Scouts, How to Build a Rube Goldberg Machine - ISNL 21-13

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Published: Apr 05, 2021

 

 

 

 

Have you ever thought about how Scouting is much like a chain? Check out this Scoutmaster Minute...

 

You've heard the saying, "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link." That's absolutely true. With this chain, I can pull a car or lift a heavy load - I can perform many tasks. But, if I try to lift something that is too heavy, one of the links will break - the weakest link will let down the rest of the chain.

 

In Scouting, each scout works on personal advancement to strengthen and improve skills. Personal advancement increases the strength of each link in our chain so we can accomplish more.

 

But, there will always be a weakest link. No matter what the task at hand, some people will be less skilled than the others. Someone will not be able to tie a certain knot, or kindle a fire, or hike as fast, or recite as well as the others. At some point, each of you will be the weakest link - I guarantee it! Being the weakest link is not a shameful thing - it is an opportunity for improvement.

 

One of the best things about Scouting is that our "chain" is better than a simple metal chain. When we have a task to do, we are not really limited by our weakest link. The other stronger or more skilled or more experienced links support the weaker links. They help them, teach them, and guide them. As a result, we accomplish much more than if we each just did our specific task and left the rest.

 

Do your best not to be the weakest link - for yourself and your patrol and your troop. Learn skills, take on challenges, grow! But, be aware that around here, the weakest link one day might be the strongest the next - and the strongest may be the weakest.

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 When I served on the District Training team we loved to ask this question. We would get a whole array of answers from belonging to something, camping, learning, etc. Well if you ask me there is only ONE right answer and that is to have FUN! No boy joins Scouting to go to school......
 
 

Tune: Home on the Range Oh give me a home, where the dinosaurs roam, Where they eat grass and leaves every day.You don't have to complain, if your yard needs a trim, Or the bushes are in such disarray. Home, home of my friend,...
 
 

 Skit bout a Scout Leader who lost the “new kid”. I have not seen this one before but worth it for the giggles. It seems like the opening skit for summer camp where the introduce you to all the program areas at the camp.......
 
 

Did you have a special "teddy" in your life? Do you know how they came to be called Teddy bears? Awhile back I was watching a kids movie called "First Dog" and in that movie is a scene that tells the following "Teddy bear" story - but with slight errors. ......
 
 

At camp with the Boy Scouts They gave us a drink. We thought it was Kool--Aid, Because it was pink. But the thing that they told us Would've grossed out a moose, For that great tasting pink drink was really bug juice.   It......
 
 

PERSONNEL: Cubmaster, Webelos leader, 6 Webelos Scouts, Bobcat candidates EQUIPMENT: A drum SETTING: Cubmaster and Webelos leader at front of the room. CUBMASTER: Who goes there? WEBELOS: A boy seeking fun of Cub Scouting. CUBMASTER: Is he is wise in the w......
 
 

A brief article summarizing some suggestions for ensuring an enjoyable day teaching a child to fish. The outdoor sports rely heavily on one generation instilling the love of the sport into the next generation. This means that one generation ......
 
 

How TIRED? (Build up a loud HOW, with a soft TIRED and a stretch.)......
 
 

Staging:    House lights are dimmed. Ceremony board or log contains seven small candles and one tall candle representing the spirit of Cub Scouting.Cubmaster:  (lights candles) This last ......
 
 

Hello Everyone, Yes, it is ptsteve again!!!  Ever feel like you have just dived into the deep end again.  Don't worry you have, but we have your back.  Take advantage of the training and also don't be shy about asking others to step up and help.  You do......
 
 

Props: Boys holding lettered signs to spell G-E-N-I-U-S Cub #1: G Gutenberg invented moveable types of printing presses so that more people could have books to read. Cub #2: E Edison gave us the light bulb, the phonograph, storage batteries, and many other thin......
 
 

Cub Scouts, all during our meeting the candle representing the spirit of CubScouting has continued to burn. Now we'll blow it out, reminding ourselves that aflame must never be left burning when no one is around. But let us keep the lightof Cub Scouting burning in o......
 
 

LostBy David WagonerStand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside youAre not lost. Wherever you are is called Here, And you must treat it as a powerful stranger, Must ask permission to know it and be known.The forest breathes. Listen. It answers, I have made this......
 
 

Give me that old time religionGive me that old time religionGive me that old time religionThat's good enough for me!Lets pray to Aphrodite.   She's beautiful and spritelyShe wears a see thru nighty.   That's good enough f......
 
 

I just watched “759: Boy Scouts of Harlem” which is a great documentary Scout film by Jake Boritt and Justin Szlasa about a Boy Scout Troop 759. The film is 72 minutes long. I found the film reminding me......
 
 

 The old saying about things being hotter than noon on the Fourth of July is taking on new meaning this summer as much of the country swelters under miserable conditions. Of course, many Scout camps seem to be specifically sited to catch the most afternoon sun p......
 
 

1 lb Dried red beans 1/2 lb Salt pork 3 c Chopped onions 1 c Chopped fresh parsley 1 c Chopped green pepper 2 cl Garlic - pressed 1 tb Salt 1 ts Red pepper 1 ts Freshly ground black pepper 3 ds Tabasco sauce 1 tb Wo......
 
 

 Ever since I became an adult Scouter, tour permits have been required for certain troop outings-typically those beyond council borders, although local rules varied. I long ago lost count of the tour permit applications I filled out.  ...
 
 

A New Scouting Position: Nozzle Control Officer Okay, the BSA hasn't really created a new position, but maybe it should. We live in an information age, when all sorts of information......
 
 

Here is a very "special" thank you card given to a den leader who was "retiring" because of a new baby.  An actual candy bar was pasted onto the poster board where you see the word bolded in the letter below.......
 

 
Comics

Scouts orienteering

https://www.the-cartoonist.com/knots/

 

EDGE explanation

 

https://www.facebook.com/CoveyLogic/

Blog
 

[20TH YEAR OF HELPING SCOUTS, SCOUTERS, PARENTS] I’ve usually published a humorous “April Fool’s Day” issue, but I’m going to make an exception this year. Honestly, with all that’s been going on this past year—world pandemic and isolation, contested elections, “cancel culture, ” kids not attending classes and teachers not teaching, stuff at our southern border, mass shootings, and this morbid list goes on—I just can’t think of a way to be humorous without sarcasm or irony or being seen as “picking” on someone or some group of people, or being “mean” to someone else, or whatever. So, with ......
 
 

As a troop leader, it can be hard to know when to step back and when to step in as girls plan activities, make decisions, and navigate sticky situations. You…Read On!How Daisy Troops Can Be Girl-Led The post How Daisy Troops Can Be Girl-Led appeared first on Girl Scouts River Valleys Volunteers....
 
 


If your Webelos or Scouts BSA are working on first aid requirements, you can add in some fun by making a fake wound on a “victim” or two. The gross out factor is almost guaranteed to keep the Scouts more interested. You might need to practice making a wound beforehand to make it look right. But even if it isn’t perfect, they will still appreciate it. Make a Fake Wound Materials: Petroleum jelly Red food coloring cocoa powder toilet paper Directions Mix ......
 
 


TOM SWIFTY: “Give up! I have the ace of diamonds, clubs and spades, ” Tom said heartlessly....
 
 


When asked about his favorite memory in Scouting, Derek Porter, the national chief of the Order of the Arrow, recalled a two-week, 180-mile-plus trek at the Northern Tier high-adventure base. It was “tough, but rewarding.” “I think that sums up what we do in Scouting, ” Derek says. That would describe 2020 as well. This past year, Scouts faced the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, which cancelled outings and forced them to often stay at home. Yet, Scouts rose to the challenge and continued learning valuable life skills and serving their communities. Five Scouts, including Derek, shared how Scouts persevered in 2020 ......
 
 


Summer camp is a big Scouting step. It is a time for fun, growth, newfound freedom, responsibility and learning — for both Scouts and parents. The more knowledge you have on the front end, the more impactful this experience can be. Here are some tips and advice on how to get ready for summer camp. COVID-19 and camp The safety and health of campers and staff is always the highest priority at camp, and BSA camps have a long history of planning for and managing communicable diseases. Review your camp’s COVID-19 mitigation plan. Each camp’s plan is based ......
 
 


Need to help your kiddos build a Rube Goldberg Machine? Check out these simple ideas and tasks to help you get started on this super fun project....
 
 


From Massachusetts to California and Brazil to Beijing, Girl Scouts is proud to serve military families across our country and the world. Each day, we’re inspired by the sisterhood of military-connected girls and volunteers who live and breathe our Girl Scout Promise to serve our country and continue to make a difference (and have fun!) while doing it. That’s why this April, we’re proud to celebrate our military-based Girl Scouts who give so much to our Movement during the Month of the Military Child.  No matter where a family’s military service takes girls, Girl Scouts is at the ready with ......
 
 


Troop 24 Bradford hosted a food drive for our Charter Organization’s food pantry on Saturday March 27th. We had a good turn out from the scouts and very generous citizens dropped of much needed donations....
 
 


 It’s National Volunteer Month, and there’s no doubt that our amazing Girl Scout volunteers deserve a standing ovation. Yes, the Girl Scout experience may have looked a bit different last year, but from finding new ways to connect online to being in touch through phone calls and texting to coming up with safe ways to meet in person while following local guidelines, our troop leaders, cookie captains, and other volunteers have risen to the challenge and done their absolute best in trying times. For all they are and all they do, we hope you’ll join us in saying thank you. ......
 
 


Marianna from Pack 377 in Fort Meade, MD sent in these two songs which she made up to help teach her Wolves about square knots and overhand knots. She is an early childhood coach by day and a Den Leader by night so her den often learns with songs. These are great! Thanks for sharing Marianna! Square Knot Song to the tune of I’m a Little Teapot I can tie a square knotWatch and seeRight over left, it’s easyLeft over right, through the looppull it tight, what a sight! ......
 
 

[NO. 672 – 20TH YEAR OF HELPING SCOUTS, SCOUTERS, PARENTS] A while ago, I had the opportunity to chat informally with four highly successful high school principals, two of whom had also been award-winning football coaches of state- and regionally-titled teams. All had been Scouts. The highest rank among them was Life. As we were talking about Scouting, teens, high school, college, and careers, I asked, “When should ‘Eagle Scout’ come off a guy’s resume?” Their immediate, unanimous answer– NEVER! ==========Hi Andy, I liked your answer to the commissioner who found himself cut out of the new district alignment ......
 
 


Douglas McDonnell will complete his project on Mars.All Eagle Scout service projects are helpful, friendly and kind. Some are out of this world. Later this year,  Douglas McDonnell, a 16-year-old Life Scout in the Circle Ten Council, will become the first Scout to complete an Eagle Scout service project on another planet. The aspiring computer programmer, who hopes to one day work at NASA, will program the Mars rover Perseverance to prepare the red planet for future human visitors. “The first humans on Mars will be 140 million miles from home, ” Douglas says. “But we’re trying to make their ......
 
 


GAVIN: What’s the best season to jump on a trampoline?SAM: I don’t know.GAVIN: Spring time!...
 
 


NICHOLAS: What kind of blood vessel likes drawing?GEORGE: Which kind?NICHOLAS: An artery!...
 

 
News
 

The memorial was a project by 16-year-old Eagle Scout Michael Carlson and was presented to the town in a gifting ceremony last October. Carlson ......
 
 

LEETOWN — Toby Miller, a Boy Scout in Troop 23 in Inwood, recently completed his Eagle Scout project by planning and constructing an outdoor ......
 
 

An official committee representing sex-abuse victims said that because the Boy Scouts have been unable to come up with a viable settlement offer, victims themselves should be able to float a competing ......
 
 

HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) – Local girl scouts delivered nearly 10, 000 packages of Girl Scout cookies to Barnes Air National Guard and USO Pioneer Valley Friday morning. Through the Care Share project, ......
 
 

The Fort Calhoun Cub Scout Pack 114 held its annual pinewood derby March 21.  The 2020 Pinewood Derby was canceled due to COVID-19, so the Scouts were allowed to race their cars from last ......
 
 

Shrey Panicker is working towards his Eagle Scout rank. In order to earn it, he had to come up with a service project. He partnered with Backpack ......
 
 

In an email statement to CNN, a spokesperson for the Girl Scouts of America said the organization applauds “Lilly’s entrepreneurial efforts, awesome sales goal, and donations!” The Girl Scouts of ......
 
 

A new public bird blind at Berks Nature's Angelica Park is a window for observing birds. It was recently completed as an Eagle Scout project by Brendan Weber, 17, a Gov. Mifflin High School senior....
 
 

A Colorado Eagle Scout who wanted to honor military veterans has been nationally shamed by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation because his capstone project included a reference to Jesus Christ....
 
 

Apr. 2—KEESEVILLE — For his Eagle Scout project, Grant Weerts ultimately decided to return to his roots. The AuSable Valley High School junior created an enrichment program to instruct a group of ......
 
 

The Ford Foundation donated $500, 000 to the Girl Scouts to support the organization's recent push for racial justice and diversity within the scouts....
 
 

Next time you head to Otto Bruyns Northfield Public Library to check out some books, take the opportunity to check out the latest books that surround the library....
 
 

SALT LAKE CITY — Catcher McCardell, a 14-year-old Eagle Scout candidate, was on a family vacation last year observing a variety of license plates on the vehicles of other “road trippers.” One plate in ......
 
 

The Boy Scouts' New York chapter is hiring the nation's first openly gay Eagle Scout as a summer camp leader. The move comes despite the national organization's controversial stance on gay members....
 
 

SALT LAKE CITY — Catcher McCardell, a 14-year-old Eagle Scout candidate, was on a family vacation last year observing a variety of license plates ......
 
 

... N.J.—American Legion General Leonard E. Wood Post 162 in Hillsdale recently made a $1, 000 donation to the Eagle Scout project of Alex Saldana ......
 

 
Youtube
 


Looking for adventure? Check out Goshen's Lenhok'sin High Adventure or one of the High Adventure Committee's trips to a National High Adventure Base....
 
 


The 11th hiking essential that you never knew you needed. A revolutionary new Crazy Creek design now provides 4 times the seating capacity and brings your crew together like never before. Protected from cold, hard and wet surfaces, you and three friends can experience the magic of the backcountry with unrivaled comfort. Not available for purchase on April 1 only at: https://store.philmontscoutranch.org/philmont-crazy-couch/...
 
 


Girl Scouts of the USA hosts a session at the 65th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) on girls political and civic leadership. How do girls feel about their role as leaders and decision-making in political and civic spaces? Listen to this discussion on GSUSA’s new research, “A new decade of leadership” and then hear from girls around the world on their experiences and challenges leading in civic and political spaces. Each year, GSUSA and WAGGGS join over 5, 000 women and girls from around the world at the United Nations headquarters in ......
 
 


This collection was a home run. Two giant boxes filled with patches, neckerchiefs, and all manner of Scouting memorabilia going back over 40+ years. The Scouter that I purchased this collection from lives in Nebraska now but did a lot of his Scouting In New Jersey. He also attended some Jamborees and did a lot of trading. I was blown away by the amount of stuff that was sealed up in trash bags to keep it protected. If you enjoyed this unboxing click on the link for my playlist that has over 2-dozen ......
 
 


Welcome to Scouts Live! A show to have fun, learn skills, meet Scouts from around the world, and catch up with the most recent Scout news. scout.org/live...
 
 


For going on 25 years I have been toying with a collection of Order of the Arrow flaps. Since the 1997 National Scout Jamboree I've been keeping a list and trying to add new pieces. But in the last 6 months I've gotten much more serious and made a lot of progress developing a master spreadsheet tracking every lodge that ever issued a flap. In January a real breakthrough came as I purchased a massive 1500+ piece OA collection that was 45 years old. In this video I go through the progress I've ......
 
 


Camp staff discuss program options, for both troops and individuals, at Goshen's Camps Bowman, Marriott, and Olmsted; Goshen's Provisional Camp program; Snyder's new Specialty Week; and Camp Catoctin BSA....
 

 
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Practice Fire Safety With Fire Dog Coloring Pages : Kids Play Color...
 
 

 

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Fire Prevention Word Search, Crossword Puzzle and More...
 
 


Fire Safety coloring page for kids...
 
 

 

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50 Fun Games and Activities to Try at Your Virtual Troop Meetings. Try some of these ideas for your next virtual troop meeting with your girls. Some are great for adding more, while others can be full meeting ideas....
 
 

 

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Jobs
 

This includes recruiting and enrolling girl members to participate in our Girl Scout Leadership Experience as well as recruiting and enrolling adult volunteers…From Girl Scouts of Northern Indiana-Michiana - Wed, 31 Mar 2021 23:50:47 GMT - View all Fort Wayne, IN jobs...
 
 

Build long-lasting relationships between Girl Scouts and our donor base. A commitment and passion for the Girl Scout mission and an ability to effectively…From Girl Scouts of Northern Indiana-Michiana - Mon, 29 Mar 2021 23:50:50 GMT - View all Fort Wayne, IN jobs...
 
 

Prep Girls Hoops has over 100 writers in 30 states and produces 1, 000 + articles a month on high school and grassroots girls basketball. Give you what you need.From Prep Network - Fri, 26 Mar 2021 23:32:55 GMT - View all Portland, OR jobs...
 
 

He/she will provide content writing, updates and maintenance schedules for the website, social media platforms and e-newsletters using the Girl Scout brand…From Girl Scouts of Northern Indiana-Michiana - Mon, 29 Mar 2021 23:50:50 GMT - View all Fort Wayne, IN jobs...
 
 

Practice the Girl Scout Promise and Law with an inclusive attitude and a willingness to problem-solve. Girls Scouts of Eastern Washington Northern Idaho is… $90 a dayFrom Associated Industries - Tue, 30 Mar 2021 12:58:21 GMT - View all Spokane, WA jobs...
 

 

 

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