PDA

View Full Version : Attention WB parents & teachers!!



MOWGLI
04-18-2006, 07:24
This week is National Environmental Education Wee (http://www.eeweek.org/)k. As part of the week, there is a survey being conducted related to Nature Deficit Disorder. This term was coined by Richard Louv.

The survey involves kids interviewing their parents to determine how things have changed relating to time spent outdoors. It is a really cool activity for kids & parents to do, because it gets you thinking about how each of you spend time outdoors.

Checkout the survey at this link; http://www.eeweek.org/survey.htm

MOWGLI
04-18-2006, 07:27
Here is what I'm doing for National Environmental Education Week; http://chattanoogan.com/articles/article_83919.asp

littlelaurel59
04-18-2006, 09:11
I'm leading 20 scouts on a backpacking trip this weekend. For many of them, it will be their first such trip. I will keep the above in mind as I plan some activities. As a child, I remember exploring the woods behind our house, playing in creeks, walking in the mountains. I try to give my son the chance to do that.

woodsy
04-18-2006, 09:17
MOWGLI,
Thanks for sharing the info about eeweek. It's school vacation week here and my son and his cousin are in front of the screen. Think I'll take them for a walk in the woods. Some nature awareness will do us all good .

Sly
04-18-2006, 09:18
20 scouts on a backpacking trip is 11 too many! Isn't it supposed to be 10 tops including leaders?

Peaks
04-18-2006, 11:00
20 scouts on a backpacking trip is 11 too many! Isn't it supposed to be 10 tops including leaders?

I've never seen a BSA requirement or suggestion that limits group size. But one of the LNT principles is to limit group size, and many wilderness areas define that as 10 maximum, including leaders. Maximum crew size for Philmont is 12, including leaders.

littlelaurel59
04-18-2006, 14:00
1. We will not be in a wilderness area, but in a state park that regulates group size and camping locations.
2. We split into smaller groups- older scouts doing more difficult routes- in an effort to lessen our impact.
3. BSA requires a minimum of 2 leaders for any trip as part of its Youth Protection guidelines.
4. As a contributing member of LNT, I preach their message on every trip.
5. There is nothing to compare with the experience of wilderness in a small group, but how are we going to have the next generation of wilderness enthusiasts if we don't take them out?

Lilred
04-18-2006, 17:14
I didn't know this week was so special. Coincidentally, I'm taking some members of The National Honor Society out on a local trail this Saturday. They have to do so many hours of community service and have opted to hike a 6 mile trail that runs along the shoreline of a lake to clean it up. The lake rises and falls and deposits a lot of garbage from boaters on the trail. Glad to see it falling at such an appropriate time. :D

C_Brice
04-18-2006, 17:54
I thought I would burn off my pasture this weekend. Might even have to include some old tires.

CB

MOWGLI
04-18-2006, 20:46
I thought I would burn off my pasture this weekend. Might even have to include some old tires.

CB

Gee, and I thought Kansas had the biggest dopes. :rolleyes:

woodsy
04-18-2006, 22:01
[quote=C_Brice]I thought I would burn off my pasture this weekend. Might even have to include some old tires.

Hope you get busted

Dances with Mice
04-18-2006, 22:49
3. BSA requires a minimum of 2 leaders for any trip as part of its Youth Protection guidelines.

5. There is nothing to compare with the experience of wilderness in a small group, but how are we going to have the next generation of wilderness enthusiasts if we don't take them out?

First - Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

3 - OK, I don't want to hijack the thread onto BSA trivia, but this is one of my pet peeves. Adults should never lead. I know they do way too often but they shouldn't, it's not how the program is supposed to work. The only leaders in the Troop are the SPL, ASPL, and PLs. Look it up, those are the only "L"s in the Handbook.

Semantics? Yeah maybe, but it's vitally important that Scouters (adults) not confuse supervision with leadership, and I know it's sometimes a fine line to walk and how tempting it is to cross the line. If adults are present there need to be two. But adults also need to be aware that they don't HAVE to be present at all times. It's OK to send a patrol out by themselves so if you have older Scouts, put some slack in the reigns and let'em do a dayhike by themselves or select a campsite where adults following a few hours behind will meet them. The result will probably astonish you.

Also be aware that if they're all working on the Hiking and/or Backpacking Merit Badges they may go out with only their adult Counselor present, who can use the opportunity to hold trailside lessons or requirement check-offs. That's the exception to the "2 adults at all times" axiom but be careful not to over-use that loophole. I have done that, but I wouldn't unless I knew all the boys really well.

5 - Exactly right, and well said!

ed bell
04-18-2006, 22:52
Hey Brice, what's got your panties in a wad over an education issue? Sounds like a down to earth, wholesome program to me. I see you are from Iowa, count me in as the same. Am I missing something?:sun

ed bell
04-18-2006, 22:54
Gee, and I thought Kansas had the biggest dopes. :rolleyes: O.K. now hold on a second and think about what you are actually saying:D

C_Brice
04-19-2006, 13:54
Ed Bell,
Glad to see other Iowans on here.

I started to answer your question in this thread but decided that I shouldn't hijack this it any worse than it already is. I'll start a new thread.

Chris

Mags
04-19-2006, 14:19
5. There is nothing to compare with the experience of wilderness in a small group, but how are we going to have the next generation of wilderness enthusiasts if we don't take them out?


No one in my family was involved in the outdoors. Not camping, not hunting and certainly not hiking.

I was in Cub Scouts in third through fifth grade. I could not tell you why I joined. The reasons are long forgotten. After Webelos, joined boyscouts.

The scout troop was not a very active one...but we did do a trip that I honestly can say affected my life. It was a trip I took almost twenty years ago.

Here'a copy and paste of that day:

Boy Scout Troop 71 of Coventry, Rhode Island is taking its annual Columbus Day Weekend camping trip to Mt. Lafayette in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It is October 1986. I’m part of the troop, twelve years old, all excited that I’m going to get to go on a real mountain! And, to make this trip extra special, Dad’s going to be chaperone.


Dad often works overtime on Saturdays; ours is a young family –money and time are scarce. To spend a whole weekend with Dad is a treat.
Friday afternoon, I come home from school and see all the clothes Mom has packed for the trip. Mom’s afraid I’m going to “freeze up North”. The entire bed’s covered with warm clothes: several pairs of jeans, flannel shirts, sweaters, socks, and long underwear. Somehow, it seems like this is too much clothing for a three-day camping trip, but what do I know? I’m just twelve. For this trip I’m going to get to hike with my official Boy Scout rucksack, made of cotton canvas. Dad has even let me have his official U.S. Army pocket knife. With my rucksack, and knife, I’m going to climb that mountain!


Saturday morning, all the Boy Scouts show up at the community center. I have on my hiking clothes: Sears Toughskins jeans, flannel shirt, long cotton underwear, sweat shirt, work boots. The bus ride to New Hampshire takes more than three hours, longer even than that ride to the big city of Providence. Looking out the windows, I see mountains. “No”, Dad says. “They’re just foothills”. If the foothills are this big, I think, how big are the mountains?


The bus finally pulls up the campground. Several canvas A-Frame tents have been set up, as well as a blue-plastic tarp to cook under. Sunday, we climb the mountain.The hike begins in the morning. I don’t say anything, but I get tired fast. Dad knows. He takes the rucksack. Why can’t the other dads keep up with mine? Aren’t all Dads the same? We get to the summit. I ask Dad what the white rectangles are for. He says they mark a trail to the other mountains we can see. We take pictures and rest a while. Then troop climbs back down toward the campground.


Most Appalachian Trail hikers recall the first time they stepped on the trail. It’s different for everyone. For some hikers, it doesn’t happen until they take that first step on Springer Mountain. Others recall vacations to the Shenandoahs or maybe a picnic at a state park through which the trail is routed. Mine was as a twelve-year old, excited to be going with his Scout trip on a trip to New Hampshire.


It was not until ten years later that I learned what those white rectangles were. More importantly, I learned what they mean. Those white rectangles mean more than just markings for a long footpath. They mark a trail that can capture a person’s imagination, that make a twelve-year-old wonder, and dream and get excited about being on a mountain. That memory can last, and, when that twelve-year-old grows up, he still wonders and dreams and gets excited about being on a mountain.
**********

(with apologies to those who've read it before)

The trip twenty years ago had a large impact on me. It was why I did my first backpacking trip in 1996. I had fond memories of that hike on Mt. Lafayette as a child. From that backpacking trip in 1996, I had the desire to hike more. To hike the Long Trail in 1997..to hike the AT in 1998. To move to Colorado afterwards.

And it all started on a boyscout trip where I was clad in Sears Toughskin jeans. Who knows where I'd be be today if I hadn't gone on that day hike in 1986?


Take out the scouts...you just may be giving one of them a dream that could make a large difference in their lives.

leeki pole
04-19-2006, 14:30
Well said, Mags. Well said. :)

C_Brice
04-19-2006, 14:34
As much as I hate to admit it and I'll never do it again, Mags gets the "post of the month" award. Bravo.

CB

Mags
04-19-2006, 14:58
As much as I hate to admit it and I'll never do it again, Mags gets the "post of the month" award. Bravo.

CB

Thank for the compliment!

Not sure what to think of your first statement though?

C_Brice
04-19-2006, 16:03
Oh, and for the record:

Everybody knows you burn your tires on dark, cloudy nights so the sherrif can't see the smoke!

Duh!

CB

RockyTrail
04-19-2006, 17:42
And it all started on a boyscout trip where I was clad in Sears Toughskin jeans. Who knows where I'd be be today if I hadn't gone on that day hike in 1986?.

What a Great post, Mags.
With those Toughskin jeans and flannel shirt, I see you were ultralight when ultralight wasn't cool!:D
Seriously, if you know anybody local in Scouting, their troop would most likely enjoy hearing about your AT thru or otherwise, with gear demo, etc.
Doesn't take a lot to spur imagination, just sincerity and enthusiasm. You, sir, have it!
I started helping my son's troop a few years back, ended up taking a crew to Philmont and plan to do it yet again next year, life goes on...

Mags
04-20-2006, 13:31
Seriously, if you know anybody local in Scouting, their troop would most likely enjoy hearing about your AT thru or otherwise, with gear demo, etc.
Doesn't take a lot to spur imagination, just sincerity and enthusiasm. You, sir, have it!

Actually, when I get back from the CDT, already agreed to talk to the students at a local elementary school where my friend teaches. She teaches many Latino students who do not camp at all. Needless to say, she is hoping that to inspire the students much in the way I was inspired.

I did not grow up as minority, but I did come from a similar environment in the sense that I grew up in a large Catholic family who worked in "non-professional" fields where outdoor recreation was not something thought about.

Anyway, if possible, maybe I'll be able to help out some children get inspired to check out the mountains around us.