“Notes’N’News”
Valley Highlands Area Newsletter… January 2005
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“Notes’N’News” |
Volume one #3 Editor:
Chris Tyler. Email FirstscoutKim@aol.com
Full Last New First Full Last Dec 28th Jan 3rd Jan 10th Jan 17th Jan 25th Feb 2nd Sunrise 7.20 am Moonrise 2.04
am
Greetings from Sunny Florida, Happy New Year to you all. Thankyou to all of you who wrote to me following November’s launch of our new Area e-newsletter. Many of you felt that ideas for the name should have been solicited from the Area membership. I agree, but we had to start somewhere.
So…. Here it is… our first Competition “What’s in a
Name” All Adults and Youth are asked to let us have your suggestions not
later than
Commissioner Jim…
Alyssa, DAC-Youth…
Well, It appears the New Year has sprung upon us without warning once again. Oh … How I do not know where time goes! There is a tradition that most people find silly that comes along with the New Year… The Resolution… The dreaded promises we make ourselves which no one can keep, but make anyway. Most people make one to stop smoking, while others avow to lose weight. (I wish you Luck.)
For this scouting year I have decided to make a resolution. I have never before made a resolution for the Scouting year, or for that matter for scouting. But this year is different in so many ways… Not least of which has been my appointment to Valley Highlands Area as D.A.C.-Youth. For the uninitiated that means Deputy Area Commissioner for Youth. At the beginning of the year I told myself that I wanted to change the way that the position of DAC was looked at. I want to it to be something that means a lot to the scouting community. I want the position, in the future, to be well known and respected in our community. I want Scouter’s and Youth to know that through the position of DAC Youth means that the Youth truly have an ear and a voice in Valley Highlands. And that can mean change where change is needed. I have figured this out without help from anyone and have at long last I have begun to understand what I am supposed to do.
I am supposed to help the youth understand the way the program is run,
and (with your help) help them to get a better experience out of the programs
we offer.
.
At the outset I thought that if I made a mistake I would be turned down, pushed away, and told “You messed up.”
I now know that my mistakes help, my voice is listened to, and acted upon and my ideas are respected. I wanted to change something – anything, but I did not know what if anything I, as a youth could change. Now I realize I cannot do this alone… But what I can do is put myself out there as the human face of the position. I can let non-believers have the chance to really believe in the ability and power of our Youth. But You have to talk to me, All of you.
So there is method in my madness
I want to put my face out there; I want to
attend the major functions of your Group, Whether it is a family banquet, a
sleepover, a campout, or a presentation.
I want to talk to your Youth face to face. So people, write me an e-mail and send me an
invitation… please, and let me know what your group is planning. Let us all work to make this position work
for Valley Highlands. My email address
is Smart_kid31@Hotmail.com
I said I wanted to change something… Well here it is… I want to change the program for the older youth in the scout troop. The 12 and a half plus age group. Give them something just for themselves… A Challenge.
I want to present this challenge in person so please invite me to your troop meeting….O.K.
A Final word… John C. Maxwell said “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and, show’s the way. Well… I’m Learning, Which is why I’m called a DAC rather than a leader.
I wish you, and your families, Our Leaders and their families, and last but definitely not least our Youth and their families the very best for the New Year. May good health and fortune be counted among your many blessings in 2005.
Alyssa Comstock.
Upcoming Program Events… For
Details please contact: -
January 5th… Winter Camp Skills }
January 15th… Kim & Keo Workshops } Roger Nuttall Tel: 264 0687
January 29th/30th… Camp Zero (Scouts) ]
February 5th … Cub Winter Challenge ] Ken Richardson Tel: 258 1348
Useless Trivia… You can run with the big dogs… or sit on the porch and bark.
In the news…
As District Scout Leader, I started the “Freezie Award” many years ago as an incentive to get the Scouts of Eastern Croydon District, Greater London Southwest. U.K. to attend winter Camp. Since that time it has grown into an international club with Scouts, Cubs and even a few Beavers braving the elements to claim membership. Imagine my surprise when I received a request from a Scout Group in Sweden who claimed membership, not for their Youth… but for the 24 pairs of Parents, none of who had ever camped before. The Youth challenged their Parents to camp out in order to raise funds for a new Scout Hall in Ostersund. Maybe there is an idea here for your group to raise funds… Get your parents out for a sponsored winter weekend camp in below freezing temperatures. However, they should each be sponsored for a minimum of $50.00 per night (5 sponsors @ just $10.00 each). If you can’t think of a good reason to raise the funds… give it to the local food bank. I will institute a new “Companion Freezie Award” especially for the purpose. Now who will be first to claim…? Don’t forget the photos, date, place and group/section name please.
Useless Trivia… Well done is better than well said.
New Years Resolutions…
Well, the New Year is upon us once more and it is time to make plans to change things for the better…. That’s what resolutions are… Plans to make changes… You know the simple things … like getting more homework done before TV. Cleaning up your room without being nagged at… But there is more…Much more that you can do… here’s an idea…
Make a shoebox emergency kit…. As I sit here writing this newsletter, the world’s worst ever natural disaster is playing out before our very eyes. I speak of course of the earthquake and Tsunami in Asia. With 42,000 dead and (oh no make that 52,000 dead) and millions homeless and short of supplies and food there will never be a better time to help others. You will need a small box…. Then visit a store and buy a few things to put in it…. Like a sachet of shampoo, a travel size toothpaste, a child’s size toothbrush, a small bar of soap, a comb, a safety razor, a few Band-Aid’s, a few boiled candies, some tea bags, sugar cubes or sachet’s, powdered milk sachet’s, a Granola bar, a small packet of nuts, a small chocolate bar, a packet of soup and small packet of crackers, Don’t forget a paper cup, oh… and half a roll of toilet paper. A small bottle of water, A large Ziplock bag for water/storing things (can double as wash bowl) a small flashlight, a nightlight candle and book of matches. A book of puzzles etc, some crayons, a pencil, paper to write on, a couple of envelopes and a couple of postage stamps. Finally a large bag of long grain rice. Seal the box and wrap in gift paper left over from Christmas. Then either keep it for an emergency at home or send it to the RED CROSS so that they can use it in this emergency. I made 100 boxes (Actually... they were bags.) last year at a cost of $35.00… that’s just $2.85 each. All the goodies were bought at Dollerama on Brockville St. in Smiths Falls. (except the rice.)
Useless Trivia… Kites
rise highest against the wind…not
with it.
Why Children Hobby Hop…
As soon as 8-year-old Elizabeth Nowak chose to sign up for the swim team rather than soccer, a case of hobby hopping struck. "A week after soccer registration closed, she told me that she had changed her mind," says her mother, Cristy.
Children of Beaver to Scout Age have a short attention span and often get out of their depth when it comes to hobbies and other extra curricular activities. Occasional 180-degree interest shifts like Elizabeth's are natural at this age. Curiosity and diversity are two of the hallmarks of 5 to 9-year-olds and their interests may not last long. So how do you know whether the child's lack of resolve to stick with violin lessons or horseback riding is more than a result of the normal waxing and waning in enthusiasm?
PASSING INTERESTS
Gordon Weiner, Ph.D., director of psychology training at the Walker Home and School in Needham, MA, suggests that parents and group Leaders play "detective" and search for the underlying cause of the child's sudden drop in interest. Sometimes kids want to give up an activity because they've found it wasn't all they thought it would be, or because their friends moved on to another project. It's easy to get caught up in an activity because "everyone else" is doing it, and then drop the hobby just as fast when the fad runs its course.
Since children are often involved in many activities, they may want to quit simply because they're overloaded, says Weiner. Take a look at your child's calendar to determine if you are seeing a burnout.
This puts Scouting in a unique position because we can offer “Taster” activities which whilst satisfying short-term interests (and badgework) may also spur long-term interest.
A BAD ENVIRONMENT?
If your child seems depressed or worried, or doesn't want to continue with something he used to like, the reasons may be more complex. He may be having a problem with the instructor or with one of the other children in the group. If you suspect a peer or instructor conflict, Folds suggests talking with the child and the Parents to see whether the situation can be remedied. "There may be some things going on in that group that you don't want your child involved in," she adds. In Scouting we, as leaders must be very wary of this situation, bad news travels fast and far.
Activities
can also lose their appeal when kids struggle with issues of perfectionism or
self-confidence. If this is the case, it
may be time for a conversation about the joy of learning by experimenting,
regardless of the outcome. Whether to allow the child to quit in these
situations is another subject entirely, say Folds and Weiner (see "5 Key
Questions").
If your child has a tendency to abandon things easily, Folds recommends staging a trial run before adding an activity to the schedule. Many programs (including ours) allow youth to try or observe a class for free.
"I think hobby hopping should not necessarily be discouraged," argues Nowak, who ultimately let Elizabeth drop swimming — only because the season hadn't started yet. "A child needs to be able to try many different things in order to discover talents and true interests, as well as satisfy that curious little itch."
5 Key Questions
Before you let your youth drop Scouting in favour of piano lessons or Little League, ask yourself these questions:
1. Does the activity/program match the child’s abilities? Sometimes a child’s desire to participate may exceed her skill level, or her natural skill may be greater than her interest. If there’s a mismatch, look for a more appropriate activity.
2. Whom is the hobby for? Make sure the child isn’t participating in it just to please you or his or her parents.
3. Are the Parents or I showing a lack of involvement? That could lead the child to say, "Well, it’s really not important to Mum & Dad or Bubbles, Akela, or Skip so it’s not important to me."
4. Is the child’s health or emotional well-being at risk? If you answer yes, it’s time to move on.
5. What might be learned by sticking it out? This could be a great opportunity to teach values, planning and perseverance. Adapted from an article in Parenting Magazine.
Krafty Ideas….
Valentines Day is coming soon, - in the middle of a very busy month - FEBRUARY. Maybe now is a good time to think about making cards to send out in a few weeks time. After all… In February there is the Cub Winter Challenge, Klondike, Beaver Brrrr, Torchlight Parade and making a start on KUB-Cars as well as your section program. Not to mention “Friendfest” Our outreach/recruitment campaign. (See Dec notice from Voyageur Office.) Yes indeed a busy month ahead.
What’s in your Firstaid Kit… With all the problems currently
giving concern with pain relievers, Scouter’s should be aware that they are at
risk of a law suite if they give pain killers to youth in their care, and the
becomes seriously ill. It might be
prudent for Leaders to ask parents to supply such drugs for each of their
children, in case they may be needed whilst the youth are in your care. It
might also be prudent to ask for a signed “Permission to Administer Drugs Form”
This should state the type of drug, dosage and quantity that the parents are
supplying. These drugs should be kept in separate files clearly marked with the
youth’s name and dosage. A small
“Ziplock” poly bag attached to the health form would seem the best way to do
this in order to reduce bulkiness. Better safe than sorry.
Useless Trivia
There are but two
things worth living for…. To do what is worthy of being written; And to
write what is worthy of being read; and greater of these is the doing. Albert
Pike.
Life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans. John Lennon.
Weather… (Reading Weather Charts…)
Reading a weather map may look complicated at first, but once you understand the symbols it is really no different from any other map – a piece of paper covered with signs and symbols representing something tangible.
Lets look at these symbols and their meaning: -
1.
Isobars, are like contour lines, they link points of
equal air pressure, as
Contour lines link points of equal height. Isobars also indicate the pressure level. If the Isobars are close together (much like the contour lines on a topo map indicate steepness of slope) they indicate a fast fall in pressure and this is called a “Depression” or “Low” and produces high winds, and, if far apart they are known as an Anti-cyclone and mean light winds. Winds blow from high into low-pressure areas. However the wind does not blow directly into the Low-pressure zone, but rather in an anti-clockwise motion from right to left. Depressions can be very large. At the center of the depression Air rises, cools and water in the air condenses to form clouds and rain or snow. In most Depressions, the rain and clouds tend to come in troughs and fronts.
2. Buys Ballot Law. Stand with your back to the wind and the center of the depression (Low) will be on your left-hand side.
3. Fronts. A ‘front’ is the frontier
between an area of warm air and an area of cold air, and marks the edges of two
air masses of different origins. The
cold air will fall and the warm air will rise over the cold air causing clouds
and rain. Fronts are indicated as
follows.
=
Warm Front =
Cold Front
The
bumps or points also indicate the direction the front is moving, A mixture of
bumps and points indicates a mixture of warm and cold air known as an occlusion
and this can make for prolonged outbursts of rain, then showers and perhaps
thunderstorms. Occlusions are slow
moving and take time to clear.
N
4.
Beaufort symbols. You will also notice that weather maps are
covered with arrow like symbols that look like this (fig.1) 995 is the
barometric pressure. F is the Beaufort
notation for fog. 12 is the visibility =
12 miles.
Figure
1
So, it will be seen that our
weather is made up from a combination of factors – Air pressure, temperature,
and wind. Both direction and speed
or force of the wind make a considerable difference to the kind of weather
we get at any given time. As a rough guide the following charts show what
to expect in summer and in winter.
The small circle at the top of the arrow marks the location of
the weather station. The direction of
the arrow’s arm indicates the direction the wind is coming FROM. (In this case the S.W.) And the little bars jutting off like feathers
indicate the wind force Each long bar is equal to two Knots, so an arrow with
two and a half bars indicates a wind force of 5 knots. Just make this clear, here are a few more
examples. (fig 2.)
Figure 2.
Summer
Wind direction; Brings;
North Cool weather, especially at night; rain, or fog haze.
North-East/East Colder winds, but generally fine.
South/Southwest Warm Dry.
West Warm, changeable
Northwest Cooler, showery.
Winter
North/Northeast Cold, rain and snow
South/Southeast Clear, cold, brisk
Southwest/West Dull, cold, wet
Northwest Very cold, sleet, hail, snow
We have seen here that the weather comes in waves, therefore by studying the weather for a few days before a trip you can get a good idea of the kind of weather to expect. This is known as forecasting. Get the weather information for the area of the trip and make a chart. Armed with this information you can then make a decision to go or stay. You have to understand the data and what it means in order to make a forecast. Here is an actual chart that I made for a trip from London – North Wales a few years back.
Figure 3. The daily forecasts indicated a clearing trend – thereby influencing our decision to Go.
Useless Trivia… You exercise your right of choice every time you choose not to decide.
For your reading pleasure…
After some considerable research, your editorial team presents your BOOK READING LIST for these cold winter weeks when there is little or no scOUTdoor activities happening. May we recommend…?
The French Chef – by Sue Flay. Tight Situation – by Leah Tard. Unemployed – by Ahnida Job.
Off To Market – by Tobias a. Pig. I Lived In Detroit – by Helon Earth. Handel’s Messiah – by Ollie Luya
Downpour – by Wayne Dwops. Cloning – by Ima Double. Holmes Does It Again – by Scot Linyard.
Home
Alone IV – by Eddy Buddyhome. Neither a Borrower – by Nora Lenderbe. The Scent Man – by Jim Nasium. Is O.J. Guilty? – by Howard I. Know Animal Illness – by Ann Thrax.
And Finally…
40 Yards to the Latrine – by Willie Makeit and Betty Wont.
Useless Trivia…
What
is the oldest building material still in use today Bricks…The Egyptian’s used them 7000 years
ago.
What is the average life span of human hair Three Years.
How many hours did
Noah Webster spend compiling
the first American
dictionary? Thirty-six.
Solve this riddle… if you can!
A man was driving home from work one evening when he comes upon an automobile accident. Since he is a doctor, he stops the car and goes to the scene to see if he can help. He tells the police Officer that he is a Doctor. The policeman takes the doctor to where the casualty is lying, to his horror he discovers the injured person is his own son. “I can’t treat this person” he tells the cop, “he is my son” He rushes his son to the hospital where the boy is taken into surgery. Another doctor enters, looks at the injured child and exclaims, “I cannot operate on this boy – he is my son”
How can this be? … Answer next month.
Hidden Treasure in Westboro’ Village, Ottawa…
I wonder how many of you have been inside the TRAILHEAD building in Westboro Village in Ottawa?
The Address is 1960 Scott St. near the Westboro Bus Station. This is a real treasure. When Chris Harris and Wally Schaber first built the post and beam building it was the largest commercial building of its kind east of the Mississippi.
Chris’s brother, Rob, provided the logs used in the structure. They are untouched cores of scorched western forest fire trees.
Chris and Wally were twenty-five when they opened their first store. Their love of the outdoors was transferred into providing the best equipment for others who shared their passion. Along with an amazing stock of everything for the outdoor enthusiast they have ample room to display their tents and canoes in summer and cross country ski’s and snowshoes in winter. And of course a huge range of outdoors clothing. Store hours are 09.30 – 7pm Thursday and Friday 9am – 9pm Saturday and 11am – 5.00pm Sundays. But that’s not all…
The upstairs houses the CANADIAN SKI MUSEUM. This little gem is tucked away on the second
floor of the Trailhead building.
Unfortunately there is no lift so it may be a bit awkward for those who
have difficulty with stairs. Although
the museum only displays a fraction of its vast collection it is well worth a
visit. The self-guided display is open
from 9am – 5pm Monday – Friday and 11am – 4pm on Saturdays. The door to the museum is on the long side of
the building, facing Scott St. the Museum has a national mandate to preserve
the history skiing in Canada. If you
plan to take your youth for a visit, please phone first… Phone
# 722 3584.
Useless Trivia…Experience is a wonderful thing… It enables you to recognize a mistake each time you make it!
Think about it… A
missionary in communist China wrote a letter home to her son, in it she told of
all the good things that the mission had accomplished and anecdotes of the
children at the mission school. At the
end of the letter she added a note… “I
hope this letter reaches you, the censors here are very tough”. When
the letter arrived at the son’s home another note had been added which
read “There are no censors in China.”
What is Childhood…II
Last month I included two exerts from a “success by six publication” on childhood. This month I want to discuss the “TWEENS” that’s the age group between eight and thirteen years, Or if you prefer Cubs through Scouts. This age group is the most easily influenced and the second largest (and growing) market in the world today, second only to the babyboomers. Although they do not actually control the purse strings, they are being brainwashed by the giants in almost every market you can name. In turn they badger parents and other family members with must have demands for everything from cell phones to pizza, from brand name clothes to computer games, from sports wear to carbonated drinks… from make-up to shampoo… hair-do’s to hair removal creams… from face lifts to breast implants, and… Well! Because we want our kids to have the best (and to shut ‘em up) we give in… to the tune of 38 BILLION Dollars in North America alone. Girls are the worst offenders here… (Boys are apparently less gullible) Many Internet sites appeal to girls by offering goodies to selected girls of around twelve. - In exchange for showing the goodies to their friends at slumber parties and sleepovers and sending back market information (In the form of a game questionnaire.) - The child receives a fifty-dollar gift voucher of their choice. Fifty Dollars to a Twelve-year-old is like winning the lottery.
Recently a video was sent out of a (gullible?) twelve-year-old female singer (?) Eight thousand girls were invited hold sleepovers of ten or more girls to discuss the video and suggest how they thought it could be made better. Everything from the song… the voice… the hairstyle… the make-up… the way the singer dressed… the setting… the lighting… the boys… the sensuality of the content… the list goes on. Do the math. The opinions of EIGHTY THOUSAND prospective customers for a measly $400,000… er! Umm! Ah! That’s $5.00 a head. Now why would they do that? To ensure that the next 100 or a so artist who make Music Videos, CD’s and the multibillion-dollar spin off’s in clothes, accessories, and even home décor … SELL. SELL. SELL.
So what you may ask has this got to do with Scouting? Well firstly it reinforces the view that we should ask our Youth what kind of program they want… within the structure of the organization and its aims and objective… and give it to them. And that our groups will be bigger and better if we market Scouting… Properly.
Does that mean that I agree with the above article? … Certainly not… But I do think that we as Adult Leaders have a role to play in helping to educate our youth members so that they are better equipped to evaluate and to make sensible choices… Don’t You?
It could happen to you…
Two men were travelling on a train for the first time. Both had brought along a banana for lunch. Just as the first man bit into his banana the train entered a tunnel. First Man – “Did you take a bite of your Banana?” Second Man – “No, why.” First Man – “Well don’t, I just did and went blind!”
Where there’s a will – there’s a way… A strange, but true story…
A New Yorker was fed up with the sanitation workers going off the job for the second time this summer, so he devised a plan to dispose of his garbage. Each day he wrapped his garbage in gift-wrap and drove to the shopping mall. He would leave the “Gift” on the seat of the car with the window open. When he returned to the car the “Garbage” had always been collected.
Game Trails… If you look closely at the ground in meadows and forests, you can often see little paths used by animals. These are called “Game trails” They can be used by all sizes of creatures from mice to coyotes, to travel safely from the cover of the forest to the nearest watering hole. Try to find a game trail near your home or campsite and build a blind within view of it. After a few days the wildlife will get used to it being there and no longer take any notice of it. QUIETLY sit behind your blind and wait to what creatures use the trail. Make sure you stay quiet and still – especially if you see a skunk.
The Facts… of (married) life… A young man came home from the office the day after his honeymoon to find his new bride sobbing convulsively. “I feel terrible” she told him. “I was pressing your new suit and burned a hole right in the seat of your trousers” “Forget it” consoled her husband. “Remember, I told you I’ve got an extra pair of pants for that suit” “Yes, and lucky you did.” Said the woman drying her eyes. “I used them to patch the hole.”
AND…
A couple, just married, received among their wedding gifts two tickets to a very fine show, with the notation “Guess who” on the tickets. The couple went to the show and upon returning home found all of their wedding presents gone. A note was left on the hallstand that read “Now you know”
And…
Wife… “ I dreamed you gave me a hundred dollars for summer clothes last night, you wouldn’t spoil that dream would you” Husband… “No Dearest, you may keep the hundred dollars”
And Finally… An epitaph on a child’s grave in a Plymouth,
Mass. Cemetery reads: -
“Since I’ve been so quickly done for – I wonder what I was begun for”
Final Copy Date for next issue. 15th January 2005 Next issue 2nd February 2005