Last weekend, I packed bags full of clothing and equipment and left for secret destination to lead my Venturing crew in a reconnaissance mission that would not only test our scouting knowledge, but threaten to tear my team asunder. I went…to Mafeking. In 1988, Lord Baden-Powell and a small troop held Mafeking against siege by the encroaching Boers. [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Venturing’
A Spying Adventure
Posted in fiction, Scouts, tagged Scouts, Venturing on September 23, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
The Nightmares of Planning a Backpacking Trip
Posted in rant, Scouts, travel, tagged camping, equipment, Venturing, what I learned... on June 27, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Having just planned and completed a thirty mile backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail, I am rather tanned, and still getting some grief about my planning process from some of my participants. Here is a summary of lessons learned. Or unlearned. I still feel rather self-righteous. Start Early. I started a little over two months [...]
Planned Chaos
Posted in school, Scouts, tagged AHG, Venturing on November 4, 2008 | 1 Comment »
I took the PSAT several weeks ago. It was very traumatic. Because the school didn’t have me on record, I had nowhere to sit. I had to sit in the corner and smell the cafeteria ladies making pizza. Despite my fears the day before and my subsequent massive panics, I am fairly sure that I did well. My mother is laughing.
My dad has proclaimed that the house is to be clean. It is so. Sort of. My younger sister has taken advantage the opportunity to have a clean room all to herself by contracting a fever. Little did she know that the vacant bed in my brother’s room is far more comfortable than my own. Ignorant of this information, I put off going to bed an hour to memorize Morse code for an upcomingcampout.
This upcoming campout was to be the epitome of planned perfection. Because our trips are often canceled, the Venturing crew made up a lists of the people coming, their phone numbers, who was riding with whom, and our activities. We were going to teach the older girls from the localAHG troop how to tie knots, signal Morse code, make fires, follow a compass, cook over a campfire, build shelters; and last, but surely not least, we were going to doteambuilding COPE activities with them. We had this all planned out. We then discovered that the leader in charge had forgotten to schedule and reserve spots for the girls to do COPE. Ducky. This didn’t dissolve our plans, but it sure made it harder for us teach them.Gah!
Anyway, I’m learning Morse code, fire lays, learning knots, how to make shelters, and picking out easy camping food recipes. I thought that becoming the president of the Venturing crew would eliminate some of the under-planned trips. It has, I suppose, but I happen to be doing a whole lot of the planning.
Philmont Trek
Posted in Scouts, travel, tagged Venturing on October 3, 2007 | 3 Comments »
*Due to procrastination and laziness, this post went unwritten for over a week. We now give it to you not yet in progress.* Philmont was nothing less than amazing. The reason I put off talking about it for so long is, (a) my inability to describe it with words other than, “It was good.” and, [...]
Providence
Posted in life, Scouts, travel, tagged God, Venturing on September 15, 2007 | 1 Comment »
With less than 24 hours before departure, I have much to worry over. However, I am mostly packed, so I can put it off awhile. Instead, I have reflections. Some of the stuff that has put us on this trip is just providential. Firstly, our Venturing crew wanted to go to a camp sponsored by [...]
First Aid
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Venturing on March 31, 2007 | 5 Comments »
Hello, I just feel like rambling today. I took the first half of a two-part wilderness first aid course today. There were several photos of wounds as examples to the text. Shall we say that I, even if I could survive such trauma, would not want others to have to see me with my vital [...]
Popcorn (or discount card) Sales
Posted in Scouts, tagged Venturing on March 3, 2007 | 4 Comments »
As an introduction and precursor to selling discount cards (reusable-for-a-year cards with coupons printed on them) next week with the Boy Scouts, and also as a comfort for me (who will be camping the opening and prime selling week), I give you a description of the average door-to-door customers. 1. The Hispanic person who does [...]
I Don’t Exist
Posted in fiction, life, Scouts, tagged Venturing, writing on January 27, 2007 | 9 Comments »
Thursday I did 9:32 hours of schoolwork; that is a lot considering I do not exist. Yep, that’s right, according to the BSA database I, one of the most active supporters in my crew of “real” camping, am not registered as an active member of Venturing crew ____ . That’s nothing: last year as well [...]
Tubing
Posted in life, Scouts, tagged Venturing on July 9, 2006 | Leave a Comment »
I had to babysit, so I do not fully start school until tomorrow. I discovered that it is possible to get exhausted just by laying on the couch watching movies with little kids. Pirates of the Caribbean 2 came out this week. I want to see it when it comes out on DVD. Our Venturing [...]
First Aid and CPR Courses
Posted in life, school, tagged Venturing on May 21, 2006 | Leave a Comment »
I have now become certified in First Aid and CPR. That could mean many things. In this case it means that I took two shortened courses.(Cami tells me it was longer the first time she took it.) However I am not sure I could remember and evaluate all symptoms, and I certainly would not be [...]
