Scouting Stuff You Should Know

It was Emergency Preparedness Week last week...which, at least for our Canadian crew, has been given a very pointed example in the Fort McMurray fires. Now Available on Google Play Music | Subscribe on iTunes | Subscribe on Android | Like Us on Facebook | Follow Us on Twitter----more----Podcast Topic(s) Emergency situations can come up quickly and with little warning, although some kinds of emergencies can be forecast in advance. Some emergencies require you to shelter in place, while others require you to evacuate from your home and find shelter elsewhere...sometimes for a little while, and sometimes for weeks or even months. How can you prepare your home and your family for emergencies? How do you have the discussion about what to take, in an evacuation situation, and what to leave behind? Scouting is all about being prepared...so let's look at some ways to be prepared for emergencies. Related documents: Making a Go Bag for Children | Making a Go Bag for FamiliesShout-Outs The people of Fort McMurray, Alberta, who have shown exceptional resilience in the face of a massive wildfire that has threatened, and in some cases already destroyed, their homes and workplaces.Send Feedback Email Us: scoutingstuffpodcast@gmail.com Record a Message: In your browser, even! Follow Us on Twitter: @ssyskpodcast Like Us on Facebook: facebook.com/ScoutingStuffPodcast Leave Us a Review: on iTunesMusic Galizur, by John Zorn and the Dreamers

To help other people at all times; it's part of the Scout Promise. Now Available on Google Play Music | Subscribe on iTunes | Subscribe on Android | Like Us on Facebook | Follow Us on Twitter----more----Links to Fort McMurray Relief Services (and more!)If you have shelter you can offer: A website where locals can register space available to house Fort McMurray evacuees and where evacuees needing a place to stay can register for help. Go to http://www.ymmfire.caIf you are able to care for or provide shelter for animals displaced by the fire: please fill out this online form at https://docs.google.com/a/albertaanimalrescuecrew.com/forms/d/1bPihncs6ERKGRMxjWfpr74XElnOeqQXhAEIC0dktvOw/viewform?c=0&w=1Edmonton’s Food Bank: They are providing food resources to evacuees. Donations of food may be left at any major grocery store or fire hall. Monetary donations to the FortMcMurray Dire Evacuee support can be made online at http://www.edmontonfoodbank.comIf you are not in the Edmonton region: The Canadian Red Cross is collecting monetary donations at this site: https://donate.redcross.ca/ea-action/action?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=NO-DM&ea.client.id=1951&ea.campaign.id=50639 Often times we want to rush and donate the things we have in our homes but these in kind donations are the most difficult for organizations to manage, it is much easier and faster for them to manage and use cash.Trevor Martin's Eagle Scout Project Trevor Martin, the son of Scouter Brian, is raising money for his Eagle Scout service project. He intends to build an amphitheatre for Good News United Methodist Church in Cedar Park, Texas. The amphitheatre will be used for youth group meetings and outdoor services. You can support this project via his GoFundMe page.Music Galizur, by John Zorn and the Dreamers

There's a new Jungle Book movie out; we give our impressions (both spoiler-free and spoilerific). It's also Good Turn Week; we talk a bit about that. Now Available on Google Play Music | Subscribe on iTunes | Subscribe on Android | Like Us on Facebook | Follow Us on Twitter----more----Podcast Topics We're in the middle of Good Turn Week, “an initiative spearheaded by Scouts Canada National Youth Network that follows the principles of Scouting, which teach youth to always do unto others as they would do unto you.” You can find out more at Scouts Canada's Good Turn Week web portal, and we would encourage you to take on some challenges with your Scout Group this year...even if you aren't in Canada. Do a good turn daily! Also, The Jungle Book is out in theatres now, and we got together with a few of our friends from Scouting to go and see it. It's a great film; not a straight-up re-creation of the animated film, and not a wholly faithful adaptation of Kipling's stories either, but excellent in its own right and well worth a watch. Just maybe don't take your Beaver Scouts/Tiger Cubs to see it; it has some intense scenes and is a bit darker in tone; kids 8 years old and up should be fine with it (with adult supervision). We actually do two reviews of The Jungle Book in this episode. The first is spoiler-free; the second isn't. But don't worry, we'll warn you before we launch into the spoilers.Shout-Outs Jon Favreau and the cast and crew of The Jungle Book. Yes, it is that good.Send Feedback Email Us: scoutingstuffpodcast@gmail.com Follow Us on Twitter: @ssyskpodcast Like Us on Facebook: facebook.com/ScoutingStuffPodcast Leave Us a Review: on iTunes | on Google PlayMusic The Bare Necessities (from The Jungle Book Original Soundtrack), composed by John Debney Galizur, by John Zorn & The Dreamers

We take another look at the idea of badge earning and how it relates to a youth's progression through the Scouting program. Subscribe on iTunes | Subscribe on Android | Like Us on Facebook | Follow Us on Twitter----more----Podcast Topics Ken and Colin revisit the topic of badges as a means of evaluating a Scout's progressing through the program...and for the most part find themselves in agreement with the new instructions issued by Scouts Canada concerning disassociating badges from personal progression (which, previously, we had expressed reservations over). This was, in part, spurred on by a bit of commentary in another podcast, Catholic in a Small Town. At about the 47-minute mark in Episode #337 of said podcast, the husband and wife team behind it discuss their eldest son's involvement in Boy Scouts of America...and how the pursuit of merit badges should really reflect the interests of the Scout pursuing those badges, and/or the challenges he wants to take on. Oh, and...the board games that Ken's Beaver Scouts designed came back from the printers. You can find some pictures of the games on our Twitter account and/or Facebook page.Shout-Outs The Canadian Men's Curling team — the Koe Rink — for their gold medal victory at the recent 2016 World Men's Curling Championship. They defeated the team from Denmark 5-3.Send Feedback Email Us: scoutingstuffpodcast@gmail.com Follow Us on Twitter: @ssyskpodcast Like Us on Facebook: facebook.com/ScoutingStuffPodcast Leave Us a Review: on iTunesMusic Galizur, by John Zorn & The Dreamers

Brian rejoins SSYSK, and we catch up with him about Pinewood Derby, a certain zombie movie, and badges. Subscribe on iTunes | Subscribe on Android | Like Us on Facebook | Follow Us on Twitter----more----Podcast Topics We were finally able to get Brian back on the show, so we took the opportunity to catch up with him about a few topics that have been discussed in recent episodes. A lot of the discussion focused on Pinewood Derby, and the similarities and differences between how Scouts Canada and Boy Scouts of America give youth the opportunity to build and race wooden vehicles. But, we also took the time to discuss badges and badge trading a bit more, comparing BSA's use of badge vests to Scouts Canada's use of campfire blankets. And Colin even took a moment to ask for Brian's thoughts in that zombie apocalypse movie. Shout-Outs Scouter Glenn (also known to his Cub Scouts as Akela), from Ontario, who wrote in: I wanted to thank you for the time you spend on the podcast. For some reason I never thought to look for a Scout podcast to add to my lineup, but decided to look a month or so ago. I came across your cast and have been catching up ever since. Our group has decided to go to the CJ17 for the first time in our group's recent history, so your discussion about badge trading and your Jamboree pasts have been great. I've honestly been taking notes!Send Feedback Email Us: scoutingstuffpodcast at Google's mail service Follow Us on Twitter: @ssyskpodcast Like Us on Facebook: facebook.com/ScoutingStuffPodcast Leave Us a Review: on iTunes Music Galizur, by John Zorn & The Dreamers

Scouts Canada offers different forms of racing vehicles to different sections of its program, from simple Beaver Buggies to massive Scout Trucks. Subscribe on iTunes | Subscribe on Android | Like Us on Facebook | Follow Us on Twitter----more----Podcast Topic Ken, Colin, and Ted discuss Kub Kars — Scouts Canada's equivalent of Pinewood Derby — and the variants of it that exist for other sections of Scouting: Beaver Buggies, Scout Trucks, and 18-Wheelers. Also: apologies for the wind/breath noise in this episode. New filters are on order!Shout-Outs A big shout-out to the organizers of the Beaver Hills Vehicle Rally, an large and well-run all-sections rally held for Scout Groups in and around the Edmonton area.Music Galizur, by John Zorn & The Dreamers

Sometimes, Scouts are awarded badges that aren't merit badges, and don't go on the uniform. What happens if you don't fulfill the criteria for one of those? Subscribe on iTunes | Subscribe on Android | Like Us on Facebook | Follow Us on Twitter----more----Podcast Topic Ken, Colin, and Ted discuss those other badges, the ones that get handed out to Scouts (and Cubs, and Beavers) that don't get put on the uniform. These badges aren't merit badges, but rather serve to commemorate different events that the Scouts have participated in (e.g. archery lessons, camps, or even fundraising activities like bottle drives or popcorn sales). The impetus for the discussion comes from an exchange that Ken witness on Twitter, between Scouts Canada and a mother who was upset how her son had, to her mind, been singled out in his troop because he wasn't able to sell any popcorn despite trying. Of course, the discussion ranges from there, and turns into a broader analysis of the philosophy of badge earning.Shout-Outs Another shout-out for Alex, who sent in a letter from abroad: I just listened to your episode on badge trading. As your conversation evolved into the international aspect of scouting, I began to reminisce about a trip I took as a scout in 2001. One of our leaders was born and raised in Denmark, so as a high adventure trip we visited his parents in Copenhagen. Although we didn't hike our way through the country (we rented a couple cars that the leaders drove), we camped out almost every night. We stayed in a couple hostels too. We met up with a Danish scout troop and spent a couple days together. It was very interesting learning about their customs and traditions, as well as teaching them about ours. I realize that a trip to Denmark is a unique experience, but I truly believe unique experiences is what scouting is all about. Similarly, I am currently on vacation in Costa Rica. Yesterday (Sunday) morning, I made my way into the city of Quepos and happened upon a group of Costa Rican scouts getting on a bus. Unfortunately I did not have a chance to talk to them, but it was nice to see the international aspect of scouting. It really drives your point about scouting around the world home.Music Galizur, by John Zorn & The Dreamers

You'll meet a lot of people at a Jamboree or a Scout Camp. Why not trade them for a memento?Subscribe on iTunes | Subscribe on Android | Like Us on Facebook | Follow Us on Twitter----more----Podcast Topic(s)Ken and Colin talk about one of the time-honoured traditions of Scout Camps and international events (such as Jamborees): badge trading. And not just badge trading, but necker trading, and even uniform trading. Trading another Scout for a memento of your meeting, such as a badge or a necker, can be a very rewarding and enriching experience when at a Jamboree...as long as it's a fair trade.Shout-OutsA big shout-out this week to Chris, Brad, and Jos from BioWare, who graciously volunteered their time to come and discuss (board) game design with the Beaver Scout groups that Ken leads.MusicGalizur, by John Zorn & The Dreamers

Effectively leading a Scout group, at any age level, means having good communication between the leaders.Subscribe on iTunes | Subscribe on Android | Like Us on Facebook | Follow Us on Twitter----more----Shout-OutsFirstly, we'd like to give a shout-out to whomever nominated Scouting Stuff for inclusion on Podbean's list of Featured Podcasts under the Government & Organizations category. That is a curated list, and for a podcast to appear thereupon, the listeners of that podcast must nominate it for consideration. So, whoever did that: a shout-out to you!And we'd also like to give a shout-out to Kelly Bruce, who sent us a message on Facebook. Our apologies, Kelly; we weren't able to bring Brian on board for this episode, so we weren't able to set up a compare-and-contrast discussion concerning Kub Kars and the Pinewood Derby. But that's coming soon!Podcast Topic(s)This week, Ken and Colin discuss an important facet of effectively running a Scout group, regardless of what section it is or what the ages of the youth are. That facet is communication between the leaders. And in addition to stressing how important it is to have an effective communication channel between all your leaders that all of them are willing to participate in, we touch on the need for a succession plan in your group's leadership structure, and also emphasize the benefits of planning weeks or months worth of events in advance.Also, as promised, you can find some information about Scouts Canada's Scouters Five concept here, and here.MusicGalizur, by John Zorn & The Dreamers

What programs are available, in Scouts Canada and Boy Scouts of America, for older youth and young adults?Subscribe on iTunes | Subscribe on Android | Like Us on Facebook | Follow Us on Twitter----more----Podcast TopicKen, Colin, and Ted were saddened to learn that their once and former Rover Den — a cabin on Lake Wabamun in Alberta that, as members of the 59th Greenfield/Royal Gardens Rover Crew, they had come to know as their own and cherished as a special place to retreat to — had been burned to the ground to make space for more campsites for the Scout Camp within which it had been located. But out of this, a discussion emerged about the differences between what sorts of programs Scouts Canada has for youth and young adults in the 17+ age range, and what programs Boy Scouts of America has for the same demographic; Brian joined the discussion to fill us in on the latter. Note: Our apologies for the noisy audio quality of some segments of this episode. We had some background noise coming in from somewhere during the recording, and weren't able to completely mitigate it.MusicGalizur, by John Zorn & The DreamersThe Parting Glass, by The High Kings

How do you retain members of your Scout group? And how do you retain leaders, for that matter?Subscribe on iTunes | Like Us on Facebook | Follow Us on Twitter----more----Podcast TopicOne of the big challenges facing any Scout group is that of retaining members. What are some of the reasons that Scouts (and Cubs, and Beavers, and leaders too) will drift away from Scouting, and how can Scout groups — at all levels, from national down to the individual leaders — respond to this and keep Scouts Scouts?(Hint: There isn't an easy fix.)See also: Recruiting, Retaining, and Rewarding VolunteersShout-OutsColin's sister Catherine and her husband, who listen to the podcast from all the way over in France.And anybody planning to attend the Funarama camp.MusicGalizur, by John Zorn & The Dreamers

National Scouting bodies periodically overhaul their programs and methods. How do Scout groups, and individual Scouters, respond to this?Subscribe on iTunes | Like Us on Facebook | Follow Us on Twitter----more----Podcast TopicHow many times have we, as participants and as leaders, been faced with a change in the program (e.g. uniforms, badges, program content)?What is the cost of a program change?Most recent example: Candian Path (Scouts Canada)What it is: Canadian Path websiteProgram Quality Standards (the measuring tool to see if you are doing it right): http://www.scouts.ca/canadianpath/download/pqs/program-quality-standards.pdfOh, and here are those Lest We Forget badges: http://www.scoutscarfday.com/store/p10/Lest_We_Forget_%28%C2%A32%29.htmlShout-OutsThe Young Adult's Guide to Life, a new follower on Podbean.Alex, who wrote in with some feedback about the Halloween costumes episode, and who suggested a new topic for us to discuss in a later episode.MusicThe Times They Are a-Changin', by Bob Dylan

Is it just a bad B-movie? Or is there something in it that actually reflects Scouting in some way?Subscribe on iTunes----more----Podcast TopicAs was alluded to in Episode 3, some of us were able to go and see Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, a movie that pits — yes — Boy Scouts (it is set in the United States, after all) against zombies. We had initially expected that the movie would be little more than an appropriation of the Scouting label...but it turns out that there's actually more to it than that. If you can look past the not-family-friendly content and the zombie-killing premise, you can see in the three Boy Scout characters in the movie a lot of the same dynamics that are present in many Scout groups.MusicTheme Song from The Walking Dead, composed by Bear McCrearyWe Carry On, by The Phantoms featuring Amy Stroup

Should the Scout Uniform be worn as a Halloween costume? Also, we should have made a bigger deal out of JOTA-JOTI.----more----This episode is a bit more off the cuff, so here's a list of topics discussed:Should the Scout Uniform be work as a Halloween costume?The new zombie movie, Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, looks...questionable. We will go see it and offer a review.We missed JOTA-JOTI this year! We're totally going to have to jump in on that next October.ScoutLink is a cool organization that maintains a permanent Scouting-focused IRC channel (several channels, really)...kind of like a mini-JOTI, year-round. They also host a Minecraft server.Shout-OutsConrad (Ken's father-in-law), and his excellent beef jerky.Ian (Ken and Colin's former Venturer and Rover advisor), who offered up some light-hearted ribbing about our recent comments on the role of the advisor.MusicGalizur, by John Zorn & The Dreamers

Why do Scouts wear uniforms? What are the essential components of a Scout uniform?----more----We're discussing uniforms in this episode. If you look at the etymology of the word “uniform”, it basically means “one form”; it's an outward sign of the unity of a group, of the fact that they are all there for the same purpose, to work toward the same goal(s). This is as true for a soccer team as for a Scout group, and the intent is the same; some individuality is stripped away — and differences based on ethnicity and economic standing are diminished — in order to build up group cohesion. If individuals within the group are going to distinguish themselves, it won't be by their outward appearance, but by their achievements.MusicGalizur, by John Zorn & The Dreamers