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It is the season in the Cubscout world that Packs are starting up.  Some are already going due to the school calendar.  Within Cascade Pacific Council, there is a huge push for getting Tigers and Wolves.  It is called Mission Possible.

So, today as I was checking Twitter today, I found a great video that another Council re-tweeted.  On my Google+ page, a fellow Scouter pointed it out and had sent it off to his Scout Exec.  Guess, you are on a first name basis when you’re the District Commissioner.  So, I sent off a quick note with it to my DE, SE and the SE’s Exec Admin.  My hope was that it will get blasted out through our District’s Email list.

What I like about the video is that addresses several things about why Scouting is a good thing.   However, the one theme I liked is that Scouting and Sports go together.  There are so many times that I hear from Parents that it’s hard to go to Scouts and Sports.  Many of my fellow Scouter’s have blogged about this same them.   I tell the Parents that their children should be in sports.  They also can be in Scouts at the same time since many achievements will use sports to help earn them.  Plus, Sports still uses Leadership, Character, Good Sportsmanship…many of the same ideals that are in Scouting.

So, take a look at this video.

 

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It all starts with Camping


Today, while stopped at Starbucks in the middle of a bike ride, I was reading all the Twitter posts.  I follow ScoutCanada’s Twitterfeed and they reposted a blog from a young man in the Venturing program.  He talked about how his first Summer camp was crucial for him staying in Cub Scouts.  His Pack was boring and the Akela was too. (Note to self…boys like FUN!)

Here is his Blog post.  Read it. It’s great.

This post goes to the heart of Scouting.  Boys want to have fun and will move on if not.  Scouting will also provide a lot of skills to those who participant.  Along with Camping skills, also a lot of social skills.  Yes, the boys will do what Bryan did, but they will come out with life long skills that will help them.

I follow several Canadian Scouters and they all seem to be having a lot of fun.  Someday I will get up past the border and see them.

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2012 Goals


There is a lot of Scouters within the Facebook, Twitterverse & G+ world asking about goals and what was 2011 like.  I love reading them.  I hope that all their plans and wishes come to being and they feel a sense of accomplishment.  The Internet is a wonderful place.

I have met a lot of like minded people whom I would love to share a campfire and coffee with hopefuly soon.  I have accomplished that with two Scouters.

Because of of the Internet I have grow and been able to swipe a lot of great ideas from a lot of different places.

I am going to put down several of my goals, which some will be in a Wood Badge Ticket form.  Here goes.

1#:

What will be done: Lose weight.
Who will do it:  Adam R. Cox
Where will be it done: Everywhere.
When will it be done:  Target date is May 28th 2012. That is the date for a 24 hour relay Mtn Nike Race in Spokane, Wa.  I am doing this.
How will it be done: Take Shape for Life/Medifast Diet program, Juicing & Exercise.  I have ordered a Kona 20in 29 Hardtail Mtn Bike. I will be training for the Spokane 24 Hour Race.
How will it be verified:  Using the Lose it App and Blogging about it.  Doing a Zipline Outing on July 4th weekend with my family. (You cannot do it if your above #250).  Also to use the Hennessey Hammock.  Currently it only supports up to #250.  So, once I have gone below #250, I can use it.
Why will I do it:  My heaviest weight was #290.  I graduated in 1986 @ 190.  I need to do this for myself.  Everyone else will benefit!

#2

What will be done: Recruit and Train new Cubmaster & Assitant Cubmaster
Who will do it: Current Cubmaster & Committee
Where will it be done: Den, Pack & Committee Meetings and one on one sessions.
When will it be done: The identification, recruitment will be done before June 4th. Our current Pack year.  The Cubmaster will be an Assistant Cubmaster until they take over in March 2013.  Hence, there will be two Assistant Cubmasters for awhile.

How will it be verified:  Adult Application will be turned into Council to become Assistant Cubmaster in June.  Cubmaster Application turned in in March 2013 before Crossover with date of Crossover.  Adults taking over will complete Online Cubmaster Training and go to Program & Training Conference & other in-person training.

Why will I do it: The success of Pack 221 depends on it.

#3

What will be done: Create Training Plan for Pioneer District in CPCBSA.  This includes BALOO, OWLS, ITOLS and other trainings.
Who will do it: Training Chair & Program Chair along with District Exec/Chairman helping out as needed.

Where will it be done:  At ongoing meetings.  However, after District Committee Training Course is complete, dates of training will be laid out.

When will it be done: By the end of Feburary 2012.
How will it be verified: Publication of Dates via District Website/Calendar and email to District Committee.

Why will I do this: To increase the Fully Trained percentage from %32 to %50.  Every Adult Scouter has Youth Protection.  However, many positions are not considered trained.  I am working on to get more and different trainings out to the District.  I am also working to see what the District needs/wants and what times would be better for them.

#4

What will be done:  Have seven patrol members of the W1-492-11 Bobwhite Patrol finish their Wood Badge Ticket and get Beaded.

Who will do it: The Bobwhite Patrol.  I am their Troop Guide.

Where will it be done: the tickets of the Bobwhite patrol has that information.  I will guide them as needed since I am their Troop Guide.

When will it be done:  All w1-492-11 Wood Participates have till July 2012 to complete their tickets.
Why will I do this:  I committed to them as the Bobwhite Troop Guide to mentor and support them till their physical completion of the ticket and the Beading.  However, i will continue to guide & help them as needed.  Their tickets are their own.  The completion of those tickets are there to help enhance them and those around them and within the unit they serve.

These four items are Wood Badge version worthy.  The rest are just goals and desires that will be worked on on an ongoing basis.

Learn and operate Ham Radio better.  I am a General License Ham Operator.  However, I have not done a lot with it.  I would love to have a JOTA/JOTI or some other type event for Pack 221 or District.

I also want to become a Merit Badge Counseler for Ham Radio, Scouting Heritage, Public Speaking,Personal Fitness, Graphic Arts and others.  These will start after Elliot has crossed over.  The first two will be Ham Radio and Scouting Heritage.

While these are all generally Scout based, my first thing I am going to do is spend more time with my family and do more outings with them.  Such as Camping, Hiking, Biking and anything else you can think of.

Thanks for reading…..

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Training is a wonderful thing, if done correctly.  It is not someone reading from a book or Powerpoint slide presentation as the participants read from it.  That is Death by Powerpoint. (DBP).  The District Committee Member’s Key is the knot that is shown here.  As most of you know, I have accepted the position of Training Chair for my District.  I am also on the committee for our Program & Training Conference this year.  The Council has done away with Pow-Wow and Advancement Extravaganza and mushed them together.

Along with many of my 2011 Wood Badge Assistant Course Directors (yes, that’s what my certificate says) and a few participants, I am co-teaching a class at PTC.  I am really excited.  It is “How to Use Social Media to promote Scout Units”.  With all of my interactions with those at PTCMedia and SCOUTNATION, it’s going to be pretty easy.  I have been learning from them and others on Twitter & G+.

However, back to the Knot above.   In our district, a lot of us are fresh to the Committee and also fresh to our positions.  That being that case, I realized that we needed training and that a District Committee Training Workshop is what we needed.   I will say that I read about it first before finding out it was a requirement for the knot.  That being said, I emailed both the District Chair and Exec and said we need to do this.  Both agreed.  So, now we just have to find a date and place.

This training will allow us as a District to come to understand more about what we are supposed to be doing and how to be a team.  Just because my Wood Badge ticket is over, doesn’t mean I don’t need another ticket.   If we can do this and come up with an annual District Calendar/Plan we will be soild.

Another aspect to me being a Training Chair is to provide Training to all those who need it, even if they don’t know they need it.  One of the major reasons I wanted to be Training Chair is that I wanted BALOO and OWLS training to be offered.  In talking with several people on the Committee is was apparent that keeping OWLS/BALOO seperate from ITOLS.  They are just NOT the same.  Seeing how different they are, how could you mesh them together.  If you look at what Chief Seattle Council does for OWLS it’s vastly different from what I have heard of and what others tell me.  (You need to click into Cubscouts and then OWLS for the info.  I cannot link directly to it.)  I will be pulling from this site for both BALOO and OWLS.

That being said, my Program Chair/Cubscout Rountable Commissioner asked about having BALOO during two Roundtable sessions 3 hours each.  Six to nine at night?  I suspect we will order dinner or make it while we are there as part of the requirement.  Still working on that.  Next up is OWLS.  Might do this during Cub-O-Ree.  Four hours a day over two days.  That way, everyone is with their Family/Pack for Cub-O-Ree.

Overall, if the BSA National has Knots that can be earned, it should be the respondsibility of the local Council and District to put on these trainings.  This will allow the knowledge flow from those who understand the program to those who want it.  It will end up helping that person, their unit and in the end the Scouts themselves.

If you do not provide training at any level, then how can you have a functioning Scout program?
YIS

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  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).

Casper the Friendly Ghost celebrates the 65th ...

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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In 2007 at the occasion of the 100 anniversary of the Scout Movement, the Austrian Scout Association declared August 1 a “National Scout Scarf Day” and asked all active and former scouts to wear their scout scarfs in public. Many people including prominent business persons followed the call and thus made the spirit of scouting visible.

So, get your Scarf and Woggle and wear it!

It’s also during the  22nd World Scout Jamboree in Sweden!

If your on Twitter, please retweet using #worldscarfday.  Please post to Facebook.

There are two Facebook Pages dedicated to this.  Mine and Micheal’s.

(I am borrowing what he posted on his)

______________________________________________

Im Jahr 2007 haben die österreichischen Pfadfinder anlässlich des Jubiläums “100 Jahre Pfadfinder” den 1. August zum “Tag des Halstuchs” erklärt und alle aktiven und ehemaligen Pfadfinder aufgerufen, ihr Halstuch zu tragen. Viele – auch prominente – (Ex-)Pfadfinder sind dem Aufruf gefolgt und haben den Pafdfindergedanken damit sichtbar an die Öffentlichkeit getragen.

Leider ist das eine einmalige Aktion geblieben. Es wäre doch schön, den Aufruf jedes Jahr zu wiederholen und den 1. August als “Tag des Halstuchs” quasi zu ‘institutionalisieren’.

Bitte die Information an alle Pfadfinderfreunde weiterleiten!

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In 2007 at the occasion of the 100 anniversary of the Scout Movement, the Austrian Scout Association declared August 1 a “National Scout Scarf Day” and asked all active and former scouts to wear their scout scarfs in public. Many people including prominent business persons followed the call and thus made the spirit of scouting visible.

Wondering why not to turn the idea into a permanent institution, I have asked my Austrian scout friends via facebook to celebrate a “Scout Scarf Day” this August 1 again.The many positive replies have now encouraged me to pursue the idea on international level.

Please therefore spread th information to all your scout friends and former scouts througout the world!

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En el año 2007 con motivo del aniversario “100 años escultas”, los escultas Austriacos declararon el 1. de agosto como “dia del pañoleta” y pidieron todos …lo escultas activos y anteriores a llevar so pañoleta. Muchos (Ex-)escultas (sean famosos o no) siguieron la proclamación y asi llevaron la idea de los escultas obviamente al público.

Desafortunadamente eso permaneció una acción exquisita. Seguro que sería una buena idea repetir esa proclamación y celebrar el 1. agosto de cada año como “dia del pañoleta”.

Porfavor, cursar esa información a todos los amigos de los escultas.

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No ano de 2007, quando dos 100 anos do Movimento Escoteiro, A Associação dos Escoteiros da Áustria declarou o dia 1 de Agosto, o “Dia Nacional do Lenço Escoteiro”, e pediu que os escoteiros ativos e antigos escoteiros usassem seus lenços em público. Muitas pessoas, incluindo pessoas de destaque no mundo dos negócios atenderam ao pedido, tornando visível o espírito escoteiro.
Pensando em por que não tornar esta ideia em uma data permanente, pedi a meus amigos escoteiros Austríacos através do Facebook a celebrarem novamente um “Dia do Lenço Escoteiro” neste dia 1 de agosto . As várias respostas positivas me encorajaram a propor a ideia em nível internacional.

Por favor espalhem esta informação para todos seus amigos escoteiros de hoje e de sempre, através do mundo.

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The other day, on Twitter/Facebook I saw this “Retweet/Like” us and you can win thing.  Great.  Is it a iPad? Nope, it’s from this online magazine called Benosh.  They are giving away some Bear Grylls stuff from Gerber.  Right, so I know two out of Three.  I quickly like/RT/Follow as directed.  No harm.
I start in looking at Benosh’s website and it’s pretty good with the outdoor reviews. While I am not a gear junkie for all the things written up there, I do appreciate Gerber, Keens, Osprey and other items that I would use.  What I do like is some of the articles.  Did you know that JUNE is GET OUT DOORS MONTH?  I didn’t until I read that article.

So, while I was reading all this, the next day or so, I realized that I had won!  Whoo hoo!  This is now my fourth time winning something off the Internet.  First, it was a Cubscout t-Shirt from Classb.com, then a mini-shovel from The Bechtel Summit and then a Gift Card via PTCMEDIA to get a Scouting book that I picked out with it.  Pretty sweet!

Now, the thing that I like about this, besides the great knife, is how the kit is laid out.

While it’s not the 10 essentials, it’s a great kit to have. It will be with my 10 essentials and any day hike that I go on.  What I really like about the packaging is that on the back of the bag, there is a communication item that shows how to communicate with searchers from above.  Very simple and effective.

So, well done on the designing of this kit.  I have a similar knife from Gerber already, but this one is nice and lightweight.  While my son is soon to be a Webelos I, he will get this someday.  It will be tucked away in my kit as well.

Overall, a great magazine, knife and Ultimate Survival Kit.  I did not think that I would get both, so I am very happy.  The person who I took my info via email sent a great note too!  The box came from Jackson, Wy.  A place that I really like.  I spent a summer in the Teton National Park and two others in Yellowstone National Park and I wen to Jackson a lot.  A wonderful place to go spent time in.

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A blog post or so ago I stated that I would be creating a list of posts that I like.  I spent a few days thinking which ones that I wanted to talk about.  Several sprang to mind very quickly.  I had first thought that I would go through my list of ones of MINE that I liked.  Nah, too self centered.  Need to think of others.  So, here goes.

In no real particular order here is one that really stands out to me.

http://davidnokc.blogspot.com/ And to be specific this two posts.  Bad Dad Speech and Bad Dad Post.
David’s post was the first one that I thought of. The very first one.  While I know David was not out to win any awards with this topic, it was something he is passionate about.  To be great, you have to lay it out on the line.  He is very confidant of himself, his life and family.  While I have never met David, and an iPhone user (He works for Sprint) I am a Dad.  This post has nothing to do about Scouting.  It’s about his life and the circumstances he could and cannot control, but it’s about how he dealt with it which makes it special.  That is what makes me remember it.  We all have choices in our life, some are made by forces that we cannot control.  Others we have complete control over.  To me, these posts and speech help me be grounded and to be the best Dad that I can be.  I do not always succeed, but I try.  This is but one reminder as to why I need to.

So, when I see a bad Dad out there, whether its at a Scout event, Baseball practice or just in public, I feel bad about his kids.  Can I do anything about it?  Generally not.  If he is harming his kids, sure I need to step in.  Can I right the wrongs of bad dads?  No, but I can learn from them.

This weekend I had the chance with my own two kids.  Elliot and Rachel.  My wife was off at a Lampworking workshop and it was just me.  Granted my parents came down to see my son’s baseball game, but it was us.  On the last day before mom came home and after the Grandparents left, we went to a street fair in Portland, Or.  It was great.  It was just time for us.  My daughter asked if she could have an elephant ear and I said yes.  She jumped up on a haybail and then me saying “you the best daddy in the world I love you” and gave me a huge hug and kiss.  Yeah, that’s all I need.  We got one and shared with all of us.  It was good.   While it’s a little thing that means a lot to me and she will forget it over time, it’s proof that working at being a Good Dad pays off……So, take the time do something with your kids.  Listen to them. Be with them.  Don’t be a bad Dad.  Be a Good Dad!

I became aware of David via Twitter because of Scouting, because of some English General that though a Game with a Purpose would be a fun thing to do.  Interesting how things come to you.  Maybe someday we will meet in person.  That would be fun.  He also has a Scouting blog too.  It’s a great read as well.

So, one down and nine more to go.  Whose next and why I pick it.

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There is a section of the BSA Website that recently was created.  It is all about the Social Media.   This topic came up during a presentation that I gave during the first week of Wood Badge.   I have to say that at 43, I am the youngest among that are in my patrol.    Also, what I found out is that there are two other Ham Radio Operators, with one who really knows Morse Code very well.  So, think communication before Al Gore invented the Internet.

We did use analog communication via radio and then written by  paper and US Post Office.  Television came later.  Telegrams were the
“Instant Messaging” platform of the day.  Along with the whole Back In The Day stuff,  good and bad news traveled just the same as today, but slower in comparison.  It still got around.  But not everyone saw photos of us making fools of our selves like they do today.

Now, think of communication in the world of Boy Scouts.  Signalling, Ham Radio and Letter writing where big.  If meetings were changed a phone tree got triggered.  Notes would be sent home with boys, or a notice posted somewhere that everyone read.  Even posted in the town newspaper.  There was not a text from a Den Leader to the Cubmaster asking a quick question let alone a reply.  Think of the people that do not have email or access to the Internet.  It now slows communication down.

Today, the youth are fast.  Knowledge or the access to areas that contain it, can be accessed faster and right from the classroom.  But so is the posting of mis-information.

Now, in Scouting it changes because of Youth Protection.  Which, actually is a good thing in general, even for those outside of Scouting.

The main thing that I pointed out to my Patrol is that Social Media also includes EMAIL and that includes Two Deep Leadership.  The BSA has this to say about it:

As it relates to social media, two-deep leadership means there should be no private messages and no one-on-one direct contact through email, Facebook messages, Twitter direct messaging, chats, instant messaging (Google Messenger, AIM, etc.), or other similar messaging features provided through social media sites. All communication between adults and youth should take place in a public forum (e.g. the Facebook wall), or at a bare minimum, electronic communication between adults and youth should always include one or more authorized adults openly “copied” (included) on the message or message thread.

One of my Patrol Members asked does this apply to the Scouts that I am their Merit Badge Counselor for?  They email me stuff to show that they have completed parts of the MB.  I replied, yes it does and gave this example.   Our Pack has Den Chiefs. Two to be exact.  I explained that in no uncertain circumstances are you to email them directly.  The Den Leaders need to copy another Adult in on that communication.  I would include their Mom/Dad, myself and or the Scoutmaster.  This will do two things, keep the Cubmaster/Scoutmaster involved in how the Den Chief is doing and also maintain Two Deep Leadership.  I said this because our Cubscouts do not email.  If they do, it’s generally on our accounts to grandparents.

This open eyes in ways that they did not think of.  Was that wrong? No. They were thinking that Two-deep leadership was in the physical world and not digital.

While I am not going to re-hash what the guidelines of Facebook, Twitter and other media sites state for what they consider good conduct, nor am I going to post the BSA Guidelines verbatium and talk about them point for point.    You can read them for yourself.

What I am going to say is that because of these is that I do limit and watch what I say when interacting with Scout Youth and Youth in general.  I generally know who I friend on Facebook.  Within Twitter, it is open and people can follow me if they want.  I have tighened down all my security on Facebook and check it every so often.  I cannot on Twitter.  Though, I could protect my account, but then people cannout find me.  I want people to find me on twitter.  As for this blog, I keep it clean and only talk about mainly Scouting related items.  Once and awhile about my family.

Overall, as Scouts, Scouters and Parents of Scouts we need to be careful of what we do on the Internet and how we interact with Scouts as they interact with us.  It very well could be a quick text or email to them about a PLC meeting, work on a merit badge or a number of thing.  Point being, because we are in Scouts there are a set of rules we need to learn and live by.

YIS

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I spent Sunday afternoon working on how to make a Turks Head Woogle.  This is one that I made and had my son model for me.  I realized that it’s a tad big.  Need to be smaller.  Also the cord is not really want I want.  All and all, a good start.  My plan is to make about 75 of them between now and the beginning of the Fall Cubsout 2011-2012 season.
I am going to give them to all the returning boys and induct the new tigers with them.   While having slides is fine, I think that giving something to the boys, explaining what a woggle is and it’s meaning will have them learn what tradition and ownership is all about.

Leave No Trace.  I was in REI the other day looking for presents for my Patrol during this Wood Badge.   While there I saw these.  It’s “key” that will release the pressure from unspent gas and take out the nub where the fuel comes out.  This will allow the can to be recycled.  I really like this idea.  I use the Jet Boil system.  If you use Jet Boil, you should get this key “Crunch-it“.  It is also sold seperately for $6.

Finally (again), today I am in Redding, CA on business.  As I do normally, I seek out different councils.  Today, I find myself at the Golden Empire Council.  I spent about 20 minutes there talking to the District Exec and Admin staff.  The Admin gave me this patch just for coming over.  I promised to send her a patch from Cascade Pacific.  Apparently this is a renegade patch.  I have one that is similar from CPC.  It’s a Cubscout CSP.

I find it amazing that an English General in 1907 thought it would be cool to have people learn Scouting.  Because of him, this happened.  All because we are Scouts.

Finally, in watching my Twitter feed, I am seeing the people who have come back from the 2nd  weekend of Wood Badge.  They are popping with eagerness and excitement to start working their tickets.  Again, an English General figured that Training was needed to continue Scouting.

What can you do to continue something you beleive in?

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