Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanks to my family and everyone that cares for me.

Also thank to all the kids who spend their time in this organization.

Thanks to the volunteers who spend their free time giving back to the organization

Thanks to the Scout Professionals who keep the organization together.



Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

Patrol Leaders Creed

I will develop spirit in my Patrol

I will be cheerful constantly. I will be the fast friend of all the Patrol Members and be ready at all times to serve them. They can count on me to have a new song, a fresh idea or a stunt at my finger's end and we will all be as thick as the Forty Thieves.

I will advance along the Scout ladder

I will steadily step up from Tenderfoot to Second Class, to First Class and through all the Merit Badges to the Eagle Rank, so that I may be a guide and perhaps the inspiration for the rest of my fellows to go and do likewise.

I will do a Good Turn daily

I will not let the Good Turn Idea be a thing like my best necktie, that I use only on special occasions. Neither will I automatically stop looking for and doing Good Turns after the first one of the day. Just because I have already done my Good Turn for the day is no reason at all why I should refuse to grab the opportunity to help grandmother find her specs or put ice in the refrigerator for mother.

I will live the Scout Oath and Law

I will remember always that I must be loyal and I will not misjudge Bill when he plays me what seems to be a dirty trick. And I will be exceedingly cheerful, even when it hurts, when it would do my old heart good to backbite and be sarcastic or even just plain grouchy. I will take time, once in a while, to sit down and think what it means to do my duty to my country ... and to other people and to God... I will remember that it is a part of the Scout Law and make good old soap my constant companion. I will remember that it works just as well on my uniform as on my hands and neck and behave accordingly. I will be thrifty, even though it hurts and my heart years for an extra tennis racquet and I have just about twelve dollars in the bank. The best thing I can do, then, is to sock another dollar in there to make a lucky thirteen and go whistling on my way. I will be trustworthy and absolutely reliable always and my Scoutmaster may count on me to be on time for every meeting and hike.

I will lead my Patrol

I will remember that I am the Patrol Leader and that I am responsible for what my fellows do and how they act and I will take steps to make sure that they respect my leadership. I will plan carefully all my Patrol Meetings and the parts of the Troop Meetings for which I am responsible. I will take an active interest in all my Patrol projects and stunts and contribute my fair share of all Patrol work. I will be fair to my Assistant and train him in Patrol management to the best of my ability. I will be alert to the possibilities of all my fellows in my Patrol and will call upon them frequently to add their share to the Troop and Patrol work.

I will plan my work

I know that there is only one way to be a successful director and leader and that is to know what I am trying to accomplish and how I want it done. I will not hold a Patrol meeting without first being very sure that I know just what I want Tom and John to do in connection with the song-fest and the games the Troop is to pull at the next meeting, and how I am going to get Frank to see that he ought to pass First Aid to clear up his work on the First Class tests.

I will be generous and give credit where it is due

I know that there is nothing that helps a fellow so much as a word of encouragement and to cheer when he has done a job well. I want to be on the lookout for fellows who do more than their share of the work and let them know that I appreciate their spirit. I will not take credit for their work and when Ed has a particularly fine First Class map I will be very sure that all the fellows in the Troop get a chance to look it over and congratulate him on his work.

WOSM- Introduction

WOSM or World Organization of the Scouting Movement

What Is it?
The world organization of the scouting movement is the international non-governmental international organization that governs the majority of NSO's or National Scout Organizations. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland and was established in 1920. It currently has approximately 28 million members, making it one of the largest youth movements in the world today. Scouting Exists in every country in the world except for 6 countries. Not all countries with scouting are recognized by this organization. There are approximately 160 countries plus 3 or 4 associate level members that are part of the world organization.

How is it Governed?
There are several different governing organizations in the World Organization of the Scouting Movement. These governing bodies include the World Scout Committee, World Scout Conference, World Scout Federation, World Scout Bureau, and finally the WOSM Secretary General. Each of these components has a different function and helps to ensure that the scouting organization prospers and serves as a communication medium for all of the different National Scout Organizations or NSO's.

What NSO's are WOSM Recognized?

• Albania Beslidhja Skaut Albania
• Algeria Scouts Musulmans Algériens (Algerian Muslim Scouts)
• Angola Associação de Escuteiros de Angola (Scout Association of Angola)
• Aregentina Scouts de Argentina (Scouts of Argentina)
• Armena Hayastani Azgayin Scautakan Sharjum Kazmakerputiun (Armenian National Scout Movement)
• Australia Scouts Australia
• Austria Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs (Scouts and Guides of Austria)
• Azebaijan Azerbaican Skaut Assosiasiyasi (The Association of Scouts of Azerbaijan)
• Bahamas The Scout Association of the Bahamas
• Bahrain Boy Scouts of Bahrain
• Bangladesh Bangladesh Scouts
• Barbbados Barbados Boy Scouts Association
• Belgium Guidisme et Scoutisme en Belgique/Gidsen- en Scoutsbeweging in België (Guiding and Scouting in Belgium)
• Belize The Scout Association of Belize
• Benin Scoutisme Béninois (Benin Scouting)
• Bhutan Bhutan Scout Tshogpa
• Boliva Asociación de Scouts de Bolivia (The Scout Association of Bolivia)
• Bosina and Herzegovina The Council of Scout Associations in Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Botswana The Botswana Scouts Association
• Brazil União dos Escoteiros do Brasil (Brazilian Scouts Association)
• Brunnei Darussalam Persekutuan Pengakap Negara Brunei Darussalam (Brunei Darussalam National Scout Association)
• Bulgaria Organizatsia Na Bulgarskite Skauty (Organization of Bulgarian Scouts)
• Burkina Faso Fédération Burkinabé du Scoutisme (Scout Federation of Burkina Faso)
• Burundi Association des Scouts du Burundi (Scout Association of Burundi)
• Cameroon Les Scouts du Cameroun/Boy Scouts of Cameroon
• Cambodia National Association of Cambodian Scouts
• Canada Scouts Canada, with which is affiliated Association des Scouts du Canada
• Cape Verde Associação dos Escuteiros de Cabo Verde (Scout Association of Cape Verde)
• Chad Fédération du Scoutisme Tchadien (Scout Federation of Chad)
• Chile Asociación de Guias y Scouts de Chile (Guide and Scout Association of Chile)
• China Scouts of China
• Colombia Asociación de Scouts de Colombia (Scout Association of Colombia)
• Comoros Wezombeli (Association Nationale du Scoutisme Comorien) (The National Scout Association of Comoros)
• Democractic Republic of the Congo Fédération des Scouts de la République démocratique du Congo (The Scout Federation of the Democratic Republic of The Congo)
• Costa Rica Asociación de Guias y Scouts de Costa Rica (Association Guides and Scouts of Costa Rica)
• Côte-d'Ivoire Fédération Ivoirienne du Scoutisme(Scout Federation of Côte d'Ivoire)
• Croatia Savez Izvidaca Hrvatske (The Scout Association of Croatia)
• Cyprus Cyprus Scouts Association
• Czech Republic Junák-Svaz Skautu a Skautek
• Denmark Fællesrådet for Danmarks Drengespejdere (The Danish Scout Council)
• Dominica The Scout Association of Dominica
• Dominican Republic Asociación de Scouts Dominicanos (Dominican Scout Association)
• Ecuador Asociación de Scouts del Ecuador (Scout Association of Ecuador)
• Egypt Egyptian Scout Federation
• El Salvador Asociación de Scouts de El Salvador (Scout Association of El Salvador)
• Estonia Eesti Skautide Ühing (Estonian Scout Association)
• Ethiopia Ethiopia Scout Association
• Fiji Fiji Scouts Association
• Finland Suomen Partiolaiset-Finlands Scouter
• France Scoutisme Français (French Scouting)
• Gabon Fédération Gabonaise du Scoutisme (Scouting Federation of Gabon)
• Gambia The Gambia Scout Association
• Georgia sakartvelos skauturi modzraobis organizatsia (Georgian Organization of the Scout Movement)
• Germany Ring deutscher Pfadfinderverbände (Scout Federation of Germany)
• Ghana The Ghana Scout Association
• Greece Soma Hellinon Proskopon (Scout Association of Greece)
• Grenada The Scout Association of Grenada
• Guatemala Asociación de Scouts de Guatemala (Scout Association of Guatemala)
• Guinea National Scout Association of Guinea
• Guyana The Scout Association of Guyana
• Haiti Scouts d'Haïti (Scouts of Haiti)
• Honduras Asociación de Scouts de Honduras (Scouts Association of Honduras)
• Hong Kong The Scout Association of Hong Kong
• Hungary Magyar Cserkészszövetség (Hungarian Scout Association)
• Iceland Bandalag íslenskra Skáta (Icelandic Boy and Girl Scout Association)
• India The Bharat Scouts and Guides
• Indonesia Gerakan Pramuka (Boy Scouts and Girl Guides Movement)
• Ireland Scouting Ireland
• Israel Hitachdut Hatsofim Ve Hatsofot Be Israel (Israel Boy and Girl Scouts Federation)
• Italy Federazione Italiana dello Scautismo (Italian Scout Federation)
• Jamaica The Scout Association of Jamaica
• Japan Scout Association of Japan
• Jordan Jordanian Association for Boy Scouts and Girl Guides
• Kazakhstan Organization of the Scout Movement of Kazakhstan
• Kenya The Kenya Scouts Association
• Kirbati Kiribati Scout Association
• Republic of Korea Boy Scouts of Korea
• Kuwait Kuwait Boy Scouts Association
• Latvia Latvijas Skautu un Gaidu Centrala Organizacija (The Scout and Guide Central Organization of Latvia)
• Lebanon Fédération du Scoutisme Libanais (Lebanese Scout Federation)
• Lesotho Lesotho Scouts Association
• Liberia Boy Scouts of Liberia
• Lybyan Arab Jamahiriya Public Scout and Girl Guide Movement
• Liechtenstein Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Liechtensteins (Scouts and Guides of Liechtenstein)
• Lithuania Lietuvos Skautija (Lithuanian Scouting)
• Luxembourg Luxembourg Boy Scouts Association
• The Former yugoslave Republic of Macedonia Sojuz na Izvidnici na Makedonija (The Scout Association of The former Yugoslave Republic of Macedonia)
• Madagascar Firaisan'ny Skotisma eto Madagasikara (Scout Federation of Madagascar)
• Malwi Scout Association of Malawi
• Malaysia Persekutuan Pengakap Malaysia (The Scouts Association of Malaysia)
• Maldives The Scout Association of Maldives
• Malta The Scout Association of Malta
• Mauritania Association des Scouts et Guides de Mauritanie (The Scout and Guide Association of Mauritania)
• Mauritius The Mauritius Scout Association
• Mexico Asociación de Scouts de México, A.C. (Scout Association of Mexico)
• Republic of Moldova Organizatia Nationala A Scoutilor Din Moldova (The National Scout Organization of Moldova)
• Monaco Association des Guides et Scouts de Monaco (Association of Scouts and Guides of Monaco)
• Mongolia Mongoliyn Skautiyn Holboo (The Scout Association of Mongolia)
• Montenegro Association of Scouts of Montenegro
• Morocco Fédération Nationale du Scoutisme Marocain (National Federation of Moroccan Scouting)
• Mozambique Liga dos Escuteiros de Moçambique (League of Scouts of Mozambique)
• Namibia Scouts of Namibia
• Nepal Nepal Scouts
• Netherlands Scouting Nederland (Netherlands Scouting)
• New Zealand Scouting New Zealand
• Nicaragua Asociación de Scouts de Nicaragua (Scout Association of Nicaragua)
• Niger Association des Scouts du Niger (Scouts Association of Niger)
• Nigeria Boy Scouts of Nigeria
• Norway Speidernes Fellesorganisasjon (The Guides and Scouts of Norway)
• Oman The National Organisation for Scouts & Guides
• Pakistan Pakistan Boy Scouts Association
• Palestinian Authority Palestinian Scout Association
• Panama Asociación Nacional de Scouts de Panamá (National Scout Association of Panama)
• Papua New Guinea The Scout Association of Papua New Guinea
• Paraguay Asociación de Scouts del Paraguay (Scouts Association of Paraguay)
• Peru Asociación de Scouts del Perú (Scout Association of Peru)
• Philippines Boy Scouts of the Philippines
• Poland Zwiazek Harcerstwa Polskiego The Polish Scouting and Guiding Association
• Portugal Federação Escutista de Portugal(Scout Federation of Portugal)
• Qatar Qatar Boy Scouts Association
• Romania Cercetasii României (The National Scout Organization of Romania)
• Russian Federation Russian Association of Scouts/Navigators
• Rwanda Association des Scouts du Rwanda (Scout Association of Rwanda)
• San Marino Associazione Guide e Esploratori Cattolici Sammarinesi (The Catholic Guide and Scout Association of San Marino)
• Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabian Boy Scouts Association
• Senegal Confédération Sénégalaise du Scoutisme (Senegalese Scout Confederation)
• Serbia Scout Association of Serbia
• Seychelles The Scout Association of Seychelles
• Sierra Leone Sierra Leone Scouts Association
• Singapore The Singapore Scout Association
• Solvakia Slovensky skauting (Slovak Scouting)
• Solvenia Zveza tabornikov Slovenije (Scout Association of Slovenia)
• South Africa South African Scout Association
• Spain Federación de Escultismo en España (Scouting Federation in Spain)
• Srilanka Sri Lanka Scout Association
• Saint Lucia The Saint Lucia Scout Association
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines The Scout Association of Saint Vincent & The Grenadines
• Sudan Sudan Boy Scouts Association
• Sriname Boy Scouts van Suriname (Boy Scouts of Suriname)
• Swaziland Emavulandlela Swaziland Scout Association
• Sweden Svenska Scoutråde (The Swedish Guide and Scout Council)
• Switzerland Swiss Guide and Scout Movement
• Syrian Arab Republic Scouts of Syria
• Tajikistan Ittihodi Scouthoi Tochikiston / Associatsia Skautov Tadjikistana (Scout Association of Tajikistan)
• Tanzania Tanzania Scouts Association
• Thailand The National Scout Organization of Thailand
• Togo Association Scoute du Togo(Scout Association of Togo)
• Trinidad and Tobago The Scout Association of Trinidad & Tobago
• Tunisia Les Scouts Tunisiens(The Scouts of Tunisia)
• Turkey Turkiye Izcilik Federasyonu(Scouting and Guiding Federation of Turkey)
• Urganda The Uganda Scouts Association
• Ukraine National Organization of Scouts of Ukraine
• United Arab Emirates Emirates Scout Association
• United Kingdom The Scout Association
• United States Boy Scouts of America
• Uruguay Movimiento Scout del Uruguay(Scout Association of Uruguay)
• Venezuela Asociación de Scouts de Venezuela (Scout Association of Venezuela)
• Yemen Yemen Scout Association
• Zambia Zambia Scouts Association
• Zimbabwe The Scout Association of Zimbabwe

Which Are Associate Level WOSM NSO's?

• French Polyensia French Polyensia
• Netherlands Antilles Netherlands Antilles
• Macau Scouts of Macau

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

As the Wind Blew

As we repeat the Scout Oath each week at our meetings and try every day to live the values and promises it contains, sometimes it is worth putting it in perspective and coming to a better understanding of what we promise when we say those words that begin with ON MY HONOR.

To keep myself Physically strong, Mentally awake, and Morally straight.

The last part of the Scout Oath, the part in which we make three promises to ourselves. Those final promises that shape character and set direction in our lives. That last part of the Oath that keeps us Prepared... for anything.

A friend of mine sent me this short story. I do not know who the original author is, but it is worth the read, I modified it at the end to maintain relevance in a Scouting setting.

Years ago, a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the sea, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.
Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. “Are you a good farm hand?” the farmer asked him. “Well, I can sleep when the wind blows,” answered the little man.
Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man’s work. Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore.
Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand’s sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, “Get Up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!”
The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, “No sir, I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows.”
Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured.
Everything was tied down.
Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant,
so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

MORAL OF THIS STORY

When you’re prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life?The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm. We secure ourselves against the storms of life by grounding ourselves in the in the Scout Oath and Law. The Scout Oath and Law grounds us against every storm. It ensures that we are Trustworthy and Loyal, like the farmer in the story. Brave, so we can sleep while the winds blow, standing up to that which challenges us. And Reverent. We know that when we ground our selves in a belief in God, or a higher power that we know and love, that we will ultimately be alright. We know that we have a protector in our Savior and that by maintaining our faith in him, he will take care of us. I love in the story that it speaks to BEING PREPARED. Baden Powell challenged us to BE PREPARED for anything. It is our motto. We prepare for the storms in our life by living the Oath and Law.

What a great story that sums up our promise, OUR HONOR.

Borrowed from The Scoutmaster Minute by Jerry S.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

A Tribute to Little Sioux Ranch

For those of you that may not be aware on June 11, 2008 a group of Boy Scout Youth Leaders from various Troops in the Mid America Council were attending a leadership camp called Pahuk Pride Leadership Camp where a tornado ripped through the camp. The tornado claimed the lives of 4 young men who were attending the camp and injured 48 other scouts. The damaged that occurred affected the following buildings:

• Administration Building
• All four latrines in the North Valley
• East Cabin
• North Cabin
• MidAmerican Energy Pavilion
• One Latrine in the Main Valley
• Poot's Stage
• Ranger Home
• Roads
• Trails

Obiviously this was devestating not only to the families who lost loved ones but to everyone at the camp and the whole scouting community. The local Scouting and World Scouting Communities have offered support that could not be found in any other organization in the world. Help us to remember those lost help with the healing process by sharing your prayers and words of comfort to those involved in this tragedy. Please feel free to visit the following site: http://www.mac-bsa.org/littlesiouxtribute/default.html

If anyone has any concerns or corrections to this post please send me those comments by replying to the post. Please remember that I have no direct connections to this event but wanted to post the information so it can be shared with more of the scouting community.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

National Scout Jamboree Bulletins

September 2008 Bulletin- Registration

Things are really picking up for our 100th Anniversary Jamboree. Approximately 45,000 Scouts, leaders, and staff from all 50 states, territories, and some foreign countries will have the opportunity to live, work, and play together in an atmosphere of Scouting fellowship at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree, July 26–Aug. 4, 2010. Council contingents will arrive on Monday, July 26, 2010, and will depart on Wednesday, Aug. 4. The setting for the jamboree is Fort A.P. Hill, near Bowling Green, Va. This is a historic area near Washington, D.C. Other nearby cities are Williamsburg, Yorktown, Jamestown, Richmond, and Fredericksburg, Va.

Information and registration instructions are on the jamboree Web site, www.bsajamboree.org. There is a lot of information on the Web site, including Scout and leader qualifications, how to sign up, a promotional video, a map of the jamboree, and our famous jamboree countdown clock!

Online registrations now number more than 12,000, including staff and leaders. More than 6,000 youth participants have applied and have been approved by local councils. Registration issues have been resolved with the approval process running smoothly.

The biggest issue with the jamboree application process is the way the MyScouting accounts are being created. As it states on the log-in page of MyScouting, all jamboree applications must be submitted from the account of a parent or guardian. (MyScouting accounts can be created by parents/guardians even if they are not registered with the BSA.) Some accounts are mistakenly being created with the youth’s BSA member ID number in the profile. This will result in an “invalid member ID number” error.
Contact your local council for contingent information, travel plans, and fees. If you are interested in serving as one of the 8,100 staff members, go to MyScouting.org and create an account (if you don’t already have one) and follow the registration procedures listed below.
Adults (volunteers) registering to serve on staff: Download Instructions

November 2008 Bulletin- Jamboree Tours

Most council contingents take time to visit areas close to Fort A.P. Hill when attending national Scout jamborees. Popular visiting sites have been Washington, D.C.; New York City; Williamsburg, Va. to visit the Jamestown Settlement; and various Revolutionary and Civil War battlefields. The United States Military Academy at West Point and the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis are also popular sites.

In the Transportation and Tour Guide available to councils on MyBSA, there are many details on contingent visits, including address and contact information for Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Virginia, New York, Maryland, and other convention and visitor bureaus as well as the Federal Tourist Center at Independence National Historical Park. In the guide, there is also information about inexpensive overnight accommodations at military instillations and colleges and universities. To access the guide, log into MyBSA, go to Resources> Jamboree Division> Transportation & Tour Guide 2010. This guide will help a great deal in developing your tour.

Most councils have already planned and budgeted several days to make these visits, but perhaps have not fully planned their itineraries. Often, this is the only opportunity many of the Scouts will have to visit the United States Capitol and their congressman’s and/or senator’s office. Many members of Congress like to meet Scouts and their leaders, and will often arrange tours of the Capitol.

The White House is always a popular visit. Public tours of the White House are available for groups of 10 or more people. Requests must be submitted through one's congressional representative and are accepted up to six months in advance. These self-guided tours are available from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday (excluding federal holidays), and are scheduled on a first come, first served basis approximately one month in advance of the requested date. We encourage you to submit your request as early as possible since a limited number of tours are available. All White House tours are free of charge. For the most current tour information, call the 24-hour line at 202-456-7041. Please note that White House tours may be subject to last-minute cancellation.

A great resource to help plan your Washington, D.C., visit is the U.S. House of Representatives Web site. It contains useful information and links to popular tourist sites in the city. Click Here.

Other Web sites that may help in planning for the 2010 National Scout Jamboree are:
United States Military Academy at West Point: Click Here.
United States Naval Academy: Click Here.
Williamsburg, Virginia: Click Here.
The official tourism site for Washington, DC: Click Here.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

Respecting the SPL

One of the biggest issues that the Senior Patrol Leader of Troop 1616 is facing is that of not getting respected by any of the scouts from the Troop. This disappoints me because of the fact that the SPL is one of the most important youth members in the Troop. He is the most important member in the Troop because it is him the adult leaders rely on to hold the Troop together. Unfortunatley right now the rest of the youth are out of control and have no respect for him. This needs to stop but the Troop is running out of options. Here is the plan we have layed out so far but would really like help from other people. So lets get the plan layed out:

1. Raise Scout Sign: To get the scouts attention and to try to get them to stop talking
2. Raise Scout Sign with verbal reminders: Raise the Scout Sign to get attention and then remind individual scouts to stop talking.
   
3. Raise Scout Sign with stern verbal reminders: Raise the Scout Sign to get attention and then in a near yelling voice get the scouts to be quiet. (This is the normal stage we get to before we even get there attention. I do agree that yelling is not appropriate but what can you do if it is the only thing that works.)
4. Send another youth leader to get adult and still have the SPL have the Scout Sign Raised: More often than not the adults can keep some order but still requires a lot of work.
5. Involve Parents: Haven't gotten this far but I think I may have to with some of the scouts in order to keep sane. I do not like involving parents because it only causes more problems for the scout but I am beginning to think that this may be necessary.

Before you think that I want to turn scouting into a another school hour, let me tell you that I do not want to do this. The problem is that i realize we are always going to have to get their attention when transitioning activities but it shouldn't take 5 to 15 minutes to get their attention. Remember that this is a Troop with only 10 active scouts. I do not under any circumstance think this is adequate or appropriate. The next step for me will be to research the topic and ask questions from other scouters in order to get more information on how to handle this problem.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

Scout's Honor Prayer

On My Honor

by Walter Dudley Cavert

Dear Heavenly Father, help me to make honor the watchword of my life. Above everything else may I place the integrity of my own soul. Teach me that character is my most priceless possession.

As I wear my Scout badge, may it remind me that I have taken a vow to be a person of honor. Give me strength to be true to my promise.

Lift my life above all sham and make-believe. Give me a steadfast loyalty to the highest and best that I know. May I have the courage to stand for what I believe to be right in your sight, no matter what others may say or do. Keep me from violating my honor or selling my soul.

May the example of Jesus be my guide. Help me to remember that he cared more for your approval than for the praise or blame of men. In Christ's name, Amen.

Yours in Scouting Service

Mark W

Junior Assistant Scoutmaster

Troop 1616

Quotes- Rober Baden Powell

The sport in Scouting is to find the good in every boy and develop it.

In Scouting, a boy is encouraged to educate himself instead of being instructed.

The most important object in Boy Scout training is to educate, not instruct.

In all of this, it is the spirit that matters. Our Scout law and Promise, when we really put them into practice, take away all occasion for wars and strife among nations.

Show me a poorly uniformed troop and I'll show you a poorly uniformed leader.

The more responsibility the Scoutmaster gives his patrol leaders, the more they will respond.

When you want a thing done, 'Don't do it yourself' is a good motto for Scoutmasters.

An individual step in character training is to put responsibility on the individual.

Be Prepared... the meaning of the motto is that a scout must prepare himself by previous thinking out and practicing how to act on any accident or emergency so that he is never taken by surprise.

The uniform makes for brotherhood, since when universally adopted it covers up all differences of class and country.

A boy is naturally full of humor.

A Scout is never taken by surprise; he knows exactly what to do when anything unexpected happens.

Scoutmasters need the capacity to enjoy the out-of-doors.

O God, help me to win, but in thy wisdom if thou willest me not to win, then O God, make me a good loser.

It should be the thing never to mention unfairness of judging when defeated in a contest.

The object of the patrol method is not so much having the Scoutmaster trouble as to give responsibility to the boy.

Success in training the boy depends largely on the Scoutmaster's own personal example.

The Scoutmaster guides the boy in the spirit of another brother.

The good turn will educate the boy out of the groove of selfishness.

Loyalty is a feature in a boy's character that inspires boundless hope.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

Eagle Scout: What is It

Here is a blog post that Mike Rowe recently wrote. For those of you who don't know who Mike Rowe is, he is a television host for the show Dirty Jobs. Dirty Jobs airs on Discovery Channel. The purpose of this post was a a father was asking Mike Rowe to write a post about the importance of becoming a Eagle Scout even though it is not considered "cool" by many teens. So here it is:

November 12, 2008

Mike Offers a Potential Eagle Scout His Eagle Perspective

Still: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean and Reverent...okay maybe not so clean!

Mike,
I'm not sure where I heard that you are an Eagle Scout, which brings me to my question. Could you PLEASE take a moment & post to my 13 year old son Kelby & encourage him to finish scouting (& anything else that'll help with this?) Reason I'm asking is that he only lacks 1 1/2 - 2 years in reaching Eagle, but some of his buddies have got him to thinking scouting isn't cool at his age.
Thanks much, Gary -- scooterdave

*****

Kelby,

Your Dad asked me to drop you a line and say something inspirational that might persuade you to dig down deep and find the determination to make the rank of Eagle Scout. It's a reasonable request, from a father who obviously wants to see his son succeed. But here’s the thing - The Eagle Award is not really meant for people who need to be dragged across the finish line. It’s meant for a select few, and I have no idea if you have the guts to see it through.

Statistically, I suspect you do not. Only one out of a hundred Scouts make Eagle, so if you fail, there will be lots of other people with whom you can share excuses. Quitting now might disappoint your Dad, but I doubt that he or anyone else will be overly surprised. Anytime 99 out of 100 people do the same thing, it’s not exactly a shock.

I’m not trying to be cute with a bunch of reverse psychology. When I was 15, there was nothing that anyone could have said to me that would have inspired me to do something I didn't want to do, especially a stranger with a TV show. So I’m not going to assume you’re any different, or pretend that I have some influence or insight that you haven’t already heard from a dozen other people who actually know and care about you. I’ll just tell you straight up, that doing something extraordinary can be very lonely, and most people simply aren’t cut out for it. Being an Eagle Scout requires you to be different than most everyone around you, and being different is really, really hard. That’s why the award is called “an accomplishment.”

Personally, and for whatever it’s worth, the best decisions I've made in my own life, are those decisions that put me on the outside of being cool. Singing in the Opera, working in home shopping, staring in the school play when the entire football team laughed at me, and especially earning my Eagle, were all choices that required sacrifice, hard work, and delayed gratification. I have no idea if you possess those qualities, or even envy them. But I can tell you for certain, that NOT getting your Eagle, will be one of the easiest things you’ve ever done.

Anyway, I have no idea if you would prefer an easy life of predictability and mediocrity, or if have the passion to follow the road less traveled. Only you get to decide that.

Good Luck,
Mike

So there it is. I think this is something that everyone working on their Eagle Scout should read. It really explains that earning Eagle Scout is not the parents or adult leader's choice it is the choice of the scout. No matter what the parents do, it ultimately comes down to whether or not the the person is willing to follow through. I would rather see a kid choose the road that is predictable and mediocar instead of following the road less traveled if they do not have the passion to complete the road less traveled.

To show proper credit please see the original by clicking the title of the post to be directed to the original website where Mike's Blog can be found.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Socutmaster
Troop 1616

Philmont Journal

Philmont Journal Day 7
October 24, 2008

Today we woke up at about 5:45 in order to get camp packed out and hit the trail by about 6:30 am. We quickly and efficiently pack up personal gear, tore down tents, and distributed the crew/group gear. After these assignments were made we hit the trail without eating a full breakfeast. Throughout the the hike we snacked on various items in order to hold us over until we got a large meal for a late afternoon lunch at a fast food restaurant which ended up being Arby's. The distance we covered today ended up being about 8 miles, which means for those members of the group who hiked the whole distance they were eligible to recieve the 50 miler patch. I have already recieved the standard 50 miler patch so to me it wasn't the biggest lose ever but it was still slightly disappointing. Considering I had a fair amount of pain in my knee I ended up staying at the front of the group for the majority of time after the first stretch. Some group members believed that there was not a problem with my knee towards the middle because I was doing so well. Even though I was doing so well I still had pain in my knee but was able to manage and tolerate it a little bit longer than some because of the fact that I have a fairly high pain tolerance because I have experienced many excruciating migraines. After reaching the vehicles we did a end of the trail cheer got in the cars and headed back to philmont headquarters. At headquarter we went into the trading post. This trading post is huge and you could have easily spent a couple hundred dollars right then and their if you were not carefully and watched your money closely. After getting some stuff at the trading post we hit and trail and after stoping for lunch we drove straight home to castle rock in order to beat rush hour traffic, which could have been horrible because it was a saturday evening but it ended up being fairly tame considering that some many odds were stacked against us. We get back to the Benzel house where I am suppose to stay the next two nights.

Route:

1. Start from Beaubien and head south along Bonito Creek Trail to Fowler Pass Trail
2. Follow Fowler Pass Trail and go over Fowler pass which has a elevation of 9216 this is the highest point we will have to go to today, minus our starting elevation.
3. Follw Fowler Pass Trail All the way to Crater lake Trail and stop at crater lake in order to get a good picture of Tooth of Time Peak.
4. Follow trail of a Crater Lake that leads to Lovers Leadp Camp ground.
5. At east end of Lovers Leap Campground we take a secondary emergency access road down to the primary road that will head to our vehicles and ultimately after driving in the vehicles will get us back in the Philmont camping administration area.

Philmont Journal Day 8
October 25, 2008

Spend the day recuperating from the philmont experience. I also spend the day hanging out with the Benzel family but I spend most of my time with J Benzel and not with D Benzel because he invited one of his non-scout friends over in order to hang out with his cool friends. What I mean by cool friends are the friends that are fully socially acceptable and not involved with the scouting program. D Benzel does not have a problem with scouting but needs to take a break every once in a while from the program.

Philmont Journal Day 9
October 26, 2008

Woke up at about 4:30 am and left for a early morning flight out of denver. I get into kenai which is about twenty minutes from where I live at about 2:00 pm Alaska Daylight Savings Time.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

Philmont Journal

Philmont Journal Day 6
October 23, 2008

Today we still had snow on the ground but is was slowly beginning to melt off. Unfortunately due to my knee still being in pain and me fighting a cold I end up staying back with one of the adults in order for me to feel fairly descent for the hike out the following day. After the group left me and one of the adult leaders caught up on some personal matters that we needed to discuss during this trip. After the personal matter's were out of the way we brought more firewood into the cabin and kept the fire going throughout the day. After gathering the wood we talked about the upcoming fall camporee that I was tasked with planning. Maybe if I have time I will write a post on how the fall camporee went where I was the event's incident commander. Back to the main focus though after that we ate lunch kept talking and then went over the a fire ring to setup for tonights big campfire where we ended up having a large and formal campfire program. After that we played cards and then finally the rest of the guys got back from the group. The group took the Bonito Creek Trail to the Trail Peak Trail where they summit Trail Peak which has a elevation of 10250 feet. Near the top of this peak is a crashed B-52 bomber which the group thought was awesome. After they got back we just hung out, ate and relaxed. When a couple of hours had passed we going started on the second half of our service project continuing to move wood piles and organize the wood stacks. After a hour and a half of doing this we went over to the campfire ring where we had dinner. Once we had dinner and cleaned up our dishes it was dark so we started the campfire program. The scout that put on the program did a excellent job of planning it. Everything in the program ended up going great.

Route: No distance covered due to injury and having a cold.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

Philmont Journal

Philmont Journal Day 5
October 22, 2008

Had a sleep in day to between 8:30 and 9:00. Woke up to a snow storm which started last night during the early morning hours. In my mind before a went to bed I thought I saw a slight mist which lead me to believe that it was possible to have a snow accumulation. I never brought this up to me tent mate or the rest of the group because I was not positive but had a good feeling that it could happen. Since the wind was blowing strong and snow was coming down we were invited into the cabin and in the end we ended up using the cabin the rest of the week. My knee which I injured yesterday by irritating/pulling a ligament is still hurting but I decide to go on the hike today. The goall of today's hike is to summit bontio Peak which has a elevation of 10610 feet. By the way the approximately elevation of the base camp which is Beaubien is about 9400 feet. We ended up leaving base camp around 11:30 during which is was still slightly snowing. As we move further up the mountain the wind and snow became worse until we reached the top of the peak. Once we reached the top of the peak the fog cleared up and we had a awesome view of the surrounding area and the valley below. Also the snow and wind subsided and then stopped for our hike back to camp. After we got back to camp we spent a couple of hours warming up and just having some freetime. After freetime we had to start our service project for the 50 miler patch. which requires 3 hours of community service. The service project we had to do was to gather and straighten the wood piles surrounding beabuien. Today we did about 1.5 of our 3 required hours. After that we had a nice fire inside and stayed inside most of the evening because the wind and snow picked up again during the service project.

Route

1. Took trail north out of beaubien to Beaubien Access Road Junction where we followed the road in a north-easterly direction until we reached bonito Peak Trail. This trail actually continues down the other side of the mountain and ends up going north to various other campsites and back south to porcupine camp. In order to do just the mininum required in order to get the 50 mile patch we went up and down the same side of the peak, which ended up being about 8 miles.
   
2. Went up Bonito Peak Trail to top of peak
3. Came down the same side of the peak that we came up on Bonito peak Trail.
4. From Bonito Peak Trail we to the Beabuien Access Road to the Junction.
5. From this junction we take a trail into Beuabien.
   

Yours in Scouting Service
mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

Philmont Journal

Philmont Journal Day 4
October 21, 2008

Today end's up being the longest day we have at philmont for hiking distance. Today we end up cover about 10 to 11 miles. The reason why I say 10 to 11 is because we ended up taking a lot of switchbacks that are not marked on the map and the fact that we ended up having to do some bushwhacking because of the fact that we lost the trail. The story of losing the trail is that their is a section of trail that follows the western border of philmont that is not always clearly marked, so instead of following the fence line and following the trail our navigator ended up taking a old logging road that was not marked on the map of philmont. I would not say that we were ever lost but the fact remains that we just made a couple of poor decisions about how to go about navigating through this section of trail. The navigator even with this mistake did a superb job of keeping track of where we are. This morning we got up at 7 am and were on the trail by 8 am. We did not get back from our hike until about 6 pm, so we were basically on the trail for about 10 hours. This evening we had dinner which the adults cooked for us, which surprised me because these adults that went with us usually never cook for us. After that we had a fire and talked and then went to bed fairly early. We were total we could sleep in because of how long of a day we ended up having.

Route:

1. Followed trail out of Beaubien Campsite to road junction.
2. From junction we took a trail that heading in a southwest direction to the Philips Junction Comissary were we stayed on the trail for the majority of the time to Philips Junction.
3. From Philips junction we followed a road/trail combination along Rayado Creek to Fish Camp. During this time we head primarily in a southernly direction.
4. From Fish camp we followed the trail to Agua Fria Camp following Agua Fria Creek to opening before the major switchbacks on this trail in order to fill up water bottles because this would be the last chance to fill up water bottles until we hit buck Creek.
   
5. From this stop along Agua Fria Creek we followed the trail and hit the major switchbacks. From the switchback set we took the Trail that would head towards the Apache Springs Campsite. This took us generally west and the north after hitting the switchbacks.
   
6. After going through Apache Springs campsite we follow trail going out of this campsite to the western border trail.
   
7. Before hitting the western border trail we decide to bushwhack up to the top of Apache Peak. Apache Peak has a elevation of 9856 feet.
8. Come down from Apache Peak and hit western border trail.
9. Follow western border trail and then lose it and end up on a unmarked and old logging road.
10. Follow old logging road and then hit the seasonal Bear Creek. From Bear creek we decide the best option is to get off the road and bushwhack up and over a ridge. Over this ridge is a road that follows Buck Creek which is our destination
11. Make it over and down the ridge where we hit a road that follows Buck Creek.
    
12. Follow this road past the point where we were suppose to turn off. In order to make the day go quicker we back track to the appropriate trail.
13. The his trail has a few super large switch backs and then leads us into the backside of Philip's Junction.
14. From Philips Junction we follow the trail back to the first major road junction.
15. Go across this major road junction above Beaubien and finally take trail from road junction to Beaubien.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

Philmont Journal

Philmont Journal Day 3
October 20, 2008

Today was the first day in the trail. For everyday on the trail I will provide a approximate description of the route followed for that day at the end of the post using a numbered system. Today we were on the trail by 8:30 am with one of our two guides. The other guide was getting medical clearance for a ankle injury that was bothering her. We started the day by driving in philmont vehicles to the Abreu campsite were we were dropped off to begin our journey. From their our goal was to get to Beaubien by the time dinner rolled around. We ended up getting their fairly close to dinner time. We had lunch at in a large meadow that was start of the long open valley we had to travel up to get to our campsite. During lunchtime we also had to pump water to refill water bottles. Everyone did fine the first day without any major incidents.

Route:

1. Drove veichles south to a southern entrance where we took a road all the way to the Abreu Campsite.
2. Hike from abreu campsite to the Old Abreau Campsite
3. From the Old Abreu campsite we folloed the Bonito Creek Trail. This trail follows Bonito Creek.
   
4. The Bonito creek trail is a trail in some sections and a road in other sections. As much as possible even with the trail being really close to the road we tried to stay on the trail unless the trail went way out of our way.
5. Followed Bonito Creek trail to Beaubien Campsite. This will end up be our base of operations for the entire journey.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616