SPL SOP Update One

A couple of days ago I talked about publishing a Senior Patrol Leader Standard Operating procedure. I have made tons of progress on this guide but unfortunately since tomorrow is my birthday and I have church stuff in the morning I probably will not finish this guide over the weekend. I was hoping to finish it but since I am running out of time to finish it probably will not get done but that is okay since i really do not have a hard deadline for this project yet.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 Philmont AA '08

Panamerican Jamboree 2009

The 2009 Pan American Jamboree will take place from December 26, 2009 to January 3 2010. It will be held in the city of Toluca, capital of Mexico.

Here is a brief description of the theme and what the Jamboree is going to be about:

The name of this 13 Pan Jamboree is "The Adventure of the Fifth Element", the setting is a place where the weather gods have been made to teach this man the care of ecological balance. Participants formed tribes regardless of the origin of each and will be directed by the gods. During 8 days living the essence of each element to learn the virtues of each, passing tests and challenges that will give you the final preparation for making the Fifth Element reborn. The birth marked the fifth element of the pact that the man does to nature and the man himself in an atmosphere of brotherhood and tolerance. The Fifth Element reborn in the last minutes of 2009 marked the beginning of a new era in the life of men, full of brotherhood and commitment upon completion of the mission, the gods of the elements return to their original shape and will continue to monitor Man steps to enforce the commitment sealed. Mexico is the perfect place where you can be part of this great adventure. Come and know the journey to the fifth element. You will have four guards who guides you go by introducing a material in a newsletter. These four guidelines help guardians to live an unforgettable experience at this event.

Here is information if you would like to participate or if you know of another scout who would like to participate:

We will be coordinating a national contingent to the 13th Panamerican Scout Jamboree in December 2009, in Toluca, capital city of the state of Mexico. The event is a wonderful opportunity to travel and learn about Mexico in an atmosphere of exploration and adventure and strengthen the Scout brotherhood. The motto of this great event is “Explore our territory, discover your spirit.” More than 8,000 Scouts from around the American continent are expected to attend the nine-day event. Bari Saunders, member of the International Committee, has agreed to serve as the BSA’s contingent leader. Bari and Esther Scoggins, of the BSA International Department, will be contacting those Scouters that have indicated an interest in attending this event. Do you have someone from your council interested in attending? Please contact Esther Scoggins at esther.scoggins@scouting.org.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 Philmont AA '08

Scouts of the WOrld Interamerican Seminar

This Seminar is planned to give a detailed presentation of the chracteristics, objectives and forms of operation of the Scouts of the World Award that is designed for use in the Venturing Section of the BSA> The BSA has currently not adopted the Scouts of the World Recognition program. Also in a fair amount of countries venturing is known as Rovering. The agenda for this event will include:

• Theory of the Award
• Examples of Successful Practices
• Ideas that have proven effective in promoting the Award
• Ideas that have proven effective in developing the Award.
• Specific contributions for implementation at the National Level

This Seminar will be given by Andres Morales who is the Unit Manager for the Adolescents and Young Adults Education Research and Development of the World Scout Bureau, Central Office, Geneva, Switzerland.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 Philmont AA '08

Interamerican Youth Forum

The 3rd Interamerican Region Youth Forum will be hosted by the Scout and Guide Association of Costa Rica. This event will be held from July 6 to 12 2009. The purpose of this event is to present share and learn from sustainable experiences of youth participation in order to enchace and consolidate youth networks and forums at the local and regional levels. People who are invited include the representatives from NSO's or National Scout Organizations who are participating in the Youth Network have appointed correspondents and this meeting is also open to young people aged 18 to 25 who have shown a interest in youth participation matters, have a broad and general understanding of youth issues relating to participation and decision making, or are familiar with institutional decision making. Obviously this includes a very wide range of people.

This forum will be directed by Daniel Corsen Jr the Youth Network Coordinator and his Deputy Youth Network Coordinators.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 Philmont AA '08

Cellphones and Scouting

As this world gets more and more technologically inclined we a scouts and scout leaders need to truthfully consider what the purpose of cellphones should be in Scouting. Yes I believe that cell phone use should be allowed in scouting. It is just a matter of teaching the the youth and to appropriately and responsibly use their cell phone. The scouts are just going to bring them anyways so what is the point of banning them. Also they can be very useful. Lets first work on some cellphone etiquette:

• Cellphones should not be used including the texting feature when a person is speaking to the group. It does not matter whether it is a youth or adult.
  
• Put the cellphone on at least vibrate but preferably silent when involved in a Scout meeting.
  
• Just because you want to talk or text someone on your phone does not mean that the rest of the world wants to experience or hear the conversation.

Cell Phone User Code

• I will take full responsibility and not blame anyone else if my phone is damaged, loss, or stolen. The only exception is if a phone is stolen by another scout then appropriate consequences should be used.
• I will use my cell phone only when appropriate.
  
• I will only use my cell phone when I have to. When I have to means it is for communicating information to parents, communicating information to adult leaders or communicating information to other youth members.
• I will keep my conversation on my phone down. I realize that the whole world does not want to hear my conversation.
• I will not let my phone become a distraction to myself or others.
• I realize that if I do not take appropriate percautions on scout outings there is a very high likelihood that the phone will become damaged.
• I agree that I will not be a show off with my phone because show offs are really just insecure people that have to push others around to feel good.
  

This code is probably not complete but the point is that cell phones are going to become a part of scouting whether or not we want them to or not. We as leaders must teach our youth how to use the phone just like we teach a new tenderfoot to setup a tent and the rest of his campsite.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 Philmont AA '08

Planning SOP

I have finally had it with reminding the Senior Patrol Leader that he is expected to plan and execute the meetings. If he is not there then he needs someone else to run the meeting. I am not trying to be negative or derogatory towards my SPL but I really need to do something else in order to ensure he succeeds and the Troop succeeds. The Troop does fine but it would be much better if I had a strong youth leadership team. So my solution is to write a SPL SOP. For those of you who do not know what a SOP is a SOP is a standard operating procedure. Basically I am over the long weekend going to write a SOP that describes the functions of the SPL and what is expected for outings and on a weekly basis. I will probably post this document in multiple parts for others to view once I finish it.

Again let me remind you that this may not be 100% in line with BSA policy but it is what works for our Troop that follows BSA guidelines as closely as possible. Another reminder this solution is just a possible solution for this problem. Hopefully some of you will be able to take the information and use it in your own Troop.

Also if anybody has any suggestions for making scouts perform the planning and logistics aspect of their position it would be greatly appreciated.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 Philmont AA '08

Also if anyone

Scout Quotes

Unfortunately, I'm not a person that's always capable of living up to the Boy Scout philosophy.
Stanley Crouch

We must depend upon the Boy Scout Movement to produce the MEN of the future.
Daniel Carter Beard

See things from the boy's point of view.
Robert Baden-Powell

To get a hold on boys you must be their friend.
Robert Baden-Powell

We never fail when we try to do our duty, we always fail when we neglect to do it.
Robert Baden-Powell

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.
Robert Baden-Powell

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

A boy carries out suggestions more wholeheartedly when he understands their aim.
Robert Baden-Powell

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 Philmont AA '08

Arrowmen in Action

Arrowmen in Action: Stepping Up To Help When No One Else Did

The twists and turns that come with driving up a mountain road can often be unnerving. So can coming upon an injured motorcyclist on your way to a Scouting event. That’s what happened to 14-year-old Taylor Wood—a Life Scout and Brotherhood member of Siwinis Lodge in Torrance, California—while riding with his Scoutmaster and his Scoutmaster’s son. "We were driving up the mountain and there were about three cars in front of us," recalled Taylor. "Then we started to see motorcycle parts scattered in the road." The motorcycle parts belonged to a motorcyclist in need of help lying on the side of the road with his friend. "None of the other people ahead of us stopped to help so we stopped."

Even though it appeared the injured motorcyclist only had minor cuts and scrapes, Taylor rushed out of the car with his first aid kit. "I always have my first aid kit." Taylor said. "Some people keep them in the back of their car or in their packs, but I keep mine with me." He immediately began to clean the motorcyclist’s open wounds and made sure to stabilize him to avoid making any internal injuries worse. When medical personnel arrived, Taylor and the other passengers in his vehicle slowed traffic down on either side of the accident.

Finally, nearly 20 minutes after Taylor and the others came upon the accident, a Sheriff’s Department helicopter landed nearby to evacuate the crash victim to the hospital. Emergency personnel never revealed the motorcyclist’s name to Taylor or his Scoutmaster, making his heroic deed a random act of good citizenship. But for Taylor, deeds like that are nearly habits. He’s been involved with three other accidents similar to this one. "It’s just a normal instinct," he said.

Taylor used the Power of One to help save a life. How will you use it?

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 Philmont AA '08

NSJ 2010 Bulletin

March 2009 Bulletin

There is room for you!

As of the end of February 2009, we now have more than 18,500 youth members who have signed up online for the 2010 National Scout Jamboree. That number was just 10,000 in December of 2008. That means that more than 140 scouts per day are signing up for the jamboree. Although that looks great, we have not come close to filling the jamboree. That’s almost half of our 2010 allocation for youth members. We have room for 925 troops each with 36 youth members and four adult leaders. Encourage those interested to go online and register now. This will be a wonderful, exciting, and historic jamboree. For those councils who have already filled your allocation, have waiting lists, and want additional troops, contact your regional office jamboree coordinator. There may be some additional troop allocations available to your council.

Again, 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.org, "all jamboree applications must be submitted from the MyScouting 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. While some councils are close to completing their recruiting efforts, most have not. Council recruiting success stories often revolve around some type of jamboree rallies for recruiting new participants, however, nothing takes the place of recruiting “one on one” by jamboree adult leaders. The following are some ideas your council may want to use to promote the jamboree.

• If you need additional jamboree promotional materials, the video, or the jamboree brochures, contact your regional office. The video is short, and has great pictures of the 2005 Jamboree and ideal for use at troop meetings and summer camp. Boys’ Life’s own Pee Wee Harris is talking to his friend about the jamboree. As he is talking, 2005 Jamboree highlights are being shown.
• Most councils are publishing a monthly jamboree newsletter on their council Web page. Each Scout and troop leader should have timely communication about the jamboree. Parents should know when their payments are due and exactly what kind of supplies and uniforms are required for the jamboree. There is no requirement for participants or staff to wear the new uniforms introduced in 2008.
• Emphasize new program features of the jamboree. There will be a new shotgun “five stand” along with the new Mountain Boarding program and, of course, the incredible 100th Anniversary arena shows that are being planned.
• Talk about the entire contingent trip including any side visits to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York, etc. as part of your council’s jamboree experience.
• Assist parents who have questions or trouble with the online registration process. Council coordinators should feel free to contact the Jamboree Department at 2010jamboree@scouting.org for questions concerning the registration process.

For further information please visit www.bsajamboree.org
Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 Philmont AA '08

WOSM appoints new head

For those of you who don't know the BSA is linked to a organization called the WOSM or world organization of the Scouting Movement and on March 21 the World Scout Committee a governing body in the WOSM appointed Luca Panissod as Secretary General of the WOSM. This appointment follows him after serving as a interim secretary since November 2007.

His words are as follows upon learning of his appointment:

“I am very honoured by the trust that the World Committee has shown towards me and I am perfectly aware of the responsibilities entrusted to me. In order to carry out my mandate, I count on the support of the Committee as well as that of all volunteers and professionals at all levels of our Organization. My commitment is guided by Scouting’s values. My work will aim to bring about the changes needed for our Movement to be able to respond to the needs of young people and to face the challenges of the future.”

Mr. Panissod became involved in world scouting in 1982. He was born in 1949. He has a degree in economics and an MBA from the Sorbonne and very has become very interested in promoting public and social causes.

Many NSO's or National Scout Organizations want the WOSM to help them in following way:

“National Scout Organizations are asking us for inspired
leadership that is focused on results. They are asking us to lead the way”

Mr. Panissod wants to fulfill this request to the best of his ability and the focus of the rest of meeting of the World Scout Committee was focused on taking this idea and making it become action.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 Philmont AA '08

Eagle Scout Project zand the 21st century

I subscribe to a free service called google alerts that monitor news or new items on pretty much which every subject you want from apples to zoology. In today's e-mail from google I received a interesting article about a scout who completed his eagle project by hosting three weekened workshops to create a 3D map of his community.

First off I would like to say what a interesting and different idea for a eagle service project. The majority are just trail work or similar work which are just fine but it is always interesting to hear about those eagle projects that are totally different.

This life scout got the idea from the city's mayor who wanted to create this 3-d map but could not find someone who was willing to take on the project. In order to complete this project this scout had to train community members to use google's software known as 3-d sketchup which is designed to be uploaded to the google earth platform. Google still has to approve the 3-d designs since their were google masterminds on hand they will most likely be approved.

Here is a link to the full article:

click here

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 Philmont AA '08

Wild weather and Preparedness

Natural disasters and serve weather are occurring all over the country. Here are just some of the major weather systems that are expected to cause large problems around the country. First lets start in alaska where if you did not know a volcano on the Alaska Peninsula called Mount Redoubt has been erupting for the past several days. Of course the erruptions are not continuous but it is still giving plenty of people headaches. Next lets go to the midwest where a river is expected to reach the second highest flood stage on reccord. Now lets go to the south where there are tornadoes, hail, and severe thunderstorms occuring. It laso looks like their is going to be busy a wildfire season across the country. Finally likes go to the rocky mountains especially near colorado where they are expected to get 16 to 24 inches of snow in a very short period of time.

Well Lets get back to the purpose of this post which is talking about preparedness. As scout we try to prepare for all types of incidents that may occur during our scout activities and meetings but are we prepared in our workplace, our school, or our home are we truthfully prepared. The answer for a fair majority of americans would be no we are not prepared. When it comes to disasters whether natural or manmade we are not a proactive society we are a reactive society. So get out their and be proactive, here a few tips to get started:

• Plan: First sit your family down and come up with a plan that talks about what you would do if a emergency occurred in the places you commonly hangout. In this plan also make sure everybody knows where to meet, communication method, alternative communication method, and have everyone not a out of state contact.
• Kit: Put together a emergency kit for your car and your home. The redcross is a great resource to look at for a list of suggested items. The kit should last for 2-4 days without having to be restocked. In alaska most emergency response folks say you should have enough supplies fir about one week.
  
• Act: Even the youth in the troop can make a difference. Take to your local emergency manager about helping inform others about what to do in disasters, helping build emergency kits, distributing fliers, and showing people the importance of being proactive instead of reactive in disasters.
  

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 Philmont AA '08

NOAC

First off for those of you who do not know what NOAC is it is the National Order of the Arrow Conference that is traditionally held at Indiana Unversity. This event is a opportunity for members of the Order of the Arrow to get together for look at the following description:

This summer, Order of the Arrow members from around the country have the unique opportunity to get together at the National Order of the Arrow Conference ("NOAC"). Over 7,000 Arrowmen will come together for have fun, learn new things, and celebrate the best the OA has to offer. This six-day adventure is unlike any other event in Scouting, and only OA members can participate. A typical NOAC day covers all aspects of the OA. In the morning, you can pick your choice of world-class training sessions ranging from Leadership, to Indian Crafts, to Ceremonies, to High Adventure Skills, and more. The afternoon brings sports, competitions, special events, and more. After dinner, you get to see an outstanding Evening Show, a new show each night. After the show, there are open activities, patch trading, and just hanging out with your friends. Finally, you head to bed, to get some sleep so you are ready to do it all again the next day! NOAC is a great opportunity for you to learn more about the OA and Scouting (and maybe a little bit more about yourself), to get to know the rest of the members of your lodge, and to make new friends from around the country. Join the Order of the Arrow's best and brightest for a six day adventure of fun, excitement, and memories.s

Hopefully that gave you a good idea to what NOAC is about. There is still time to make the early registration deadline which ends on May 31, 2009

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 Philmont AA '08

3 Teir Youth Leadership Training

Can anyone tell be the three tiers to the youth leadership training continuum. Let me give you a hint it begins with Troop Leadership Training.So Now that you know that the three courses our TLT, NYLT, and NAYLE. Lets talk about what each class is about.

• TLT- Troop Leader Training- Is usually conducted by the Scoutmaster with assistance from other adults, the SPL, or other qualified youth leaders which would most likely either be a Troop Instructor or Junior Assistant Scoutmaster. This training is based around three training sessions. The First is known as the be section which gives you a introduction to your specific leadership position. This is usually conducted on a individual basis but can also be done as a group. The second session is the know it talks about how to fulfill the responsibilities of your position. The final session is the know session and it talks about the expectations of you while in a leadership position.
  
• NYLT- National Youth Leader Training- National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) is run at the council level as a week-long course, generally for the senior Scout leaders. This course is known by many different names throughout the country. Each council sets specific requirements for attendance at this course. It would be best to contact you local council to find out more specific information.
  
• NAYLE- National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience- The mission of National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience is to provide Scouts with a Philmont-based wilderness encounter that motivates them to follow a life of helping others succeed based on the values expressed in the Scout Oath and Law. The Scouts experience such high-adventure activities as COPE, wilderness first aid, a high-level geocache hunt, conservation, Leave No Trace, and a search-and-rescue activity. This is complemented by learning the history and inspiration of the Philmont Scout Ranch as well as a personal journal that focuses on the Scout's leadership skills. Philmont leadership is committed to making NAYLE a very special experience. The Scouts live in a patrol setting at Rocky Mountain Scout Camp where they use their leadership skills to resolve exciting and challenging backcountry situations. The week concludes with a closing challenge for each Scout to build upon the legacy of Waite Phillips, the benefactor of the Philmont Scout Ranch.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 Philmont AA '08

Break from Scouts for Training

For the next 5 weeks I will be going to a emergency medical training class that is known as the Emergency Trauma Technician Class this is a modified version of the national first responder curriculum. This class covers about 1/3 of the material found in the EMT-B or EMT-1 class as defined by the National Registry of EMT's.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 Philmont AA '08

Success and Failure Scout Style

One of the things that I like to tell parents and youth members about scouts is that scouting is one of the few environments where members are allowed to make mistakes in their approach or ideas and not have terrible consequences as a result of their action. I am not going to say that this applies to every situation because their are certain areas in scouts where mistakes are not allowed which include hazing, harassment, social well being, and health and safety issues. Mistakes when developing your skill set to accomplish a certain goal are okay as long as you as the member are trying their hardest to accomplish and task.

So to wrap this up in one sentence failure is a acceptable option for scouts as long as it does not cause health and safety issues and the person has exhausted all known resources that are available to the group.

Knowing the difference between accepting a appropriate failure and not accepting a inappropriate failure is a delicate line that leaders must learn not to cross because crossing this line leads to huge problems for not only the leader but the rest of the group as well.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 Philmont AA '08

Heros

I think that Commissioner Keith's post about hero's hit it right on the spot. I just wanted to say that I totally agree with him that too many kids think that there true heroes are celebrities and athletes but in truth this cannot be true because a fair amount of these so called heroes are very superficial and fake. What I mean is that these people think that it is okay to have the attitude of "Do as I say not as I do" attitude which sends are very confusing message to our youth. So if you are a celebrity reading this please provide a example that sets high moral standards for our youth, I know that this is extremely hard but it is a daily struggle that every person should be fighting. If you are a scouter or scout don't let the celebrities trick you into believing that all of them got to where they are without cheating because you can beat a fair amount of them did cheat to get where they are.

Heroes are people others look up to because of looks, personality, ideas, or interests whether or not they are positive or negative, it does not matter. Everyone is a hero in the eyes of at least one person. So remember people need to have positive examples to look to.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 Philmont AA '08

Lazziness

Laziness it seems that it is becoming a epidemic not only with the youth but also with the adults in the Troop as well. Right now there are probably only three people that have the interest of the boy scout Troop close to their heart. I know that I am taking a extended leave of absence for 6 weeks due to a first responder class I will be taking but even though I will not make the weekly meetings I will still continue my work by doing stuff behind the scenes which. So really even with me not attending meetings at least it is for a reasonable reason and will benefit the Troop in the long run. This leave of absence according to some may been seen as being lazy but the truth of the matter is that I will still be doing work for the Troop.

Now lets get back to the real problem and lets focus in on this subject matter. First off lets look at the primary reasons for youth and adult leaders being lazy. Here is a list of the common excuses i get for being lazy:

1. Its boring: Leadership is not just fun and games it will have its boring parts. Knowing how to deal with the boring parts shows that you are capable of being a true leader to your scout group.
2. Its not going well: Going well is just a matter of perception. As soon as the leader in the worst conditions looses sight on the positive of the situation he/she has doomed the group to fail. Scouting does accept failure as a option but failure should only be considered a alternative when a group has a safety issue or has exhausted all of the resources of the group.
3. Takes up too much time: Yes every leader whether they are a youth or adult are expected to be available when needed in order to execute their power inherently given to them by their position. What I am trying to say is that a leader must spend time outside of the regular meeting in order to be successful at their assigned tasks. Also if you truly broke down your schedule for the week most people would notice that their are probably large chunks of time that are wasted. Learn how to balance things in your life and know when you are using your time adequately in every activity that you engage in.
   

These are the three major excuses that i find that scouts use in order to try to get away with being lazy while in a position of power. The truth is each of these three major excuses can be broken down by logic and can be removed from use if their is a senior leader willing to take this excuses head on and fight them.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 Philmont AA '08

Quote of the Week- Respect“Treat others as you want them to treat you because what goes around comes around”

Treat others as you want them to treat you because what goes around comes around

Reputation is what the world thinks a man is; character is what he really is.

Respect commands itself and it can neither be given nor withheld when it is due.
Eldridge Cleaver

There was no respect for youth when I was young, and now that I am old, there is no respect for age--I missed it coming and going.
J. B. Priestly

One of the surprising things in this world is the respect a worthless man has for himself.
Ed Howe

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 Philmont AA '08

Arrowmen in Action

Arrowmen in Action: Saving Lives While Still Scouting

Go to class, check. Do homework, check. Run an EMS service… check. That’s the average to-do list for Michael Pandya. Michael—a former lodge chief and section vice chief from Nakona Lodge in Texas—is a student at Rice University and works with the EMS service. “I got started with the EMS service as a freshman,” Michael says, “I took a course, really liked it and got really involved.”

He got so involved that he became Captain by the time he was 21. As Captain, he oversees all of the daily operations including staffing and equipment maintenance, the service’s educational program, which certifies students at the EMT-Basic and Intermediate levels, and anything else that comes with keeping Rice University safe. The service includes 30 staff members and provides state-licensed first responder support for the students, faculty and staff of Rice University.

Michael isn’t the only student on the staff, however. The staff is made up entirely of undergraduate students. “Our program is pretty unique in that they place a lot of trust in students with patient care,” he says. Staff members are on call for twelve hours shifts, during which they attend class and proceed through their day as usual and respond to calls as needed. Because the service doesn’t have an ambulance, staff members respond in vehicles ranging from an SUV to a bike to their own two feet. Despite their sometimes low-tech modes of transportation, their average call time is just three minutes—something Michael is proud of. “We provide comparable service—if not better service—than other EMS services in our area.”

Supervisors like Michael are assigned to work a 24-hour shift, which requires him to keep his radio and pager on at all times. “Sometimes it can be really busy and others really slow,” he says. “You can go three days without a call and then the next day is absolutely busy.” Although he enjoys the adrenaline that comes with the job, he doesn’t enjoy the paperwork that follows each call.

And how does he manage to run an EMS service and stay involved in Scouting? “I learned a long time ago that sleep is optional,” he says. Michael says sometimes he has to spend spurts of time on Scouting and focus on his EMS duties at other times. No matter what he’s doing, he’s always working.

In the future, Michael would like to attend medical school and maybe specialize in emergency medicine. But in the short-term, he has no plans to leave the EMS service. “I want to keep riding on an ambulance for a long time.” Whatever Michael does, he’ll use The Power of One…will you?

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616
Great Alaska COuncil
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
NSJ '05 WSJ '07 Philmont AA '08