100 Days of Scouting: Day 52

Today I:

Helped my SPL with questions about merit badge scheduling at camp this summer.

Bit my tongue at just the right time.  Trust me.

Posted the summary of Days 46-50 on Scoutsigns.

So nice out, it is hard to focus on Scouting.  Our meetings were cancelled tonight because of a Holy Week service, so I don't know what to do with the free night!  What would you do...for Scouting?

100 Days of Scouting: Day 51

Today I:

Started on the back half of the 100 Days of Scouting challenge!  Woo-hoo!

Helped a Scout, my son, get his camping stuff out of his room and back where it belongs...;-)

Worked out the details for getting Scouts to our weekend camping trip next Friday.

Somehow I expected Day 51 to be a bit more celebratory than this.  Kind of like turning 18 or 21 though--no one notices but you!  And Scouting...are you half done with Scouting?  Or just getting fired up?  Comments welcome!

100 Days of Scouting: Day 50

Today I:

Finished hauling stuff to the Scout closet in one building where the Cub Scouts meet.

Finished hauling stuff to the new Scout area in the next building where the Boy Scouts meet.

Delivered my hardcopy Webelos Crossover Weekend paperwork to the office.

Dropped a Scout deposit at the bank.

Snail-mailed a BSA youth application to a transferring Scout.  It will get there tomorrow, and is cheaper than the gas to make the drive!

Squeezed in these activities today around my work schedule.  How flexible is your schedule?  Do you have time to do something for Scouting...today?  Tell us!

100 Days of Scouting: Day 49

Today I:

Cleaned all of the Scout boxes and stuff on shelves in the garage, and moved them to the workshop, shed and Scout storage area at church.

Gutted the Scout storage area at church, and tried to organize.  Way too small a space for a pack, troop and crew to share.  Need to do more planning.  But it looks better, and is less dangerous than it was.

Wow, long day today cleaning and moving Scout stuff.  I'm wiped out, but I did a lot to get more use out of what we already own.  How about you?  

100 Days of Scouting: Day 48

Today I:

Found a box of Scout t-shirts that I've not gotten around to getting into use yet.  Pulled the tags and got them into the washing machine.

Pleh!  What a busy weekend day!  Just family time today...knowing what is coming tomorrow.  Help me feel better about doing so little today--what did you do?

100 Days of Scouting: Day 47

Today I:

Pushed forward on an online version of Roundtable.  I have a few ideas, and I'm soliciting opinions from the online Scouter community.  Feel free to jump in the Comments and share your thoughts.

Put the last of the Webelos Crossover paperwork together--then had to email it in because I can't get to the office this afternoon!  Deadline, of course.

Shared a "Leadership Training Chart" that crossed my electronic desk today.

Lots of family and church events happening this weekend (my son is in the Confirmation class) so there won't be a lot of time for Scouting.  But I'll find something to share and work on--how about you?

100 Days of Scouting: Day 46

Today I:

Reviewed, an unpleasant job, the storage needs for our pack's supplies.  Needs a lot of cleaning and tossing, probably this weekend.

Posted an updated summary of the last 5 Days of Scouting on Scoutsigns.

Posted the last segment of the 3-part video series (dated 1917) on the C&O Canal.  C'mon now, this has been really cool to watch...right?

Inquired about how really large districts (geographically speaking) handle their Roundtables.  I may be investing time in a project to bring a lot of it online for our council.  Would love your comments and ideas!  Driving 1.5 to 2 hours round-trip for a 1 hour meeting isn't my idea of a good use of time.

Do you have a Scouting project that you are just itching to see happen, but maybe you aren't sure if you have the time, talent or resources to make it happen?  What is that project?  Even sharing it might help Scouting.

100 Days of Scouting: Day 45

Today I:

Answered a lot of questions for our Venture Crew secretary about reselling candles as a fundraiser.  I'm not sure this is a good idea, but the right questions will be asked and answered first.

Posted second C&O Canal video on Scoutsigns.  A lot of things haven't changed in the last 93 years.

Ordered 7 Parvuli Dei and 2 Light of Christ books for the Cub Scouts.

Prepared for my troop and den meetings tonight.

Which day of the week do you give the very most to Scouting?  Is it always a meeting night, or tied to something else?  Like free time...

100 Days of Scouting: Day 44

Today I:

Contacted our Scout store to see if the Centennial rank badges have come in yet.  Crossing my fingers.

Tweeted registration information about the US Mint--necessary if you want the cheapest option to purchase a BSA Coin.

Posted a piece (1 of 3) on Scoutsigns showing video of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal in 1917--definitely Scouting related if you read them.

Prepped #2 to come out tomorrow.  Great view of the Paw Paw Tunnel, still a huge attraction for Scout's to hike through today.

Triggered #3 to come out the day after.  These films are from Thomas Edison's company.

Crushing day at work, so I had to make use of snippets of time.  How about you?  Did you spare a minute for Scouting?  I'm sure you did--tell us all about it.  Big or small, it is all Scouting.

100 Days of Scouting: Day 43

Today I:

Posted to Facebook and the blog that our council's rescheduled Klondike Derby is cancelled indefinitely.

Notified the troop of the cancellation so we can punt for next weekend's camping trip.  We do keep a backup in the works just in case.

Registered the troop for the C&O Canal Days event in May.  This is a great chance to give back to the C&O that we've gotten so much from as a troop.  [If your pack, troop or crew is in Northern West Virginia, Western Maryland  or Northern Virginia, you can still get in on the party!]

Sometimes it is 3 steps forward, and 2 steps back.  But we still get it done for Scouting--what setback did you overcome today?  Comment or tweets appreciated!

100 Days of Scouting: Day 42

April's BSA Theme

Today I:

Printed out the April theme information for the PLC this afternoon.

Supported the PLC meeting.

That's all for today and Scouting--a busy day, but one I just had to monitor.  How about you?  What Scouting did you do today?

100 Days of Scouting: Day 41

Today I:

Drove 144 miles (per Google maps) to Camp Brady Saunders, near Richmond VA.

Attended BSA Area Seven Camp Visitation Team training.

Drove 144 miles back home.

Sometimes there is something new and exciting to do for Scouting--camp inspections sound like a good excuse to get out and explore new camps!  How did you take advantage of this day for Scouting?  Leave a comment!  

100 Days of Scouting: Day 40

Beautiful Camp Rock Enon, from the new chapel.

Today I:

Verified that the crew's peanut order was turned in on time.  Whew!

Got the car ready for my training tomorrow--I'm going to be on a Camp Visitation Team this summer.  I can't wait--looks like I'll be headed for BSA camps near Raleigh and Winston-Salem.

Prepared tomorrow's 100 Days of Scouting entry--I'll be on the road....Scouting! [I know, the link won't work until tomorrow!]

Are you a "seat of the pants" planner or do you prepare days or weeks in advance?  Whichever it is, Scouting needs you!  Tell me what you did today!

100 Days of Scouting: Day 39

Today I:

Commented on another 100 Days of Scouting blog.  [This advice has come up twice in just the last week for me, so watch for a Scoutsigns post soon.]

Organized Webelos Crossover paperwork.

Emailed OA Dance Team Advisor to let him know I'd be happy to publicize their activities on blog, Facebook and Twitter.

Emailed Camping Committee to make sure they have the blog, Facebook, Twitter and email information at their fingertips.

Broadcasted the council's Venturing/Explorer weekend next month via blog, Facebook and Twitter.  [Yes, there is a theme to my day!]

How did you impact Scouting today?  Drag any other folks into the 21st century? ;-)

100 Days of Scouting: Day 38

Today I:

Attended the Camping Committee meeting at our council office (2.5 hours).  I learned a lot, as always, about things going on behind the scenes of our summer camp and council weekend camps.

Spoke to our council's Summer Camp Director about posting short profiles and pictures on the camp's blog.  Affirmative!  This should generate some excitement, building enthusiasm for going to camp this summer.

Do you help Scouting by serving on a district or council committee?  What do you do?  How do you contribute?  It all adds up to Scouting, so please share!

100 Days of Scouting: Day 37

Today I:

Prepared for Camping Committee meeting tomorrow night.

Explained to the Venture Crew's secretary how the spreadsheet with Venturer's Accounts works.

Encouraged a couple of parents of soon-to-be Boy Scouts (currently Webelos Scouts) to join the troop's YahooGroup.

Hectic, hectic, hectic...and busy, too!  Looking for a way to find something fun to do for Scouting today, but still have work to do.  How about you?  I'd be happy to read something fun you did for Scouting today!  Comment or tweet.

100 Days of Scouting: Day 36

Today I:

Emailed someone who was upset with my depiction of homeschoolers in Scouting magazine article (I was quoted).  Hopefully they see that I'm trying to encourage more contact between the Scouting and homeschooling worlds.

Advised a new Scoutmaster on how to manage his troop's communications.  Basically I explained how I do it, and that I consistently advise parents to conform to it so we don't have multiple, duplicate channels.  Of course, the crux of it is that the Scout should know.

Posted to Scoutsigns on our C&O adventure this weekend.

Posted a summary of Days 31 to 35 on Scoutsigns.

Some Scouting Days require lemonade to be squeezed from lemons. What did you do today to help Scouting sweeter (or at least less sour!)?  Comment or tweet, please.  I like hearing from you!

100 Days of Scouting: Day 35

Today I:

Rested from our escape from the C&O Canal backpacking trip!

Unpacked my pack and processed the wet stuff--hung up tent to dry (great tent, stayed dry in it all night).

Scouting at a very personal level today--taking care of my own gear and myself.  Did you keep yourself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight today?  

100 Days of Scouting: Day 34

Today I:

Backpacked with the troop 10 4.4 miles, in rain and strong winds.

Stayed reasonably dry and warm (writing this a day in advance, so this is wishful thinking...) OK, it was pretty wet out.  A large tree fell into the C&O just 30 feet from my tent.  River came up quickly, and we decided to back track the 4.4 miles rather than push ahead 9 and perhaps get caught in a flooding situation.  Good call!


The things we do for Scouting!  What was your Scouting goal today?

100 Days of Scouting: Day 33

Today I:

Advised parents of our backup plan in case weather becomes too severe tomorrow--I'd guess 80% chance of implementing it right now.

Drove 3 hours to our next segment hike of the C&O Canal.  For half of our Scouts, this is a first time to be backpacking...

Advised pack, troop and crew of opportunity to participate in a local parade as part of a BSA Centennial section.

By the time you read this, we'll be experiencing a lot of rain and wind out in the woods tonight.  Hope you stay dry while you are working on something today for Scouting!

100 Days of Scouting: Day 32

Today I:

Attended the council's Scout-o-Rama planning session.

Attended the council's Centennial Committee meeting.

Kept a close eye on the weather for the backpacking trip this weekend--rain and strong wind now, and seems to be getting worse as we get closer to it.

This is the middle of a Scouting week all right--several days of actual Scout meetings and events in a row.  How is your Scouting week shaping up?  Comment or tweet--we want to know!

100 Days of Scouting: Day 31

Today I:

Shopped for items for our Tiger Den Leader for den meeting tonight.

Removed a 3-seat bench and added a 4-seat bench to the big van so we can take 12 people backpacking this weekend!  Yeah, I'm excited.

Unpacked and repacked my backpack for tonight and for the weekend.

Prepared for pack inspections tonight.  Many of our newer Scouts have never been backpacking before, and I hate to see them carry too much weight for 15 miles.  Of course, I only make recommendations, and leave the final decision up to them.

Accepted an invitation from the crew to come talk about backpacking in general and packing a pack in specific sometime next month.  Volunteered my son, and ASM, to talk to them about ultralight backpacking after they get the basic information.

Posted to the Council's blog.

Posted to Scoutsigns.

Coming up:  Webelos meeting (observing SPL leading them to develop a patrol name, yell, and flag).

Coming up:  Troop meeting--Physical Fitness theme and pack inspections planned.

Wednesday's are super-busy for me with Scouts--preparation, talking to leaders and Senior Patrol Leader, communicating with parents and Scouts, and then finally the meetings!  What day is busiest for you?  Which day to you contribute the most to Scouting?

100 Days of Scouting: Day 30

Amazon

Today I:

Printed out the pdf workbook for Personal Fitness for my First Class Scout.

Emailed reminder to the troop to bring their packed backpacks to the meeting tomorrow night.  First backpacking trip for half of the troop.  I love the stuff they think they need...

Found a way to squeeze 2 more Boy Scouts into our backpacking trip this weekend.

Provided advice to a Scouter on Twitter.

Enabled calendar functions for our Venture crew's YahooGroup.

Reassured a mom that her son is doing fine in the troop--first year Scout.

I'm beginning to explore how councils manage their social media work--volunteers, current employees or contracting out to others.  How does your council handle it?

[The Amazon link above is for the book.]

100 Days of Scouting: Day 29

Today I:

Worked with our SPL to get a pack inspection set up for Wednesday night.  Many of our younger Scouts have never been on a backpacking trip with us and this gentle 16 mile weekend will be a first for them.

Spoke with the National Park Service for this weekend.  We have to park a "chase car" at the end of the trip to drive back and pick up the big van to get all the boys.  If you live within driving distance of the C&O, completely worth your time. We have segment hiked 154 miles so far, and had nothing but great memories.  Bitter cold, sweltering heat, it's all good.

Followed up with email to see if the training for the BSA camp inspection team is going to happen this month.

Passed along information to the Venture Crew about the opportunity to work on the C&O in early May.

I know it is Monday and hectic as can be, but you do have Scouting on your mind.  How do I know?  Because you are reading this!  Leave a comment or tweet whatever you are doing for Scouting today.

100 Days of Scouting: Day 28

Today I:

Printed out the monthly theme information for the PLC (March).  Yeah, they had to rescheduled the one from 2 weeks ago.

Printed out the monthly theme information for the PLC (April).

Emailed out the monthly theme information for both months to the entire troop to set expectations.

Picked up my very tired, and very happy, Venturer.

Attended PLC meeting.

Where did the weekend go?  Such a beautiful day to be indoors for a meeting, but we'd never get any planning done outside.  How is your Scouting going?

100 Days of Scouting: Day 27

Today I:

Reminded the Scouts to contact their patrol leaders if they had any ideas for the PLC to review.

Dropped off my Venturer for a travel and adventure expo, followed by an overnighter (all girl crew).

We just can't seem to shake all of the sickness in the house this week.  What did you do for Scouting?  Do you even when you are taking care of others?

100 Days of Scouting: Day 26

Today I:

Added a 100 Days of Scouting blogger that I missed yesterday.

Coached a 13 year-old Scout to rethink his merit badge choices for summer camp.  He wants to take all Eagle badges (like Citizenship family and Communications) while his cohorts are swamping canoes and shooting at things.  Once he rethinks it, I'll respect whatever he decides.

Posted summary of Days 21 to 25 on Scoutsigns.  Feel free to explore that blog, too!

Pulled together a Weekend Patrol Box (#30) to share things that hit my desk during a typical Scouting week.

Discussed the biking option for requirement 9 of the Camping merit badge with my son, and helped him map out on Google maps for details.

Received a tentative green-light for a project I suggested to the council a couple of years ago.  There might be some interest now, and I'll need a lot of help from the Scouting community to make it happen.  More details soon.

Big ideas and small actions added up to a great day for Scouting.  How about you?  What did you do today? Did you do your "good turn daily"?  Share!

100 Days of Scouting: Day 25

Today I:

Broadcasted the new 100 Days of Scouting blogs so more folks can enjoy them!  Looks like at least 400 days are going to happen.

Registered to take training this month for being an inspector of BSA camps.  Hope to turn it into long weekends with my wife traveling around Virginia and North Carolina.

Tracked down an elusive, but excited, soon-to-be Boy Scout for summer camp.  Only two more Boy Scouts to make it a clean sweep of the pack and the troop!  [Holding my breath.]

Publicized the C&O Canal's 3rd Annual Pride Days--for members of the community to perform service along the Canal.  This is a project my troop should get behind.

Made an apology for losing an adult application--and expedited getting it turned in!

Signed parental permission form for my Venture Crew member.

Everything for Scouting today just kind of happened.  I didn't have to look very hard to find great ways to move Scouting along.  And this is Day 25, a fourth of the way through the challenge.  How are you doing?  Whether it is your Day 25 or Day 1, share your successes in the comments or on Twitter.

100 Days of Scouting: Day 24

Today I:

Confirmed all troop Scout accounts.  Whew!

Moved the summer camp deposits to the bank.

Processed a Venture crew adult application.

Picked up Hornaday award information for my interested Scout.

Reviewing Arrow of Light requirements with a Webelos Scout tonight.

Assisting with Court of Honor with the troop tonight.

What a hectic day!  Almost no time to make this report, but still had to get it in.  How about you?

100 Days of Scouting: Day 23

Today I:

Completed the advancement form for our troop's Court of Honor tomorrow.

Made copies of the paperwork for each eligible Webelos Scout to attend our council's Webelos Crossover.

Brought up an uncomfortable post:  Succession Planning What would happen to your units if you came to an abrupt end?  It happened to this troop.

Posted this early today, because a fellow Scouter is stranded at work tonight, about 90 miles from here.  So, I'm on the road later.  Hope I don't need that succession plan!

Today, tomorrow, or in 10 years, the effort you make toward Scouting matters.  That shy, geeky introvert in the troop?  One day will lead a lot of boys, a seed planted by you!  How do I know?  Trust me...

100 Days of Scouting: Day 22

Today I:

Coached our Senior Patrol Leader to find a speaker for the Court of Honor...Wednesday.

Updated the troop's YahooGroup page with the March theme information (Physical Fitness).

Updated the pack's YahooGroup page with the March theme information (Take Flight!).

Found a missing adult application and check--WHEW!

Reached out to a model rocket club about our pack meeting this month...we'll see.

Answered questions about the Webelos Crossover coming up in a few weeks.

The beginning of the month always has so much promise.  What will you make happen this month for Scouting?  Comment or tweet!