The ramblings of an ex BSA Varsity Team Coach on Scouting and specifically the Varsity program.
My thoughts, ideas and concerns are in no way connected or shared in any form or fashion by the Boy Scouts of America or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) who volutold me to serve as a Varsity Coach.
Some personal rambling too...........
(I am an Assistant Scoutmaster now that the Varsity Program has been murdered........)
This months theme for my Team is "PUMPKIN WARS"! Now you probably are wondering what the heck that means. We are building trebuchets and are going to be firing pumpkins (the ones about the size of softballs) at our campout. Tonight we will be building small table sized trebuchets so they can learn to work together and learn some of the physics behind the trebuchets. See them here. The Troop has asked to be involved in our plan since it sounds so unique. Since our Troop is more active than our Team, I anticipate being beaten by the Troop but hopefully my Team will see this as fun (especially since they planned this and came up with the idea) and beat the younger Scouts.
This is one of the videos we will be showing. Granted it is a catapult
but what boy doesn't wanna shoot stuff with a catapult/trebuchet?
Now our Scoutmaster, who I love like a brother, wants to build one of these. This one has got to violate the Guide to Safe Scouting somewhere. Not sure where but I am sure!
I am sure that after building these trebuchets, this is what the Team will want to do with them. Fun but an insurance nightmare!!
RESULTS OF TONIGHT'S ACTIVITY!:
The planning portion!
Just starting.
Planning.
Planning.
More planning.
Almost the finished product.
The finished product! Now next week, time to move up to the big boy trebuche.
This month's EYOS theme is knots, ropes and lashings. The "final exam" will be building human-powered water balloon catapult. Not exactly a "useful camp gadget", but it will really test their lashing skills. And when is the last time anyone actually lashed together and used a tripod at camp, anyway?
I contend that a catapult is a useful camp gadget. You never know when invaders will attack. Or another Troop will try to steal your food. Sounds like a ton of fun!! Try a pumpkin off of it and let me know how it works.
At one time during college I built a miniature trebuchet out of bamboo skewers lashed together with sewing thread. Added a little glue to the lashings just to make sure things held. I've thought several times since that it would be a fun project for Scouts. A full size one would be even better.
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This month's EYOS theme is knots, ropes and lashings. The "final exam" will be building human-powered water balloon catapult. Not exactly a "useful camp gadget", but it will really test their lashing skills. And when is the last time anyone actually lashed together and used a tripod at camp, anyway?
I contend that a catapult is a useful camp gadget. You never know when invaders will attack. Or another Troop will try to steal your food. Sounds like a ton of fun!! Try a pumpkin off of it and let me know how it works.
At one time during college I built a miniature trebuchet out of bamboo skewers lashed together with sewing thread. Added a little glue to the lashings just to make sure things held. I've thought several times since that it would be a fun project for Scouts. A full size one would be even better.
Pictures added from tonight's activity. Only one Varsity Scout in attendance. Choir and band concert destroyed attendance. Don't get me started.
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