Quote of the Week

Leadership consists not in degrees of technique but in traits of character; it requires moral rather than athletic or intellectual effort, and it imposes on both leader and follower alike the burdens of self-restraint.
- Lewis H. Lapham

Meeting Review

After Meeting Review Troop 1616
April 29, 2008

This meeting for me was a little bit more stressful and I did not act very mature at the very beginning when my parents dropped me off because I was irritate and frustrated at my parents for being behind schedule for my standards and about the stressful situation that I was walking into. I snapped at the beginning of the meeting and apologize for that immature behavior. I will work on expressing stress in a more mature way in the next couple of week.s It should not have again.

After that blow up at the beginning of the meeting I was able to regain control of the situation and everything worked out according to plan. Tony who was serving as a Senior Patrol Leader for the week did a wonderful job at completing his job. I should have given him more time to prepare the fire building contest or I should have made sure that he was more comfortable with the situation by asking him more questions during the phone conversation before the meeting about how the meeting needs to work. This is my responsibility and Tony did not have any fault and did a excellent job during the meeting. I was only able to do the opening ceremony, announcements, and the closing ceremony due to the fact that our scoutmaster was not present and we needed someone who was fairly familiar with the summer camp program at camp gorsuch. Basically it came down to the fact that I was probably the most informed about this year's summer camp beside our scoutmaster because I and the scoutmaster have been conversing heavily about this subject.

Thanks to Tony and the other adult leaders who made this meeting possible. I apologize again for the blow up at the beginning of the meeting which was totally unecessary after reviewing the situation. Sometimes I just get too caught up in the fine details and forget the big picture.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

PLC Meeting

Patrol Leaders Council Meeting
April 27, 2008

This Patrol Leaders Council meeting is the first youth based planning meeting this Troop has had for a long time. The reason this occurred this way was because of the fact that the adults did not want to give as much power to the youth as they should have. I am not going to name specific people at fault but the fact remains that not letting the youth do their job as a member of the Patrol Leader's Council is the same as just giving out requirements. I do not believe the youth are at fault because the adults allowed this to happen because they felt the youth leaders that were used were not capable in their position but I have found that fact to be untrue. Back to the meeting, the PLC group accomplished planning 5 meetings and assigning tasks to the various people who could easily complete the assignment. This took approximately a 1 and 40 minutes to complete. The other 20 minutes of the 2 hour PLC meeting was spent working on outing issues and upcoming important dates briefing.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

Scout-O-Rama

Scout-O-Rama
April 26, 2008

Well this previous saturday morning I woke up to find that 4 inches of new snow had accumulated on the ground, my Troop was suppose to do a outside display of a pioneering tower for this promotional scouting event. The fortunate thing for the Troop was just as we were finishing clearing the snow off the mall parking lot, the mall manager who is a really nice guy shows up and offers that as long as we put down tarps on the carpet we can build the pioneering tower inside. For me this was absolutely fabulous because it meant that my stress level could go way down. The reason why my stress level went down was because I did not have to worry about a slippery surface or cold weather. Throughout the day I basically served as a critiquor and safety officer instead of actually building the tower. The reason why they had me do this was because of the fact that I was the most senior scout at the event. The SPL did not show up to the event so the running of the event fell to me as the JASM.

Troop 1616 Meeting Review
April 24, 2008

This nights meeting overall was a success because of the fact that each person performed their job as they should have. The adults barely made any comments or only made comment when asked by the youth leaders. I as the JASM was incharge due to a extended absence from the SPL, our Troop currently does not have a ASPL but is going to get one as soon as the SPL comes back, this ASPL will serve in that position for a month or two and then will become the SPL for the Troop. The reason why that person should be ASPL for a month or two is to get experience in the position of a senior leader of the Troop. This meeting was the final prep meeting for Scout-O-Rama which is coming up on this coming saturday. I hope a fair amount of people show up because of the fact that the unit has spent a fair amount of time planning and preparing for this event.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

A Eagle's Charge

The Eagle Scout Charge

The foremost responsibility of an Eagle Scout is to live with honor. To an Eagle Scout, honor is the foundation of all character. He knows that "A Scout is trustworthy" is the very first point of the Scout Law for good reason. An Eagle Scout lives honorably, not only because honor is important to him but because of the vital significance of the example he sets for other Scouts. Living honorably reflects credit on his home, his church, his troop, and his community. May the white of the Eagle badge remind you to always live with honor.

The second obligation of an Eagle Scout is loyalty. A Scout is true to his family, Scout leaders, friends, school, and nation. His loyalty to his troop and brother Scouts makes him pitch in and carry his share of the load. All of these help to build the loyalty which means devotion to community, to country, to one's own ideals, and to God. Let the blue of the Eagle badge always inspire your loyalty.

The third obligation of the Eagle Scout is to be courageous. Courage has always been a quality by which men measure themselves and others. To a Scout, bravery means not only the courage to face physical danger, but the determination to stand up for the right. Trusting in God, with faith in his fellowman, he looks forward to each day, seeking his share of the world's work to do. Let the red in the Eagle badge remind you always of courage.

The fourth obligation of an Eagle Scout is to be cheerful. To remind the Eagle Scout to always wear a smile, the red, white, and blue ribbon is attached to the scroll of the Second Class Scout award, which has its ends turned up in a smile.

The final responsibility of an Eagle Scout is service. The Eagle Scout extends a helping hand to those who still toil up Scouting's trail, just as others helped him in his climb to the Eagle. The performance of the daily Good Turn takes on a new meaning when he enters a more adult life continuing service to others. The Eagle stands as protector of the weak and helpless. He aids and comforts the unfortunate and the oppressed. He upholds the rights of others while defending his own. He will always "Be Prepared" to put forth his best.

You deserve much credit for having achieved Scouting's highest award. But wear your award with humility, ever mindful that the Eagle Scout is looked up to as an example. May the Scout Oath and the Scout Law be your guide for tomorrow and onward.

Borrow from- scoutingaround.com

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

April Outing Review

April Outing- Hidden Lake Campground
April 18 and 18, 2008
Friday April 18, 2008

The Troop meet at the Soldotna Church of Christ which is our charter organization at 5 pm. After determining that the baxter family was either going to arrive late friday night or early saturday morning the Troop leadership made the decision to depart. The Troop departed from the church at 5:30 pm and were all on site by 6:30 pm. Site setup began after we arrived, I would probably have liked the adults to give the youth more space for figuring out how to setup the tent as a group but other than that setup for the Troop went great. After that we had a dinner of hamburgers and hotdogs which were cooked by two youngers scouts. After dinner the Troop hung out around the fire or went exploring until it became to dark to be considered safe. At 10:30 I met with the other three older scouts on the outing and told them that they would each be mentoring a younger scout during the lashings and tower building exercise tomorrow morning and then that the older scouts expect me would have the afternoon to do whatever they want while the new young scouts started work on some basic advancement skills.

Saturday April 19, 2008

The leadership group got up at 6:15 am and woke the rest of the Troop up at 6:30 am. wakeup went fairly smoothly which surprised because the standard wake up time for the Troop is a lot later than this. After this we had younger scouts supervised by me cook breakfeast. This cooking of breakfeast went according to plan and were done on time which was important due to the amount of time it took to finish the lashings activity. I served as a floater walking around the structure the troop was trying to lash together providing insights and information to the rest of the group. Each younger scout would work with the other older scouts to ensure that the lashing was done properly. This activity went fine and I was surprised and impressed by how much Zach stepped up and show leadership and expertise to the rest of the scouts. This showing of leadership this weekend made me realize how dedicated and committed to serving younger scouts Zach is. This person has now shown that he is not only able but willing to help others especially younger members when called upon. Don't get me wrong I was impressed with Tyler and Tony but Zach really stood out based on their performance levels. Hopefully Zach's example will continue to be a positive example for the Troop to follow. The major issue was with a young scout that I will call "Youngling A" even though this is not the person's name it most appropriate because unfortunately I am going to have to criticize. The problem with youngling A is that if you were not exactly on time or with his idea of things are suppose to be run this person would become slightly rude or abnoxious. To me this is somewhat normal for the new scout to exhibit but should be rectified because it makes the doer's life and the leader's life a little rougher than should. Even though it is somewhat of a normal pattern to new scouts i am not saying that it is a appropriate or mature thing to do. Other than this, their were no other major leadership or behavioral issues.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

April 15, 2008

After Meeting Review Troop 1616
April 15, 2008

The reason why this after meeting review is a full week late is due to me being sick over the weekend and being busy doing homework and working on campout preparation activities. The two goals for the meeting were pack inspections. I really need to probably spend some more time training the older scouts about how to conduct pack inspections but their were not major issues that I saw that could have come up, so I guess it went okay. Probably for quality next time we need to spend at least an additional ten minutes working on pack inspections but other than that it went fine. Next came lashings practice and review. Unfortunately I had to be pulled out for palm rank advancement but was their for the first half and the first half went perfectly fine. Need to figure out a better length for rope when typing lashings with the thicker styles of logs we are going to be using.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

Uniform Stories and Their Purpose

Some Stories about Wearing the Uniform

Story #1:
We were searching for a youth hostel in Lyon, France. We were dressed in class A uniforms. We were confused and must have looked it. A woman approached us and said her son was a Scout and asked if we needed help. I told her the address we were looking for. She tried explaining it to me, but the directions were complicated. She finally smiled and said "Follow me". She literally took me by the hand, and rode with us on the subway, transferred once to another train, and put us on the correct bus, telling the bus driver where we were to get off, and drawing me a walking map of how to get to the hostel from the bus stop. She really went out of her way to help us. We all thanked her as she disappeared into a crowd. I call her the "Unknown Mom" who helped a Scoutmaster and his Scouts (lost in a "mental fog") find their way. Without the uniforms, she probably would have never approached us.

Story #2:
While on a two week trip in Mexico, we were riding on a train when a large group of Mexican Scouts boarded. They were in full uniform, we were not in uniform at the time. They brushed past us. We were saving our uniform for the jet ride home (We'd already worn them a few days earlier). We went into the next car and put on our Scout shirts. One Mexican Scout saw us and soon we had 40 Mexican Scouts swarming all around us wanting to trade patches and talk with us. Instant friends within seconds.

Story #3:
We were attending a Bruce Springstein concert "Born in the USA", in a park in Paris, France. We were in full class A uniforms hoping Bruce might spot us in the crowd (we were only 30' from right center stage) and also because we were born in the USA and wanted everyone to know it. Some chemically altered concert attendee decided it would be cute to rip the American flag off the shirt of one of our Scouts. When he realized he was surrounded by American Scouts and Scouters, he sheepishly grinned, apologized, and quietly retreated into the crowd.

Story #4:
In Rome, Italy we had stopped one evening for pizza on our way to the Trevi fountain. I thought it would be fun to see the Trevi Fountain lit up at night (we had seen it in daylight the previous day). We were in class A uniforms. This was just days after an American TWA jetliner had been hijacked from the airport in Athens, Greece in 1985. Fringe groups were coming out of the woodwork with anti-American demonstrations. As we ate our pizza some American college students saw our Scout shirts and came over to converse with us. We talked of the recent crisis and about some anti-American sentiment that was surfacing. The students said they were leaving Rome after dinner because they were afraid. I asked them why. They said one of the reasons was the anti-American rally taking place that night at the plaza surrounding Trevi Fountain. My Scouts turned and looked at me questioningly. I decided it would be a better idea to skip Trevi Fountain that night and stay at the hotel writing post cards and watching American re-runs on TV (dubbed in Italian).

Wearing the uniform overseas can be a positive or negative experience, depending on the circumstances. I have always had overwhelmingly positive experiences, with just a few potentially bad ones.

We always wear class A's on airline flights.

-- Thanks to Cliff Golden, Scoutmaster Troop 33; DeKalb, Illinois

Uniforms are not always the most comfortable or cool thing to wear but let me remind you of something. Would you as athlete show up to a game without your uniform if you wanted to play, of course not. So why do you choose to show up to the meeting without one

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

17 Easy Ways to Destroy a Organization

Ways to Kill Almost Any Organization

1. Don't attend meetings, but if you do, arrive late.
2. Be sure to leave before the meeting is closed.
3. Never have anything to say at the meeting - wait until you get outside.
4. When at the meeting, vote to do everything, then go home and do nothing.
5. The next day, find fault with the officers and other members.
6. Take no part in the organization's affairs.
7. Be sure to sit in the back, so you can talk freely to another member.
8. Get all the organization will give you, but don't give the organization anything.
9. Never ask anyone to join the organization.
10. At every opportunity, threaten to resign and try to get others to also.
11. Talk cooperation, but don't cooperate.
12. If asked to help, say you don't have time.
13. Never read anything pertaining to the organization.
14. Never accept an office - it is easier to criticize than do things.
15. If appointed to a committee, never give any time or service to it.
16. If there are finances to pay, just ignore it.
17. Don't do anymore than you have to, and, when others willingly and unselfishly use their ability to help the good cause along, then complain that the organization is run by a clique.

Why does it always seem easier to destroy the organization than make it work. The reason this is, is because of the fact that all you have to do to destroy a organization is to disassociate and fight every decision made which is easier than working on a goal that is going to require so much work from yourself.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

Picture of the Week

Supper Cheerful Scout- "The Scouting Syndrome"

(Cartoon from- Knots or Not Cartoons via the USSP Website)

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

Quote of the Week

“The object of the patrol method is not so much having the Scoutmaster trouble as to give responsibility to the boy.”
-Sir Robert Baden Powell

Meeting Review

Troop 1616 After Meeting Review
April 8, 2008

This one is late because i got home late tuesday night and wednesday I just couldn't get myself to putting together information on tuesday's meeting. The major news for this meeting is that the SPL for Troop 1616 has taken a extended leave of absence until the date of April 31, 2008. I as the JASM decided that I would allow this extended leave of absence if the SPL decided to continue his term all the way up to summer camp which is the very late june to early july. It takes place on the week of July 4. Half the reason why I decided to do this was because I felt like the SPL needed to learn more about leadership in order for him to have a basic understanding of what leadership is about. The first major area that he accomplished is running and executing activities, which he performs at the expected level for the standard SPL, the area that the SPL needs to work in is meeting and activity planning. In order to complete this training I felt it was necessary due to the absence to extend the term. Normally I would not have extended a term that I and the person agreed to but I feel that this is the best decision I can make for the Troop.

Now lets actually move on to how the meeting went. It could have had a more formal discussion on appropriate camping gear for the upcoming campout but I feel that the less formal you can make a presentation to the scouts the better off you are going to be because if it is too formal it sounds like school but if it is too informal then it is not purposeful and is ignored by the members of your unit. My big thing was making sure that the new scouts got ideas for what to pack, I will be able to see how they did at the next meeting next week when the unit is having pack inspections. We accomplished the meal plans for the outing which was also important. Two things that I will need to cover next week our probably bear safety for the new scouts and the other will be leave no trace principles with the whole entire unit.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

Troop Wood Cutting on Sunday Afternoon

Troop Day Activity

Today Troop 1616 head out to a woodlot that was going to be bull-dozed for a road that was going to be put in once the snow disappears. We have 3 adults and 3 youth members show up to the event. It was a little disappointing of a turn out from a Troop of about 18 scouts but I am not going to complain about that. Just wanted to mention the facts that the unit is facing. Lower numbers equal poor program. The cutting went great and we were able to gather all the wood needed for Scout-O-Rama in about a hour and a half. This wood is going to used to demonstrate lashings on a tower that we plan on building for Scout-o-Rama. Thanks to all the scouts and adults who were willing to spend their sunday afternoon doing work for the Troop.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark West
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

Scouting Methods

One pattern that I have noticed is that many Troops become a specialist at only one method of the eight methods of scout. When a unit chooses to go down this path for long periods of time then the unit will become dysfunctional. The reason why this occurs is because of the fact that you are then not truly giving that young scout a opportunity to experience everything scouting has to offer. So here is the reminder that I like to think about when I am asking the question "How can I provide better service or get better service from others while keeping in mind the methods of scouting" Here they are and fully digest what each takes and what it will mean for mine and your's unit.

1. The Ideals: The ideals of the Boy Scouts of America are spelled out in the Scout Oath, Scout Law, Scout motto, and Scout slogan. Boy Scouts and adult leaders incorporating these ideals into their daily lives are said to have Scout Spirit.
2. The Patrol Method: Within the larger community of the troop, the patrol is a Scout's \"family circle.\" Each patrol helps its members develop a sense of pride and identity. The boys themselves elect their patrol leader, divide up the jobs to be done, and share in the satisfaction of accepting and fulfilling group responsibilities.
3. The Outdoors: Boys join Scouting for the challenge, the excitement, and the fun. Much of Scouting is designed to take place outdoors in settings where boys can find real adventure.
4. Advancement: The Boy Scouts of America believes that a boy should receive recognition for his achievements. The requirements for the ranks of Tenderfoot through First Class prepare boys to take full advantage of all that Scouting has to offer. Earning merit badges allows them to explore many fields, helps them round out their skills, and perhaps introduces them to subjects that will become lifelong interests and rewarding careers. In addition, advancement sets a pattern of setting positive goals and reaching them through life. Star, Life, and Eagle requirements focus on service to others and developing leadership skills.
5. Association with Adults: Boys learn a great deal by watching how adults conduct themselves. Scout leaders are positive role models for the members of the troop, and take a personal interest in the development of each boy.
6. Personal Growth: Scout-age boys are experiencing dramatic physical and emotional growth. Scouting offers them opportunities to channel much of that change into productive endeavors and to find the answers they are seeking for many of their questions. Through service projects and Good Turns, Scouts can discover their place in their community. The troop itself provides each Scout with an arena in which to explore, to try out new ideas, and sometimes simply to embark on adventures with no design other than having a good time with good people.
7. Leadership Development: Leadership is a skill that can be learned only by doing it. Every boy in a patrol and troop will find that he is filling leadership positions of increasing responsibility. Through leadership experiences, boys learn planning, organization, and decision making.
8. The Uniform: Since 1910, the Boy Scout uniform has been a recognizable part of the American Scene. Wearing the uniform helps boys develop a sense of belonging to their patrol and troop. It reinforces the fact that all members of the Boy Scouts of America are equal to one another. People seeing a boy in a Scout uniform expect someone of good character who is prepared to the best of his ability to help those around him. Likewise, adult leaders in full uniform set a good example for members of their troops and are also seen as community leaders fulfilling a very important role.

I do not pleasure taking time to remind myself or others of all eight methods but it is a necessary evil that we must contend with if we are going to provide the best opportunities for our unit's other members.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

Quote of the Week

What is popular is not always right. What is right is not always popular.

Picture of the Week

2005 National Scout Jamboree Cartoon
"Man, is it Hot"

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

After Meeting Review

Troop 1616 Weekly Meeting Review
April 1, 2008

Yeah this after meeting review is definitely late but I have been really busy this week with scout work and homework and finally got a chance to write the weekly review. The biggest problem with the nights meeting actually happened during the preparation stages of the meeting and that was a violation of the change of command system. The issue started when adult leader A without the approval or consent of the scoutmaster sent a letter to the whole troop regarding a service project that could be done during the meeting. We ended up doing the project but the point is that the confusion and hassle of having to call all the scouts a couple hours before the meeting could have been avoided if the proper communication method was followed. The e-mail did not include all of the information that it needed to have to be considered complete. This adult leader was told of the situation and the adult leader agreed that it should probably have not occurred that way but occurred due to the fact that it was a last minute thing. Leave the last minute emergencies to the adult and youth leaders of the Troop, that is what they are their for yes they plan for what is expected to happen but the leaders need to be prepared to deal with those incidental problems. No major harm was done. The point I am trying to get across is that we as the leaders of the Troop need to follow the methods of scouting. Without these methods we become just like every other youth organization out their.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616