ScoutSigns

Follow these Scouters!

2011-02-09T07:00:00.015-05:00

Here are the Scouters chasing the 2nd Annual 100 Days of Scouting on blogs:

...and Scouters posting only on Twitter:

I'll update as more folks check in and make their first post.

2nd Annual 100 Days of Scouting

2011-02-08T13:03:00.001-05:00

(Cake decorations by BSA licensee DecoPak through your local bakery)

This time last year, we celebrated the 100th Anniversary of Scouting with the BSA by launching the 100 Days of Scouting program.

The idea was to capture the big and little things we do every single day for Scouting--and maybe more importantly to make sure no day passed that didn't advance the cause. Each day we shared those things with you.

Tough? Youbetcha. But completely worth the effort.

Today begins the 2nd Annual 100 Days of Scouting!

I hope you will join the many dedicated Scouters who are blogging about this, reporting it on Twitter (#100daysofscouting) and sharing their love of Scouting with us.

Start here.

The Flood

2011-02-08T11:42:00.000-05:00

Our troop's PLC has planned a great campout for next weekend:

The Flood

You are camping at Wolf Gap when...a flash flood strikes! Most of your gear is swept away...

Your adult leaders are downstream fishing...You can't make contact with them.

No one at home knows you might be in trouble, and won't begin to search for you until Sunday.

What will you do? How will you survive?

Do you have the skills to keep warm, prepare food, make shelter...stay alive?

The idea was prompted by an exercise in last month's Wilderness Survival them (see Troop Program Features).

What do you think? Something your Scouts would enjoy doing?

100 Days of Scouting: Day 96 to Day 100

2010-05-18T16:13:00.005-04:00

Well, the end is here.

100 Days of Scouting (and effort) have been tied up. There are other Scouters following along, completing their own 100 Days trails. Catch the spirit of Scouting--whether is is for 100 days or a lifetime!

Final days:
Day 96
Day 97
Day 98
Day 99
Day 100

...now back to the regular Scoutsigns blog.

100 Days of Scouting: Day 91 to Day 95

2010-05-13T16:07:00.000-04:00

Paperwork.

Advancement forms, merit badge cards, new Scout applications, committee meetings. We are not always as "Leave No Trace" as we would like. But it all happens to make Scouting move along.

More days:
Day 91
Day 92
Day 93
Day 94
Day 95

Blogging could be considered a form of paperwork, too! But at least it is very LNT!

100 Days of Scouting: Day 86 to Day 90

2010-05-08T15:58:00.001-04:00

Camping is on the brain this week: campouts, service on campouts, Camping merit badge.

There truly is so much to do and so little time.

More days:
Day 86
Day 87
Day 88
Day 89
Day 90

When in doubt, camp it out. Nothing like a camping trip to clear the mind of noise. Even with Scouts.

100 Days of Scouting: Day 81 to Day 85

2010-05-03T20:52:00.001-04:00

The end is near.

Each day that passes, the 100 Days project draws closer to the end. I keep waiting for someone to offer me a small fortune to live on so that I can do Scouting full time.

You have to have dreams.

More days:
Day 81
Day 82
Day 83
Day 84
Day 85

What are your dreams for Scouting? What would you change if you could? What would you add?

100 Days of Scouting: Day 76 to Day 80

2010-04-29T08:38:00.002-04:00

Anyone every notice how much driving is involved in Scouting? I keep an old 15 passenger van simply because it is the easiest way to move a lot of Scouts and their stuff.

And it is paid for. But "The Beast" is getting old, and that will present a new slate of problems in the future.

More days:

Day 76
Day 77
Day 78
Day 79
Day 80

How many miles do you drive for Scouting? Enough to keep track of for your taxes?

100 Days of Scouting: Day 71 to Day 75

2010-04-23T21:48:00.000-04:00

Hit the three-quarters mark today!

That means that many of you have been reading along for over 2 months now---and I appreciate it. Scouting takes a lot of effort, and reading other people's ideas feeds the fire

More days:
Day 71
Day 72
Day 73
Day 74
Day 75

From field trips to thinking, Scouting takes a lot of effort. Stick with it! The results are worth it.

100 Days of Scouting: Day 66 to Day 70

2010-04-19T21:32:00.009-04:00

I really like the Centennial rank badges. Whether for Cub Scouts or Boy Scouts, having that "2010" on it signifies something special.

This whole season of Scouting is something special. The Scouts we have in our pack, troops and crews now will be in their 50s and late 60s when the sesquicentennial rolls around--older than many of us are now.

The rest of us? Waiving from the floats in the parades! I plan on sticking around to see it!

More days:
Day 66
Day 67
Day 68
Day 69
Day 70

Young or old, each day we spend on Scouting creates another brick in the foundation for the future. Doing your best?

100 Days of Scouting: Day 61 to Day 65

2010-04-13T21:25:00.004-04:00

More Scouters keep commenting on 100 Days, and some are even joining in.

It is great to be a part of something that is helping to keep Scouting a part of daily life. Kind of like going to church on Sunday versus living like every day was a church day!

More days:

Do you treat Scouting like something special? Do you try to be a good Scout yourself...no matter how old you are?

100 Days of Scouting: Day 56 to Day 60

2010-04-08T21:07:00.018-04:00

100 Days is well past the halfway mark now.

This is a busy time of the year. Webelos Scouts moving to the troop. Summer camp questions almost every day. And pack meetings...never forget the energy and stress that go into making a good pack meeting.

More days:

What keeps you motivated for each day of Scouting?

100 Days of Scouting: Day 51 to Day 55

2010-04-04T17:30:00.000-04:00

Despite the picture, Scouting isn't all fun and games.

But it is a lot of fun. The 100 Days of Scouting is humming right along, cruising into the last few weeks. We have so much planned that is going to make it into the list!

More days:

Spring is in full swing--how are you taking advantage of it to help build Scouting? Tell us about it in the comments!

April Fools Day

2010-04-01T17:02:00.000-04:00

April Fools Day is upon us.

I was burned once pretty publicly and don't care to repeat it for anyone else.

A Scout is Kind.

Not that I mind being fooled in the comfort of my own laptop though...;-)

100 Days of Scouting: Day 46 to Day 50

2010-03-31T16:58:00.000-04:00

Yes, I just needed an excuse to put up the picture of this awesome locomotive.

The mid-point of the 100 Days have come and gone, and I was too busy to make sure it got posted properly on Scoutsigns.

More days:

Share your thoughts--have you been following the 100 Days of Scouting challenge? Seen anything you like or found anything to be useful to your Scouting situation? Tell me all about it in the comments! Your opinion matters!

100 Days of Scouting: Day 41 to Day 45

2010-03-25T15:25:00.000-04:00

Hard to believe that the mid-point of this 100 Days of Scouting challenge is right around the corner.

I've picked up some great ideas from other 100 Days bloggers, as well as from the comments left behind.

Hardly a day goes by that I don't learn something new about Scouting. And don't get me started on the Venturing program.

More days:
Day 41
Day 42
Day 43
Day 44
Day 45

So what did you learn about Scouting today? Tell us! And then we'll know, too.

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal--Video 3

2010-03-25T13:12:00.000-04:00

The Paw Paw Tunnel is a popular part of the Canal. Over 3000 feet long and hand-tunneled in the early 19th century.

The C&O Canal Trust has a work day going on near here in early May. Across the border in West Virginia appears to be a large campground for the public.

Today's post has the last of the 3 part series filmed in 1917, as the boat works its way from Cumberland MD to Georgetown, DC.

Enjoy!

Part 3:

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal--Video 2

2010-03-24T12:57:00.000-04:00

C&O Canal Trust

The C&O Canal Trust helps to coordinate the public and needs of the C&O. They recently opened 3 of the lockhouses to the public for overnight stays.

Yesterday, I showed you Part 1 of a video series filmed by Thomas A. Edison, Inc. This silent film gives you an idea of life on the canal in 1917.

Part 2:

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal--Video 1

2010-03-23T12:56:00.000-04:00

Anyone who knows me, knows that I have a soft spot for the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal.

Recently, we just avoided being flooded out by hours.

The C&O Canal Trust just posted 122 pictures of the flood damage done. #41 is where our Scout van was parked, under about 4 feet of water.

Well, today they posted a series of videos found on Youtube of the C&O--filmed by Thomas Edison in 1917. I'll post one today, one tomorrow and one the day after.

It truly is a great place to spend your Scouting time, if you can. Bike, backpack, canoe, kayak, or hike--there are a lot of ways to enjoy it.

You can even still ride a canal boat for part of it!

Here's Part 1:

100 Days of Scouting: Day 36 to Day 40

2010-03-22T17:09:00.000-04:00

We have 6 Webelos Scouts crossing over to our troop in a couple of weeks. Our SPL has been working with them this month to get them formed into a patrol--picked a leader, make a flag, and still working on the patrol yell.

Each one of them will receive the new BSA Handbook when they come across that bridge. Most of our older Scouts still have the older version, so this will be a real mark of distinction. That, and the height.

More days:

We are rapidly approaching the mid-point of our 100 Days experience. What have you learned about yourself so far? Please comment and let us know.

Weekend Patrol Box #31

2010-03-19T15:51:00.000-04:00

This Weekend Patrol Box begins with the weather.

We have had a lot of it lately. Everything from having our Klondike camporee snowed out (and re-scheduled for early April) to being run out of the C&O on a backpacking trip.

Definitely make the succession plan a reality--I listened to a really big tree fall over about 30 feet from my tent, due to rain softening the river bank.

This weekend, I'm traveling to take training--looks like I will be joining a BSA Camp Visitation Team. The weather looks great for a change and I can't wait to get out and do some SUNNY Scouting.

Enjoy the Patrol Box--and share it with your friends and Scouters!

100 Days of Scouting turned 40 today! Comments are dropping a bit, and their are several bloggers doing it now. Stop by and leave a note!
Nuts for Scouting--we turned our first order in today. Have you done this fundraiser before? How did it go?
Knot Master Training--this looks like a lot of fun. I showed it to the SPL, who wants to get the PLC to agree to it this Sunday. Crossing my fingers. Courtesy of Troop 994.
Tanner H from Columbus OH--This Scout needs to share his tips with the rest of us. Over $60,000 i popcorn sales? Crazy (in a good way).
Boy's Life has a new message board for Eagle Scout project ideas.
I keep waiting for one of my Scouts to try this: Ride the Divide. Scroll down and watch the 2 minute video--yes, that is a really big bear. (Adventure Cycling)
Scouts Canada video--grand fun!
Pee Wee's Paper Airplane Hangar--fun from Boy's Life online, and goes with this months BSA Cub Scout theme: Take Flight
Very Cub Scout friendly bird feeder--115 people checked this out on Twitter when I forwarded.
What a better way to celebrate the Vernal Equinox tomorrow? Turkey in a Can, of course.

This is a busy time of the year, with a lot on my plate. The pack, troop and our new crew are all firing up for a great spring and summer. How about you? Comment below, or tweet away.

100 Days of Scouting: Day 31 to Day 35

2010-03-15T15:33:00.000-04:00

100 Days of Scouting about came to a screeching halt the other night.

We have had a lot of rain lately, causing the Potomac River to rise to flood stages. Before that happened we were camping along side of it.

A really big tree fell very close by my tent. The answer to the old joke about whether a tree makes any noise when it falls in the woods? Answer: Not much, especially when it lands in several feet of water! At 30 feet, I expected a LOT more noise.

More days:

Do you have your succession plan in order? That would be a great thing to do for Scouting today! Don't be nervous--just out there and join the 100 Days project! Comments or Twitter.

C&O flooding

2010-03-15T07:48:00.000-04:00

Anyone who reads this blog, realizes before long that our troop has a soft-spot for the C&O Canal. 184.5 miles of great backpacking or cycling fun.

Except when it isn't.

This is an excerpt from the C&O Canal Trust website:

C&O Canal Declares Flood Emergency

Flood Warning

Expected heavy rainfall during the weekend of March 12-14, 2010 may result in major flooding along sections of the C&O Canal. The Potomac River is expected to reach flood stage in all areas of the park between Saturday, March 13 and Tuesday, March 16, 2010. Park visitors are asked to use extreme caution during periods of high water. Hikers and bikers planning to use campgrounds along the canal are advised to seek alternate accommodations. Area closures are anticipated. For updates call the C&O Canal Flood Information Line at 1-888-445-0023.

Yep, this is how our backpacking trip this weekend ended early.

I woke up at 5:15AM with the sound of a tree falling over about 30 feet from my tent. It fell with a splash as the Potomac River had moved up the banks considerably overnight. We were never in any danger from the water, but the ground was so soaked that a lot of trees were going.

We watched one old oak with a trunk at least 6 feet in diameter floating down the middle of the river.

A quick call home confirmed that the threat of flooding was more likely, so we skipped "Plan B"--hike out 11 miles to Sunday's pick up point on Saturday night--and went straight to "Plan C"--break camp, backpack back to the Blue Beast and bug out. 3 hours and 4.5 miles later, we were safely navigating the back roads to civilization again.

There were a lot of trees and branches down.

This was still a great adventure for the troop, several of which had never been backpacking before. Definitely a steep learning curve!

Glad to be home.

Ever had a Scouting near-catastrophe? Share in the comments!

100 Days of Scouting: Day 26 to Day 30

2010-03-10T07:47:00.001-05:00

Amazon

The 100 Days of Scouting project is clearing the first mountain--a whole month or a third done, depending on how you look at it.

And how are you looking at it? Have you gotten any ideas? Been inspired by some of the other bloggers? Taken action on your own? Shared with your Scouts and Scouters?

More days:

If not you, who? If not now, when? Make the difference in the life of a child.

Scouts Canada Good Turn

2010-03-09T16:47:00.001-05:00

From Twitter @scoutfocus