Anyone Involved in Scouting out there?

[Andrea's Mom]

I've been a Girl Scout Leader for 13 years - Daisies through Seniors. My favorite moment - when 2 tiny first grade Brownies were fighting over who got to wash the pots in COLD water after dinner at camp.

Some of my Girl Scouts have also been FIRST volunteers for at the Duel on the Delaware and MOE sponsored FLL and JFLL events.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Jevin H

And I didn't see it mentioned but is anyone else in the O.A.?

Ordeal, Lakota chapter, Siwinis lodge.

I too was in Cub Scouts--for one year (Wolf) before we ran out of leaders. Got back in as a Scout.

[cooker52]

Funny story.

I had a neighbor trying for years to get me to join Cub Scouts. I rejected him every time.
Then one year, my brother was going to the orientation. I got in trouble and couldn't stay home. It was either go with my dad and brother, or with my mom and my sister. That night, I got a better sight at what they did. This is about 5th grade. I technically joined, but before I went to start there, we decided to put me right into the Boy Scouts. Why not, I met all of the requirements. Plus, if I didnt', I would have had a lot to catch up on in Weblos 2.
That's the story of how I got into scouting. It's one of my mom's favorite stories to tell. My mom also made sure to tell it at my Eagle Ceremony. Lol

[Cynette]

Last weekend was my final GS Camporee as the mother / adult leader of a Senior GS. Other than the fact that it dropped into the low 30's the second night it was a blast! Our troop had 16 girls attend and the girls ran 4 events: an obstacle course for older girls, a paleontology talk - dinosaur dig for younger girls, an evening campfire and a USA Flag Burning Ceremony. Much to the adult leaders' chagrin, they voted to stay in tents rather than in cabins, so also put up and took down 7 tents and a dining fly. The campfire was my personal highlight - they found songs to sing that in all my years I never heard - but all of the girls knew. And with s'mores and banana boats the evening was a great hit!

[cooker52]

Is there any other way to camp besides tents?
Wow, sounds like a blast! My mom and sister are getting very active in GS and I hope that my sister goes through it all. She seems to have the enthusiasm, for now. I truly hope she keeps it.

Update on our Eagle Scout stuff. Just yesterday, we got about half of a big Eagle Project done mulching a mile long trail. and before that, over half of us went mountain biking. This next weekend, we are working on another Eagle Project.

[Graham Donaldson]

Just a question for all those active in Boy Scouts: Have you ever attended/served on staff at your council's NYLT/JLTC/(other leadership course), and what did you think of it? What did you like, not like, etc... (basically, a Start-Stop-Continue). Are there any out there that are going to be attending?

The reason I ask is I'm going to be serving on staff at Northern New Jersey's NYLT course this summer as a Troop Guide, and wanted to know from others who have taken the course(s) if they had any ideas they could share to help me improve our course.

Just out of curiosity...

[chessking132]

I did not like the program the patriotspath concil did. i thought that it was comensence leader ship. Most of the day we played littel games that had no prupose other than playing a game. when we were not playing a game we were siting in a dinning hall and they tought us things i already now. I allso found that the staff that worked their were rud and not very nollegeable of leadership.

the program has a gratepotenshil but it has to be exacuted right. like in robotics trane a traner teach them what they dont know like how to teach to a large group. also teach them ways of geting a job done with out giveing boosy orders. if you teach them those things you will do a much beter job thant when i went through.

Matthew Simpson
Eagle Scout troop 1776

[chessking132]

Is anny one going up to Resica Falls this summer. I am a pool consulor there and i would love to talk to other pepole that go to resica.

[cooker52]

No, I have no time, otherwise, I would try. This year, we are going to Glacier, just before school starts It is going to be fun!!! Right now, we are trying to find out which is cheaper per person, driving or the train. Right now, we know that the train is about $400 per person, round trip.

[EricH]

Anyone who is going out to the Sierra Nevada, Log Cabin Wilderness Camp (L.A. Area Council) is on the eastern side. I'll be working there all summer.

[cooker52]

So many things I wish I could do this summer. But I can't can only chose a few things.

Congrats, Eric, on your Eagle Rank!

[cooker52]

Just came home from scout camp. It was incredible. We ran it on our own, and cost half the price of a normal scout camp. Plus, we did water skiing . Every morning, we had a patrol challenge. Wether it tested basic scout skills, or taught you some new ones (like tree climbing. It's just like climbing a rope, only you have a rope attached to your waste and another one hanging down so you can put your foot in it. Both of those are on the main rope that feeds into the belay device). I got 5 new merit badges, including the motor boating and water sports merit badges. Plus, we did the mile swim while we were there.

Everyday, each patrol was graded on their campsite. We had to go out and find a place to place our site (We were in a camp with platforms for big 12 person tents that didn't have the tents on them at the time. Lucky us!) and were graded on cleanliness, gateway, campfire, ax yard, etc. including bribery (our leaders loved our cheesecake we made for them ) We finally made a draw bridge for a gateway. I don't know how long we have talked about making one for the troop. For rope, we used twine. I found a bucket with a big roll of it in there and we went crazy with it. It was so much fun!

[ErikSR71]

I've been in boy scouts for almost five years now, and I'm the SPL of my troop. We just got a ton of new scouts who bridged over, and we have two months to train them for camporee. My troop takes camporee very seriously, and has won best troop overall two years running, so we are putting together an intense, sped up program to teach the new boys the skills they need for their events.

I also have a question. My district's camporee this year has a ridiculus event called the pancake toss, and I was wondering if any other districts were having to do that as well.

[merybar]

Originally Posted by EricH

Ordeal, Lakota chapter, Siwinis lodge.

I too was in Cub Scouts--for one year (Wolf) before we ran out of leaders. Got back in as a Scout.

I have been in boy scouts for 11 years. Currently have my eagle and one of the main things that has kept me in it is the Order of the Arrow. currently the secretary. I am a vigil honor member. Its a wicked awesome organization!!!!!!

Venture Crews are great as well.

[merybar]

Something very awesome was the 2005 national jamboree!!!!!
Everybody invloved would say that!!!
YIS - To all you scouters!