Scouting Stuff You Should Know

Why is “Be Prepared” the Scout motto? What does it even mean? ----more---- Subscribe: iTunes | Google Play | Android | TuneIn Radio | Stitcher Podcast Topic(s) Ken and Colin discuss the podcast's new logo, and Canada Day as well, before exploring the Scout Motto: Be Prepared. Why, exactly, did Baden-Powell (yes, the motto abbreviates to his initials; this was a deliberate thing) choose this motto, and what did he mean by it? Some additional reading: https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2017/05/08/be-prepared-scout-motto-origin/ The Scout Motto around the world: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scout_Motto Shout-Outs We'd like to give a big shout-out to Stephanie, who left a great comment on the podcast's Facebook page: Thanks for having such a great Canadian Scouting focused podcast. As a current rover (and cub scouter) who has grown up in the program it's great to hear your experiences. So once again thank you for creating an awesome podcast that is very reletable to. And regarding the comments about banter in Episode 41, she also had this to say: I love your tangents. Part of what makes your podcast is so great is the informal format and all the tangents you go on. And hey...happy Canada Day, all you Canadian listeners (at home and abroad)! Finally, as always, a big thank you to the folks at Scouting Radio for rebroadcasting Scouting Stuff episodes to their worldwide Scouting audience. If you're listening to us on Scouting Radio right now, let us know; reach out and get in touch. We'd love to hear from you. Send Feedback Email Us | Leave Us a Voice Message | Follow Us on Twitter | Like Us on Facebook | Leave Us a Review Music Unexpected Hoedown in Bagging Area, by Doctor Turtle

It's no longer a requirement that parents accompany Beaver Scouts on camps and other overnight excursions! ----more---- Subscribe: iTunes | Google Play | Android | TuneIn Radio | Stitcher Podcast Topic(s) Ken is rejoined by Hawkeye to talk about how taking Beaver Scouts (the youngest section within Scouts Canada, comprised of youth between the ages of 5 and 7) camping has changed in recent years. Before about 2014, it was mandatory that parents accompany their Beaver Scouts on camping excursions, but that requirement was lifted ahead of the new Canadian Path program being ushered in. Now, as long as the proper ratio of youth to Scouters is maintained, Beaver Scouts can go on camps — even outdoors — without needing to be accompanied by their parents. This can present some challenges, to be sure, but it also gives youth tremendous opportunities to demonstrate personal growth and leadership. See also: Beaver Scout Camping, a booklet prepared by Scouts Canada for the 40th anniversary of Beaver Scouting. Shout-Outs We'd like to give a shout-out to the planning team of the 2017 Alberta Beaveree, both for putting together an excellent camp, and for their resilience and ingenuity in the face of inclement weather. And we'd like to give a shout out to our fellow Scouter, Rainbow, who has recently become a listener! And as always, a big thank you to the folks at Scouting Radio for rebroadcasting Scouting Stuff episodes to their worldwide Scouting audience. If you're listening to us on Scouting Radio right now, let us know; reach out and get in touch. We'd love to hear from you. Send Feedback Email Us | Leave Us a Voice Message | Follow Us on Twitter | Like Us on Facebook | Leave Us a Review Music Unexpected Hoedown in Bagging Area, by Doctor Turtle

We take a look at a few different myths and misconceptions about Scouts and Scouting in Canada. Subscribe: iTunes | Google Play | Android | TuneIn Radio | Stitcher | Anchor ----more---- Podcast Topic(s) Ken is joined again by Regan, the Area Support Manager (ASM) for Scouts Canada's Northern Lights Council (which covers northern Alberta and the Northwest Territories), this time to discuss some of the myths and misconceptions about Scouts — and Scouting in Canada — that have cropped up over the years. Source: http://wiki.scouts.ca/en/Scouting_Myths And a Correction: The Scouts Canada wiki disclaims its content thusly: “This is not a site of official Scouts Canada information, rather it is a resource containing both official and member-contributed materials...This is not a definitive source of information for Scouts Canada programs, but is provided to help those who deliver them.” We didn't reference this in the episode, and instead interpreted the wiki as being a de facto official source. Shout-Outs The team of volunteers who graciously put in the time to upgrade the docks at the Camp Woods waterfront. As always, a big thank you to the folks at Scouting Radio for rebroadcasting Scouting Stuff episodes to their worldwide Scouting audience. If you're listening to us on Scouting Radio right now, let us know; reach out and get in touch. We'd love to hear from you. Send Feedback Email Us | Leave Us a Voice Message | Follow Us on Twitter | Like Us on Facebook | Leave Us a Review Music Unexpected Hoedown in Bagging Area, by Doctor Turtle

Ken and his daughter Ella (a Cub Scout) take a few minutes to discuss their first Cuboree experience.  The Beaver Hills/Rivers Edge Cuboree (a mini-Jamboree for Cub Scouts) is held annually in Edmonton, Canada; this year, the venue was a field/forested area attached to CFB Edmonton. Over 200 youth, plus numerous Scouters and Offers Of Service, were in attendance. 

We take a look — with a guest! — at the changes to the Rover Scouts program under the Canadian Path. Subscribe: iTunes | Google Play | Android | TuneIn Radio | Stitcher | Anchor ----more---- Podcast Topic(s) Alec (a Rover Scout from Quebec) joins the program to discuss with Ken and Colin — both former Rover Scouts themselves — the changes that the Rover Scout program has seen under the new Canadian Path framework. In short (no spoilers): quite a lot has changed, but there are still similarities and parallels with what came before. Shout-Outs As always, a big thank you to the folks at Scouting Radio for rebroadcasting Scouting Stuff episodes to their worldwide Scouting audience. If you're listening to us on Scouting Radio right now, let us know; reach out and get in touch. We'd love to hear from you. Send Feedback Email Us | Leave Us a Voice Message | Follow Us on Twitter | Like Us on Facebook | Leave Us a Review Music Unexpected Hoedown in Bagging Area, by Doctor Turtle

A short episode full of musings about various topics. An opportunity to test portable recording gear for future use. Subscribe: iTunes | Google Play | Android | TuneIn Radio | Stitcher ----more---- Podcast Topic(s) This episode — a short collection of musings about the Respect in Sport training that Scouts Canada is now mandating for all Scouters, and about the impact that Scouting has had on Ken's life — gave us an opportunity to test out our Rode VideoMicME smartphone microphones. Coupled with the use of Bossjock Studio, it may give us an option to record episodes and special reports during camps, Jamborees, and suchlike. Shout-Outs We'd like to give a big shout-out and thank you to the people who've left us reviews on iTunes: As always, a big thank you to the folks at Scouting Radio for rebroadcasting Scouting Stuff episodes to their worldwide Scouting audience. If you're listening to us on Scouting Radio right now, let us know; reach out and get in touch. We'd love to hear from you. Send Feedback Email Us | Leave Us a Voice Message | Follow Us on Twitter | Like Us on Facebook | Leave Us a Review Music Unexpected Hoedown in Bagging Area, by Doctor Turtle

We take a look at how the Beaver Scouts program has changed under the Canadian Path program. Subscribe: iTunes | Google Play | Android | TuneIn Radio | Stitcher | Anchor ----more---- Podcast Topic Ken is joined by a couple of Scouters from his Beaver Colony — Echo and Hawkeye — to discuss the first year of Beaver Scout programming under Scouts Canada's new Canadian Path framework, and how the program today differs from the program that was on offer even as recently as four years ago. Shout-Outs As always, a big thank you to the folks at Scouting Radio for rebroadcasting Scouting Stuff episodes to their worldwide Scouting audience. If you're listening to us on Scouting Radio right now, let us know; reach out and get in touch. We'd love to hear from you. Send Feedback Email Us | Leave Us a Voice Message | Follow Us on Twitter | Like Us on Facebook | Leave Us a Review Music Unexpected Hoedown in Bagging Area, by Doctor Turtle

Scouts Canada has seen steady growth in membership, so we ask: how can you — yes, you — foster group growth? Subscribe: iTunes | Google Play | Android | TuneIn Radio | Stitcher ----more---- Podcast Topic(s) State of the Podcast It turns out that Scouting Stuff is doing rather well on the iTunes charts, all things considered. We're ranked #165 on the top 200 Government and Organizations podcasts in Canada, and #72 in the Non-Profit sub-category thereof. And we are doing even better in the United Kingdom, where we rank #115 and #52, respectively. And we're one of the Featured Podcasts at our podcast host! So: a big thank you to everyone who listens to the podcast, and who has subscribed to it, and to whomever nominated us to Podbean for the featured spot. It's very humbling to see Scouting Stuff doing as well as it is, and it is all due to you...the listeners. Scouting Renaissance in Canada Scouting, as a movement, has seen steady growth in Canada; this year, seventeen of the country's twenty Scouts Canada councils are on track to see their membership increase. And our own council, Northern Lights, has the highest number of areas with 10% (or more) growth! Which leads us to ask: how do you grow a Scout group? And in a way, this gets us back to Retention. That's a topic we covered a while ago, back in Episode 6. Shout-Outs We'd like to give a big shout-out and thank you to the people who've left us reviews on iTunes:   As always, a big thank you to the folks at Scouting Radio for rebroadcasting Scouting Stuff episodes to their worldwide Scouting audience. If you're listening to us on Scouting Radio right now, let us know; reach out and get in touch. We'd love to hear from you. Send Feedback Email Us | Leave Us a Voice Message | Follow Us on Twitter | Like Us on Facebook | Leave Us a Review Music Unexpected Hoedown in Bagging Area, by Doctor Turtle

How to care for your tent...or your Scout group's tent, as the case may be. Subscribe: iTunes | Google Play | Android | TuneIn Radio | Stitcher ----more---- Podcast Topic(s) Ken and Colin discuss how to care for a tent, and why it's important not only to care for your Scout group's gear, but also to understand how to use it. Shout-Outs As always, a big thank you to the folks at Scouting Radio for rebroadcasting Scouting Stuff episodes to their worldwide Scouting audience. If you're listening to us on Scouting Radio right now, let us know; reach out and get in touch. We'd love to hear from you. Send Feedback Email Us | Leave Us a Voice Message | Follow Us on Twitter | Like Us on Facebook | Leave Us a Review Music Unexpected Hoedown in Bagging Area, by Doctor Turtle

Let's learn a little bit about the history and operations of one of the most amazing Scout Camps in Canada. Subscribe: iTunes | Google Play | Android | TuneIn Radio | Stitcher ----more---- Podcast Topic(s) This is an encore presentation of last week's episode; we published the audio for Episode 33 by mistake, and although we corrected this quickly, some podcatching software evidently didn't re-download the audio for this episode. Mark Little, the Council Commissioner for Chinook Council (the Scouts Canada Council for Calgary, Alberta and surrounding area; one of the largest Councils in Canada) speaks with Ken about Camp Impeesa, an adventure camp in southern Alberta that Ken asserts is the crown jewel of Scout Camps in Canada. The aim of Camp Impeesa is to be one of the best places for youth to go away from home for the first time, and to become a full-on adventure base for Scouts — from Canada, the US, and around the world — to come to for challenging adventures and opportunities to explore. Shout-Outs Mark Little would like to acknowledge the Chinook Foundation, whose financial support has kept the camp running through difficult periods, the Chinook Council leadership team, and the Scout groups who attend Impeesa year after year. And, as always, a big thank you to the folks at Scouting Radio for rebroadcasting Scouting Stuff episodes to their worldwide Scouting audience. If you're listening to us on Scouting Radio right now, let us know; reach out and get in touch. We'd love to hear from you. Send Feedback Email Us | Leave Us a Voice Message | Follow Us on Twitter | Like Us on Facebook | Leave Us a Review Music Unexpected Hoedown in Bagging Area, by Doctor Turtle

Let's learn a little bit about the history and operations of one of the most amazing Scout Camps in Canada. Subscribe: iTunes | Google Play | Android | TuneIn Radio | Stitcher ----more---- Podcast Topic(s) Mark Little, the Council Commissioner for Chinook Council (the Scouts Canada Council for Calgary, Alberta and surrounding area; one of the largest Councils in Canada) speaks with Ken about Camp Impeesa, an adventure camp in southern Alberta that Ken asserts is the crown jewel of Scout Camps in Canada. The aim of Camp Impeesa is to be one of the best places for youth to go away from home for the first time, and to become a full-on adventure base for Scouts — from Canada, the US, and around the world — to come to for challenging adventures and opportunities to explore. Shout-Outs Mark Little would like to acknowledge the Chinook Foundation, whose financial support has kept the camp running through difficult periods, the Chinook Council leadership team, and the Scout groups who attend Impeesa year after year. And, as always, a big thank you to the folks at Scouting Radio for rebroadcasting Scouting Stuff episodes to their worldwide Scouting audience. If you're listening to us on Scouting Radio right now, let us know; reach out and get in touch. We'd love to hear from you. Send Feedback Email Us | Leave Us a Voice Message | Follow Us on Twitter | Like Us on Facebook | Leave Us a Review Music Unexpected Hoedown in Bagging Area, by Doctor Turtle

We discuss the Ernest Poole Scout Camp near Edmonton, Alberta, and the possibility that it will be sold off to the LDS Church in the near future. Subscribe: iTunes | Google Play | Android | TuneIn Radio | Stitcher ----more---- Podcast Topic(s) Ken and Colin sit down to discuss the Ernest Poole Scout Camp (located on Wabamun Lake, which is about an hour's drive to the west of Edmonton) and the proposal that it be sold off to the Latter Day Saints church. Notably, the LDS would — in this arrangement — maintain the property as a camp, which Scouts would still have access to. We compare this to the fate of the former Skeleton Lake Scout Camp, which was sold to a developer and is now lakefront properties. Open invitation: We want to hear from you with your stories of property management issues, camps being sold off, and suchlike. Get in touch by one of the means detailed below! Shout-Outs We'd like to give a shout-out to Justin Dawson (of Scouting Radio); he took the time recently to do an interview with Ken, which made for a great opportunity to compare and contrast the (very similar, in some respects) Scouting programs in Ireland and Canada. As always, a big thank you to the folks at Scouting Radio for rebroadcasting Scouting Stuff episodes to their worldwide Scouting audience. If you're listening to us on Scouting Radio right now, let us know; reach out and get in touch. We'd love to hear from you. Send Feedback Email Us | Leave Us a Voice Message | Follow Us on Twitter | Like Us on Facebook | Leave Us a Review Music Unexpected Hoedown in Bagging Area, by Doctor Turtle

In which we sit down and discuss Scouts Canada's Program Quality Standards, and how these can be used to evaluate a Scout Group's performance over the course of a year. Subscribe: iTunes | Google Play | Android | TuneIn Radio | Stitcher ----more---- Podcast Topic(s) Regan Coyne, one of the Area Support Managers for Scouts Canada's Northern Lights Council (which covers northern Alberta and the Northwest Territories) joins us to discuss the Program Quality Standards. These are the metrics by which Scout Groups in Canada can evaluate the program they are delivering to youth, and how Scouts Canada can evaluate a Group's performance. Shout-Outs As always, a big thank you to the folks at Scouting Radio for rebroadcasting Scouting Stuff episodes to their worldwide Scouting audience. If you're listening to us on Scouting Radio right now, let us know; reach out and get in touch. We'd love to hear from you. Send Feedback Email Us | Leave Us a Voice Message | Follow Us on Twitter | Like Us on Facebook | Leave Us a Review Music Galizur, by John Zorn & The Dreamers

Step up your camp cooking game! Subscribe: iTunes | Google Play | Android | TuneIn Radio | Stitcher ----more---- Podcast Topic(s) Ken and Colin discuss dutch ovens, double boilers, and how to bake a cake at a Scout camp. Shout-Outs As always, a big thank you to the folks at Scouting Radio for rebroadcasting Scouting Stuff episodes to their worldwide Scouting audience. If you're listening to us on Scouting Radio right now, let us know; reach out and get in touch. We'd love to hear from you. Send Feedback Email Us | Leave Us a Voice Message | Follow Us on Twitter | Like Us on Facebook | Leave Us a Review Music Galizur, by John Zorn & The Dreamers

Philmont Scout Ranch might just be the crown jewel of American Scouting adventures. Let's learn a bit more about it. Subscribe: iTunes | Google Play | Android | TuneIn Radio | Stitcher ----more---- Podcast Topic(s) Brian joins us again to talk about Philmont Scout Ranch — the largest of Boy Scouts of America's Adventure Bases. His Scout Troop just received notification that they'll be able to go back to Philmont in another year or two, and so Brian graciously agreed to explain just what makes Philmont special. Shout-Outs As always, a big thank you to the folks at Scouting Radio for rebroadcasting Scouting Stuff episodes to their worldwide Scouting audience. If you're listening to us on Scouting Radio right now, let us know; reach out and get in touch. We'd love to hear from you. Send Feedback Email Us | Leave Us a Voice Message | Follow Us on Twitter | Like Us on Facebook | Leave Us a Review Music Galizur, by John Zorn & The Dreamers