Scoutmaster

Evaluating a Successful Troop

The annual rechartering process includes a ten point program evaluation that qualifies the Troop for the Quality Unit Award:

1. Trained leadership.
2. Two-deep leadership.
3. Outdoor Activities
4. On-time rechartering
5. Planned Program
6. Service to the community
7. Advancement
8. Boy's Life Subscription
9. Membership retention and growth
10. Patrol Method

In order to qualify as a Quality Unit the Troop must meet the first four points and any two others. Early on I was quietly told to game the system a bit to insure that we qualified each year so that we had an unbroken set of banners for our troop flag. Truth be told at one time I thought that the patch associated with this designation was pretty important too. After all Leaders can earn awards  based on these numbers; kind of like collecting green stamps and turning them in for a new toaster oven (boy does that reference date me!).

If I were king I would eliminate five points five and re-priortize the list;

1. Patrol Method
2. Outdoor activities
3. Leadership Training, program planning.
4. Community Service.
5. Advancement.

The new evaluation would be completed by our youth leadership, parents and scouts. What an eye opener that would be!

It comes to mind that there isn't any reason not to do this even though I am not king.
What are your program evaluation ideas?

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Preventing Abuse

Working in Scouting has its rewards, challenges, and responsibilities.  Every Scouter should be well versed in recognizing, reporting and, most importantly, preventing abuse. Abuse is a difficult reality in society; it can and will find its way into Scouting.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, a good opportunity for all of us to review our organizational policies and individual preparedness. Excellent abuse prevention, recognition and reporting training is available from the BSA:

Youth Protection & Adult Leadership

And from Prevent Child Abuse America:

Recognizing Child Abuse: What You Should Know (PDF)
An Approach to Preventing Child Abuse (PDF)
Ten Ways to Help Prevent Child Abuse (PDF)                
Emotional Child Abuse (PDF)       

My darkest days as a Scouter have been spent dealing with incidents of abuse. Unfortunately I have seen it all and I offer my support if you are faced with responding to an incident of abuse. If you think talking to someone who has been through this before would be helpful email me.

Mexican Scouts Break World Record

From the WOSM site:

Scouts in Mexico City collected more than one million (1,155,670) cans and created the world’s biggest Scout emblem that is 1000m² in size! It took thousands of Scouts more than 2 days to build the shining Scout Emblem that broke the Guinness Record and helped raise money for the communities of Chiapas.

Chuck Boxes

A decent chuck box makes cooking in camp a lot more pleasant. Call them patrol boxes, Field kitchens, or chuck boxes they all store cooking gear. (See more camp kitchens here .) Some are ingeniously gadgety; here's a sampling from the web:

The Blue Sky Kitchen is an interesting and innovative idea. Different configurations and levels of complexity put me in mind of Chinese puzzle boxes.

This Aussie Drifta is a good design with lots of work space. An ingenious  kitchen that  packs into its own box. The side tables look especially useful.

Here's the story of the T21 Kitchen Box a fresh approach to an old standard patrol box with legs. This looks like a well-thought-out design; functional, not too big.

A handsome Kitchen Box used by reenactors.

You may as well go for it and get a fully tricked-out Chuck Wagon.

I am still planning my ultimate field kitchen/patrol box Here is a proposed  design. Don't miss  these two patrol boxes.
Do you have a design or system for patrol cooking gear? Let me know.

Uniforms

The word uniform is both an adjective and a noun; the noun being what we wear and the adjective the reason it is worn. According to BSA literature:

The uniform makes the Boy Scout troop visible as a force for good and creates a positive youth image in the community. Boy Scouting is an action program, and wearing the uniform is an action that shows each Boy Scout's commitment to the aims and purposes of Scouting. The uniform gives the Boy Scout identity in a world brotherhood of youth who believe in the same ideals. The uniform is practical attire for Boy Scout activities and provides a way for Boy Scouts to wear the badges that show what they have accomplished.

Unfortunately the actual uniform the BSA offers is not consistent with any of the goals expressed above. Wearing the uniform 'in action' is hardly ever practical. The prominent designer Oscar de la Renta graciously donated his expertise to the 1980 redesign of the scout uniform; a design that sacrificed practicality for aesthetics and has become woefully out-dated.

The current uniform is reasonably presentable but the limitations of the design make it obsolete;

Material- Shirts and pants are a poly-cotton blend that does not breathe well or dry quickly making it uncomfortable in the heat of summer or cold of winter.

Cut and fit - Scout pants, shorts and shirts are cut for style, not for function. The fit is restrictive and uncomfortable for anything other than walking on level ground or standing still. Such a restrictive fit precludes layering for cold weather.

Colors- Tan shirts show every stain and bit of dirt.

Cost - Shirts, pants and shorts run around $30.00 each. Add a neckerchief, insignia, socks, hats and a jacket and the total cost is approaching $200.00.

Insignia - Oversized, ostentatious and gaudy.

A uniform that can't be worn camping in all but the most temperate conditions, that restricts movement, shows dirt and is just plain gaudy fails to meet of its intentions. Practical, long wearing, inexpensive, comfortable clothing  is so readily available it is hardly surprising that  the scout uniform is rarely seen outside official functions.

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Trail Journal

One of the most rewarding things about being a Scoutmaster is watching the boys grow up and following their progress through adulthood. For the next several months I will be able to follow one of them as they hike the Appalachian Trail through the web based Trail Journal.

All backpackers at least toy with the idea of the 'big hike'. I know I have. Like most, though, my big plans never got past the dream stage. So it is satisfying to see one of my Scouts following that dream in mounting his A.T. through-hike this month starting at Springer Mountain, Georgia up the 2000+ mile trial to Mt. Katahdin, Maine.

Jim "Cheesewhiz" Donahoe begins hiking this week and we can all keep up with him through his Trail Journal.

"I depart from my hometown on March 17 then begin hiking on March 22.  I have reached that golden weight that I was hoping to make with my pack. With out food, water and fuel I am at 19.3 lbs with my "Winter Gear" "

Friction Lock Table

The Ropes and Poles Blog features a friction lock table design that I am anxious to try:

"Friction locks the whole table together. There is one rope stopping the entire thing from spreading out and falling apart, running across the table (from left to right,under the table top). No lashings are used at all in this construction."

I have seen friction bridges but adapting the concept to build a table is a new one on me.

Leave No Trace

Leave No Trace is an important set of principles for anyone who goes camping. Like me you have seen what a few inconsiderate people can do to a campsite, a riverbank or a trail. We have to drive a long ways to find unspoiled wilderness anymore; chances are we are usually camping in places frequented by others.

Leaving things the way you found them (or better) takes a minimal effort. It all begins by understanding what impact is harmful and following a few simple practices to prevent damage.  Leave no trace is a good place to start.

There's a good BSA instructor's syllabus here.

The Leave No Trace website

Six Commandments

Unto the Troop did they come and a patch did get upon their arm. And the Scoutmaster did shake their hand. And all the troop saw and said it was good.

Then there were thunderings, and lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the Scouts saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.

And the Scoutmaster spake unto the adult leaders and said: “Have I not seen Scouts and leaders without number? Have I not grown old in wisdom? I seeketh only that we doeth good and no hassles have. Heed these, my commandments, for they are only six – though ten could I make, for I am the Scoutmaster of thy Troop:”

Thou shalt not fret

Nor shall you worry nor fuss nor trouble nor bother thy young. As he goes to and fro on the face of the earth he shall be let to breathe and live. When he maketh a mistake or doeth a deed it shall be his and not thine own. Nor shalt thou annoy, nor shall thy hover close by watching  for this is an abomination to all.

Thou Shalt live thine own life

The life of the father is the father’s own, the life of the mother is the mother’s own and the life of the son is the son’s and the daughter is the daughter’s. Thou shalt not place upon them the mantle of thine aspirations, disappointments or shall thou maketh up for thine own mispent youth. For in thine own youth did not your mother and father do the same to your vexation?

Thou shalt complain in private.

If thou hast a complaint with the running of things, thou shalt speak quietly to the Scoutmaster. Thou shalt not complain to the Patrol leader, or the Senior Patrol leader, or any of the youth that do lead.

Thou shalt sit upon thy hands (mostly)

Except when danger draws nigh when thou shalt see the ball drop, thou shall not pick it up; thy hands must abide in stillness. Is it not the scouts who shall own their program?

Thou shall have no other Scoutmaster before me

Giveth the Scoutmaster his due for where thou are has he not already been? He shall lead and thou shalt follow. When he speaketh thou shalt listen, though your brow is dark and heart is hard thou shalt listen. And this too shall be the law even unto the Senior Patrol Leader.

Thou shalt be a saint.

How great a love has a Scout for a parent that showeth respect for his son. How glad he is when they show forth patience and bearing and wisdom in quietness. How praised is he that forgos saying  'I told you so' even when it is a just and right thing to say.

Tensegrity Pioneering

There is a great series of posts on the Ropes and  Poles Blog about building tensegrity structures with pioneering skills. Impractical? Yes, if your measure of practicality is utility. Tensegrity is based contrary forces converging in a structure whose strength is greater than the sum of its parts. (Sounds much like a scout troop.) Muscle  pulls against bone, bone pushes against muscle to create the muscular-skeletal system of the human body. An excellent activity to capture the imagination and creativity of our scouts.