Scouting anyone?

[Stearmen]

Amen. I remember many things that happened as well. I have to say that I hate building friction fires though. It takes quite a bit of doing. The flint and steel fires are more my style.

Starting the fire with sticks reminds me of a great story from the 80s. A friend of mine daughter was around 8 years old and had to go to some kind of scout camp. One of the instructors was showing them how to make fires with sticks rubbed together. My friends daughter must have gotten board, being brought up around motorcycles, she walked over to the three wheeler, disconnected the fuel line, turned on the petcock, drained some fuel into a cup, reconnected the fuel line, went over to her fire pit, poured the gas on and struck a match. The scout leaders were not amused! I think she deserved some kind of merit badge for initiative !

 

[jamespowers]

Starting the fire with sticks reminds me of a great story from the 80s. A friend of mine daughter was around 8 years old and had to go to some kind of scout camp. One of the instructors was showing them how to make fires with sticks rubbed together. My friends daughter must have gotten board, being brought up around motorcycles, she walked over to the three wheeler, disconnected the fuel line, turned on the petcock, drained some fuel into a cup, reconnected the fuel line, went over to her fire pit, poured the gas on and struck a match. The scout leaders were not amused! I think she deserved some kind of merit badge for initiative !

:rofl: This is how you light a fire.

 

[Bumper_Morgan]

Well, this is how my leatherstockings do it:

Of course, they know how to torch things with lighter fuel, too...

 

[Bob_Fixico]

I was a Cub Scout long ago and was a Boy Scout for a short time until my father got involved and pulled me out of it because he felt his time was better suited elsewhere. Now that is another story for another time. Last year I became involved in Scouting when my youngest came home from school with some paperwork about scouting. I was hesitant about him and me getting involved in this. In two parts I had never done this with my older children and I was afraid I was going to be asked to do something. To give you an idea about the concern with my son he was diagnosed with Autism when he was three. He needs almost constant supervision when he is home and out in public. We took him down signed him up and let the Scout Master know I would be there to wrangle my son and to keep him on task. I was informed I would have to take Youth Protection Training course if I was going to be there. I did take the class and we did begin going to the troop meetings. My son really came out of his shell and stayed on task in the group setting. Myself I found jumping in neck deep to get involved. So deep I immediately volunteered for this next year. Now what got me hooked was the camping trip. We went to Camp Old Indian in the hills of South Carolina. That night the temperature dropped to 28 degrees Fahrenheit. Yes we froze our butts off but not as much as I did because of the pins, rods, and screws I have in my arms, hips, and legs. I became motivated in more ways than I care to count. We are excited for this next year.

 

[Gregg Axley]

James we were told that's how girlscouts light fires.
I agree, bravo for initiative.
We actually tried that sticks firestarting, and got nowhere.
So while we were sitting at summer camp, we were sitting under a canopy with a pole in the center of the table. We put grass around it and started turning the pole as if to start a fire. The couselor turned his head to answer a question, and one scout pulled out a bic lighter and lit the grass ever so slightly. You should have seen the counselors face when he thought we had started a fire that way. LOL

 

[jamespowers]

James we were told that's how girlscouts light fires.
I agree, bravo for initiative.
We actually tried that sticks firestarting, and got nowhere.
So while we were sitting at summer camp, we were sitting under a canopy with a pole in the center of the table. We put grass around it and started turning the pole as if to start a fire. The couselor turned his head to answer a question, and one scout pulled out a bic lighter and lit the grass ever so slightly. You should have seen the counselors face when he thought we had started a fire that way. LOL

:rofl: That would have been good. lol

 

[Renault]

Bumper Morgan! Good on your Leatherstockings!!!!!

Here's a pic of several of my strikers straight from my trade goods chest! There under the trade knives....

Renault

 

[Bumper_Morgan]

This last Friday I took the Troop out to the woods to collect some birch bark and harvest some fatwood/maya wood. We did some prepping for next Friday's big capture the flag/stalking game, too. They show great potential for becoming first-class outdoorsmen. I'm so proud of these kids.

 

[Bob_Fixico]

Must be a Webelos Troop or Regular Boy Scout Troop working on Pathfinder. My youngest son is in Webelos we worked on the forester naturalist and the outdoorsman awards this past fall. This Spring they have on working on citizenship and readyman. I have two grandsons that are in wolf and bear.

 

[W.A.Mack]

I am of the opinion the Scouting experience is only as good as your troop and the leadership. I was in Cub Scouts and Scouts for a year. I went on a couple of camping trips which were fine. The problem was the average meeting. The meeting lasted maybe a half hour and then everyone went to the gym to play basketball. I was never very athletic as a kid. I became bored and moved on to other things. At eleven or twelve you need activities to motivate you to work on badges and learn the skills. Years later I wish I had stayed in.

 

[Bob_Fixico]

W.A. Mack I agree with you that the scouting expericance depends on the troop and the leadership. I am only a parent volunteer myself. Our Troops and Dens would be a failure if it wasnt for volunteers to lead activites and add to motivation of the scouts.

 

[Bumper_Morgan]

I wish I had a volunteer dad or mum to act as Assistant Scoutmaster. It is kinda hard to run the Troop all by myself, but it has been working very well for the last 5 years.
We do traditional Scouting along the lines of Scouting for Boys and I agree, a Troop will only be a good one if you offer an exciting program.
In the winter we do play a lot of athletic games, pit the two Patrols against each other, but we also spend a lot of time working on perfecting Bushcraft techniques. We go into the boonies as often as we can and camp out. This summer we will do a 5-day-trek like the Appalachian Trail where we hike, enjoy the sights along the trail and camp overnights. Everybody carries his own load, pulls his own weight. This is always a great experience for the kids.

 

[1961MJS]

W.A. Mack I agree with you that the scouting expericance depends on the troop and the leadership. I am only a parent volunteer myself. Our Troops and Dens would be a failure if it wasnt for volunteers to lead activites and add to motivation of the scouts.

Hi, that's for being in Scouts. The kid's experience is definitely based on the leadership. One thing that's great about Boy Scouts, is that you can change packs, troops, and crews until you find one that suits you. I don't know how many Eagle Scouts out Troop has had over the past 30 years, but each one of them have had a parent who volunteered with the troop.

In Wichita, Girl Scouts won't let you change groups. Here, if you decide you don't like your girl scout group, you get put on a waiting list.

Later

 

[Bob_Fixico]

Scouts troop that my yongest son and grandsons are in have that policy only way out and into another troop is to move. Now as you said 1961MJS the waiting list so far knock wood we have not run into any waiting list for cub/boy scouts.

 

[jamespowers]

Scouts troop that my yongest son and grandsons are in have that policy only way out and into another troop is to move. Now as you said 1961MJS the waiting list so far knock wood we have not run into any waiting list for cub/boy scouts.

Wow! That is kind of out there. I went to a troop in another city because they were more active. No one said anything here. Of course, that was twenty years ago or more. We'll see how it goes with my sons.

 

[Bob_Fixico]

Bumper Morgan, quickest way to get parent volunteers is to as for help from a couple of them tell them no strings attached. Just say we need help with a group project get them hands on. That is how they hooked me in. Have you thought about talkng with your local other scout masters, unit commissioner, or charter representatives?

 

[The Gentleman]

I would love to be part of the scouts myself, but I'm seventeen and I don't know if you can still register around that age.

 

[L'Onset]

Sure you can join a clan of Venture Scouts !
I joined scouts at 15 yrs.
Joining at those ages means that is really a decision of yours, not your parents.

 

[Canadian]

I'll never forget the time my dad saved the lives of about fifteen scouts. He was a retired army officer, and although not an official Scouter, he came along on some of our winter trips (-40C) to keep an eye on both me, and the other boys.

Most of us had never been on a winter campout and most of us were unprepared. This particular campout had about 300 Scouts from a variety of different Troops all in the Southern Alberta region. Most of them were old salts. They did things right by having winter weight tents, proper bags, etc.

My troop was commanded by a man who's claim to fame was selling ball bearings for chairs. He knew absolutely squat. His assistant Scoutmaster was an engineer.

One night, while sharing a tent with Dad, the temperature dropped so low I was freezing and shivering uncontrollably. Then I stopped shivering. At that point, my Dad knew (from experience leading infantry troops) that I was definitely in trouble. So he woke everybody up, got us out of our tents (my bag was winter weight, but most of the boys had bags good to +4C or worse. Remember it was -40C) and we all had grilled cheese sandwiches and hot cocoa. Then he passed out candy bars and we had a little break in the middle of the night. Most of us went back to bed, warm and cosy and full of cheese and candy. The next night, a bunch of us piled into his car for a few minutes to warm up. Again, out came candy and warm drinks.

The next year, my dad didn't come. But the Scouters had learned a bit about (cheerily called in Scout's fieldbook as "Winter Fun", which my dad knew as "Cold Weather Operations" and we were dramatically better prepared. The people who organized the campout also were more prepared and every night, we'd all cram into a small hall and have hot cocoa, as much sugar or marshmallows as we wanted and stood around a big bonfire.

Dad also lent me his wooly-pully sweater on that first campout. I suggest, if you do not own one, get one. They are a godsend in the cold and the older, wool versions are perfect for layering over a polypro shirt, under a nylon windbreaker and a parka on top.

The Scout uniforms of my day were not practical. 100% cotton, two breast pockets and an acrylic beret. Most of the local Scouts wore sweats or jeans, which are not field standard. When the time comes for me to be a Scoutmaster, I hope I perform as admirably as my own father, who that night saved the lives of a lot of young boys.

Tom

 

[Harry Gooch]

I'll never forget the time my dad saved the lives of about fifteen scouts. He was a retired army officer, and although not an official Scouter, he came along on some of our winter trips (-40C) to keep an eye on both me, and the other boys.

Most of us had never been on a winter campout and most of us were unprepared. This particular campout had about 300 Scouts from a variety of different Troops all in the Southern Alberta region. Most of them were old salts. They did things right by having winter weight tents, proper bags, etc.

My troop was commanded by a man who's claim to fame was selling ball bearings for chairs. He knew absolutely squat. His assistant Scoutmaster was an engineer.

One night, while sharing a tent with Dad, the temperature dropped so low I was freezing and shivering uncontrollably. Then I stopped shivering. At that point, my Dad knew (from experience leading infantry troops) that I was definitely in trouble. So he woke everybody up, got us out of our tents (my bag was winter weight, but most of the boys had bags good to +4C or worse. Remember it was -40C) and we all had grilled cheese sandwiches and hot cocoa. Then he passed out candy bars and we had a little break in the middle of the night. Most of us went back to bed, warm and cosy and full of cheese and candy. The next night, a bunch of us piled into his car for a few minutes to warm up. Again, out came candy and warm drinks.

The next year, my dad didn't come. But the Scouters had learned a bit about (cheerily called in Scout's fieldbook as "Winter Fun", which my dad knew as "Cold Weather Operations" and we were dramatically better prepared. The people who organized the campout also were more prepared and every night, we'd all cram into a small hall and have hot cocoa, as much sugar or marshmallows as we wanted and stood around a big bonfire.

Dad also lent me his wooly-pully sweater on that first campout. I suggest, if you do not own one, get one. They are a godsend in the cold and the older, wool versions are perfect for layering over a polypro shirt, under a nylon windbreaker and a parka on top.

The Scout uniforms of my day were not practical. 100% cotton, two breast pockets and an acrylic beret. Most of the local Scouts wore sweats or jeans, which are not field standard. When the time comes for me to be a Scoutmaster, I hope I perform as admirably as my own father, who that night saved the lives of a lot of young boys.

Tom

Your dad sounds like a candidate for the Order of Canada. Kudos to him, sir.

Harry. (Queen's Venturer)