Camping With Cub Scouts

I like camping with Cub Scouts. My guys like camping with Cub Scouts. I know the Cub Scouts like camping with us. It is good for both groups to get together.

We are heading up to Jenny Wiley for the District's Cub Scout Fall Camp Out. We are making a monkey bridge and assisting the monkeys. We have done this before and although it is a lot of work, it is fun for all.

It is pretty cool to see the look on a little guy's face when you teach him a square knot or light a cotton ball with a Hot Spark.

I'm bringing our Chapter's ribbon shirts and head dresses too. The Indians might even make an appearance at the campfire!

Old D.E.

Our old D.E., Clay Wheeler stopped by to see me late last week. He was hired by Interstate Natural Gas Company and started his new job this week. I believe his title is Dispatcher and he is working with a new department to track equipment and vehicles with GPS and computer management systems.

Interstate Natural Gas is one of the largest and fastest growing companies in our area. They are continual FOS supporters and Troop 12's James Glass works there and helped Clay secure the position.

I'm glad he is staying here in the Hills. He is still dating the same girl we fixed him up with at the Merit Badge Fair!

Clay mentioned that he wanted to get settled into his new job, but wanted to stay active in Scouting. Need a 2nd adult for a camp out? Ask him! clayto_1983@hotmail.com

Zoellers Eagle Court Of Honor

Last night an Eagle Scout Court of Honor was held at the First Presbyterian Church in Pikeville for Billy Zoellers. A large crowd gathered to witness this special O.A. themed ceremony complete with 2 fires and smoke effects. Special guests included Alan Watts, Benjamin Alexander, and Tom Fielder.

I first met Billy at a camp out up at the Breaks when I was a Webelos Leader. The next thing I know, to my surprise, he shows up at one of Den meetings and tells me that he is going to be our Den Chief. When we started Troop 12, he was the first to transfer from Troop 10. A natural move since he attends church here.

He was our first SPL for 2 terms. He was one of the 4 who started our Chapter back up. He was the first Junior Assistant Scoutmaster and did a wonderful job with the New Scout Patrol. He is currently a Lodge Officer and will most certainly be so again next year. Billy is well known for his highly technical knowledge and skills on computers and programs.

A wonderful young man who is very deserving of Scouting's highest award.

Congratulations Eagle Scout, Billy Zoellers!

This was our 1st outside ceremony.

Benjamin Alexander "rises" to the occasion.

Alan Watts presents the Kilbourne portrait.

Billy is Troop 12's 6th Eagle Scout.

Reconstruction

"Scouting in the Hills" or commonly known as the Lonesome Pine District is in a state of Reconstruction. We have lost some key leaders and we have a new D.E. in the middle of recruitment, new unit organization, old unit CPR, new leader trainings, and all of the day to day stuff that has to be done.

I believe that we are at a critical point. A point in time, that we as volunteers can do some things and regain that Quality District status, or not.

#1 We need a strong Cub Scout Roundtable program for all of these new leaders.

#2 We need people to go to Wood Badge.

#3 We need a District Commissioner.

Our success or failure is truly in our own hands.

Huge Chapter Meeting

We had 27 members to attend our Tomahaken Chapter meeting yesterday afternoon. 19 youth and 8 adults. I like that ratio!

Don thought he was at the wrong church when he pulled up and saw all the cars in the parking lot.

We covered several business items and promoted ArrowCorps5 and the Fall Fellowship. Our main agenda item was, who wanted to run for a Lodge office? So we conducted a straw poll.

Billy Z. and the HoggMan want to be Lodge Chief. Straw poll results: Billy 10, Hogg 9. Hmmmm!!

Hollywood Hill wants Vice Chief of Service.

We had 5 that would like the Vice Chief of Brotherhood. Will G., Devan A., Viet P., Caleb R., and Austin N. Straw poll results for the top 2 were Devan and Will.

Aaron Shep. want to be Secretary again.

Treasurer could be any body's race.

I am very sorry that A. Watt's quiet Sunday afternoon was interrupted by a cell phone call with 15 guys telling him they wanted an office.

Nah, I'm not sorry. The voting hasn't even started and I already know who the real winners are.

All of these Scouts and their desire to serve!

Critter Dinner

Doug Ramey kidnapped me and took me up to McKee ( 2 Saturdays for me in a row ) for the 2nd Annual Critter Dinner. Dan O'Canna was our host for a wonderful reunion of Wood Badger's, and what exactly you are supposed to do, after you have received your beads.

It had been a very long time since I wore my WB necker. I had to literally shake the dust off.

The event is a fundraiser for training in the BGC. I threw in some Gilwell patches from England this summer that fetched $60. and a Mike Kilbourne O.A. print got $40.

It was nice to hear some of that good old music from A. Watts and Co. It was fun to fellowship and to make a new commitment to the training and betterment of our program.

We need new folks to take Wood Badge!

On the way home, Doug and I both agreed, that "Scouting in the Hills" needs a lot of folks to attend this spring. We are in need of what that Bob White Patrol did for us a couple of years ago.

It made me think about what I learned in #1 Scoutmastership Wood Badge. Start and end on time. The new Scout is the most important person in the program. I can't think of the rest, but I say it and use it every Troop, Crew, and Ship meeting and outing. Heck, I use it every day!

One of my treasures is my WB necker signed by my SM Green Bar Bill.

1st Kodiak

Well, I just got in from our Sea Scout trip out at Fish Trap Lake and finished staffing our 1st Kodiak course. The trip was fun, but the guys really loved Kodiak and all of the things that it teaches about leadership.

This ain't no Boy Scout JLT. This is the real thing that works baby. You could see the light bulbs over their heads. Ask any of them about it the next time you see them, and just listen to what they say.

I told them that they could be staff on the next course and would get this patch. They all really want to be on staff!

It amazes me what some people will do for a patch? Glad I'm not like that!

HA

New D.E.

There is a new D.E. coming! Now don't get too excited, this new guy isn't going to be here, but is from here.

Jeremy Tackett, Eagle Scout from Troop 850, over at John's Creek ( Jack Tackett's oldest son ), called me yesterday and told me that he had a good interview and if he gets through all of the paper work and tests, he will be the next District Executive for the Wilderness Trail District.

Counties for that District include: Boyle, Garrard, Jessamine, Lincoln, and Mercer. If you know any Scouters from Danville, Lancaster, Nicholasville, Stanford, and Harrodsburg, let them know that they will be getting one of our finest!

Good luck Jeremy! You will do great. Make us proud.

Goff's Oak

I traded for several of these little community strip ribbon badges while we were in England. I thought they were cool and since the Goff family came over from England, well I just had to have some.

The neckerchief got me into a little trouble. This Beaver Scout (Cub Scout here) wanted to trade his necker for one of our US contingent neckers. The rule was no adult and youth trading, but when I saw this one, well. I did get a verbal warning from the "patch police", but it was worth it.


I did some research on Goff's Oak and it is a town just east of London. Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham of the famed Spice Girls group and wife of the the big soccer dude, David Beckham is from there.

Very cool!

The neckerchief was worth it!!

A Work In Progress

I listed a rough draft of our 2008 Conclave design yesterday and already there is a change. This is the first time I have ever been privy to such information. It sure is nice having the Section Chief in your Troop!

Random OA Stuff

An old pic from the front row during the opening show at NOAC 1998.

Kawida's Tim Cummins standing next to the "real" Scott Beckett on a trail in the Hoosier National Forest. Scott was the 1994 National OA Chief. They were getting trail trained for the upcoming Arrowcorps5. Join 5000 Arrowmen next summer at one of the participating National Forests. Tim will be a squad leader at the Mark Twain National Forest located in southwestern Missouri.

Rough draft of 2008 Conclave patches.

Wood Badge 2008

We are having a Wood Badge course here in the Blue Grass Council this spring and YOU are invited to attend!

For a nominal fee and 2 weekends, you can be part of Scouting history and experience one of the premier training events in world. You need to act soon and save $50.

Don C. was the first to sign up. He turns 18 in March, so he'll be eligible. HoggMan is going too. I've handed out a lot of brochures and after talking with Susan in the office, not many of you have signed up yet ( only 9 so far ).

Print the form and write a check. http://www.doubleknot.com/openrosters/DocDownload.asp?id=25547

If you take Wood Badge and you don't think that it was worth the money, I'll personally write you a check!

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Mr. Hampton helps start the "cutting up"!

It didn't take long to cut it all off. A bunch of people paid money to have a snip!

Nothing left but a big pile of hair and a lot of money raised!

Alexander Turns 40

I'm heading back to McKee this afternoon for Benjamin Alexander's birthday party. The Yankee is celebrating by inviting friends, raising some money for his church and the BGC, and finally cutting his hair!

Pictures of that later!

Me & Squeaky

This is a pic of me and Charlie "Squeaky" Davis that was taken by our Scout Executive, Kelly Hampton, at our O.A. Winter Banquet this past January. I just got a copy of it last weekend. You see Squeaky is kind of technology challenged, but he has a lap top. Go figure?

Charlie and I go way back. He is an old Wapiti 367 guy (Henderson, KY) and me from Zit 123 (Bardstown), well we are outsiders. He was very active with Troop 59 out of Lexington, when I was a D.E. We even survived the 1985 National Jamboree together. Charlie is a huge collector of Kawida and all of KY stuff. He hardly misses a Conclave.

He is currently in Richmond and is helping to start a new Boy Scout Troop.

The next time you see him ask him about tropical storm BOB and wet sleeping bags?

Poker Run

I was searching the archives last week and found that our Council does a Poker Run fundraiser, so I had to get a patch. Every badge has a story right? I contacted Wayne Baker and he told me about the event.

"I started it 4 years ago and we managed to raise the most money this year we ever have. It's getting better every year, but I'd really like for this to become a huge event like some of the other big rides around here since it's for such a good cause."

Good job Wayne! I don't own a motorcycle, but a lot of folks my age do. Personally, I'll just write a check to the Council.

If you have a bike, you ought to check this out next year. If you are like me, just mail your check in and call Anna Marie for the patch and segments.

Elections

We had our 6 month Troop, Crew, and Ship elections last night and there were no major changes. The voting was extremely close though. Michael S. retained his Senior Patrol Leader position ( this will be his last term, as he turns 18 in June ). Don C. won Crew President and Ship Boatswain again. Both of these guys do a great job and we should be full steam ahead!

There are a lot of elections in Scouts. Troop, Crew, and Ship. Chapter, Lodge, and Section. District, Council, Region, and National. That is a bunch of voting!

Learning the importance of voting and practicing democracy can be a full time job. A job that we must take seriously and must not fail at!

9 / 11

The twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York will be on every one's mind today. 6 years ago, they came crumbling down.

Way back in 1980, when I was a senior in high school, we visited New York and got to eat dinner on top of one of the towers at the Windows of the World restaurant. It was a great experience, but I can't go back now and do that again. It is gone.

The BSA Badge is a combination of many symbols. The one I want to remember today is "the eagle and shield stand for freedom, and a Scout's readiness to defend that freedom".

Huge Ordeal

I knew it was going to be big, but I didn't think that our Ordeal this past weekend would be HUGE!

There were 103 Ordeal candidates. That is the largest number I have seen in a while. We completely filled the outer rim of the OA Ceremony Ground in order to sing our song! Clay Rose said that he remembered 110 at one time. Ranger Ken Green mentioned that Kawida had 125 at one particular Ordeal event. We had a large group go through last year, but I can't remember the number. It was the big one that Doug Ramey, Tom Hill, and Glen Felty went through?

Whether we were close to a record isn't important. What is important that the event was great and I hope that all 103 new Kawida members will return to the Fall Fellowship, Winter Banquet, and next year, obtain their Brotherhood membership.

The Last Ordeal

Where did summer go?

This weekend is our final Ordeal for the year and it sounds like it is going to be the largest.

I'm looking forward to seeing all of my good friends while we are there. Weather Man and Squeaky should be there, plus all of the other "Kawida Krazies" as C. Watts calls them.

It just seems like we started yesterday and now we are having our last Ordeal. Oh well, we can party at the Fall Fellowship and Winter Banquet and do it all over again next year!

The Value

"Through the values that Baden-Powell has set down, if I do my part and I keep spreading the word and I keep promoting, then I can one day live to say that I made a difference in this world". --Nathan W., Murray, KY.

This is the quote from one of our Scouts that attended the WJ. Nathan was our Chaplain's Aid and was one of two Scouts chosen from the US group to go out to Brownsea Island for the Sunrise Celebration.

BSA has a very nice slide show and commentary from Nathan about his time in Scouting and his experience in England. Anyone of our Scouts could just about say the same thing. Check it out:

http://www.scouting.org/media/value/c/10.html

Life After Eagle

Last night a very special Board of adults and Venture Crew 12 members were assembled to review candidate Don Combs for the Venturing Silver Award. After a lengthy closed door meeting, Don emerged to await the decision, while the committee discussed the evaluation.

Don's first comment was "Wow". It is tough to be reviewed by adults, but in Venturing, you must also pass among your peers.

I was called in by the Board and answered a few questions. They had rendered a verdict and were prepared to address Mr. Combs.

Don passed and is our first Venture Scout to receive the Silver Award! What a wonderful example of what a determined young man and Scouting can produce.

New Kawida Threads

9" Back Patch

55th Anniversary Patch

2007 Fall Fellowship Flap

Happy Labor Day

Powder Horn Article

The September 2007 issue of "Scouting Magazine" has a very nice article about Powder Horn and the course that I got to attend last fall.

Shawnee Trails and Buffalo Trace Councils really did an excellent job with that training. I've been a big cheerleader for Powder Horn ever since.

There is life after Wood Badge.

I learned a lot and brought that knowledge back to the "Hills" for all of our Scouts. We are doing a Sea Scout over nighter later this month.

Old dogs can learn new tricks. Try Powder Horn!