Campfire Ash October 23, 2008
Posted by jeffcummings in Uncategorized.Tags: Ash, Boy Scouts, Campfires, Cub Scouts, Outdoors, Scout Leader, Training
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Hi fellow Scouters,
Hopefully you are a campfire ash collector. If not, you should consider collecting ash from campfires. “Why would I want to do that?” you may ask. Here’s some things to think about.
At the pack level: We started collecting a cupful of campfire ash from each pack campfire about 5 years ago. Each collection gets added to the pack collection (which is in a popcorn tin, of course) once it cools down. What makes this special is that at the beginning of each campfire, we sprinkle some from the pack ash collection to the fire. We talk about the scouts that have gone through our program and are with us “in spirit” when we sprinkle the ash. In my opinion, this is such a great way to start a campfire. Of course, you need to have a pack that’s really active in the outdoors to do this.
At the den level: One thing I’ve done in both dens that I’ve lead is had my own collection of ash from each campfire. I also record the attendance of my scouts at each campfire. When my den graduates to Boy Scouts, they will get a collection of ash from each campfire that they attended, along with a listing of the campfire date, location, and anything noteworthy about that campfire. They also get a challenge: Keep adding to this collection of ash in Boy Scouts. The goal is not to have a momento of Cub Scouting but to get them to keep going outdoors and keep attending campfires. Hopefully the boys will do this.
In Scouting,
-Jeff <><
Training Cards October 22, 2008
Posted by jeffcummings in Uncategorized.Tags: Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Scout Leader, Training
3 comments
Fellow Scouters,
Every time you take Scouting training, you should get a signed card showing the class has been completed. You even get cards from on-line training. I have talked to leaders in our unit that have no idea where their cards are. This is unfortunate because sometimes this is the only record that you took that training (yes I know there is a roster filled out, and the training is reported to the local council, but in reality those cards are sometimes all there is).
It’s so important to keep your training cards together, some place that’s protected and easy to remember. And you should turn in a copy of your training records to your unit – preferably your pack trainer. As pack trainer for our Cub Scout pack, one of my duties is to record and summarize all training records for our leaders. The cards are the only way I can do this. So keep getting trained, and keep a record of your training by keeping your cards. It’s one of the little things we do that adds to the overall quality of our unit.
“Every scout deserves a trained leader”
-Jeff
First Entry – The Plan October 22, 2008
Posted by jeffcummings in Uncategorized.Tags: Boy Scout, Cub Scout, Scout Leader, Training
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Hi all. I haven’t blogged before, because, quite frankly I didn’t think I had anything to say. But then I thought “What about a trainer’s blog for Cub and Boy Scout leaders?”. I am no expert by far, but what I like most about training is those nuggets that you give out or get that help someone run a better meeting. So the plan for this is not to go too in-depth with any particular topic, but to throw out a nugget that can help someone run a better meeting. So let’s see where this will go (and let me know what nuggets you want so share). -Jeff
The Trainer's Corner Blog 