Something Wonderful This Way Comes

The Voyageur District will have the opportunity to host a wonderful speaker on camping, canoeing, and other great outdoor adventures at the upcoming November roundtable.

Cliff Jacobson is the best person I know to talk about equipment, the experiences, and what you really need to know before going into the deepest, darkest wilds of the boundary waters.

Cliff has written several books on the great outdoors and his probably the most prolific writer of our time and I have had the opportunity to get a sneak peak on what is one Cliff's mind, thanks to Shawn Cleary's True North blog/podcast and he visited with Shawn and they discussed several things about Cliff's personal life and what is the latest and greatest designs in outdoor gear.

What I personally like about Cliff is that he won't tell you what to buy but what to look for in camping gear and will recommend items that you will need without getting yourself into payments that can bring you into issues that rival the national debt.

Cliff is the real deal and he is fun to listen to and if you ever get the chance to hear Cliff speak; you will find that the time flies by quickly and you will walk away with more information than when you came with.

I remember my first time attending one of Cliff's presentations and I hate to admit it but I thought initially what could he possibly show or teach me that I didn't already know and I went to that roundtable with arms folded, ready to challenge him at every turn, but as soon as Cliff got started, I found myself rapidly (and frantically) writing notes on what he had to say and I asked questions on everything he said.

I was the one that had to learn and I found the need to prove myself against what Cliff already knew.

Now I can't wait to see Cliff and we are fortunate that Cliff comes to Voyageur District annually and I will bring my family to see him this year.

Oh, and the best part...Cliff comes the month before Santa so there is plenty of time to add new items to my wish list.

The New Scout Year

We are now currently underway in the 2009-2010 scouting year and boys talks and open houses are in full swing. Cub Packs and Troops are busy addressing questions from potential scout families and doing their best to highlight their unit in the best possible light.

Any quality unit will bear in mind that the keys to success in retention of scouts and new scouts is to have a dynamic program and keep child safety in mind with any and all scouting activities.

Trained leaders are abundant within their units and those untrained should get trained as soon as the opportunity arises as we, as leaders, owe it to our scouts to provide quality programming to our scouts throughout the scouting year.
There are several events and dates that training is available and you should have a copy of the district and council calendar handy at all times to watch for these sessions and be ready to take full advantage of these opportunities.
If you have never attended Cub Scout College....go
If you have never attended 5 Star Commissioner College ....go
If you have never attended BALOO training ....go
Get the picture. Get out there and get trained. You will be glad that you did!
So will your scouts.

Dad and Lad Camps a Special Time in Scouting

Yesterday I had the opportunity to work my first Dad and Lad campout, working with a fellow scouter and friend of mine, doing the "I Hate Dishes" program for cub scouts and their fathers.
Dad and Lad camps are fun because it is a time for bonding between fathers and sons at a scout camp doing scout activities.
It is an educational time for Dad and the scouts to learn more about what the boy scout program is all about and it is a time for sons to show off their talents to their fathers and a time for the Dads to show off their talents to their sons.
The event was held this past weekend and although it rained most of the day, it didn't dampen the spirit of the event and a good time was had by all.
The day was packed with several activities and all events took the time and effort to sneak some educational learning into their event.
We taught scouts and fathers how to make creative, simple meals over a campfire in dutch ovens, camp stoves, and over the BBQ.
Highlighting the menu at our station was the hotdog sliders and cola spam fajitas, and home made pizzas on the grill.
We even threw in an apple/pineapple cobbler and did a ham and potato casserole bake and bacon peanut butter stuffed hotdogs into the mix.
At leather craft, scouts and dad make several keepsakes from leather and while in camp they got the chance to work the 2 man saw and brand a log slice to commemorate the event.
If you never do another campout take the time to attend Dad and Lad or Mom and Son or even Grandparent and Me. It is well worth the quality time spend with your son.

The Friendship Knot

I was introduced to the Friendship Knot by a scouter friend (which is is redundant as all scouts are friends) and he had this knot tied in the tails of his neckerchief.


The knot itself is a unique thing in itself as the legend is that the knot must be tied by someone else and cannot be untied as it breaks the friendship that was created at the time it was tied.


Friendship knots are a constant reminder that we are all tied together within the brotherhood of scouting and that friendship knows no borders, no politics, and no personal agendas that place a strain on how we interact in today's society.


I re-discovered that within the scouting movement that friendships are easily made and a lasting bond occurs because of what the program stands for.


I have lost count of the exact number or scout friends that I have throughout the world but the number doesn't matter to me as that number increases through my interactions with new scouts and scouters but I do have scout friends in Denmark, England, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Poland, Russia, Iran, Iraq, Aruba, Australia, China, New Zealand, Tasmania, Israel, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Canada, Mexico, Philippines, Thailand, Korea, and in the United States.
I have been lucky enough to personally meet scouts from Australia, England, and Israel and what strikes me is that once you put on the uniform you are automatically accepted into their "scouting family" without question or reservation....no other program can claim that distinction.
So the next time you meet a new scout friend, look for a friendship knot and if they don't have one tie one on the neckerchief. You will be glad that you did.

The Friendship Knot
This knot is often used by Scouts to secure the neckerchiefs, instead of a woggle - either because they've lost it - or because they're worried they might. It can also be tied in the points of a neck erchief (very small) if a woggle is being worn.
The linking of the two sides of the neckerchief represent the bond of friendship - both sides of the knot collapse to nothing if they are disentangled.

(1) First cross the two ends of the neckerchief
(2) Then make a bight with the end that went over, and tuck it back under the other end
(3) Now pass the other end behind the bight

(4) Finally tuck the end down the bight

BSA's Digital Scout Handbook

I like being a part of the scouting movement because it is ever changing and evolving into a whole new program.
For instance: Baden Powell never taught the original scouts about composite materials nor GPS systems but I am sure that he would have been prepared to teach a course on that.
Fast forward 60 years and Computer science was on the cutting edge of technology.
Now today we have the first Digital Scout Handbook available to all scouts and scouters alike and there is a lot of information being spit out because of the wonderful world of the Internet.
Will the digital handbook eventually replace the hard copy issue?
I hope not as this media could be on the leading edge of design.
I would like to think that the digital handbook would be a tool to be used by scouters and scouts alike as a supplement to the paperback version we already enjoy.
So as we look towards our Centenary of scouting, let us all work together and see what the future holds for our beloved Scouting movement.

It is Round up Time!

Coming around the bend is the most exciting time for boys that are about to join the world's oldest youth program.
We are about to roundup new scouts and prospective scout leaders through the use of boy talks and open houses.
One of the best opportunities units have to increase their numbers is through the use of the boy talk and the open house recruiting program.
Boy talks will spark the young men's imaginations of camping, canoeing, shooting sports, and yes even cooking (over a campfire).
Parent's will imagine their sons embarking on a career path that could lead them to greatness...doctor, lawyer, astronaut, film maker, or even President.
One never knows what the future holds other than the guarantee that scouting will always be here and will lead the way to adventure and fun.
So mount up and let's ride and round them up for Scouting!

Bear Paw My Home Away from Home

I finally was able to return to Camp Bear Paw to camp a full week-first time since I received my Eagle medal 33 years ago and I was able to get reacquainted with the same roots and rocks that I tripped over.

There have been several changes within the camp which includes a new mess hall and trading post, updated shooting sport ranges, and new and improved showering facilities.

The old mess hall is still there and I could almost hear the voices of long ago still singing and raising a ruckus during the meal time breaks.

There are still several remnants of the good old days and I would encourage those that spent time at Bear Paw to return to the old mess hall and find the old totems and mementos of their youth.

What was different was the visit from the Wateringbury Scout group from England and I had a ball visiting with them and exchanging ideas and songs at our troop's campfire which resulted in me receiving their scout flag as a souvenir.

It was truly a great moment watching the scouts interact and each and every scouter learning that the world suddenly got smaller and the camp was still the same as it was 33 yrs ago and we were all still able to make new friends.

Photograph taken by D. Nelson