Weekend Patrol Box #7

Wow, the fall colors are out in great form this weekend.

I just returned from a trip, and need to get the Patrol Box out before the weekend fades into the sunset. We have a Patrol Leaders Council at my house tonight, so there is a lot to get packed in quickly.

Next month's theme for the Boy Scouts is "High Adventure"; for the Cub Scouts, it is "Seeds of Kindness". Our troop will have their semi-annual elections, followed by a Court of Honor. Both the pack and the troop have Scouting for Food projects, too.

OK, let's get to the patrol box.

For Cub Scouts: Seeds of Kindness Program Helps from the BSA.

Boy Scouts have "High Adventure" in mind, pages 66-75. Note--this is a step in the right direction for the BSA, to put the Troop Program Features online. Now they just need to split the 3 volumes up!

BSA: Scouting Safely--lots of links from here regarding all aspects of safety, including the Guide to Safe Scouting, Age-Appropriate Guidelines, Safe Swim Defense, and a lot more.

One more thing this week from BSA: the American Red Cross and BSA Training Agreement--are you taking advantage of it?

Christmas and other holiday seasons are right around the corner--Scoutstuff.org has the new catalog out.

Safely cross a river without a bridge--Backpacker.com.

Or cross a river with Ropes and Poles' pontoon ferry.

The Scoutmaster Minute has some advice on Jamboree interviews. Good things to think about in general, too.

Incarcerated Scouts? Idea for a new unit in your council?

Building a camp flag pole from the Chairman's Chat blog.

Merit Badge of the Week: Animal Science

Almost the end: Popcorn tip #8

Webelos Crossover: KISMIF.org wants to know when your Webelos move on. Vote to see when most units do it.

So, what are you doing this weekend to help move Scouting along? Leave a comment!

Weekend Patrol Box #5

The weather is sunny and warm, and down into the 40s at night. Perfect for camping and dragging out the Patrol Box. Lots of interesting things in the Patrol Box this week.

Fire is always popular. There is also a video and a video game tucked away to help pass the time. The Cub theme this month is "Adventures in Books", so count on plenty to read.

Autumn seems to bring out the best of everything.

Participate in the Great American Fire Drill in October. The National Fire Protection Association reminds us that 05-11 OCT is Fire Prevention Week.

Plant a family tree, courtesy of the National Wildlife Federation's Green Hour program.

Cub Scouts have the Map and Compass belt loop; Boy Scout's have the Second Class map and compass requirement (1A). Let Backpacker magazine's video help you learn how.

Catch up on Baloo's Bugle at USScouts.org--November's edition is out now for "Seeds of Kindness"--49 pages of fun and training.

Popcorn? Did I mention popcorn?

Scouting.org also has a Cubcast (podcast) available for the "Adventures in Books" theme. Also covers Scouts recruiting new Scouts. This is a BIG download (23.7MB) for those on dial-up.

The BSA theme this month is Engineering: so what is a swingboat? Ropes and Poles shows us another great project. [If you build any of the Ropes and Pole projects, I'd love to see a picture of it. Send to scoutsigns.]

R&P also led me to another pioneering and engineering site: Pioneering Made Easy in the UK. Here is the scaffold hitch needed on another swingboat from South Africa. [I need to find a good source for poles.]

Boys' Life online provides a new game: Robots vs. Aliens Chess

With the political season in full swing, don't miss a chance to work on the American Heritage merit badge, from ScoutSigns.

The future of Cub Scouting? Lion program update from KISMIF.org.

A Scoutmaster's Blog: Button's reads Baden-Powell's last message to Scouting. Kids really seem to like this series.

Lone Star Scouter encourages you to seek training on climbing for your Scouts.

Well, that should give you plenty to see, read, listen to and do for the weekend.

If I missed anything, let me know!