SM Tip - From the Sports Page to the Scoutmaster Minute, Part 2
My previous tip talked about finding Scoutmaster minutes in the sports section of your daily newspaper. Of course, any sportscast on TV is probably good for one or two Scoutmaster minutes, as are shows like ESPN’s SportsCenter.Another great resource is the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which posts sports-themed devotionals at http://fcaresources.com/devotional. One I read recently talked about women’s basketball star Maya Moore’s humility; another addressed the time swimmer Michael Phelps was photographed smoking marijuana.Given the... [More]
By: Scott Robertson On: 2013-06-26Announcing the Guide to Advancement 2013
This post was taking from a series on the Scouts-l mailing list. Please let us know what you think, of anything that may be missing or wrong, etc on facebook.Now that I got your attention. Let me introduce you to the new Guide to Advancement 2013. READ ALL THE BULLET POINTS YOU MAY BE SURPRISED!Announcing the Guide to Advancement 2013 Over the past two years, the 2011 Guide to Advancement has proven its worth as... [More]
By: Scott Robertson On: 2013-06-24Reflections
Hello Fellow Scouters and Friends,This Scouting year is nearing the end, but beginning of Summer activities and camp. My youngest son has already made Tenderfoot after just bridging into his Troop. The Special Needs Troop the local District asked me to start is gaining traction and taking form.I have been looking at what has worked and what hasn't this Scouting year and I have made decisions to make my Scouting responsibilities more focused. I have... [More]
By: Steve O'Connor On: 2013-06-22SM Tip - From the Sports Page to the Scoutmaster Minute, Part 1
This has been a great sports week here in Louisville. It started with the Louisville Cardinals winning the NCAA basketball championship and ended with the premier of “42,” a biopic about Jackie Robinson in which a Louisvillian, Pee Wee Reese, plays an important supporting role.So what does that all have to do with Scouting? Those stories—like stories that appear on the sports page nearly every day—are great sources for Scoutmaster minutes. They offer larger-than-life examples... [More]
By: Scott Robertson On: 2013-06-19Choosing A Knife for a Webelos 1
A recent question appeared from a parent on Scouts-L asking what knife they should get for a Webelos 1 Scout. I know this post is a bit long but I am sure it will be helpful to many of you. What follows is the parents question.I volunteered to be an assistant den leader for my son's Weeblos one den. He (my son) is ready for his own pocket knife and my husband and I are... [More]
By: Scott Robertson On: 2013-06-17Boy Scout leader dies
I saw on the news about a Boy Scout Leader who died while hiking at Lake Mead. The Park Service rescue the 5 Scouts and recovered his body down the trail. This happened June 8, 2013. You can find the full news article here.Here are my two cents...I live in Las Vegas and this whole thing seems kind of odd too me. Lake Mead is hotter then Vegas, usually by 5 to 10 degrees depending... [More]
By: Scott Robertson On: 2013-06-15Save the Date--and Time - Eagle Tip
This week, I received one of those “save the date” postcards that are increasingly popular for weddings these days. The wedding will be held next May 10 at … well, the card didn’t say.Given that May 10 is a Friday, I can assume an evening wedding, but it would have been nice if the time had been included on the postcard. I’m pretty sure the time has been set.Now, I don’t think “save the date”... [More]
By: Scott Robertson On: 2013-05-30Stay out of the Risk Zone - smtip
How many people are killed each day by distracted drivers? What’s the most important factor in towing a trailer? How can drivers combat drowsy driving? Why are 15-passenger vans more susceptible to rollovers than other vehicles?Those are just some of the questions addressed in Transporting Scouts Safely, a supplemental training module that you can access at http://www.scouting.org/filestore/HealthSafety/pdf/632-006_WB.pdf. If you don’t know the answers, you should review the syllabus. If other drivers in your troop don’t... [More]
By: Scott Robertson On: 2013-05-23Choose Your Own Adventure - SMTip
When I first started in Scouting, troops figured out where to go camping based on word of mouth and the “where to go camping” directories that Order of the Arrow lodges occasionally published. These days, of course, camping information is as close as your web browser. But it’s easy to get overwhelmed; search for “camping in Kentucky” on Google, and you’ll get 11 million hits.Now, thanks to Circle 10 Council Scouter Anthony Morris, searching is... [More]
By: Scott Robertson On: 2013-05-16A Salute from the Top - Eagle Tip
When it comes to congratulatory letters at Eagle courts of honor, I’ve long preferred quality over quantity. Rather than solicit 100 random letters, request a tenth that many that will really mean something to the honoree.If your next honoree is interested in the military, you’ll definitely want to include the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) on your solicitation list. To receive a certificate from JCS, send a request letter to:Office of the Chairman of the... [More]
By: Scott Robertson On: 2013-05-09