Category Archives: ScouterBlog

A place where Assistant Scoutmasters can share skills and information they have learned during their time in Scouts.

Scout Master Matters: Upholding the Boy Scout Ideals in Everyday Life.

Clean– orderly, neat, stainless, pure, unblemished, unpolluted

One thing parents everywhere understand is clean.  How often do you have to say clean your room, clean your dishes, change your clothes, brush your teeth??  A scout is clean but beyond the everyday mundane this can mean a lot more to the world around us.

The last few weekends our scouts had the opportunity to work at the fairgrounds picking up litter.  The simplest act of picking up after themselves and the people around them had more impact than they realized.  It made the fairgrounds beautiful so that people could enjoy themselves more.  It helped those fair goers stay healthy by avoiding unwanted pests like flies and vermin.  It kept nearby wildlife safe by removing possible threats to their safety.  It gave each scout pride in their surroundings and a job well done.  Finally, it gave the community itself a sense of appreciation and pride in their youth and The Boy Scouts in general.

Cleanliness is by scouts often the most overlooked item in the scout law. But, as you can see by the example above it is by no means unimportant. Be sure to show your appreciation when your scouts take the initiative each day and those little acts build into a foundation which will be support to us all.

 

Quote of the Month: 

It seems as if an age of genius must be succeeded by an age of endeavor; riot and extravagance by cleanliness and hard work.”

Virginia Woolf

Scout Master Matters: Upholding the Boy Scout Ideals in Everyday Life

Faith

We all know a scout is reverent and with reverence comes faith.  I would like to talk a little about faith though and how it has different forms.  Most of us think of religion, we have faith inspired by religion, the world around us and the belief that the big scout master in the sky will watch out for us…. but is that all faith entails?

I don’t think so.

I think faith is that kernel of strength, hope and belief in humanity each of us carries.  Take a minute to think about all of things we put our faith in each day.

We have faith that even if it was a bad day, the next will be better.

We have faith in ourselves and our capabilities- that we will make the right choices to keep us on a good path in life.

Perhaps most importantly to me we put our faith in each other, you entrust your scouts to our leadership.  You have faith that we will steer the older boys into good men who will lead the younger generations in the right direction.   What a precious gift to give and receive, for it we thank you.

 

Quote of the Month:

 “To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don’t grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead you relax, and float.”

Alan Watts

 

Advancement Camp Recipes from Mr. McCormick

ADVANCEMENT CAMP RECIPES
Chicken Marinade (Caribbean Ju Ju Slather)
Ingredients

o 1 sweet onion diced
o 2 lbs. honey
o 8 oz. yellow mustard
o 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
o 1 tsp Cayenne pepper
o Pinch ground cloves
o Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
o 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
o 1 cup chopped passion fruit or Passion Fruit puree
o 1 tsp black pepper

Directions:

o Sauté the diced onion until slightly caramelized
o Deglaze pan and reduce volume by half (see Mr McCormick for Scout friendly deglazing tips)
o Stir in all remaining ingredients
o Simmer over low heat (stirring occasionally) for 30+ minutes (until fruit is tender)
o Puree until smooth (add water to thin if needed)

Observations:

o If you puree in a blender wait for the sauce to cool
o Hot fluid in a blender creates a lot of hot air that will expand against the lid (pop!)
o The amount of cayenne and red pepper can be adjusted to taste
o Additional spice can also be added after the sauce is complete
o Splitting the batch is an easy way to accommodate different tolerances for spice
o Honey & mustard are available packaged in just about the right amounts for this recipe
o Quantities for any of the ingredients are to subject to taste anyway…
o Pineapple (canned or fresh) can be substituted for passion fruit
o More fruit can be added if a thicker sauce is desired in the final product
o This sauce is excellent on grilled meats (chicken, sea bass, shrimp…) and veggies
o Use the glaze at the end of the grilling process as is chars easily (lots of sugar)
o The sauce can be brushed onto the food or drizzled from a squeeze bottle
o It goes fast in our house – we usually make a double batch (and sometimes triple…)

Salad Dressing (Raspberry Vinaigrette)
Ingredients

o Raspberry vinegar
o Sugar
o Vegetable oil

Directions:

o Put vinegar into mixing bowl and add sugar to taste (I use about equal volumes of both)
o Drizzle in vegetable oil to taste (I use about 3x the quantity of vinegar)
o Whisk vigorously during the drizzle to emulsify the dressing

Observations:

o Make just enough dressing to lightly coat the salad
o Make the dressing right before tossing the salad (and use the same bowl)
o This dressing really works well with mescaline mix (or baby arugula)
o Any oil will work but lighter is better (olive oil seems to overpower the delicacy)

Scout Master Matters: Upholding the Boy Scout Ideals in Everyday Life

Perseverance

Perseverance: To follow through despite obstacles, difficulties or discouragement.

With Perseverance you can go anywhere and accomplish anything. Our scouts are examples of this every single day.  We bring them into the pack young boys who often have never been out from under the wings of their loving parents.  One pack meeting, one campout, one service project, at a time they grow in their abilities and confidence.  They don’t even realize they are exhibiting perseverance each time they learn a new skill and don’t give up till its’ conquered.

Knot after knot unravels but they tie it again until it stays put.

Fish slip their line all afternoon until finally they catch THE BIG ONE!.

Tents may collapse during a windstorm only to be put back up.

Perseverance is something each and every one of us will need in our life to get where we want to be so celebrate those small successes because they also teach, adding up to something so much more than the sum of its parts.

 

Quote of the Month:

“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.”

Walter Elliot

Scout Master Matters: Upholding the Boy Scout Ideals in Everyday Life.

Scout Master Matters: Upholding the Boy Scout Ideals in Everyday Life.

Integrity

What exactly does that mean in everyday life? It means following your convictions and doing the right thing no matter what. It is one of the first things people think of when they think about boy scouts, having integrity means you can be trusted. Here are a few examples of integrity in action for our scouts to think over:

  • Noticing someone dropped money and returning it without expecting a reward
  • Keeping your promises even if it isn’t always easy
  • Telling the cashier she gave you too much change back
  • Taking responsibility when something happens instead of letting someone else take the blame
  • Ignoring advice on how to cheat on a test and not get caught

Are you living each day with INTEGRITY?

Quote of the Month:

“Live so that when your children think of fairness, caring and integrity, they think of you.” H. Jackson Brown, Jr.