January 9th, 2007 11:47pm
spryken
858 views
OK, maybe it is my background with a Masters of Divinity. Maybe it is a special alignment of stars. Who knows why, but the Duty to God portion of the Scout Oath and Law have been weighing heavily on my mind. Our district Roundtable this month featured a presentation on “Duty to God”. Since my post on the “Exclusivity of Scouts“, I have considered the National Boy Scouts of America stance on religion and homosexuality. While I wish BSA took a position more in keeping with the World Organization of the Scout Movement, they do not.
That said, I have seen and experienced that the BSA is open to all faiths. They just ask that you acknowledge the spiritual aspect of life and our duty to a higher power or spirit.
The BSA does not have an official Duty to God patch. It does recognize the awards of varying faith communities. It is up to the faith community to make the award and to set the requirements. A great resource for information on the available Duty to God awards (or the equivalent for the faith community) is P.R.A.Y. or Programs of Religious Activities with Youth. P.R.A.Y. is a clearinghouse of information.
If you haven’t checked it out, please do. Encourage your boys to grow in the spiritual aspect of their scouting life.
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January 8th, 2007 08:47am
spryken
1,194 views
Most people are aware of common dangers associated with winter sports. You know injuries due to slipping on wet and frozen surfaces, frostbite, hypothermia, etc.
These are all serious dangers and precautions should be taken to prevent or avoid them. But what about dehydration? Backpacking is still an aerobic exercise. It is strenuous. You may not realize how much moisture you are losing. Besides what you sweat out and the many layers of wick-away fabric absorb, you are also losing moisture with every breath you take. Do you see your breath? That is precious body moisture slipping away.
Symptoms of mild dehydration include:
- dark urine
- nausea or loss of appetite
- irritability
- thirst
Symptoms of moderate dehydration include:
- headache
- dizziness
- labored breathing
- tingling in the extremities
- lack of salivation - (no spit)
- cyanosis (bluish or grayish skin color)
Symptoms of severe dehydration include:
- swollen tongue
- dimming vision and impaired hearing
- shriveled or numb skin
- painful urination
- delirium
- unconsciousness
How can you treat dehydration? Drink liquids and keep warm. The best treatment is to never let it happen! You may not feel thirsty, drink anyway. Some people like the “sports drinks”. I like water. I think the sports drinks are sugary and am not convinced the aid in preventing dehydration any better than water. I bring along salty snacks to stimulate thirst. And as most backpackers, I graze all day on the trail.
Using a hydration system, such as the Platypus, you can drink water without having to pull out a water bottle or drop your pack. I like the Platypus system because the plastic “bottles” are extremely light weight and you can roll them up or fold them when empty. Most traditional packs now include a hydration pocket with openings for the drink tube.
Drinking water is the key to avoiding dehydration. However, you have to be able to get the water. In cold weather the drinking tubes of hydration systems can get blocked by the very water they carry, that is ICE. I keep my water in my tent where body heat can keep it thawed. If it is extremely cold, I keep it in my sleeping bag. I had a scout on a winter 50-miler, who learned this lesson the hard way. It had gotten down to 13 degrees F and he had left his water outside his tent. Unfortunately for him, he did not tell anyone that he could not get any water from the drinking tubes. He had severe leg cramps by the end of the days hike. He is a tough guy and made it through. Lesson learned!! He is now my biggest advocate for staying hydrated.
It is easy to think “I need to drink some water, stay hydrated” in the summer when you are coated with sweat and really hot. It is not so easy in the winter. Dehydration is still a very real danger though. Keep drinking, even if you aren’t thirsty. The guideline is 8-12 glasses (8 ounce) of water a day. While backpacking or doing any strenuous activity, you need to increase that amount.
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January 3rd, 2007 11:38pm
spryken
665 views
Normally I would never perpetuate anything that even resembles a chain letter. I always check Snopes for urban legends before forwarding any email story. But my uncle Rich has tagged me and so I’m it. Since he has helped me get my site going both with advice and primarily encouragement, I will continue the game. The rules are (1) you write about five things that your readers might not know about you and (2) you tag five more bloggers who do the same.
- I definitely did not like backpacking as a Boy Scout. Funny how age changes your perspective.
- I was the first Eagle in my Troop.
- I have a Masters of Divinity but was never ordained or served in a church other than summer positions.
- Many people say I look like Dan Ackrod, especially in Ghost Busters.
- With a BA in Psychology and a M.Div., I make my living from an Associates’ degree in Computer Programming that I got after both of the other degrees, 15 years after my first degree.
Now I get to tag 5 bloggers. I tag Bob - a close friend and former colleague, Ted - a friend and fellow wine enthusiast, Clark Green and Walter Underwood - fellow Scoutmasters and Tom Mangan - a Hiking Blogger.
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January 2nd, 2007 11:22pm
spryken
1,437 views
Legacy of Honor: The Values and Influence of America’s Eagle Scouts
by Alvin Townley chronicles the impact of Eagle Scouts in the USA since World War II. This is the type of information that can inspire boys and keep leaders working.
Over the Christmas holidays, our Troop welcomed 2 new Eagle Scouts. Thinking of them and the death of President Gerald Ford, an Eagle Scout, had me pondering the role of current and past Eagle Scouts. Then the latest issue of Scouting Magazine arrived with a review of Legacy of Honor. I haven’t read it yet, but it is now on my list of books to read - SOON. In fact I have already ordered it.
Why Scouting I am sometimes asked. Just the few excerpts from this book that I have read have provided me with new answers. The biggest is because we make a difference!!
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December 11th, 2006 05:41pm
spryken
627 views
Crow, at As The Crow Flies, has posted an article listing the items carried in a backpacking wallet. One of the items was a “data card”. Included on the data card:
phone card number and pin, phone numbers of people I want to call, and
phone numbers of outfitters that I might have to order replacement gear
from, and my bank’s phone number
While I think these are good things to have on the data card, I would also include emergency contact numbers and any existing medical conditions.
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