Boys' Life

The December 2007 edition of my favorite magazine arrived yesterday. If you get a chance, check it out. There is a nice article about the World Jamboree and if you look closely you will see a picture of one of our KY Scouts. Jeff Freibert from Louisville is shown signing neckers on Sunrise Day. Have I mentioned lately that Troop 211 was one of the premier Troops that was photographed a lot and had all of the cool badges!

I really like "Boys' Life". I used to try and get all of my Units to get it when I was a D.E. As a volunteer, I have always found a way to be 100% Boys' Life every year. I think it is very important to encourage reading and bring Scouting into each and every home.

Plus, the jokes are great!

Quest Award

Don Combs finished up everything, and it was a ton, to earn the Venturing Quest Award this week. Quest is the Bronze Sports "extended reach" if that makes any sense.

In Venturing, Scouts can work on several different areas of study, and get their Bronze Award. Gold and Silver Award requirements are not really related.

Bronze Award Areas ---------- Advanced Study Award

Sports ----------------------------------- Quest Award

Religious Life ---------------------------Trust Award

Arts and Hobbies ---------------------- n/a

Outdoor --------------------------------- Ranger Award

Sea Scout -------------------------------- Quartermaster Award

The really strange thing that hits me about Venturing is, that it is like Cub Scouts in a way. Venture Scouts carry around their books and when they complete something, you date and sign their book. It works.

2008 Schedule

Somebody asked me, "Why in the world are you doing Northern Tier, Philmont, and Sea Base twice in one year?" Had to to something to compete with the World Jamboree this year.

I'm setting here looking at our 2008 calendar and it is booked solid. Not many blank squares left and that is O.K.. That is how we like it.

A wise old man once told me, "Troop 12 squeezes 3 years worth of Scouting into 1." So how old does that make us in dog years?

Camp Promo Meeting

I just found out some information on what is going on this SUPER SATURDAY:

December 1, Stamler Dining Hall, Camp McKee.

Summer Camp Kick Off 10:00 am

Camp Staff Interviews 11:00 am

Lunch Break (Cathy's Country Kitchen!)

Leave No Trace Workshop

OA Unit Elections

Help set up for Banquet

Sea Base 2008 Meeting 5:00 pm

OA Winter Banquet 6:00 pm


BUSY day!

Changes

The National Youth Protection Committee recommended additions to Boy Scout rank requirements that were approved and will become effective January 1, 2008. These changes will help us advance the importance of Youth Protection training beyond the initial Boy Scout joining requirements, and keep youth informed and actively engaged in understanding the key elements of personal safety and protection.

Tenderfoot Rank
Revised requirement 9:
Explain the importance of the buddy system as it relates to your personal safety on outings and in your neighborhood. Describe what a bully is and how you should respond to one.

Second Class Rank
New requirement 8b:
Explain the three R’s of personal safety and protection.

First Class Rank
New requirement 12:
Describe the three things you should avoid doing related to use of the Internet. Describe a cyber bully and how you should respond to one.

World Politics

It seems like there has been a little politics going on lately with World Scouting. To make a really long and complicated story simple, the BSA and a few other Scouting Associations weren't happy with the way things were being run at the "World Level". We even stopped payment on our check, told them what we wanted, all at the risk of not being a member of the World Scout Organization.

Basically, it meant no World Jamboree for us at Sweden in 2011! Not a good thing.

Last week, things got straightened out and seem to be on the right track now. I find it strange that all of the Scouts at the World Jamboree got along great, but the adults have to bang heads just to agree.

I guess after this Blog Post, I won't be getting the Silver World Award square knot any time soon?

Happy Thanksgiving

New Eagle Scout

Last night an Eagle Scout Board of Review was held at the First Presbyterian Church in Pikeville, KY. Mike Shepherd, Ret. Lt. Col. Dave Zoellers, and District Advancement Chairman, Glen Felty met with candidate Andy Smith.

Andy passed and is our latest Eagle Scout!

"Pikeville Andy Smith" is becoming a Staff legend at McKee working in the "Andy-Craft" area. Don't let the long hair and his quite nature fool you. He leads our Troop in nights camping and is an excellent teacher with new Scouts.

Congratulations ANDY!

Ink Pen

I've carried around this same ink pen, every business day, for the last 21 years. It has seen several big dollar deals and still signs some good size checks.

I got this BSA Cross pen from my Field Director, Jim Kesterson, for being in his wedding. I told him that I would keep it as long as he was married. Things got a little bumpy in that marriage after a while and I offered it back to him, but he thought things could be worked out.

They had moved back home to TN and Jim was again working for the Sequoyah Council. He was happy.

The place they were living in caught fire and they got out, but he went back in for something or some reason. He died.

Jim Kesterson was a great friend of Scouting, a good professional Scouter, and a wonderful friend. I miss him.

Dance Team?

We had a good Tomahaken Chapter meeting yesterday. 13 in attendance.

Items discussed included: AC 5, completion of Quality Chapter status in 2007, Chapter website http://www.oa-tomahaken.org/ ,
Winter Banquet, McKee Staff and CIT jobs, Service flaps, our December Christmas Party, but our main focus was watching a beginners Indian Dance video.

Glen Felty and Doug Ramey are passionate about starting a dance team for our Lodge. They and a few youth are going to the Ittawamba American Indian Seminar next month.

As long as I have known Glen and Doug, whatever they set out to do, it gets done and it is always awesome. Let the drum beats begin!

Ebay Kawida

There are 50 items from Kawida Lodge on Ebay this morning. That has got to be a record.

Since 1952 we have issued a lot of stuff:

78 flaps, 9 arrowheads, 3 chenille's, 5 jacket patches, 16 neckerchiefs, 2 pie shaped, 5 round, 11 odd shaped, 3 misc., 16 chapter, and 36 events.

That is 184 different pieces.

Representing a lot of good Scouting from our Brotherhood of Cheerful Service in the first 55 years.

1966 Pikeville

I picked this piece up on Ebay this week. It wasn't expensive. I think I paid $1.50 for it. I'll have to check around with a few old timers and find out the story on it. Obviously it is Lonesome Pine Council era. Interesting that there was a Pike District.

Every patch has a story right?

Will Watts

Today is Will Watts last day as DE here in the "Hills". He and his replacement, Jeremy Tackett stopped by to see me yesterday.

Will has done a good job and we will miss him. Hopefully, we can get him to be a volunteer.

Somebody please get some glue and make this next DE stick!

Training

One of the reasons that the BSA has been so successful, is that we offer a bunch of trainings.

Harold Kenney is on a mission and is providing you and your older Scouts, the opportunity to "do better".

Leave No Trace

CPR

Wilderness First Aid

Leave No Trace Trainer

Climbing Instructor

You can supplement your mental aspects. Just ask Harold. hkenney@campmckee.org

http://www.doubleknot.com/openrosters/DocDownload.asp?id=30976

Section SR 6N Logo

Ta Da!

This is a work in progress and isn't completed yet, but WOW, what a great start! Ranger Ken Green, might even finally get his wish of a new Section back patch.

Wilderness 1st Aid

The First Aid training at Camp McKee this past weekend was awesome! We are all now card carrying and well trained in First Aid: When Help Is Delayed, Wilderness First Aid, and CPR - Adult And Child.

A big Scout Salute to Harold Kenney! He conducted a very well prepared training and put us through the ringer. I like that style of teaching in First Aid. I've had to use lifesaving skills twice in my life and have done well. I'm just "jelly" afterwards.

The chances that a life will be helped or even saved, by one who took this class, is likely. Tell me what that is worth?

You know that it is serious, when the victim is wearing gloves too!!!!

We even had to take a test!
Do you know how long it has been, since I had to take a test?

Would you trust your life to this bunch in case of an emergency?

First Aid

We are heading up to beautiful Camp McKee this afternoon to attend Harold Kenney's American Red Cross Wilderness First Aid Training and Certification class.

I am really excited about this 16 hour class. I haven't been first aid certified in anything, since I was in High School. We are taking a van load of Venture Scouts too. This class is one of the requirements for Outdoor Bronze.

Knowing Harold Kenney, this one should be intense and the food great!

Kawida Claus

Click on this link. Print the form, write a check, and mail it in. It is going to be a good one!

http://www.doubleknot.com/openrosters/DocDownload.asp?id=30719

Happy Birthday

The results are in. Election day didn't hurt attendance last night. We had 14 Scouts and a great meeting.

Today is William Hogg's 18th birthday. Scary ain't it? He was our honorary SPL last night at his final meeting as a Scout. We gave him an adult application and an ASM patch.

HoggMan has had a decent start in Scouting so far. Eagle Scout, 9 Palms, McKee Staff, Vigil Honor, NJ, WJ, NOAC, and will be our Lodge Chief next year.

The fun is just beginning!

Get Out And Vote

I got up early this morning and voted. No school today, but I hope that doesn't hurt Troop and Crew meeting attendance tonight.

I like to vote. I think it is very important. I have never, ever missed voting. There were times when I was in college, that I voted on paper, as an absentee ballot, but I always vote.

Several of our Scouts are getting ready to turn 18 soon and will be granted the right and opportunity to vote. Go to the Court House and fill out the form. A lot of people paid a high price to give you that right!

Leadership Training

There are no born leaders. Leadership can't be taught, but leadership skills can be and we have been doing a good job of that lately.

What a wonderful thing the BSA provides. Leadership skills training! You don't see that in most groups.

Just this year, we have gone through the VLSC, Kodiak, and LLD. Kodiak X is next. The results are that our guys are learning some really valuable skills that will last a lifetime.

U of S + LLD

The University of Scouting and our Lodge Leadership Development went great today. There was a big crowd at Georgetown University.

This year's O. A. LLD was the one of the biggest ever in our Lodge with around 30 in attendance. This is great news! Many new and willing to learn Arrowmen, make a great future ahead for us all.

Special THANKS to Anthony Kenney and Todd Haydon for all of their hard work and prep work. The Staff was wonderful and I believe from the reactions and comments from the participants, it was time well spent.

Let's do it again next year!

The "Indians" did the U of S Opening Ceremony.

Having some fun helps in teaching and learning!

Camp Promotion is a big part of what we do.

Setting the "right" example is important.

One awesome LLD Staff!

Festus

Last night at Roundtable, Ralph Mullins, a 19 year veteran Scoutmaster announced that he was going to have to fold the Troop because his long time Assistant Scoutmaster, Hack Sizemore was having health problems and Ralph couldn't find some one to help.

SHOCK WAVES filled the room!

That is 19 years of every summer at Camp McKee and countless improvements on the lives of Scouts in Salyersville.

Ralph Mullins and Hack Sizemore took over a Troop in 1988 and they did wonders. Now, time has caught up to Hack. I have always liked Hack. He is smart. Country - Common Sense smart. He could tell a campfire story with the best. His "Airplane Song" always was a big hit. He even made and donated the WING that we pass around at District events.

Hack Sizemore always reminded me of Festus from the old TV show "Gunsmoke". He is a wry old cat that has forgotten more than I will ever know.

Say a little Scouting prayer tonight for Hack and for Ralph and all of the Scouts from Salyersville Troop 862.

UK vs Pikeville

The University of Kentucky (sorry mates, not the United Kingdom) played an exhibition game against Pikeville College last night. As you can see by the score, UK won as expected.

However, Pikeville and eastern KY were portrayed as a positive place with many new and great things. 100 years after the Hatfield - McCoy feud, our area is finally starting to shine brightly.

I like living in the "Hills". It's strong heritage of Scouting, combined with the great Scouts that are being produced today, will only make us better.