Weekend Patrol Box #28

This week's Patrol Box begins with a wash stand.

I found this great image of a wash stand to share.  Do any troop still build these things?  or has this been swept off to the faint embers of memory?  Many camp gadgets are still a great idea--and really help to reinforce knots and lashings.  I know my Scouts could use the work.

1. To Build a Fire, by Jack London:  just appropriate this time of year, and a great story.
2. BSA timeline--good images of our history from Scouting magazine.
3. Handy tool for cold weather camping from PTC Media.
4. 10 reasons parents should care about their kids being outside (more) from the National Wildlife Federation...Oh, and it's fun!
5. Contest! BSA photo contest:  Boy Scouts of America:  Today 31 MAR 2010 is the deadline.  Think Photography merit badge or belt loop.
6. Get in the gutter!  Gardening merit badge idea.  Simple, easy and cheap.
7. Legos, my Scouts love you.  New Toy Story Legos coming.  
8. Hate winter camping?  Try reading through Backpacker magazine's "Cold Comfort" guide.
9. Video:  Bake cake in an orange...fun!  Cubs all the way up to Scouters will like this easy trick. @backpackermag
10. Audio:  Boy Scouts of America March by John Philip Sousa (1854-1932)  I've heard of it, but never heard it before this!  Great way to connect to the early days of Scouting.

Our winter schedule is getting to be as busy as our summer schedule.  Lots of camping on the horizon, planning, training and merit badge work.  What do you do in the winter to keep an active Scouting life?  Comment below!  Or stop on by Twitter to share your thoughts and insights.

"Boy Scouts of America: Today” Photo Contest

Recently one of the boys in our troop won in a Trails End photography contest.

So we are all pumped up now for the new "Boy Scouts of America: Today" photo contest.  It is offered to all registered Scouts and their families.

From the website:

DK Publishing, an Official Licensee of the BSA, and the Boy Scouts of America are asking for your help to show others what Scouting means through photographs. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. We need your photos to describe this time tested organization. Share your Scouting photos, your Scouting memories, and your “image” of what this century old organization means to you.

All entries must be received by 31 MAR 2010.

So, what does Scouting mean to you?  Is it worth a thousand words?

Weekend Patrol Box #27

OK, so it's a bit cold for much of the country.  There is still a lot of Scouting going on, just under layers!

This week's Patrol Box kicks off a new year!

Actually, our first Cub Scout meeting of 2010 started with the Webelos den that will be crossing into our troop this spring, showing me their brand-spanking new...patrol box!  When one of the dads is a cabinet-maker by training, you can imagine how well built this is.  They built it for the Craftsman activity badge, which is the 20th for many of them.

Great bunch of energetic Scouts to add to the mix!

Whether you are headed out to the wilderness or hunkering down to survive the plummeting temps, enjoy this week's Patrol Box.

1. Merit Badge of the Week:  Cinematography Free software and lots of tips to make you a great videographer.  Oh, and you'll help expand your Scouts' universe. [Series resuming in 2010!]
2. Merit badge humor--should Wilderness Survival be required?
3. Contest: "Be Prepared" Solar Chargers from Powerfilm (Boys' Life advertiser)
4. ...and while you are poking around Amazon: Eagle Scout street signs to go with the Eagle Scout parking sign.
5. Easy project to get behind--more bike routes.  Where does your state fall?
6. The Price of Freedom leadership conference--only for Eagle Scouts, Venturer Silver Award or Sea Scout Quartermaster Award.  11-14 FEB 2010
7. Cub Scout Video Game belt loop:  think this will help? Great week for Scouting in the comics!
8. Scoutsigns' Top 10 Tweets for 2009.
9. Take Me Fishing--new patches and opportunities for Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts.  TakeMeFishing.org is also on Twitter and Facebook.
10. Venturers, Boy Scout and Cub Scouts--this idea could be for you.  S24O:  Sub-24 hour overnighters cycle trips  for the time challenged (could easily be adapted to other things--backpacking, canoeing, and more). Adventure Cycling Association

So what do you have planned for this weekend?  We are headed off to a lock-in at a local military academy to use their pool, gym and game room all night.  Big breakfast in the AM to compensate for staying up all night.  Check in with me on Twitter to see if I'm still up!  or have a connection!

2009 Top Tweets

Twitter was a new tool for me to explore early on in 2009. It was quirky and just beginning to get a lot of press. Folks were trying out if this would be a fad or a solution.

I read a lot about how to be a good member of the Twitter community--share information, try not to advertise yourself too much, retweet other people's comments to add depth and richness to everyone's experience.

Hootsuite became my tool of choice to manage the exploding amount of information coming to my screen.

7745 times someone clicked on a link that I found useful, interesting, odd or just great fun. (By the way, 21 APR 2009 was the biggest day with 218 clicks.)

Each month, I began to post the "Top 10" from the previous month. The point was to help you not miss anything a lot of other people found interesting--especially if you don't use Twitter.

A side benefit to me was to keep some older links alive longer to see which ideas "had legs".

The result? This is the Top 10 for 2009 from Scoutsigns:

1. Um, tasty and funny! Anyone else going camping this weekend? http://ow.ly/b4f4
2. Positive essay on the Boy Scouts! http://ow.ly/3rZL
3. Weekend Patrol Box #19 http://ow.ly/15NJmu
4. Weekend Patrol Box #18 http://ow.ly/15LUo7
5. Weekend Patrol Box #21 http://ow.ly/15R4fQ
6. #scouts New Post: Weekend Patrol Box #23 http://ow.ly/15TT05
7. ScoutSigns: 100th Anniversary Postage Stamp to be Announced! http://ow.ly/zQkO
8. Great American Backyard Campout--add to your calendar! http://ow.ly/2xC7
9. Excellent idea! Eagle Scout Parking Only sign.. (via @LatterDay_Scout) http://ow.ly/kQcK
10. ScoutSigns: New BSA Rank Requirements Coming http://ow.ly/h05l

I will continue to post the Top 10 each month--and I'd like your feedback.

Do you Tweet? Are you following me?

2009's December Tweets

December was a quiet month between work, travel and of course Scouting (including our big annual ski trip).

Here were the Top 10:

1. Wildlife Promise: Be Out There: The Ten Reasons Parents Should Care About Outdoor Time For Kids http://ow.ly/QoE6
2. Ah… what fun for the boys http://ow.ly/NqcX I love it when Scouters are good sports.
3. Great idea for cold weather Scouting... http://ow.ly/R9T4
4. National Scout Shops closed until 2010... http://ow.ly/P78I
5. Thought provoking--Amusing Ourselves Out of Our Manhood | The Art of Manliness http://ow.ly/IgzE
6. BSA timeline--great images to see here! http://ow.ly/Rp0C
7. Weekly Patrol Box #14 up http://ow.ly/2xmf What Scouting blogs do you like? Leave in comments!
8. Just in case you missed the Scuba merit badge officially on Scouting.org http://ow.ly/HWHi
9. Merit Badge of the Week: Backpacking http://ow.ly/15NraY
10. #scouts New Post: Weekend Patrol Box #23 http://ow.ly/15TT05