ScouterLife

[ScouterLife]

Taut-Line Hitch

Years ago, I remember having a patient Scoutmaster teach me how to tie the taut-line hitch as the troop was attempting to set up our dinning fly at Camp Loll, Wyoming. To this day I still use this knot when camping. There is a reason why we teach this knot / hitch to the tenderfoot scouts, they will use this skill for the rest of their camping life.

The taut-line hitch is used to increase the tension on your tent or dinning fly line when needed. The knot is easily able to slide on the guy line, and is tied in such a way that it creates a jam when the tension is present. This is the ScoutsBSA recommended knot for an adjustable sliding knot.

How To Tie

1. Turn your guy line around a post or stake

2. Complete two half hitches coiling down the line towards your stake

3. going up the line, make another half hitch in the opposite direction above the first two.

4. Tighten the knot and slide up the line to create a “taut-line” for you tent or dinning fly to be secure.

[ScouterLife]

Difference Between Saving and Investing

What is Saving Money?

• Saving is setting aside money you don’t spend now for emergencies or for a future purchase. Usually within a savings account at your bank or credit union.

• Your money is available for you to withdraw whenever you need it. (Some banks have limitations on the amount of transactions allowed per month.)

• Your interest rate with your bank is usually low and does not keep up with inflation. Savings account interest rates are typically higher than your checking account would offer.

What is Investing Money?

• Investing is buying assets such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds or real estate with the expectation that your investment will make you money.

• It is a little harder to withdraw the money associated with investing as you will typically need to sell the asset. Some investments like real estate may be giving you a monthly inflow of cash if that property is set up as a rental.

• There is risk associated with investing. Sometimes investments go bad and you end up losing or taking a loss on the sale of the asset.

[ScouterLife]

2019-39 It’s Magic

You know, we are all magicians.

It doesn’t take a magic hat; it doesn’t take a magic wand. Magic is always present in our lives. The magic of a sunset, of a friend’s kind word or deed, or how we are loved and needed. These things can leave a magical feeling within us. The greatest way we can use the magic around us is by using it to quietly help others and not be so concerned about getting the credit. Maybe we can provide magic for others by doing small deeds that will make another person wonder who did the deed for them.

[ScouterLife]

Did You Know This? - CubScouts

Here are a few trivia items about Cub Scouts.

Did you know:

• In 1930, The Cub Scout program was launched with 5,120 boys registered a the end of the year.

• With the Cub Scout uniform: Blue represents truth, loyalty and the sky above. Gold represents sunlight, cheer and happiness.

• In the beginning, English Cub program based on Kiplings book, “Jungle Book”. American program based on Indian Lore.

• Boy’s Life magazine was started by an 18 year old publisher in Providence, RI. The July 1913 issue was the first official magazine of the Boy Scouts of America. In 1913 Norman Rockwell was hired to do the drawings and covers.

• In 1913 a Leaders’ magazine called “Scouting” was published semimonthly

• The Cub Scout program launched in England during the 1st World War. Due to lack of manpower, women were cub-masters. That was the 1st time women became members of the Boy Scout program.

[ScouterLife]

Autumn Word Search

There are so many great words associated with the Autumn season. See if you can find all the listed words within the free printable word search. Click here to print.

[ScouterLife]

2019-38 Stay On The Right Track

There are many different kids of trains. Passenger trains that carry you through this great country, freight trains that haul goods to consumers like you, and even tourist trains that show you what riding a train was like many years ago.

All of these trains are different, yet they have something in common, they all run on tracks. A train, as large and powerful as it is, can’t go anywhere without tracks to guide it.

Like these trains, we are all different. But we all need tracks to guide us too. These tracks are faith, love, and service. Let’s pledge to do our best to stay on the right track. Show your faith by living religious or spiritual principles. Show your family and friends how much you love and appreciate them through you words and deeds. Give cheerful service to all you meet. Stay on the right track and you’ll go far.

[ScouterLife]

Following The Leader

Back in 2015 this photo that was taken by Cesare Brai started to pop up on social media.

This photo is a great display of how we should be a successful leader. To break down the line of wolfs:

• The first three are the sick or old wolfs

• The next group (5) are the strong members of the pack

• The middle group is the remaining pack members

• The last group of 5 wolfs are more of the strong members

• Finally, at the end of the line making sure no one is left behind is the leader. The Alpha

Us, as leaders of packs and troops; being Akela, have the opportunity to lead young scouts to be leaders within their own dens and patrols and eventually be leaders out in the world.

Sometimes we get into the mindset that the leader needs to be at the head of the line. We have been taught this from our early years as kids (at least I was). Take a look at the fun animated Disney movie “Peter Pan”. John and Michael Darling with the help of the Lost Boys give us the song “We’re Following the Leader” where the line of boys go off to fight pirates and Indians while following their fearless leader. Going out on hikes with the cub scouts, one can witness the mad dash of scouts trying to be the first one in line to be “The Leader”. Then, throughout the hike there are multiple rotations of leaders, or firsts of the line as everyone wants a chance to be the leader.

One term that I have always liked, and implemented into troops that I have been the Scoutmaster for is “Shadow Leadership”. This is the method of using the EDGE method with your Senior Patrol Leader and teaching them what needs to be completed within the patrols and troop. After I have taught and trained for a period of time, I step back and let the SPL call the shots. Some of the best teaching moments is when there is failure. Of course you never want to set them up for failure, but when failure is emanate, let it happen. We learn from our mistakes. In reality, “shadow leadership” is another term for the Patrol Method. The next time you attend a council ran week long scout camp, sit back at take a look at the different troops at the morning flag ceremony. It is very noticeable those troops that have Scoutmasters that implement the Patrol Method.

Take a moment and reflect on this photo…. What would happen if the sick and old were left to play “catch up” at the back of the line? Would the leader be able to see more of the pack’s needs from the front rather than the back of the line? Whats the benefits of being surrounded by the “strong” members of the pack?

[ScouterLife]

RASKals: Random Acts of Simple Kindness

R - Random
A - Acts
of
S- Simple
K- Kindness

Performing random acts of kindness is pretty basic. Being kind doesn’t take a lot of planning or effort. “Do unto others” and “Turn the other cheek” should not just be advice, but a way to live your life. By your deeds of kindness, you can help turn good behavior into even more good. A person who performs a random act of simple kindness is called a RASKal.

[ScouterLife]

2019-36 Parable Of The Mule

This parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer’s well. The farmer heard the mule “praying”—or whatever mules do when they fall into wells.

After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together, told them what had happened and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.

Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back, a thought struck him. It dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back, he could shake it off and step up! This he did, blow after blow. “Shake it off and step up … . Shake it off and step up … . Shake it off and step up!” He repeated it to encourage himself.

No matter how painful the blows, or how distressing the situation seemed, the old mule fought panic and just kept right on shaking it off and stepping up! It wasn’t long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of that well! What seemingly would bury him actually helped him, all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity.

That’s life! If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, or self-pity. The problems that come along to bury us usually have within them the very potential to benefit us … and benefit Scouting, too!

[ScouterLife]

2019-35 The Eagle and the Chickens

There once was a young scout that was walking down a trail and discovered and eagles egg had fallen out of it’s net. The young scout looked up and saw that the nest was too high to return the egg. So the scout placed the egg in a nearby prairie chickens nest. The egg eventually hatched and the little eagle became part of the family. The mother hen treated the little eagle exactly the same as the other chicks and taught the young eagle how to find worms and grubs for food. The young eagle thought that he was another chicken among chickens. When it came time to learn how to fly, the young eaglet did as mother hen taught and only flew a few feet at a time.

And then one day, a little older now, while pecking for worms and grubs, the eagle looked up to the sky and noticed a beautiful and majestic bird soaring high in the sky.

“Who is that!? And what is that?!” The eagle asked the prairie chickens. “Oh, that is an eagle. They are birds of the sky. We are chickens, and we are birds of the ground.”

The Eagle, after seeing that majestic bird in the sky, had a longing desire that had always been there. The Eagle realized that a decision was to be made. The decision was, “do I continue to go on with life as I have always lived it? Or do I do whatever it takes to fly like that eagle?” And so the decision was made, to fly.

And the Eagle’s life was changed forever.

Along your path of scouting, from cub scouts and the ranks of boy scouts, you are learning the ways to become an eagle. When the moment is right, spread your wings and fly with the Eagles.