2013 Arrow of Light Scouts

Over the weekend, the Tree Scouts of Pack 221 in the Pioneer District of the Cascade Pacific Council celebrated with an Arrow of Light Ceremony and Crossover at Magness Tree Farm.  The Webelos II, called Tree Scouts  in 2011 came to Magness Tree Farm to complete the Forester Webelos Activity Pin.  It was one of the more memorable outings taken during their time a Scouts.

Due to the liquid sunshine, the outdoor Campfire Ceremony planned was shelved for a more drier atmosphere and was held inside the Learning Center.

There were 11 Webelos II who were in the Den at the beginning of the year.    The Pioneer Order of the Arrow Chapter of Wauna La-Mon’tay Lodge helped the Webelos II crossover.   This will be the third time in my five years the Order of the Arrow has helped Pack 221 with Crossover.  Each time is very moving and memorable.  This time, one of the former Scouts from Pack 221, now in Troop 41 helped.

Of the 11 Scouts, only 10 were present for the ceremony.  Six Webelos II crossed over to Troop 150 and two crossed to Troop 432.  Three Scouts were undecided at the time of Crossover, but were still visiting Troops.

All received their Career Arrows from the OA Ceremony Team who handed them to their parents and then to the Boys.

As the now Boy Scouts spent their first night as Boy Scouts at Magness Tree Farm, many of the Dads and families stayed the night as well.   Many of the Dads had spent not only many days with the Scouts during the Outings.  But also spent many vacation days at Scout Camp.  The night was filled of stories of all the fun things that we did during that time.  It ranged from the 107 degree Tiger Day Camp week to the Horse Trek weekend at Gilbert Ranch and the most recent Summer camp at Adventure Cove.  There were many high &  low points remembered fondly.

I am proud of these boys.  Seven of these boys started at Tigers.  We had several boys who became our friend, but went on their own Journey.  Four have stayed and we continued on as a Den.  Even though many did not finish with us,  I remember all of them.

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Memories

I have just put up a cork board with a lot of my patches from Scouting thus far.  All of these patches were either given to me by #Scoutnation (a group of Scouters world-wide), earned through trainings or a process.  Some of the patches especially the Council Shoulder Patches were picked up within the Council they are from while visiting them through my business travel for work.

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Operator Rating Strip

  I follow K2BSA on twitter and via his blog.  I am also a Ham Radio Operator.  My call sign is K7RUB.  I have written about Ham Radio before on this blog, but was very happy to see K2BSA’s tweet/blog about a recent update to the BSA Program.

“The National Radio Scouting Committee is pleased to announce that the BSA Awards and Insignia Committee has approved the Amateur Radio Operator Rating Strip for wear on youth and adult leader uniforms. This rating strip recognizes the member’s availability as an amateur radio operator for communication services for events and activities as well as emergencies.”

You can read his blog here for more details.  K2BSA is the official Ham Radio call sign.  Several BSA Volunteers travel to many National events like Jamboree to broadcast.  Learn more about Scouting and Ham Radio.

I would highly suggest anyone either in or out of the Scouting program to get their Ham Radio license.  It’s fun and it’s always good to Be Prepared.  The American Radio Relay League has more information and has been around since 1914.

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#Scoutcircle STEM Hangout

I was not able to attend the full showing of the first Google+ Hangout of Scoutcircle.  I had a Pack Committee Meeting.  However, here is the video of the hangout.  Please bookmark the Scoutcircle.org website and check them out on Google+ for upcoming shows!

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Voice of the Scout

The Voice of the Scout has been out for a while, and I am just now getting to read it. The summary is here. Not sure how that happened.   In reading these, specifically the summary, I agree with a lot of it.

As it relates to the Scout Unit directly you see this:

“• Youth/Scouts overwhelmingly enjoy their experience, citing it is fun, life skills
learned are very valuable and activities are of interest. However, the way in
which the program is delivered is not consistently hitting the mark. The two
themes are meetings are boring and unit leadership is not strong. More great
outdoor activities is a strong request by a majority of respondents.

• Parents echo their sons’ sentiments: Scouting is a critical part of developing
character, but the meetings are not always a good use of time. Parents’
number one area for improvement is better trained adult leaders.

As part of the Cubscout Program you see this: “Needs Improvement: It’s Too Boring: There are numerous negative comments (boring, not fun) scattered throughout the Cub Scout responses in the context of meetings, gatherings, and experience. In the case of Detractor experiences, about 90 percent of those who commented were negative, specifically citing boring and not fun.”

For Training of Adult Leaders: “Training – more opportunities, relevant and improved – was suggested by the Volunteer segments.”

So, what can you and I do to help turn the tide?   For me, there are two things.

First, get more involved if you can.  I am not saying become the Cubmaster, Scoutmaster, Coach, Advisor or Skipper or some big position leader.  If you are a subject matter expert (SMB) then offer your support there.   For the most part the Cub Scout program is the only Adult led program.   The rest of the programs are supposed to be youth-led.

Two points about any of the programs.  Listen to the youth.  We adults are there for them, not us!  If your in Scouting for yourself, you will fail.  When I went through Wood Badge in 2009, a comment that heard and understood was “Ask them what they want.”  It’s their program, they just do not know what or how to do stuff. As Adult Leaders we are charged with providing the program, helping them advance and learn as they do.

All other program we are there to using “guided discovery”.   This is their time to fail and learn.  Failure is generally not an option, but that’s in a life or death situation.  Within Scouting, we learn what not to do the next time.  Which, maybe part of the “waste of time”  or “boring” comments.  People get frustrated if they do not see around the issue.  But, this is the second point. We are using guided discovery with the Scouts to help them find what worked and what failed.  It is the same we would hopefully do within a Lean Six Sigma Master Blackbelt project at work.

Training and Improvement of Leaders.

The Scouters who are in the program, working with the Scouts need to understand what they are providing.  An Eagle Scout is really only as good as where he comes from.  Yes, a Troop and/or a Scouter can severely hamper the advancement of the Scout.  It is also true with those within the Cub Scout level.  The Cub Scout Leaders put on the program.  Den Leaders have a lot more interaction with a Cub Scout than a Cubmaster.  That being the case, each Adult Leader needs to avail themselves to good quality training.

Online training is good for just the basic’s.  IE: If your Cardiologist got a C in Medical School, you might look elsewhere.  You want the person who has the A or very close to it.  That’s online training.   Seek out good face to face training within the District or Council.  You do not have Tigers Scouts using a video to learn how to do a leaf rubbing?  No, you get construction paper, crayons and go for a hike in the neighborhood park to find them.  You look for different leaves.  You talk about each tree and what’s special about it.

Hence, the face to face training, even if it’s “Leader Specific Training” will have more information about that position than you will get from online.

Continued Training: Go to the University of Scouting/Pow-wow/Program & Training Conferences.  Go to the Commissioner Colleges and BALOO, OWLS & IOLS.  Take First Aid, CPR & AED.  Take Wilderness First Aid, even if you’re not going to Philmont.   Take classes on sewing, Geocaching, snowshoeing, cooking classes and other things that have nothing to do with Scouting. Heck, go to the Apple Store and learn iPhone, iMovie and how to create a database.  You can use these within the Scout Unit.  Being well-rounded within Scouting will serve you and the Scout Unit well.  It is what we talk about to the Scouts in what Beltloop/Merit Badge to take/learn.  We need to do the same.

Taking what you know and applying it to the Scout Unit will only enhance the fun that everyone has.

Here’s the but: The District/Council needs to give people who are very knowledgeable about the subject they teach.  Boring presentations will stop people from coming to a training.  You will get people looking outside the District and Council for training.  I know….I was and am that person.  I took on the Training Chair position one and half years ago so I can help make a difference.

Do your best, make the program, unit and position you’re in the best you can.  Encourage others to do the same.  If we do this together, we can turn this next Voice of the Scout in with better results.

If you have not participated within the Voice of the Scout, check with your Unit Commissioner and/or your District Exec to make sure the email address that is in Scoutnet, is the correct one.  Mine wasn’t and I got it changed!

Yours in Scouting.

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Cascade Pacific Program & Training 2012

  November 3rd 2012 was the Cascade Pacific Council’s annual Training Conference.  We call it Program & Training Conference.   I started going to this in 2009.  I should have in 2008, but I did not what know what it was or why I should go.  I went in 2009 as part of my Wood Badge Ticket, taught in 2010 and 2011.  Each year I learn something new.  This year was no different.

I taught alongside, again, with Jerry Schleining a fellow Beaver for the Social Media class.  Having us two in the same room together, is dangerous.  We giggle too much.  Even when Old Yeller gets shot.. (inside joke).  Here are the slides for the class. PTC CPCBSA Social Media Class 2012.  Our basic theme was, tell your Journey of Scouting using the Scout Oath & Law.

I also took the Advanced Autism class that was hosted by John and Karen Krejcha of Scouting & Autism Group.  They also run the Autism Empowerment Non-Profit Group out of Vancouver, WA.   John and Karen were awesome.  I still have to go through my notebook that they handed out and read it all.  I learned several things.  Stimming is what people do on the spectrum to help comfort themselves.  I never knew that name.  But I knew what “Have a Fidget” was.  Just knowing or having been told that in public made me remember what Elliot does and what it annoys me to no end.

The second and more powerful thing was “Get into THEIR World!”  I just do not do that with Elliot enough.  I try to spend time with him and his sister, but I am not sure if I “Get into THEIR World!”

I told John later, that I would have liked to have heard more about Advancement within Scouting.  He said he is working on that.  What I did hear, is that there is a ISAP (just like an IEP) for Scouting.  Tony Mei from the BSA National Office who is on the Special Needs Committee was also there.  He had good insight on a few items and I did get to met him.  Incredibly great guy.

  I also got to hear Mike Walton speak.  Yes, he came from Tennessee via Phoenix to drink our coffee and experience the rain.  He is but one of several volunteer Scouter’s who is behind the US Scouting Service Project.  The great thing about having OUTSIDE Guest Speakers at a local Council Event is seeing what others think about Scouting.  We as Scouter’s can become so isolated within our own Scout Unit, District & Council that we forget that SCOUTING IS WORLD WIDE!  We are not alone.

While I sat in the class and learned more about what the BSA is doing, I was able to continue the conversation at the Staff Dinner and even long into the night with him and a fellow Beaver.   I learned a lot about Scouting.

Finally, I took a Board of Review Class from a fellow Pioneer District Scouter.  She taught the  Merit Badge Counselor class at our District Training event last weekend.   Since I am crossing over with Elliot in March 2013, I know I will want to give to the Troop.  So, I took this class.  I have taken the “How to Chair an Eagle Board class” but this gets into the Troop versions.  A lot of it is very similar, but wow, Troops do things very differently.  Misconceptions are rampant.  We had a conversation the other day at the Scout Shop and I confirmed that I want this class coupled with the MBC Class to be taught at our Training Days!

The other great thing that happened was I got to see a Scouter who would have stayed in the Pack, but due to school boundaries his son had to go to another school.  He was there taking a lot of classes on how to run a basic Pack/Den Meetings and to hold ceremonies!  I was very happy to see him.  Since I was talking to Matt Devore, I introduced each other and to  a fellow a Beaver.  I was excited to see him there.  His son is doing great in the Den & Pack as well.

Overall, a successful Saturday!

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Cubmaster Hike & JOTA

October 20th (today) was another Cubmaster Hike.  It was slated for Powell Butte in Portland, Oregon.  These hikes are geared to get people out of the house, on the trail and in a place they have never been.   All of that was accomplished.  We had one Wolf, two Bears and two Webelos II.  Along with a total of six parents.

I had promised the Scouts that we would hike on a Volcano and see many others.  Of which, I did.  The only bad part was it rained and was very cloudy.  As we got to the park, the entrance was closed due to construction, so that delayed people.  But we enjoyed about a 5-7 minute downpour as we did.  If it’s not raining on a Scout outing, then it’s not an Outing.

This hike was geared to satisfy the Hike Beltloop, parts of Leave No Trace and rank requirements.  All of which we did.  we talked about being ready as one Scout didn’t bring a jacket.  I lent him one that I had in my backpack.  I talked about what to bring on a hike and the basic’s of Leave No Trace as it pertains to the Cubscout Front Country LNT.

While we did not promptly got lost, we took a wrong turn that took us into the construction site.  After a 10 min backtracking, we got on the right trail and made our way up the volcano.  We talked about erosion a lot because of the construction, but also the small river of water on the trail.  Also about why they are planting so many trees around the area.  I talked about how we do a Tree Plant in the spring and what it does.   During the hike, I kept asking why the river of water is doing this, why we plant trees, what would happen if, and so on.  The Scouts were very responsive and had good comments and ideas.

It had been awhile since I had last been to the top, but when we did, I realized the area we were going to had been vandalized.  There was supposed to be a set of logs in the ground that pointed to all the peaks and Mts.  Most were there, but  many signs were not.  So we had to point the Mountains out. (I am thinking of an Eagle Project for this site is in order!)

With most of the Hiking complete and the basic’s of LNT done as well, I turned to Jamboree on the Air.  This weekend is the 55th JOTA.  I had started out on the hike talking about it and showed one of my Ham Radio’s to the Scouts.  I explained what it was and that this was way before any iPhone/Android or any smartphone.  We talked about communication and how you would use it.

So, I pulled out my Yeasu 817 HF Rig and tuned it to the 20m Frequency and started to listen.   I did explain the ins and outs of what it takes to be a Ham Radio Operator, my radio name (K7RUB) and how to talk.  We listened and heard Scouts from Morro Bay, CA , Utah and also somewhere in Oregon.  We were not able to make a connection since no one heard us.  But, we listened for 20 minutes to everyone talk.

The Scouts had a good time in trying to communicate, and did find it fun to hear Scouts trying to talk to others.  It was their first time with Ham Radio.  Which, for me is a great accomplishment since I have tried to incorporate Ham Radio into the Pack and do JOTA.  I have used my Ham Radio a couple of time within the Tigers Den.  But that was using 2m/70cm and Repeaters.  This was the first time on HF on 20m.

So, five Scouts got out for a hike on a volcano, earned the Hiking Beltloop, worked on requirements for rank and Leave No Trace and got introduced to Ham Radio.  Plus, as part of going on the Cubmaster’s Hike, got a segment that I picked up at the Seattle Scout Shop.  Which means, no one in the Pack has it!  Bonus!

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Ineligible Volunteer Files

With all the files being released today, yesterday and the media spinning everything this way and that, I wanted to offer up this report that I found on the subject.

As a Scout Volunteer , Father and a Human, I find the actions of a few disturbing beyond belief to say the least.  If your dumb enough to harm a Youth you deserve to be on this list.

Scouting does prepare the Youth for what lies ahead for them.  For more information on the Boy Scouts of America’s Youth Protection, click the link.

Here is the document you need to read as well. WarrenReportSummary

<Updated on Oct 19th 2012 @ 2142>
For a great perspective on these files, Scoutmaster Clarke Green has a great post on his blog.

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Wood Badge for the Deaf

Just watch and understand.  (If you view on Youtube you can see the captioning if set-up correctly)
I am just blown away by this.

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The 4%

October 2, 2012.  A Life Scout sat waiting his turn as myself and two others talked to his Advocate, His Father and finally him.  We had reviewed all the documents and his project.

All were in order.

His journey was filled with firsts and with service to others.  A 50 miler at the age of 12 and an avid rock climber.  He is reverent and trustworthy.

His Eagle Scout project was worthy.  It wasn’t a bunch of benches or bridges, but actually giving back to a program that he was a part of for many years outside of Scouting.

He spoke of giving back even after he became an Eagle Scout.  He talked about his future career, family and that he would continue with Scouting when he was our age.

He talked about how it was hard at times, and the fun that he had.  He talked about how you get to know people while camping and that Scouting matured him.

He walked out of the room tonight an Eagle Scout. (Well, after all the paperwork comes back from National.)  Tonight is his date he became an Eagle Scout forever.

Tonight was also my first Eagle Board of Review.  I will always remember this night and this Scout.  Just like I remember all my Scouts.  Yes, even that one Scout.

Thanks

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