Want to Impress Your Friends?

Last night I tried to peak your interest in climbing and becoming a trained BSA Certified Climbing Instructor.  Hopefully, you have a new found ambition to rush out and get trained. 

If you have a fear of heights, don’t sweat it.  There was a gentleman who trained with us that was intimidatingly large in stature.  I should also mention he was about as kind hearted as they come, and to this day, because of him, I call the adults in our troop ‘mama’ and ‘daddy’.  But I digress….  This fella, who was easily 6’4″, was nicknamed “Elvis”, by me of course, because of his quaking legs.  We were so very proud of him as he made his way up the 35′ tower multiple times and repelled even further.  This guy was terrified.  If he could do it, so can you.

I also encouraged you to visit Animated Knots by Grog to see different knots that every instructor should know.  There is one that is an absolute must.  It is called a Munter Mule (sometimes spelled Muenter) and if you can learn to tie it, then your friends will be impressed. 

This amazingly odd looking knot can be an invaluable safety device to lower a climber or rappeler in case something, such as a shirt or hair, get tangled in the belay device.  It allows additional slack for the trapped outdoorsman to free themself.  Be sure to have your rope in hand when you go to the site so you can learn to tie this one.

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To Climb or ‘KNOT’ to Climb

If your troop is full of climbing monkeys like ours is, then you can expect that you’ll need to be able to offer them the opportunity to climb at least once, if not twice per year.  I can’t encourage you enough to look into the training that your local council offers.  When I trained, I was one of four in our troop.  We currently have another three or four that want to follow in our footholds.  I must say, it does a lot to ease the minds of parents knowing that their children are in well instructed hands as they climb oh so high or dangle from upwards of sixty-five feet in the air.

This youth is using techniques that he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to learn outside of boy scouts.  He has this ability because our troop has a strong sense of leadership and dedication to keeping trained adult leaders to facilitate a rounded program.

It isn’t only critical that you have trained leaders in place, they must continue to practice what they’ve learned.  One would be surprised at just how fast you can get rusty in the ability to tie a knot.  We often use Animated Knots by Grog to keep our instructors at the top of their game.  This fantastic website takes you through the motions of each knot.  It has almost every knot we use in climbing, as well as scouting, fishing, and boating.  It is a wonderful resource.

In addition, you have to keep using your skills for actual climbing so that you keep what you’ve learned fresh.  The more you can climb in the first couple of years the better because with every new adventure, your self confidence soars.

If you’re a climbing instructor with your troop, I’d love it if you’d post a comment about how you stay fresh in your technique and the fun your troop has because of it.

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Scouting as an Adult

All too often, we find ourselves, as adults, in the redundant rut of getting up, sending the kids to school, going to work, going home, eating dinner while watching a different version of a familiar sitcom theme, going to bed, getting up the next day…. you get the idea.  Hurts to read how a lot of us live isn’t it.  Sadly it’s true.

It doesn’t have to be that way.  Experience life!  Don’t be content to just live it and let it pass you by.  Just like riding a bike, you never really lose the ability to get out there, get your clothes dirty, skin your knees, and have some serious fun.  For those who never came home so filthy their parents cringed… it’s high time you get out there and see what you missed. If you don’t have nature available near your home, go find it!  There is something for everybody and it beats anything you’ll find on tv.

This is one of our scout dads living large while camping with the troop at Enchanted Rock in Fredericksburg, TX last fall.  If you have the opportunity, go visit because this park has a lot to offer every outdoors enthusiest.

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FUN Service Hours

Houston Cy-Fair Lion’s Club Nineth Annual Biking for Sight Century Bike Ride

This will be the 7th consecutive year that Troop 483 has volunteered with our local Lion’s Club in their annual Biking For Sight Century Bike Ride.  We provide scouts and parents to be there for the set-up and  registering riders before the start, man a rest stop with refreshments and words of encouragement, and assist with the clean up.  Every year many of the scouts come away energized and eager to participate for the next year.  Truthfully, so do some of the adults.  Maybe next year we’ll have a team.

The riders cycle through some of the most beautiful Texas landscape in Montgomery and Grimes Counties. The 24 mile route takes them past an exotic animal farm, while the 40, 62, and 100 mile routes take them through the Sam Houston National Forest. The 62 and 100 mile routes have hills, perfect training for the Bike to the Beach bike ride.

We urge you to see if there is a Biking for Sight in your area so that your scouts can volunteer for a fantastic cause.  There’s always the added bonus of service hours.

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Post Hurricane Ike

Hurricane Ike Blew right through Houston a few days ago. Before hand we encouraged our scouts to prepare for the storm by using the requiremens for the Emergency Prep merit badge. By helping their families and neighbors get prepared and taking an active role. The storm hit us hard with at least 100mph gust at times. We lost fences, trees, shingles and power which some families still are with out. We have called and checked on each other and have come together to help clean up, cut trees, cover damaged roofs and share food, water, generators etc. With a campout coming up in a hard hit area, we have decided to cancel the trip for safety reasons and help each other make repairs to our homes. We have also been planning an emergency drill for the scouts, but with the hurricane they were able to experience it in real life. I know many of our scouts have been busy before and after the storm practising their E Prep. Compared to other areas that were hit hard on the coast, we consider ourselves very lucky in contrast to the total devastation and displacement others are dealing with.

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Top 10

The Top 10 things you hear from your wife (or husband) after a camp out…

10. Hi honey.. did you bring all the boys back this time?
9. No you can not set up the tent in the living room to dry!
8. Now explain to me again why you need a new tent?
7. No you are not coming in the house looking like that!
6. No you can not cook dinner tonight with your Jet Boil.
5. Are you really going to sleep in your sleeping bag tonight?
4. Just take a shower… we will talk after I fumigate the house.

3. 3 Scout weekends in a row.. can I borrow the kids next weekend.

2. Left over dehydrated chili mac… yum! I don’t think so!

and the number one thing you hear from your wife (or husband) after a camp out…

#1. I am glad you had a great time…. but could you please stop singing that Quartermaster Store song!!!

Via Jerry at The Scoutmaster Minute

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Real Life Opportunities

We’re all busy gearing up for Ike but this applies to any hurricane!  Be sure to include your scouts in the Emergency Preparation.

They can:

• Board windows
• Move yard art / furniture / sporting equipment into the garage
• Pack if you’re heading out
• Grub Master!  Who better to plan for potentially picnic / grill cooking than our boy scouts!  They’re better at it than we are and know what is easy to cook outside on the grill if need be.
• Gather what is necessary to care for your pets
• Assemble an emergency first aid bag
• Gathering flashlights / candles / etc in case the power goes out
• I’m sure there is more!

Put them to work and make sure they keep a list so they can get it check off anything that applies if they’re working on their Emergency Preparedness merit badge.  If they’re not already, Scoutmaster Buffaloeagle said they (the scout!) can send him a quick email that they’d like to start so they can get credit for their ‘not so much of an’ emergency drill.

God Bless and God Speed to all in Ike’s path.  If you’re reading this, you’re most likely associated with Boy Scouts.  If you think about it, you either know what to do or how to figure it out.

Hang in their everyone!  If you’re still in Houston, we’ll see you at Scouts on Monday.

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