Lessons from the past... Rocks in the Pack
When I was a Scout we were on a training backpacking trip. A group of older Scouts repeatly got ahead of the main group by a fair distances. Finally the leaders got tired of it and had us “younger” Scouts put some rocks into there packs to slow them down. Well it didn't slow them down that much, but when they got to camp and found the rocks they were amazed. It was estimated by... [More]
By: Scott Robertson On: 2010-01-20Knives
Since I was a young Scout when my parents bought me my first knife, I have been collecting them. Some may find this strange but that first knife which was like $2 next to the cash register and was really a complete piece of junk still sits in my collection. As you will note in this very small sampling of my collection there are knives of all sizes and types ranging from the large Bowie... [More]
By: Scott Robertson On: 2010-01-20Lessons from the past... Walking Backpack
This is not so much a lesson as it is just an amusing antidote. When I was a Scout we had a kid in the Troop that was a bit small for his age. He was part of our Troop High Adventure Team, as this was before Venturing. When we went to Philmont he came along and someone took a picture of this backpack with two legs walking down the trail. You could not see... [More]
By: Scott Robertson On: 2010-01-20Written Resources
Lets take a moment to talk about what written resources are available to you. In the photo you will see there are a lot of books, Scouting and non Scouting ones. There are also maps, trail guides, books created for special trainings and events such as WoodBadge. In addition to all of this there are handouts, flyers from places you visit, posters, informational booklets you collect from fairs and shows, and so much more.Many years... [More]
By: Scott Robertson On: 2010-01-20Lessons from the past... Corkscrew Dare
On a backpacking trip, during a break the Scouts were bored. The decided to start daring each other. The dares were innocent enough until, “I dare you to sit on a corckscrew”. Well one Scout did it and then exclaimed “Its going ...” ok I will leave that up to your imagination. He ended up with a hole in his pants. Needless to say the leaders nor his parents were to pleased when we found... [More]
By: Scott Robertson On: 2010-01-20Electric Camp Light
There are literally thousands of battery powered lighting devices on the market. These devices range in size from small pin lights up to mega multi-million candle power spot lights. Some of these devices you can even recharge in the field, for example, there are ones you just shake up, others you crank, and yet others have a solar panel on them. Another thing to consider is if it is a regular bulb or an LED,... [More]
By: Scott Robertson On: 2010-01-20Lessons from the past... Cactus Slide
Not that many years ago I was on a campout with the Troop I worked with. We were playing a game, Capture The Flag or something like that. Next thing we know a Scout is trotting into camp obviously in some pain. Turns out he slid down a embankment, maybe 15 feet or so right into a cactus. Considering we live in the desert this alone would not have been that big of a deal,... [More]
By: Scott Robertson On: 2010-01-20Outdoor Gym
Everyone needs to exercise to stay healthy. Unfortunately, most of us don't exercise because of time or its just well boring. Luckily for us there are outdoor activities can offer many of the same benefits that a gym does. However in my mind the outdoor activities are far more enjoyable while still getting my heart pumping, my blood flowing, my mussels moving and my mind de-stressing.I found this interesting tidbit online at http://depression.about.com/od/exercise/qt/exercisetip.htmIf you're feeling... [More]
By: Scott Robertson On: 2010-01-20Lessons from the past... Poison Ivy
When my dad was a Scout they were on some kind of hike, like all good Scout Troops do. One of the Scouts needed to fertilize the forest really badly and found a good looking spot. After doing his thing the Scout grabbed a handful of leaves to use to clean up with. The leaves turned out to be poison ivy and for rest of the trip he spent scratching his rear end.The lesson …... [More]
By: Scott Robertson On: 2010-01-20New Year and New Burn Out
We are in the 100th year of Scouting!!! We are planning for the next 12 months what we are going to do with our Pack. Oh, and surprise, we need you to take over the Pack Coordinator for Cub Scout Day Camp position.If you got this far and have seen my other blogs, I am a Den Leader, Pack Trainer, etc. so when I was asked to do this, I almost burned out. The Lesson... [More]
By: Steve O'Connor On: 2010-01-17