So you want to go hiking !!

New hikers , dont know what they dont know.

Your planning starts way before the hike starts, with the selection of what you will be taking on the hike.

Choosing the right gear is probably the most important part of your planning, and can be divided up into a few important areas.  For our trip use what you have,  as its only 2 miles to our campsite, but start to think about gear that will work for you on future trips

Places like REI will also rent gear, so you can test if not sure what you want to buy.

Backpack 
Everything you take on a hike needs to go in or on your backpack. Having straps (few $ at REI and other outdoor stores) to fasten items like sleeping bag or tent on the outside needs to be something you should think of . A Backpack must fit your body size and the waist belt must be able to carry the majority of the weight of the pack, so it must fit you , both vertically as well as girth (around your waist).
An ideal MAX weight for the fully packed backpack is 30% of body weight, and this is for hiking fit people. So for our younger scouts it is very difficult to stay light enough. Question every thing you add into the pack.
For this trip , the troop will provide a backpack for anyone needing one.

Sleeping gear
Starts with shelter , tent , bivy , hammock , sleeping bag, sleeping mattress or pad  -
based on the season you must choose what you will be comfortable in. Insulation from the ground is very important in all seasons, that is why a pad is so often talked about
For late summer like now, I use a Bivy and sleeping pad and fleecy blanket- but never forget my pillow. If no chance of rain I sleep in the open, unless bugs are bad. A down throw / blanket is also great at this time of year. Costco have one for $19 at present.
Dont forget to make your sleeping gear waterproof (garbage bag works great)

Eating gear
For this trip the troop will provide a stove and cooking gear, BUT you need at minimum a spoon, and a lighter. I would also add in a cup if you plan on coffee , hot chocolate tea etc.  Plastic cup is lighter than a metal one. a knife is another important item to remember
Water bottle - you must carry 1 liter of water for this trip. 

Footwear
Good boots are ideal for hiking, something that protects your ankles in case you step on a rock and roll your ankle. BUT DO NOT go on a hike with new boots or shoes. Trail runners are becoming the new ideal for hikers , but sneakers are just fine on short hikes like this one. Add in a change of socks. 

Personal gear
Toothbrush, small towel, hand sanitiser, bug spray, sun screen, (all of these can be found in small sizes) toilet paper (leaves are not comfortable , I promise you)
Change of underwear and socks. First aid kit, whistle, head lamp, and a windproof jacket / rain jacket.  A poncho works well for raingear.
Emergency blanket ..... I recommend adding one into your pack , just like I always carry about 25-50 ft of paracord, as well as dental floss- it can be used for so many things including fixing your pack.

NOTE On clothing , if you cannot wear everything you are taking at one time, then you have too much packed. and again think light weight.
 A dry fit shirt weighs about half a cotton shirt, so a long sleeve dryfit plus a short sleeve dryfit, gives you two layers for the weight of one cotton shirt.


Food
Think about carrying snacks that are both lightweight and high energy, for your main meal.
Ramen noodles are a great easy meal , dont forget to add in a protein like fish or chicken, and packet soups also make a great dinner
Also think about a comfort food that you might want to add in, like a pudding or cookies.
also pack your snacks so they are easy to get to, like a side pocket.  For drinking - water is best. le
For breakfast I like Bagels and cream cheese, or Granola with long life milk (you can eat it dry too)

Hiking poles are nice to have when you have a trail that has lots of hills, they can also substitute for tent poles too.


Have a great weekend planning for your hike, and remember to bring all your gear to the meeting on Tuesday.


Here is a great link for light weight planning
http://www.adventurealan.com/appalachian-trail-gear-list/

2016 Canoe Trip

This year we will change it up a bit...

We will leave after work on Thursday night +- 5:30pm  , its 2 hour drive so we will be in camp by 7:30pm. We are camping in the Mill Race Group sites , so no portage across the river this time.

Friday Morning we will have an early Breakfast , and head UP River , and do the short haul from the Austinville Boat Ramp back to Foster Falls , this takes about 3.5 hours, so we will be back by lunch time.

This gives us the afternoon to swim , tube down the falls, and fish (need a Va Fishing License)

A very hearty dinner will follow (Patrols will be given a meal task)

Saturday we will paddle down river from just below the campsite all the way to Allisonia , about 6- 7 hours on the river

Chicken Dinner Fundraiser April 23

Ticket sales started last night.

Tickets can be bought from our scouts or online
 Online Ticket Sales

Most popular merit badges of 2015

any guesses ? 

2015-merit-badge-rankings

Chicken Meal Fundraiser- April 23rd

We have agreement from all parties to go ahead to raise money for High Adventure and Outdoor activities, by holding a Chicken Dinner fundraiser on April 23

Lots of work is needed before this time though. We will need all families to help the troop make this a success.

The decision has been made to only pre-sell tickets for this event, and we will even have some online sales through Eventbrite . By pre selling it gives us a clear goal of what we have to do on the day.  I believe we may have a few meals for sale on the day , but very limited in qty.

Expectations We would like all scouts to sell at least 10 tickets, and as each family should buy 3-5 for themselves , this should not be a difficult goal at all. With 25 Scouts , that is 80% of our goal of 300 meals. Our stretch is 400 meals and a max cutoff will be 500 , as we feel this is our capacity.
We will need to make bulk Potato salad, and Bulk Sauce too, and this will need all the families to help us.

We now have a new Facebook page for friends and Family to follow us and we will also use to drive some fundraising : https://www.facebook.com/groups/476382029236814/
This is public so please share with all your friends and family .

What does a meal consist of ???  
Half chicken ,  scoop of potato salad, and two dinner rolls - all for $8
We can also sell sauce in bottles for an additional $2.50

The Church will allow the selling of tickets and also putting up a banner to advertise the fundraiser so we can reach the bigger community with this fundraiser. We will embrace the future by selling tickets after Church and accept Credit Cards too.

Work to be done :
Creation of tickets
Advertising and setup of Eventbrite for online sales
Purchasing of supplies - Meal boxes, Sauce bottles, Bread rolls,
Cooking and making Potato salad
Making of sauce
Purchase of Chicken from Hopkins Poultry (they will deliver on the morning)
Building of new cooker (Drum is sourced and Rick will lead)


This is our long term goal :
Local scout troop have been doing this for over 30 years, they did 2600 half chicken meals this last November ,  and raised a substantial $$ amount for their troop

BUT 

This is where we will start , with maybe 3 or 4 cookers like this one , with the ability to cook about 120-160  portions at any one time (across the 4 cookers), with a cooking time of 90-120 minutes in open cooking or 60 minutes with a closed lid system. This cooker can cook about 50 pieces at a time
 

I'm a great believer in using real charcoal and brickets , because of the superior flavor it gives to the chicken.

On the outbound side ,
             we will need help:
             putting the meals together after the chicken is cooked,
             manning the pickup lines
             and we will also do drive through pickup. 
Obviously the Scouts will help manning the fires, moving cooked chicken into where the meals will be prepared and the biggest task , the clean up afterwards.

The aim is to start cooking early Saturday morning, with first pickups starting at 10 or 11 am with a 4 hour window.
We suggested that the ticket stub would define first or second pick up ie 11am till 1pm and 1pm till 3pm


A small sub committee will meet this Friday after work 5:30pm at a local place on New Garden rd
Please contact Rick if you would like to be part of this effort.

Troop leadership training

New SPL

We wish James all the best as our new Senior Patrol Leader

ELECTIONS !!! - Parents please make sure scouts read this !!!!

Next week we will hold our elections for new leadership positions, at both Troop and Patrol Level.
You, the Scouts will elect a new Senior Patrol Leader and Assistant Senior Patrol Leader. In addition Quartermaster and Scribe will also be elected, and it would be really nice if we had a webmaster who really wanted to look after our Troop blog and Facebook page

Then you will head off into your patrols and elect a new Patrol Leader and APL

Read the descriptions below , and make sure you are voting for someone who you honestly believe can do the job well.

Positions with ** should attend PLC meetings monthly or delegate to their assistants.

Senior Patrol Leader**
• Preside at all troop meetings, events, activities, and annual program planning conference.
• Chair the patrol leaders’ council.
• Appoint Scout leaders with the advice and consent of the Scoutmaster.
• Assign duties and responsibilities to other Scout leaders.
• Work with the Scoutmaster in training Scout leaders.
• Set and enforce the tone for good Scout behavior within the troop.
• Set a good example.
• Wear the Scout uniform correctly.
• Live by the Scout Oath and Scout Law.
• Show and help develop Scout spirit.

Assistant Senior Patrol Leader **
• Be responsible for training and giving direct leadership to the following appointed Scout
leaders: historian, Order of the Arrow troop representative, scribe, librarian, instructor,
quartermaster, and chaplain aide.
• Help lead meetings and activities as called upon by the senior patrol leader.
• Guide the troop in the senior patrol leader’s absence.
• Perform tasks assigned by the senior patrol leader.
• Function as a member of the patrol leaders’ council.
• Help set and enforce the tone for good Scout behavior within the troop.
• Set a good example.
• Wear the Scout uniform correctly.
• Live by the Scout Oath and Scout Law.
• Show and help develop Scout spirit.

Patrol Leader **
• Plan and lead patrol meetings and activities.
• Keep patrol members informed.
• Assign each patrol member needed tasks and help them succeed.
• Represent the patrol at all patrol leaders’ council meetings and the annual program
planning conference.
• Prepare the patrol to take part in all troop activities.
• Show and help develop patrol spirit.
• Work with other troop leaders to make the troop run well.
• Know what patrol members and other leaders can do.
• Set a good example.
• Wear the Scout uniform correctly.
• Live by the Scout Oath and Scout Law.

Assistant Patrol Leader (**Attend PLC if PL not present)
• Help the patrol leader plan and lead patrol meetings and activities.
• Help the patrol leader keep patrol members informed.
• Help the patrol leader prepare the patrol to take part in all troop activities.
• Lead the patrol in the patrol leader’s absence.
• Show and help develop patrol spirit.
• Represent the patrol at all patrol leaders’ council meetings in the patrol leader’s absence.
• Work with other troop leaders to make the troop run well.
• Set a good example.
• Wear the Scout uniform correctly.
• Live by the Scout Oath and Scout Law.

Quartermaster
• Keep records of patrol and troop equipment.
• Keep equipment in good repair.
• Keep equipment storage area neat and clean.
• Issue equipment and see that it is returned in good order.
• Suggest new or replacement items.
• Work with the troop committee member responsible for equipment.
• Set a good example.
• Wear the Scout uniform correctly.
• Live by the Scout Oath and Scout Law.
• Show and help develop Scout spirit.

Scribe **
• Attend and keep a log of patrol leaders’ council meetings.
• Record attendance  of all troop members.
• Record advancement in troop records and on the troop advancement chart.
• Set a good example.
• Wear the Scout uniform correctly.
• Work with the appropriate troop committee members responsible for finance, records,
and advancement.
• Live by the Scout Oath and Scout Law.
• Show and help develop Scout spirit.
• Handle correspondence appropriately.

Order of the Arrow Troop Representative
• Serve as a communication link between the lodge or chapter and the troop.
• Encourage year-round and resident camping in the troop.
• Encourage older-Scout participation in high-adventure programs.
• Encourage Scouts to actively participate in community service projects.
• Assist with leadership skills training in the troop.
• Encourage Arrowmen to assume leadership positions in the troop.
• Encourage Arrowmen in the troop to be active participants in lodge and/or chapter activities
and to seal their membership in the Order by becoming Brotherhood members.
• Set a good example.
• Wear the Scout uniform correctly.
• Live by the Scout Oath, Scout Law, and OA Obligation.
• Show and help develop Scout spirit.

Webmaster **
• Establish and maintain a safe and secure troop website.
• Ensure the troop website is a positive reflection of Scouting for the public.
• Manage the troop’s electronic communication tools.
• Work with the Scouts to provide up-to-date troop information.
• Work with the scribe.
• Set a good example.
• Wear the Scout uniform correctly.
• Live by the Scout Oath and Scout Law.
• Show and help develop Scout spirit.

Ten Tips for Being a Good Patrol Leader

	Keep Your Word. Don't make promises you can't keep.
	Be Fair to All. A good leader shows no favorites. Don't allow friendships to keep you from being fair to all members of your patrol. Know who likes to do what, and assign duties to patrol members by what they like to do.
	Be a Good Communicator. You don't need a commanding voice to be a good leader, but you must be willing to step out front with an effective "Let's go." A good leader knows how to get and give information so that everyone understands what's going on.
	Be Flexible. Everything doesn't always go as planned. Be prepared to shift to "plan B" when "plan A" doesn't work.
	Be Organized. The time you spend planning will be repaid many times over. At patrol meetings, record who agrees to do each task, and fill out the duty roster before going camping.
	Delegate. Some leaders assume that the job will not get done unless they do it themselves. Most people like to be challenged with a task. Empower your patrol members to do things they have never tried.
	Set an Example. The most important thing you can do is lead by example. Whatever you do, your patrol members are likely to do the same. A cheerful attitude can keep everyone's spirits up.
	Be Consistent. Nothing is more confusing than a leader who is one way one moment and another way a short time later. If your patrol knows what to expect from you, they will more likely respond positively to your leadership.
	Give Praise. The best way to get credit is to give it away. Often a "Nice job" is all the praise necessary to make a Scout feel he is contributing to the efforts of the patrol.
	Ask for Help. Don't be embarrassed to ask for help. You have many resources at your disposal. When confronted with a situation you don't know how to handle, ask someone with more experience for some advice and direction.

The origins of scouting

We all know who the founder of Boy Scouts is...

Robert Baden Powell or more formally
Lieutenant-General Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, OM GCMG GCVO KCB

All quotes From Wiki

After having been educated at Charterhouse School in Surrey, Baden-Powell served in the British Army from 1876 until 1910 in India and Africa. In 1899, during the Second Boer War in South Africa, Baden-Powell successfully defended the town in the Siege of Mafeking. Several of his military books, written for military reconnaissance and scout training in his African years, were also read by boys. Based on those earlier books, he wrote Scouting for Boys, published in 1908 by Sir Arthur Pearson, for youth readership. In 1907, he held the first Brownsea Island Scout camp, which is now seen as the beginning of Scouting.
The first Scout Rally was held at The Crystal Palace in 1909, at which appeared a number of girls dressed in Scout uniform, who told B-P that they were the "Girl Scouts", whereupon B-P and his sister Agnes Baden-Powell formed the Girl Guides Movement. After his marriage on 30 October 1912 to Olave St Clair Soames, Baden-Powell and his wife actively gave guidance to the Scouting and Girl Guiding Movements. Baden-Powell lived his last years in Nyeri, Kenya, where he died and was buried in 1941.

How many know that his Scouting for boys had origins from North America???

Scouting for Boys (1908) is Baden-Powell's rewrite of his earlier book Aids to Scouting (1899)^[2] with many youth training ideas openly taken from The Birch Bark Roll of the Woodcraft Indians (1906)^[3] written by Ernest Thompson Seton, who later became the Chief Scout of the Boy Scouts of America^[4][5] Aids to Scouting was mostly a written explanation of the military scouting and self-reliance skills lessons Baden-Powell had learned from Frederick Russell Burnham, the British Army Chief of Scouts, but following the siege of Mafeking this military handbook unexpectedly became popular with many youth groups and educators, like Charlotte Mason, in Britain.^[4][6][7] At Mafeking, Baden-Powell had recruited and trained boys aged 12–15 as postmen, messengers, and later to carry the wounded, to free men for fighting. Upon his return to England, following the Second Boer War, Baden-Powell learned some British schools had been using Aids to Scouting to teach observation and deduction. In 1906, Seton discussed youth training ideas with Baden-Powell and shared with him a copy of The Birch Bark Roll of the Woodcraft Indians.^[5] Soon after, Baden-Powell decided to revise Aids to Scouting into a book for boys.^[4] Several friends supported Baden-Powell, including Sir William Alexander Smith, founder of the Boys' Brigade, and Cyril Arthur Pearson, who owned newspapers and printing presses.^[8] Baden-Powell wrote a draft, then called Boy Patrols, which he used and tested with 22 boys for one week at camp on Brownsea Island in the summer of 1907, where Pearson's literary editor Percy Everett assisted.^[4]
Scouting for Boys was published in six fortnightly instalments of approximately 70 pages each, from January to March 1908. They were produced by Pearson's printer, Horace Cox. These six publications were a success, and as planned were issued in book form on 1 May 1908. Although Aids to Scouting strongly influenced the book, Scouting for Boys presents Scouting from the perspective of outdoorsmen and explorers rather than military men, and it adds the Scout Oath, Scout Law, honors and games for youth.^[4][5] The book was very popular upon release, and became one of the best-selling books in history. Scouting for Boys has been translated into many languages. In 1948, the book was still selling 50,000 copies annually. Only in 1967 was a decline noted by the publisher, and in the last decades of the 20th century, even by the Scout movement, the book came to be seen as a period curiosity.^[8] It is claimed to be the fourth bestselling book of the 20th century.^[9][10] A realistic estimate is that approximately 4 million copies of the UK edition have been sold. Extrapolating this to 87 different language editions worldwide, historic world sales of Scouting for Boys can be estimated at 100 to 150 million copies since 1908

Ernest Seaton was Canadian, thus the North American link

For those who love history, the Birch Bark Roll of the Woodcraft Indians can be read online here
Birch Bark Roll book


 and lastly Scouting for boys

I hope I leave you knowing more about where scouting came from, and why we do what we do.

 

Smith Mountain Lake trip

Once again we had a super weekend away with scouts of all ages, and an unusual number of our adult leaders in attendance.

We decided as school was still out for most scouts to leave early and make camp in daylight for a change...... and we cooked a Jambalaya for the masses. Vegetarian for one with Tofu and sausage and chicken for the rest.  Desert was a fruit cup each.

Saturday morning had the troops up early getting breakfast on the go, leaders enjoyed breakfast burrito's from Doug (with hot sauce)

All at the dock by 8:50am , 10 scouts and 2 leaders go to ride across on the boat, rest in cars.

Our venue for the day was Barry and Charlotte's lovely lake house, which has a super dock area

Within 10 minutes everyone was asking if we could jump off the high dock next door

Many more pics here : Dougs Pics

Tubing is one item all the boys look forward to, some with more trepidation than fun

and some just cant wait to leave

and after all the fun, there can only be one result

Dinner prep

 

What do I do with these ??

Leaders Stirfry