Camp Fires

The ability to build a fire is an important skill.  With a camp fire you can cook food, purify water, keep warm and keep critters out of your camp. Most often, a camp fire a place where we can gather in the evenings to roast marshmallows.  

As a Boy Scout you will earn your Firem'n Chit. This shows that you have demonstrated the ability to start a campfire and that you have learned about fire sarefty.  As Webelos, we are going to start to introduce fire craft.  There are a few things to remember that will make your camp fire a success.

As Wolves and Bears we learned that fire needs 3 things.  Fuel, Air and Heat. The fuel we use is typically firewood.  The air is all around us.  The heat we will provide by using a fire starter.  This could be a match, a fire steel or friction. You can see a list of good fire starters here.

You also need some small material to get started.  Tinder and kindling are essential to starting your campfire. Here are some tips for building campfires.

When building a fire, you must keep safety your first priority.  The fire must be completely out before leaving a fire.

If you are going to have a campfire:

• Use an existing fire ring, don't create a new one. When not in a designated campground, build your fire within a ring of rocks.
• Clear all vegetation away from the fire ring (remove all flammable materials such as needles, leaves, sticks, etc.)
• Select an open level spot away from trees, logs, stumps, overhanging branches, dense dry grass, and forest litter.
• Keep your campfire small.
• Keep plenty of water and a shovel nearby for throwing dirt on the fire if it gets out of control.
• Never leave a campfire unattended! Even a small breeze could quickly cause the fire to spread. Make sure a responsible adult is always in attendance.

When putting out your campfire:

• First, drown the campfire with water!
• Next, mix the ashes and embers with soil. Scrape all partially-burned sticks and logs to make sure all the hot embers are off them.
• Stir the embers after they are covered with water and make sure that everything is wet.
• Feel the coals, embers, and any partially-burned wood with your hands. Everything (including the rock fire ring) should be cool to the touch. Feel under the rocks to make sure no embers underneath.
• When you think you are done, take an extra minute and add more water.
• Finally, check the entire campsite for possible sparks or embers, because it only takes one to start a forest fire.
• Remember…if it is too hot to touch, it is too hot to leave. 

Please take the time to completely put out your campfire, it could prevent a wildfire.

Smokey the Bear has a great website with more information on wildfire prevention

Water

The ability to stay hydrated is essential for survival. You need to drink water throughout the day to keep your self from dehydrating. It is always a good idea to bring a bottle of water with you in the woods.  At pack and counsel events there is always plenty of clean water around, but what about water that we see out in the wild.

Water from creeks, ponds, streams, or any unknown source is always assumed to be unclean.  If you must resort to drinking stream water, it must be made safe somehow.  The most reliable method to make water safe to drink is by boiling it.  Any bacteria or parasites  will be rendered harmless by boiling.  

There are other methods to make water safe to drink.

Filtering - A water filter like a "life straw" will filter out almost everything harmful

UV Light - This kind of light will kill microorganisms. This treatment requires clear water to be effective.

Iodine Tablets - These are tablets of a chemical that will make water safe to drink. They require time to work completely and may make water taste funny.

CDC's Drinking Water Fact Sheet

Internet Safety

A new requirement for Webelos this year is the Cyber Chip. With our youth spending so much time using computers and tablets, the BSA has adapted to modern times.  Just like how we learned about knife safety when we earned the Whittling Chip, we will learn about internet safety by earning the Cyber Chip.

All infomation required for the Cyber Chip can be found at Netsmartz.org

Grades 4-5 (Webelos Requirements) 

Read, commit to, and sign the Level 1 Safety Pledge. (BSA Cyber Chip blue card). 

Watch the video “The Password Rap” and another video of your choosing. 

As an individual or with your den, use the Teachable Recipes to demonstrate Internet safety rules to your den leader, den, or pack. 

Discuss with your unit leader the acceptable standards and practices for using allowed electronic devices, such as phones and games, at your meetings and other Scouting events.

This achievement must be "recharged" every year

Think of the Cyber Chip as a summertime assignment.  This is something easy that we can do independently with our parents and have completed for the first Pack Meeting in the fall.

Scout Oath and Scout Law

On my honor
I will do my best
To do my duty to God
and my country and to 
Obey the Scout Law
To help other people, 
To keep myself physically 
Strong, mentally awake and 
Morally straight.

A Scout is:

Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful
Friendly, Courteous, Kind
Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty
Brave, Clean, and Reverent

Here is a Printable copy of our Law and Oath

Outdoor Code and Leave No Trace

The Outdoor Code seems like a new addition to scouting, but here is a page from the March 1954 Boys Life magazine detailing the Outdoor Code.  

Scouts have been "Conservation Minded" for quite a long time.

Practicing "Leave No Trace" means to take nothing except pictures and to leave nothing except footprints.  

Ticks

Ticks are parasitic arachnids that feed on their host animals by burying their head under the host skin feeding on the host's blood.  Some ticks can cause disease, some do not. Any tick bite requires some level of medical attention. The best method of dealing with ticks keep them off of you altogether. 

Here is a deer tick.  It is shown on a man's fingernail for scale. They are about the size of a head of a pin or maybe 1-2 mm.  This is the tick that causes Lyme's Disease.  The Deer Ticks body is black.  It is sometimes found because it looks like a moving freckle.

This is a Wood Tick.  They are considerably larger than the Deer Tick and are reddish brown in color. Even though these ticks do not cause illness, the area of the bite may become infected, especially if the entire tick is not removed.

This is an engorged deer tick.  You can just see the black head and legs.  The entire abdomen is engorged with blood from its host.  When engorged the tick is many times larger than its original size.

The Mayo Clinic has the following advice for taking care of a tick bite:

• Remove the tick promptly and carefully. Use tweezers to grasp the tick near its head or mouth and pull gently to remove the whole tick without crushing it. Other methods — such as applying petroleum jelly, fingernail polish, rubbing alcohol or a hot match — aren't recommended.
• If possible, seal the tick in a container. Put the container in a freezer. Your doctor may want to see the tick if you develop signs or symptoms of illness after a tick bite.
• Wash your hands with soap and water. Also wash the area around the tick bite.

When to seek emergency care

Call 911 or your local emergency number if you develop:

• A severe headache
• Difficulty breathing
• Paralysis
• Heart palpitations

When to contact your doctor

• You aren't able to completely remove the tick. The longer the tick remains attached to your skin, the greater your risk of getting a disease from it.
• The rash gets bigger. A small red bump may appear at the site of the tick bite. This is normal. But if it develops into a larger rash, perhaps with a bull's-eye pattern, it may indicate Lyme disease. Also consult your doctor if signs and symptoms disappear because you may still be at risk of the disease. Your risk of contracting a disease from a tick bite depends on where you live or travel to, how much time you spend outside in woody and grassy areas, and how well you protect yourself.
• You develop flu-like signs and symptoms. Fever, chills, fatigue, body aches and a headache may accompany the rash.
• You think the bite site is infected. Signs and symptoms include redness or oozing.

Patrol Name and Uniforms

With the transition to Webelos just ahead of us, we need to decide on a patrol patch and name.  We will also be deciding (individually) if we want to wear the blue uniform or if we want to switch to the tan shirt.  If your blue shirt still fits and is in good condition use that one. If you think you need a new shirt because you grew, you might consider the tan one. If you get a tan one now you can wear it right into the Boy Scouts.

As Webelos we will also be starting to learn the "Patrol Method" that is used in Boy Scouts.  While as Bears we belonged to a den, as Webelos we will be part of a Patrol.  Each Patrol chooses their individual patch and name.  

Here is a catalog of hundreds of patrol patches that we can choose from.  Try to pick a few and we will all vote on which one we will wear on our uniforms.

Patrol Patches

Poisonous Snakes

Of all the reptiles you might encounter in our woods, only a few are poisonous. No Pennsylvania turtles or lizards are poisonous and only three snakes.  They are: the copperhead, the timber rattler and the massasauga.  These snakes are called "Pit Vipers".  If you are bitten by a snake it is important to remain calm and get medical attention. Even a non-poisonous snake bite will require aid and may require a tetanus shot. Doctors suggest that so-called snake bite kits that "extract the venom" actually do more harm than good.  A cell phone is your best first aid for a snake bite.  

Here is a copperhead.  It does not have a rattle. Copperheads are not usually aggressive and bites rarely result in death. They are sometimes called "upland moccasins".  This is the poisonous snake that you are most likely to see.

Here is a timber rattlesnake. These snakes are distributed throughout our state.

Due to the its long fangs overall size and venom capacity, this is our states most dangerous snake.

The conservation status of the Timber Rattler is "least concern"

Here is a massasauga. This snake is only found in a small section of Western Pennsylvania. It is endangered in our state and it is unlikely you would encounter one.

Penn State has a pamphlet about snakes that can be downloaded here:

Snakes

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will mail you a free snake poster that is filled with information - A Scout is Thrifty! Click the link below to go to their web site.

http://fishandboat.com/promo/form/pubs_free.htm 

Poisonous Plants

Hello Den 4

Part of the Webelos Walk-About Adventure is the identification of poisonous plants.  Here are a few pictures of some poisonous plants we may encounter this summer.

This is an example of Poison Ivy.  Notice the "leaves of three". Contact with any part of the plant can result in a very itchy allergic reaction and irritated skin. The leaves, roots and berries all contain the oil causes the reaction.

This is an example of Stinging Nettles.  Contact with this plant causes a severe, but temporary, burning sensation.  Stinging nettles usually grow in patches and have a distinctive smell.

 Foxglove is an attractive wild flower, but it is highly toxic.  This is the plant from which the poison Digitalis is derived. 

These are the berries of the Yew.  The yew is a very popular landscaping evergreen.  The seeds of the berries are highly toxic and cause documented deaths every year.

These are poke berries.  They look very edible, however, every part of the plant and the berries are highly toxic. This plant grows almost everywhere is very commonly seen.

Even though there are hundreds of edible plants, fruits and nuts to be found in the woods, it is important not to eat anything you find in the woods unless you (and your parents) are absolutely certain that it is something that will not harm you.  There are many plants that you can eat that look very much like a plant that may be very harmful.  There are also many plants that need special preparation before they can be consumed.  It is always better to bring a snack from home along with you and eat that when you get hungry.

Our Poisonous Plant Handout can be downloaded here:

Poisonous Plants

Knots

Hello Den 4

There are 4 knots that we need to master. The square knot, the bowline, the taut line hitch and two half hitches.  This chart has 40 scout knots.  They all have a purpose.  Knots called hitches attach rope to something. Whippings secure the ends of rope.  Lashings tie poles together

Here is a short video that highlights 7 knots.

All four required knots are demonstrated:  the square knot, the bowline, the taut line hitch and two half hitches.  All 7 of the knots are very nicely demonstrated and are all very useful.

If you cannot play the video, you can download it from this link:

7 Knots Every Scout Should Know

Welcome Webelos Scouts

Welcome New Webelos!

Now that our year as Bear Scouts is almost complete, we are starting our 2 year journey through Webelos. You will remember from your Bobcat Path that Webelos means "We'll Be Loyal Scouts".  These two years will be preparing you for the cross over into Boy Scouts.  There is a brand new book and a brand new curriculum for Webelos.  

There are plenty of things that we will do together as a patrol and there are things that you can do at home.  

There are merit opportunities at both residence camp and day camp.  

I will be posting things periodically that we can do independently as we work toward the Webelos Rank and the Arrow of Light.