Scouter Friends of 2012

  Within the Google+ Community of #Scoutnation, there is a question going around of what are your highlights of the past year and even what you are looking forward to in 2013.  I have given my response there about what I am looking forward to.  In a post to come later I will talk about the highlights of Pack 221 and myself in 2012.

This post is about my friends that I have made and met within 2012 (and earlier).   I take great pride in knowing, talking, tweeting, and emailing with all of you who I am connected to through Scouting and the Internet.  I have good friends through Scouting, Wood Badge and other Scout events.

What I really liked this year is meeting up with several of Scoutnation Scouters in life. Mike Walton, Phil Peck, Jerry Schleining, Kevin Devin and now Arlen Ward.  The ongoing joke that I tell about these people who I meet in life to others is “I meet guys on the internet and arrange a meet-up in life.”  I would have never have met any of these people if it were not for Baden-Powell and the Unknown Scout.   I really look forward to the days that I can meet all my other Brother & Sister Scouters in life.   Be it at Philmont, Seabase or Disneyland.

The “local” Scouters within Cascade Pacific Council, I really enjoy our time together.  Coming together or just running into each other at non-Scout events is great.  There is an instant recognition and understanding.   If our families meet, I can point to my son or daughter and say, they are a Webelos or Brownie too and our kids have something in common.  Though, I can say, hey, do you play Chess, Magic or Minecraft?  Instant friends.   My wife can also talk to the other wives about being a Scout Widow.  I normally point out what my wife does with jewelery and her volunteer work.

So, my biggest Scouting joy of 2012 is knowing all of you and meeting some of you in person.  Here is to meeting more of Scoutnation in 2013.

Photo image is from here.

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The Annual Pack Committee Planning Meeting

  The Annual Pack Planning Meeting is upon the unit that I am a Cub Master for.  This will techincally be our first real meeting since I came on board in 2008 as Tiger Den Leader.  When I ascended into the position of Cub Master, I followed what the previous Cub Master did.  He was still around as Committee Chair.  The Treasurer turned into the Committee Chair we have today.

I have grown since becoming the Cub Master.  It is not all due to Wood Badge.  Wood Badge does not teach you how to create a ceremony for Arrow of Light, Bobcat or other rank advancement.  It does not teach you how to put on a Pack meeting, nor deal with parents and grumpy Cub Scouts.  There is not a book called “Cub Masters, Tag your it!”  When I took on the Tiger Den Leader position, I quipped to my wife “I am going to be Martha Stewart of Crafts when I am done.”

That being the case of being Cub Master, I followed what happened the year before.  First Join Night…Wow….All eyes on me. Yup.  I whipped through the year ok.  I was always pulling stuff out of left field and stumbling.  Here is one of my first Pack meetings after I was on my own. I remember that Pack Meeting.  I made a Mom cry.  Yeah, it was good.  I still keep in touch with her about her son.  He’s a Webelos I now.

So, fast forward to Summer of 2011.  We are soon to have our meeting and I have been reading, writing, emailing and Googling a lot about this.  A lot of emails between myself and others about what’s going to be presented.  We have a lot to be proud of and a lot of challenges coming up for this year.  I think that I am ready.  Once it is completed, I will blog about the results and publish many of the documents.
So, what are we going to discuss.  This is where the Team comes together.  The Den Leaders and Committee are a team.  We provide the direction for the Pack, Parents and most of all the Scouts.  We will have a budget, annual calendar, Journey to Excellence, Den Leader Guide, Monthly Pack Meeting agenda’s and more. (Yes, it’s really a Wood Badge ticket.)  Hopefully our Unit Commissioner will be there for part of it. (Hint hint hint).

Image via Wikipedia

I have goals for this upcoming year.  One is already taking shape and going. Good sign.  We have several dads who are stepping up to be Committee Members.  Two ladies are stepping up as Den Leaders.  We have several members who will be leaving because of Arrow of Light, but that is the normal cycle.  Change happens.  Deal with it.  In the immortal words of my Wood Badge Scoutmaster “It is what it is.”

What I like is that my friend Arlen, who is currently not at Gilwell Field, but Philmont’s Training Center, is kind of in the same boat.  He is taking a class that I was supposed to be at. “Strictly for Cubmasters.”  Our families would have met, and my wife would be able to swap stories about me doing Cub Master stuff and having Mrs Arlen (sorry, don’t know her name) laugh out loud in agreement.  When I say same boat, I mean he did this recently and blogged about it.  Am I going to still it? Yup!  Great ideas are stolen and used!

So with all of this information digested, we will have our meeting in mid-August.  I suspect great things to come out of this meeting.  This year is going to be stellar.  We will be that team and all reach to create greatness for our Scouts.  When they smile and have fun, then, we succeed.  There is no i in Team.  Unless you work for Apple.  Then you can put i in front of anything.

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L of C of #100DaysofScouting

Do you ever have one of those days or Pack Meeting that you believe that is going to go well, but TANKS immediately?  I had one last year, and again this year.  It’s almost 12 months to the month.   As with this picture, you seem to be focused on what you want to do, but everyone else seems to think your unfocused.

Yes, I am beating myself up about this.  I know that the Den Leaders and those who come to the meetings know it was a bad night for the Cubmaster.  My Unit Commissioner was there along with a Den Chief & his Dad.  Ugh….. They (outside the Den Chief) know me as well.  I am not worried about them.  I am worried about the boys that I serve.  One Scout that I hardly know since he does not show up much started going into detail about what I was talking about.  He is a good Scout and meant well, but I was not ready for his in-depth description of how a Nuclear Reactor works.  Nor a discussion on why Portland is safe from a Tsumani.  I had to shut him down.  I did not get a chance to follow-up with him.  I was in the middle of loosing the crowd and did not need/want to spend 10 minutes on it.

Suffice to say, this meeting was not the way I wanted it to go.  However, I did accomplish three things I set out to do.

1)Get the boys thinking about what an Emergency can be.
2) Get the boys to do something at home for the family that included the family that could save their lives.
3) Get the whole Pack OUTSIDE of the Gym.  It was one thing during Pow-wow that found interesting.  I took a class that started inside a school and completed outside.  It proved a point that things happen and you can use the outside as a learning spot.

So, what I am going to do about this?  Several things & something I already planned.

First, I sent out an email to the Den/Pack Committee about what I want to impliment for next year.  It contained a PDF of what I think we need to do.  It will be covered on this month’s Pack Meeting.

Second, I need to setup Pack Meetings 2-3  months ahead of time.  This will allow the Den Leaders time to plan their Den Meetings.  This year I started providing agenda’s a month a head.  Now, it will be 2-3.  I started out this year using the Pack Meeting Plans from National. They worked great.  However, I stopped because of Pinewood, Blue & Gold and Arrow of Light.  Now, I need to get back on track.

This next month’s Pack Meeting will be all about GAMES.  I will be working up a few games to play after Flag, Awards and such.  Again, my quick Twitter-Shout-Out to my Scouter friends that I follow game me a lot of great ideas.  Which also leads me to think that the Den Leaders need to do Flag.   Guess we will need to practice this….;)

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One year later: XLIX of C of #100DaysofScouting

Today is my one year anniversary of getting my Wood Badge Beads.  My fellow Beaver Kent also got his Beads a the same time.  He invited me to his Troop’s Court of Honor to have the Ceremony.  All but one us got their Beads.  Kent and I went to all but one of our Patrol mates Beading ceremony.  Not a bad track record overall.

Here is a blog about the Beading event.  To me, it is pretty amazing that it happened.  I am very grateful to all who were there and helped me accomplish the goals within my ticket.

I started my journey in September 2009 and I am now on staff for W1-492-11 as a Troop Guide.  I have grown and learned a lot.  Am I smarter?  I could be.  I just understand more about Scouting and understand more about the game. I am very excited when I hear and see other friends who are going to, signing up, coming back from Wood Badge and working their ticket.  I have had the pleasure in helping one person complete a ticket item.  I know that when the Patrol starts theirs, I get to see them accomplish their dreams and affect the lives of those who they serve.

Here’s to eight more beadings in the next 18 months!

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Skill Development #100daysofscouting

There are two posts today that really caught my eye.  The first was from Scoutmaster Jerry.  In there, he talked about a program called Fish!  This 2o minute video physically changed lives as we sat on our butts.  On our breakout for the Troop Guides, we got asked a clarifying question which completely changed our outlook and re-defined us.  I would love to tell you more, but you HAVE TO COME TO WOODBADGE to find out.  Sorry, I really cannot give away everything.  But, we are even more excited!

The second blog that I read today was from Kevin Devin.  In an earlier tweet that I saw of his, he talked about looking for training out of Council.  Apparently he lives right on the border of another Council.  Closer to their training than his.  I took at look at the Mt Baker BSA Council website and they have training all laid out.  Not just Woodbadge, but BALOO, IOLS, Powder Horn and others.  Now, I love training.  I will take training sooner than you can say Cracker Barrel or Free Patches here!  Good training!   While a lot of us go on and on about Woodbadge this and Woodbadge that and “You might be a Woodbadger if!”  But, what about all the others?  You need OWLS, IOLS, BALOO, POWDERHORN, EDGE to name a few.  Let’s talk about those.  While you can use Woodbadge in your everyday life, BALOO gives the Tiger Den Leader and other Den Leaders the chance to go on Pack Camping.  OWLS/IOLS only expand upon this training getting Webelos/Boy Scouts out on the trail.

With all this Outdoor Training, there is still the basic’s of running a Pack & Den meeting.  Even Martha needs to practice her Glue gun skills.

So, take classes that help develop your skills.

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A Game with a Purpose

Today was our second Woodbadge Staff Development meeting.   A lot was covered and explained.  My head is exploding on what the Troop Guides get to do.  A lot of information of what I went through is flooding back into my brain.

I am very excited.  The Troop Guides grew closer as a team today.  The principles of Woodbadge are very evident during the day.

We now have 50 slots out of 56 filled.  If you are thinking of signing up for Woodbadge W1-492-11, DO IT NOW to confirm your slot!  You will have a lot of fun and learn a lot.

Suffice to say Baden-Powell said it best “Scouting is a game with a purpose”.

 

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Roundtable

The second Thursday of each month is Roundtable.  I really try and not miss it.
Tonight a lot of people showed up.  There were two breakouts not including the Cubscouts.  A First Class to Eagle and a Philmont breakout.

During the announcement and gathering phase the 2010 Quality Unit Awards were handed out.  Pack 221 got their ribbon.  Yeah for us.  I will be putting that on the flag during Blue & Gold.  I have already handed out the patches, which I will reserve for B&G for next year.

With a larger attendance I made a Wood Badge announcement.  Hopefully a few others sign up.  I did meet a ASM from Troop 221 who has signed up.   That makes two people I know from my district.  Need to check on my two Tiger Den Leaders and a Wolf Den Leader friend from another District.

During the Cubscout breakout, we talked Summercamps.  Interesting to hear.   There was a listing of what Pack had signed up for what.  Currently our unit has Bears & Webelos I going to camp.  Need to work on Tigers & Wolves.  Realized that both dens can go to Cubworld which is a resident camp for 2 nights.  They can band together and go.  Will float that to the Den Leaders.

Cuboree was also talked about.  Need to push this along.  Sign-ups are starting this monday.  It’s a whole family camping thing.  I am gearing it towards the Kindergarten familes who will be in 1st grade next year.  Also on the look out for Tiger Den Leaders….

 

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Who is your inspiration?

I have had and still have people that I look up to.
They have been and are my Dad, Uncles (Pete, Dick and Bob) and cousins.
As I grew up I found others.  They were my friends and others within school.
Yes, I had famous people that I looked up to: Space Ghost, Green Lantern…you get the idea.

The people that I look towards for inspiration are generally people who are doing something that I cannot do for some reason or something that I want to do.

The Football/Basketball Star in High School, a friend who snowboarded before snowboarding was invented (think pre-1984), dudes in local bands just to name a few.

Do I have people that inspire me now?  Yes.
Do these people generally know that they inspire me?  No, they generally do not.

The reason that I bring this up is during the final Wood Badge beading ceremony I found a person who had retired as the Scoutmaster of the Troop a couple months ago.   He was at the Court of Honor and was doing his bit as being the former Scoutmaster.  His son had Eagled out and he was done.  The current Scoutmaster chose to recognize him with a personal unit award.  He also was able to get two Leader Knots.   I beleive that they were the Scoutmaster Key and Scout Trainer’s Knot.  According to the current Scoutmaster, the former really did not care about knots.  Really did not need them.

However, what happened next really sunk in with me.  The Patrol Leaders (10 of them) got up with a Walking Stick and proceed to explain what the Scoutmaster meant to them.  Then they each attached a momento to it.  Each Scout had a story about how he was influenced by this man.  All were very incredible moving.  You know it’s good when men cry.

I got a chance to talk to him after it was all done.

He basically took a failing Troop with 20 boys and turned it into a Troop that is 80 plus boys with more transfering in from other units.  All the Scouts are well behaved.  Smiling and enjoy what they are doing.  This Scoutmaster changed lives and is their inspiration.

This was one of those moments that I realized that no knot, patch or plaque will ever convey what that walking stick will ever convey.

He is my new inspiration on what a leader is and can do.

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Arrow of Light #100DaysofScouting Day 2

Our Arrow of Light Ceremony is on March 12th.  Our two Senior Webelos will be crossing over to Troop 41.  With several schedule changes that were not forseen or avoidable, we are faced to DO OUR BEST to make this a huge success.

Not a problem.   We have the local camp from the Council rented for the overnight.  It includes Boxcars and Teepees that we can sleep in.  There is a dining hall with a kitchen as well.  What I am angling for is to use the Firebowl.  I am hoping that the weather agrees with us.

Currently I am looking-up and creating a Arrow of Light Ceremony that our Pack Den Leaders and Parents will help put on.

Daunting….yes.  But a lot of Fun!
I am hoping to include a Flag Retirement Ceremony as well.

http://macscouter.com/Ceremony/AOL.asp
http://www.netwoods.com/cermonies/cub-aol.html
http://www.boyscouttrail.com/content/ceremony/ceremony-1264.asp
http://www.boyscouttrail.com/content/ceremon/bow_and_arrow_webelos_crossover-1273.asp

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#100DaysofScouting Day One

Today, as many in the Scouting Universe know is the Boy Scouts of America’s 101st birthday.  Even Smokey the Bear tweeted Happy Birthday!

Last year through the inspiration of a Blogger named Scoutsigns, he started blogging for the First 100 Days.  Well, he is at it again.

With that, several of my Virtual Roundtable friends on Twitter & Facebook have fired up their blogs and following suit.  I am doing this as well.

Please read and follow if you wish these bloggers and see what they and their Scouts are up to.

1. Scoutsigns (@Scoutsigns)
2. The Scoutmaster (@bryanspellman)
3. A Scouter’s Journey (@dwmetz)
4. A Scoutmaster’s Blog (@stevejb68)
5. Scouteradam’s Blog (@ScouterAdam)
6. KevinDevin.com (@kevinhdevin)
7. Arlen Ward dot com (@arlenward)
8. Scouting in NKY (@jthoppe)
9. Scoutmaster Jerry (@smjerry)
10. Scouter Scott’s Scouty Stuff (@smwalker_oh)
11. Scouting in the Great Outdoors (@scouter945)

(updated listed from Scoutsign’s blog 2/9/11)

I suspect that there are more out there that I am just plain missing, but you get the idea.  There are two Scoutmasters and two Cubmasters (including myself) who are blogging.  This is our journey in Scouting for 100 days.  However, we will keep blogging and tweeting about it for much much longer.
I dare you NOT to learn something, NOT to be inspired and NOT to have fun.  If you can achive all three things…then your wasting your time.  If you fail to NOT Learn, NOT to be Inspired and NOT to have fun..then congratulations!  Your addicted to Scouting and your Doing your Best!

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