Scoutmaster

Understanding Toxicodendron Radicans

Toxicodendron Radicans distribution map
Poison ivy (toxicodendron radicans) is the most common of the urushiol producing plants in the eastern U.S. Contact with urushiol oil is the substance that causes an allergic rash in 90% of the population.

Even a tiny amount (1 nanogram, a billionth of a gram) of sticky, resin-like urushiol oil will case a skin reaction. 1/4 ounce of the potent oil would be enough to cause a rash on the entire population of the earth!

Poison Ivy Facts:

• One must come into direct contact with urushiol oil to get the rash.
• Urushiol oil can be spread in smoke from burning plants and debris from lawnmowers or trimmers.
• Urushiol oil is still present in dead plants or vines and remains active for five or more years.
• Scratching the rash will not spread the rash (unless the oil is still on the skin)
• Fluid from the blisters will not spread the rash.
• Sensitvity to urushiol oil can develop at any time.
• Depending on individual reactions to urushiol oil can appear in hours or days.

The only sure way to avoid poison ivy rash is avoiding contact with urushiol oil directly from the plant or indirectly from clothing, tools, or gear that comes into contact with the oil.

Within fifteen minutes of exposure ururshiol oil bonds with the skin and a rash is likely. A long rinsing wash with cold water is an effective way to remove the oil. Warm water opens the pores allowing more oil to bond with the skin and soap may spread the oil more effectively.

If a rash develops there are many home remedies and commercial cures that provide some measure of relief.  Check out the information available at the Poison Ivy, Oak and Sumac Information Center.

Toxicodendron Radicans profile from the U.S.D.A.

Ethnic Scouting Grows in Canada

From an article in the Ottowa Sun:

"Actively welcoming youth and volunteers of all different ethno-cultural backgrounds has become a major focus for our organization," says Glenn Armstrong, chief commissioner of Scouts Canada. "It's exciting to think that this major growth area for our organization is also simply allowing us to better reflect the cultural makeup of Canada."

But it's not just in Canada. In other western countries, including the U.S. and the U.K., the image traditionally pictured on the handbook no longer automatically mirrors the young people studying it. There are at least 47 scout groups across Canada -- with 3,177 members -- that are specifically designated as Chinese, and others who identify themselves as Greek, Portuguese, Estonian, Lithuanian, Syrian and Slovenian. Asjad's group is one of five in Canada classed as distinctly Muslim.

Read the full article here

Scoutlists - Automated Camping Checklists

A valuable resource for staying prepared Scoutlists creates custom camping checklists based on season, activity and climate. The resulting list can be printed and/or emailed and is linked to a wealth of gear recommendations.

Scoutmaster sees more than most.

Scoutmaster J.R. Hotaling (center in picture) of of Rotterdam, New York, Troop 54 was born without eyesight.

From an article in the Schenectady Daily Gazzette:

“He can hear you and find you,” said Brandon Vine, 16, a member Troop 54. “He knows everybody’s voice well enough that he’ll catch it everywhere you go, even when you don’t think he will.”

... In his two years as scoutmaster and decade of being involved with the troop, his blindness has never hindered him from hiking, fishing or any of the outdoor excursions his Scouts embark on each year.

Read the full article here

Never-Fail Campfire Building in Esquire Magazine

Tom Chiarella at Esquire Magazine has posted an article The 75 Skills Every Man Should Master. Skill # 51 uses many of the the methods and measurements from my video Never Fail Campfire Building.

51. Build a campfire.

There are three components:

1. The tinder -- bone-dry, snappable twigs, about as long as your hand. You need two complete handfuls. Try birch bark; it burns long and hot.

2. The kindling -- thick as your thumb, long as your forearm, breakable with two hands. You need two armfuls.

3. Fuel wood -- anything thick and long enough that it can't be broken by hand. It's okay if it's slightly damp. You need a knee-high stack.

Step 1: Light the tinder, turning the pile gently to get air underneath it.

Step 2: Feed the kindling into the emergent fire with some pace.

Step 3: Lay on the fuel wood. Pyramid, the log cabin, whatever -- the idea is to create some kind of structure so that plenty of air gets to the fire.

Now

Now is the only time. How we relate to it creates the future. In other words, if we're going to be more cheerful in the future, it's because of our aspiration and exertion to be cheerful in the present. What we do accumulates; the future is the result of what we do right now.- Pema Chodron

Pema Chodron is a leading exponent of teachings on meditation and how they apply to everyday life. She is widely known for her charming and down-to-earth interpretation of Tibetan Buddhism for Western audiences. Pema is the resident teacher at Gampo Abbey, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, the first Tibetan monastery for Westerners.

Program - Canned or Fresh?

Canned programs for Scouts are attractive because they are easy. They are also poor excuses for a Scout activity. Canned experiences require little preparation, skill development or leadership. In our part of the world there are whitewater rafting trips, ski weekends, museum lock-ins and similar activities that only require Scouts show up and be led by the hand through an activity or presentation.

Scoutmasters should be adamant that activities are aimed at fulfilling the promises of Scouting and not simply entertainment. Activities that Scouts plan and present for themselves, as imperfect or halting as they may be, are always preferable to a canned program.

All of our Scouts want to 'have fun'. Canned programs can be 'fun' but are simply an end in themselves. Fun is not an aim of Scouting but Scouting is fun. Scouts get a real sense of satisfaction from creating their own program. Scouting demands that Scouts be more than participants - they must be the planners, the leaders the developers.

A Scout-made program surpasses any canned program. When the Scouts have invested themselves in building a challenging, ambitious activity they benefit from something they have done for themselves.