You want to change the focus? Fine, then change the name.
"Baden-Powell undone as today's Scouts are told: Forget the knot-tying and earn badges in IT and public relations."
If you work really hard you can even become an Eagle Clerk.
Showing posts with label scouts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scouts. Show all posts
Monday, November 03, 2014
Friday, August 22, 2014
Today's Biographical Sketch
Horace Kephart.
Kephart was an outdoor writer of the early 20th century. He's associated with Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which he advocated to the US government when it was still just mountain wilderness. The Boy Scouts troop in Bryson City, North Carolina is named in Kephart's honor. His noteworthy books include Camping and Woodcraft and Our Southern Highlanders.
Pic:
Quote: "The scrotum of a buck, tanned with the hair on, makes a fine tobacco-pouch." (Camping and Woodcraft)
Kephart was an outdoor writer of the early 20th century. He's associated with Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which he advocated to the US government when it was still just mountain wilderness. The Boy Scouts troop in Bryson City, North Carolina is named in Kephart's honor. His noteworthy books include Camping and Woodcraft and Our Southern Highlanders.
Pic:
Quote: "The scrotum of a buck, tanned with the hair on, makes a fine tobacco-pouch." (Camping and Woodcraft)
Wednesday, September 04, 2013
Is a Bear Catholic? Does a Pope Sh*t In the Woods?
The answer to that question would be "No," and "Maybe, if the Pope were to go on a camping trip with the Scouts of St. George," a new Catholic organization based on the Boy Scouts:
A little further under the radar, another scouting group has quickly grown from the vision of one man and, while it's not having a big convention in September, it's sending troops out into the wilderness to sharpen their outdoor skills and practice their faith.
On May 24, Texas outdoorsman, college chancellor/professor, Eagle Scout, and father of seven (including four boys) Dr. Taylor Marshall (pictured) announced on his blog, Canterbury Tales, his intention to create a new group. It was to be built on the principles set out by BSA founder Robert Baden-Powell in 1908, who chose St. George—the dragon-slaying patron saint of his native Britain—as also the patron of young men seeking strength and virtue.
Along with traditional scouting activities, Taylor wanted the group to also emphasize his faith, as a former Episcopalian priest who converted to Roman Catholicism.
In a few short months, the Scouts of St. George has become a reality, with troops springing up—largely but not necessarily connected to Catholic parishes—around the country and overseas. The first camp-out for a SSG troop happened the weekend of Aug. 24, but the bulk of the current troops' first outdoors adventures will come during September.
"Our campout," says Marshall, "for Troop 1 and Troop 5, Dallas and North Fort Worth, we're are going to go out Sept. 6 and 8. We're going to have a couple priests and deacon; we'll have Mass, rosary both nights, Angelus prayer. It'll be great; it'll be so much fun."
Such an organization will be a fat target for the scorn of the Left, with questions about merit badges for pedophilia being only the most obvious avenue of attack. This new organization is obviously a response to the continuing attacks on the Boy Scouts of America by the gay and atheist lobbies, and designed to prevent either of those lobbies from entry:
One of the chief concerns Marshall has been dealing with is the concept of the SSG as being exclusive to one faith.
"That's been the most controversial," he says, "but I've stood by my guns on this. We are a Catholic organization; we do hold to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, so everything they teach, we hold. And the membership is Catholic. Of course, we realize that every boy's father is not Catholic, but those fathers are welcome to join us and be part of what we're doing.
So by being openly a Catholic-only organization, atheists - - no matter how virtuous - - are excluded, and the language about "the Magisterium of the Catholic Church" means that non-celibate gay boys would not be admitted, either, and nominally celibate gay boys that joined the group would be expelled if they were caught engaging in homosexual acts. Or perhaps, like certain orders of monks, they would have to publicly confess their sins and be subject to corporal punishment.
I can't imagine this new organization will go very far. The level of scrutiny it will receive will be extreme, and any missteps trumpeted far beyond reality by a hostile media.
A little further under the radar, another scouting group has quickly grown from the vision of one man and, while it's not having a big convention in September, it's sending troops out into the wilderness to sharpen their outdoor skills and practice their faith.
On May 24, Texas outdoorsman, college chancellor/professor, Eagle Scout, and father of seven (including four boys) Dr. Taylor Marshall (pictured) announced on his blog, Canterbury Tales, his intention to create a new group. It was to be built on the principles set out by BSA founder Robert Baden-Powell in 1908, who chose St. George—the dragon-slaying patron saint of his native Britain—as also the patron of young men seeking strength and virtue.
Along with traditional scouting activities, Taylor wanted the group to also emphasize his faith, as a former Episcopalian priest who converted to Roman Catholicism.
In a few short months, the Scouts of St. George has become a reality, with troops springing up—largely but not necessarily connected to Catholic parishes—around the country and overseas. The first camp-out for a SSG troop happened the weekend of Aug. 24, but the bulk of the current troops' first outdoors adventures will come during September.
"Our campout," says Marshall, "for Troop 1 and Troop 5, Dallas and North Fort Worth, we're are going to go out Sept. 6 and 8. We're going to have a couple priests and deacon; we'll have Mass, rosary both nights, Angelus prayer. It'll be great; it'll be so much fun."
Such an organization will be a fat target for the scorn of the Left, with questions about merit badges for pedophilia being only the most obvious avenue of attack. This new organization is obviously a response to the continuing attacks on the Boy Scouts of America by the gay and atheist lobbies, and designed to prevent either of those lobbies from entry:
One of the chief concerns Marshall has been dealing with is the concept of the SSG as being exclusive to one faith.
"That's been the most controversial," he says, "but I've stood by my guns on this. We are a Catholic organization; we do hold to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, so everything they teach, we hold. And the membership is Catholic. Of course, we realize that every boy's father is not Catholic, but those fathers are welcome to join us and be part of what we're doing.
So by being openly a Catholic-only organization, atheists - - no matter how virtuous - - are excluded, and the language about "the Magisterium of the Catholic Church" means that non-celibate gay boys would not be admitted, either, and nominally celibate gay boys that joined the group would be expelled if they were caught engaging in homosexual acts. Or perhaps, like certain orders of monks, they would have to publicly confess their sins and be subject to corporal punishment.
I can't imagine this new organization will go very far. The level of scrutiny it will receive will be extreme, and any missteps trumpeted far beyond reality by a hostile media.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
If You Bring a Lester Maddox Memorial Axe Handle To the Boy Scout Camping Trip...
...you might be a redneck:
Went on a Scout Camping trip with son's troop last night. Sleeping on the ground was bad enough but this morning we went trail bike riding and I am beat.
What has this got to do with "Drum Major?"
Well the boys trucked in fire wood to this state park that does not allow even foraging for wood and were attempting to build a fire using wood they had split a few weeks back with a machine splitter....the smallest chunks being maybe three pounds and a hand full. No tender.....no what we insensitive old farts called Squaw wood.
They attempted to light the fires by stuffing a teepee stack with paper. Several handfuls of useless white ash later I could stand it no more.
Nope, not one adult had brought an axe, hatchet, machete or Big Honking knife.
I took my old Spiderco Endura that some more long term folks might remember I broke the tip on pulling fence staple in an emergency and.....wait for it..... batoned myself a pile of splinters and thin strips and pencil sized bits. I used my Lester Maddox Memorial axe handle I keep in the back of the truck( lost my actual Pick mattock handle years back and found this axe handle) to drive the blade of the Spyderco through a few hunks of Oak.
Bad for knife or not bad, example for the boys or not, we had an actual fire with in two minutes of lighting my batoned wood with those big split pieces "involved."
Glad I knew how to do it and had experience at it or we would have had no smoores or shiskabob last night.
For you younger readers, Lester Maddox was the Governor of Georgia once upon a time, he was also a racist restaurant owner who, when the civil rights movement meant that blacks might enter his Pic-Rick Restaurant, threatened them with an axe handle. He later sold replicas of the axe handle in the restaurant gift shop.
Went on a Scout Camping trip with son's troop last night. Sleeping on the ground was bad enough but this morning we went trail bike riding and I am beat.
What has this got to do with "Drum Major?"
Well the boys trucked in fire wood to this state park that does not allow even foraging for wood and were attempting to build a fire using wood they had split a few weeks back with a machine splitter....the smallest chunks being maybe three pounds and a hand full. No tender.....no what we insensitive old farts called Squaw wood.
They attempted to light the fires by stuffing a teepee stack with paper. Several handfuls of useless white ash later I could stand it no more.
Nope, not one adult had brought an axe, hatchet, machete or Big Honking knife.
I took my old Spiderco Endura that some more long term folks might remember I broke the tip on pulling fence staple in an emergency and.....wait for it..... batoned myself a pile of splinters and thin strips and pencil sized bits. I used my Lester Maddox Memorial axe handle I keep in the back of the truck( lost my actual Pick mattock handle years back and found this axe handle) to drive the blade of the Spyderco through a few hunks of Oak.
Bad for knife or not bad, example for the boys or not, we had an actual fire with in two minutes of lighting my batoned wood with those big split pieces "involved."
Glad I knew how to do it and had experience at it or we would have had no smoores or shiskabob last night.
For you younger readers, Lester Maddox was the Governor of Georgia once upon a time, he was also a racist restaurant owner who, when the civil rights movement meant that blacks might enter his Pic-Rick Restaurant, threatened them with an axe handle. He later sold replicas of the axe handle in the restaurant gift shop.
Saturday, February 02, 2013
Gillespie On Scouting
Nick Gillespie, editor of Reason magazine, talks about what the Boy Scouts did for him (he's an Eagle), and what the future might hold for Scouting if the organization allows gay Scouts.
No, I wasn't a Scout, other than one year of Cubs. I always did like the idea of pioneering and survival; one of my favorite childhood books was The Swiss Family Robinson.
No, I wasn't a Scout, other than one year of Cubs. I always did like the idea of pioneering and survival; one of my favorite childhood books was The Swiss Family Robinson.
Wednesday, October 03, 2012
At the NC Fair This Year...
...the hot-oil taste treat is deep-fried Girl Scout Cookies:
Scott Strother with S2 Concessions has partnered with the North Carolina Coastal Pines chapter of the Girl Scouts to offer the deep-fried Caramel deLites, or the cookie formerly known as Samoas. (The partnership marks the girl scouts' 100th anniversary.)
Strother admits he was inspired by a vendor at the Texas State Fair, who also introduced deep-fried Caramel deLites this year although Strother says his method is a different. Strother says he freezes the cookies for 24 hours, dips them in batter and briefly deep fries them. "It melts in your mouth," Strother reports.
Scott Strother with S2 Concessions has partnered with the North Carolina Coastal Pines chapter of the Girl Scouts to offer the deep-fried Caramel deLites, or the cookie formerly known as Samoas. (The partnership marks the girl scouts' 100th anniversary.)
Strother admits he was inspired by a vendor at the Texas State Fair, who also introduced deep-fried Caramel deLites this year although Strother says his method is a different. Strother says he freezes the cookies for 24 hours, dips them in batter and briefly deep fries them. "It melts in your mouth," Strother reports.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Scouting Undergoing Renaissance In UK
Story.
Increase in number of Scouts due to allowing female Scouts, modernising the uniform, updating Merit Badge activities with such things as snowboarding and abseiling, and installing Bear Grylls as Chief Scout.
Increase in number of Scouts due to allowing female Scouts, modernising the uniform, updating Merit Badge activities with such things as snowboarding and abseiling, and installing Bear Grylls as Chief Scout.
Monday, June 06, 2011
Boy Scout Knives
A couple of pics of some of my Boy Scout pattern knives. I was never much into scouting, other than a single year of Cub Scouts, but I've always loved the knives. It's one of the most useful folding knife patterns available. If you take into account Swiss Army knives, which are nothing but fancier versions of the Boy Scout pattern, then it's probably the most popular knife pattern in the world.
Anyway, here's a pic of four of mine:
Three of these are genuine Boy Scout knives featuring markings identifying them as such. From top to bottom:
An old Ulster knife I purchased off of eBay. Rather rusty when I got it, I cleaned it up a bit.
Two Remington reproductions from 2009 and 2010. These are still available online at various places, I bought mine from Smoky Mountain Knife Works. They are reproductions of 1924-era Boy Scout knives.
The bottom knife is my Every Day Carry (EDC) knife, made by Keen Kutter.
The two Remington knives have a very old-fashioned two-piece can opener that isn't usually made any more, because the one-piece hook can opener is stronger and more efficient. If you purchase one of these Remington reproductions, you should probably grind off part of the thumb flange used to open the can opener so that it doesn't rip your pocket up:
Left: Unaltered Knife. Right: Altered For Pocket Carry.
Anyway, here's a pic of four of mine:
Three of these are genuine Boy Scout knives featuring markings identifying them as such. From top to bottom:
An old Ulster knife I purchased off of eBay. Rather rusty when I got it, I cleaned it up a bit.
Two Remington reproductions from 2009 and 2010. These are still available online at various places, I bought mine from Smoky Mountain Knife Works. They are reproductions of 1924-era Boy Scout knives.
The bottom knife is my Every Day Carry (EDC) knife, made by Keen Kutter.
The two Remington knives have a very old-fashioned two-piece can opener that isn't usually made any more, because the one-piece hook can opener is stronger and more efficient. If you purchase one of these Remington reproductions, you should probably grind off part of the thumb flange used to open the can opener so that it doesn't rip your pocket up:
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
At Christ Covenant Church Here In Matthews, NC...
...Mormons just ain't quite Christian enough to serve as leaders in the church-sponsored Cub Scout program.
Which is sad for the family involved, but probably happy news for all you Glen Beck haters out there (and you know who you are).
Which is sad for the family involved, but probably happy news for all you Glen Beck haters out there (and you know who you are).
Monday, October 18, 2010
Wouldn't It Be A Great Idea...
...if trails in the wilderness were marked in such a way that a person hiking could use a trail marker as a reference point when calling for emergency help? Especially if those trail markers were input into the local 911 calling system, so that emergency workers would know exactly where to go to help the injured person?
A Boy Scout had such an idea, and made it happen in Guilford County, North Carolina.
A Boy Scout had such an idea, and made it happen in Guilford County, North Carolina.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Shelby Eagle Scout Saves Drowning Girl
The little girl was caught in a rip current at Edisto Beach, SC.
Well done to 19-year-old Alan Riggs.
Well done to 19-year-old Alan Riggs.
Sunday, August 01, 2010
Boy Scouts In The 21st Century
How do they stay relevant? An article from The New York Times.
The Times, of course, seems to come down on making the Boy scouts less "exclusionary," which means admitting girls, gays, and atheists. From what I've read in Scout-oriented blogs, the most difficult thing about the tradition in the 21st century is finding adults willing to take the responsibility of becoming Scout leaders. It's a responsibility few want to take on.
As for girls entering Boy Scouts, I'd think that the preferable course is to reform Girl Scouts to make it more comparable to Boy Scouts, rather than force change on Boy Scouts.
The Times, of course, seems to come down on making the Boy scouts less "exclusionary," which means admitting girls, gays, and atheists. From what I've read in Scout-oriented blogs, the most difficult thing about the tradition in the 21st century is finding adults willing to take the responsibility of becoming Scout leaders. It's a responsibility few want to take on.
As for girls entering Boy Scouts, I'd think that the preferable course is to reform Girl Scouts to make it more comparable to Boy Scouts, rather than force change on Boy Scouts.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Paul Theroux On Boy Scouts
The world-famous novelist/travel writer, himself an Eagle Scout, contributes a fine op/ed to The New York Times on the Boy Scout movement, and calls for admission of gay and atheists youths to the ranks of scouts.
I can still recite the Scout Oath (“On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty...”), and the 12 points of the Scout Law (“A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful ...”); but I equivocate, because when I was a scout the abstractions of “values and ideals” mattered less to me than simply getting out of the house and away from the folks. Troop 25 in Medford, Mass., showed me how to make that elemental move.
We were only incidentally committed to being “physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.” We were black, white, thin, fat, rich and poor and united in being geeks. We rather disliked our uniforms. We knew we were different. Not one of us was good at throwing a ball or swinging a bat. Though we lived in suburban Boston, with its two Major League Baseball teams, I doubt that any of us could name a single player.
But we were keenly aware that being a Boy Scout allowed us to shoot guns, build fires and take overnight camping trips on our own. In every sense it was revenge of the nerds. You have a curve ball; I can hit a bull’s-eye with my .22.
Stifled by the hearty and the homoerotic in jock culture, I found refuge in the Boy Scouts, and an outlet for my love of hiking and swimming and solitude. It was important for me to separate myself from my parents. While other mothers and fathers cheered on their children at ballgames, we were on our own — two or three of us on an all-day hike, or target shooting up at the Stoneham sandpits.
Even Scout camp involved minimal authority, and its relative chaos was salutary. I earned badges for rowing and sailing — skills that have served me to this day. My lifesaving badges and Red Cross certification not only got me jobs at ponds and swimming pools in the Boston area, but enabled me, over the years, to rescue a number of hapless swimmers. The summer beach and the wooded path were as formative in making me a writer as the public library.
Occasionally we scouts operated as a team; but most of the time individual effort was what mattered. My heroes were explorers, mountain climbers and lone sailors (they still are) and my fantasy life revolved around bushwhacking and jungle ordeals (it probably still does).
Read the whole thing.
I can still recite the Scout Oath (“On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty...”), and the 12 points of the Scout Law (“A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful ...”); but I equivocate, because when I was a scout the abstractions of “values and ideals” mattered less to me than simply getting out of the house and away from the folks. Troop 25 in Medford, Mass., showed me how to make that elemental move.
We were only incidentally committed to being “physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.” We were black, white, thin, fat, rich and poor and united in being geeks. We rather disliked our uniforms. We knew we were different. Not one of us was good at throwing a ball or swinging a bat. Though we lived in suburban Boston, with its two Major League Baseball teams, I doubt that any of us could name a single player.
But we were keenly aware that being a Boy Scout allowed us to shoot guns, build fires and take overnight camping trips on our own. In every sense it was revenge of the nerds. You have a curve ball; I can hit a bull’s-eye with my .22.
Stifled by the hearty and the homoerotic in jock culture, I found refuge in the Boy Scouts, and an outlet for my love of hiking and swimming and solitude. It was important for me to separate myself from my parents. While other mothers and fathers cheered on their children at ballgames, we were on our own — two or three of us on an all-day hike, or target shooting up at the Stoneham sandpits.
Even Scout camp involved minimal authority, and its relative chaos was salutary. I earned badges for rowing and sailing — skills that have served me to this day. My lifesaving badges and Red Cross certification not only got me jobs at ponds and swimming pools in the Boston area, but enabled me, over the years, to rescue a number of hapless swimmers. The summer beach and the wooded path were as formative in making me a writer as the public library.
Occasionally we scouts operated as a team; but most of the time individual effort was what mattered. My heroes were explorers, mountain climbers and lone sailors (they still are) and my fantasy life revolved around bushwhacking and jungle ordeals (it probably still does).
Read the whole thing.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
121 Merit Badges
Eagle Scout Michael Liebig has 'em.
Pic:
Is it possible to actually wear that many simultaneously? Congratulations and well done, in any event.
Pic:
Is it possible to actually wear that many simultaneously? Congratulations and well done, in any event.
Monday, February 08, 2010
Friday, December 11, 2009
She Was Tutoring Him...
...on the ins and outs required to get his Fornication Merit Badge.
A 39-year-old female Boy Scout Leader was found in bed with one of her 15-year-old charges.
Ah, well. As bad as that sounds, it's not as bad as a male Boy Scout leader being found in bed with one of his charges. Sorry if that makes me sound homophobic.
A 39-year-old female Boy Scout Leader was found in bed with one of her 15-year-old charges.
Ah, well. As bad as that sounds, it's not as bad as a male Boy Scout leader being found in bed with one of his charges. Sorry if that makes me sound homophobic.
Sunday, September 06, 2009
UK Boy Scouts Banned From Carrying Knives
Story.
Damn, when will thecitizens subjects of UK get tired of being treated like bad little children and rise up against this bullshit oppression?
h/t Ace of Spades HQ Top Headlines.
Damn, when will the
h/t Ace of Spades HQ Top Headlines.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Armed Boy Scouts Vs. Iraq Vets
Training the Obama Youth against right-wing extremism.
IMPERIAL, Calif. — Ten minutes into arrant mayhem in this town near the Mexican border, and the gunman, a disgruntled Iraq war veteran, has already taken out two people, one slumped in his desk, the other covered in blood on the floor.
The responding officers — eight teenage boys and girls, the youngest 14 — face tripwire, a thin cloud of poisonous gas and loud shots — BAM! BAM! — fired from behind a flimsy wall. They move quickly, pellet guns drawn and masks affixed.
“United States Border Patrol! Put your hands up!” screams one in a voice cracking with adolescent determination as the suspect is subdued.
IMPERIAL, Calif. — Ten minutes into arrant mayhem in this town near the Mexican border, and the gunman, a disgruntled Iraq war veteran, has already taken out two people, one slumped in his desk, the other covered in blood on the floor.
The responding officers — eight teenage boys and girls, the youngest 14 — face tripwire, a thin cloud of poisonous gas and loud shots — BAM! BAM! — fired from behind a flimsy wall. They move quickly, pellet guns drawn and masks affixed.
“United States Border Patrol! Put your hands up!” screams one in a voice cracking with adolescent determination as the suspect is subdued.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Baden-Powell Would Glow With Pride
A brother and sister credit their Scout training with giving them a leg up in the US Air Force.
That is exactly as Robert Baden-Powell intended when he first advanced the idea of Scouting.
That is exactly as Robert Baden-Powell intended when he first advanced the idea of Scouting.
Monday, December 29, 2008
An Over-Achieving Scout
A Boy Scout from Long Island has earned all 121 merit badges that are offered by the Scouts.
An incredible record. Only 21 merit badges are required to make Eagle Scout.
Well done, young man.
An incredible record. Only 21 merit badges are required to make Eagle Scout.
Well done, young man.
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