NSJ 2010 Trivia

Did you know that the 1957 Jamboree was second of three Jamborees held at Valley Forge. During this jamboree there was 50,100 scouts and the theme for this jamboree was that of "Onward For My God and My Country"

The 1950 Jamboree held at Valley Forge was featured on the July 24, 1950 cover of LIFE magazine. This jamboree was attended by 47, 163 people.

The 1953 Jamboree held at Irvine Ranch, California featured appearances by
Dorothy Lamour
James Stewart
Roy Rogers
Dale Evans
The Bell Sissters
Danny Kaye
June Allyson
and Others
Approximately 45,401 Scouts attended.

Daniel Carter beard, one of the founders of the BSA< lit the opening campfire of the first national Scout Jamboree in 1937 in front of 27,232 Scouts camped on the mall in Washington DC.

Dwight D Eisenhower has the record for the most presidential visits to the jamboree. In 1950 and 1957 both at Valley Forge and also the 1960 Jamboree in Colorado Springs.

The target National Scout Jamboree was actually two jambores. In 1973 two locations served as jamboree sites: Moraine State park in Pennsylvania and Garragut State park in Idaho. Combined there were over 64,000 scouts in attendance.

The first National Jamboree didn't actually happen. It was scheduled for 1935 in Washington DC but was cancelled due to a polio epidemic. The jamboree was rescheduled and took place in 1937 on the mall in Washington DC.

Here are just a few of the interesting historical Trivia Facts about the Boy Scouts of America National Scout Jamboree history and legacy.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

Computer Problems

Well I have not been able to get online or have access to a computer that would allow me to access my blog. I tried at school but due to the filters and security protocols for student accounts blogs/personal web pages are blocked, which to me is definitely not the worst thing that is out there online but it makes sense in order to preserve the integrity of the network and information being accessed on a school network. So hopefully I will be able to post posts on a more regular basis starting today.

Yours in Scouting Service

Mark W

JASM

Troop 1616

Meeting Review

After Meeting Review
January 12, 2009 Meeting

This meeting our SPL was gone due to a family medical emergency, so our ASPL had to step up and take charge of the meeting. For being in charge of a meeting in a serious sense for the first time by himself he did alright but I realize now that I need to work with him more in order to develop his execution, communication, and improvisation skills. Yes improvisation is a very important skill to learn when becoming a good leader because I leader must be able to react and take control of situations that come up or not going as planned. Learning how to react to these situations is one of the hardest skills to work on because the only way to really develop this skill is to put it in practice and let the leaders fail and succeed on their own. Yes in scouting we let our leaders fail because it teaches them that what will and will not work in that particular situation.

Overall his performance was adequate but he needs to work on trasnitioning activities and keeping control of the group. In order to keep control of a group of most 10 to 13 year olds, a leader must know how to work with this age group. Working with this age group requires lots of patience because this age group tends to be the group that always asks the "why" question. This "why" question should be only answered when it is convient for the leader and the group, sometimes a leader when dealing with this question has to say "because I said so" in a stern but nonthreatening tone to ensure the scout stops asking the question. Also in this age group you can yell until you are blue in the face and you will not make any progress. Instead of yelling just raise your scout sign to get their attention and use peer pressure to make the scouts stop talking. If the scouts waste your time you have the right to waste their time. The last thing is scouting is not suppose to be just a extension of school, so instead of asking perfection, ask and demand the scouts give a reasonable amount of appropriate behavior. Remember scouts are not in scouts to sit through boring classroom sessions, they are there to learn and socialize through the activities and events of the Troop.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
JASM
Troop 1616

NSJ 2010 Countdown

Only 558 Days Left to to the Start of the 2010 National Scout Jamboree.

Don't Miss your opportunity to participate in this centennial Celebration.

Contact your local council as soon as possible.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
JASM
Troop 1616

NSJ 2010 January 2009 Bulletin

The Boy Scouts of America’s 100th Anniversary Jamboree—A Historic Event

It is exciting for all of us to be involved in the 2010 National Scout Jamboree. This historic event will always be remembered by those who attend.

The first Boy Scouts of America National Jamboree was scheduled to be held in Washington, D.C., in 1935 to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Scouting in America. Unfortunately, the jamboree was canceled due to a polio outbreak in Washington. When the first Jamboree was finally held in 1937, Dan Beard lit the opening campfire using flint and steel. Scouts from all 48 states brought the wood that was used in the campfire. There were some 27,232 Scouts camped on the National Mall under the Washington Monument. Since that time, 16 national jamborees have been held, the last in 2005.

All jamboree groups are currently planning programs and activities for the 2010 National Scout Jamboree. Many are having a special recognition to mark the 100th Anniversary. The closing arena show will be unlike any other jamboree arena show in history. It will be big, bold, interactive, and unforgettable! You won’t want to miss it! Plans are to Web cast the show, allowing anyone with Internet access to virtually join in this huge celebration. Councils are already planning one or more gatherings at large local venues that evening to invite Scouts, Scouters, families, alumni, business and community leaders, and supporters to participate. More details on this are forthcoming, and more information on the jamboree celebration plans will be shared with councils in the near future.

A reminder: The first payment of $100 per person is due to the National Council by Jan. 31, 2009. Councils should continue approving youth and adult participants online. Contact the Jamboree Department at 2010jamboree@scouting.org if you have problems. Remember, the primary issue we are having with online registration is that parents are trying to use their son’s myscouting account to register their son for the jamboree. Parents must use their own myscouting account. BSA registration is not required to have a myscouting account.
As of Jan. 1, there will only be 570 days left before the jamboree. Let’s get ready!
Here are the dates of all the Jamborees held since 1937 and attendance.

Year	Dates	Location	Attendance
1935	(Canceled)	Washington, D.C.
1937	Jun 30–Jul 9	Washington, D.C.	27,238
1950	Jun 27–Jul 6	Valley Forge, PA	47,163
1953	Jul 17–Jul 23	Irvine Ranch, CA	45,401
1957	Jul 12–Jul 18	Valley Forge, PA	52,580
1960	Jul 22–28	Colorado Springs, CO	56,377
1964	Jul 17–Jul 23	Valley Forge, PA	50,960
1969	Jul 16–Jul 22	Farragut State Park, ID	34,251
1973	Aug 1–Aug 7	Farragut State Park, ID (both jamborees)	73,610
1973	Aug 3–Aug 9	Moraine State Park, PA (both jamborees)	73,610
1977	Aug 3–Aug 9	Moraine State Park, PA	28,601
1981	Jul 29–Aug 4	Fort A.P. Hill, VA	29,765
1985	Jul 24–Aug 30	Fort A.P. Hill, VA	32,625
1989	Aug 3–Aug 9	Fort A.P. Hill, VA	32,717
1993	Aug 4–Aug 10	Fort A.P. Hill, VA	34,449
1997	Jul 28–Aug 6	Fort A.P. Hill, VA	36,015
2001	Jul 23–Aug 1	Fort A.P. Hill, VA	42,002
2005	Jul 25–Aug 3	Fort A.P. Hill, VA	43,000

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

NSJ 2010 December 2008 Bulletin

Jamboree Tours

Anything the Boy Scouts of America does requires promotional effort. Often, council and district activities are successful and well-attended, but many people register late and often try to register “at the door.” That seems to be common in our movement. Unfortunately, there is no “at the door” registration for the 2010 National Scout Jamboree.

Almost 11,880 youth members have signed up to join us at Fort A.P. Hill in 2010 for our 100th Anniversary Jamboree. That’s almost one-third of our 2010 allocation for youth members. We expect 925 troops, each with 36 youth members and four adult leaders. Encourage those interested to go online now and register.

Once 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, all jamboree applications must be submitted from the account of a parent or guardian. (MyScouting accounts may 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 rally to recruit 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.
Use the jamboree promotion video. It’s short, has great pictures of the 2005 Jamboree, and is ideal for use at troop meetings and summer camp. In the video, Boys’ Life’s own Pee Wee Harris is talking to his friend about the jamboree while video highlights of the 2005 Jamboree are being shown. These DVDs were sent to councils in July.

Display or distribute the 2010 Jamboree brochures that were sent to councils in July. Give them to those individuals or parents interested in having their son participate in this great event.
Publish a monthly jamboree newsletter on your council Web page. Each Scout and troop leader should have timely communication about the jamboree. This way, each participant will be well-informed and be the best possible representative of your council and Scouting.

Emphasize program features of the jamboree. Talk about the 100th Anniversary program and how it ties in with the 2010 National Scout Jamboree. “Celebrate 100 years of Scouting.”

To quote Pee Wee Harris: “Come with me Dude! We’ll have a blast!

Information borrow from BSA Jamboree Website.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
JASM
Troop 1616

NSJ 2010

For those of you who don't know what NSJ is it is the National Scout jamboree. The National Scout Jamboree is hosted by National Council of the Boy Scouts of America is held held every 3 to 5 years. The Last one was held in 2005 at Fort AP Hill, Virginia. The next NSJ is going to be held at For AP Hill, Virginia, in 2010 from July 26 to August 4. This event will bring together approximately 40,000 Scouts and Leaders from across the nation with a few being from outside the United States. To be able to participate in this event you must by 12 years old by July 1, 2010 and not have reached your 18th birthday by August 4, 2010. Youth Staff members get a special staff rate in order to be able to participate in the event. Youth staff must have been born between July 26, 1984 and July 26, 1994. Adult Staff must have been born before July 26, 1984. The youth staff fee will be $397.50 while the adult staff fee will be $795. The participant fee for youth participants and contingent leadership will be determined by your local council. Contact your local council for further contingent information.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
JASM
Troop 1616

Summer Camp

Many people are probably going to say "What you are already thinking about summer camp, in January, are you crazy". My response to this statement is that in order to ensure a successful summer camp experience for as many scouts as possible, planning for summer camp should ideally in August of the year before camp but at the very least summer camp planning and reminders should start coming out during the January of the year you are attending camp to ensure the following tasks are completed by each family:

1. Physicals- It is now a requirement to have a physical on a annual basis for all scouts, not matter what age
2. Medical Forms- Annual Updates for each scout
3. Troop Permission Slips- Some Troops do one annual Troop permission slip and some do a permission slip on each outing.
4. Money- Many Scouts have financial difficulties or trouble with coming up with money at the last minute especially during recession years. We are most definitely in a recession.
5. Dates- The dates of the camp need to be known in order for families to make decisions on other trips and vacations that they may be going on.

This list of tasks is no where complete but the idea is that families have a lot of work to do in order to prepare their son for summer camp. Giving adequate time to parents in regards to this large and very important event ensures that scouts get the most that they can out of the experience.

Remember the saying "Prior planning prevents poor performance".

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

Annual Planning Meeting

Annual Planning Meeting
Monday January 5, 2009

For our Troop who has a PLC of four members and then a Troop of only about 6 t 9 more active scouts, I believe along with the rest of the adult leadership that I would be easier to conduct a Annual Planning meeting with the whole Troop. This Annual Planning Meeting is basically a abbreviated version of the Annual Planning Conference that is outlined in the SPL Handbook or can be found in the Scoutmaster Handbook. During this meeting the Troop developed a list of places they want to go and skills that they want to work on. Many the the items they mentioned were annual events that the Troop will participate in anyway.

I do not want you to be confused because National Suggests that some sort of Annual Planning Meeting or Conference be held with only the members of the Patrol Leaders Council and is to take place outside the regular meeting.

Basically in my Troop the adults with the input of the Junior Assistant Scoutmaster gave the PLC the goal of determining when the Annual Planning Meeting should occur. We gave the PLC two options, which was to hold it on a weekend without the full Troop present or to hold it during a Troop meeting with all of the Troop members present. The PLC made the decision to hold the event during the Troop meeting citing the fact that our Patrol Leaders, ASPL, and SPL did not truly totally grasp what the Troop wants to do in the coming year.

This decision was the best decision for our small Troop, this decision probably would not work in medium to very large Troops due to the time it would take to get the opinion of each individual in the Troop.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

Quote of the Week

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” —John Quincy Adams (1825-1829); 6th US President

Leadership in my opinion is not jsut the ability to demand others to do something. Many people can be demanding and get tasks done, these people are the bosses in the world and there are many of these. The leaders of the world which there are very few who are great leaders are those people who do not demand but are able to inspire others to complete the goal or mission. In order to be a successful leader they must fulfill the idea in the following quote:

"Stand up for what is right, even if you are standing alone."
-Author Unknown

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

LNT Master Educator Courses 2009

This Leave No Trace course is designed to teach participants to have the skills and information required to put on a Leave No Trace Trainer Seminar. This Seminar is designed to teach people how to give the LNT information to a wide range of audiences.

In line with Boy Scout initiatives for the year of 2010 the requirement for attendance at the LNT Trainier Seminar for the LNT Master Educator Course has been dropped temporarily. This initiative is designed to get at least 1 Master Educator at each of the over 300 Local Boy Scout Councils by 2010.

Please refer to the Local Council where the course is taking place for further information about that particular course. If it is hosted by one of National Council's High Adventure Base, please contact that High Adventure Base for further information.

Here are the National Council Courses:

1. Northern Teir High Adventure Base- August 21 to August 26
   
2. Philmont High Adventure Base- October 5 to October 10

Here are the Western Region Courses by Local Council:

1. Willamette Pass, Cascade Mountains, Oregon - Sunday, March 22 to Friday, March 27 - Oregon Trails Council
2. Camp Sheppard, Mount Rainier National Park - Sunday, August 23 to Friday, August 28 - Chief Seattle Council
3. Camp Emerald Bay, Catalina Island, California - Sunday, October 10 to Friday, October 16 - Western LA County Council
4. Northern Lights High Adventure Base - Sunday, June 7 to Friday, June 12 - Midnight Sun Council
5. Medicine Mountain Scout Ranch, South Dakota - Sunday, May 7 to Friday, May 12 - Black Hills Area Council

Due to the Length Required I will not be posting details for course offered in the Following regions: Central, Southern, and Northeastern Region.

Those regions and further contact information regarding western region courses can be found here.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

Troop Lock-in

For Troop 1616 the big holiday event that the Troop decides to put on, on a annual basis is that of the Lock-in. The Lock-in is event where the scouts show up on the evening of the first night and stay up as late as possible and then leave the following morning. This event occurred on January 2 to January 3 2009 and we had nine scouts turn out for this annual event.

Usually most of the Scouts by the end of the event are totally wiped out and ready to crash. We usually have food and play video games. I would have to say that I do not totally agree with the activities list on the agenda but as a senior scout in the Troop I realize that we have to follow the wishes of the PLC to the point that our rules and regulations let us. Video games are probably not a standard scouting activity but in the day and age of computer technology we must be willing to balance totally traditional campouts with activities that take advantage of all of the great technology out there. The one thing that is great about this outing though is to see our scouts develop more personal relationships with the other scouts in our unit.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

The Junior Assistant Scoutmaster

One of the leadership positions that is rarely used or if used it is commonly misused is that of the Junior Assistant Scoutmaster or JASM. The JASM is a youth leader in the Troop that has the primary purpose of serving as the youth leader and scout advisor. The JASM's primary job is to assist the other leaders in carrying out there responsibility with as little direct contact as possible. This leader should not be the frontlines commander but should be someone who has lots of leadership experience to share with other leaders in order to ensure the Troop runs efficiently. For my Troop in particular the jobs would be as follows:

1. Assist in the training of the SPL and ASPL. Serve as the SPL/ASPL mentor and give guidance as necessary.
2. Conduct parts of the meeting as need when called upon by the SPL.
3. Make sure the Webelos to Scout Transition goes smoothly for new Boy Scouts.
4. Serve as another point of contact for adults who are not directly involved in Troop operations.
5. Set annual goals for himself and the rest of the Troop based upon the vision and mission of the Troop at the discretion of the Scoutmaster.

Who Should the JASM have direct contact with:

1. SM- should be the primary point of contact for this scout. (Please remember we are a small Troop and have very few ASM's to work. If you are in a large Troop then a ASM should be the primary point of contact.
2. SPL- Always keep the SPL informed of what your assigned mission or task is when apropriate.
3. Other Youth Leaders- As necessary the JASM will contact other youth leaders based on the asiggnment and goals the JASM is working towards completing.

Requirements for a Scout to be a JASM

1. Be at least Life Rank. Eagle seems to be the common standard for this position but I believe that Life Rank would suffice for this position.
2. Have held at least 2 leadership positions. In my opinion in order to have a good and efficient JASM at least one of those 2 positions should have been either SPL or ASPL.
3. Clear demonstration of a high level of maturity
4. Clearly demonstrate and live by the principles and values in the Scout Oath and Law.
5. Have been active in the Troop for at least 2 months prior to the start of the position. Allows the Scout to understand Troop dynamics and methods before having to share these items with other leaders in a understandable manner.
   
6. Be recomended and approved by the SPL and SM.
   
7. Have attended some form of Junior Leader Training. Junior Leader training could possibly include but is not limited to Troop Junior Leader Training, Council Junior Leader Training, National Youth Leader Training (NYLT), or National Advenced Youth Leadership Experience (NAYLE). NYLT is a council level weeklong youth leader training experience. Contact your Local Scout Office for further information. NAYLE is a advanced youth leadership experience that is usually held at Philmont. Please contact your Scoutmaster and Local Scout Executive for a application and invitation to this training coures.

The position of JASM is not a position in the Troop that can or should be taken lightly. It is a position that will require a person to take on lots of tasks and responsibilities. It is a position that if implemented properly will make the job of the adult leaders much easier if the person chosen for this position is a educated youth leader and is will to take on a leadership position in a serious manner.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

New Year

Happy New Year to all. Hopefully everyone made a new years resolution in each area of their life that they think is important. Those areas for me are Scouts, Family, and School. Making a new years resolution is very important because if we set goals we are more likely to achieve the tasks we want done. A new years resolution in truth is just a beefed up goal. These goals are not short term goals but are long term goals which makes them much harder to stick with.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

Twas the Night Before Christmas

Twas the Night before Christmas, and all through the Camp

Not a creature was stirring, not even a cub Scout; 

Our backpacks were hung by the campfire with care,

In hopes that St. nick soon would be there;

The scouts were nestled in their sleeping bags so warm

Visions of smores and Dutch Ovens danced in their heads;

When outside of their tents there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from my bag to see what was the matter.

Away to the door i flew like a flash, 

Tore open the window and threw up the flap.

The moon beams danced on the new fallen snow.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

Is that the Scoutmaster doing a bed check, No?

Is that a bear or critter looking for food, NO?

I called to my buddy "Wake up", "You have to see this,"

We looked closely and what did we see,

A miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindder,

Do we really see a sleigh and reindeer

or did we have one to many smores,

We could hear the prancing and pawing of each hoof.

In the sleight was a little old driver,

We knew in a moment it must be St Nick.

He was dressed in a Boy Scout Uniform from his head to his feet,

And we could see he was an Eagle Scout by the Pin he did wear,

His eyes how theytwinkled, as they surveyed the camp,

Your fires out cold and you've left not a trace,

you're the Pride of the Council, Your very GOOD SCOUTS.

A bundle of Scout equipment he hand flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

He filled all our Backpacks with Goodies and Stuff.

He heard loud snoring and went over to see,

It was just the Scoutmaster snoring like a train,

With a wave of his hand the snoring did change,

Now it was Christmas carols not a freight train.

Oh how St Nick did laugh and laugh, 

His belly did jiggle like a bowl full of jelly.

We tried to be quiet but we let out a laugh.

He looked straight at us and then winked his eye,

He flew to his sleight in one giant leap.

He then whistled, and shouted, and called out their names;

Now Dasher! Now Dancer! Now Prancer and Vixen!

On Comet! On cupid, on Donder, and Blitizen!

Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!

I heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight,

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good-night"

Yours in Scouting Service 

Mark W

Junior Assistant Scoutmaster

Troop 1616

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas or happy Holidays whichever you prefer. Please as you go through the rest of the nigth and christmas day please remember what the true spirit of christmas is.

Yours In Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

BSA Health Form

Hopefully your holiday is going great but Scouting for certain individuals never stops and will continue through the holiday Season. As this is the case, National Council of the Boy Scouts of America has released a New Health Form which will replace the under 40 standard health form, the over 40 standard health form, high adventure health forms, the National Jamboree Health form and hopefully even the World jamboree Health form. There will no longer be a age requirement for the physical mean, that all scouts and scouters will have to get a physical on a annual basis. The only way to get around this is to file for a medical exemption. That new form has not be posted yet but should be posted very shortly.

Here are some of the other important details regarding the form:

• Parts A and C are to be filled out annually by youth and adult members of all BSA units (including Cub Scout packs).
• Part B is to be filled out by a licensed health care provider. It is required for resident camp, for events lasting more than 72 hours, and for activities that are strenuous and demanding such as service projects, work weekends, or high-adventure treks.
• Units are encouraged to keep the Annual Health and Medical Records in a confidential medical file for quick access in an emergency and to be prepared for all adventures.
• There is now a mandatory weight limit for those who want to participate in high-adventure activities or events that would require more than 30 minutes for evacuation by ground transportation

Hopefully all of this makes sense if not you can contact your councils Health and Safety Committeee or try to get ahold of the National health and Safety COmmittee.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

Stocking Stuffers

If your family member is an outdoorsman (or woman) and you don’t know what to put in their stocking, let me help you. Several of the items were on my post the other night about things to consider for winter camp: chap stick, hand warmers, gloves, small flashlights, etc… Here are a few more:

• Carabiners; whether they climb or not, you can always use it for something
• Headlamp
• Leatherman’s tool
• Gift Cards to REI or Academy or an eGift Card to Moosejaw
• Travel sized toiletries
• Travel sized sun screen
• Compass and pedometer so they can measure their hikes
• GPS (to go with a Geocaching book that would look great under the tree)
• Map to a hike the family will go on together
• Harmonica (for around the campfire)
• Pocket knife / Swiss Army Knife
• Fishing lures - granted… wrapped very well, say, in bubble wrap
• Backpacker’s Trowel… they’ll know what its for
• Glow Sticks
• Memory Card for their digital camera
• Pocket First Aid Kit
• VERY IMPORTANT!!!!! Foam Ear Plugs; if you’ve never camped with a group, you just won’t understand

I’m sure you’re getting ideas of your own just reading the list. Don’t just supply your outdoors person with fun things to use outdoors. Go use them with them!

Borrowed from Lone Star Scouter.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

The Game of Scouting- Part Two

It's How You Play The Game

Imagine what football would be like if all of the effort involved in the game was focused solely on the aims of the game, with no regard to how the rules expect the game to be played, or what is allowed or not allowed. Some would point to Australian Rules football, or Rugby. Both of these sports, however, still have rules that must be followed. No, football would resemble warfare if the only focus was on scoring points and keeping your opponent from scoring them. Now imagine what Scouting would be like if all of our focus was on building character, fostering citizenship, and promoting fitness - with no regard for how that's done. It sounds impossible, but there are folks in Scouting who's sole focus is on the aims of Scouting. They don't care how Scouting is done as long as it achieves the three aims. It's what I call anarchy.

Imagine what football would be like if all of the effort involved in the game was focused completely on the excitement of the game. They don't care what the goal of the game is, or how it's played, as long as it's fun. Imagine what it would be like watching a game where any rule is seen to take away from the fun and excitement. Well, the first thing you'd notice is that it would be pretty hard to score any points. On the offensive side each player would be trying to do whatever he thought was fun instead of working together to move the ball down the field and score points. On the defensive side you'd have chaos. Assuming the quarterback managed to throw the ball, chances are pretty good the receivers would have been knocked unconscious shortly after the ball was snapped. Suffice it to say, there'd be a lot of turnovers. Now, imagine what Scouting would be like if all of our focus was on having fun. Aside from the chaos, you'd see a lot of kids running around doing whatever they like to do, and all of the things that need to be done wouldn't get done.

My point is that everything that goes into this game we call Scouting is there for a reason. The Boy Scouts of America is charged with the task of making sure the aims of the movement are met, but at the same time, it has to make sure Scouting is fun and exciting. Despite what some may think, every rule and requirement is strictly analyzed to ensure that it promotes the aims of Scouting, follows the established rules for how the game of Scouting is played, and keeps Scouting fun and exciting for those who play it. When the requirements for a merit badge are reviewed, every proposed change is weighed very carefully to maintain the balance between the aims, the methods, and the game itself. We as Scouters should do no less in running our units.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616

The Game of Scouting- Part One

It's Not Winning Or Losing

Scouting is a game. At least that's what it's supposed to be. Some would even say it's supposed to be a game with a purpose, but it seems to me that there are an awful lot of people out there who tend to go to extremes. There are those who put all of their emphasis on the game, and there are those who put all of their emphasis on the purpose. One thing we should all remember is that Scouting is supposed to be a game for the youth who are Scouts. That means for them it should be fun, exciting, and with relatively few rules. It should appear to them to be just a fun activity. Sure, we've got the Scout Oath and Law, which constitute the rules of the game. Some would say that these two elements make Scouting an impossible game. No other game requires a player to follow the rules even when he's not playing! While that's generally true with games like football, or chess, it's not true of Scouting simply because the game never ends. It starts when a boy first promises that he "understands and intends to live by the Scout Oath, Scout Law, Scout Motto, Scout Slogan, and the Outdoor Code;" or he first promises "to do my best to do my duty to God and my country, to help other people, and to obey the Law of the Pack." If the game is played properly, it lasts forever regardless of whether the individual still puts on a Scouting uniform. Like most games, Scouting has an ultimate goal, a set of rules, and a well-defined playing field. Over the years many have developed strategies for playing the game; ways to make the game more exciting, but the overall goal of the game hasn't changed. For example, the goal of football is to score as many points as possible in 60 minutes while preventing your opponent from scoring. This has been a goal of the game from the moment it was first developed. Over the years many improvements have been made to football to make it safer, more exciting to play, or more exciting to watch. That's much like Scouting. The basic rules of football - the rules that define how football is played, scored, etc. haven't changed just like the Scout Oath and Law haven't changed. The other rules that protect the players, define what is allowed and what isn't, and such have changed to make the game safer and discourage cheating. Scouting has the same thing in the Guide To Safe Scouting, Youth Protection, Leave No Trace, Climb On Safely, as well as the rank requirements and merit badges.

Yours in Scouting
Mark W
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1616