Yesterday was our annual family Christmas Party. It was a nice gathering, but this year it took on a little bit more meaning for me.

According to latest research findings teenage obesity in America is increasing drastically. The rates at which teenage obesity is increasing are stunning. About 15%, to give exact figures 9 million teens in America below 15 years are obese. This figure is almost three times the teen obesity figures in 1980.
There are several teenage obesity causes. The main reasons for teenage obesity are – overeating and less activity or inactivity.
Now I don’t know about you, but I think this is crazy. Inactivity?
How does that happen?
I hate to play the “When I was a kid” card, but I can’t remember me as a boy being “inactive”. It seemed we were always doing something. Scouting enhanced the activity of course and I think that has a lot to do with how I grew up. But to say that 9 million teenagers in America are obese due to over eating and lack of activity is criminal.
The effects of obesity are great and if we want healthy adults we need to start with the youngsters. If 15% are obese now..they will surely be obese when they are older.

I know that all of you (in America) get and read Scouting Magazine, and for those of you that do not you can check it out online. I thought it was interesting and appropriate that Chief Scout Executive Bob Mazzuca, has challenged all of us in Scouting to “Get Physical” with his Active Outdoor Challenge. My disappointment with this is it took up a business card section in the latest Scouting Magazine. But it is worthy and a good program.
Here are the requirements of the Challenge:
1. Get your Scout Outside and Active for 12 monthly activities.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. Isaiah 9:2-7 (NIV)

We have had a major winter storm blow through our area this week. Lots of snow and ice have dumped on the metro area literally shutting down the city.
Yesterday, the Mayor of Gresham…yes… Gresham… declared a State of Emergency due to the weather.
Now I admit, I have never seen a December in Oregon quit like this one, but a State of Emergency?
Here’s the bottom line. BE PREPARED!
Sunday, our Troop was scheduled to set up the Nativity scene in the back of the church, as we do every year.
Saturday and into early Sunday morning, the phone began to ring. “Are we still setting up the manger?”
Yes we are.
And low and behold there were Scouts and Scouters in the back of the church at 11:30 on Sunday making ready to set up the Nativity scene.
We shoveled our way out, put on chains if needed, bundled up, and made our way to the church. We even assisted Father in getting his chains on and getting his car out of a jam.
We were prepared for the conditions, understood that life had to go on, and made it happen.
Yesterday, the city was in panic. Emergency services slowed, business’s shut their doors, and last minute shoppers frantically rattled the doors of shops with “CLOSED DUE TO THE WINTER STORM” signs on them.

Shelters are packed, soup kitchens are at capacity, I am glad we gathered all that food during Scouting for Food just a few short weeks ago.
It seems to me that we all need to just BE PREPARED a bit more. I keep getting asked about “What if your power goes out?”… “What about the heat?”….”Can you get around in this mess?”.

As if blogging on the Scoutmaster Minute was not enough. I am going to try to journal my Backpacking adventures also.
Today I started a new blog called the BP Journey. It will be my journal of backpacking. Tips, trips, and fun backpacking stuff.
No, I won’t stop my Backpacking tips of the week here, but you might just find them at the BP Journey also… plus more.

Hope you like it.

Have a Great Scouting Day!

The 27th show of the Scoutmaster Minute Podcast is up and ready for download. It is my Christmas greeting to all the faithful dedicated listeners of the Scoutmaster Minute Podcast and readers of the Blog.
It has been a great year of Scouting!

The other night I was asked by my good Scouting friend in Green Bay to be a guest on his New podcast.
Shawn is a Unit Commissioner in the Voyageur District of the Bay Lakes Council, as well as the Dad of a couple Cub Scouts and a little cub buddy.
Shawn maintains a good blog which address’s issues that are effected by the Commissioner corps, mainly units.
I was glad to hear that he decided to get into the podcast arena, as there are really no Scouting podcasts that center its focus on commissioner issues.

Shawn had another guest on the show, he friend and ADC of his District, Keith. Keith is a worldly Scouter and has experience in the program that makes us all look like rookies.
The shows topic was Webelos to Scout transition. A subject near and dear to me.
It looks like we went long, and so Shawn is running it in two parts, or at least making two shows out of it.

You can give it a listen by clicking on the link. The Commissioners Corner Podcast.
You can also check out his blog, if you have not already done so at The Commissioners Corner Blog.

It is a pleasure to have such great friends in Scouting.

Have a Great Scouting Day!

One Pot that is.
Backpackers are the masters of the one pot meal. One pot meals are also a great way to prepare meals in a cold weather environment.
Planning and preparing is made simple and the results are delicious.
Keeping Scouts warm starts with what they eat. When they prepare good meals, they eat better, when they eat better, they stay warm and have a great experience camping in the cold.

So start getting them thinking about the 1 pot meal.
Here are some benefits right up front.
First. Less mess. This means, less to clean up.
Second. Easy to prepare. As long as you are committed to preparing things at home, the one pot meal can literally take 5 to 10 minutes to prepare. Less hassle and less time.
Third. Good meals that everyone will like.
And finally, Less to carry. This is always a hit in our Troop.

Planning and preparation is the key. A simple idea of what you need, especially in the cold, what you like, and where you are going will dictate the contents of your meal.
Start with your Carbs. You are backpacking, or camping in the cold. You need to replace the energy that you burned all day. Grains are great for that, so look at pasta’s and rice. But you can turn to others too, cousus is a great substitute for rice.
Then pick a meat. Chicken, Salmon, and Ham all come inconvenient pouches that do not spoil. You can precook hamburger too, throw it in ziplock bag and freeze. An easy reheat, add macaroni noodles and some cheese and corn, and you have a nice one pot casserole. Hot, tasty, and filling.
Adding veggies is a must to. You want to ensure you are getting the vitamins to go with your meal, especially on longer trips. A good way of getting your veggies in is either dehydrating your veggies, or just using frozen or dried veggies. Corn, peas, or even mixed vegetables are easy and quick to cook. Transfer your veggies from their original bags to ziplock bags based on the serving size. Reconstituting the veggies in your meal is as easy as adding it to the pot.

So its real simple… it is as easy as 1-2-3.. Carb (Noodles, Rice, Potato), Meat (Hamburger, Ham, Chicken, Salmon) and a Vegetable (Corn, Peas). Get water boiling and voila!

Here is a good recipe to get your started.

Bacon And Pea Alfredo Pasta
recipe and photo from trailcooking.com

Last year during our January Camp out we got into a discussion about wind chill.
Now as you know, or may not know, the wind chill temperature is how cold people and animals feel when outside. Windchill is based on the rate of heat loss from exposed skin caused by wind and cold. As the wind increases, it draws heat from the body, driving down skin temperature and eventually the internal body temperature. Therefore, the wind makes it FEEL much colder. If the temperature is 0 degrees Fahrenheit and the wind is blowing at 15 mph, the wind chill is

The Guide to Safe Scouting Section 13 outlines Winter Camping Safety.
I have posted it here in it’s entirety:

There is magic to camping in winter. It is one of the most advanced and challenging of outdoor adventures. Special considerations for winter camping include the following:
1. Leadership.
In no other camp is the type of leadership as important as in the winter camp. It is vital that a leader be an experienced camper with a strong character.
2. Equipment.
Do not attempt to camp unless completely outfitted. Even if equipment for winter camp is more expensive than for summer camp, Scouts must be adequately clothed, and leaders should ensure that blankets and other equipment are of suitable quality and weight.
3. Physical Condition.
A physician’s certificate as to physical ability must be obtained by each Scout before preliminary training begins.

Those 17 tips for your winter camping experience are pretty basic and are of value to the average winter camper. You can refine that list and certainly add to it. As it reads in the Guide to Safe Scouting it is important to note that this list demonstrates common sense and basic skills. As stated at the outset.. there are three musts for winter camping with Scouts.
First is leadership. Leadership at both the youth and adult levels. Competent leaders that are skilled in camping in the winter. Just because you are a good camper when the weather is great does not mean you have the knowledge, skills, and most important the mind set to camp in the winter. Winter Camping can be very dangerous when not taken seriously. It can be the time of your life when done properly.
Equipment. I talk a lot about gear here at the Scoutmaster minute… and for those Scouts that are in my Troop, you know that I am a gear junky. The right gear for the right occasion is a good rule. Check out your gear, if you are not sure. Ask.
And finally, Physical conditioning. The cold will take you down if you are not ready for it. Backpacking or just camping in the winter is a whole different experience on your body. The cold can really wear it down. Along with physical conditioning it is important to maintain healthy mental fitness in the cold. Having the right attitude is key to surviving and using skills in the cold weather camping environment.

Get out there and Camp in the Cold. But use the G2SS, its a good place to start, but learn all you can before going out there. You will regret it if you do not go prepared.

Have a Great Scouting Day!