Category Archives: Scoutmaster’s Page

A Scoutmaster Minute–Four items for your consideration

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FOUR ITEMS

Grubmasters for Rod & Gun Trip (and beyond)

An important part of the cleanup from any trip is for Grubmasters for any trip to account for food purchases so they can receive a reimbursement check.  Rather than force the trip coordinator to chase down the Grubmasters, it would be helpful if all Grubmasters for a trip be prepared to meet with the Scoutmaster or an Assistant Scoutmaster the first meeting after the trip.  If a receipt has been lost, then be prepared to account for the food.

At the Grubmaster accounting we will talk about whether you were able to stay within the budget, how the food worked out, and what you might change next time.

At the meeting this week only three of the six Grubmasters were prepared.  The remaining three should be prepared for the meeting next week.  The wrapup is important since it is not the intention of the Troop that the Grubmaster should be stuck with the cost of the food.

Admin Time

If a Scout needs to talk to the Scoutmaster, you will find him less distracted if you can come early or stay late.  I will make every effort to be at each meeting by 7 PM and I never leave before 9:30 PM.

There will be an exception for next week because the Twice-Yearly Book Migration will keep me at the Library until around 7:20.  However, there is no rule that says you cannot come to the Library to see me if you need something.  As all adult leaders should, I will be letting Scouts run the project while I stand around.

Twice-Yearly Book Migration

Next week we will once again help the Friends of Cary Library move books from storage to the sales area.  This event is a popular one, but the number of books to be moved has dropped because FOCL has gotten more selective about what they sell.  They actually make more money with less cleanup, but of course we have less work to do.

So all are still invited, but the time has been moved to 6:15 PM on Thursday, May 12th.  We will move all the books in just half an hour and then we will adjourn to the conference room for pizza and soft drinks.  From there we will go to our meetings.  This is a joint Troop 160/Troop 119 project, by the way.

Come on time because we are going to really HUSTLE.

Trip Cleanup

The cleanup from the R&G trip went really well.  As of last night all the cookkits and chef kits have been washed, all the tents have been rolled, and all the gear has been put back on the shelves.  I was impressed with the work done last night to not only roll the tents, but to check them for problems as well.  I am printing off more gear checklists so they will be available next time.

The Scout and adult leadership in this project was very much appreciated.
-Hank Manz

Another Scoutmaster Minute

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LOST AND FOUND
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You already have the initial lost & found list from the Cook-O-Ree to which I am adding two items:

- 2 black clip-on pockets for water bottles
- Red Swiss army knife with a Scout logo

To that list I am adding three historic items:

- Light Blue OR-style cup
- Blue enamel plate
- Enamel cup

In addition, I have pictures of other historic items.

and view the PDF you will find there.  The pictures are of historic items which have been kicking around for quite a while in several cases.  If you spot something, let me know.  If you aren’t sure, grab me during a Scout meeting so we can arrange a viewing.

Typically, if I find an article of clothing that is not Scout-specific and which does not have a name in it, I will hang it on the rack in the large hall because there is no way to know if it belongs to Troop 160 or not.  If it is Scout-specific or if it has a name in it, it usually goes to Lost & Found and I will try to return it at the next meeting.

I have already received some e-mails claiming items on my first list.  They will be available at the meeting this Thursday.

VETERANS DAY
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Troop 160 will be participating in the parade/walk/ceremony.  Be at the White House (the old School Admin building next to the police station) by 9:45 AM on Wednesday.  It will take about one hour because this is the short parade.  Yes, Scout or LHS service hours will be given.  There will be other Scout units there as well including Troop 119.

THE GREAT BOOK MIGRATION
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On Thursday, starting at 5 PM, we will be helping the Friends of Cary Library prepare for their twice-yearly book sale.  Pizza in the Library after we finish.  Picture for the Minuteman.  We will finish in time to walk to our meetings.  Troop 119 is invited to join us and we will be joined by some Webelos working on Citizenship requirements as well.

GEAR CLEANUP
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Some Scouts and adults have already been working on the gear from the Cook-O-Ree.  We are going to try to finish up the rest of the gear in half an hour or less.  It took us around two hours last time which is too long.  Since I know we are going to finish on time this week, it will leave us plenty of time for the Scoutmaster Challenge.  All I can say about that is I hope you know how to tie basic knots.  Guides and Instructors should come prepared to teach four basic knots (Clove Hitch, Square Knot, Sheetbend, and Tautline Hitch).  I know–the Tautline Hitch is a bear, but I bet we will all know it after this next meeting.

A NOTE ABOUT BEING SCOUTS
=========================
I would like to meet with all older Scouts (Green Bars and JASMs) before the meeting next week (not this week–next week) for 15 minutes to talk about leadership.  Baden Powell wrote extensively about the Scout Law and decided that Trustworthy was of paramount importance.  The original version of that Law was A Scout’s Honor Is To Be Trusted.  I’m with Lord Robert on that one, but I will also go with one that has changed since his day.  The sixth Scout Law, Kind, was originally A Scout Is Kind To Animals, an important law in an era when we depended on animals for so much and they were often mistreated.  But today Kind has changed to Kindness for others.  And don’t forget that whole string of Helpful, Friendly, and Courteous which go along with Kind.  A Scout is a friend to all and a brother to every other Scout, wrote our founder, and that must not change.  There is a reason there are so many Laws which talk about how we should act toward each
other and I don’t mean just toward other Scouts.  But it starts with other Scouts.  Scout meetings and other events should be a place where we can all learn and play together.  Let’s talk about that for at least a few minutes.

-Hank Manz

A Scoutmaster Minute

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First–If you look at page 32 in the Celebrations section of the most recent Minuteman, you will see a couple in traditional Mongolian clothing.  The groom is Jimmy Goodrich, a 160 Eagle Scout.  He was a super gearhead who was part of a great Eagle clss who taught me a lot about hiking in the White Mountains, that I should not always trust JASM cooking, and that I could encourage Eagles, but they would dictate the pace at which the needed work would be done.  You can read the story online at:

http://www.wickedlocal.com/lexington/news/lifestyle/celebrations/x23528458/Xuejiao-Goodrich

Second–As a troop we are terrible at knots.  If you look on our Website, you will find links to some Web sites which use animation to show you how to tie knots.  Or you can just Google a bit and you will find some.  Scouts really need to know how to tie a sheetbend, a bowline (the same knot except on a loop or bight), and a tautline hitch (also called a halyard bend.)  Learn to tie those knots so you can graduate to other ones.

http://www.troop160lexington.com/home/reference/lots-of-knots/

Third–There is a rank requirement to make a personal first aid kit.  Don’t just make it.  Carry it!  Make it small enough that it won’t be any trouble to carry in your pack.  Most injuries can be treated with your personal first aid kit.

Here’s one idea:

http://www.survival-gear.com/personalfirstaidkit.htm

You may want to leave out the medications for your own kit and you can go a bit lighter on the bandages.  My own everyday kit is just bandaids, 4×4 gauze squares, tape, two short tongue depressors, a safety pin, moleskin, alcohol swabs, and a small tweezer.  You can wrap adhesive tape around a tongue depressor so you don’t have to carry a big roll of it.  And toss in a small plastic bag which can double as a glove or as a receptacle for medical waste.

Fourth–there are a couple of Cubs who will be at the Cook-O-Ree this weekend who have nut allergies.  Let’s exercise some caution in the snacks we bring and the food we select for our meals.

Fifth–mentioning camping and food always makes me think of Grubmasters.  If you are a Grubmaster who has not been reimbursed for the White Mountains trip, then you probably have not followed Mrs. Ho’s Four Step Method for Grubmaster Success.  See me at the next meeting.  And if you are a Grubmaster for this trip and are at all unsure of how to get reimbursed for the food you purchase for your patrol, talk to me.

-Hank Manz

A Scoutmaster Minute June 8, 2009

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There has been a lot of e-mail traffic via our troop lists lately so I will combine several things into one.

Some Heavy Work Needed Tonight

The church has asked us to move some of the Pancake Breakfast equipment out of the boiler room and across to Keilty Hall.  I have expected this for some time because storage in a boiler room is frowned on by building inspectors.  So we must move four very heavy grills and some much lighter warming ovens out of the boiler room and at least temporarily stow them across the street.

We will need some adults with backs which are in good shape.  Bring work gloves and wear an old shirt that will look good with a little grease on it.

Big Movie Premiere

Saturday at The Flick will be the premiere of First Shot, the movie 119 and 160 helped make.  If you check the poster, you will see that we got a credit!!!!  And I hear we are in the How The Movie Was Made short which will also be shown on Saturday.

Tickets are just $5 at the Lexington Historical Society.  Call them or visit in person.  The tickets are going fast so don’t depend on buying them at the door.

Last Meeting and Court of Honor

The last meeting is traditionally held at the Old Res with a cookout and COH.  It is not a meticulously planned affair.  Just show up and we’ll toss another hamburger or hotdog on the grill for you.  There is some planning going on, but if you hear nothing, we wouldn’t say no to a salad or a dessert.  We will have firmer word at the meeting this evening.  Stay tuned!

We know that there will be conflicts and not all will be able to attend.  As I have said before, there are no perfect dates in June and not a lot of perfect ones in May, either.

Of course parents and siblings are invited to the cookout as well as to the COH.

Parent Ribbons and a Quick Guide to COH Protocol

When ranks are recognized, a parent usually comes up with the Scout receiving the rank.  This is a recognition of the importance of parental support in Scouting.  As a physical recognition of that, the Scout will pin a smaller version of the rank emblem on the parent standing with him.

To make that task a little easier for the Scout, each family should have a red ribbon with a pin attached to it.  As the Scout advances, the ribbon fills with pins showing that advancement.  If you have not already received a red ribbon, you will get one at the COH.  You do not have to make it yourself.

Come Early for Advancement

If you need to talk to the Scoutmaster or get something signed off, consider dropping in to the meeting early.  I am usually there by 7:00 PM.  If I am not upstairs, look for me downstairs in the Scout Room.  But don’t show up at 7:25 expecting to get 20 minutes worth of work done in the five minutes before the meeting.

T*ed.com

We have about beaten this to death, but just in case you have been away, a good course of action is to simply delete any mail which comes from this site or promises pictures from a friend via this site.  Most agree the site is mostly about phishing and spamming so they can send out lots of notes to the people in your address book.  Read more at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tagged

This site was started by Harvard graduates.  Guess they never took that course in Social Responsibility I had to take at a state college … :-)

Electronics

One more time–your Scout will have a better time at camp and at all events if he is electronics-free.  There is no cell signal at camp and Scouts with earphones or earbuds will look decidedly odd.  I mean NOBODY does it.  Not even leaders.

If there is any question about telephone call-home policy (it is discouraged), please talk to me about it.  Even I don’t call home.  Nor do I call work.  If I did it would blow my cover story that there are no telephones.  And that is very close to true.  At Camp Bell the telephone servivce is pretty close to zero and Hidden Valley is not much better.  Around Wednesday of each week you will get an e-mail letter with pictures from me and I will not tell you how much trouble that will be.

What Should I Bring to Camp?

There is quite a bit of information on our Web site, but ask if you are not sure.

The accomodations are the same at both camps.  We will camp as a troop in two-person tents with canvas cots.  Mosquito netting is felt to be necessary by some some although in the several years I have been going to Camp Bell and Hidden Valley, I have never used it and never had a rough night because I didn’t have it.  YMMV, of course.  Showers are available and their use is encouraged.  This year the Camp Bell showers will be on top of the hill rather than at the bottom.  I guess I am excited about that …

Each Scout should have at least one set of pants, shirt, and old gym shoes that he can afford to get incredibly dirty.  Think Challenge Valley.  If you don’t know what that is, you have a wonderful surprise waiting for you!

Keep in mind that some merit badges will be impossible to complete without some pre-camp work at home.  Check the merit badge classes you are planning to take and study just a little bit.  It wouldn’t hurt to bring worksheets, a merit badge pamphlet, and your Scout Handbook to camp with you.

New Scouts will participate in the New Scout program at either Camp Bell or Hidden Valley.  If a Scout is planning to attend both weeks, then he will only do the program once.  The program will give him much of what he needs to be a First Class along with much of the Swimming and First Aid merit badges.  Troop 160 considers these two merit badges as essentials since they mean that a Scout is prepared to safely participate in outdoor events.

There will be more information as the departure date for camp approaches, but the one thing I will say now is that if you plan to drive to camp, be there on time.  Late arrivals delay check-in since we must check in as a troop.  Late arrival can also cause problems with transportation of luggage to the campsite.  It is a stiff walk from the parking lot to the campsite.