Newsletter - 2003 - January

InsaneScouter News

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What's New at http://insanescouter.com

I am proud to announce many of the new features and content now available at InsaneScouter. Below you will find a list of what these updates are and where to find them.

• Recipes and Cooking Resources
• Lone Scout Counselor Guide Book
• Prayers
• Cub Scout Den Doodles
• Leading Songs
• Strike Up The Band - Word Scramble

If you would like to help in any way with the InsaneScouter website, please contact us at webmaster@insanescouter.org

Scout Hobbies

Music Program Ideas

1. This is a good time to allow your Scouts with musical talent to play/lead/sing an opening song, perhaps a patriotic one that will naturally lead to the Pledge of Allegiance.

2. Have someone beat a drum as the flags are carried forward.

3. Ask a trumpet/cornet player to play “Taps” for a closing; perhaps invite a Boy Scout to your meeting to who has this talent.

4. Song Stumpers - One player sings the first line of any familiar song. The others try to complete the verse. The one who is successful becomes the new leader. If no one can do it, the first boy completes the first and begins another.

5. Dutch Band - The leader assigns a musical instrument to each player, including him-/herself, and names a popular tune. The leader starts to “play” his/her imaginary instrument, making the proper sounds and gestures, and all others join in with their instruments. At any time, the leader may switch to the instrument of another player. That player must immediately switch to the leader’s former instrument. Make rapid changes.

6. Discuss the meaning of the terms of musical instruments and orchestra.

7. Ask the Scouts to name some instruments in an orchestra.

8. Explain the sections of an orchestra (strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion) and the instruments in each section. Share information.

9. Play a recording of instruments in an orchestra to let the Scouts hear the different sounds of the instruments.

10. Divide the Scouts into groups according to the sections of an orchestra. Tell the Scouts that each one will draw pictures of the instruments in its section.

11. Distribute construction or drawing paper and drawing materials.

12. Have each Scout draw pictures of the instruments in his section and tell one or two sentences about each instrument.

13. When the Scouts are finished, discuss the meaning of the word chapters (in a book).

14. Have the Scouts arrange chapters of their book according to the sections of the orchestra.

15. Have the Scouts give their book a title and design a cover for their book.

16. Punch holes in the pages and use paper fasteners to create the book, or use a report cover.

Music Crafts

Large Bell Shakers

Materials:

Plastic milk jug with a handle (different sizes)
Jingle bells
Wooden or plastic beads
Stickers
Glue/heavy tape

Put some bells and beads into the jug. Decorate with stickers. Glue or tape lid on, to allow for enthusiastic play. Sing and shake to your favorite tune.

Drum

Materials:
Empty oatmeal box with cover
Yarn
Pen
2 pencils
2 spools
Construction paper
Crayons

Before beginning, you can decorate the oatmeal box with construction paper and/or crayons for a colorful effect. Place the cover on the box. Use a pen to make a hole in the center of the cover and in the center of the bottom of the box. Through these holes, pull a piece of yarn long enough to hang around the scout’s neck and down to his waist. For the drumsticks, place the spools at the ends of the pencils, secure with glue, if necessary.

Chimes

Materials:
Ruler or stick
Washers
Nail polish
String
Mixing spoon

Hang washers from the ruler or stick with pieces of string by wrapping the string around the ruler or stick and securing. Strike the washers with the mixing spoon to play.

You can make this craft colorful by painting the washers first with different color nail polish, such as red, gold, glittery, etc. Parents should supervise this part of the activity closely.

Horn

Materials:
Paper towel roll
Waxed paper
Rubber band
Pen

Cover one end of the paper towel roll with waxed paper; secure it with a rubber band. Punch a row of holes along one side of the roll with the tip of a pen. To play, sing a tune into the open end of the horn.

Cymbals

Materials:
Two matching pot covers
Yarn or ribbon

Tie the ribbon or yarn around
the handles of the pot covers.
To play, strike together.

Xylophone

Materials:
Tall glasses or jars
Water
Mixing spoon

Fill the glasses or jars with different amounts of water. The more water in the glass, the lower the pitch will be. Having less water in the glass or jar will raise the pitch.

To play, gently strike the glasses with a mixing spoon.

Note: this instrument should probably be played by the older scouts in the “band” because of the use of glass.

Comb Buzzer

Materials:
Pocket comb
Tissue paper

Fold a piece of tissue paper over the tooth edge of a comb.
To play, hum through the tissue paper.

Guitar

Materials:
Empty shoe box
Rubber bands
Ruler or stick

Remove the cover from the box. Stretch the rubber bands around the length of the box. Attach the ruler or stick to the back of the box on one end to act as the arm of the guitar.

To play, strum or pluck the rubber bands.

Hand Bells

Materials:
2 paper towel rolls
Hole punch
4 jingle bells
String or yarn

Punch a hole in each end of the paper towel rolls. Tie two jungle bells to each side of the paper towel rolls by running string or yarn through the holes and carefully tying off. Shake to play.

Improvisational Ice Cream

1 gallon-size resealable plastic bag
¼ teaspoon vanilla
8 cups ice
Clean, dry pint-size plastic container
1/3 cup rock salt
½ cup add-ins (candy, nuts, cereal, cookies,
1 quart-size resealable plastic bag
marshmallows, chocolate chunks, jam,
1 cup whole milk or half-and-half
graham cracker crumbs, peanut butter,
3 tablespoons sugar
whatever you like—be creative!)

Fill larger plastic bag with ice. Add rock salt.

Fill smaller plastic bag with milk or half & half, sugar and vanilla. Seal well.

Place the smaller plastic bag inside the larger plastic bag. Seal well. Shake until the mixture turns into ice cream (about 5 minutes).

Transfer your ice cream to your container and stir in your add-ins. Store in freezer until you’re ready to eat it. Makes about 2 cups.

Webelos - Fitness / Readyman

TEST YOUR HEARTBEAT

Did you know that you can’t actually hear a heartbeat? The heartbeat itself is just a contraction of muscle and is perfectly quiet. What you can hear is the sound of heart valves snapping shut. Here’s how to test your heartbeat: Press the first two fingers of one hand over the radial artery in the opposite wrist. The radial artery is located under the depression just below the base of your wrist. Sit very quietly and move your fingers until you can feel the pulse of your blood. Using a watch or clock with a second hand, count the number of beats in 10 seconds. Multiply by 6. Now you know the number of beats  per minute. Run, exercise, or jump rope for 10 minutes. Take your pulse again to see how much faster your heart is pumping.

MAGIC CIRCLE

Preparation: at least three people, roughly the same size Can you and all your friends all sit down without touching the ground and without using a single chair? Everybody stands in a circle facing the same way with his or her hands on the next person’s waist. Now, everybody bends their knees until they are sitting on the knees of the person behind them. Lead your entire pack in this activity at the next pack meeting. What is the largest Magic Circle you can make? All the workers at a Japanese car factory formed the world’s largest Magic Circle of 10,323 people!

SMELL TEST

Everyone knows what a taste test is, but have you ever had a smell test? One way to cook healthier meals is to replace some ingredients like salt or fats, which are used primarily as taste enhancements, with healthier alternatives. Herbs and spices have strong and distinctive smells as well as flavors. Many of the smells can be associated with favorite or special food memories from even very early childhood, like mom’s apple pie or grandma’s cookies. This introduction to herbs and spices will come in handy in a year or two when your Webelos will be responsible for cooking their own meals in Boy Scouting. It also provides a meeting full of surprising discoveries.

Before the meeting, gather a number of herbs and spices. Try to have a few examples of an herb in both dry and fresh forms. Also, look for prepared food items in your kitchen that have the distinctive aroma of one or two of the items you have gathered. During the meeting, have the boys sniff the herbs and spices (one at a time) and try to think of a food that often smells the same. Have them sniff a dried herb, than crush or break off a fresh piece of the same herb so they can see the difference in the strength of the aroma and taste. Finally, open a container of a prepared food and see if they are able to identify which herb or spice gives the food a distinctive flavor.

FIREMAN’S DRAG RELAY

Preparation: neckerchiefs; participants divided into 2 teams Two teams – half the members of each team are firemen, the other half are victims and are laying on their backs. On signal, the first fireman runs up to his victim, ties his wrists together with a neckerchief, and pulls him back to the starting line with the fireman’s drag. He touches off the next fireman, who then rescues his victim. First team to bring in all their victims wins.

Venturing - Bronze Award - Arts and Hobbies

1. Visit a drafting company that uses state-of-the-art CAD systems and see how the new technology is used.

2.
(a) Choose a product that you are familiar with. Create an advertising plan for this product, then design an advertising plan layout.
(b) Using your resources, create a clean, attractive tabletop display highlighting your advertising plan for your chosen product.
(c) Show your display at your crew meeting or other public places.

3.
(a) Learn about backstage support for artistic productions. (b) Attend a theater production. Then critique the work of the artist in set design, decoration, and costume design.

4.
(a) Choose a new hobby such as CD, sports card, or stamp collecting; in-line skating; or marksmanship.
(b) Keep a log for at least 90 days of each time you participate in your hobby.
(c) Take pictures and/or keep other memorabilia related to your hobby.
(d) After participating in your new hobby for at least 90 days, make a presentation or tabletop display on what you have learned for your crew, another crew, a Cub Scout or Boy Scout group, or another youth group.

5.
(a) Tour a golf course. Talk to the golf pro, caddy, groundskeeper, manager, or other golf course employee about what it takes to operate a golf course. Play at least nine holes of golf.
(b) Tour a golf driving range. Talk to the manager or other driving range employee about what it takes to manage a driving range. Hit a bucket of balls.

6.
(a) Develop a plan to assess the physical skill level of each member of a group such as your crew, a Cub Scout or Boy Scout group, a retirement home, or a church group.
(b) Once you have determined your starting point or base, develop a plan with each member of your group to develop a physical training improvement program.
(c) Test your group members on a regular basis over a 90-day period to see if there is an improvement. (d) Share your results with the group and/or your crew.

7.
(a) Lead or participate in a crew discussion on the merits of a young person choosing a sports hobby such as golf, jogging, or cycling for a lifetime. Discuss health benefits, opportunities to associate with friends, costs, etc.
(b) Ask an adult who is not active in your crew and who has an active sports hobby to join your discussion to get his or her point of view.

8. Visit a hobby store. Talk with the manager about what the most popular hobby is relative to what is purchased and the type and age of people who participate in different hobbies. If they have free literature about beginning hobbies, share it with your crew members.

9. Teach disadvantaged or disabled people a sport and organize suitable competitions, or help them develop an appreciation for an art or hobby new to them.

10. Organize a hobby meet ( a place where people can gather to display and share information about their hobbies) for your crew, another crew, a church group, a Cub Scout or Boy Scout group, a retirement home, a group home, or another group.

11. Organize a photography contest in your crew, another crew, a church group, a Cub Scout or Boy Scout group, a retirement home, a group home, or another group. Secure prizes and judges. Plan an awards program.

12. Using your artistic ability, volunteer to do the artwork for an activity for your crew, another crew, a Cub Scout or Boy Scout group, a district, or a council. Example: Do the posters and promotional materials for a district Cub Scout day camp.

(Activities or projects that are more available in your area may be substituted with your Advisor's approval for activities shown above.)

Opening Ceremony - Music

Materials needed:
10 music notes, each with a letter that spells out “Do Your Best.” The part to be read can be written on the back of each one.

D Drumming up courage
O Offering to help others

Y You are making music
O One way or another.
U Under the guidance of Akela
R Ready to sing and dance

B Being willing to act a little silly
E Every Scout will have the chance.
S Strumming, tooting, rocking & rolling,
T That’s what this month is all about.

InsaneScouter Moment - He's No Ordinary Boy

When a Scout becomes an Eagle Scout he's still a boy. Only a little more than a million Scouts have ever advanced to Scoutings highest rank. Some 1. 5% of the more than 40 million Scouts who have started out on the Eagle trail since the beginning of Scouting in America 79 years ago completed the trip. The Eagle has tramped a long, rugged and rewarding trail. No two Eagle Scouts are exactly alike, yet all are fundamentally alike. By noting some of these fundamentals, an insight might be glimpsed of what an Eagle Scout is. The final result is the uses the boy makes of them as he grows into manhood.

He has learned that reverence to God comes before all other things. He knows that respect for the rights and convictions of others is part of his duty to God and his fellow man. He demonstrates the true meaning of loyalty, although he may not be able to define it. He has learned discipline and teamwork and how to apply them in his daily living.

He has developed his own code of honor based on the ideals of Scouting. He has learned that physical bravery may require less courage than standing up for one's convictions. He has perseverance and determination: He must have if he is to attain Eagle rank.

He has the knowledge that nature gives to those who seek it. He has Scouting skills that will be invaluable to him all his life. He presents a cheerful outlook on life even in the face of hardships and disappointments. He has more than a vague idea of what duty to his country is: he knows it starts with a duty to God, his family and himself.

He eagerly seeks the underlying peace offered by God through his wilderness and wildlife. He's a qualified junior leader. He realizes his obligation to the movement that gives him the opportunity to gain and develop those attributes of character.

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