Scoutmaster Minute Resource

I appreciate all the hits I’ve received from folks searching for Scoutmaster Minutes.  You’re probably like me, scrambling for a few last minute words of wisdom.  Not too much, not too little, knowing you’re the only thing between your Scouts and the door home.

I’ve adapted quite a few SM Minutes from BSA’s Troop Program Resources, a handy resource.  There’s a couple versions out there—I have one (c)2002 by Boy Scouts of America (I hope I’ve adapted enough not to raise their ire, all credit where credit is due).

The US Scouting Service Project is another handy all around resource.  I’ve been reading Baloo’s Bugle and Ask Andy since I was a new Den Leader, and continue to find stuff to use.  If you’ve landed here looking for a Scoutmaster Minute, USSSP has posted several from Scouter David Eby.  Among those are one I used last week, that Scoutmaster Eby had used at the 1997 National Boy Scout Jamboree:  Never Give Up.

On July 25, 1962 fourteen year old Monroe County Boy Scout Dennis Churchill was fishing on Lake Erie with four companions when a sudden severe storm capsized their boat six miles from shore. Dennis put on a life jacket then left the others clinging to the boat while he swam for help. With thunder and lightning crashing overhead, high winds gusting and waves six feet high washing over him, he swam four hours through the storm alone before finally reaching shore….

While a couple boys questioned the wisdom of leaving a capsized boat (our best practices have changed a bit over the last 50 years) this life & death story did get their attention.

So never give up looking for inspiration.  And before you go to the meeting, remember the Scout Motto:  Be Prepared… with a Scoutmaster Minute of your own.

Scoutmaster Minute—An Indian Boy’s Training

SM Minute—An Indian Boy’s Training

Excerpts from Charles Alexander Eastman‘s 1902 book, Indian Boyhood.

Very early, the Indian boy assumed the task of preserving and transmitting the legends of his ancestors and his race. Almost every evening a myth, or a true story of some deed done in the poast, was narrated by one of the parents or grandparents, while the boy listened with parted lips and glistening eyes. On the following evening, he was usually required to repeat it… This sort of teaching at once enlightens the boy’s mind and stimulates his ambition…

It seems to be a popular idea that all the characteristic skill of the Indian is instinctive and hereditary. This is a mistake. All the stoicism and patience of the Indian are acquired traits, and continued practice alone makes him master of the art of wood-craft…

My uncle, who educated me up to the age of 15 years was a strict disciplinarian and a good teacher. When I left the teepee in the morning, he would say: “Hakadah, look closely to everything you see”; at evening, on my return, he used often to catechize me for an hour or so.

“On which side of the trees is the lighter-colored bark? On which side do they have most regular branches?”…

He did not expect a correct reply at once to all the voluminous questions that he put to me on these occasions, but he meant to make me observant and a good student of nature…

A bit about Mr. Eastman:

Charles Alexander Eastman (born Hakadah and later named Ohíye S’a; February 19, 1858 – January 8, 1939) was a Native American physician, writer, national lecturer, and reformer. He was of Santee Sioux and Anglo-American ancestry. Active in politics and issues on American Indian rights, he worked to improve the lives of youths, and founded 32 Native American chapters of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). He also helped found the Boy Scouts of America. He is considered the first Native American author to write American history from the native point of view.

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Scoutmaster Minute—Your Hunger Games

The Hunger Games (Wikipedia)

SM Minute—Your Hunger Games

Many of you have read, or may have seen the new movie based on the teen novel, Hunger Games.  Not to give away the end of the story, but the trilogy follows a teenager in a future dystopia—a future in which most everything that can go wrong has gone wrong.  In the story, the main character is thrust into an immediate survival situation for which she is completely unprepared.

I’m not suggesting that any of you Scouts have to worry about being thrown into a fight to the death.  But any of us, at any time, can find ourselves in a strange situation with only our wits and skills at hand.

Your Hunger Games may be a car accident on a dark lonely road.  It may be a choking child you are watching.  It may be a group of friends offering you drugs or alcohol after school.

Whatever your survival situation, your Scout Skills will give you a hand up.  Just remember the Scout Motto:  Be Prepared.

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A map of the fictional nation of Panem from Suzanne Collins' "The Hunger Games." (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Scoutmaster Minute—Persistence

SM Minute—Persistence

Ahead of the Presidents’ Day holiday, I’d like to share a quote from Calvin Coolidge, who was our thirtieth president, serving from 1923 to 1930.  He was known as a man of few words—one of his nicknames was “Silent Cal,” but here’s one thing he said:

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.  Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.  Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.  Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.

Persistence and determination are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

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(adapted from Troop Program Resources, p.9)

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Arrow of Light: Four Winds

Image via Wikipedia

Four Winds Ceremony for Arrow of Light

Den Leader:  Our Pack is gathered to recognize some of our brothers who have achieved the highest rank in Cub Scouting, the Arrow of Light. Second Year Webelos Scouts, please step forward with your parents.

The Founders of Scouting learned many things from those who came before us. They learned of the Lenni Lenape who lived in the cradle of our new American nation. The Lenape believed that the Great Father created this Earth and the Four Winds. He sent four spirits, the Manitou, to care for the Four Winds.

North Wind: I am the North Wind. People say I am cold, but you have grown to accept me because you have been true-blue Scouts and have lived up to the Law of the Pack. Accept others that you meet on your scouting trail.

South Wind: I am the South Wind. Over hill and dale I have blown fair and warm on your outdoor adventures as you explored the world around you. As Cub Scouts you have been cheerful and friendly – a credit to your den and pack. Continue to be cheerful and friendly as you follow the Scout Law.

East Wind: I am the East Wind. I bring the worst of storms on my gusts. Through the challenges you faced in Cub Scouts, you have shown that you are brave and helpful to others. Remain brave in the face of hardship and keep looking for ways to help those in need.

West Wind: I am the West Wind. I bring warmth, fair weather, and blue skies. You have shown yourself to be a trustworthy Webelos scout, loyal to your den of brothers. Loyalty and trust will fill your life with fair skies and good friends as you scout outside our Pack.

All Winds: (in unison) We will be with you forever. We wish you the best of luck in your travels and experiences on the Scouting trail.

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(adapted from Boy Scout Trail.com Crossover Ceremony.  I asked five Boy Scouts whose brothers are in the Pack to help, each reading one Wind and the other handing each Cub a real arrow donated by our local archery shop.  I added the reference to the Lenape in honor of the Order of the Arrow. We do AoL at start of Blue & Gold Banquet, then do bridging ceremony, using the Scout Oath, Scout Law, Scout Motto, and Scout Slogan, at end)

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Scoutmaster Minute—The Founders

SM Minute—The Founders

Next Sunday is Scout Sunday, when we celebrate the founding of the BSA by William D. Boyce on 8 February 1910.  Boyce, as you know, brought Scouting to the US from England, where the movement was started by Robert Baden-Powell.

Robert S.S. Baden-Powell

As a youth, Robert Baden-Powell greatly enjoyed the outdoors, learning about nature and how to live in the wilderness.  After returning as a military hero from service in Africa, Baden-Powell discovered that English boys were reading the manual on stalking and survival in the wilderness he had written for his military regiment.  Gathering ideas from Ernest Thompson Seton, Daniel Carter Beard, and others, he rewrote the manual as a non-military nature skill book and called it Scouting for Boys.  To test his ideas, Baden-Powell brought together 22 boys to camp at Brownsea Island, off the coast of England.  This historic campout was a success and resulted in the advent of Scouting.  Thus, the imagination and inspiration of Baden-Powell, later proclaimed Chief Scout of the World, brought Scouting to youth the world over.

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(adapted from Troop Program Resources)

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Scoutmaster Minute—Parable of the Toothpaste

SM Minute—Parable of the Toothpaste

Have you ever squeezed too much toothpaste out of a tube of toothpaste and tried to put it back in the tube? It can’t be done, can it?  No matter how hard you try, the toothpaste is out of the tube forever.

When you think about toothpaste, think about the Scout Law: A Scout is Kind.  Like toothpaste from the tube, once unkind words come out of your mouth, you cannot take them back.  So when you are tempted to say something unkind, remember the parable of the toothpaste, and keep the unkind words to yourself.

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(adapted from Troop Program Resources, p.19)

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SM Minute—The Strong Link

Scoutmaster Minute—The Strong Link

From the TransAtlantic Council, Resources for Scouters:

These pieces of rope are a lot like individual Scouts. You can use these ropes for knot tying practice or for tying a small package, but they’re not big enough for really big jobs. (Call up two or three Scouts and asked them to join the ropes together with square knots or sheet bends. ) Now we have a much more useful rope, one we could use for pioneering or other jobs where we need a good length of rope.

Your patrol and the whole troop work the same way. Scouts who work together like these ropes can achieve much bigger things. But remember that this rope is only as strong as its’ weakest link. The same idea applies to our patrols and troop. They can’t be strong unless everyone pulls together. Teamwork is just as important in Scouting as it is on a football team.

Strive to a strong link in your patrol. Do the best to live by the ideals we talk about in the Scout Oath and Law. Learn your Scouting skills to the best of your ability, and take part in everything the troop and your patrol do.

Don’t be a weak link.

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SM Minute—Three Uniforms

Scoutmaster Minute— 3 Uniforms

Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda, retired manager of the Los Angles Dodgers, says that he has worn three uniforms in his lifetime, and that all three were very important to him.

The obvious one is that of Dodger blue, as he managed the Dodgers to many pennants and two World Series during his baseball career.

The second uniform was when he served his country and wore the uniform of the U.S. Army, and distinguished himself as a good soldier.

The third uniform, of which he is equally proud, was when he was a young boy, and he wore the uniform of the Boy Scouts of America.

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(adapted from Troop Program Resources, p.19)

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Dutch Oven Cooking—Swamped Pig Pork Chops

Dutch Oven Swamped Pig

I volunteered to cook for the Man Scout Patrol at our District Fall Camporee a couple of weeks ago.  Since we were camping on campus in the “big city” (i.e. a town with a WalMart) I snuck away during the merit badge sessions and purchased fresh meat for dinner.  Six pork chops and the fixings were soon simmering in our troop’s Dutch Oven and the Spartan Patrol was drooling as they suffered thru their stove-top stew.  If I had been thinking (paying more attention) I would have entered our meal in the Camporee’s Dutch Oven desert contest, it was so good!

This is another recipe from Christine & Tim Conners’ The Scout’s Outdoor Cookbook.  ”Swamped Pig” they call it, contributed by Helen Greymorning (Troop Committee, Troop 1911, Montana Council BSA) in the easy dinner category.

Ingredients:

1 (10-¼ oz) can condensed cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup
1 can whole milk (use empty soup can to measure)
1 cup long-grain rice
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped or minced
½ teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper to taste
6 pork chops, trimmed of fat and bone left in

Prep:

1. Mix soup, milk, rice, onion, celery,garlic,salt, and black pepper to taste in Dutch Oven.
2.  Add pork chops, thoroughly coating them in the mixture.
3. In a 12″ dutchie, use 18 charcoal up / 9 under, bake for 1 hour or until pork chops are at 160*F

As always, if you have new Scouts or guests, make sure they can eat stuff with milk.  After trying this on a couple of outings, I upsize the soup to a family-sized can and add some mushrooms.  I don’t bother chopping celery or garlic, but I’m just lazy that way.  I do have some trouble getting all the rice to firm up, but if you’re hungry enough in camp you don’t really notice.

At home, I do notice, but there is plenty here for 6 Scouts so for the 4 of us I just don’t scrape too close to the sides.  You might want to line your Dutch Oven with tinfoil to ease clean up.  The cookbook translates the charcoal to 375*, which I like, but I’m leaving it in the oven about 90 minutes to satisfy the meat thermometer.

A well-fed Scout is a happy Scout.

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Related articles

• Pot Roast in the Dutch Oven (squirrelacorns.wordpress.com)
• 5 Great Dutch Ovens: And 10 Recipes to Put Them to Work (thekitchn.com)

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