Healthy Troop

There are many tell tale signs of how healthy a Boy Scout Troop is, in delivering the program. Recharter numbers, advancement reports, Roundtable attendance, active at District and Council events, but the #1 sign is if they go to Summer Camp or not.

We had our final payment for McKee last night and it looks like we have at least 11 and maybe 2 more youth going this year. That is about 80% (including Staff guys) which is good, but it is the other 20% that bothers me.

It is almost impossible for a Troop to offer some of the Merit Badges that you can get at Summer Camp. The experience in itself is priceless.

I just know, six months from now, I'm going to be asked "Why didn't my son get his 2nd Class?" (That person didn't hear my 2 speeches, didn't pay attention to the Camp promo DVD, and ignored my 3 letters.)

I'll just look down and back up, straight into their eyes and say, "He missed Summer Camp at McKee".

BP Art

Our founder was quite an accomplished artist. He did most of the drawings in "Scouting for Boys", as well as various other water color and oil works. I wonder where the originals are? You don't see them on Ebay!

I found a copy of this the other other day entitled "Scouts of the World -- Brothers Together" a water-color painting by Robert Baden-Powell from a pen and ink drawing in Aids to Scoutmastership, 1919.

Flags (left to right). China, U.S.A., Spain, Great Britain, France, Lithuania, Denmark, Italy, World Scout Flag, Finland, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Ireland, Japan.

Truly, a timeless piece of art.

Memorial Day

Rembering all of those who are and have served.

God Bless the USA!

Take 1 for the Team

I mentioned working on Camp Staff earlier this week and it made me go digging. I found this picture of me way back in 1982 when I was working at Seboomook Base for the Maine National High Adventure Area.

I had never worked at Summer Camp and I tried Philmont and Sea Base, but they wouldn't hire me. The only offer I got was Maine, so off I went. It was truly a life changing experience, getting to work with some of the finest Scouts and Scouters in the Country.

Andy Smith, Will Hogg, and Alex Hill will be representing the Hills this summer at McKee. Will Goff and Aaron Shepherd are doing CIT and I hope they all like Staff life. I did.

Oh, by the way, notice the belt I'm wearing in the picture? I still wear it today and in the same hole.

Maps

If I am going any where, I have to get a map before hand and study it. Heck, if there is any kind of map to look at, I can spend hours studying it.

Another worthless random skill I have, is that I can look at a map, and for some strange reason it gets burned into my memory. Now, I can't remember names, dates, or any numbers, but I can tell you how to get around London now.

Basically, I can't tell you who you are, when you were born, or what your phone number is, but I can "tell you where to go"!

Super Campers

In the past 38 months we have had 59 camp outs for a total of 125 nights. Not bad for a rag tag bunch from the hills.

However, with McKee Staff positions and World Jamboree nights, I've got some guys that are going to be logging some serious numbers this summer.

Through TroopMaster and my calculations, these guys will be Super Campers by the end of the summer:

Devan Allara 88 nights

Viet Pham 108 nights

Don Combs 115 nights

Will Goff 130 nights

Will Hogg 135 nights

Andy Smith 162 nights

It warms an old Scoutmaster's heart to see Scouts work on Camp Staff and continue the tradition. It wears out knees to take them to England!

Kentucky Patch Collectors

These items were handed out Sunday at our Shake Down. They are "special gifts" from our Scoutmaster, Douglas Wagoner. There weren't many made, so they will be tough to trade for.

Hey, after $4,000 +, we deserve something exclusive!

WJ Shake Down

We all survived the last meeting before we go to England. Troop 211's pre-WJ Shake Down Camp Out was the perfect camp out, in my mind.

Volunteers from all over KY and southern IN gathered to help our 35 youth to better prepare for the WJ, and they did great! Training sessions, gateway, games, food, campfire, church service, and even the weather was wonderful.

It was a tight schedule by design, but I think everyone came away with a better understanding of what to do and not do. More importantly, the event built excitement.

It was "the perfect camp out" in my mind, because it was the largest and most complicated event that I've ever had to put together and in my opinion it went over well.

I'm glad it is over. Now, lets go to England boys!

Circle is Complete, Almost

Last night rocked! ZZ Top was great. Karen and the kids like them too. It really is nice to finally have a place where we can get some shows and not have to drive forever.

Back when I worked in Maine, one of my best buddies was from Texas and LOVED ZZ Top. He had his car up there and when ever we went on a road trip, he would crank it up. Raul Rendon, was a self proclaimed "Texican". Half Texas; half Mexican.

Raul loved the BSA and was active as an Assistant Scoutmaster in his small town of Hondo. He worked several summers in the Maine High Adventure program.

One day we ventured off the Bangor, ME because ZZ Top was in town. We didn't have tickets, there weren't any scalpers, so we were forced to return back to base.

I finally got to see them, but I wonder if Raul ever did. He died a sudden death a few years ago.

ZZ Top

Life is short. I'm rockin' tonight!

Foosball

Back when I was a Scout, if I wasn't Scouting, I was playing foosball. I had my own table, ran a game room that had 12 tables, and traveled all over for table soccer tournaments.

My biggest win was my Senior year at UK when I won the singles tournament. That was big. I had gotten 2nd my Junior year and worked hard to beat that guy in my last year. I should have worked as hard on my grades.

Last night was a little slow in Venturing and the church had a foosball table for a yard sale, so we played. They all did well and showed control and improvement. I know that this isn't one of those things required in the book, but practicing patience, concentration, and team work isn't so bad. Heck we all had fun and learned something.

I like Don's comment to me. "You have the most random skills!"

To which I replied, "That are all worthless!!"

Romance Executive

Back when I was a DE in the 'Pine, I had a couple of volunteers who were always trying to hook me up with a date. Being single and new to the area did have its challenges.

The Merit Badge Fair Saturday produced more than a few badges. A few of us Scouters were setting around the Science Center and got to talking to a couple of gals working there. The conversation was interesting, but was going no where, so I asked "Clay is single. You know someone you could set him up with?" I guess he turned 3 shades of red.

Long story short: He got a phone number of one of the gals that worked there. They spent some time together that night and went to see Spiderman 3 on Sunday.

I hate to spread rumors, but it looks like our DE is earning his Romance Merit Badge!

Nuclear Science & Brotherhood

Where else in the world can you earn Nuclear Science Merit Badge and get to go through a great Brotherhood Ceremony, besides here in the great Lonesome Pine?

Saturday was our Merit Badge Fair and it was awesome. The facilities and instructors were wonderful. Most of the guys got Astronomy and Nuclear Science, but Geology and Space Exploration were offered also. I always thought that we could never offer a badge like Nuclear Science here in the hills, but we had a professor from Morehead, that was "radio active"!

Sunday we got to do our Chapter Brotherhood Ceremony and we had 10 to go through. It really is nice to see so many young men and adults staying active in the OA.

Lonesome Pine and Tomahaken Chapter ROCKS!

New Flaps

1952 - 2007 Anniversary --$4.00.


2007 Service* --$5.00.


Back Patch --$15.00.


*Service flaps are limited to one per person, per Service Project. The scan doesn't come close to what it actually looks like. The silver mylar on black is stunning!

Wedding Patch

Yesterday was 20 years. My how time flies.

This was the patch that was issued to all Scouts and Scouters, in uniform, that attended our wedding. It really is great to look at the video and see row after row of Packs and Troops from all over the Council.

I get asked all the time why my wife "lets me Scout so much?" I was that way when we got married.

It really amazes me when someone comes up and tells me that they still have the wedding patch. It happens a couple of times a year.

Maybe we should have done a repeater pin or anniversary segment?

Cover of the Rolling Stone

I sent the picture from the WJ Reunion to a couple of local newspapers on Monday. Tuesday, a get a call from the editor from "The Paintsville Herald". She is all excited about our trip this summer. Long story short there is a front page article today.

The Paintsville paper is owned by the same folks who own the Pikeville paper, so there are dual articles. It doesn't end. They want pictures and stories via email while we are across the pond.

I usually try and fly below the radar and avoid all media attention, but this story is pretty big. I like the email Alex Hill sent me:

I'M SO HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'M ON THE FRONT PAGE

YAY

Oh wow, what a day.

$ Patch

Our 2007 FOS CSP is out. This year is FRIENDLY with our State Capitol building. Who's idea was that?

We have had some really good ones so far that really depict areas from around the Council. Which brings me to this question: What image and what point of the Scout Law is scheduled to represent eastern Ky?

Postman delivering an SSI check for Courteous.

2 Hillbilly Shriners for Kind.

Doug Ramey actually slowing down for Obedient.

Glen Felty in his little yellow shorty shorts for Cheerful.

Not having an astronaut at our MB Fair for Thrifty.

Todd Goddman starting a Troop for Brave.

Norm Marcum wearing his square knots right side up for Clean.

The snake worshiping church before McKee for Reverent.

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World Jambo Reunion

Yesterday, a few Scouts and parents got together with an old horse that attended the 1963 World Jamboree. Jim Pruitt, an Eagle Scout and local attorney, briefly spoke about his "life changing" experiences.



Although his WJ was 44 years ago, there were some noticeable similarities. Limited duffel bag size, air flight challenges, language barriers, and significant differences in religious practices. These are things that you don't have to deal with every day, but this summer we are going to have a learning experience for sure.



I think one of the main points that I learned from the meeting was that everyone of those guys who went in 1963 turned out to be fairly successful in their professional careers.



If I live to see the year 2051, I'd guess that these Scouts going this year will also be successful and leaders of their communities.

Roundtable

Lonesome Pine's Roundtable meetings are like every other Roundtable. There is the pre-meeting in the parking lot before the meeting starts. Then there is the actual meeting. The final part is the post-meeting in the parking lot after the meeting is over. It was that way when I was a DE. I remember staying as late as 11:00 pm talking about Scouting and then driving to Lexington for a Staff meeting.

Last night, we hammered out the details and are going ahead with the Merit Badge Fair. We had a quiz on McKee new developments, looked at Varsity Scouting, reviewed the Philmont height vs. weight requirements, and we might even have a Boy Scout Camp Out this fall. We can't have a District Camporee, because there is a Council Fall Camp Out. However, Troop 813 is camping and has invited us all. We need this. We haven't been together in a while. As a District, I think we can attend both events.

It truly energizes me to go to our Roundtable meetings. The strength of each Unit, when combined, makes us a great District.

Bottom line is that our kids are getting the best Scouting experience that can be found anywhere.

The FOS Meeting

A local Boy Scout Council realized that their organization had never received a donation from the town's most successful lawyer. The person in charge of contributions called him to persuade him to contribute. "Our research shows that out of a yearly income of at least $500,000, you give not a penny to charity. Wouldn't you like to give back to the community in some way?"

The lawyer mulled this over for a moment and replied, "First, did your research also show that my mother is dying after a long illness, and has medical bills that are several times her annual income?"

Embarrassed, the BSA rep mumbled, "Um ... no." The lawyer interrupts, "or that my brother, a disabled veteran, is blind and confined to a wheelchair?"

The stricken BSA rep began to stammer out an apology, but was interrupted again. "or that my sister's husband died in a traffic accident," the lawyer's voice rising in indignation, "leaving her penniless with three children?!"

The humiliated BSA rep, completely beaten, said simply, "I had no idea..."

On a roll, the lawyer cut him off once again, "So if I don't give any money to them, why should I give any to you?"

Service Projects

I like doing service projects. In some strange way, it reminds me of when I was young and worked cutting grass, stuffing newspapers, or while I was at Seboomook Base in Maine.

Just this week, we have helped set up tents at camp, visited Helping Hands, a local used clothing and living assistance center, to paint, hang a security mirror, and store boxes. Thursday we are building and staining a new picnic table for Habitat for Humanity.

It got me thinking about total hours, so I checked TroopMaster.

1,581 hours of service so far. That sounds like a lot, but if you do the math, it is only 4.5% of the time that we have been together.

I guess community service can't accurately be measured in hours. It is how your town looks and how happy the people are.

What would the world be like if everyone gave 4.5%?

Scout Games

One of my many duties in Scouting is to make our pre-WJ Camp Out a success. It is kind of like planning a District Camporee, except it covers the whole state, and you deal with volunteers via email that you have never met.

One of the agenda items is a 2 hour block for Patrol Activities that involve Scout games to make the Patrols stronger and better prepare them for an international experience. How or what could we do? I didn't try and figure it out. I asked some very qualified volunteers.

I won't divulge what is on tap so far, but the responses have been extremely creative and should be a hoot. I know one game will be like the TV game show "The Price is Right".

I just love it when you present a challenge to a Scouter.

The results are out of this world!