Weekly Patrol Box #14

[Flexing my Patrol Box opening muscles...ouch!]

I think hibernation season is about over, and it is time to get the Patrol Box out again.  In fact, we have a big Webelos Crossover this weekend, so there is a lot to do.

To kick things off, how about this nifty little patrol box?  Our patrols are looking to build a new one, and this looked great.

With such a big weekend coming up (we are picking up 5 new Scouts), it might be a good time to look at the blog resources available to Scouting.  Each day you can pick up a ton of experience and learn from others--quick education.

1. Recently, I mentioned Scouting magazine's new Cracker Barrel blog.  Already a favorite to read.
   
2. Boyandgirlscouts.com continues to be a favorite--read about this Bobcat attack (no, it isn't the name of a skit!).
   
3. LeaveNoTrace blog--somehow, it just seems like the right thing to follow...
4. KISMIF.org--one of my favorites.  Always brief and to the point.
5. Lone Star Scouter (or Troop 483 blog)--a blog that begins with Will Rogers' quote, "The only problem with the Boy Scouts...There's not enough of them.",has to be a good read--and is.
   
6. Scoutmaster Musings from BoyScoutTrail.com is always informative and offers good ideas, like the new (very profitable) troop fundraiser announced earlier this month.
7. Chairman's Chat is more infrequent, but worth the time.
8. The Scoutmaster's Corner (formerly The Commissioner's Corner) is reinventing itself.
9. Trail Cooking & the Outdoors just gets you in the spirit of getting out there!
10. Finally, A Scoutmaster's Blog from Steve B. at Melrose Scouting Productions (think "Buttons").

Enjoy your weekend, and all of the good reads here.

What are your favorite Scouting (or Scout related) blogs?  Do you know of any written by Scouts?

Wired Scouts and Wireless Scouting

This has been an interesting year so far, and not at all what I imagined.  

I've been working on a number of projects, and learning how to work in a few new tools, like Facebook and Twitter.  Our council's camping committee asked me to put together a web presence for Camp Rock Enon in the little blip of Gore, VA.

So, how does this benefit you, the Scout and the Scouter alike?

First, these tools are being used regularly by our Scouts.  They "get it" without the long explanations.  They don't require the convincing that these tools are worthwhile, important or relevant.  I've yet to meet a 40-50-60 year old Scouter that just "gets it".

It is a perspective thing--often our Scouts have had the Internet in their homes their entire lives.  These tools are as pervasive to their existence as we see television and radio.  Yeah, that wasn't fun to realize.  We all like the story about the Scoutmaster who had to explain rotary dial phones to his Scout so he could call home.

Some of these tools will come and go.  In the past 15 years, we've seen the near death of fax machines, replaced by scanners and email.  

There is a place for it.  Like pitching a tent, starting a fire and reading the weather, technology is an important skill.  Maybe we don't need a "Web 2.0" merit badge, but our troop historian may need to be a bit more savvy.

But the important thing is to embrace them so that we can understand our Scouts' lives.  A "wired" Scout ("wireless"?) out camping is a different creature than one who a few years ago couldn't make a phone call from his front yard.

Second, the Internet can help you generate interest in your local council's units, activities and camps.  Big or small, there is a great opportunity to share what makes Scouting special with other members of the Scouting community and the broader world.

My efforts so far have been small and careful.  But I'm getting feedback from our local Scouters, and even from outside our area.  They are getting the word (tweet) and seeing programs (blog) and learning that we have something going on.

Our summer camp is almost completely booked solid, in a down economy.  

I've seen an email from someone who "discovered" us and is looking at 2010 events now.  Another person reached out to see if Camp Rock Enon could be a stopping point before the next Jamboree.

The future of Scouting is now.

How do you embrace technology?  or your council?  What do your Scouts use?  Have you asked them?  Comment away below.