Picture of the Week

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Weekly FAQs for Troop 483

CROSSING OVER

How many troops should cub scouts visit before making a choice? All troops are not the same and this is a great thing.  Scouts are not the same either.  What is a good fit for one boy in a den might be a horrible fit for another.  A den should not aim to cross as a collected group unless it just works out that they all have identical interests; which is rare.  Scouts should always visit at least 4 or 5 troops, making notes on each visit immediately after.  Once they finish visiting, they can pick their favorites and visit a second (or third) time to make sure they are sure which one they want to join.  If after they join, it turns out they aren’t happy there, go and revisit the other favorites.  It’s more important that they stay in scouting than staying with their first choice for a troop.

What does the troop do for the Crossing Over Ceremony? It is considered an honor for us to be chosen as a troop.  Once invited, we come with leaders and scouts, a book, neckerchief, and slide for the new boy scout(s) at the pack’s Crossing Over Ceremony.  For any cub scouts crossing over into Troop 483, we ask that the family let us know as soon as possible so that we can schedule to be there.  We always make it to the event, but we want to be sure that if there is more than one in an evening, we have adequate representation at each.

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Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Hopefully, you all exercised properly yesterday and shopped the great deals at your local sporting good stores for scout worthy equipment.  Goodness knows we all ate far too much Thursday and can use all the help we can get.  I did.  I braved Walmart just long enough to pick up a pedometer and off I went to laugh at the shoppers.  See, I don’t partake too much in the Black Friday mania, but I will go to the biggest mall in Houston to take a good walk (since it was threatening to rain) and amuse myself watching everyone with their arms full of bags trying to make it through the crowd.  I’m proud to say I logged over three miles and left the mall without a single purchase.

In all seriousness scouters, Monday is Cyber Monday and as much as it may pain you to shop, there will be fantastic deals to be found online.  I can’t urge you strongly enough to scroll down the page and look to the right where you’ll find many links under Outdoor Gear.  They’re all in one place for your ease of use and you can bounce in and out of this blog on Monday to check out all the online sites and the discounts they offer.  Think of it.  No traffic.  No screaming kids (unless it’s our own on a sugar rush, or worse, crash), and ease of checkout.  Whether your fancy is camping, hiking, climbing, canoeing, gear collection in general, etc… I bet you find a great deal or two on Monday.  Feel free to come back and comment on the scout worthy deals you found.

Stay safe!

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Thanksgiving Recipe

Boy Scout Troop

1     Scout Master  – Trained, seasoned, a little tender, yet a little tough
6-7 Assistant Scout Masters – Trained, seasoned, a little tender, yet a little tough, not yet a Scout Master
1     Committee Chair – Trained, highly organized, eager to serve
1     Awards Chair – Trained, attentive, and strong-willed to preserve the honor of earned requirements
1     Treasurer – Great with numbers, responsible with reports, attentive to details
1     Quarter Master – Trained, attune to camping needs, great researcher for low prices 
1     Troop Committee – Trained eyes of the troop, attentive to advancing scouts, great interviewers
1     Senior Patrol Leader – Experienced scout, adept at neutralizing troop problems at the boy level
3-4 Asst Patrol Leaders – Right hands to the SPL.  Problem solves troop problems before they get to the SPL.
1     Scribe – Good writer to keep the troop abreast of upcoming events
1     Historian – Good writer to keep the troop abreast of the past
1     Chaplains Aide – Reverent, good speaker, inspirational
1     Librarian – Organized, dedicated to preserving troop literary materials
1     Quarter Master – Organized, dedicated to preserving troop outdoor materials, plans camping gear
1     Bugler – Talented muscian, inspirational
1 ea Patrol Leaders – As many as the troop has Patrols.  Patrol leadership and problem solver
1 ea Asst Patrol Leader – As many as the troop has Patrols.  Patrol leadership and problem solver
MANY!!  Scouts!   Eager boys, as many as the troop can handle.  Learners, players, the future

Assemble all the ingredients and mix regularly.  On occassion, change out the adult leaders to prevent burnout.  At least once or twice a year (twice at T483), vote in new leadership at the boy level to allow for new leadership development.  Let simmer. 

This recipe will never be perfect because there is always room for errors, but it will always provide joy and develop experienced young men.  A must have in the recipe book.

Thanks for Giving!

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Patience Is A Virtue

This could reflect any number of Boy Scout topics couldn’t it?  Let’s leave it that way.  Honestly, the answer applies to all the scenerios.  The most recent instant may have been coaxing members of the troop to trust the rope as they backed off a completely sufficient rock for their first rappel, but there are a number of other instances.

We watch as all the boys make errors and learn to problem solve their way out of them.  We give the younger scouts the opportunity to stretch their abilities as they enter the awkward early teenage years and show them that they too can be leaders.  We work with older scouts as they struggle to balance school, girls, gas prices, jobs, and earning their Eagle rank.  We encourage new parents to step outside the comfort of Cub Scout ways into the new and exciting freedom of Boy Scout leadership.  

No matter what the issue at hand may be, patience, in Boy Scouts, is unquestionably a virtue.

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Thanksgiving Week

It’s the time of year again that we all think of things we’re thankful for so I thought I’d share a compressed list of mine.

• My faith in God and myself.
• The health and happiness of myself, husband, our children, and our family.
• The BSA!!!, eager scouts, giving adult leaders, and the support the Lion’s Club gives our troop.
• Nature and all the joy I have received from it.
• The future and all it holds.

I hope for all these things for you and your’s!  Happy Thanksgiving Week!

Your’s in Scouting ~ Colleen

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Use Your Resources

Resources come in many forms.  Financial, physical, time, and, of course, people.

Thanks Mr T!!!

This month’s campout was a climbing / rappelling trip to Enchanted Rock in Fredericksburg, Texas.  We had twenty-three scouts attending and it was important to be sure that we had the appropriate number of trained leaders.  Robin and I called on one of our favorite Climbing Directors.  Mr T as I’ll refer to him, was integral to our becoming  Climbing Instructors and was an obvious choice.

Mr T, who is also an ASM with Troop 1377 in Kingwood, came out with a smile on his face and rope in his hands.  He not only helped us, he provided Climb On Safely training to two additional adults and four of our scouts.  We were honored to have him on board and the troop wants to thank him for his giving nature and generosity with his time.  We also want to thank Mrs. T who graciously shared her husband with Troop 483.

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Troop 483 FAQ

Remember that list of questions I posted a few days ago?  Well, it received a comment that made me think that perhaps this blog needs a FAQ page.  In that spirit, I’ve created one and taken a personal challenge to answer all those questions for anyone who would like to take a gander at it.  Before you go to the Troop 483 FAQ page above, I want to warn you it’s in progress so you’ll want to take a look there every week or so to see how far down the list I’ve gotten.

Also, I want to mention that as you go through it, you may see some new questions.  It will always be a work in progress because, as you all probably know, there’s a good question just around the corner.  When we are asked it, we’ll add it to the FAQ.

Please remember that it reflects how our troop runs and that the answers are not a suggestion, in any way, of how other troops should function.  The beauty of having a variety of troops is that there are a variety of boys; so there’s one for everybody.  Enjoy!

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Please welcome Robin!

Robin is joining the blog to give us insight as “The Boss”, as she’s commonly known in the troop.  She got that name because she is the one who keeps us all, scouts and adults, in order.  First and foremost, she (with her husband Mike) is a proud parent of an Eagle Scout, recipient of a Wood Badge, has been in our troop for 8 years, serves the troop as an Asst Scout Master , a BSA certified climbing instructor, a BSA certified COPE facilitator,  an award winning dutch oven chef, long term camp planner and instructor, and counselor for a number of merit badges.  She doesn’t stop there though.  She’s also the committee chair for the venture crew and serves at the district level as the Camping Chair.

When she posts a recipe, know its a great one and you should give it a try.  When she posts advice on any of her many many positions, listen closely.  She knows of what she speaks.  That’s why I’m proud to be Boss in Training under her guidance.  I want to be like Robin!

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Hamburger Casserole

1-1 1/2 pounds lean hamburger
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 pkg. Velveta Sliced cheese or Pepper Jack
1 bag frozen Tater Tots

In foil lined 10-12 quart dutch oven spread the cooked meat evenly. Spead the soup on top of the meat layer. Do not add any water. Cover the entire dish with the cheese slices and then the Tater Tots. Bake for 45-60 minutes at 350F.
Suggestions: For a larger group or 12 qt. dutch oven, double the meat and soup. There will be enough cheese and potatoes. Also, to speed cooking time and reduce the grease, brown the meat at home prior to the campout, then place the cooked meat in a ziplock bag and freeze. Cooking time will be reduced to approximately 30 minutes.

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