3 Boxes of BS

First a beg

Saturday March 6th is Boy Scout Troop 379′s 46th Annual Pancake Supper.

This is the troop’s primary fundraiser for the year and it is a doozy folks.

All you can eat pancakes, bacon, sausage for $5. That’s right, just 5 bucks per person.

Starts at 5:30 p.m and goes until 8:00 p.m.

The Pancake Supper will be held at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Arlington.  It’s located at 2625 South Cooper St. (Turn east off of Cooper on St. Jude)  It is located just north of I-20 across the street from Pep Boys.

Please consider stopping by and having dinner with these fine young Scouts and the parents and Scouters that support them.

Half of the money from the tickets sold goes to pay for the Scouts summer activities. From Summer camp to backpacking in New Mexico, this is their chance to pay for it all. And they do have some Scouts that pay for their entire summer activities by selling tickets.

Behind the scenes prior to the Big Day.

Let me tell you a little about the behind the scenes work that makes this possible — I remember only all too well

It starts off months before, slowly but steadily lining up donations of supplies. Plates, flatware, paper towels, flour, syrup, butter, eggs; anything that doesn’t have to be bought makes a difference.

Scouters (the adult leaders) and Parents start twisting arms early and often. Of course so folks strongly support the program and have for years. The Knights of Columbus hall is provided free of charge as part of their outreach program (of course they love the troop because of how clean the hall is after the event).

About January, tickets are passed out to the Scouts and work begins on communication skills. Oh yes, no opportunity is wasted to teach skills to the youths and this is a valuable learning experience. The Scouts sell on their own for a while and in tandem on occassion.

2 to 4 weeks before the Pancake Supper, the Troop starts selling as a unit. While Texas winters are relatively mild, it can be a chilling experience sitting out in front of a store for hours as the kids hit up shoppers.

Scouts earn incentive prizes for their efforts also. Some of the prizes are fun things — the latest and hottest games, or gift cards to fast food restaurants. Some of the prizes are items they need for Scouting — backpacks, water bottles or hydration packs, sleeping bags, knives, etc.

The Day before the big event.

Want to make any veteran Scouter laugh? Simply say “And it is only 1 hour a week”.

The Scout leaders, youth and adults, usually load up the supplies and equipment the night before. Troop 379 has been doing this for quite a while and has a great deal of equipment, for example 5 electric restaurant quality griddles for cooking. They weigh a frakkin ton each. Fun stuff to load up after working all day. Everything is loaded up and staged on the trailer for the next day.

The Big Day.

Starts off way too early in the morning. Arrival at the Knights of Columbus Hall is set for 7:00 a.m. — that’s right, it’s not a mis-print.

While this is a supper, the work starts long before.

While the Troop is setting up equipment and arranging the hall, adult volunteers cook breakfast for the troop. Doesn’t take long to get everything off the trailer (and it is a big trailer) and set up. Most of the boys are dismissed, told to be back at 4:30 p.m.

Then the fun begins – the griddles are fired up and the cooking begins. Depending on the number of tickets sold, weather, size of the trooop, etc; the Troop pre-cooks anywhere from 140 to 200 pounds of sausage and 140 to 200 pounds of bacon.

Again, that’s not a mis-print — 140# to 200# each. This takes most of the day.

Sometimes the adults are lucky and there are enough people to work shifts, sometimes — not so lucky and a few souls stay there the entire day cooking.

Did I say the fun begins? Well, maybe it really starts when the boys show back up and we feed them a quick meal. Scouts eat a lot. An incredible amount really.

Opening the doors.

Remember how I told you it starts at 5:30 p.m.? Well, we have people lining up at the doors 20 minutes before that. The older crowd does like to eat early and get home.

I enjoyed talking to these folks. One couple hadn’t missed a Pancake Supper — it amazed me to hear they had been to all of them. Other have been attending for decades. That type of support for the troop made the work gratifying.

The crowd keeps on arriving. It isn’t unusual to have folks lined up all the way around the walls and out the doors.

This event is huge. We’ve served between 400 and 700 people at times. It usually runs around 500 people or so — in 2.5 hours.

The adults run the griddles and the serving line. The Scouts — boys ranging in age from 10 to 18 (we work this with a Cub Scout pack that is associated with the Troop) serve as runners and wait staff for the guests. They clean the tables, get more food for the wonderful people who have came out to support the troop.

The crowd starts thinning out around 7:30 – most of the time. Clean up starts and the every so enjoyable task of trying to keep tired, cranky, rambunctious boys on task takes on new levels of fun.

Griddles are shut down, cleaned and allowed to cool. This takes a while….a long while. 3 of the 5 griddles have been used nearly all day; all the griddles have been in continuous use since 5:30.

Serving equipment, utensils, crock pots — everything used gets cleaned.

Tables are wiped down, floors swept and mopped and everything is loaded back on the trailer.

If the Troop is lucky and organized they can be out of the Hall by 10 or 10:30. Some times it is much later.

At the end of a very long day, you stop and ask if it was worth it.

Then you hear the totals of how much money was brought in….and you say yes.

Then you hear the stories, the reports of the awesome job the kids did in serving, you hear the compliments from folks as they talk about how the youth leaders kept things going and on track and you say yes.

If it is worth it for an adult to spend that time, energy and effort to support the troop; surely it is worth your time, energy and money to stop by and have dinner with the troop.

Thanks for letting me share.

Hopefully it won’t cause an international incident…..but someone created a petition.

It’s regarding this — sad state of affairs

New advice published in Scouting, the official in-house magazine, says neither Scouts nor their parents should bring penknives to camp except in “specific” situations.

Scouts have traditionally been taught how to use knives correctly, using them on camping trips to cut firewood or carve tools.

“I think it is safest to assume that knives of any sort should not be carried by anybody to a Scout meeting or camp, unless there is likely to be a specific need for one. In that case, they should be kept by the Scout leaders and handed out as required.”

Troops leaders however have said the decision is “very sad”. Sheila Burgin, from 4th Sevenoaks Scout Group in Kent, said: “Scouts by law are allowed to have Swiss army knives. I think this is going too far – you just don’t know when a Scout will need a knife.

“It is also suggested that the leader keeps control of the knives when they go camping, but I think that is completely wrong. The first Scout Law is ‘The Scout is to be trusted’. Scouts love having knives and using them properly. There is nothing wrong with it.

(Hat tip to many bloggers around the net)

Update – Sorry folks, accidentally closed off comments. Please try again if you wanted to comment.

It’s been a little serious around here so I thought I would show some pictures from Summer Camp again.

This time we’ll take a look at another useful militia skill – Climbing and Repelling.

Some camps have natural features that lend work as training areas. Here is a shot of the Worth Ranch area. It shows some of the boulders and cliff area. I like it for the scenic value of the shot also.

Other camps have to build their own training areas. Here are two shots from Camp Cherokeee at Clements Scout Ranch.

As in all things Scouting, safety is taught first, last and constantly enforced. The basics are taught before they get near the cliffs or towers. It is very similar to what is taught in Army or Marine Boot Camp. My son T said that going through Marine Boot was just a Scout Summer camp on steroids.

Here is T climbing up the cliff at Worth Ranch. It is a short climb but rough because of the relative lack of hand/foot holds.

And T repelling at Worth Ranch. This are the best shots I had, but they don’t show the other climbing/repelling routes that are a little more challenging.

The Tower at Camp Cherokee is a little higher but in some regards easier because the hand/foot holds are carefully positioned to be just challenging enough.

Here are two shots of my son Z repelling. Due to checking on other Scouts in their classes I missed his climbs unfortunately.

One of the most effective recruiting points we pitched to Dads was the opportunity to do the same thing as the kids. Even at summer camp, there were open periods for Scouts and Scouters alike. It isn’t all work being a leader, we get to have fun also.

So, once again….harmless fun or militia training ?

Please join the discussion

In lieu of a thinking post, I’ll showoff display another favorite photograph with the words to the Scout Vesper.

Sunset at Worth Ranch Palo Pinto County Texas

ASM826 continues his great series on Scouting with a post about Reveille .

I’m not much of a morning person (people who know me won’t be shocked to hear that) but one of my favorite times of the day was that quiet morning period before Reveille. It was a time of reflection and introspection. It was a time of simply enjoying the still of the day, of appreciating God’s majesty as the new day dawns.

I don’t have the words to adequately describe my thoughts or feelings…but maybe, just maybe this picture does justice to the thought.

Sunrise at Worth Ranch, Palo Pinto County Texas

I post you decide. Is this the youth training program for a “well-regulated” militia or just a group of young men having fun while learning to use different arms.

A favorite merit badge of just about every Scout is Rifle shooting. Summer camp is the first time many young men learn to safely use firearms. The Scouts are mostly limited to single shot bolt action .22s at camp, but that doesn’t seem to matter to them.
(click to enlarge all pics)

(this picture courtesy of the York Adams Area Council Camp Tuckahoe)

Occasionally, Scouts get the opportunity to fire blackpowder rifles. I believe these are inline models. I’m sure someone can tell me exactly which ones, but I never knew.

The other staple of just about every Summer camp is Archery. These two shots actually are of my boys a couple years ago.

Most Camporees have a theme with differing Scout activities worked into the weekend as events.

Here Scouts learn some more uncommon weapon systems; blow guns and the Atlatl.

Knife throwing is an event that is a favorite (even for the Adults) that can be used in many different themes. I think these came from a Native American theme.

Tomahawk or hatchet throwing is another fun event. In all the times I’ve seen it as an event, I’ve not seen or heard of a single injury due to unsafe practices.

While the tactical and practical are usually highlighted, Scouting offers many chances to learn strategy, from “Capture the Flag” to Sock War shown below.

The socks are filled with a cup of flour that acts as a marker when the Scout is “hit”, greatly reducing the “you missed me factor”. The hit is usually quite visible. Normally the a different troop referees for the opposing troops, keeping the play fair.

Of course, the Scouters have to set the example where they can.

Please note that safety is a huge concern and priority at every Scouting activity. The Scouts receive safety instruction at every event. There are Range Officers and people in control of the activities to insure no injuries.

So, what do you think? Foundation and youth training for a Well Regulated Militia or just Young Men having fun……..or both?

Please join the discussion.

There are some places that simply refuse to change. For some of us, one of those places is Camp Cherokee at Clements Scout Ranch in Athens Texas, a very scenic place for a Summer Camp

I wish I had the skill to describe the beauty of the camp, the way it appears to be a movie studio set of what people think a summer camp should look like…but I don’t so I hope the pictures do the camp justice.

At the parking lot, looking at the Perryman Lake, the largest of the 3 lakes on the property.

Two views of the Chow Hall, this is the same Chow Hall I ate in as a young Scout in the 70s.
This building was torn down last year and a new two story, airconditioned building replaced it. Note the open sites which were wide enough for a breeze to cool the place…if there ever was a breeze.

On Thursdays, the camp has family days and does a fairly decent barbeque, moving the benches and tables from the Chow Hall out into the area next to it called the Pines.

The camp is large enough that the staff area is well separated from the Troop areas. This is a shot looking across the lake at the Staff Camp. Their tents have electricity and are larger, of course, they live in them for about 6 weeks.

Want to make any Scout or Scouter nostalagic? Heat up some old canvas…old musty canvas. The tents are made to last….I think may have used the same tent as a kid and as an adult.

I have pictures of the different activity areas that I’ll post another day. Hope you’ve enjoyed this trip down memory lane. I’ve been to enough Summer Camps to know this is fairly representative of the beauty of Scout Camps.