Intelligent

I know that "intelligent" isn't officially a part of the Scout Law but it might as well be. So much of scouting is learning. Maybe that's why Baden Powell left it off--it was understood. Training is a major part of what scouts and scouters do. It's critical to ensure a quality program for the boys. Everything from knowing how to safely carry out the methods of scouting to teaching the boys their responsibilities in the troop must be trained. Sometimes I, as the unit leader, receive the training, and sometimes I give it. This month was my turn to receive as I attended my Wood Badge Course, W1-609-12-1.

Wood Badge is an adult leader training course that covers everything from leadership training to planning campfire programs. It uses both classroom and hands on/situational training. It is held in two three-day sessions separated by a free weekend.

I have never been to a seminar or training like this before. It's also been a long time since I fell asleep so fast in my sleeping bag. Each day was PACKED with information, exercises, games, fun, and work. Morning assembly was at 7:00 and we were excused for bed as late as 10:00 pm--and the time between was filled with activity.

Also, the "free" weekend between the two sessions is really anything but. At the end of the first session you are sent home with a fairly hefty homework load that you are to accomplish with your patrol (training group) prior to the next session.

Accomplishing the Wood Badge course requires a significant sacrifice, from the attendee, but also from their families and home scouting units.

As if that wasn't enough, the completion of the course is just the first step. During the course, one of the assignments is to come up with a list if goals that you will accomplish to help you take what you've learned at Wood Badge back to your home unit and make a difference. This list of goals is your "ticket". When you have completed your goals, then you have fully completed the course and you are awarded beads that signify your accomplishment.

The real motivation behind Wood Badge, though, is that desire to help the home unit. All Wood Badge attendees want to bring something home to their units to improve it in some way. I am no exception. Those of the readers that are part of my home unit will soon be touched by the completion of my ticket. The goals I laid down for myself will likely affect everyone involved in the unit, whether it be a unit member, parent of a unit member, or involved in the unit in any other way.

I look forward to the next few months. Hopefully we can make some changes that are positive and help to kickstart the unit up to the next level.

- Tom Kruger, Scoutmaster Troop 1546
P.S. If you would like any information on Wood Badge, please come and talk to me. I'll talk your ear off about it.

Adventurous!

This month's outing was our long-awaited Ape Cave trip. We've been trying to get down here for the last six months. Finally all the cards played out right.

We left Friday night at about 5:00 and headed south. What a great time of day to be trying to get through I-5 traffic in Tacoma. It's OK, though, the GPS took us on a nice little backroad to avoid the traffic. I'm still not convinced it was actually shorter, but it was scenic if nothing else.

Our camp was at Ike Kinswa State Park on Mayfield Lake. It was a great campsite.

In the morning we got up a broke camp as quick as we could, had muffins and bananas for breakfast, and hit the road. We were still about two hours from the cave.

The cave is technically closed this time of year, but that doesn't stop people from going there. The road is gated about one mile before the the cave, but you can park at the gate and head up on foot. I was surprised at the number of people that were there.

It was very wet in the cave. There was constant dripping from above and there were some places where you had to pick your steps around some pretty good size pools.

Here are some pics from inside.

Group shot before heading in.

The stairs leading down inside.

 

Many of the walls and ceiling were white like this.

The ceiling was surprisingly high in some places.

Interesting ceiling formations.

Some places the ceiling was tons of these little stalactites.

Looks like the rock is "oozing".

This is called The Skylight

Here we are at the end.

Fortunately for us, the adventure wasn't over yet. We still had to hike about a mile or so back to the trailhead, and this time we got to do it in the snow. Not everyone was really prepared for that, but we all survived.

I figured everyone would crash on the ride home and I would be left to my thoughts. It didn't work out that way, though. I guess we didn't hike long enough. I'll remember that for next time.

.....Reverent
This weekend we went with the young women of the church to the temple for one of our twice a year temple trips. Everyone had a great time.

.....Kind

This month we combined with the young women of the ward and did service at the local Bishop's Storehouse and Dry Pack Cannery.
Enjoy the pictures!

Waiting around to get started

 

Signing in

Packing produce

Packing more produce

 

Packing paper towels and toilet paper

More toilet paper

I don't have many pictures from the cannery itself because of  all the cleanliness rules they have, but here are some fun pictures of us getting all ready to go.

You get to wear some pretty awesome gear in the cannery

I was the only one who got to wear a beard net. I guess it's the closest I'll get to being a surgeon.

Early Season Backpacking at its Finest

Another month, another outing.
Ironically, the weather was better for our February outing than our March outing.
This time around we decided we would get a taste of some easy backpacking. The perfect place for this is Elkhorn Campground off the Dosewallips River Road. Several years ago the road was washed out about one mile from this campground, isolating what was once a drive-in campground.

Since it's on a road, it's easy to hike to. The first part of the hike has a little bit of vertical while you get around the washout, but once on the other side, it's easy road grade. I had hoped we would be at a low enough elevation that we wouldn't encounter snow, but it turned out my hope was in vain. It's alright, though, since that is part of the adventure of scouting. Since we all had work and school and stuff, we didn't get out until late afternoon Friday, so we did our hiking up to Elkhorn in the dark. We had plenty of headlamps and flashlights, so it wasn't very tough.

 

Originally, we were planning on staying Friday night at Elkhorn, then walking further up the road Saturday morning. I read that near the Dosewallips ranger station there is a great waterfall and some of the boys wanted to try reaching it. However, since this was our first attempt at backpacking, and the weather was worse than we thought it would be, we decided we'd had enough fun and packed up to head out.

I think it was a successful outing and I know pretty much everybody learned something new.
Stay tuned for more adventures!

.....Clean (But not afraid to get dirty!)

Some inspirational words from Mike Rowe at the 2010 National Jamboree.

....Helpful

For our December outing we wanted to get a taste of some cold weather camping as well as do a little service. We decided to head to and LDS church owned property near Belfair, WA, Zions Camp.

During the night we slept in some shelters that did not retain any heat, so we succeeded in getting our taste of cold weather camping.

To help us warm up, the camp directors had a project all ready for us in the morning. We spent a couple of hours chopping wood. The wood is used by patrons to the camp area. The first armload is free, but there is a nominal charge above that. With all the trees up there, I'm sure there is no shortage axe swinging. The boys all had a great time trying their hands at heavy splitting mauls and even a hydraulic splitter. Here's the proof.

If you would like information about joining, contact us at 1546orchardheights@gmail.com