What will the phase of the Moon be for your next Scout camp?
What will the phase of the Moon be for your next Scout camp? Perhaps you want a bright Moon to make flashlight-free walking easy. Or maybe you need it dark for stargazing. Whatever you want, this calendar will help you find the ideal date for your camp. Lunar eclipses are also shown. [more]
High-quality flag images for use in badge work
Enough with tiny cut-outs or old photocopies. In preparation for next time your Scouts are working on citizenship, take these files to a copy centre and get them laser-printed in colour onto card stock. It will cost only a few dollars and your Scouts will be able to clearly see the details of each flag. [more]
How to make honours and awards more effective
Effective volunteer recognition is an essential part
of a successful volunteer organization. It is one important way that
associations show veneration for the efforts of their volunteers.
Volunteers who feel truly valued and who feel that their efforts are
having a positive impact on the world will be encouraged to continue
to give their time and effort. As well, public recognition holds up
role models for all to see, encouraging others to follow the lead of
those being recognized. The effectiveness of an award is impacted
greatly by how it is presented to the recipient. [more]
And how to get the size right
Since the founding of the Scout Movement a century
ago, Scouts have worn rolled triangular neckers. Each troop has
their own colours. It is important that neckers look smart so that
Scouts will feel pride in belonging to their troop and the Scout
Movement. Making a necker is not a difficult sewing job, but there
are details that must be done correctly. [more]
The Anthem of the Lilly-dippers
Oh, I'm a lilly-dipper and that's OK.
I sleep all night and I paddle all day. [more]
Making interviews an effective part of volunteer screening
The interview is an important part of the volunteer
screening process. Good questions are the key to a successful
interview. The questions below are a starting point for generating
conversation with the interviewee. Interviewers will learn far more
from an open-ended conversation then a simple question-and-answer
session. [more]
A one-page summary of a volunteer's duty of care
In its "Screening Level Chart" for adult volunteers,
Scouts Canada lists "Duty of Care review" as part of the screening
process for all volunteers and parents in attendance at activities.
Nowhere is it explained what this actually means. BP&P, Section
7000, "Duty of Care", is eight pages long and includes details such
as what a Council Executive Director is supposed to do upon hearing
about an allegation of child abuse. Even if volunteers and parents
were given a copy of this, they would probably not read a document
that is so long and one that includes details irrelevant to their
role. But volunteers and parents must be given some idea of what is
expected of adults in Scouting. Otherwise, we run the risk of having
to deal with beer at Beaver camp, inappropriate discipline, and
other such problems. [more]
A Self-teaching Guide to Navigation with Map and Compass
Don Burgess has prepared an excellent guide for learning how to use topographical
maps with compass for navigation. This can be adapted to maps local to where you live. [more]
Explore the history of Scouting
A directory of Scouting museums. [more]
Scouts enjoy learning this visual communication method
Ron Long's practical instructions for teaching semaphore to Scouts. [more]
Canned programs are no substitute for Scouting
I received an email from Greater Toronto Council
advertising their LAFF weekends. The LAFF program is a series of
canned weekend camp program offered at Woodland Trails Scout Camp
north of Toronto. Here's the email and my response to it. [more]
2005 will be the fiftieth anniversary of the Eighth World Scout Jamboree
In 1955, the Eighth World Scout Jamboree was held in
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. This was the first major international
gathering of Scouts outside of Europe. Over 11,000 Scouts attended
from 71 countries around the world. The Jamboree of New Horizons, as
it was called, was held in a tent city next to the recently
reconstructed Fort George National Historic Site. Today, nothing
marks the spot of this historic event. [more]
How to ensure camps are an asset, not a burden
Scouts Canada is looking for excuses to
sell Scout Camps. This essay provides practical solutions to
property management and offers a framework for intelligent and
responsible management of these valuable resources. [more]
Scouters interview Scouts to ensure they have earned their next rank
It is common practice to interview Scouts before they receive the
Chief Scout's Award. This is a set of guidelines and sample
questions to assist Scouters in doing these interviews. [more]
At story about keeping warm at winter camp
It was a fairly good camp, considering that we were out in early
February in tents. Twenty-eight Scouts aged 11-15 and with four
Scouters went tent-camping in Southwestern Ontario. Friday night had
been a little hectic setting up the tents in the dark, but everyone
settled down eventually and the camp gradually drew quiet. [more]
A journal entry from Kandersteg International Scout Centre, Switzerland
Next to international friendship, the biggest draw of Kandersteg
International Scout Centre is the mountains. The Scout Centre is
located 1185 metres about sea level and in surrounded on all sides
by the the Swiss Alps. The highest peak in the area is Balmhorn at
3698 m. Balmhorn is snow-capped year round. [more]
What to do before Scouts Canada tries to sell your local Scout Camp
Scouts Canada is moving to sell many of the Scout camps in Ontario.
For many camps, Scouts Canada may not have the legal authority to
sell the property without consent. This article provides a practical
guide to challenging the sale of Scout Camps. [more]
It all starts with an official Storm Warning
I was standing in the Ranger's Cabin at Camp Manitou
near Burlington, Ontario checking in for a weekend camp with the
Scouts. The weather radio enunciated, "Environment Canada has
upgraded the storm watch to a storm warning." Looking out the
window, I couldn't blame them. Already several centimetres of snow
had fallen and more was coming down fast, the snow sparkling as it
passed under the lights outside the cabin. [more]
What is the role of youth members in program planning?
Many years ago on my first Woodbadge I course, I was told all about
the importance of youth input to program planning. We were taught some
techniques for doing this and I returned to my troop eager to try them
out. I went to my next troop meeting with some large sheets of paper and
thick markers. I gave one to each patrol and asked them to make a list
of things they wanted to do at Scouts that year. [more]
Policies to help ensure proper stewardship of Scout group financial resources
Scouting is an intrinsically inexpensive activity.
Scouters must be able to spend their efforts making great Scout
programs, not fundraising and worrying about money. This set of
finance policies is intended to ensure that a Scout group's
financial resources are used responsibly. Customize them to the
needs of your group. [more]
Every once in a while, something happens that re-affirms your faith in what you believe in
I have three children, Lorelei (17), Wesley (20), and Dustin (23).
They were all active Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, and Ventures. As Scouters,
we have all hounded our Scouts to Be Prepared, work as a team, think for
themselves. We give countless hours, but most of the time we see only
glimmers of success for our efforts. Sometimes we see more. [more]
What we can do about membership decline
Membership decline has been a problem for Scouts Canada for over
three decades, but what can we do about it? I visited many Scout troops
to find out. I found that amid membership decline are many successful
troops with healthy and growing membership. This essay examines what
makes these troops successful so that we can follow their lead. Topics
include the role of badges, outdoor activities, giving responsibility to
the Scouts, and the Scout uniform. This essay was written as part of
fulfilling my degree requirements at the University of Waterloo. [more]
