Scouting

[NorthernRedneck]

I worked one of the stations yesterday using ridge poles and lashings to make a watch tower. It wasn't about how it looked but rather to show the kids how to properly tie things together to create a strong structure. Once we were done, they were able to climb up on it one at a time.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

There goes our troop off to our final muster call. They took off arm in arm strolling to the wizard of oz tune. We joined everyone else at the traditional chapel area first for a time of reflection then over to the field area for the lowering of the flag. Before the flag was lowered, our group leader called me forward in front of all 120 people there to invest me into the group and present me with my neckerchief (official scout scarf). I was rather surprised to be invested so soon. Others have taken up to 6 months to be officially invested. I did it in less than 2.

 

[OhioTC18]

That's great Brian. Sounds like fun was had by all.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

Yes. The weather was perfect all weekend. We had I believe 6 different groups. Enough food to feed 150 people. The kids all had fun. We used parts of the camp that haven't been used in years. The camp was built back in the early 60s.

 

[Jim_S]

. I was rather surprised to be invested so soon. Others have taken up to 6 months to be officially invested. I did it in less than 2.

Easy to explain. You’ve done 6 months work in 2 months!

You need to slow down a little. You’re making the rest of us look bad.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

Lol. I'm an all or nothing guy. I always dive in with both feet.

 

[Jim_S]

Lol. I'm an all or nothing guy. I always dive in with both feet.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

So tonight is the second last meeting before breaking for the summer. And with next week being a big wind up bbq, the idea at first was to take the kids for a hike around a local man made lake on a walking trail. Then the other leader said he'd bring his 3 kayaks for the kids to try. I chimed in and said I'd bring in our 3. Somehow we ended up with 9 kayaks so the hike was scrapped and we spent the evening teaching the kids about kayaking. It was a great time.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

Scouts started up tonight. We went for a 4km hike. We have a couple of new members. This is the first time since my accident that I walked that far. I did great. My new medication is really making a difference. I've done more in the past 3 weeks than I have in 3 years.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

We did our first camp last weekend. It was cold and raining. We still had fun working on basic outdoor skills like camp stoves, knife handling, fire lighting, compass work etc.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

Now that we have the first camp out of the way and the kids know what to expect, we're going out this evening on a more challenging camp. We'll have to canoe across a small lake, portage over a short land crossing, then fight the wind on a large open lake to get to our cabin. The kids are all sleeping in tents while I get the cozy cabin with another leader.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

We headed out at 6pm. 6 canoes in total. It was a short paddle to a short portage then across a bay to the cabin. The kids slept in tents while we had the cabin. Beautiful cold fall morning. The scouts are making breakfast now.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

Good day everyone. Yesterday was cold and snowing and raining and windy which cancelled a lot of our plans for the day. We had originally planned to head out in the canoes for a bit. Instead, the 12 of us huddled in the cabin around the stove telling stories and singing campfire songs. This morning after a long sleepless night of snoring in the cabin, we packed up, made a yummy breakfast of couscous and various dried fruits and spices, then headed out on the water to our the portage taking us from one lake to another then had a 15 minute paddle to the landing. Despite the weather, we managed to teach the kids valuable lessons to survive in the outdoors.

 

[pirate_girl]

Nice Brian, but what is that last photo?
It's hard to make out on the phone.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

That last photo is a black fox that was watching me as I walked to get the truck. First time I've seen a black fox

 

[pirate_girl]

Oh ok, I see it now.
The first one looked like a cat with curved horns lmao

 

[NorthernRedneck]

Just a side note. Back in the early 90s, I was in a high school program similar to scouts. We did canoe trips in the fall and spring, winter trips, orienteering in the Bush etc. I've been wanting to get back out in the woods on a canoe trip since I was 19. Being involved with scouts has finally allowed me to do it.

 

[Jim_S]

Just a side note. Back in the early 90s, I was in a high school program similar to scouts. We did canoe trips in the fall and spring, winter trips, orienteering in the Bush etc. I've been wanting to get back out in the woods on a canoe trip since I was 19. Being involved with scouts has finally allowed me to do it.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

Scouts campfire blanket.

For a scout, the campfire blanket is a great place to display all the badges they collect. One of the other leaders in our troop has one dating back to when he was a child. They are also something that can be passed down from generation to generation. I just recently started making mine. Since I have a collection of 50+ badges to attach, there has to be an easier way to do it. I plan on trying some spray on adhesive.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

Some scouts choose to make a vest instead of a blanket. At one of the fall camps, it was announced that a long time scout had passed away and it was his request that his scouting memorabilia be passed down. Everyone at the camp entered their name into a hat and they drew names passing on all his things. I was selected to inherit the vest.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

We went to a local pool a couple weeks ago to work on aquatic skills with and without lifejackets. Last week we weren't at the meeting but they baked cookies.

Last night, we were out Christmas caroling door to door collecting food donations for a food bank. We did good. 4 boxes of food and $117 in cash donations. Not bad for a couple hours out there going door to door singing Christmas songs.

 

[pirate_girl]

This scouting stuff you do brings back a lot of memories of myself, their Dad and my boys.

You do good, Brian.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

[emoji3] thanks. I just want to give back wherever I can. This Friday might be another story however. We are doing a huge slumber party at the church we meet at every meeting. Not just the 16 scouts we have in our troop but also the 18 Cubs and 13 beavers. Should be a wild time. The kids are already talking about an all nighter staying awake party. [emoji848][emoji849][emoji31][emoji31][emoji31]

 

[bczoom]

Last night, we were out Christmas caroling door to door collecting food donations for a food bank. We did good. 4 boxes of food and $117 in cash donations. Not bad for a couple hours out there going door to door singing Christmas songs.

Is this your routine for food donations and caroling? If you're open to ideas, this is what we did and it worked out well.

For food donations, our Scouts would set up stands in front of the grocery store with signs saying they're collecting for a food bank. We would literally fill 5-6 truck beds with food during a 8-hour day.

For caroling, instead of house-to-house, we would go to retirement homes. Those folks don't have many visitors and really appreciated our visits. It was also more comfortable for the Scouts as they were indoors instead of caroling outside in the nasty weather.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

Great ideas. We will have to discuss them with the troop to see if that's an option. We also do popcorn orders as a troop fundraiser and order extra with the shipment. When they come in, we take a couple weekends at a retail store and set up a table raising money for the troop.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

We had a sleepover last night at the church we meet at regularly. The scouts, Cubs, and beavers were all there. I slept on a cott in a tiny room next to a photocopier. It was all you can eat homemade pizza and movies all night. I packed it in shortly after 11 though. We had a bunch of tired grumpy kids this morning.

Canadian eh!!!

 

[NorthernRedneck]

We've been quite busy this winter meeting every week. We did a couple weeks volunteering at our local food bank. Had a swimming night. Last week we built model rockets to be flown today out at our dog lake cabin. Some of the younger kids are only going for the day today while the leaders and senior scouts are staying overnight. It's a 3km trip across a small lake and over a portage to get to the cabin. We start out at the south end of that smaller lake and work our way to the pin drop. The kids will be snowshoeing in while myself and another leader take snowmobiles.

Canadian eh!!!

 

[NorthernRedneck]

I just got back from an overnight camp at the cabin. Lots of snow out there. We launched the model rockets on the ice. Those things fly 1500 ft high. The kids had mre army rations for lunch in the cabin then walked back to the road to be picked up. The rest of us went back to the cabin by snowmobile to have supper, relax, cut some firewood.

Last night was a little cool in the cabin as outside temperatures dropped to -25 celcius. That cabin is very basic and has lots of gaps in the walls and ceiling. It does have a wood stove that is too small in my opinion as it holds barely 3 15" long pieces of wood and needs to be restoked every 2-3 hours. This made for a long sleepless night. I was warm though as I picked up a 3 in one military sleeping system sleeping bag that's good for -50.

Canadian eh!!!

 

[NorthernRedneck]

Back in high school, I was part of an outdoors group called outers. We used to go out to a similar cabin almost every weekend. I loved it. We would hike in 7 miles to the cabin then spend 2 nights. On the second day we'd practice and perform orienteering quinzee building or similar activities including survival.

This past weekend overnight camp marked a milestone for me. Actually, more than one. But I'll get to that later. I had been wanting to go to a cabin in the woods and spend the night since high school but never got the chance. Until now that is.

That brings me to my second milestone. I grew up snowmobiling. Passionate about it putting on 2000+ miles on my sled every winter. As well as the trail grooming I used to do. Back in 2008, I had been forced so to speak to sell my snowmobile. I hadn't even sat on one since.

Well, one of the other scout leaders out there had an older snowmobile to use along with a newer one. The rest of the scouts hiked in while we rode snowmobiles hauling gear in. I was taken back to a sport I was passionate about and discovered that I can still ride. That I still love to ride. That I miss it. So next year I may have to buy one again. And make use of the summer camp.

And knowing me, I will become involved in the snowmobile club in some form. Hmmmm......[emoji848] They do have 2 br 180s here. [emoji6]

Canadian eh!!!

 

[NorthernRedneck]

So here's a project that I've been working on since the fall. Part of the scouts badges includes a sailing badge. I don't sail. None of the other leaders sail. But.....my physiotherapist sails and is part of a yacht club that does sailing races every Wednesday during the summer. I've been talking to him about taking us out sailing one night. That manifested into something bigger. He will come and give a talk to the kids one meeting then the following meeting, we are trying to get 4-5 sailboats out to take everyone on a mock race in the harbor. If we can pull it off this will be a great way to end off the scouting year before breaking for the summer.

Canadian eh!!!