TakeMeFishing.org has an interactive map which will help you to locate the places to fish closest to you. Just enter your zip code. You might be amazed to find local parks that allow fishing!
Venturing Ranger Award
Camping Recipes: Cook Your Favorite Foods at Camp
Sometimes Scouts have trouble coming up with new ideas when planning meals for camp. Foil packs, hamburgers, hotdogs, repeat. Get creative with some new ideas.
BSA Swim Test
The BSA swim test is used to determine ability level so that participants can swim in an area which is appropriate for them.
First Aid Baseball Game for Scouts BSA and Webelos
First aid baseball is a fun way to review first aid skills with Scouts BSA and Webelos. There are instructions for the game and a set of question cards included in the printable file.
Kims Game with Items for a Home First Aid Kit
Kim’s game is a traditional Scouting game which was introduced by Sir Robert Baden-Powell. It is based on a game describe by Rudyard Kipling. This version of the game helps Scouts learn what should be in a home first aid kit.
Water Rescue Methods
Since I am focusing on an aquatics theme this month, I thought I’d post about water rescue methods. These are methods used to rescue someone who is in trouble in the water. You will see these methods throughout the BSA programs from Cub Scouts to Scouts BSA to Venturing.
Safe Swim Defense
Safe Swim Defense provides the steps which a BSA unit must take to safely participate in an activity which involves swimming.
Bike Inspection Checklist
Before riding a bike, Scouts should know how to do an inspection of the bicycle and check that it is in working order. The checklist below will give you a good starting point. You will need to explain each step to the Scouts so they learn the terminology and why each part is important.
BSA Bike Safety Guidelines
BSA has a list of bike safety guidelines on the Scouting.org site. The guidelines and procedures apply to all BSA unit, council, and national program activities involving bicycling.
Safety Afloat
Before embarking on a boating activity with your scouts, make sure everyone is aware of the Safety Afloat guidelines.
Camping With a Coed Venturing Crew
Camping with a coed Scouting unit presents its own set of concerns and challenges. It is important to have a clearly defined Code of Conduct beforehand.
Weekend Campout Planning Guide
A weekend campout planning guide will let your Scouts BSA Troop share the planning responsibilities for monthly camping trips, but will still provide consistency from one campout to the next.
Bike Repair Tips
This month I am focusing on cycling. If you are going to ride a bike, you’d better make sure it is in good repair first. You don’t want to be riding along and have your front wheel fall off or your brakes not work. I found a great website called How To Fix Bikes which offers all sorts of advice on – drum roll… – how to fix bikes!
Tips for a Great Table Top Display
Table top displays are a way to show off a hobby, collection, event, or other project. Or you can showcase your unit’s program. As part of the Hobbies Troop Program Feature for Scouts BSA, table top displays are used in a hobby fair to show of each Scout’s particular hobby. In addition, for several of the Venturing awards, Venturers must create a table top display.
Bike Hike Safety and Etiquette
Before going on a bicycle ride with a group of Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, or Venturers, review some bike safety and etiquette rules. Includes a printable discussion aid.
Powdered Sports Drink Recipe
Sports drinks like Gatorade or Power Aid are designed to replenish the water and salt your body loses when you are active or exercising. You can mix up your own powdered mix to accomplish this for a fraction of the cost of purchasing these drinks by the bottle.
Woodgas Camp Stove Review
This is a self contained camp stove which burns twigs, charcoal, wood pellets, etc. It has a small battery powered fan to draw air.
Bicycle Riding Log
For some cycling recogintions, Scouts must record the time or distance spent riding. A basic log sheet is located at the bottom of this post to help you complete this. If you really become interested in cycling, you might consider getting a simple bike computer to aid you in figuring out this data. These devices record the time spent riding, mileage, average speed, and more.
Blister Treatment – First Aid
Blisters are a common injury for outdoor and physical activities. Correct blister treatment can prevent further irritation. Learn blister first aid.
Bicycle Helmet Fitting
This month I am focusing on cycling. Helmets are required for all BSA cycling activities. It is important to note that this applies to adults also. Your helmet isn’t going to do you much good if it doesn’t fit correctly. Here are some guidelines.
Avoiding Hypothermia During Cold Weather Activities
Avoiding hypothermia is key to a successful outdoor activity in cold weather, be it camping, hiking, skiing, ice skating, or snowman building.
Crew Activities – Skiing
At our Crew meeting this past Sunday, the focus was on skiing. Our council is having a ski night for Venturers at a local ski resort in January. The original plan had been to have a guest speaker come in and give some skiing tips. He couldn’t make it at the last minute, so our Crew president made a presentation instead.
Camping at Swift Base
Swift offers weeks of summer camp for Venturers and Explorers. Activities include water skiing, tubing, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, rock climbing, rappelling, ropes challenge courses, horseback riding, mountain biking, rifle shooting, and archery.
Complete Caving Manual by Andy Sparrow
Caving (or spelunking) requires knowledge and preparation for a safe outdoor adventure.
Ham and Sweet Potato Packets Recipe
Don’t get stuck in a rut when making foil packets. This variation of the hobo meal features ham and sweet potatoes. Perfect for a fall campout!
The Outdoor Knots Book (Mountaineers Outdoor Basics)
Many outdoor activities require extensive knowledge of knots: camping, climbing, rappelling, spelunking, and more.
Sweet 16 of BSA Safety | Skill Level Limits
The most familiar application of skill level limits is the swim tests which are administered at summer camp. But there are other examples as well.
River Rafting with the Venture Crew
Our Crew is going river rafting today on the Huzzah River. The Huzzah is not deep or swift, so we’re looking forward to a nice lazy day floating down the river.
BSA Methods – Teaching Others
The methods of Scouting are the ways that Scouting’s aims of developing character, citizenship, and fitness in youth are achieved. One of the methods for Venturers is “teaching others”. Teaching others is the best way to really acquire deep knowledge of an area. By sharing their skills with others, Venturers retain their knowledge better and provide service to others
Script or Ceremony for Venturing Ranger Award
A reader asks ” We are planning my son’s Eagle COH and he also recently earned his Venturing Ranger Award. The Crew Leader has agreed to award this during his COH but I can not find any type of “script” for the Ranger Award for the Crew Leader to use. Any suggestions? ” First of all, congratulations to your son. Eagle and Ranger! That’s a special accomplishment.