O.S.O.K.
03-06-2011, 06:47 PM
Both of my sons are Eagle Scouts and I spent 8 years in scouts as a Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster. After my youngest son earned his Eagle, I kinda backed off, needing a break.
Well, I decided that I could start helping with the adult leadership again - especially on campouts and such as this is sadly one of the hardest things to get enough of....
So Saturday and this morning, I served as the #2 adult on a camp out on a local ranch that the owner has kindly allowed our troop to use for several campouts (we are very conciencious and show it by the way we act, the service projects we do there and the way we leave our sites).
Anyhoo, the merit badge that was on-tap for this campout was the wilderness survival badge which requires the scouts to build a survival shelter and sleep in it overnight. They also earned the "polar bear" badge as it got down below freezing last night.
My son decided to participate even though he already earned the badge some time ago... he helped one of the new boys, a standard practice with the scouts - another good thing.
They made pretty good shelters. They were easily as good as survivorman or Beahr Grril. :lool:
And to top off the trip, the owner of the ranch invited the Scoutmaster and myself to bring anybody we wanted to and hunt the bothersome hogs on his ranch :) :) :)
So, I'm going to take him up on this offer - and bring my son to do just that. The owner will be getting some sausage and salami in the bargain.
Just shows what proper behavior will do for you. Several other troops were invited to camp on his ranch but not invited back....
Boyscouts is such a great organization and the survival training and preparedness is just one of the many great things that make it so.
ETA: Here's a pic of the lean-to - my son on the right (with the new boy that he was paired with):
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5016/5504527358_bfd11509fb_b.jpg
Well, I decided that I could start helping with the adult leadership again - especially on campouts and such as this is sadly one of the hardest things to get enough of....
So Saturday and this morning, I served as the #2 adult on a camp out on a local ranch that the owner has kindly allowed our troop to use for several campouts (we are very conciencious and show it by the way we act, the service projects we do there and the way we leave our sites).
Anyhoo, the merit badge that was on-tap for this campout was the wilderness survival badge which requires the scouts to build a survival shelter and sleep in it overnight. They also earned the "polar bear" badge as it got down below freezing last night.
My son decided to participate even though he already earned the badge some time ago... he helped one of the new boys, a standard practice with the scouts - another good thing.
They made pretty good shelters. They were easily as good as survivorman or Beahr Grril. :lool:
And to top off the trip, the owner of the ranch invited the Scoutmaster and myself to bring anybody we wanted to and hunt the bothersome hogs on his ranch :) :) :)
So, I'm going to take him up on this offer - and bring my son to do just that. The owner will be getting some sausage and salami in the bargain.
Just shows what proper behavior will do for you. Several other troops were invited to camp on his ranch but not invited back....
Boyscouts is such a great organization and the survival training and preparedness is just one of the many great things that make it so.
ETA: Here's a pic of the lean-to - my son on the right (with the new boy that he was paired with):
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5016/5504527358_bfd11509fb_b.jpg