2nd 100 Days of Scouting: Day 28

Communication Merit Badge

Monday is always Monday.

Too much to do, too little time to do it...and the sun is shining bright enough to make me want to skip work...or at least invent a reason to go to lunch.

Today I:

• Caught up my Advancement Report for merit badges Scouts have earned since the last Court of Honor.
• Responded to a Scout who had questions about pending Pioneering campout.
• Emailed out reminder about the "Religious Emblems" drive--deadline is Ash Wednesday.
• Contacted the Forest Service point-of-contact to advise on the completion of any required paperwork.  Also asked about doing a couple of small projects we found in the area--painting blazes, painting an interpretive display and helping out an old campfire ring and benches.
• Unpacked the car from the Eagle project and campout.  Much better weather today for doing this!
• Put away new forms that I picked up recently--youth application, adult application and advancement forms.
• Continued to update my Google Calendar so that it integrates my work schedule with my personal and Scouting lives...and then ports the whole thing to my phone.  Very pleased so far!

Kind of a hodge-podge day for Scouting, but all the little bits crammed in between the bigger logs of Scouting help make the whole wall stronger.

2nd 100 Days of Scouting: Day 27

Collections Merit Badge

Rain, and lots of it.

Glad we finished that Eagle project yesterday!

This was a light day for Scouting...which is just what I needed to recover from yesterday.

Today I:

• Helped a Scout finish off his Personal Management merit badge.
• Took a much needed nap.
• Thanked everyone who helped on the project and made a point to really drive home a public "congratulations" to the Eagle-to-be.  He really did a fine job, and there were a lot of good lessons for future candidates.

Yep, the nap was more important that unpacking from the camping trip and Eagle project in the rain.  That can wait for tomorrow.  What did you do for Scouting this weekend?

2nd 100 Days of Scouting: Day 26

Coin Collecting Merit Badge

Long night without much sleep.  Warm enough night for camping, but I just couldn't fall back asleep at midnight.

But today is a new day, and will be filled with working on an Eagle Scout project.  We will be assisting with the removal and installation of new signs along a half mile trail into a national forest.  Water, signs, concrete and all the tools (post hole diggers, gas auger, picks, shovels and wheel barrows) had to be hauled up the mountain.

So many Scouts showed up that it made for a great day of Scouting...and finished about 90 minutes ahead of schedule.  Even a couple of Cub Scouts were there and helped assemble the signs, hauled empty concrete bags back down the mountain and ate their fair share of pizza and chips.

Today I:

• Mixed concrete.
• Gave four health and safety lectures (as each new shift of folks showed up to volunteer) per the Forest Service's requirements.
• Pushed a wheelbarrow with 240 pounds of cement uphill for a quarter mile.  Holy mackerel...
• Arranged for rides home for some Scouts since we finished early.

An Eagle project is a great way to show the community that Scouting is still active and helping to make the outdoors more enjoyable.  What was the most recent Eagle project you helped on?

2nd 100 Days of Scouting: Day 25

Climbing Merit Badge

Twenty-five percent of the way through the 100 Days of Scouting.  Good momentum, good energy and good reading with all the other participants this year.

Today has been busy doing one thing, aside from work of course--getting ready for the Eagle project tomorrow.

I'm headed out to camp near the location and to have a little quiet time to scope out the project without all the interruptions of other folks.

Today I:

• Packed my Wolf and Life Scouts up for a little father-son time camping tonight.
• Encouraged my Eagle Scout (long married with his own family) who helps me as the ASM for the troop.  He's missed Scouting and will again this weekend getting ready for his finals in his Master's program.  He is missed.
• Offered some advice to @MNScoutmaster on a podcast he is thinking about.
• Entered notes into my calendar to follow-up on our unit's Friends of Scouting program.  Our district needs the support.
• Enjoyed a some 100 Days of Scouting blogs with a little (OK, a lot) of coffee.

Running full-tilt into the weekend.  Big Eagle project to help get finished before the rain starts tomorrow evening. We have a good turnout coming, and should get it done, but the rain adds to the adrenalin.  What are you doing for Scouting this weekend?

2nd 100 Days of Scouting: Day 24

Citizenship in the World

Ever have the sense that Scouting and your life have become indistinguishable?

Last night after the Blue and Gold, and getting buried under a ton of non-dairy whipped topping pies for the top popcorn sales in our pack and troop, and the troop meeting...and cleaning up the finer details of the room, showering and sleeping, back up early and getting calls from Scouts looking for more challenges.

Buzzing through my work day so I can attend a District Committee Meeting tonight about 45 minutes away.  Then home, bed, work, camping trip and Eagle project.  Wednesday should officially end about 6PM on Saturday!

Today I:

• Researched the Boy Scout version of the World Conservation Award--and located a form to help make it feel more official.
• Requested, and forwarded details on the William T. Hornaday Awards to a Scout that still has his sights set on earning it.  Located and wrote the point-of-contact on the council's conservation committee to pursue the details.  Shared the link to the application forms with my Scouting friends online.
• Pulled down the March pack and den versions of Baloo's Bugle.
• Answered questions of parents with Boy Scouts who have not helped out on an Eagle project before.
• Washed the drying non-dairy whipped topping from my uniform shirt and pants.  Wow, 4 large tubs is a lot of pie!
• Reported the pack's Friends of Scouting results to our District Executive.

I'm getting ready to run out the door and give the District Committee meeting a try.  They are looking for new folks, and I'm going to see if I can be useful...without forsaking my other Scouting duties.  Do you volunteer for your district or council?  What do you do for them?

2nd 100 Days of Scouting: Day 23

Citizenship in the Nation

Wednesday again, the busiest day of the week.  Our rescheduled Blue and Gold is tonight.

We do it very casually, quick awards, Friends of Scouting presentation, and then a potluck dinner.  Everyone has a good time, and I get to touch base with all the families and scout out all of the younger brothers for future Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts!

My "to do" list is mostly for tonight!

Today I:

• Helped a new Scout leader at the Scout store figure out the religious emblems program.  I often forget how confusing things are when you don't deal with it all the time.
• Set up for the Blue and Gold tonight--the popcorn top-sellers get to hit me with pie!  Great way to end the night with a lot of energy.
• Filled out the Forest Service's paperwork to allow our "volunteers" to help with an Eagle project this weekend.
• Emailed my various Scouting and church related lists to get a feel for how many potential Tigers we'll have this 01 JUN.  When we first started the pack, I didn't do this and was surprised (shocked!) when 11 Tigers and Wolves showed up!  I follow this up with church bulletin announcements each Sunday in April.  At the May graduation, I invite them to watch, then call them up to form the new Tiger den for June.

Gotta run!  I have an hour to set up and get everything ready for our great Scouting families!

2nd 100 Days of Scouting: Day 22

Citizenship in the Community Merit Badge

The first day of the month is great for Scouting.

I get to look forward to all the fun we are going to have this month.  New themes, new weather (warmer!), new experiences in the outdoors!  Everything is fresh and full of potential.

Yes, I know reality will get in the way, but on the first of the month:  hope.

Today I:

• Published the March theme emails for the pack and the troop.
• Confirmed that Bob Mazzuca will be speaking at our council's volunteer awards dinner in a couple of weeks--yes, that Bob Mazzuca.  Ordered my tickets.
• Passed along some interesting info--new Boy Scout Parent Orientation information from the BSA.
• Fielded a call from a Scout who wants to get the Spanish Interpreter strip.  Will have to research how we do that!
• Published the pack and troop calendars.  We have an Eagle Scout project this Saturday to kick the month off!
• Picked up a few things for our Blue and Gold, rescheduled from last week due to ice.  

Everything is shiny and new at the first of the month.  Do you start fresh with Scouting each month?