Scoutmaster

Scouting Newsfeed

ASM Steve from Richmond, Virginia helps maintain a newsfeed for items published about Scouting " The Scouting Vine" Subscribers receive links to news articles  reporting on the activities and achievements of Scouts from all over the world. It is always interesting and encouraging to learn about what Scouts are doing outside the borders of our troops, councils, and country.

The Scouting Vine
http://goodturn.newsvine.com
Scouting Vine newsfeed
http://feeds.feedburner.com/scoutingvine

If you aren't already subscribing to blogs and newsfeeds learn more about it here in an article on creating your own Google homepage. There are a number of similar services offered, but I like Google best.
What do I mean by 'subscribe' ? Here's a good article on RSS for Rookies.
Even the technophobic can create a homepage that will keep them up-to-date on their favorite blogs (like Scoutmaster!) and websites.

National Awards for Lifesaving and Meritorious Acts

I can only imagine how many times a day Scouting knowledge is used to prevent rather than respond to emergencies. Scouts do routinely utilize the skills they learn to lend emergency assistance, some make the news. Here are three instances reported within the past week:

Boy honored for pool rescue
Associated Press - May 25, 2007  OKLAHOMA CITY - An Oklahoma City boy is honored with a heroism award for jumping into a back-yard pool to rescue his then-3-year-old cousin.

Boy Scout helps save Cub Scout
Associated Press - May 23, 2007 JOHNSON CITY, N.Y. - If there's a merit badge for saving a life, Boy Scout Jordan Thompson should be considered for one. The mother of a 6-year-old Cub Scout pinned by a fallen headstone is crediting the burly 13-year-old with saving her son's life.

Scouts helpful, brave: 2 save choking friends
Sun, May. 20, 2007 The Journal Gazette FORT WAYNE INDIANA If the Boy Scouts ever wondered whether it really did any good to teach the Heimlich maneuver to troop leaders and Scouts, they got their answer not long ago.

Honor awards are offered by the BSA according to the following criteria -

Honor Medals    
National awards for lifesaving and meritorious acts are made only for outstanding and unusual acts that demonstrate unusual heroism, skill, or bravery and reflect Scouting ideals, based on the following criteria:       

1. Honor Medal with Crossed Palms. Has demonstrated unusual heroism and extraordinary skill or resourcefulness in saving or attempting to save a life at extreme risk to self.       
2. Honor Medal. Has demonstrated unusual heroism and skill or resourcefulness in saving or attempting to save a life at considerable risk to self.       
3. Heroism Award. Has demonstrated heroism and skill in averting serous injury or saving or attempting to save a life at minimum or no risk to self.       
4. Medal of Merit. Has performed some outstanding act of service of a rare or exceptional character that reflects an uncommon degree of concern for the well being of others.       
5. National Certificate of Merit. Has performed a significant act of service deserving of special national recognition.

Note: If the action is deserving of merit but does not qualify for a national award, the Scout may be eligible for the Local Council Certificate of Merit, No. 33732.     Heroism is defined as exhibiting courage, daring, skill, and self-sacrifice.     Skill is defined as the ability to use one's knowledge effectively in execution or performance. Special attention is given to skills earned in Scouting.

Your local Council may have a nomination procedure, but I have obtained certificates for two of my Scouts over the years by writing a letter relating the details of their actions to my Council's advancement committee.
Lifesaving or Meritorious Action Awards factsheet

More on Cell Phones

A recent post on Cell Phones and Camping has garnered several comments including this very thoughtful post from Timo Kiravuo of Findland:
(I have edited a bit, Timo's English is much better than my Finnish but I hope to clarify some of his thoughts)

Look back to the 1930's and compare the problems with Scouts bringing playing cards on camping trips. The literature refers to "toys that waste time". We can call cell phones "devices that allow external communication and can potentially cause problems."

Regarding cellular phones (we have plenty here in Finland), the general policy is Scouts under 15 may not use them. When in camp, depending on the situation, they are collected and released only at the end of the camp. For the hikes, you may have one, but mat not use one without a permission or in the case of an emergancy.

A smart scout policy for any new technology is to first get aquianted with the technology, then make  practical decisions based on how it relates to the core values of scouting.

So we view the cellular phones as one more distraction, safety device and something to learn about. Just like safety matches, GPS, Walkie-Talkies, etc. We have managed many changes in technology without killing scouting.

I think that Timo is spot on. New technology can be used to advance our goals rather than distract us from them. Past a certain age we seem to have a hard time keeping pace with technological changes and tend to fear rather than embrace them.

Memorial Day 2007

Memorial Day 2007 Heroism is latent in every human soul - However humble or unknown, they (the veterans) have renounced what are accounted pleasures and cheerfully undertaken all the self-denials - privations, toils, dangers, sufferings, sicknesses, mutilations, life-long hurts and losses, death itself - for some great good, dimly seen but dearly held. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

IC-UC Quick Sight

How many times have you wanted to point something out during a hike or camp out and something like this happened:
"Look at that elk over there!"
"Over where?"
"Right next to the big tree."
"That big pine tree?"
"No, no the tree near the creek."
"What creek?"
"Never mind, it's gone."

From the IC-UC website:
The IC-UC is a two person hand held spotting sight that allows one person to direct a second persons line of sight to a particular location.  This is accomplished by using two separate sights that converge on the same position and can be completed in seconds. The IC-UC was designed to be used at distances from 30 yards out to as far as the eye can see and is a directional aid for binoculars and spotting scopes.  It's primary use is to direct your partners eye to the location of the wildlife you have spotted.  From a bird perched in a tree to the largest of big game, their locations can be easily pointed out with the IC-UC.  No more waving your arms and trying in vain to explain the wildlife's location to your partner. Every second counts when spotting or attempting to identify wildlife, they very often don't wait for everyone to get a look at them.  Now you can speed up the location process in a way that before now was not possible.

If you don't have an uber-cool green laser pointer to point things out this would do the trick.

Available from IC-UC
Via The Goat

Cell Phones and Camping

Over at the excellent Ask Andy column a question on the appropriateness of Scouts carrying cell phones on camping trips;

Our troop has a long-standing policy that bans radios, CD players, and video games on campouts. Some old Scouters and committee members say that I should now forbid MP3 players and cell phones too.  I agreed to add MP3 players to the list, but I disagree with banning cell phones.  My reasoning is that Scouts could carry their phones for emergencies, and have limited use between 10 pm and 11 pm (when “lights out” is at 11). I’ve explained that middle and high school boys have cell phones at school, so if they had them in an emergency, or if they’re lost in the wilderness, etc., it could be a good tool to have.

I’ve  heard all the arguments advocating cell phones for Scouts on camp outs, for supposed “emergencies” and such, and to me they’re all malarkey. As a diligent and intelligent Scoutmaster, in a sensible troop, you would already be doing these things, at the very least, on all camp outs:

-          Buddy system at all times.
-          No Scouts ever go anywhere that’s out of line-of-sight without telling the Scoutmaster (a) where they’re going and (b) when they’ll be returning (and when they return, they “report in”).

These alone obviate the need for cell phones. Now, you can take this a step farther: In your troop meetings, start teaching basic signaling.  Signaling?  Right!  With whistles (three whistle blasts means “danger” or “help,” etc.), and with mirrors (CDs and DVDs that are no longer useful are excellent signaling mirrors!  They even have the “sight-hole” pre-drilled!). { Then, when you go hiking or camping, apply the ground rule that, to go out of sight, at least one of the buddy pair must have a whistle with him, and at least one must have a mirror.  No exceptions.

As Scoutmaster, of course you would have a cell phone, plus one as backup, specifically for emergencies (that is, you absolutely cannot be seen “chatting” on a phone yourself—you’ve gotta walk the talk!).  But those two are the only phones on the trip.  Period. Since 1910, over one hundred million Scouts have gone hiking, camping, caving, backpacking, rock climbing, canoeing, kayaking, boating, and mountaineering without cell phones.  I somehow think your Scouts will survive!

Amen Andy!

I'll add that in a properly run camp out any emergency should be immediately referred to the Scoutmaster for action. Imagine the confusion if Scouts start calling in emergency help before the Scoutmaster knows what is happening. What if the Scoutmaster is the one who needs assistance and cannot use the cell phone? Everyone should know where the cell phone is kept.

Finally I recommend getting a few FRS (family radio service) walkie talkies. We have four that transmit at 2 watts - plenty to cover a mile or so in the forest. These are carried by our Scouts if they are going out of sight of our adult leadership (a short hike, a game, or just some informal exploring). The smallest number of Scouts that can go off on their own is three, and the more the merrier.

"Dirt Bagging" for Cheap Gear

Gearheads like myself find great pleasure in hunting down the nec plus ultra in the expansive (and expensive!) world of specialty backpacking and camping gear. How the world has changed these past four or five years! Now 'dirtbagging' is in and overpriced doo-dads are passe.

Sgt. Rock, an Appalachian Trail through hiker, coined the term 'dirtbagging' and has collected lot's of great gear ideas in this article at whiteblaze.net

...the average hiker starts putting together a kit by going to the local outfitters, looking at the Internet, or picking up a catalog and then builds a shopping list. The fact is the latest high tech gear can be VERY expensive, and even the little things that you may need backpacking can add up if you try and buy everything new.

Dirt Bagging is a term I picked up from a hiker named Nigel who used this term to define the use of re-cycled gear like soda cans for stoves and soda bottles for fuel or water; or using cheap gear like plastic sheets for tarps and grease savers for cooking pots. Dirt Bagging can actually be fun when you see what you can get away with.

Here's a few of his ideas:

Pack Towel. Synthetic chamois cloths for cleaning the streaks off your car after washing make good pack towels. You only need a piece about the size of a washcloth.

Bottles. You can use old soda bottles for lightweight and rugged fuel bottles, water bottles, olive oil carriers, etc.

Bandanna. You may already have one of these somewhere. If not, take one of your old cotton t-shirts and cut a square out of it to make your own.

Floss. Sure you can use it on your teeth, but it also makes an excellent thread for repairing gear.

Cotton Balls and Vaseline. Take some cotton balls (about 12) and swab Vaseline all over them, then put them in their own zip-lock to make sure fire campfire starter.

Be sure to read the whole article - there's much more great advice.

 

The Dangerous Book for Boys

This book puts me in mind of following creeks through the woods, baseball cards held to the forks of my bike with clothespins, climbing trees, chemistry sets, purloined firecrackers, strike anywhere matches, building forts and a thousand other common joys of boyhood. Not virtual but visceral, hands-on and sometimes faintly dangerous.
Risk and challenge remain vital to boys. We cannot legislate or litigate this vitality out of their lives. The authors of the Dangerous Book for boys have assembled a vast catalog of information, activities, skills and crafts that may be nostalgic to men of a certain age but are new and fascinating to each successive generation of boys.
Available at Amazon

Coaches and Players

Imagine you are watching your favorite sporting event as the game begins and the players take the field. Each team makes a few mistakes and each team makes a few good plays and eventually one team takes the lead. No matter what happens, though, coaches can’t leave the sidelines and begin playing. Only the players take the field and the coaches must stay on the sidelines.

A Scout Troop is much like an athletic team. We have players, (the scouts); coaches, (the adult leaders); we wear uniforms, we learn skills and rules, (the Scout Oath and Law, campcraft, etc.); and meet challenges, (a troop meeting, a campout, etc.). Like coaches of an athletic team the Leaders in a Scout Troop can’t leave the sidelines and interfere with the game. A Scout Leader’s job is to teach, coordinate and advise. The coach prepares a team by teaching skills, running practices and seeing that each player gets his fair share of time on the field. Once the competition begins the players finish the game, win loose or draw. (Any good coach knows that a team generally learns more from honest mistakes than they learn from winning.) If a coach were allowed in the game a real player would be sidelined, if players leave the game for no good reason the whole team suffers.

It takes courage, wisdom and experience to recognize the sidelines in Scouting and to keep from crossing them. At one point the Scouts must take the lead and do their best while Leaders encourage and advise from a respectable distance. A good Scout Troop will have no players on the sidelines and no coaches on the field.

A Scout is Resourceful

Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information on it.
  - Samuel Johnson

If the Scout Law was ever expanded I would vote for the addition of 'resourceful'.

Elements of resourcefullness are reflected in the ninth point of the law 'thrifty': A Scout works to pay his own way and to help others. He saves for the future. He protects and conserves natural resources. He         carefully uses time and property.

Knowing where to look for answers is as important as knowing the answer. Scoutmasters foster resourcefullness by asking questions (guided discovery) than by offering advice or giving directions.

I am reminded of a dark, cold, wet, long Novemeber night guiding a youth group over Indian Pass in the Adirondacks. All but one of our flashlights had given out from the cold and rain. The only way to make progress on the rocky, steep trail surrounded by heavy forest was to light the trail ahead. The group would hike twenty yards or so up the trail until they could not see, then the light would move up to the head of the group and light the trail ahead again. Leapfrogging our way over several miles was slow, but steady.

Our role in Scouting is similar - illuminate the trail ahead by asking questions, by tapping the resourcefullness of our Scouts. We mustn't hand things to them so much as guide them in the process of finding out for themselves. Where are the answers? Some are in within ourselves, some are beyond ourselves. Scouts must learn the basics of finding answers to a variety of challenges - a crucial life skill.

We build this skill incrimentally by asking the right questions.

Related posts in the Scoutmaster Blog

Guided Discovery asking the right questions.
Inefficency maintaining the integral inefficencies of Scouting