What Your Outpost Did This Week.

While they were teaching dutch oven cooking me and 2 other young men made 3 strike anywhere match fire starters.

3 strike anywhere matches. half sheet of toliet paper folded in half wrapped around the 3 matchs leaving the match heads exposed then rolled. Wrap a piece of floral wire around it 1.5 turns. Dip in rubbing alcholhol then dip in melted wax. allow to cool a bit and then dip it again.

Great fire starters. The rubbing alchohol makes it burn hot and fast. With out the alcohol it's more like a candle. They work just not as fast.

Took tuna cans and did a criss cross of card board strips and filled with melted wax.

We had a great time.

Mark Jones

This week we started Bible merit Genesis & First Aid skills merit

We didn't have wed Royal Rangers meeting cause we're moving to Sunday 5:15pm before our pm service. I did get packets handed out for Fri's lock-in.

Leadership 101 #1... went well, the boys really enjoyed the two activities that went along with it. Had 2 new RK this week too!

We were talking about Cold Weather Injuries, Survival, and proper dressing for the Cold (there are about 3 weeks per year when this means anything to kids in Mississippi).

Prior to that, we did our Bible Reading, and I talked to the boys about showing respect for God and other attendees at church.  I said that, if you had gone fishing on Saturday night, you should not wear the same stinky moody clothes to church on Sunday.

One of the boys said, "What about people that don't have any clothes?"

I replied, "I really don't think that I have seen them at church."

One of the kids said, "Except when there is Free Food."

I had to bite my tongue.  I realize that we should welcome everyone, but down here there are some folks who only show up when there is something free in it for them.  In fact, they even "make the circuit".

If the Baptists are having a free meal, they're Baptist, if the Methodists are sponsoring lunch....... etc.

So the bottom line is, the Little Ranger popped up with what I have seen, but have been too "politically/religiously correct" to open my mouth about.

Gotta love kids they'll embarass you too but not mean harm by it.

Continued Firearms safety tonight. Boys learned the the four carry positions and how to use them based on where other shooters happen to be. They also learned about field of fire and we did some drills using bouncy balls with them firing (not really shooting) abreast.

Right now we only have one Ranger Kid, so we're doing it one room school house style right now, Bible merit time included. Seems to be working out very well for us. I started out this year with the goal of running the outpost as prescribed by the manual with age breakdowns, but it just doesn't seem to work for us. We've gone to a one group system within a few months. I think if we had some young RK's we'd keep them separated out, but our lone RK is doing well with the older boys.

I've heard Utah is starting Firearm safety classes in middle schools. Maybe by HS they'll graduate with a credit to be used for getting a CHL!

We did out first COA this week. Boys got their first badges and their awards vests...they were so excited....

Picked up my kids from school today and saw a few rangers wearing their vests at school, great advertising!!

Good Idea!

I've had problems sending uniform shirts home with the boys; lost,  torn, playing football (real football, not soccer).

But the vest idea on COA-Week  is a Win-Win.

That's the best kind of advertising. Money can't buy word of mouth and excitement. Glad things are going well for you guys.

Since restructuring Royal Rangers and moving to Sun we've reconsidered the uniform policy. Boys tee shirt, jeans, and awards vest. Vests will be kept and maintained locally and given out at meetings and coa. Leaders jeans or dickies blue cargo with tee shirt and utility shirt vest optional.

My DR/AR boys have expressed interest in wearing the utility shirt. So it is something that we will consider for September. There will be more boys then the current 4.


We also had 3 new RK last week. 17 now in that group. Busy bunch..

If you have antsy, acting up boys, here's something I used to do for Ranger meetings:

Ahead of time, I would put teasers up on the whiteboard for each of my planned events for the night. For example, if the boys were getting out of line, I would then point to the statement "Get Lost!" (compass work) and tell them "You're not going to get there at the rate you're going." Or "Fried Brains" (team sudoku). Because they wanted to find out what it was, they always quieted down.

What is sudoku?

Phillip Gross wrote:What is sudoku?

A sheet with of paper with nine boxes, each having 9 squares. You get a few numbers to start and then have to figure out all the other missing numbers.

So it's like a crossword puzzle for math nerds? :study:

Very addicting. Try one. They say keeping the mind active will fight off age-related ailments. I should know.

Does anyone know what the #1 activity is that wards off dementia?

Phillip Gross wrote:Does anyone know what the #1 activity is that wards off dementia?

Well dad knows best right Philip?

HA!! Yes...

I read that some time ago. Also, people who were bilingual from a young age have a lower chance statistically of getting alzheimer's. It listed everything from activities to diets with statistics attached. But people who dance are statistically the lowest affected. I think... Maybe I don't remember that correctly... I've never been a good dancer at all!

Those who stand on their heads and wave tuning forks from ear to ear are geniuses too.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCHH!!!

Claymore wrote:AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCHH!!!

Yea Philip!

Remember when I said that I gave the "strike" to the Patrol Leader, because the kid was misbehaving in the Ranger Room?

Substitute "Moderator" for "Patrol Leader".




Dan ............ "|"