Scoutmaster

Kon-Tiki

Peter at the Ropes and Poles Blog is preparing to take part in 'Kon-Tiki' a huge scouting event in South Africa inspired by Thor Heyerdhal's 1947 adventure aboard a reed raft demonstrating that ancient people could have sailed from South America to Polynesia. Troops build rafts that must stay afloat for 24 hours using their pioneering skills (ropes, poles and oil drums; no nails or screws) and take part in various competitions. The rafts must have waterproof accommodations for six, a cooking area for the preparation of at least one three course meal and proper toilet facilities. Teams are judged on a variety of standards and skill tests throughout the weekend. There are fringe events for raft support teams. This looks like great fun.
Pictures of some impressive rafts.
Kontiki Website

More on South African Scouting

Scouting the Wikipedia

The Scouting Portal at Wikipedia is growing.

The articles about Afghan and Iranian scouts are interesting

A featured article on the History of Merit Badges is at once fascinating and weird. Collectors seem to have an inexhaustible reservoir of minutiae they use to distinguish between slightly dissimilar objects.

Scouting's Urban Legends

At  a recent outing I overheard an adult explaining to a scout that a certain skit was outlawed by 'national'.

I have heard similar things throughout my scouting career. Scouting seems to attract doctrinaire,  fussy, hairsplitting, nitpicking, pompous,  priggish, people who promulgate rules and regulations from thin air. We are relentlessly policed by self-appointed inspectors of uniforms, advancement experts, Eagle project czars and various keepers of the unknowable.

Actually anyone can debunk these misapprehensions with three relatively thin books, the Uniform and Insignia Guide, the Guide to Safe Scouting and the Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures Guide. There have been many times I have answered an incorrect assertion with the correct policy and received a doubtful grimace.

Donald S. Roberts has gleaned a number of these legends from an E-list. I have heard many of them; some are quite entertaining.

The Fire Within

One of the B.S.A.’s founders, Ernest Thompson Seton, was visiting a camp he founded near his New Jersey home. Seton had invited several important local businessmen to join him on this particular visit to interest them in supporting the camp.

During their stay they watched with great interest as some of the boys tried to light a fire by friction using the ancient bow and drill. Their efforts were great and the resulting fire was a victory won over may attempts.

As they turned from the scene one of the guests turned to Seton and said;
“Mr. Seton, why, in a world of matches, do you ask the boys to struggle with these primitive methods?”

Seton thought for a moment and pointed at the ground;
“You are thinking of the fire that is lit here...” he placed his hand over his heart and continued; “...while I am after the fire that is kindled here in the heart.”

The challenges that life present often turn us from an easy path to one that requires more effort, more skill. As scouts we deliberately challenge ourselves to develop our skill as outdoorsmen and extend our own personal limits. There are easier ways to do many things but the way that offers growth is often the most difficult.

Related post's at Scoutmaster
Fire by Friction
Advice from 'World Champion Fire Starter' Eagle Scout Dudley Winn Smith.
Making fire with a Bow Drill at Wildwood Survival
Making fire with a bow drill is an obtainable skill for those who are willing to devote themselves to a little study, finding the proper materials and patient practice.
Making & Using a Fire-by-Friction Set
... the following tips should make it easier for you, especially if you believe you can build a fire by friction set.

Advancing to Eagle; a Parable

A young man built a shed in the backyard. He saved the money, designed the shed and wanted to build it by himself.

Over time he learned how to use a saw and a hammer, collected his own set of tools, built smaller projects. He was having fun pursing something interesting, building skills and accumulating knowledge of his craft.

He learned to draw plans, estimate costs, where to buy his materials. His parents like the idea of a shed, they are very supportive: they're pleased that their son has developed into a decent carpenter but know little of the subject themselves. They asked that someone who knows more than they do review the plans with their son just to make sure he was building the shed properly. He called a friend of the family who was a builder and showed him the plans. He had to tweak this plans a bit and got some good advice.

One weekend he dug the foundations and poured cement; the next he set up his rim and floor joists. When he went to frame the walls he realized that he had made a miscalculation and would have to change his plans. He was discouraged and didn't work on the shed for a week or two.

His parents held him to the commitment and he started building again. There was an argument, but they insisted and the boy returned to his work. Soon the prospect of finishing the shed overcame his reticence and the moved the project forward.

Within a few weeks the shed was finished; fresh paint, shiny hardware, it looked great. His parents joined him in the back yard to admire his work. They hadn't driven one nail, cut one stud or so much as lifted a paintbrush. Not that wouldn't have; they offered help a few times but he said he was fine. Early on they had decided, despite how much they wanted to be involved, to wait until they were asked for help but that request never came.The boy was righteously proud of his work. That he had built it himself made the accomplishment all the sweeter.

His parents were proud too. When the boy first asked if he could build a shed they didn't go out and buy him a finished shed, nor did they tell him how to build it. They made sure it would properly built, they kept him to his commitment and in the end were as pleased with him as he was with his work.

I needn't explain how the is story relates to a scout advancing towards Eagle. Sometimes parents get overly involved in their children's lives. It may be that we want to delay the inevitability that our children will grow up and live on their own, that we fear they may fail more than they do. We all made mistakes when we first had our own independence and autonomy, and it is difficult to see our children make the same mistakes.

Our boys need to stand on their own two feet; indeed this independence is required of an Eagle Scout.

International Guild of Knot Tyers

The IGKT is a small (for a worldwide organization), but dedicated of knotting enthusiasts with a thousand or more members.
They have some good knotting information and links:
- The Six Knot Challenge
- What are Knots and Splices?
- Knot Gallery

There are some great member sites too:
- Marlinspike.com check out the sea chests and the tools. (uuummm, tooools!)
- Nantucket Knotworks  bracelets to bellropes
- Knots an Knotting look at the scouting knots animated page and fifty knots

Scoutmaster's Mission Statement

Frankly mission statements (and the other magic spells of the management alchemists) make me a little nauseous. As a reference point, an expression of intentions and goals, they are useful reminders to stay the course.

Sun Tzu's observation is a succinct expression of good leadership and hardly needs elaboration:

"As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence.

The next best, the people honor and praise.

The next, the people fear; and the next,
the people hate.

...When the best leader's work is done the people say, 'We did it ourselves!'
To lead the people , walk behind them. "

-  Sun Tzu 'The Art of War'

But I elaborated anyway;

As a Scoutmaster I will;

•  Create and nurture an environment for learning leadership and developing a sense of direction.
  
• Value the decisions and autonomy of the scouts and maintain the proper balance of advice and control between youth and adult leadership.
• Encourage this autonomy by guarding their decisions and plans from undue influence of adult leadership.
• Maintain the highest expectations of all members despite disappointments.
• Admit my own mistakes openly, maybe even joyfully.
• Encourage others to do likewise by never punishing honest mistakes.
• Look for opportunities to delegate authority in important matters
• Listen carefully to the desires and concerns of others in making decisions and giving direction.
• Exercise tolerance and self control in times of stress.
• Present and maintain a program within the bounds of propriety and safety.

The Art of War at Project Gutenberg
The Art of War at Wikisource
The Art of War at Amazon

Associated posts at Scoutmaster
Scoutmastership, Leadership, Management
Promises to Keep
Taking Direction from Youth Leadership

Igloo Building Tool

Would that I lived in a place that had predictable, long lasting snowfall. I would get an Ice Box and get into the winter woods to build igloos.
I am somewhat mollified by looking at all the wonderful igloos that people have built the Ice Box  an innovative tool for building igloos: by all accounts it looks like it really does the job.
Don't miss the photo-diary of the Arneberg's igloo building.
Thanks again to Chuck Charbeneau for the suggestion

An Unfortunate Association

An article in the San Francisco Chronicle outlines the conflict over a government subsidy (free berths at the city's docks) to the Berkeley Sea Scouts. In January the case was being heard at the California Supreme Court:

"Associate Justice Marvin Baxter asked the Scouts' attorney whether the Sea Scout's logic would allow groups like the Ku Klux Klan to demand public funding.

"It's unfortunate, but it's correct," answered Jonathan Gordon"

Unfortunate? It is a straight-up pity that we end up being associated, no matter how tenuously, with such an infamous group.

The logic the Justice refers to is the  argument that the city's refusal to give the Scouts a subsidy that it gives other nonprofit groups amounted to punishing the Scouts for expressing philosophical ideals.

To qualify  groups must provide an important service that outweighs the berthing subsidy, offer regular activities, comply with the city's nondiscrimination policy, show that the organization's presence and activities are of great importance, and not duplicate existing commercial services.

Once again the BSA's logic is paper thin; we are not being punished. Groups that require a religious pledge from its membership or cannot comply with non-discrimination policies should not receive Government subsidies. This does not unfairly restrict our right to association, expression, or religious practice; we simply have to do it on our own dime.

How to Sh-- in the Woods

Kathleen Meyer realized that there was no completely frank discussion of how (and how not) to sh-- in the woods. She put pen to paper and came up with this pithy, humorous yet informative tome. Well worth reading as pulling it off properly does require some lost skills.

It was unlikely that I would find my one of my favorite outdoor stories in this book, but I did:

For the better part of a nippy fall morning, Edwin had been slinking through whole mountain ranges of gnarly underbrush in pursuit of an elusive six-pointer. Relentlessly trudging along with no luck, he finally became discouraged, a cold drizzle adding to his gloom. Then a lovely meadow opened out before him — its beauty causing him to pause. His attention, now averted from the deer, relaxed into a gaze of pleasure, and he next became increasingly aware of his physical discomforts; every weary muscle, every labored joint, every minuscule bramble scratch — and then another pressing matter.

Coming upon a log beneath a spreading tree, Edwin propped up his rifle and quickly slipped off his poncho, sliding the suspenders from his shoulders. Whistling now, he sat and shat. But when he turned to bury it, not a thing was there. In total disbelief, poor Edwin peered over the log once more hut still found nothing. It began to rain, and the pleasant vision of camp beckoned. Preparing to leave, he yanked up his poncho and hefted his gun. To warm his ears, he pulled up his hood. And there it was on top of his head, melting in the rain like so much ice cream left in the sun.

How to Sh-- in the Woods at Amazon