The Lookouts comic book.

[robinhoodsghost]

There is a new comic book with a Ranger theme called....The Lookouts.
Hard to find, low print run. I read the my first issue today....not bad. I will probally get the rest, only 4 issues are out now.
It has a Ranger/ Boyscout troop theme. Check out the site at http://www.cryptozoic.com/comics/lookouts

Any members here former Scouts?

RHG

[Ringulf]

I was!

Trustworthy
Loyal
Helpful
Friendly
Couteous
Kind
Obedient
Cheerful
Thrifty
Brave
Clean
Reverent!

Alwayes prepared

Not to much different from a Ranger really when you look at it!

[man_of_tanith]

Former scout who went on to be leader of his old troop.
I left after few disgreements with higher up who got anxious bout me doing proper scout stuff.

Learnt a lot from scouts and will be sending my son to them.

I'll have a look at the comic now

[Beornmann]

I was a scout, but not very dedicated in advancing in rank and playing the game. We did a lot of camping, fishing, hiking, but we were the "bad" troop. We always started the snow-ball fight at freeze-outs, chewed (funny no one smoked), swore, firework & BB gun fights, and some minor scuffles. Nothing major and heinous, but rougher than most other scouts that I met.

Some of my best childhood memories are from scouting...the trip to the Black Hills, Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Wall Drug, etc.; week-long camps; canoeing day trips; freeze-outs; badge-classes that taught me the skills (just didn't care about the checklist and other little tasks, then getting the signatures to earn the badges), and the general spirit of the code and motto.

As far as improper scouting, I have a transcription of the Master-at Arms badge manual from 1911. Imagine teaching scouts today how to fight with Single Stick, Quarterstaff Fencing, Boxing, JuJitsu, Gymnastics, and Wrestling. Instead we add Digital Technology, Multi-Media, Computer-Aided Design, Advanced Computing, and Animation.

[Odigan]

As far as improper scouting, I have a transcription of the Master-at Arms badge manual from 1911. Imagine teaching scouts today how to fight with Single Stick, Quarterstaff Fencing, Boxing, JuJitsu, Gymnastics, and Wrestling. Instead we add Digital Technology, Multi-Media, Computer-Aided Design, Advanced Computing, and Animation.

It's really funny you should mention that, as just two days ago I was discussing this very same matter (and specifically Master-At-Arms) with several other former scouts. It really seems that the death-knell for many of the "proper" sort of merit badges was sounded (like so many things) through the 70s and 80s. A great many of the older badges were either renamed or discontinued or both, to keep pace with broader social views and expectations, and so too the Scout Handbooks became increasingly sad. My own experience could be described as very similar to your own - a near total disregard for advancement but a whole lotta experience building.

[Ringulf]

I was not too far off the same track myself, though I got my share of badges, they were like pulling teeth to get. I had everything done for them and yet it would take me ages to do all the documentation. Fortunately my family wanted to see those little scraps of fabric more than I did, so they pushed me to get it done.
Looking back on it now I am very glad I did. I made it to the end of "Star" and was just starting into "Life" when I found other distractions like my church's Youth Group, sports and girls, (the latter being the more costly and time consuming)
One of my greatest regrets in life was not perservering to get "Eagle". As it turns out I found it was a key that unlocked many doors just by virtue of its compleation.
Ah well live and learn!

[Peter Remling]

I was!

Trustworthy
Loyal
Helpful
Friendly
Couteous
Kind
Obedient
Cheerful
Thrifty
Brave
Clean
Reverent!

Alwayes prepared

Yeah, So what happened ?





C'mon you knew someone was going to say it !

[Ringulf]

I can recite the Gettysburg address, but that don't make me Lincoln!

[Greg]

Eagle here.

What pissed me off most in the BSA was how easy they've made a lot of it. There were local troops in my area that cranked out Eagles like a factory, and handed out merit badges like candy on halloween. They would earn the bare minimum of 21 badges, and most of them all had the exact same list, which consisted of the easiest, do-at-home-in-an-hour requirements, plus the Easiest of the list of Eagle Required badges. I was (and still am) deeply offended to be put on the same list as these kids after pouring hours of work into my badges, project, and advancement. I saw a single schoolyard have a small U.S.A. map re-painted three times in a two-year period, all by the same troop, three different scouts. All made eagle off of it, when the project is supposed to required 100 man-hours. I don't see how that's possible. It was infuriating.

A few years after I finished, the BSA re-instated the old Tracking merit badge as a commemorative patch earnable for a two-or-so year period, celebrating some anniversary, allowing active scouts to earn a patch that their Grandfathers might have. I had no issue with that, but they took it right away again, instead of keeping it, a useful life skill and interesting study, intact. So now, if/when I have boys, when they're able to track a barefoot man on asphalt in a rainstorm before they're even old enough to join scouts, they won't be able to make a showing of these skills in badge form. Instead, they'll be led to settle for the easy road; namely, at their first summercamp, they'll be "recommended" to three classes: Leatherwork, Basket Weaving, and Wood Carving. And not a ONE of these classes will actually provide them with the skills to show for those first three patches to grace their uniform, which adorn the tops of so many sashes. Regrettably, I was twelve when I attended my first summer camp, not yet knowing the folly of following the crowd, and those patches are all right there, next to each other. Like "filler". I learned a bit since then, and happily passed the minimum standards by several.

The key to a good scouting experience, which I, thankfully, had, is the gentle guidance of the adults present to steer the boys away from the quick and easy path, and on to more difficult, learning-worthy challenges simply because they're harder.

[wulfgar]

Eagle here.

What pissed me off most in the BSA was how easy they've made a lot of it. There were local troops in my area that cranked out Eagles like a factory, and handed out merit badges like candy on halloween. They would earn the bare minimum of 21 badges, and most of them all had the exact same list, which consisted of the easiest, do-at-home-in-an-hour requirements, plus the Easiest of the list of Eagle Required badges. I was (and still am) deeply offended to be put on the same list as these kids after pouring hours of work into my badges, project, and advancement. I saw a single schoolyard have a small U.S.A. map re-painted three times in a two-year period, all by the same troop, three different scouts. All made eagle off of it, when the project is supposed to required 100 man-hours. I don't see how that's possible. It was infuriating.

A few years after I finished, the BSA re-instated the old Tracking merit badge as a commemorative patch earnable for a two-or-so year period, celebrating some anniversary, allowing active scouts to earn a patch that their Grandfathers might have. I had no issue with that, but they took it right away again, instead of keeping it, a useful life skill and interesting study, intact. So now, if/when I have boys, when they're able to track a barefoot man on asphalt in a rainstorm before they're even old enough to join scouts, they won't be able to make a showing of these skills in badge form. Instead, they'll be led to settle for the easy road; namely, at their first summercamp, they'll be "recommended" to three classes: Leatherwork, Basket Weaving, and Wood Carving. And not a ONE of these classes will actually provide them with the skills to show for those first three patches to grace their uniform, which adorn the tops of so many sashes. Regrettably, I was twelve when I attended my first summer camp, not yet knowing the folly of following the crowd, and those patches are all right there, next to each other. Like "filler". I learned a bit since then, and happily passed the minimum standards by several.

The key to a good scouting experience, which I, thankfully, had, is the gentle guidance of the adults present to steer the boys away from the quick and easy path, and on to more difficult, learning-worthy challenges simply because they're harder.

I totally agree with you 100%. Unfortunately in this day and age you get parents pissed at you when you challenge your kids. I am no longer a SM because of this. I was constantly getting chewed out by parents of boys who didn't finish all of the requirements, but they thought they should get the badge because the boy "tried". Scouting has become so diluted and I believe it has lots it's original meaning that Baden Powell intended. As a scout, I never actually made it to Eagle and I am fine with that because the badges I did earn were truly earned. Our troop never went to merit badge "colleges" or whatever they are called where boys can earn two or three badges in a day, and we never went to summer camp. We spent 75% of our campouts in the wilderness, and many of our meetings were outside around a fire. We weren't a big troop but we always beat out the big troops at Klondike Derbies and many other competitions, without the merit badges to "show off".

[Greg]

Sounds a lot like my troop. There were local events that we occasionally attended that helped scouts earn a badge or two in a day, but we were always limited in the number we could sign up for, which looking back on, I appreciated.

The Klondike derby reminds me...the patrol I led entered one once, and we planned on snow. We built our sled out of PVC, and showed up to the event expecting the white stuff...and there was NONE. At the weigh-in, they couldn't get my sled off the ground with their handheld scale because we all had day packs strapped on it, so it EASILY passed the weight limit. Most of the other sleds were easily lifted, and they all had big off-road wheels on them, while we were dragging our runners in gravel and dirt.

We won.

Easily one of the most satisfying moments in my tenure as a patrol leader...You and your big fancy wheels may be nice, but my boys can light a damn fire in 30-degree weather. Suck on that.

[Shadowhawk]

I was a scout from 1st grade till high school, then my group just sort of fell apart and and I didnt really want to spend my time looking after kids. Though I dont know how similar scout activity is/was in Finland compared to th rest of the world. I did learn a decent amount of bushcraft there.

[turnip]

Okay, granted, it was only the Girl Scouts - but I joined as a Junior and continued on through Senior. While a Cadette, I worked with a Bownie troop, and they did award me an honorary Brownie pin. Anyway, I did learn a lot back then. We were lucky, our leaders were totally into camping and woodcraft. But it seems that the emphasis is on different things now. While my children grew up, I always had 'older' boy scout manuals on hand. So my children (and I) were always camping, hiking, exploring the great outdoors. Those experiences taught us many things - which will always be in our hearts. Maybe that's why Rangers feels so comfortable! Sindara