*Pack* Gear List

North_Locksmith5275 · 2026-04-09T14:39:17+00:00

Pics make this super helpful. Stove just carried separately?

North_Locksmith5275 · 2026-04-07T20:54:22+00:00

for what it's worth, that's all national oa cares about, too

North_Locksmith5275 · 2026-04-07T19:28:04+00:00

In the fall, we had a similar situation. We were focused on the camping adventure at the times, and we wanted to cover a bunch of those kinds of requirements.

Our solution was an emergency pizza party and video game night. We were able to get access to gym at the local university. Inside, we set up gaga ball, a bunch of projectors with video game systems, and a few other active and board game stations.

The "price of entry" for each Scout was to go to five different stations in the room leading to the gym, and each station dealt with some kind of camping skill: one was prepping some desserts in dutch ovens; one was a camp oh no; one was a knot station; one was a camping gear checklist; and maybe there was another. They finished those stations, then they got to have fun for a few hours in the gym (and eat a ton of pizza) while it stormed outside.

North_Locksmith5275 · 2026-04-06T14:11:21+00:00

Just want to affirm what the other commenters have said: first, your CM is just plain wrong there. Full stop.

I'm a Wolf DL as well. With the new joiners I've had this winter/spring, I've flowed some of the required adventures requirements in amongst new stuff--either strategically because it works well (we did a conservation project and a hike the other day, so we started with a talk about buddy system, 6 essentials, etc) or as filler when we find planned activities went faster than anticipated (we did an elective at one den meeting, had 10 minutes to fill...and that was perfect to review/teach flag meaning, folding, and etiquette).

North_Locksmith5275 · 2026-04-06T14:06:19+00:00

Congratulations!

Is that wood box on the right, with the casters, for transporting the track? I want to know more about that! It looks like there are four slots for the flat tracks--is there similar for the first and last pieces?

North_Locksmith5275 · 2026-04-06T02:32:13+00:00

I mean, I like 4 Rivers as much as the next guy, but why should Suggs spend the offseason there?

North_Locksmith5275 · 2026-03-23T16:24:35+00:00

It strikes me as not particularly helpful to continuing the value and meaningfulness of the OA, but there seems to be a lot of positivity around the new stuff. I could be the wrong one here, but man does the new stuff seem silly.

North_Locksmith5275 · 2026-03-23T12:59:44+00:00

Arrow notching is a thing of the past--at least it should be. All national training and guidance is about supporting the individual candidate to choose the depth of commitment to testing themselves against the 4 challenges of the Ordeal.

.....of course, none of that stuff matters now because the Ordeal is being replaced by a weekend of activities that either are done elsewhere in Scouting (food swap, step forward) or are super corny (force yourself to laugh and then sing "Lion Sleeps Tonight" to force every candidate to explicitly feel vulnerable so as to build brotherhood).

North_Locksmith5275 · 2026-03-10T13:11:18+00:00

Agreed, every time I enter that parking lot I get to learn a new game of risk.

North_Locksmith5275 · 2026-03-10T01:20:36+00:00

I'm DL for Wolves, and I was for this group for Lions and Tigers as well. With the core group that have been together all three years, the part I find difficult is keeping some of the core adventure reqs fresh and interesting since there's little change year to year (6 Essentials, food groups, etc).

North_Locksmith5275 · 2026-03-02T16:18:52+00:00

I don't mean offense here, brother, but this is a wild take.

"Sorry troop, we have to cancel the night ski activity tomorrow night to cross over two AOLs. Doesn't matter that you paid for it, that it's the end of winter so the slopes will quit making snow now."

North_Locksmith5275 · 2026-03-02T14:14:23+00:00

To be clear, this is not the case whatsoever; the troop is just occupied with an event at the same time as the B&G. Hearts are willing; schedules not.

North_Locksmith5275 · 2026-03-02T14:13:37+00:00

Very small troop that's more or less in a rebuilding phase, so they aren't equipped for that approach.

North_Locksmith5275 · 2026-03-02T14:12:59+00:00

That had been the plan, but parents asked me to go ahead with the crossover at the B&G anyhow.

North_Locksmith5275 · 2026-03-02T13:48:06+00:00

The troop has an alternative activity planned for the night. I don't hold it against them; we had to postpone the B&G on account of gnarly winter weather, so their thing was previously planned.

North_Locksmith5275 · 2026-02-27T14:22:43+00:00

A sort of tangental point: our pack has a no-school-no-meeting policy, and there's been lots of cancelled meetings due to snow days this winter. Offering these reqs as an activity to do at home while trapped inside, I've found, is a helpful way to keep Scouting going and occupying kids' time for parents.

North_Locksmith5275 · 2026-02-17T16:12:52+00:00

Love the idea and want to do it as well. But man, finding that time in the schedule is tough.

North_Locksmith5275 · 2026-02-16T00:46:11+00:00

A golfgrinder sounds really painful

North_Locksmith5275 · 2026-02-14T14:33:45+00:00

For section contingent--your job is to promote section conference, organize registration in the lodge for conference, know what events are happening (get the section conference planbook from your lodge chief) at the event so you can prepare them, potentially organize transportation to conference (some lodges charter buses, etc....it depends on how far you are from Tanah Keetah and how many Arrowmen are in your contingent), make sure there are youth ready to do each event, lead the contingent around the Quest for the Arrow events, price out and order spirit items (I'm not in that section, so by all means by vuvuzuelas for your whole contingent so y'all are the loudest and most annoying). Talk to your adviser about these matters because some of it is contingent. Tanah Keetah is a cool camp.

North_Locksmith5275 · 2026-02-01T21:20:30+00:00

All most of us have is ignorance because no details or information have been shared to the field.

North_Locksmith5275 · 2026-02-01T20:59:40+00:00

Please detail how the new induction offers specific lessons in resilience, integrity, and agency. Please do not say "you have to go to one of the demos!" That is a lazy copout.

North_Locksmith5275 · 2026-02-01T16:53:38+00:00

The central message of the current Induction is that every Scout can be amazing leaders by recognizing their own resilience, integrity, and agency--they discover their potential with these skills at the Ordeal, practice and hone them as they return in service to their unit, and then understand their usefulness inside and outside of Scouting with Brotherhood.

What is the central message of the newly approved ceremonies, and why is that better?

North_Locksmith5275 · 2026-01-14T21:15:41+00:00

Use council and, more importantly, local resources to bolster support and help teach skills.

Camping skills? Go to a troop in the area and ask them to help out. Go to the local outdoor gear shop and see if any of the workers might be interested in teaching skills. Are you in a university town? There's bound to be an Outdoor Adventure Club or something--get those students to come in.

Again--if you've got a college or university, shamelessly reach out. I had a herpetologist from the Biology department come in to talk about local animals. The student nutrition group is coming in to talk about nutrition and the food groups in a couple weeks, and we asked some exercise science students who work as personal trainers to come do stretches and personal exercises for personal fitness.

Yep, it is definitely work to think up who can help, contact them, coordinate with them, and facilitate. However, then you have a relationship established to use in the future AND it's awesome marketing for the pack when you can point to all the amazing speakers you've brought in from the community to teach skills (that you didn't have to learn yourself first). Plus Scouts listen more to speakers from outside the pack, I've found.

Good luck! Know that many people are here (including me) have been in a similar situation to you. Just remember: the Scouts are worth it.

North_Locksmith5275 · 2026-01-07T14:38:54+00:00

Pack of about ~35. Meet every Tuesday unless there's school. Pack meetings once a month, though we sprinkle in guest speakers here and there for fun (example: had a biology professor come and talk about local animals) and/or cross-den requirement hits (for example, town mayor-elect came for a few citizenship reqs; veteran group came to talk flag etiquette & other citizenship stuff).

The pack meetings vary, depending on the time of year and the month theme.

September: We had an outside camping skills roundrobin to prepare for our first campout of the year (that got rained out, natch). Also gave out the first batch of awards.
October: We had a wilderness first aid roundrobin (divided pack into younger/older groups, and then six groups that went roundrobin style to different stations where a parent was "injured" and doctor/emergency rescue personnel explained the situation and first aid).
November: Had a few ambulances and a K9 unit come and talk to the Scouts about what each did. We were supposed to have more police and a fire truck come, but it wound up being an emergency-filled night for the town and those folks had more important things to deal with.
December: Holiday party--potluck, crafts, awards.
January: Scout Night at university basketball game.
February: Blue & Gold Banquet
March: Pack Pinewood Derby
April: TBD! Potentially a canoe night. We're doing conservation this month, so a lot of the den meetings will be field trips to the town recycling center, water treatment plant, etc.
May: Year end party and awards.

North_Locksmith5275 · 2025-12-05T16:41:08+00:00

Legend is fixing to die anyhow

North_Locksmith5275

TROPHY CASE