a Volunteer. If you pay to do Scouting, then you are called a Scouter. -- Author Unknowna

[Blog] 100 Days of Scouting Day 95

Thu, 13 May 2010 17:59:00 -0700

Today I: Attended the council's Centennial Committee meeting. Attended the council's Scout-A-Rama Committee meeting. Turned in two new Scout applications--one for the pack and one for the troop. Meetings and Scouting go together like shoes and socks. Today was a meeting day with other great Scouters. Do you help Scouting with adult-facing meetings?

[Blog] 100 Days of Scouting Day 91 to Day 95

Thu, 13 May 2010 13:07:00 -0700

Paperwork. Advancement forms, merit badge cards, new Scout applications, committee meetings. We are not always as "Leave No Trace" as we would like. But it all happens to make Scouting move along. More days: Day 91 Day 92 Day 93 Day 94 Day 95 Blogging could be considered a form of paperwork, too! But at least it is very LNT!

[Blog] A Successful PackCampout

Thu, 13 May 2010 03:06:00 -0700

Jeremy Zweiacker is a KISMIF.org guest blogger from Oklahoma. He is a Tiger Cub Den Leader, an Eagle Scout, and a long time Scouter. A couple of weekends ago, our pack went camping in the great outdoors — the first Scout camping experience for some of our Cub Scout families. I’d like to share with you some of what I think made it a great campout. Planning the Pack Overnighter We began our campout planning several months in advance. In August, we set the date for the campout and started telling our Cub Scouts and the parents about the plans. In the fall, a page on our pack website was devoted to camping. We shared information about the importance of camping in the Cub Scout program and in helping boys prepare to be future Boy Scouts. The page also includes information about camping rules and safety and helpful hints like storing your sleeping bag in a pillow case instead of the stuff sack and more. Since we did not want Cub Scout families wasting money buying new equipment, we worked with local Scoutmasters to see what camping equipment the boys would be able to continue to use when they become Boy Scouts. Suggestions included headlamps over traditional flashlights and that a Frisbee makes a great plate! Then, in early March, pack leadership spent the weekend getting the required Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation (BALOO) training. Our Pack Campout Finally, the big weekend arrived. Despite constant drizzle and a location change, we had a great turnout, and our Cub Scouts had an awesome time. We began our campout Saturday afternoon and everyone headed out to go fishing to start the weekend. As soon as everyone arrived and the tents were set up, we headed to an open field to work on the kickball belt loop. We also worked on the hiking and flag football belt loops. We let everyone have some family time, and of course we ate! Saturday night, we held a short campfire that had some songs and skits by the boys. We then performed a flag retirement ceremony. Sunday morning we had biscuits-on-a-stick and held a short outdoor worship service. A parent brought a guitar to play along as everyone sang. After the service, we picked up the campsite and left it cleaner than we found it. Keys to Our Successful Campout Here are some things that helped make this campout go well: Opportunities for everyone to be involved and learn, including siblings. An agenda that was developed that took each minute of time so that Cub Scouts would not be bored. We even scheduled downtime for the families so they could explore the museum and displays where we were camping. A nearby playground helped. We had some Cub Scouts who were only 6 years old. When the younger Scouts lost interest in kickball, and older Scouts wanted to keep playing, we could do so and keep everyone going because we could use the playground. Opportunities for cool outdoor scout things like the adults cooking desert in a dutch oven. Idea for Future: Pack Box Our pack has not traditionally gone camping, but we are working to improve our outdoor program. One idea we have is to build a “pack box” (like a patrol box). If one of our parents had not remembered to bring a spatula, we would have been removing the hamburgers from the grill with our fingers. Our pack box will include things that are traditionally stored in a patrol box like the first aid kit, cleaning supplies, cooking tools, and miscellaneous supplies. The box will be kept by the Cubmaster and available for use at pack overnighters and Webelos den campouts. We also will begin to build a second pack box that will store outdoor game equipment. In it we will store footballs, kickballs, rubber bases, plastic cones, and other outdoor play equipment. Sign of Success When my Tiger Cub and I were headed home, he leaned over to me and asked, “Dad, can we do this again?” I think I have him, and his fellow Cub Scouts, hooked on camping, and I could not be happier. Filed under: Camping, CUB SCOUTS

[Blog] 100 Days of Scouting Day 94

Wed, 12 May 2010 14:22:00 -0700

Today I: Helped a Scout finish up Citizenship in the Nation--must have a Board of Review tonight...;-) Fielded a phone call about helping a den leader out. Could only offer encouragement, as the troop is swamped tonight. Conducted a scad of Scoutmaster conferences for Scout, Second Class, First Class, Star and Life ranks. Yep, definitely a Board of Review tonight. I bet out of 19 Scouts, I have 10 Scoutmaster conferences to go over tonight--to be fair, half of them are for Scout badges. Big night for Scouting, locally anyway. How about you?

[Blog] Cub Scouts 2010 DenMeetingPlans

Wed, 12 May 2010 03:53:00 -0700

Perhaps you have been wondering what the official den meeting plans for Cub Scouts 2010 will look like. Wonder no more. You can now download Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos, and Arrow of Light den meeting plans at the BSA National Cub Scouts 2010 website: Tiger Cub Den Meeting Plans Wolf Den Meeting Plans Bear Den Meeting Plans Webelos Den Meeting Plans Arrow of Light Den Meeting Plans Filed under: CUB SCOUTS, Cub Scouts 2010, Den Meetings

[Blog] 100 Days of Scouting Day 93

Tue, 11 May 2010 11:18:00 -0700

Today I: Had a long conversation about our Order of the Arrow program. Not thrilled, but sounds like new direction is coming. Scheduled a visit in a couple of weeks with the OA to visit our troop for OA elections. Some Scouting days are focused on problems, and getting them resolved. Do you ever need to solve problems for Scouting?

[News] Scouts in Guyana contribute to observance of Earth Day 2010

Tue, 11 May 2010 02:28:00 -0700

Earth Day is celebrated on April 22nd every year in an international effort to raise awareness about issues such as pollution, biodiversity loss and climate change that have been affecting our planet. It encourages people around the world to learn more about our actions and how they affect our environment and most importantly to take positive actions (i.e. Acts of Green) towards protecting the Earth – Our Environment.

[Blog] Cub Scouts 2010 Den and Pack Meeting Resource Guide

Mon, 10 May 2010 15:23:00 -0700

If you’re thinking about den and/or pack meeting plans for this fall and would like to see what the official BSA Cub Scouts 2010 materials will look like, your wait is over. The new Cub Scout Den and Pack Meeting Resource Guide is available now at the BSA National website. You can also purchase it at your local scout shop. Link Filed under: CUB SCOUTS, Cub Scouts 2010, Den Meetings, Pack Meetings

[Blog] 100 Days of Scouting Day 92

Mon, 10 May 2010 14:42:00 -0700

Today I: Spoke to another Scout about the Reading merit badge. I detect a trend. Signed off on Camping merit badge for another Scout. He's working hard on Citizenship in the Nation now. He has a goal. Sent out reminder about Board of Review this week. Sent out reminder about Court of Honor on 02 JUN. My new Scouts are getting the merit badge fever faster than the previous ones did. Makes for an exciting day of Scouting! How was your 100 Days today?

[Podcast] The Toilet Paper Game

Mon, 10 May 2010 08:25:00 -0700

Hello fellow Scouters, Games are a vital part of your Scouting program, and some of the best games are the ones that take very little setup or supplies to do. If you have enough Scouts, and a couple of rolls of new toilet paper, you have what you need for a fun game! We played the toilet paper game a few years ago when my den were Webelos. Due to the skill level required, I would keep this game to Webelos and above. The rules are simple. Select teams of 3 or 4 Scouts. Have the Scouts stand back-to-back-to-back (basically so their shoulders are touching). One Scout gets the roll of toilet paper, and he has to press the beginning of the roll against his stomach and pass the roll to the Scout on one side. Then that Scout takes the roll of toilet paper, and wraps it around his stomach, and hands it to the next Scout. The toilet paper is then passed from Scout to Scout, unraveling the paper and wrapping it around the team. If the toilet paper breaks, they have to hold the broken ends against themselves and wrap the paper around the team so that it covers this break and holds the wrapping in place, and then continue to wrap. The winning team is the first to hold up the empty roll with the paper wrapped around themselves. The main challenges are keeping the toilet paper from breaking while passing it and not dropping the roll. If the team drops their roll, then they have to figure out a way to pick up the roll without breaking the wrap around themselves. Not only does this make for a fun game, but imagine when you hold up the bag and announce “and the main equipment for this game is…” then bring out the package of toilet paper! When I did this in my den, the boys were laughing out loud when they saw this (and so were the parents). I had 8 boys show up to that meeting, so I had two teams of 4 boys. But best of all, I had 4 parents stay for that meeting. Guess who was team 3? Right! I talked the parents into playing too! They had a lot of fun, and finished their roll first, but since they had more girth than the boys, I disallowed their score and only took the winning boy team. But all had a blast! – So if you are looking for a fun game for your older Scouts, consider the toilet paper game. It’s a fun game that they will talk about for quite a while! In Scouting, - Scouter Jeff <><

[Blog] Its Mothers Day

Sun, 09 May 2010 10:12:00 -0700

Be sure to take a moment to thank your mother today for all she has done for you. She’s helped to mold you into the man you are. If she was a scout leader…. Why are you here reading this? You should be waxing her car, dusting her shelves, and shopping for her groceries. You owe her an immeasurable amount of gratitude. Half Eagle posted this little gem that I couldn’t resist borrowing. M O T H E R D is for the Delight you show us, for the popsicle art we made for you. E is for the extra smile you shared. N is for the Nestles in our milk. M is for the money that you gave me O is for the Oreos you fed us, when the den needed a snack. T is for Tylenol we made you take when we stapled the curtin to the chair. H is for the hair that we made gray. E is for the energy you had. R is for the raise Dad gave you double the pay for a volunteer. Put it all together it spells Den Mother the Mother all cub scouts held so dear. Happy Mother’s Day to all past, present, and future scout leaders and Moms!

[Blog] 100 Days of Scouting Day 86 to Day 90

Sat, 08 May 2010 12:58:00 -0700

Camping is on the brain this week: campouts, service on campouts, Camping merit badge. There truly is so much to do and so little time. More days: Day 86 Day 87 Day 88 Day 89 Day 90 When in doubt, camp it out. Nothing like a camping trip to clear the mind of noise. Even with Scouts.

[Podcast] MSPP 85 An Artistic Portrait

Thu, 06 May 2010 12:00:00 -0700

The Boy Scouts the Artistic Portrait skit during the 2001 Laughs For Lunch Show.

[Podcast] The Leaders Campfire 76

Thu, 06 May 2010 07:39:00 -0700

#76-BSA100 Part 2 More BSA 100 celebrations, including a parade, a train, a car, a coin, and some new badges. Links: Boy Scout Centennial Parade-http://bit.ly/9QptVb Coin Report-http://bit.ly/benwlu Train Webpage-http://bit.ly/cz9s1Y Geocaching Merit Badge PDF-http://bit.ly/cSfTFJ Historical Merit Badges-http://bit.ly/cNAYx6 Train Story-http://bit.ly/anmDT0 Union Pacific Press Release-http://bit.ly/by4y9z Historical Merit Badges-http://bit.ly/9u9yGU Geocaching Merit Badge Requirements Released-http://bit.ly/aB4I69 BSA Motorsports-http://bit.ly/a7Qu8S Lionel Releasing 100th Anniversary Train-http://bit.ly/WqAU9 Tonight’s show sponsored by Badge Magic Join the forum discussion on this post - (6) Posts Share with Others:

[Blog] 100 Days of Scouting Day 81 to Day 85

Mon, 03 May 2010 17:52:00 -0700

The end is near. Each day that passes, the 100 Days project draws closer to the end. I keep waiting for someone to offer me a small fortune to live on so that I can do Scouting full time. You have to have dreams. More days: Day 81 Day 82 Day 83 Day 84 Day 85 What are your dreams for Scouting? What would you change if you could? What would you add?

[Podcast] Lemon and Chopstick Relay Game

Mon, 03 May 2010 14:02:00 -0700

Hello fellow Scouters, It’s so important to have a game anytime you have a den meeting. When I was a Cub Scout den leader, I loved relay games. You can make almost anything a relay game. A balloon that doesn’t touch the ground, an oversized shirt pulled from one Scout to the other (with both Scouts locking hands), balancing any item that will fit on a spoon, taking a bucket of water and a spoon and filling up a cup at the other end, the sweep potato game, etc. You get the idea – as long as you have enough Scouts, a level surface, and you match the relay game to their skill level, you can have a fun time. One of my favorite relay games was the chopstick and lemon game. The equipment consisted of one lemon for each team (all lemons should be similar in size), one chopstick for each team (plus some extra chopsticks as back ups), and something to mark off your start and finish lines and something to separate the “lanes” of the relay (blue painter’s tape works well, or you could use orange sports cones). It’s always good to have a couple of parents volunteer to be line judges. The game play is easy – the boys divide into teams, get in a line, and try to roll the lemon from start to finish while staying in their lane. And they are not allowed to touch the lemon with anything except the chopstick. Since the lemon is oval, it doesn’t roll well, so that adds a lot of the fun to the game (so make sure you get really oval lemons!). As far as the relay goes, you can split the team up and have some boys at each end of the lane, and hand off the chopstick (which works well if you have a decent number of boys in a team). Or if you don’t have a lot of boys on each team, you can have the boy run from one end of the lane back to the beginning, then hand off the chopstick to the next in line to repeat. There are a lot of leaders that don’t like competition games, but I always liked to have games that had a winner. The boys seemed to enjoy the games more when there was something to win (I never gave prizes, though. It was all about bragging rights). To keep things somewhat fair, I usually chose the teams, and if there was one Scout who had a particularly difficult time with the skill level of the relay, I’d rotate the teams after a round so that everyone had a chance of being on a winning team. But this is how it worked for my dens. Each den has a unique make up, and what will work for one den might not work well in another. – Cub Scouting should be fun, and a great way to have fun is playing games. Relay games are a great way to have fun and burn energy off at a meeting. Plus, they can be thrown together with very little planning. You can even keep some relay supplies in your game backpack. If you need a game for a meeting this week, raid your kitchen and see if you have a lemon and a chopstick. Then you’re all set for a fun game! – If you have a favorite relay game, please leave them in the comments so others can try the game at their den meeting. In Scouting, - Scouter Jeff <><

[News] Statement on todays Supreme Court decision

Mon, 03 May 2010 12:44:00 -0700

Message by BSALegal.org on 5/3/2010 EST Boy Scouts of America is grateful that the Supreme Court of the United States considered hearing an appeal from the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Barnes-Wallace v. Boy Scouts of America ...

[Blog] Get 0ut and Do Something

Sat, 01 May 2010 08:08:00 -0700

You’re only over-equipped if you never do anything

[Podcast] HoopDeDoo

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 19:00:00 -0700

Now’s the time get outside and hoop it up! Linda Vaughn, the Cub Scout training chairman for the Great Salt Lake Council, tells us the June theme is about much more than learning and playing basketball. Tune in as she reveals her secrets to a successful “Hoop-De-Doo” theme for your den or pack.

[Podcast] ScoutParents

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:00:00 -0700

Last spring, Chris Smith, the program specialist for the Council Operations Group at the national office in Irving, Texas, introduced us to this initiative, and now he’s back to share the continuing success story of the ScoutParents program.

[Blog] Early CashoutLink Overflow

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 15:05:00 -0700

Hello All, I have done a small release today that many may appreciate. The first change is the ability to cash out with less than $50.00. However, an early cash out currently comes with a $2 penalty; use it sparingly. On the advertiser side I added a scroll bar to the links page; links were causing the lightbox to drift off page. Lastly, I removed benching for faved blogs…if you have favorited blogs they will not be benched for the automatic benched time. You can reach out offers to these bloggers as many times as you like while still having the benefits of benching.

[Podcast] The Leaders Campfire SE2

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:36:00 -0700

#SE2-Breaking: Den & Pack Meeting Resource Guide Tonight, we have (I think) an exclusive first look at the final Den & Pack Meeting Resource Guide. Guests: MISS Liberty, Co-Host, Moms In Scouting Service Join the forum discussion on this post - (16) Posts Share with Others:

[Blog] 100 Days of Scouting Day 76 to Day 80

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 05:38:00 -0700

Anyone every notice how much driving is involved in Scouting? I keep an old 15 passenger van simply because it is the easiest way to move a lot of Scouts and their stuff. And it is paid for. But "The Beast" is getting old, and that will present a new slate of problems in the future. More days: Day 76 Day 77 Day 78 Day 79 Day 80 How many miles do you drive for Scouting? Enough to keep track of for your taxes?

[Blog] 100 Years of Scouting

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 18:56:00 -0700

How is your scouting unit celebrating the centennial? Are you including the scouts in the celebration? I think it’d be incredible to keep a board of 100 good deeds.

[Podcast] Feeling Burned Out Listen To Your High School Chemistry Teacher

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 14:09:00 -0700

Hello fellow Scouters, I was recently talking with a great Scout leader, and we were discussing something we all deal with: how to keep ourselves from taking too much on as an active Scout leader. As we discussed how important it is to balance getting things done in our unit without taking everything on ourselves, for some unknown reason I was brought way back to my High School chemistry class. If you remember from your High School chemistry class, one of the properties of a gas is that it expands to fill whatever space is available. And the duties and responsibilities of being a Scout leader remind me of this – they will expand to fit whatever space you give them! How many times have we seen leaders get burned out because they took too much on themselves – they wore too many hats. One can start as a den leader, then serve on the pack committee, then begin to work with the district in some function like training or running a day camp. Then there’s volunteering at the council level. And if a leader is really having work/life balance issues, they move to the Internet and participate in forums. And for the ones with real issues? Well, they go on to blog or podcast. One thing that I believe is so important in being a successful Scout leader for the long haul is being the one that sets the size of that container you let Scouting fill. Everyone has a different “space” to give to Scouting, and it’s important that you control that. You need to control the number of hats you wear. I’m here to tell you it’s OK to say “No” to something. It’s OK to let someone else handle something. And it’s OK to let something not get done if you don’t have time to do it. And it’s even OK to take some time off or reduce your level of activity in Scouting. A burned out leader is no help to the program! And if your time allows, and/or you have a passion for a particular activity or area of Scouting, it’s OK to say “yes”. We should always try to say “yes” if we are able to! For me, I would love to help out more at the district level. And the Pack Trainer position that I once held in my former Pack just came open. I would love to devote more time to my former Pack. But I just cannot do either of these. I don’t have any more time to give to Scouting other than the roles I’m doing now. But I’ve set this limit. No one else has set this limit. No open task has set this limit. Right now I’m enjoying my service to Scouting more than I ever have, and I feel this shows in my energy level while serving. And I feel strongly this is because I’ve said “yes” to what I want to say “yes” to, and I’ve said “no” to the things I just do not have time to do. – Being a Scout leader is a great privilege, and it’s one that can extend for years, even after your son leaves the program. One key to this is being in control of what you do. It’s up to you as the Scout leader to set the size of the space you give Scouting. Keeping control of this will benefit you and the boys in the end, as can help reduce the chance you will get burned out. In Scouting, - Scouter Jeff <><

[Blog] More Intuitve LeadOffer Handling

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 08:48:00 -0700

Hello All, As many have noticed, last week we issued a release. The largest and most noticeable of the changes is the change to the blogger leads and opportunities pages. Previously the dropdown menus on these pages displayed all of your blogs whether or not all the blogs had any leads or offers. Now you can only access blogs that have at least one of the respective items associated with them. If no blogs fall into this category for a given page there will be no blogs in the dropdown. There will be a corresponding message in the content area. Also fixed sorting was added to these pages; the sorting for this information was previously undefined: Open offers are sorted by change request, the amount (highest first) then the age (newest first) Pending offers are sorted by amount then age Closed offers are sorted by those awaiting payment, amount, then age Leads are sorted by age Another smaller change is an attempt to normalize blog names…instead of using the url, in some places, a display name will be use. This will allow logical sorting such as http://www.ablog.com will not come after http://someotherblog.com. The dropdown menus on the blogger opportunity/leads pages use this sorting so you can quickly move to the blog of choice (beneficial if you have many blogs). This change should benefit advertisers as well; the sort by url capability is now an effective tool. This will help to find a particular blog in the list of matches more easily. Finding a particular blog is still not as easy as it should be but there are plans to add a search field. Finally, we made a fix to the approver window for advertisers. No more frame busting offers to approve. We have wrangled the offending offers so when you try to pay or approve an offer it will not “take over” the entire browser.

[News] Winter at KISC a fully international Scout environment

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 02:29:00 -0700

If you visit Kandersteg International Scout Centre during winter, you can bet there will be tons of snow and lots of exiting activities to do at and around the centre. Every season, scouts from all over the world meet at KISC and volunteer as staff, running the centre for three months while having a great time. Last winter we also had the chance to learn more about the Scout of the World Award and start drawing all sorts of projects we would like to do at our local communities.

[Blog] Football Friday 2010 Stadia in 3d

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 22:35:00 -0700

(2010 World Cup Stadia: Clockwise from top left: Soccer City, Johannesburg; Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium; Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban; Cape Town Stadium) With the 2010 FIFA World Cup around the corner here in South Africa, I'll be posting links and projects to get into the spirit of things in the next few weeks.(Soccer City in Johannesburg, the biggest stadium in Africa- click image for a rotatable 3d view)First up, some 3d models for SketchUp and Google Earth. All 10 of the stadia that are hosting matches have been modelled and are available on the 3d warehouse for download. Here is the official collection.

[Blog] Football Friday 2010 Stadia in 3d

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 22:35:00 -0700

[Blog] New Blog Design

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 17:05:00 -0700

Trying out a new design for my blog, hopefully I will like it and keep the design how it is. Unfortunately I had to remove the insane scouter logo due to me not be very much into the coding thing, this is a disappointment but who knows maybe it will all work out for the better. Beyond that no major additions or changes were made. I also spent the time updating my profile in regards to my scouting background.Just tell me what you think.Yours in Scouting ServiceMark WAssistant Webelos Den Leader Pack 69Frontier District, Denver Area CouncilNSJ '05 Youth Participant '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff WSJ '07 '11Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood MemberBig Horn NYLT QM Philmont AA '08If you are paid to do Scouting, you are called a Professional. If you are not paid to do Scouting, you are called a Volunteer. If you pay to do Scouting, then you are called a Scouter. -- Author Unknown

[Blog] Adventure Base 100 video

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 16:17:00 -0700

The video below is for the Atlanta, Georgia stop of the adventure base 100 tour.Yours in Scouting ServiceMark WAssistant Webelos Den Leader Pack 69Frontier District, Denver Area CouncilNSJ '05 Youth Participant '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff WSJ '07 '11Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood MemberBig Horn NYLT QM Philmont AA '08If you are paid to do Scouting, you are called a Professional. If you are not paid to do Scouting, you are called a Volunteer. If you pay to do Scouting, then you are called a Scouter. -- Author Unknown

[Blog] Adventure Base 100

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 16:04:00 -0700

Even though the previous stop of adventure base 100 still has a few more hours left before the process of clean and breakdown begins, I wanted to publish information for the next stop for 2 reasons. The first is a scout related reason which is the weekend that this stop will be occurring I will be going to a Scout Training for NYLT and will not have email access. The second is that since I usually do not publish posts tuesday through Thursday's since those are my busy school days, I wanted to ensure that this information go out to the right people before the event started.The next stop of the adventure base 100 tour will be at the Cinco De Mayo Festival in Chicago, Illnois which is located at Douglas Park and the parks address is as follows:1401 South Sacramento DriveChicago, IL 60623The hours of operation for this stop of the Adventure Base 100 will be as follows:April 30, 2010: 10 am to 8 pmMay 1, 2010: 10 am to 8 pmMay 2, 2010: 10 am to 8 pmMore information about the host and local council for this part of the country which is known as the Chicago Area Boy Scout Council can be found by clicking here. More Information about Adventure Base 100 can be found by clicking here.Yours in Scouting ServiceMark WAssistant Webelos Den Leader Pack 69Frontier District, Denver Area CouncilNSJ '05 Youth Participant '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff WSJ '07 '11Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood MemberBig Horn NYLT QM Philmont AA '08If you are paid to do Scouting, you are called a Professional. If you are not paid to do Scouting, you are called a Volunteer. If you pay to do Scouting, then you are called a Scouter. -- Author Unknown

[Blog] 100 Days of Scouting Day 71 to Day 75

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 18:48:00 -0700

Hit the three-quarters mark today! That means that many of you have been reading along for over 2 months now---and I appreciate it. Scouting takes a lot of effort, and reading other people's ideas feeds the fire More days: Day 71 Day 72 Day 73 Day 74 Day 75 From field trips to thinking, Scouting takes a lot of effort. Stick with it! The results are worth it.

[Blog] Adventure Base 100

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 19:42:00 -0700

We have another announcement, Adventure base 100 will be coming to Louisville, Kentucky and is going to be held in conjunction with the Kentucky Derby Festival. In particular the adventure base 100 campus will be located at the main/central box office of the festival which is located at 501 West Main St., Louisville, KY, 40289.The times and hours of operation of Adventure base 100 will be as follows:Friday April 23, 2010 11 am to 7 pm.Saturday April 24, 2010 11 am to 7 pm.Sunday April 25, 2010 1 pm to 7 pm.More information about the Kentucky Derby Festival can be found by clicking here.More information about adventure base 100 and to claim your souvenier photo using the code given to you at adventure base 100 can be found by clicking here.More information about the host Council which is the Lincoln Heritage Council can be found by clicking here.Yours in Scouting ServiceMark WAssistant Webelos Den Leader Pack 69Frontier District, Denver Area CouncilNSJ '05 Youth Participant '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff WSJ '07 '11Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood MemberBig Horn NYLT QM Philmont AA '08If you are paid to do Scouting, you are called a Professional. If you are not paid to do Scouting, you are called a Volunteer. If you pay to do Scouting, then you are called a Scouter. -- Author Unknown

[Podcast] The Leaders Campfire 75

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 06:00:00 -0700

#75-Feedback It’s an old show, but it does cover the feedback we’ve gotten since October or so. We hope you enjoy it. CC: On a personal note, I would like to dedicate this show to my Scouting friend and co-host, Steve. Tonight’s show sponsored by ClassB.com Join the forum discussion on this post - (4) Posts Share with Others:

[Blog] 100 Days of Scouting Day 66 to Day 70

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:32:00 -0700

I really like the Centennial rank badges. Whether for Cub Scouts or Boy Scouts, having that "2010" on it signifies something special. This whole season of Scouting is something special. The Scouts we have in our pack, troops and crews now will be in their 50s and late 60s when the sesquicentennial rolls around--older than many of us are now. The rest of us? Waiving from the floats in the parades! I plan on sticking around to see it! More days: Day 66 Day 67 Day 68 Day 69 Day 70 Young or old, each day we spend on Scouting creates another brick in the foundation for the future. Doing your best?

[Podcast] San Diego Councils Scout Fair

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 16:16:00 -0700

Hello fellow Scouters, This past Saturday, my council (the San Diego-Imperial Council) had its annual Scout Fair, in the parking lot of San Diego’s football stadium. It’s an event they hold each year, and every year it’s so much fun. My son and I had the privilege of going there all day with our troop. (And I mean all day! We left the house at 6:45am and got home after 7pm!) Here’s a run-down of what happened at Scout Fair (and sorry about the quality of some of the pictures – they were taken with my cell phone’s camera). – I don’t have the actual blue-prints of the layout, as I’m not involved in the fair’s planning, but here’s what I found as I walked around the fair: 1) They had a large information area. There were booths set up for general information, then Scouting booths such as one for Eagle Scouts, council training, Woodbadge training, Sea Scouts, Venturing, Order of the Arrow, the Religious Emblems program, and many more. My district even had a booth there! One great booth there was for Mexico Scouts. They had wonderful bright yellow uniforms! 2) As you walked along, you came across the fun area. Different packs and troops set up games, activities, and challenges. You could spend all day there playing box hockey, putt-putt golf, rope games, spin the wheel games, etc. At the end of this area, there was a large section dedicated to Boy Scout pioneering displays like rope bridges, log towers, and catapults and trebuchets. And towering over this area was a rock-climbing wall! 3) In the midst of the fun zone was an eating area. Packs and troops did delicious outdoor cooking. I saw a lot of Dutch ovens and stoves going, and I sampled donut holes, wire-hanger pancakes, cobblers, and of course, chili for the Fair’s chili cook-off. 4) One of the areas we used to spend a lot of time in, back when we were Cub Scouts, was the Belt Loop Alley. This is an area dedicated to earning belt loops. Our former pack hosts a booth there every year, with adult leaders volunteering for “shifts”. As I walked around this area I even saw some of the new belt loops being worked on there, like Skateboarding. (No Video Games belt loop booths, though. Go figure.) 5) The last area is the Merit Badge Midway. Merit Badge (MB) counselors and/or troops can set up booth dedicated to a specific MB. Classes are held throughout the day, and the classes are so popular that they are usually filled up early in the day! The classes at our Scout Fair included First Aid, Cinematography, Theater, Railroading, Reptile and Amphibian Study, Art, Dentistry, and Space Exploration (see below for this one). Most of the MB’s can’t be completed at this Fair. So boys would get their Blue Cards partially filled out and must finish the MB later. – My troop’s Scoutmaster is a MB counselor for the Space Exploration MB, and our troop hosted this one. We had 3 booths set up for this: one for the lecture, one for the model rocket build, and one with a lot of information for the administrative part of this MB. Scouts could purchase rocket kits at the Fair and build them there and then launch them! We had a dedicated area in the parking lot where we shot off the rockets the boys built. One great thing about our booth is that a Scout could complete this MB here. Ours was rare – most of the booths only did part of the MB. I worked for a couple of hours at our booth’s registration table, which was somewhat sad because I had to turn a lot of boys away (by 9:45am, our class was filled for the entire day, including a “waiting list” for each class). After working at the table I went down and helped in the rocket launch area. We taught the boys how to build a rocket and then launch it. Of course, we didn’t do it for them; we just taught them how to do it. It was so much fun to help work this MB booth, and it was truly inspiring to see how hard our Scoutmaster worked at this booth. Us volunteers from the troop had shifts. He showed up at 6:30 am to set up and left at 6:30 pm, with no breaks in between. My son is lucky to have a Scoutmaster like that! – My council’s Scout Fair is always a fun event. What makes it so great is that the activities are all run by the individual units. A lot of dedicated Scouters work hard to deliver a fun day to the Scouts that come, and every year they make for a great Fair. Me and my son came home tired, with sore legs and a sunburn, but we had so much fun. I cannot wait for next year! I hope your council does a fun event like this. It’s great for Scouting! In Scouting, - Scouter Jeff <><

[Blog] Adventure Base 100 Video

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 15:16:00 -0700

Here is the video from Charlotte, North Carolina. Please Enjoy. Also just wanted to issue a update which is, I am officially registered and have transferred my National Jamboree Staff registration to Denver Area, this is due to the fact that it seems I will be spending most of my time in the denver area.Yours in Scouting ServiceMark WAssistant Den Leader Pack 69Frontier District, Denver Area CouncilNSJ '05 Youth Participant '10 7 Youth StaffEagle Scout OA Brotherhood MemberWSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08If you are paid to do Scouting, you are called a Professional. If you are not paid to do Scouting, you are called a Volunteer. If you pay to do Scouting, then you are called a Scouter. -- Author Unknown

[Blog] Adventure Base 100

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 08:20:00 -0700

Are you looking for an adventure? Come celebrate the 100 with Adventure Base 100 as it rolls into Atlanta. This unique, interactive 10,000-square-foot campus, will be in Atlanta on Friday, April 16 from noon to 9 p.m., Saturday, April 17from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, April 18 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Piedmont Park during the Atlanta Dogwood Festival. The event is free, open to the public, and will be a fun event for the whole family! At Adventure Base 100, families will have the opportunity to try their skill at a ropes course, experience the IMAX-like video in the “Go Scouting! Dome,” and tour the traveling museum, among many other activities.This is a unique opportunity that will be of interest to local Scouts, families and tourists in and around the Atlanta-area.For Immediate ReleaseAdventure Base 100 to Roll into AtlantaBoy Scouts of America Mark 100th Anniversary CelebrationEngage Atlanta-Area Residents with Immersive Scouting Experience through Nationwide Tour Atlanta, (April 6, 2010) Ropes Course. GoScouting! Dome. Traveling Museum. In celebration of the organization’s 100th anniversary, the Boy Scouts of America is bringing a truly unique and interactive experience to Atlanta: Adventure Base 100. Created specifically for the Boy Scouts of America’s 100th Anniversary Celebration, Adventure Base 100 is traveling the country to rally people of all ages to take part in “Celebrating the Adventure, Continuing the Journey. Adventure Base 100 is a unique, interactive 10,000-square-foot campus featuring immersive and exciting Scout-related experiences to provide a hands-on view of the Boy Scouts of America’s 100 year history and the difference Scouting has made in the lives of millions of youth.Starting in January at the Tournament of Roses in Pasadena, Calif., and ending in November in New York City, Adventure Base 100 will be rolling into more than 40 markets across the country.It will be in Atlanta April 16 from noon to 9 p.m., April 17 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and April 18 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Our goal is to engage those interested in the Boy Scouts of America in a new and exciting way,” said Tracy Techau, Scout Executive/CEO of the Atlanta Area Council. “We are thrilled to bring this experience to Atlanta to celebrate our rich 100 year heritage, spark fond memories in former Scouts and alumni, and intrigue those who may be interested in learning more about our organization.” While in Atlanta Adventure Base 100 will be located at Piedmont Park during the Atlanta Dogwood Festival and will include: A high adventure ropes course for all visitors more than 4 feet tall weighing less than 200 pounds. A multi-sensory experience that will offer visitors the sights, smells and sounds of Scouting via the campus IMAX-like video “GoScouting! Dome.”Yours in Scouting ServiceMark WAssistant Den Leader Pack 69Frontier District, Denver Area CouncilNSJ '05 Youth Participant '10 Subcamp 7 Youth StaffEagle Scout OA Brotherhood MemberWSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08If you are paid to do Scouting, you are called a Professional. If you are not paid to do Scouting, you are called a Volunteer. If you pay to do Scouting, then you are called a Scouter. -- Author Unknown

[Blog] 100 Days of Scouting Day 61 to Day 65

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 18:25:00 -0700

More Scouters keep commenting on 100 Days, and some are even joining in. It is great to be a part of something that is helping to keep Scouting a part of daily life. Kind of like going to church on Sunday versus living like every day was a church day! More days:Day 61Day 62Day 63Day 64Day 65 Do you treat Scouting like something special? Do you try to be a good Scout yourself...no matter how old you are?

[Blog] 100 Days of Scouting Day 56 to Day 60

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 18:07:00 -0700

100 Days is well past the halfway mark now. This is a busy time of the year. Webelos Scouts moving to the troop. Summer camp questions almost every day. And pack meetings...never forget the energy and stress that go into making a good pack meeting. More days:Day 56Day 57Day 58Day 59Day 60 What keeps you motivated for each day of Scouting?

[Podcast] MSPP 84 A Humorous Opening

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 17:30:00 -0700

The Boy Scouts of Troop 68 have a little humorous trouble with their opening ceremony.

[Blog] 100 Days of Scouting Day 51 to Day 55

Sun, 04 Apr 2010 14:30:00 -0700

Despite the picture, Scouting isn't all fun and games. But it is a lot of fun. The 100 Days of Scouting is humming right along, cruising into the last few weeks. We have so much planned that is going to make it into the list! More days:Day 51Day 52Day 53Day 54Day 55 Spring is in full swing--how are you taking advantage of it to help build Scouting? Tell us about it in the comments!

[Blog] Cloverleaf lashing supporting the poles

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 10:55:00 -0700

I posted this photograph of Adiero's octopod cloverleaf lashing at Kontiki. Here is the formwork needed to support it while tying the lashing (thanks to Louise from Adiero for the explanation):The vertical pole is a stake that supports the stack of poles to be lashed. After the lashing is tied (around the white poles,) the forms(grey poles) are removed.Kim from Ploeg Technieken, the originators of the cloverleaf lashing, has these two examples for a 5 way and 4 way polypod:

[Blog] Cloverleaf lashing supporting the poles

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 10:55:00 -0700

[Blog] English Speaking Locations and Pagination

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 07:17:00 -0700

Hello everyone, we are rolling out another release of PayPerPost today. The new version will mostly be additions to supplement the new look and feel unveiled in the last release but there are a few added features worth mentioning. The first is a new location segmentation section for creating and editing opportunities. There is an English Speaking Country section that is selected by default. Other locations can still be easily added or removed as desired. Another significant addition is better pagination. We have added more intuitive pagination to the site where applicable to ease user navigation. We have made it easy to jump to and from pages of listings in PayPerPost. If you discover any problems, let us know. You can visit our Get Satisfaction page, leave us a comment, or use feedback in your account.

[Podcast] MSPP 83 City of Melrose Proclamation

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 12:01:00 -0700

The city council of Melrose, Minnesota, passed a proclamation recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America.

[Blog] It was election time

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 15:16:00 -0700

This week started out with a call that a fellow scouter had died suddenly. He will never know how much he inspired me to be a trainer. He really focused on getting us trained on the trained patch level. Mr. Barrentine, you will be missed.Next up were elections for my sons troop. The elections went surprisingly well considering the boys elected the SPL and both PL's before the Scoutmaster announced that the new boys would be in a new boy patrol. I still have many questions about the elections and how they were carried out. But I am very proud my son was elected PL of the new boy patrol. The scouts had unknowingly elected a new boy, an experienced boy and a solid candidate for SPL. The Troop committee adoted a training policy so that ASM's get trained within 6 months of joining the troop. This vote was a lot less debated than the healthcare vote. Everyone seemed to be ok with the results.The pack is doing something interesting tonight, They are having Den meetings for 45 minutes then 45 minutes of Pack meeting. I'm not the Cubmaster and I'm not sure I 'd do it this way.Saturday, I'm bailing on the troop campout to train some webelos leader's and my son opted for his school's spring carnival. But we have a solid show for the campout. 5 adults and 8 or 9 scouts. This is a backpacking trip in to a primitive camp site, so it should shake the new scouts down. They are all looking forward to it.

[Podcast] Protecting Your Cub Program

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:46:00 -0700

Hello fellow Scouters, I was talking with another Scouter recently about how, when a Cub Scout Pack gets press coverage, it never seems to be about the good that pack did. You don’t hear about the service projects. You don’t hear about the Blue and Gold banquets. You don’t hear about the Pinewood Derby races. We talked about why you only seem to hear when something bad happens. (And yes I know that these are generalizations, and not usually true). But this conversation got me thinking about protecting our Cub program: its quality, our boys, and our pack finances. We all want our packs to be a place where fun happens. No one ever wants to see something bad occuring in their unit. So what are you doing to protect the fun program that Cub Scout offers? What do you have in place to keep the boys in your pack safe from abuse? What are you doing to keep financial scandal out of your pack? Here are some suggestions to consider: 1 ) Training – Make no mistake: you cannot have a quality program without fully trained leaders! And a quality program is a fun program. We all want our leaders to be trained, and now that the BSA is making training mandatory, we have National’s assistance with this. And trained leaders are much more equipped to deliver a fun program than those that aren’t trained. So make sure your leaders and assistants are trained. Make sure your committee is trained. This is the starting point. And your Pack Trainer should be overseeing this. 2 ) Follow up when someone leaves the pack – And having the recently added committee position of a ScoutParent Unit Coordinator for this is key. Provide openness between the pack and the parents. Give the parents someone to go to if there are problems. And the ScoutParent Unit Coordinator is a great resource to follow up when someone leaves the pack. Too often we hear something like “Tommy hasn’t shown up in 3 months.” “Ok, we won’t recharter him”. It’s crucial to follow up when someone leaves to see why. Was the den running a boring program? Was there something about the leader that made them uncomfortable? Was their bullying by another Scout? Some people just quit Scouting – it’s unavoidable. But it’s important to know why they leave, so if there are problems, they can be corrected. And this is a great task for a ScoutParent Unit Coordinator. (Visit www.scoutparents.org for more information on this position). 3 ) Watch den attrition – As I said earlier, some people leave Scouting. But if you have a den that’s constantly shedding members - that needs to be addressed. It could be as simple as boring meetings. Or it could be worse. Part of the Cubmaster’s job description is to “guide and support den leaders”, so this would be a good thing for them to look at. I know of a den that went from 13 boys to 7 boys in a year and a half. This needed to be looked at, and I doubt it was. Cub Scouting is a fun program. So when you see attrition like this, something else is going on and should be looked into. 4 ) YPG train your Tiger parents – When a parent signs up to be a Tiger adult partner, have them take YPG (Youth Protection Guidelines) training. Why is this important? As we know, knowledge is power. YPG training is excellent training, and having parents know what to look for in areas of youth protection will help them know when a situation looks wrong. And it’s often easier to get them trained when they are new to the program. 5 ) YPG train all adults in the pack - Along with the Tiger parents, consider having all parents train in YPG. You might think that’s over-kill, but if every parent knows what protection is expected from the program, then you will have fostered an environment where (hopefully) nothing can be hidden. Even if they take it only once and don’t get it renewed, they at least have a knowledge base of what youth protection should be. Following up on this could go to the Pack Trainer, but I think this would be an excellent job for a ScoutParent Unit Coordinator. 6 ) Make sure you have financial accountability - So that the risk of losing funds is lowered. Make sure you have 2 check signers required on checks (and make sure these are from different households). Make sure you don’t have a debit card attached to your pack’s checking account. Make sure someone verifies the popcorn and other fundraising deposits. Make sure you have a policy dealing with cash collections, so that more than one person is collecting cash at a fundraiser, bake sale, food sale, etc. And make sure your pack’s bank statements are being mailed to someone other than the treasurer (and make sure they are being reviewed and signed off). I’m an accounting controller as a career, and sometimes what I see going on in Cub packs or Little Leagues or other volunteer programs amazes me. Financial controls are vital in your pack. Have them in place, and it will be difficult for someone to take off with your pack’s money. 7 ) Keep the power separate - I think it’s a bad idea to have the most powerful positions in a pack from the same household. I see the three most powerful positions in the pack to be Cubmaster, Committee Chair, and Treasurer, and keeping these in separate households lowers your pack’s risk. What are the risks when you have the “power positions” of a pack in the same household? For starters, if they have to relocate for a job or get divorced, you can loose several key positions in your pack at once. Also, it’s easier to hide any financial impropriety when these positions are not separated. Your pack’s leadership structure is stronger when you keep the most powerful positions in you pack separate. 8 ) Have a leadership succession plan – I’m sure many of you are laughing at this point because you are having trouble filling the positions listed above! But if you are lucky enough to have enough volunteers, make sure that there’s a leadership succession plan in place at all levels. Leaders sometimes quit without notice. They might have to move. Something in their personal life might suddenly change. And having someone able to take a position, even if they aren’t fully “up to speed” can help the den program, the pack program, or the committee keep moving forward. – What do you do in your pack to keep the quality high, the program fun at all levels, and retain your boys? What advice would you give to help keep the boys in your pack protected from abuse? And what do you do in your pack to protect the money? Please leave any tips or suggestions in the comments so we can all learn from what you’ve done to protect your Cub program. In Scouting, - Scouter Jeff <><

[Podcast] The Leaders Campfire 74

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 06:01:00 -0700

#74-BSA100 Part 1 We’re back, kind of. This show was recorded mid-January, so some of it is now dated. We discuss what BSA is up to to celebrate the 100th Anniversary, including the logo, TOS Parade, racing, and Adventure Base 100. Links: A Century of Values – About Us-http://bit.ly/aPn8zr Adventure Base 100-http://bit.ly/7ZqLgu 100 Year Logo Chosen-http://bit.ly/9nlDoL Historical Merit Badges-http://bit.ly/8K0xJ2 Coyne Racing-http://bit.ly/9kLhMP Parade Flickr Set-http://bit.ly/uLCVt TOR Parade-http://bit.ly/4J7WvL BSA100 Logo Winner-http://bit.ly/9hpexw An Icon for Scouting’s Centennial-http://bit.ly/coN5kZ Tonight’s show sponsored by ClassB.com Join the forum discussion on this post - (3) Posts Share with Others:

[Blog] Storing My camping gear

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:20:00 -0700

I told @scoutdude that My storage arrangements for camping gear was a blog post so here goes. It all lives in my garage. We also have a pop-up, but I prefer to grab the tents and go as I can decide to go camping on the way home on Friday.Car Camping gear:Section one the dutch oven stack: On the bottom is a Sportsman's Warehouse Fire Pan Similar to this. Next is a Camp Chef Dutch oven Table. My 14" Lodge Dutch Oven, My two Sportsman Warehouse 12" dutch Ovens, and 2 Cheap footless dutch ovens. In a bag similar to a USGI mechanics bag I have a DO tool set. gloves/ Mair Lid Lifters, tin spoons, spatulas, and several tongs. I almost forgot the Chimney Starter.Another pile / Section 2 is the Folding aluminum Tables, Camp Chairs, and Our 10 x 10 Canopy.Section 3 is the cheap sleeping bags There are 5 of us so that takes up a shelf on an 18x 36 shelf unit.The shelf above that has an army shelter half tent, 3 Coleman 4 man tents ( our normal tents), a Sears 3 room tent, and a two man hiking tent from Academy Sports. and finally on top of that is an Eagles nest outfitters Hammock, strap, and tarp setup.Contico Footlocker 1: Coleman stove and Propane canisters, Bowls, Car Camp mess kits, flashlights, emergency ponchos, misc...Contico Footlocker 2: Dry goods for car camping.Hiking Gear:The packs are leaning against the wall near the car camping gear. Most of the little things stay in the pack while the big items come out to get proper care.(This is both My son's and My Gear) Pads and Sleeping bags unstuffed / unrolled and laid over top of Shelving unit.Kelty Super Tioga: Dad's bathroom ditty bag, Jetboil, Brunton Raptor stove , Xbowl and X cup, MSR folding spork, powedered drink ditty bag, Frog Toggs, Led light for tent, Stuff sacks for clothing, drop cloth for tent/ tarp. Personal first aid kit, Camp axe, Firestarter. camp towel. Camp cord.Jansport scout: Son's Bathroom ditty, Coleman exponent stove, GSI Outdoors group pot set, Camp towel, Rain gear, Personal First Aid kit, Stuff sacks for clothing.

[Blog] Welcome to the New amp Improved PayPerPost

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:50:00 -0700

You may have noticed our site has changed. We’ve removed the V4 alpha label and changed the look and feel. We’ve taken some time to improve the visual aspects of the site and we hope that you like it! If you run into any issues please let us know, we’ll be happy to help. You can leave us a comment, or click the little feedback tab within your account. You can also visit our Get Satisfaction help page directly.

[Blog] The Googling Commissioner Service

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:38:00 -0700

About mid February, I registered a URL for my district UC service and a toy for me. I wanted to see how google apps and sites tied together and how best to use it. You can get an awesome front end view from the Scouting units that have come to use Google apps. I was just handed a couple of necessary but annoying forms that needed to be completed and turned in. So I went and created google apps forms to replace the paper forms. So for now We don't have a Commissioner's website, just a commissioner's tools website. Hopefully it has the tools we need to be more successful as Commissioners.The best part of this was I shared it with my District Commissioner, who in turn spoke about it at a Council commissioners meeting. The other districts' commisioners were all like, "I want those tools too!" While the tools aren't exactly what I'd want to go public on they are a far site better than we have available otherwise.What tools did I create? Unit Self assessments, District monthly awards nomination form and Unit contact information submittal.

[Blog] Kontiki packing up

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:25:00 -0800

At 11:00 on Sunday, the rafts come off the water, and are rapidly stripped down for the trip home. Congratulations to 1st Horison who were the overall winners. More Kontiki photographs will follow.

[Blog] Kontiki packing up

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:25:00 -0800

At 11:00 on Sunday, the rafts come off the water, and are rapidly stripped down for the trip home. Congratulations to 1st Horison who were the overall winners. More Kontiki photographs will follow.

[Blog] Kontiki sunrise

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 20:13:00 -0800

After spending the night on the water, the raft crews prepare for a naval review at 10:00 this morning

[Blog] Kontiki sunrise

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 20:13:00 -0800

After spending the night on the water, the raft crews prepare for a naval review at 10:00 this morning

[Blog] Kontiki Campfire

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 11:54:00 -0800

My last post for the night - the opening of the campfire for the supporters campsite.

[Blog] Kontiki Campfire

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 11:54:00 -0800

My last post for the night - the opening of the campfire for the supporters campsite.

[Blog] Too Cool

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 06:35:00 -0800

Boy Scouts of America It’s golden! Congratulations to the U.S. bobsled team, piloted by Eagle Scout Steve Holcomb, on Olympic gold. http://bit.ly/cGXhCD

[Blog] Intro to Outdoor Leader Skills

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:25:00 -0800

I'm off to the new Intro to Outdoor Leader Skills. It isn't really a new course as far as I know It's just the first time my council has offered it since it became a requirement for Webelos Leaders. This meant that council had to make a new flyer for the Class. It will be akin to spending 28 hours camping in my backyard. WOO HOO! Our training / cub scout campground is surrounded by city. All around you here the sounds of cars and freeways and sleep under the light of the near by fast food joints. Since I'm a gear nut, I decided to celebrate by spending lunch at Whole Earth Provisions. Why there and not our other trusty sporting goods store Academy. WEP has the Therm-a-rest Neo Air. It is supposed to be the best Camp pad since self inflating pads. They had 3 sizes in stock. Fortunately for my pocketbook I was not yet prepared to part ways with $170. I did however pickup an Xbowl and Xmug from Sea to Summit (http://www.seatosummit.com). Together they are smaller and flatter than my current mess set. I also picked up a folding spork from MSR. (http://cascadedesigns.com/msr/cookware/cookware-accessories/folding-eating-utensils/product) the spork is longer than my current set of Light My Fire Sporks. The current ones are just a bit short reaching into a Jetboil pot.Last but not least I grabbed the wrong book, but hope it will pay off in the end. The Best in Tent Camping: Texas (http://www.amazon.com/Best-Tent-Camping-Concrete-Portable/dp/0897326849). Why did I say Grabbed the wrong book Because I didn't see the subtitle any where. "A Guide for Car Campers Who Hate RVs, Concrete Slabs, and Loud Portable Stereos" I do fall into the category of disliking Concrete Slabs, and Loud Portable Stereos. Occasionally I like the comfort of a RV in the form of a pop-up camper. Yet I was hoping for the top 50 tent camping sites in Texas no matter who else may show up. I'll let you know how things turn out. I almost forgot because I was so busy. My son finally had his Crossover ceremony last Sunday. I rechartered with the pack as Committee Chair because we had two few stand up.

[News] First Scouts of the World discovery in Costa Rica

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 02:24:00 -0800

In January, 2010, Ten Young men and women from all over the country gathered for two weekends for the first time in Costa Rica to explore, respond and take action within the Scouts of the World Award.

[Podcast] Reverent Scout Update Facebook Photos

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 08:48:00 -0800

via AudioBoo Posted via web from Reverent Scout’s Posterous

[Podcast] Reverent Scout Update Ash Wednesday

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 08:58:00 -0800

via AudioBoo Posted via web from Reverent Scout’s Posterous

[Podcast] Reverent Scout Update Mardi Gras

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 22:56:00 -0800

via AudioBoo Posted via web from reverentscout’s posterous

[Blog] Happy 100th BSA from the Village of Harlem

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 18:13:00 -0800

On February 8th, the Boy Scouts of America celebrated their 100th birthday. With the help of Hellura Lyle of Docwatchers and the Maysles Cinema we had our own party in Harlem and free screening of “759: Boy Scouts of Harlem” in the community where it was made. We were lucky to have Anthony Thomas, the two millionth Eagle Scout and his parents with us–all the way from their home in Minnesota. Photographed below, from left to right, is: filmmaker Justin Szlasa, Assistant Scoutmaster Ann Dozier, Scoutmaster Okpoti Sowah, Eagle Scout Anthony Thomas, Colin Byers, Aubrey Byers and filmmaker Jake Boritt. We were also lucky to have the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Congressman Charlie Rangel, join us for the film. He has been serving the Harlem community for about as long as Mr. Sowah and before that he served our country in Korea where he was awarded a Purple Heart. After the screening Charlie said of Troop 759: “This is just one of the diamonds that we polish to help our kids learn discipline and how to respect each other and to get along.” We couldn’t agree with you more Mr. Rangel! Thank you for your support.

[Blog] Girl Scout Cookies

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:28:00 -0800

My wife is fully engrossed in that American tradition called Girl Scout Cookies. I haven't seen her most of the week. Now that is partly because I haven't been home much, but neither has she.She is at booth sales and delivering cookies. If your council uses Trails-end the popcorn money is pretty easy to follow. But no-one could really tell me where all the money from the Girl Scout cookies went, until now.http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/02/06/girl-scout-cookies-by-the-numbers-just-where-do-all-those-dolla/$0.85 Bakery$0.50 Troop$0.08 Patches$2.07 Local CouncilFor a total of $3.50 So let's scale this up to the $9.00 tub o' popcorn the Boy Scouts sell.So for the $9.00 you'd get 39 cookies from the GSUSA or 8.5 oz of Carmel popcorn from the BSA.GSUSABSA$2.25 or 25% to the Bakery$2.25 or 25% to Trails-end$0.18 or 2% to prize patches$0.45 or 5% to Prizes$5.31 or 59% to the Local Council$3.15 or 35% to the Local Council$1.26 or 14% to the Troop$3.15 or 35% to the UnitI'm not so angry at the baker's anymore. I know the BSA has FOS, United Way, and other fundraising going on throughout the year. I wonder what other funds the GSUSA raises during the year. It seems the girl scouts put more of the council's financial burden on the girls. My daughters goals were to sell 150 boxes each for a total of $73 in the troop coffers. But nearly double the total sales of my pack for nearly the same commission per scout.To me it would seem the Local GSUSA council could give a bit more back to the scouts.

[News] SCENES Seminar Invitation

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 01:05:00 -0800

A seminar for the SCENES Centres (Scout Centres of Excellence for Nature and Environment), will be organized from the 18th to the 23nd May 2010, in Kandersteg International Scout Centre, Switzerland. The aim of the seminar is to bring together representatives of existing and potential SCENES Centres, the SCENES Network and people interested in supporting the development of Scouting and the environment, particularly through SCENES Centres. The aim is to strengthen the SCENES Centres and SCENES Network and explore how to continue to advance SCENES as part of the World Scout Environment Programme. During the seminar, we ask for active participation from all participants so that we can learn from each other. The seminar is designed to be able to support potential new SCENES Centres to learn from existing centres.

[Blog] AB100 meets the wild west in San Antone

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:45:00 -0800

Life is what you make make it. That pretty much sums up my Adventure Base 100 experience. I'll talk about that portion later or not at all.AB100 was not a standalone event for the Alamo city. Yet they managed to place the AB100 in an area of the rodeo grounds that received little to no traffic. I think they could have found a better place for us.The patch above is the only thing that is exclusive to AB100. Our store staff said they had trouble getting the patches. The Adventure base showed up Thursday the 4th, but the patches showed up late in the afternoon on the 6th. So we had the patches for 1 day of the Bases four day stay. If you register for an AB100 passport you get $5.00 of a souvenir book. so for $20 you get a book and the patch.The museum was cool. I thought some councils could have put more in their time capsule. Heck it would have been nice if my council had submitted a time capsule. Some of the items were a CD-Rom, a belt buckle, a custom coin, and some OA flaps. I rocked the early morning evironmental Pinewood race with a score of 390. When you get in the go scouting dome go in front of the table and lay down on your back. The show displays up past the top of the dome. In side you feel kinda like your in an igloo and at a forest campsite. It was a nice 5 minute show. Many scouters took advantage of the green screen. Your white water rafting or rock climbing. I think I saw one dad getting carried up the rock face by his Webelos scout. What I could do there with a little more time and imagination.The penny press breaks at the drop of a hat. I really wish they had more than one press traveling with the show. The ropes course was awesome as an attention getter. Can I order one for my council? Ok for the walk through... once harnessed up you walk up the ramp around and over some teeter totter blocks. Around the next corner is swing steps. The next challenge is Swinging across the vines to the cargo net. Once you side step across the cargo net you jump off a box and "zip line" down to where you harnessed up. Since most places haven't had this yet. I'll let you know that you need about 20 volunteers minimum to help run the AB100. Please make sure your council has somebody that is good at scheduling people to run this. Nothing worse in my opinion than to have 15 Explorers show up and have nothing for them to do.I would like to give special recognition to SAPD Chief William McManus. Prior to Chief McManus, SAPD had Explorers, but nothing like they do now. San Antonio has 180 police explorers in part due to the Chief's mandate that every substation or precinct have an explorer post. I have no doubt that these explorers will turn out to be fine officers in one of the nations law enforcement agencies. More importantly to me, it is just another way that the SAPD shows a compassionate face to San Antonio.

[Blog] A time to face the Facts

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:31:00 -0800

Well it all started about 6 months ago I had to take a break from blogging and finish some things up. You know little things like Wood Badge, Finding someone to get my back, getting trained for a new position. I'm going to run out of chairman stuff to talk about. Although it appears with my various hats I have today that a new blog title was due. I find myself rambling through scouting. Taking different positions and trying different things as I help my son through his scouting career. So my posts will take on more the idea of sketches of where my son, his unit, my units, and myself are today.

[Blog] The difference between IN and OF

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:29:00 -0800

Today is the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Boy Scouts of America. Today I have ran across some that are incorrectly saying it is the Anniversary of the Boy Scout Movement IN America. Troop 1 in Pawhuska Oklahoma has the honor of being the First Boy scout troop in America. They were founded in 1909 roughly 9 months prior to the incorporation of the Boy Scouts of America by W.D. Boyce. Troop1 was founded under an English charter.Too many the argument about the use of the word IN and OF is like like arguing whether the new millennium started January 1, 2000 or January 1, 2001. It could also be said I was arguing use of the Metric system versus the Imperial System.So I may be arguing over small verbiage, yet I would believe that the scouts in Pawhuska, Oklahoma were not the only scouts that were practicing Lord Baden-Powell's methods in the United States before 19010. So let's Celebrate the anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America and remember there were at least 18 Boy Scouts in America before then.

[Blog] NY Post opinion piece for 100th Anniversary

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:32:00 -0800

Here is a piece I wrote for the New York Post that was published earlier today. The full text is below: Today is the 100th birthday of the Boy Scouts of America. But the cen tennial will likely pass with little fan fare in New York City, where of one of America’s largest youth organizations has become practically invisible — a loss, especially, to the city’s most needy youth. You can still find some Boy Scouts in New York, but the number has dwindled; last year, Manhattan had fewer than 500 registered Boy Scouts with fewer than 4,500 citywide. Forgotten are scouting’s deep roots in New York. In 1910, the organization set up its first national headquarters at 200 Fifth Ave., just off Madison Park in the building later known as the Toy Center. That year, Teddy Roosevelt and John D. Rockefeller lauded Sir Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the scout movement, at a dinner held in his honor at the Waldorf-Astoria. Back then, the scouts had friends in high places here. In 1927, Franklin Roosevelt, then head of the New York City Boy Scout Foundation, arranged a deal to buy 11,000 acres of land along the Delaware that would become Ten Mile River Scout Camp — one of the largest in the world. In 1952, Eleanor Roosevelt presented an award to the 250,000th Scout to attend Ten Mile River. In the early ’60s, more than 12,000 New York scouts camped there each summer. Last summer, fewer than 1,400 city scouts camped at Ten Mile River. The venerable Camp Pouch on Staten Island is up for sale. And the national headquarters left Fifth Avenue long ago — the organization is now run from an office park in Texas. A legal victory for the national group was the latest setback for New York City scouts. In spring 2000, Boy Scouts won the right to exclude gays from membership — a policy roughly equivalent to that of the US military. New York institutions reacted by abandoning the Boys Scouts. City government barred them from meeting or recruiting in public schools. Politicians, celebrities and business leaders who had long championed scouting abandoned the program. Charitable donations — which mostly helped boys in poor neighborhoods — slowed to a trickle. The decline doesn’t matter much to affluent kids; they have plenty of options. But for boys from lower-income families, scouting may be their only chance to camp in a tent, swim in a lake, hike up a mountain or learn to save a life. This is certainly true for the scouts of Troop 759 in Harlem. Scoutmaster Okpoti Sowah, an immigrant from Ghana who came to New York to study at Columbia, has been a leader for more than 30 years in a neighborhood that needs male role models. His scouts have backpacked the deserts of Philmont, the wilds of Maine and the Adirondack high peaks. Sowah pushes boys to succeed. Most of his troop members go to college; many achieve Eagle Scout. If a boy has been in the scouts at least five years, there is a 91 percent chance he will finish high school. He is nearly twice as likely as a nonscout to earn a college degree and can expect to earn almost a third more. Prominent ex-scouts abound in New York business and politics: Former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Rep. Gary Ackerman, Wall Street great John Whitehead and entrepreneur Earl Graves are Eagle Scouts. Mayor Bloomberg, a Distinguished Eagle Scout, writes in his biography that “Boy Scout Summer Camp was the highlight of the year . . . It was where I learned to be self sufficient, and simultaneously, to live and work with others.” In other words, scouting produces success. It’s a tremendous shame that New York has allowed the culture wars to deny that hope to its children. Justin Szlasa is an Eagle Scout and pro ducer of the documentary “759: Boy Scouts of Harlem.”

[Podcast] Happy Birthday Boy Scouts of America

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:21:00 -0800

Hello fellow Scouters, We live in a society that is increasingly moving indoors. Kids rarely play outside all day (unless it’s some organized “play time”). And families seem be spending less time together in the outdoors, doing activities like camping. And although our schools seem to be teaching our children better than they did when I was a student, they don’t seem to be developing leadership traits. Do our high schools and colleges spend time developing the next generation of leaders for our country and for our companies? Instead of belonging to an outdated “old school” organization, we are part of a youth organization that is even more vital and necessary than it has ever been. And after a couple of decades of ”out of focus” leadership, it appears that the current BSA leadership knows what a great program has and what to do to make this organization even more successful. The times in which we live have made me really proud to be apart of the Boy Scouts of America. So with much thanks I wish a happy 100th birthday to the Boy Scouts of America! And of course, happy 80th birthday to the Cub Scout program. Scouting is fundamentally good for a boy, and I thank you for what you do for our sons! In Scouting, - Scouter Jeff <><

[Blog] FEAR amp ACCOMPLISHMENT

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:35:00 -0800

FEAR & ACCOMPLISHMENT………….. It is okay to be afraid. It is not okay to let the fear hold you back from accomplishing great and wonderful things.

[Blog] A Letter from Lancaster

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:52:00 -0800

Good Morning The film Boy Scouts of Harlem demonstrates the incredible power of the Boy Scout program to build self-esteem and self reliance in boys. It is an incredibly powerful statement. It also shows the power that Scouting has to compensate for the absence of male role models and how Scouting can have a powerful presence especially in challenging circumstances. As a Scout and Scouter over the last 56 years I have spent a fair amount of my life tramping around Boy Scout Camps across the United States. Justin and Jake have done an incredible job of communicating a powerful real-life image of the Boy Scout Camp experience. They make it come to life as it really is. They capture the fun, the camaraderie, the challenge and the achievement that are all essential elements of Scouting and the outdoors. This film demonstrates how the three elements of the Boy Scout program, skills, values and leadership, are effectively employed in the process of turning boys into productive and responsible Citizens. This is must see film particularly in these challenging times. It communicates the power and the hope we need to get America back on track. As I write this Scouting has recently honored the two millionth Eagle Scout, there are 4.6 active Boy Scouts in America and 22.8 million worldwide. More than a million and a half of those Eagles are still alive today. Scouting has made a huge contribution to America and the world and is committed to doing so today and into the future. Yours in Scouting and Service Jim Bednarski Assistant Scoutmaster Troop 99, Lancaster, PA Author; Scouting for Boys, Centennial Edition

[Blog] An update from the filmmakers

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:21:00 -0800

If you subscribe to our e-mail list you may have already received this letter. If not you can subscribe here if you are interested. Meanwhile read on…! On February 8th the Boy Scouts of America turns 100. By pretty much any measure Scouting has been a big deal–112 million Americans have been members. Alumni are as diverse as America itself– Steven Spielberg, Mike Bloomberg, Percy Sutton, David Lynch, Bob Gates, Donald Rumsfeld, Marion Barry, Michael Moore, and Gerald Ford are (were) all Eagle Scouts. For me it was a place to learn how to light a fire, shoot a rifle, build a tower, sail a boat, capsize a canoe, cook up dinner and tie a tourniquet. It also reinforced a set of ethics that I think are important but don’t get me started on that… So what are we doing to celebrate? Tico Perez, the National Scout Commissioner, will ring the bell to open the Stock Market but our party is further uptown. We will have a special screening of the film at the Maysles Cinema in Harlem on February 8th. The irrepressible Hellura Lyle, host of the successful Docwatchers series, has sponsored this screening. The event is free (but a donation for Docwatchers is recommended) and it is first come first served. Doors open at 7PM and the address is 343 Lenox between 127th and 128th. We were pleased to learn that Congressman Charlie Rangel–Harlemite, Purple Heart recipient and Chairman of the Ways & Means Committee will join us and say a few words about the Boy Scouts, Harlem and the film. If you are in New York and can make it to this special screening we’d love to see you. Next, an item for you guys on our list more interested in filmmaking than the Scouts… What is the worst part of the job for most filmmakers? Raising money. One of the benefits that Jake and I had when we were making “759: Boy Scouts of Harlem” is that, by design, we kept the production costs very low and did most of the work ourselves. That meant that we didn’t have to raise any money to compete this film. This brand of ultra-low-budget-do-it-yourself-yet-high-production-quality filmmaking is realtively new. It has been made possible by dramatic, disruptive changes to filmmaking that have come down the line in the last decade. Inexpensive, high-quality video cameras–like the Sony Z1U which was used to make our film–have allowed guys like us to pretty much shoot as much HD footage as we’d like. Final Cut Pro–Apple’s editing software–has democratized professional editing. Obviously, just because these tools are accessible doesn’t mean they are easy to use and there are loads of poorly shot, poorly edited independent films out there. But what these changes do mean is that there has never been a time when you could make a film with so little money. Sundance, this year, instituted a category for no-budget/low-budget films….I have no doubt more and more films will be made this way. It will allow filmmakers more time to focus on their art because they will spend less time raising money. Having said that, I am sad to report that I spent the last several months raising money. Not for us but rather for Maryland Public Television which is the PBS affiliate that decided to pick up the film for broadcast. Steven Schupak, our contact at MPT and a great guy, told me and Jake how the Public Television world works: “think of how commercial television works and simply turn everything around.” That means instead of the TV station paying us to run our film, we need to pay the TV station to run our film. Why is that? Well, Public Television is a Byzantine Empire–with 354 local member stations each of which manage what is seen on their channel. Some affiliates are bigger than others–WGBH in Boston, WNET in New York, WETA in DC are the “big three” and produce a lot of the shows you’ve heard of–Sesame Street, Newshour, Nova. Other affiliates, are tiny. Maryland Public Television (MPT) is one of the bigger affiliates–in part because Maryland is such an irregular shape so its broadcast reaches a large geographic area packed with people. MPT put the ball in our court to raise money to fund their efforts to present “759″ to public television stations. In practice, what happens is MPT staff charged with “station relations” promotes our shows to the 353 PBS affiliates to get them to pick them up. This takes time, phone calls and, sometimes, schwag. The more money we raise for MPT the better job they can do with “station relations” — to make our film stand out in a crowded field–and reach a wider audience. Sponsors who contribute money are recognized before and after the broadcast (brought to you in part by…etc.). We tried hard, but raising money for the PBS broadcast didn’t go very well. We contacted over 250 individuals, corporations and foundations and managed to find only a single, generous donor who will remain anonymous here. We got through to some of the richest Americans, some of the largest corporations and some of the most famous Eagle Scouts and we were turned down by all of them. It is too bad…but the good news is that with the modest amount of money we were able to raise MPT has committed to air the film anyway. They promised to do the best job they can with “station relations” so we are excited. We are happy to report that the film will be syndicated for broadcast on Public Television Stations in fall of 2010 and we hope your local affiliate decides to pick it up. If you want to make a tax-deductible donation to this effort (and see your name in the credits on PBS) just drop us a line at justin@harelemscouts.com. But enough about money–what’s going on with the Scouts from 759? First, Keith Dozier has had his nose to the grindstone at the KIPP School in Harlem. He is getting older but he looks as comfortable as ever in front of the camera on this Giro/NBC News report. Next, Emmanuel Nortey received his first college acceptance letter and expects to receive a few others. He will be heading off to college next fall. Nice work! Devon Howard earned his Eagle Scout. In a moving ceremony in the basement of Church of the Master, Devon’s Eagle was pinned on his uniform and his parents stood by his side. He is on scholarship at a boarding school in the wilds of Western Massachusetts and holding his own–despite being surrounded by Red Sox fans. And finally, Colin “KC” Byers, who many of you know and love, was selected to join a small delegation of Scouts who will give the “Report to the Nation” in Washington in February. Yep, KC is going to meet Barack Obama. He will be the fist white Scout from Harlem to meet the first black President in the White House. How about that? We will be sure to circulate a photo when we get one… In other news, we put together a “behind the scenes” video that shows how “Big Scout Grace” the film’s theme, was recorded. You can see Patrick and Jennifer Byers and Nik Munson playing a wonderful piece of music together here. You will also catch a glimpse of Roy Coopervasser our bald, talented sound engineer with his own brand of funky-uptown-hip. Finally, Jake and I would like to thank all of you who have purchased a DVD or helped to spread the word about this film. If you haven’t yet bought a DVD, so far the film doesn’t seem to be available free on BitTorrent so you might as well just get yourself a copy here. Also, feel free to forward this message to a friend who might enjoy it or join our group on Facebook if you haven’t already. We can’t do it without you guys and we appreciate your support. Thanks & Be Prepared! Justin Szlasa producer/co-director/editor justin@harlemscouts.com 917 355 9895

[Blog] 759 coverage on the web

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:50:00 -0800

Harlem+Bespoke Harlem Condo-Life Harlem Condo-Life Review Harlem One Stop

[Podcast] Pancake Batter in Ketchup Bottles

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:02:00 -0800

Hello fellow Scouters, Recently, MSN.com ran an article on new uses for old items. One of the things they showcased was using ketchup bottles for pancake batter (see #5 on their list). When I saw this, I immediately wondered if that would be useful in a camping situation. I could see the benefits: pre-measured mix, easy to transport, and easy to pour. Just add water, shake, and pour on your camp griddle. But would it work? The only way was to put it to the test! – We are big pancake fans around my house, and my recent Cub Scout den were pancake fans as well. When I go camping, I’ve always used those Bisquick “Shake N Pour ” pancake shakers, because they are so convenient. But when you look at it as cost per ounce, the Bisquick shakers run around $0.23 per ounce when on sale, while a box mix of Krusteaz runs around $0.09 per ounce. So clearly, a pancake mix like Krusteaz is a better bargain (if you couldn’t already tell, I’m an accountant by trade). To test this, I used a ketchup bottle we had (which was 36 oz). I took out the small silicone stopper around the pour spout, and ran the bottle and cap through the dishwasher, with no-heat drying, to clean it out. I knew that this ketchup bottle could hold approx. 4 cups of pancake mix and liquid with room for air (36 oz. divided by 8 fluid ounces per cup). So I used 2 cups of pancake mix to start. When I went to add the mix, I found that it was very hard to get the 2 cups of pancake mix into the ketchup bottle! I tried a funnel we had in the kitchen, and it took a long time to get the mix in. To try to speed things up, I tried making a funnel out of tin foil, then a paper towel tube. None of them worked really well. Once the mix was in, I marked the line with a Sharpie so I could add it again with out using a measuring cup. (I also added the number of pancakes the bottle would make). Next, I added the water, based on the directions on the box for 2 cups of the mix. And again I marked the line for future use. Of course, I forgot that pancake mix contains baking soda, and when shook the bottle and opened up the cap, I had a mini pancake mix explosion! Next time I tapped the bottle on the counter before opening it. The pancake mix was fairly easy to pour. Occasionally a lump of mix clogged it up, and I had to push it back with a pointed knife. But it was pretty easy to make them this way, as long as your batter is not too thick. They made a great pancake breakfast! – So is this method a great new way to bring your pancake mix to a campout? For me, I would say no. I can see how having some ketchup bottles with pancake mix ready to go would be convenient. But I found the hassles outweighed the benefits. First, the ketchup bottles should be completely dry before you put in the dry pancake mix. So that’s a bit of a hassle, albeit a small one. But the “deal killer” for me was that it was a real pain to get the dry pancake mix in. It just wasn’t an easy process. So I would vote “thumbs down” to this idea from MSN.com. But feel free and try it for yourself. Since this will reduce dirty dishes at your next campout, and is very easy to pour on your camp griddle, it might be worth it. And the ketchup bottles are convenient since they take up less room in your camp kitchen box than the box of mix itself. With the ability to measure out the mix, you bring exactly what you need to a campout, which is always good. – Whatever you decide, make sure you and your boys are out camping. Spring is coming, and the outdoors are calling! In Scouting, - Scouter Jeff <><

[Blog] Expiration Dates

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 07:57:00 -0800

It’s been a couple of weeks since we’ve had any new changes for PayPerPost. We’ve been hard at work on this release, and it’s finally ready. We were able to get a couple of the most requested changes in this one. We hope you like it. These changes are going to go out within a couple hours after this blog post. Advertisers will now be able to specify the number of days before their offers will expire. When creating an opp, on step 1, specify 1, 2 or 3 days for your offers to remain open to the bloggers. Bloggers will see the amount of time they have to submit their post in 2 places. It will be displayed in the email when you first get the offer, and it will also be displayed when you log into your account under the open opportunities tab. Bloggers Please Note If an advertiser requests a change, you will be given the same amount of time to resubmit your post with the requested changes. So if the advertiser set up the job to expire in 24 hours, then you will have 24 hours to resubmit the post when you get a change request. CSV Reports Advertisers can download their opp info and post info in a CSV report.Click on the magnifying glass next to your opportunity to view the details. On this page, you will see a button to download the report. The opp info and the list of posts will be contained in the report. How it Works Bloggers now have a handy “how it works” section right on their leads page. We hope this will alleviate some of the confusion surrounding this feature. Bloggers have a list of reason to select from when declining an offer. Advertisers will see a summary of the number of offers that were declined for each reason in their nightly summary email. We always love to hear feedback. Feel free to leave us a comment or click the little “Feedback” tab within your account. We’ll be here!

[News] World Scout Environment Programme Kit available in Spanish

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:46:00 -0800

The World Scout Environment Programme offers tools, resources and initiatives to help Scouts all around the world work together for the good of the local and global environment. This resource kit is now available in Spanish with special thanks to Marisol Mayorga of Costa Rica in particular for her support in translating the documents from English to Spanish.

[News] First Scout of the World Discovery in Luxembourg

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:55:00 -0800

Over an extended weekend the Lëtzebuerger Guiden a Scouten (LGS) held their first SWA Discovery at the end of November 2009 at their national training centre and Scout of the World Base in Neihaischen. The LGS have a 20 year history with development projects that involve the Rover Scout section, every three to four years many members depart to regions in need of development to work with local Scouts or other youth organizations. This part of the Rover Scout program has now been adapted and integrated into the Scout of the World Program.

[News] 5th Scouts of the World Discovery in Singapore

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:13:00 -0800

The last Scouts of the World Discovery Workshop in 2009 saw new partners and participants for the Singapore base. In order to better accommodate the participants, the workshop was held at a new venue – the National Community Leadership Institute (NACLI) from 17 to 19 October 2009. Apart from five Singapore Rover Scouts, there were five Bangladesh Rover Scouts and two Maldives Rover Scouts. For the first time, two non-Scouts joined the workshop after hearing much from their Scout friends. Mr M M Fazlul Haque Arif, Deputy National Commissioner (International) of Bangladesh Scouts also attended the workshop as an observer.

[News] Solidarity with Haiti Call for international donations

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 08:06:00 -0800

Geneva, January 14th 2010 – After the violent quake which struck Haiti, World Scouting is mobilising in order to help the 30,000 Scouts of Haïti so that they can come to the aid of the stricken population. In the name of World Scouting, a message of solidarity and compassion, was sent to Haitian Scouts, even though it is very difficult to get into contact with them for the moment. A volunteer cooperation specialist from “Scouts et Guides de France” (Scouts and Guides of France) is on site in Port-aux-Princes, to support the coordination of the international Scout aid. A precise indication of what the needs are of the stricken families in terms of goods of first necessity, has been made possible thanks to the contacts, although limited, that have been made at this time. In fact, the 30,000 Haitian Scouts are essential relays between the emergency NGOs and the local population. Their action during the hurricane of 2008, has shown their capacity to act efficiently in operations of clearing, cleaning, decontamination and also by taking care of children that have been left to their own devices, as well as by building emergency camps.

[News] Misaershaff newest SCENES Centre in Luxembourg

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 05:45:00 -0800

The Misaershaff Youth Training Centre has been designated the newest SCENES Centre (Scout Centre of Excellence for Nature and Environment) having met all of the key requirements for a SCENES Centre. This old farm, built in 1833, is situated along the river banks of the Haute-Sûre. It has been the FNEL’s (Fédération Nationale des Éclaireurs et Éclaireuses du Luxembourg) national training centre since 2003. Offering a variety of environmental education programmes, demonstrated environmental management practices and picturesque natural settings to explore, Misaershaff is a great location to experience the natural wonders of the environment. For more information on Misaershaff and the other SCENES Centres please see the SCENES Section of the World Scouting Website: www.scout.org/scenes

[Blog] Multiple Links Per Post

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 07:53:00 -0800

Hello PayPerPost patrons. Today we’ll be releasing a change later on this afternoon that we hope will knock your socks off. The system is now going to fully support multiple links per post requirements. Let’s take a tour! Advertisers will have 2 ways of setting up links on their opportunities. The old way that we’ve always had is now going to be called the “single link” option. This will be the default method for adding links to opportunities. Posts will be randomly assigned a single link from the list of URLs when an offer is made. The blogger will be required to embed this single link, and the system will validate that the one link is embedded correctly when they submit their post. This option also allows the advertiser to manually customize which link gets assigned to which blog while they make offers. Now, let’s review the new alternative way to set up links using the “multiple link” option. Advertisers can specify the multi-link option in step 3 when they add links. They can add up to 3 links using this option. All the links in the list will be required in every post that is submitted to the opportunity. The advertiser won’t be able to manually edit any link assignments when making offers. Remember all of the links will be required in every post. So, by now I bet some of the bloggers are wondering “how does this affect my experience?” The first neat addition is on the leads page. You will be shown up front the number of required links. No more guessing games when it comes to negotiating your price. Isn’t that neat? That’s not the only change that bloggers will notice. Under the opportunities tab, when you have an offer for a multi-link opp, you will see a page that looks similar to this: We’ve moved the link info into what should be a foolproof copy/paste text area. If you’re required to use more than one link, you will see a list of the links that you are required to embed in your post. We’ve also upgraded the library we use to validate these links. The spacing issues we’ve experienced (extra spaces in the post’s HTML) should not be a problem with the link validations after we release the new code. Also, when dealing with multi-link opps, we’ve made sure the validation is explicit. If we can’t validate one of the required links, we’ll make sure to point out which one you need to fix. I hope this set of changes works well for both Advertisers and Bloggers. Please feel free to holler at us if you have any feedback. You can leave us a comment here or you can always click the little “Feedback” tab within your PPP account.

[News] First Scouts of the World Award Discovery in Greece

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 02:17:00 -0800

The first Scout of the World Discovery took place at St. Andrew Scout Centre in Athens on the 13-15 November 2009 and was organized by the Scouts of Greece (Soma Hellinon Proskopon). Thirteen (13) young leaders and members of Scout Networks from all around Greece participated. The issue that was explored during the Discovery was “Refugees”. The participants had a chance to meet refugees and their children, discuss with lawyers dealing with the subject, psychologists, social workers, representatives from the police authorities and members of various NGOs (Non Governmental Organisations).

[Podcast] Reverent Scout Update Christmas Caroling

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:36:00 -0800

via AudioBoo Posted via web from reverentscout’s posterous

[Blog] New Negotiation Feature

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 07:43:00 -0800

Tonight, PayPerPost.com is going to go down briefly for some updates. We’re incredibly excited about these new additions to the platform, and we hope you will be too. Here’s the info on what the new negotiation process entails. Advertiser creates opp (no changes here) Advertiser generates leads This used to be as simple as pressing a button, and poof – the lead generation would go out to all of your matches. Now with the negotiation change, advertisers will be shown a new screen when they generate leads that asks, what is your preferred price? This is where the advertiser enters the price that they want to pay for each offer on this specific opportunity. The lead info goes over to the blogger just like before, only now they will also get to see the advertiser’s requested price. They can either accept it at the requested price, they can say “no thanks” to decline the offer, or they can negotiate a new price. Just to clarify: the “i’m interested” button will alert the advertiser that you are interested in doing the work for the requested price, so that locks you in at the advertisers preferred price that is shown. If the blogger wants to negotiate that price, they have to use the negotiate button now. If the blogger wants to negotiate a new price, they will be shown a screen that asks them – what is their preferred price? They fill that in and click submit and it goes back to the advertiser showing 2 things – 1) that they’re interested and 2) what the price is that they will be willing to accept for writing the post. Just to reiterate this one point – if you click “i’m interested” you will be working with the advertiser’s requested price, not your regular blog price, and not some price you thought you wanted to negotiate. If you negotiate and you do get an offer, you will be working with the new price that you negotiated.Once the negotiation goes from the advertiser, to the blogger, and back to the advertiser it is finished. There’s no infinite back and forth for eternity. You get one chance to settle upon the pricing. As always, we would love to hear your feedback. Please feel free to drop us a comment or click the little feedback tab within your account. We’ll be happy to hear your thoughts on this new feature or help you with anything that is not clearly explained.

[News] Unite to Combat Climate Change

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 07:07:00 -0800

Clean Up the World and the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) are celebrating the second year of their Ally relationship in 2009 by working together under the banner of “Communities uniting to Combat Climate Change”. Clean Up the World and WOSM are proof in point that partnerships such as their Ally Relationship can bring about tangible improvements in the environment, create opportunities to connect with others and have fun in the process. As each of the organisations works in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme, their individual missions are strengthened through this Alliance.

[News] Scouts of the World Award ceremony in Ireland

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:38:00 -0800

The Scouts of the World Award encourages a stronger involvement of young adults in the development of society by making them more aware of the present world issues and to help National Scout Organizations revitalise the programme of Rover Scout section. In this context, a group of sixteen Rover Scouts from Dublin, Ireland have made a lasting contribution to primary education in India and in doing so became the first Irish Scouts to achieve the Scouts of the World Award.

[Podcast] The Leaders Campfire 73

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:32:00 -0800

#73-759: Boy Scouts of Harlem This is an interview with Justin Szlasa – Co-Director and Producer of 759: Boy Scouts of Harlem. Links: Facebook Fan Page-http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=36555605041&ref=search&sid=1525663870.3138268010..1 Movie Home Page-http://www.harlemscouts.com Join the forum discussion on this post - (1) Posts Share with Others:

[News] Indonesia hosts the first APR Disaster Management Workshop

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:23:00 -0800

16 November 2009, Jakarta -- The very first Asia-Pacific Regional Workshop on Disaster Management officially opened in Cibubur Scout Complex in Jakarta today which will run until 19th November 2009.

[Podcast] The Leaders Campfire 72

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:45:00 -0700

#72-Game Show Fun! This show was recorded about 2 months ago. We have call-ins and fun with PTC fans. Apologies for the sound quality toward the end. This show was recorded using some experimental methods. Send your contest entries to leaderscampfire@gmail.com and we’ll draw for a winner sometime in November. Tonight’s show sponsored by The Boy Scout Store Join the forum discussion on this post - (5) Posts Share with Others:

[Podcast] Same Podcast Better Feed

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:42:00 -0700

Ok.. so the fact of the matter is that I maintain a Blog.. a podcast… and I am hosting on the PTCmedia.net… So rather than post to all three, I am shutting this site down. The feed won’t change so if you subscribe I am still on itunes. SO HERE IS WHERE TO GO TO KEEP UP WITH THE SCOUTMASTER MINUTE. NEW FEED BOOKMARK THESE SITES www.thescoutmasterminute.net PTCmedia As always… HAVE A GREAT SCOUTING DAY! Posted in Uncategorized

[Podcast] The Leaders Campfire 71

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 20:31:00 -0700

#71-Feedback This show was recorded in late August. Apologies for some of the “old” references. The new Boy Scout handbook, Committee positions, getting ready for Webelos, upcoming topics and lots more are on this week’s show. Tonight’s show sponsored by Badge Magic Join the forum discussion on this post - (10) Posts Share with Others:

[Podcast] The Scoutmaster Minute Show 42 20 questions

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 21:36:00 -0700

Scoutmaster Jerry answers 20 questions. 20 questions were emailed from our listening audience and I answer them all. Jerry is joined by a very special guest host for this one. A look behind the curtain and a glimpse of some of Jerry’s Scouting philosophy as he answers 20 questions. A special thanks to The Boy Scout Store proud sponsor of the Show. There is a challenge at the end of the show. Email with the answer and I will send you a prize! Have a Great Scouting Day! Standard Podcast [40:55m] Listen or Download here Posted in Uncategorized

[Podcast] The Scoutmaster Minute Show 41

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 14:24:00 -0700

In this Show we talk about the annual plan and setting your unit up for a Fantastic year of Scouting! Some of the resources talked about in this show are the Troop Program resource books available at your local Scout shop or at Scout stuff online. I know that this show may leave questions and further discussion, so lets talk about it in the forums at PTCmedia.net. Thanks for listening! Have a Great Scouting Day! Listen or Download here Standard Podcast format mp3 [16:42m] Posted in Uncategorized

[Podcast] The Scoutmaster Minute Tips Taco Salad Rice

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:42:00 -0700

This tip is one of the winning recipes from the Scoutmaster Minute Trail Stop contest. It is called Taco Salad Rice and it is sure to satisfy on the trail.. or even at home! Enjoy! Standard Podcast [1:51m]: Hide Player | Play in Popup | Download Posted in Uncategorized

[Podcast] Reverent Scout Update Off to a Good Start

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:00:00 -0700

Listen!

[Podcast] The Scoutmaster Minute Tips

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:55:00 -0700

We are trying a little something different or NEW!! Here at the Scoutmaster minute. A lot of people have been asking for some of my tips.. so I am putting out some new Tips shows. They will be real short and sweet and deliver a quick tip or message. Hope you like them.. let me know. Have a Great Scouting Day! Here is the First one… Download it here! Posted in Uncategorized

[Podcast] The Scoutmaster Minute Show 40

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 22:22:00 -0700

In this show Scoutmaster Jerry tackles a couple great topics. First, we talk about when Scouting Manifests itself in our Scouts. Then we talk about Podcasting and Social Media, we wrap it up with where the heck has Scoutmaster Jerry been? For more info and to listen in. Thanks for taking the time to listen to the Scoutmaster Minute Podcast. Have a Great Scouting Day! Listen or Download Here Standard mp3 Format [14:56m] Posted in Uncategorized

[Podcast] Reverent Scout Update Reverent Outings

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:42:00 -0700