Quotes of the Day Part 2: Day 5

Things Kids and Teens

Wished Their Parents Knew


Thing #21:
I'm going to Mess-up, Talk-Back...
be Rude, be Disrespectful, Push your Buttons...
Drive you Crazy, Cause Hell, say "I Hate You"...
& many other Bad/Horrible things!
Thats Life because I can't be Perfect!;


Thing #22:
I'm going to be Greedy, Selfish...
Materialistic, and Think that you'll...
Always have/willing to Give...
Me Money! Thats what we do!;


Thing #23:
Don't expect me to be a "Straight-A"...
Student! I just isn't going to...
Happen!;


Thing #24:
I'm going to get in Trouble at School...
thats just a Law about being a Kid!;


Thing #25:
I'm going to Fail some Tests and...
Assignments with some being...
My Fault and some being Outside...
My Control! It isn't always just me...
being lazy, uncaring, or failing to...
do Something! So listen to what...
Happened and then Make a Decision...
about what to do!;


Thing #26:
Getting a GED or Diploma and...
not doing Anything else in regards...
to my Education is Alright;


Thing #27:
Don't expect me to meet unreasonable...
expectations in anything I do!;


Thing #28:
It's my life and I decide what...
College I go to and what...
My Degree is going to be! Don't
Force what you think is...
the right College Degree for me!;


Thing #29:
Not everyone is capable or wants...
to go to a Top 20 College or be a...
Doctor, Lawyer, or Other Prestigious...
Career Choice!


Thing #30:
Just be Happy that I want to go to...
College and get a degree! Also be ready...
for me Saying I just can't finish College...
College is only designed for getting...
Certain Persons to Finish a Degree;


Thing #31:
If I go to College remember its really...
just a huge Learning Experiment! And...
I'm going to do Things that you wouldn't...
Approve of! Thats life!;


Thing #32:
Don't Force me to Keep doing a Activity...
that I don't want to do but do...
Force me to finish that Session or Season...
and then let me try something else!;


Thing #33:
Don't try to re-live your childhood...
through mine! Its my life and I...
May or May Not like the things...
I do but be Supportive of what...
I want to do, Unless it isn't...
Legal, Healthy, Ethical, or...
Inappropriate!


Thing #34:
Just because you don't like or understand...
my interests doesn't make them wrong!
We each lived in a different time period...
So, therefore were going to want to do...
different and according to you "Somewhat Weird"...
Activities/Interests! Be supportive and try...
to find out about my interests but don't...
criticize them!;


Thing #35:
As a young Person living in the 21st...
Century I'm going to want to use...
the computer, social networks, and...
all sorts of other things you never...
dreamed possible!;


Thing #36:
Stop living in the "Technological Stone Age"...
your going to have to Figure out the...
Computer and Mobile Electronic Devices...
there just a Part of Everyday Life for me;


Thing #37:
Encourage me to get involved in a Physical...
Activity but don't think I going to be...
the Best, a Champion, Always Successful,
or want to do the same Physical Activity...
that you did as a Kid but Encourage...
me to do Something to Help me Stay Healthy;


Thing #38:
Don't Compare my Ability in Regards to Anything...
I do to other kids or teens because then...
I won't ever meet your expectations!;


Thing #39:
Don't Allow Me or Yourself to have...
Double-Standards! If you Expect me to do...
Something have the Expectation that you...
should be willing to do before Making a...
Quick and Inaccurate Judgement!;


Thing #40:
The Most Important thing for you to Remember is...
that Self-Confidence and Self-Esteem can't be...
Learned through only just Experiencing success...
Too Many People Believe that to develop these...
It Requires Someone to Ensure that you...
Always will Succeed but the Truth is...
Learning by Failure is the Best Teacher...
One word of Caution though is that Failing...
Doesn't Mean you aren't Learning something!...
It just Means that you weren't able to...
Accomplish what you wanted to Accomplish!...
So LET ME FAIL but DON'T JUST DWELL ON WHAT...
I DID WRONG but INSTEAD FOCUS on SHOWING...
ME WHAT I CAN LEARN from that.....
PARTICULAR EXPERIENCE!!!!!!!!!!;
Can do is to let me build my Self-Confidence...

Quotes of the Day Part 1: Day 5

Things Kids and Teens

Wished Their Parents Knew

Thing #1:

Be willing to be our scapegoat...

It's a Natural Thing and if you don't...

Think so Really Look at what your...

Parents told you and I bet they Hated

being your Scapegoat!

Thing #2:

I'm willing to Sit-Down for Dinner...

Sometimes but Don't Expect me to...

Want to Do it Every Night!

Thing #3:

Its okay to share with us things about...

What you did at work and...

How you Felt your Day went but...

Don't Expect us to Want to Listen...

When your just Complaining about how...

Awful your Day was;

Thing #4:

Don't take work issues home...

or Take it Out on us if you had...

a Bad Day, because if you do...

I'll Think I'm Allowed to do the...

Same Thing but I'm not allowed to...

and get in Trouble for It! So why Don't

you get in trouble when you do it too?

Thing #5:

We hate it when you Say...

"Do as I say, Not as I Do!"...

because thats the Quickest way...

to want to act out more!

Thing #6:

We know Parents and Authority Figures...

Deserve Respect and were willing to...

Do so to but, that doesn't Give...

You the Right to Disrespect Us;

Thing #7:

Respect only comes Easily when...

Both of us do the Same for...

Each Other and that doesn't...

Just come from us it's Also in...

The latest "How to Be a Good Parent" Book;

Thing #8:

If you Want us to have Open Dialogue...

Jumping in and Judging me will only...

Make me Push you Away. So to...

Have that we Need to Feel that...

Me telling you things won't Always...

Lead to Getting in Trouble or being...

Grounded;

Thing #9:

We including us teenagers value...

Your Opinion but don't Force it...

Because if you Force it, We'll...

Stop Asking for it;

Thing #10:

Just because we "Messed-Up" Before...

Doesn't mean thats Always going to...

Happen but if you Have that Expectation...

Its more likely to Happen. So...

Believe that the outcome will...

be different this time because...

We Need you to Believe in Us!...

Thing #11:

The World we Live in Tells us...

We won't Succeed, but to...

Do so Anyway Requires...

Someone to Believe in us and There's...

No more Qualified Person than you;

Thing #12:

We don't Need you to be Embarrassing...

in front of my Friends and peers...

because the World is Already a Mean...

Enough Place already and your not...

the one who has to be with them...

Day-In and Day-Out, So don't

make my world anymore Difficult...

by not being Embarrassing;

Thing #13:

Your job as a Parent is never over...

but instead its a 24 hour a day...

Everyday Job So, don't

Believe your ever Going to...

Have a Day off until you Die;

Thing #14:

If you tell me to do something...

Trust that we'll Follow through with...

What you Asked me to Do;

Thing #15:

When we tell you we are finished...

with whatever you Asked us to Do...

Check to make sure the job is done right...

but don't criticize, nit pick, or tell me I...

Failed to do that Job! If you don't think its...

Done or Needs more Work tell me...

Kindly that I need to do Additional...

Work and what you Need me...

to Finish but don't forget to tell...

me How to Fix it;

Thing #16:

If I'm not Doing Something the way...

you want me to Do! Tell me...

but Don't Treat me Like I'm a...

Idiot or say "You Just Can't Do...

Anything Right!";

Thing #17:

If you didn't Explain what I need to...

Do don't Complain that I'm doing...

it wrong or in a Horrible Way! I

Can't read your Mind so tell me...

How to do it and let me try again...

because its Your Fault Im not doing...

What you want When you didn't Tell...

Me What to do in the First Place;

Thing #18:

Don't say things like "I never did that...

to my parents!" or "I wouldn't treat...

my parents like that" or "Back in the day...

we had it so much harder than you" or...

"We wouldn't ever have done that" or...

"When I was growing up I didn't have X...

So why do you need it when I didn't"

Thing #19:

If you Think you didn't cause Trouble...

with your Parents your Ignorant...

because the Facts Say otherwise!;

Think #20:

Don't EVER tell me that you...

were Always "Good" or that you...

were Always a "Perfect Child"...

because thats a out right lie!;

Quotes of the Day Part 2: Day 4

Paradoxical Commandments

of Leadership:

Commandment #1:

People are Illogical, Unreasonable...

and Self-Centered...

Love them Anyway;

Commandment #2:

If you do Good, People will Accuse...

you of Selfish Ulterior Motives...

Do Good Anyway;

Commandment #3:

If you are Successful, you will Win...

False Friends and True Enemies...

Succeed Anyway;

Commandment #4:

The Good you do Today will...

be Forgotten Tomorrow...

Do Good Anyway;

Commandment #5:

Honesty and Frankness make...

You Vulnerable...

be Honest and Frank Anyway;

Commandment #6:

The Biggest Men with the Biggest Ideas...

can be Shot Down by the Smallest Men...

with the Smallest Minds...

Think Big Anyway;

Commandment #7:

People favor Underdogs, but...

Follow Only Top Dogs...

Fight for a Few Underdogs...

Anyway;

Commandment #8:

What you Spend years Building...

May be Destroyed Overnight...

Build Anyway;

Commandment #9:

People really Need Help but may...

Attack you if you do Help Them...

Help People Anyway;

Commandment #10:

Give the World the Best you have...

and you'll get Kicked in the Teeth...

Give the World the Best you have Anyway;

Quotes of the Day Part 1: Day 4

Beatitudes of Scout Leaders:

(But Appropriate for any Leader of Youth)

Beatitude #1:

Blessed is the Leader who has not...

Sought the high place, but...

Who had been Drafted into...

Service because of his Ability...

and Willingness to Serve;

Beatitude #2:

Blessed is the Leader who Knows...

Where He is Going, Why He is Going...

and How to get There;

Beatitude #3:

Blessed is the Leader who Knows...

no Discouragement, who...

Presents no Alibi;

Beatitude #4:

Blessed is the Leader who Knows...

How to lead without being...

Dictatorial, true Leaders...

are Humble;

Beatitude #5:

Blessed is the Leader who Seeks...

the Best for Those he Serves;

Beatitude #6:

Blessed is the Leader who Leads for...

the Good of the most Concerned...

and not for the Personal Gratification...

of His Own Ideas;

Beatitude #7:

Blessed is the Leader who Develops...

Leaders while Leading;

Beatitude #8:

Blessed is the Leader who Marches...

with the Group, Interprets Correctly...

the Signs of the Pathways that...

Lead to Success;

Beatitude #9:

Blessed is the Leader who has His...

Head in the Clouds but his Feet...

on the Ground;

Beatitude 10:

Blessed is the Leader who Considers...

Leadership as an Opportunity to Serve;

Quotes of the Day Part 2: Day 3

Within My Power: I'm not a very Important Man, as... Importance is Commonly Rated, I Don't... Have Great Wealth, Control a big Business... or Occupy a Position of Great... Honor or authority; Yet I may Someday mold Destiny... For it's within my Power to Become... the most Important Man in the... World in the Life of a Boy... and every boy is a Potential... Atom Bomb in Human History; A Humble citizen like myself might... have been the Scoutmaster of a... Troop in which an undersized... unhappy Austrian lad by the Name... of Adolph might have Found a... Joyous Boyhood, full of the... Ideals of Brotherhood, Goodwill... and Kindness and the World would... have been Different; A Humble citizen like myself might... have been the Organizer of a... Scout Troop in which a... Russian boy called Joe might have... Learned the Lessons of... Democratic cooperation; These Men would never have... known that they had averted... World Tragedy, yet actually they... would have Been among the most... Important Men who ever Lived; All about me are Boys, They are... the makers of History, the... Builders of Tomorrow... If I can have some Part in... Guiding them up the Trails... of Scouting, on to the High Road... of Noble Character and... Constructive Citizenship, I may... Prove to be the Most Important... Man in my Community; A Hundred Years from now it... Will not Matter what my... Bank Account was, the... Sort of House I Lived in, or the Car I Drove. But... the World may be Different... Because I was Important in... the Life of a Boy

Quotes of the Day Part 1: Day 3

You Are Unique:

You May not Think that the...

World Needs You, but it Does...

for You are Unique like No 1...

That has ever Been Before or..

Will Come After;

No 1 can Speak with Your Voice...

Say your Piece, Smile your Smile...

or Shine you Light. No 1 can...

Take Your Place, for it's...

Yours Alone to Fill;

If you are not There to Shine...

Your Light, who Knows how Many...

Travelers will Lose their Way as...

They Try to Pas by Your Empty...

Place in the Darkness?

Making Mistakes:

Learn to Admit Your Mistakes...

Before Someone Exaggerates...

the Story;

Quotes of the Day Part 2: Day 2

Gandhi Quote:

Many People...
Especially Ignorant people...
Want to Punish You for...
Speaking the Truth for Being...
Correct, for Being You;


Never Apologize for Being...
Correct, or for Being...
Years Ahead of Your Time;


If You are Right and You...
Know it, Speak Your Mind;


Even if You are a Minority...
of One, the Truth is...
Still the Truth;

Quotes of the Day Part 1: Day 2

5 Rules of Happiness:

Rule #1:

Don't Hate!

Rule #2:

Don't Worry!

Rule #3:

Give More!

Rule #4:

Expect Less!

Rule #5:

Live Simply!

Thank You, World:

Thanks to Those:

Who Hated Me...

You Made Me Stronger;

Thanks to Those:

Who Loved Me...

You Made My Heart...

Go Fonder;

Thanks to Those:

Who Cared For Me...

You Made Me Feel...

Important;

Thanks to Those:

Who Entered Into My Life...

You Made Me Who...

I am Today;

Thanks to Those:

Who Left Me...

You Showed Me That...

Nothing Lasts Forever;

Thanks to Those:

Who Stayed with Me...

You Showed me...

True Friendship;

Thanks to Those:

Who Listened To Me...

You Made Me Feel Like...

I was Was Worth it;

Quotes of the Day Part 2: Day 1

Steve Jobs Quote:

Your Time is Limited...

S0 Don't Waste It...

Living Someone Else's Life;

Don't Be Trapped by Dogma...

Which Is Living With The...

Results of Other People's...

Thinking;

Don't Let the Noise of Others'...

Opinions Drown Out Your...

Own Inner Voice;

And Most Important have the...

Courage to Follow Your...

Heart and Intuition;

They Somehow Already Know...

What You Truly Want...

To Become;

Everything Else is Secondary;

~2005

Quotes of the Day Part 1: Day 1

Three Simple Rules in Life:

Rule #1:

If you do not got after what you want,...

You will never have it;

Rule #2:

If you do not ask.....

The answer will always be no;

Rule #3:

If you do not step forward....

you'll always be in the same place.

Advice to Parents On What To Do If Your Son Wants To Quit Scouting

WARNING: If you are sensitive in nature and have a problem with someone being absolutely honest & frank about "What Should Parents Do When There Son Wants to Drop-Out of Scouting" I would highly recommend that you discontinue reading this post immediately. I will not lie in saying that Im not going to "sugar-coat" or share what the "Main Stream Scouting Community" would believe or think is appropriate. I do not direct this at any particular person or situation but please be aware that if you have been in Scouting for any serious or large amount of time will know that these stories through no intention of the blogger end up being directed towards that particular person.

Regular followers of my "ScoutingManiac" blog probably notice that while sometimes I cover controversial topics Im more likely to cover posts about activities in Scouting that I think are important, to pass on information about a topic related to Scouts, or to share personal experiences that could possibly help other Scouts and Scouts become more aware and involved in Scouting. In this situation though I feel compelled to share my view as this seems to be a topic that is regularly discussed and addressed in Scouting.

For other perspectives please see the blog "Bryan on Scouting: A Blog for the Boy Scout's of America Adult Leaders" which is written by Bryan Wendell. Bryan is an employee for "Scouting Magazine" which is a publication of the Boy Scouts of America. The article referenced and used in this post can be found online via this web page:

http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2012/06/25/give-your-advice-to-a-parent-whose-son-wants-to-drop-out-of-scouting/

Additional posts on the "Bryan on Scouting" blog can be found here:

http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/

Finally the last link I'll be providing related to the "Bryan on Scouting" Blog is the website for "Scouting" Magazine:

http://scoutingmagazine.org/

if any other websites are mentioned or used as supporting material will be found as soon as it is appropriate within the post. In order to fully and accurately share my perspective this topic will require several posts. All references and resources used will be complied into a single list in the last post of this series.

Just to give you a idea of the material to be covered in this series of posts here is a partial list:

• Why do youth join Scouting
• Why do adults join Scouting
• Typical characteristics of youth that join Scouting
• Typical characteristics of adults that join Scouting
• What does it mean to be a Eagle Scout
• Why is becoming a Eagle Scout so hard to do
• Positive and negative reasons why parents want their kid to join Scouting
• Positive and negative reasons why parents force their kid to join Scouting
• Why do Boy Scout Troops have serious retention issues
• Define and explain the concept of the "New Scout Program Continuum"
• Define and explain the concept of the "Young Scout Program Continuum"
• Define and explain the concept of the "Older Scout Program Continuum"
• Explain how retention, drop-outs, positive experiences, and negative experiences affect "New Scouts"
• Explain how retention, drop-outs, positive experiences, and negative experiences affect "Young Scouts"
• Explain how retention, drop-outs, positive experiences, and negative experiences affect "Older Scouts"
• Dealing with "New Scout" parents who baby and prevent learning and active participation in the Boy Scout Program
• Dealing with "New Scout" parents who were Cub Scout Leaders or those who were actively involved in many ways in the Cub Scout Pack
• Dealing with "New Scout" parents who as youth participated in the Scouting program
• Dealing with "New Scout" parents who have no Scouting experience
• Dealing with "New Scout" parents who interfere with the Patrol Method
• Dealing with "New Scout" parents who are troublesome or cause problems in the Troop
• Dealing with "Young Scout" parents who baby and prevent learning and active participation in the Boy Scout Program
• Dealing with "Young Scout" parents who were Cub Scout Leaders or those who were actively involved in many ways in the Cub Scout Pack
• Dealing with "Young Scout" parents who as youth participated in the Scouting program
• Dealing with "Young Scout" parents who have no Scouting experience
• Dealing with "Young Scout" parents who interfere with the Patrol Method
• Dealing with "Young Scout" parents who are troublesome or cause problems in the Troop
• Dealing with "Older Scout" parents who baby and prevent learning and active participation in the Boy Scout Program
• Dealing with "Older Scout" parents who were Cub Scout Leaders or those who were actively involved in many ways in the Cub Scout Pack
• Dealing with "Older Scout" parents who as youth participated in the Scouting program
• Dealing with "Older Scout" parents who have no Scouting experience
• Dealing with "Older Scout" parents who interfere with the Patrol Method
• Dealing with "Older Scout" parents who are troublesome or cause problems in the Troop

As in previous post series of substantial size every couple of posts will provide a list of posts in the series that serve as a reminder to previous posts related to or referenced in another post. Obviously this list is quite long and extensive as such this is going to be a ongoing project that will finish by the December 2014 which will ensure that there is plenty of time to cover each of these areas in detail. To prevent this from being a continuous series lasting until December 2014 other posts will be created on topics unrelated to any of the topics found above. Hopefully this series won't be too boring and will contain information that will help you to continue to learn and grow as a Scout yourself and for the Scouts around and involved with you. 

Any ideas, information, concerns, likes, dislikes, or comments are encouraged and gladly appreciated as normal. I sincerely appreciate and thank all leaders, parents, and adults who make it possible to bring Scouting to our youth as we continue to move further into the second century of Scouting. Also thanks to the youth who are involved in Scouting. As youth you are what adults similar to me make such a impact and enjoyment from helping to continue bringing the Scouting Movement to all the Scouts around the world. As a closing thought on this post here is a quote by Thomas Edison:

Thomas Edison was once asked, "You failed at making the light bulb a thousand times, didn't you just want to give up?" To this Thomas Edison replied "I didn't fail a thousand times, I learned one thousand ways not to make a light bulb"

(Just as a disclosure I have never confirmed if Thomas Edison actually said this but the point isn't about who said or didn't say it. Instead it is about the message within the quote that matters.)

May the Great Scoutmaster of all Scouts be with you until we meet again. Good night!!!!!!

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark West
Assistant Scoutmaster
Camp Gorsuch 2012 Super-Troop Coordinator
T1316- Eklutna District; T669- Tustumena District; T125- Denali District;
Program Committee; Training Committee; Cope Committee; Camping Committee:
NSJ2005 Participant- Youth QM; NSJ2010 Subcamp 7 Staff;
NSJ2013 Extreme Sports Staff; WSJ2007 Youth QM; WSJ2011 IST;
Eagle Scout; OA Nanuk Lodge; Philmont AA2008; 2010 NYLT Staff- Youth QM;


If you are paid to do Scouting, you are called a professional. If you are not paid to do Scouting, you are called a Volunteer. If you pay to do Scouting, then you are called a Scouter.

Urgent Request for Summer Camp Staff in Alaska Needed Immediately!!!!!!!!

Scouts, Scouters, & Parents:

Im forwarding a very urgent message from Council in regards to a serious staffing issue at the Chugiak Alaska Scout Camps for the Great Alaska Council. In particular this staffing shortage applies to both the Cub Scout Camp aka Camp Carlquist & also the councils boy scout resident camp aka Camp Gorsuch.

Please also forward this to all other Scouters & Scouts you know that may have not gotten this e-mail or havent seen the e-mail from the Council.

If any E-mail addresses were duplicated I apologize for that & hopefully Council will find the person they need for camp ASAP!!!!!!!!!!

--------------Begin Forwarded Message---------------

The Great Alaska Council runs 2 summer camps based out of the Rasmuson Scout Reservation in Chugiak Alaska. The camp is accepting applications for a Asst. Cooks who will help in the food preparation for both camps. During the summer months, the reservation provides food for 300-500 daily.

Cooks are responsible to the Head Cook.

The successful candidate will have experience working in food service. Candidate should also have a desire to work with children, youth, and adults in a camp setting. Background check required.

If interested please contact dcounts@bsamail.org

-------------End Forwarded Message-------------------

Thanks for all you do for Scouting & for any assistance in regards to this summer staff emergency request. 

--
Yours in Scouting Service
Mark West
Assistant Scoutmaster

Camp Gorsuch 2012 Super-Troop Coordinator

T1316- Eklutna District; T669- Tustumena District; T125- Denali District;

GAC Program Committee; GAC Training Committee; GAC Cope Committee;

NSJ2005 Youth Participant- Youth QM; NSJ2010 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff; 

NSJ2013 Extreme Sports- Mountain Biking Staff;

WSJ2007 Youth Participant- Youth QM; WSJ2011 International Service Team;

Eagle Scout; OA Brotherhood Honor Nanuk Lodge; Philmont AA2008

2010 NYLT Staff- Youth QM;

7 Sustainable Practices In Action At The Jamboree

7 Sustainable Practices In Action At The Jamboree

Another cool article about what the Summit & the 2013 Jamboree is going to be about!. Make sure to check out this article and see other awesome and interesting facts, details, and stats about the Summit aka SBR aka Summit Bechtel Reserve aka permanent home of the BSA National Jamboree aka site of the 2019 World Scout Jamboree being co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Heres just a brief snippet from the article itself:

"Sustainability is a big part of the Summit experience, and Scouts who attend the 2013 jamboree will get to take part in it. While some of the sustainability designs will be front and center, there will be others that may be a little harder to spot. See if you notice these seven features when you get to the jamboree......"

Yours in Scouting Service

Mark West

Assistant Scoutmaster

Troop 1316, Troop 1616(aka 669), Troop 125

Tustumena District/ Denali District/ Eklutna District, Great Alaska Council

NSJ '05 Youth Participant NSJ '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff NSJ '13 Subcamp Staff

WSJ '07 Youth Participant WSJ '11 International Service Team(IST)

Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Honor Big Horn Denver Area Council NYLT QM Philmont AA '08

If you are paid to do Scouting, you are called a professional. If you are not paid to do Scouting, you are called a Volunteer. If you pay to do Scouting, then you are called a Scouter

Eagle Scout Court of Honor for Troop 669

So on Monday April 2, 2012 I was given the opportunity and invited to a Eagle Scout Court of Honor (COH) for a member of Troop 669 which ended up being a fantastic ceremony in which I got to say a few words about the new Eagle Scout, not really focusing on me but I should have prepared a short set of notes so I would be able to not ramble and focus on making my congratulations remarks much more organized but that really isn't important. What was important was that the new Eagle Scout got a lot of wisdom from the 8 or so adults that spoke about their experience with their own Eagle Scout Journey and what they believe is now expected as a Eagle Scout within their community and also in the global community. So before I get too much further I should probably say who it was which was a person of TD and the reason why Im using initials is that I did not get permission to specifically mention the persons name.

So in all the time that I have known about TD is that it was always interesting how he balanced his school-life, home-life, Scout-life, and finally his sports-life. Now many believe that balancing sports and Scouts is something that just doesn't work at all. Well people I hate to tell you this but thats usually not the truth at all and while I say that I also recognize that some people just don't know how to balance all the obligations or have different priorities in their obligations. Really though the obligations balancing act even though its important isn't a make or break deal for showing, knowing, and understanding what being a Eagle is all about. So the reason I found the obligations balancing act interesting is that in truth (WARNING!!! NOT A SUPER POSITIVE THOUGHT) he definitely was not on top of my list for becoming a Eagle Scout but that just goes to show that their are many different people with a very wide range of personalities and characteristics. Especially when I run into a Eagle Scout that I didn't think would make it, it just makes me more proud of that particular Eagle Scout. I guess what I saying is that TD should be even more proud because he first beat the odds to becoming a Eagle Scout. Second he showed that just because you don't always show up to meetings on a very regular basis doesn't mean that you aren't capable of becoming one of the few people to earn his Eagle in the BSA.

Hopefully people won't take that negatively but I guess I just wanted to show you that not all Eagle Scouts earn or have their Scouting journey as many expect would happen in regards to those who become Eagle Scouts. Beyond that when I was working and seeing him directly when I lived close enough to Troop 669 from 2007 to 2009 was that he developed a strong set of leadership skills and really didn't have a motivation problem when it came to working on and finishing advancement requirements.

My final words of this topic is to remind TD and every other Eagle Scout out their that one of the most important sayings that a Eagle Scout should understand, remember, and not take lightly is that of the following:

"Once A Eagle; Always A Eagle"

Personally Im not exactly sure what this means and even though I understand on a more basic level than I would like to Im just not sure if I will be given the opportunity to come as close as possible to a full understanding. Again congratulations to TD and may he always keep showing the Spirit of Scouting in his everyday life. As a Eagle TD is encouraged to become a person who has the knowledge and respect that is to be expected of a Eagle Scout and know that this is a responsibility that is obligatory in nature. Finally TD, may the Spirit of Scouting and the World Wide Brotherhood of the Scouting Movement always be with you until you depart from this world and the last thing is to remember that even though Scouting is so radically different in many different places in the world you are part of the largest Brotherhood and Sisterhood of youth in the world.

Just one last thought about Scouts and the Eagle Scout is that no matter where you are more than likely you are very close to one of your 27,999,999 brothers or sisters in the world you just have to spend the time to explore and look at the world carefully.

Yours in Scouting Service

Mark West

Assistant Scoutmaster

Troop 1316, Troop 1616(aka 669), Troop 125

Tustumena District/ Denali District/ Eklutna District, Great Alaska Council

NSJ '05 Youth Participant NSJ '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff NSJ '13 Subcamp Staff

WSJ '07 Youth Participant WSJ '11 International Service Team(IST)

Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Honor Big Horn Denver Area Council NYLT QM Philmont AA '08

If you are paid to do Scouting, you are called a professional. If you are not paid to do Scouting, you are called a Volunteer. If you pay to do Scouting, then you are called a Scouter.

The Easiest Way To Cover Safe Swim Defense Part I: Personal Health Review (Part 3)

All Scouts & Scouters even your youth or the the parents that are not definitely in a primary leadership role within the Troop should most definitely be encourage to do so. Really you aren't asking for someone to give too much time out of their day to do the online training thats available 24 hours a day 365 days per year usually for most it can be accomplished in less then 45 minutes. Heck you could do it watching TV during the commercials in within just about 2 hours worth of TV. The nice thing is that you can pause play or replay that particular section as much as you want. So the medical conditions that are specifically mentioned in the online training course include the following 4 conditions:

1. Epilepsy
2. Diabetes
3. Anaphylaxis
4. Asthma

Obviously these are not all of the medical conditions that need to be known about but usually these 4 conditions cover the majority of Scouts who would have a higher risk when it comes to aquatic activities in your Troop. Other conditions besides these 4 will also be covered in addition to all the common medical issues except epilepsy will be covered in future posts.

Many people do not know what the word epilepsy means, so a easier to understand term when talking with Scouts or parents who've never heard about this is that of "seizure disorder". Now even then a fair amount of people don't know what is exactly mean't by the term seizure disorder. Instead of understanding these multi-word medical conditions their is a very high likely-hood that a person understands what a seizure is and what some of the symptoms are for a person experiencing a seizure.

One minor problem though is that most people think that full body seizures also as grand-mal seizures are the most common type of seizure that occurs. This is partly due to the medical community explaining it the easiest way possible without covering too much detail but its mostly due to how hollywood displays medical conditions in a very narrow and very extreme light. More or less the other 2 major seizures that a qualified supervisor should be able to recognize is that of petite- and absence seizures. More or less the petite type of seizure is only where certain parts of the body are experiencing jerking movements and finally the last one we come to is that of absence seizures which theirs really no jerking movements but is characterized by spells of staring off into space which makes this the hardest seizure to identify in people because its more often than not described and looked at like a person is just staring off into space.

Before we get to much detailed or on system overload lets move onto the other more important issues to cover. Epilepsy and Seizure Disorder are defined as 3 or more seizures that can not be a symptom or be correlated to another medical condition. The best person to talk to is the parent because they usually know the most of their kid who has Epilepsy. Activity restrictions are generally not needed except when one of the following occurs:

• Scout forgets or runs out of medication
• A change in Neurological Status
• Any pre-seizure activity or potential pre-seizure behavior
• One aquatic activity that is allowed in Boy Scouts is that of SCUBA Diving but can not or will not be allowed to happen or even get certified in it.

Pretty much the SCUBA Diving item listed above is all that needs to be covered but for the other 4 items a explanation is needed. Several of these situations are call emergency services immediately while some of them do not require emergency services but ultimately it is up to your Troop nurse which basically is the adult with the highest level of training available or when the primary supervisor just isn't comfortable or just a little bit uncomfortable with the situation.

Scouting takes place in the outdoors and more often than not Scouts get into front-country or back-country that would result in serious problems if something were to happen to this youth member. For the majority of the time though this probably won't ever be a issue but then again that isn't always true. Two conditions that would be cause for concerns is the person who for some reason or another experiences their first seizure in their life or the situation where a currently diagnosed youth or adult gets injured in some way or the person may experience another medical condition where their is a possibility of that condition resulting in a seizure. For the majority this won't ever be a issue because many parents, adults with Epilepsy, or youth with Epilepsy tend to be fairly good at knowing in general when theirs concerns about any epileptic activity or control issues.

Forgetting the medication or for some reason the Scout runs out or the medication is lost or destroyed their are basically 2 different ways to handle this depending on whether cell reception is available or not. If theirs mobile coverage immediately contact the parent and let them decide exactly what to do because in some cases not leaving early is a option or it maybe leaving early the best decision. ultimately unless the the parent is present and says yes he can stay but if the parent isn't their you ultimately have to take the action you are most comfortable with. Secondly if theirs no reception and the parent can not be contacted immediate evacuation of you, your group, and the member that had a seizure.

Since Epilepsy is a disorder of the brain any change in the persons neurologic status should result in action being taken immediately. First evaluate the member's signs and symptoms to see if their could be another reason for the change in status such as heat related emergencies, headaches, migraines, dehydration and many other conditions. This is where the parent if present decides what he thinks is the best option but if the parent isn't there its up to you to make the decision with choosing the solution you are most comfortable with.

Next we come to the pre-seizure activity which is normally a neurologically related issue or behavior. Some of the more common behaviors or symptoms of this activity include:

• Aura: Seeing flickering or solid spots
• Hearing Sounds that aren't their
• Seeing stuff that isn't their 
• Headaches
• migraines
• Feeling of increased pressure with in the brain or skull
• Confusion
• dizziness
• Poor coordination
• Slurred speech
• Problems talking
• Disorientation
• Staring off into space
• Failure to answer or respond to his name or ask a question

This is most definitely not a complete list and just because its a symptom listed here or that other people with epilepsy experience doesn't mean that it will happen to the person under your care. Also showing one or two of these signs or symptoms doesn't mean the person is having a seizure but it means that the person should be monitored more closely by a adult. So as you can see theirs a-lot of information to know and understand so two of the best ways to help you know how to deal with this problem is communicating with the member if its a adult or when its a youth it would be appropriate with the parent present to try to figure out what exactly happens or what you should look for and getting the highest level of first aid/emergency care that you are willing to do so.

At a minimum their should be at least one person with a wilderness first aid or any training level above that. Since Wilderness First Aid (WFA) is required by National High Adventure Bases that is the reason I suggest that as a minimum level of training but the higher level of trained medical professionals you have can have s serious impact upon the level of care you have available. Beyond that though I think that every youth over age 14 and every adult present at the activity should at least get their WFA certification and also get as many youth from the time they start Boy Scouts to the time they become 14 trained in at least standard first aid. Yes I admit that Boy Scouts younger than 14 have the ability to understand a fair amount of the WFA material but normally most agencies that offer WFA have a restriction that you have to be at least 14 in order to earn your WFA certification.

Lastly Im going to cover a topic that many Scouts, Scouters, parents, & medical professionals consider a controversial topic. This does not necessarily go with the feelings of the majority of people in the world but from what I have seen and experience is what has lead me to form this opinion. Again this is not ENDORSED  BY THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA OR ANY MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL BUT IS JUST WHAT I THINK IS APPROPRIATE AND REASONABLE. ANYONE USING THIS INFORMATION DOES SO AT THEIR OWN RISK & DOESNT MEAN THAT IF YOU DID SO THAT I WOULD FULLY SUPPORT OR BE LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR YOU USING THIS INFORMATION BELOW UNTIL I GO BACK TO THE REAL FOCUS OF THIS POST!

In order to make my point and opinion clear I will first start out with a example related to this controversial topic. As scouters and adults we all know that no matter how hard we try to ensure that we watch every single youth at every single minute of every single day its just impossible to do so. Many times the first person to notice a problem is the various other buddies and members of the Troop that witness what just happened to their peer or friend. Most people say that with any medical emergency the most important thing that can be done is to recognize and respond to the medical emergency as soon as possible. Again that group of people tend to be the youth so telling them what to look for and what to do until a adult gets over to the youth that is injured. One of the more rare awards out their is the Lifesaving or Meritorious Action Awards which include the following:

• Honor Medal With Crossed Palms
• Honor Medal
• Heroism Award
• Medal of Merit
• National Certificate of Merit

So you may be asking why in the world would I be talking about the Lifesaving or Meritorious Action Awards in a series of posts all about SSD. Even if you don't believe me at first I can assure you that by the time I finish this post the reason will become very clear. Basically the connection between getting youth able to recognize and respond to a emergency carries a central theme that is obvious in all of these Lifesaving or Meritorious Action Awards has a direct relationship between the two points Im making about youth be able to recognize and respond to emergencies. So, the theme is that all of the Scouts in some way, shape, or form is that of the training in first aid and responding to emergencies that are essential to the Scouting Program.

Everyone earning these Lifesaving and Meritorious Action Awards took their knowledge and training in first aid and emergencies to a level that many people even if given the opportunity to do so would not take interest or spend the time necessary to perform at that level of service to their fellow man. Everyone even if they don't earn one of the Lifesaving or Meritorious Action Awards has the responsibility to help every person they can to the best of their ability. Do not take this the wrong way or think Im promoting in Scouts to put themselves at risk of personal injury or in situations that could result in their death because that is the furthest thing from the truth.

More or less the reason for mentioning this is for me and the youth to break-down and eliminate the stereotype of youth being lazy, unmotivated, not helpful, or not respectful is to show that the youth are more capable and intelligent than many adults give them credit for. This isn't something you can apply to every youth and the stereotype does exist in some youth but remember that you:

• Were just like them at some point in your life
• Were told the same thing by your parents
• Felt hurt when your parents did these things to you
• Swore you wouldn't do the same thing as your parents did
• Know somewhere in your mind is the thought of "If I just gave them a chance, who knows maybe they could surprise me?"

By the way I'm the furthest thing from being a perfect angel to my parents but we all do mean things to our parents so it isn't like this is a brand new thing that just started in my generation. The issues maybe different and the ways teens go about doing them may change but theirs always a certain major issue during that time while during this time its something totally different.

I think thats enough of a explanation and a rambling for today but to recap their are many important things to think about here which include who you can get the information from that you need to be aware of as the primary supervisor, the signs and symptoms of epilepsy, the three major types of seizures, what to do in various different situations, why youth can be a great resource when it comes to recognizing and responding to a emergency, and finally giving a explanation of why the stereotype about teens and youth aren't as wide spread as you think.

Next up in the "Personal Health Review" Section of the Easiest Way to Cover Safe Swim Defense Series is to discuss the issues and concerns surrounding the medical condition known as Diabetes. So thats item but as you can see the "Personal Health Review" Section of this particular series is go to end up being quite extensive in nature.

Yours in Scouting Service

Mark West

Assistant Scoutmaster

Troop 1316, Troop 1616(aka 669), Troop 125

Tustumena District/ Denali District/ Eklutna District, Great Alaska Council

NSJ '05 Youth Participant NSJ '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff NSJ '13 Subcamp Staff

WSJ '07 Youth Participant WSJ '11 International Service Team(IST)

Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Honor Big Horn Denver Area Council NYLT QM Philmont AA '08

If you are paid to do Scouting, you are called a professional. If you are not paid to do Scouting, you are called a Volunteer. If you pay to do Scouting, then you are called a Scouter.

Scout Hours Update 3

So March ended about 5 days ago and lets just say I was pretty shocked to see the number of hours I spent on Scouts. But then again it really didn't bother me that much because of the fact that I pretty much on a very regular basis for the month of March had too much time on my hands. Having too much time available is somewhat of a interesting thing that can be taken both negative and positively depending your outlook towards the whole situation.

Well before I waste time rambling on the positive and negative effects that having too much time available  to work with I guess I need to move onto the real purpose. So here without further rambling the total number of hours spent on Scout Projects for the month of March in the year of 2012 is that of:

266.75 hours

Another more meaningful way to break this down is to share the bowling is to state it as a ratio of hours per days and that ratio is as follows:

8.6 hrs/day

Now that is definitely a large number based upon the month that just finished but in reality I would've thought that even that number of hours wasn't enough to do justice to all the posts on the blog, organized Scout activities, or various other Scout Projects that I felt I should've spent more time on in order to have made more progress. Obviously, I realize most people wouldn't have the energy or time to commit to that level. Instead what I ask is that a Scout or Scouter spend the time required of them to be beneficial to their unit.

Yours in Scouting Service

Mark West

Assistant Scoutmaster

Troop 1316, Troop 1616(aka 669), Troop 125

Tustumena District/ Denali District/ Eklutna District, Great Alaska Council

NSJ '05 Youth Participant NSJ '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff NSJ '13 Subcamp Staff

WSJ '07 Youth Participant WSJ '11 International Service Team(IST)

Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Honor Big Horn Denver Area Council NYLT QM Philmont AA '08

If you are paid to do Scouting, you are called a professional. If you are not paid to do Scouting, you are called a Volunteer. If you pay to do Scouting, then you are called a Scouter.