What Your Outpost Did This Week.

Phillip Gross wrote:I've mentioned that we need more photos, but I seem to be the only one snapping pics. Maybe with the number of commanders I have now, I may need to transition to overall visionary/leader, and "historian" and allow them to lead the merits and such. It's just that I enjoy teaching the boys too...

Kirk becomes Picard...stay on the bridge!

I've seen some of the movies and episodes, but wouldn't consider myself a Treky. So what are you trying to say?

Phillip Gross wrote:I've seen some of the movies and episodes, but wouldn't consider myself a Treky. So what are you trying to say?

If you keep on worrying about things, you'll become bald.

Inconceivable!

Phillip Gross wrote:I've seen some of the movies and episodes, but wouldn't consider myself a Treky. So what are you trying to say?

Good one Bruce.

Point waa Kirk in old show was always on the away err landing parties. Picard in next gen in the '80s was mostly restricted to the ship while his First Officer went off ship. You were saying you needed to be more admin visionary than teaching all the time.

This Sunday, our church is going to have its service in honor of Memorial Day (we do it a week early, because many families are gone with next week's 3-day week-end).

After Roll Call and our Bible Lesson, we took the church flags, went out to the parking lot, and practiced posting the flag.  I only call the boys to "Attention", and give them "Forward, March".  From there the Patrol Leader is in charge, while I just stand in the back of the church and observe.

It took them about five run-throughs to get it down pretty well. We will also practice a couple of times just prior to Service on Sunday.

I have made a reminder sheet with the commands for the Patrol Leader.  I have included it below:
-------------------------------------------------------

(U.S. Flag is on the Right)
(Leader will call)

GROUP, ATTENTION

FORWARD (pause) MARCH

(When you get almost to the front row of chairs)

MARK-TIME (Pause), MARCH (Everyone will line up on each side of the flags while marching)

GROUP (Pause), HALT

POST THE COLORS

(U.S. Flag crosses in front of Christian Flag.  Wait for the Flag Bearers to get back and turn around)

PRESENT (Pause, One, Two), ARMS

(They will play the National Anthem)

ORDER (Pause, One, Two), ARMS

CENTER (Pause, One, Two), FACE

COLUMNS-OF-TWO’S (Pause, One, Two), MARCH

They will, then, march down the Center Aisle and out of the Sanctuary.

Well how did it all go?

Truly, truly Outstanding.

Even "Ranger Rascal" (who was jumping and spinning around during rehearsal) straightened up and flew right.

Awesome! Set high expectaions and see what they'll do.

Good report. Teaching those boys to respect the flag is a top priority in my book. It's been a long time since I was in charge of a color guard. I really enjoy the pomp and circumstance that goes with it.

Look forward to always of the posting of the colors!
Mark Jones

The second is a personal project, but may lead to be a guide.
I am building a hammock shelter. A frame I can bring to PowWow and have my hammock, even w/o trees. If I use canvas, I may even bring it to FCF[/quote]

My Question: How did the canvas work as a hammock?

Small world.

I was showing the boys how to make a "Poncho Hooch" shelter.

One of the better tricks that I showed was how to get a line up over a tree limb or through a crotch. You take a round musket ball and sink an eyelet screw into it (or use a fishing weight) and tie a cord to it. Then throw it up over the limb and let the weight come down.

Detach the weight, tie the line through the corner grommet, and pull up that corner of your shelter and secure it.


You can also attach your line through the lanyard loop on your knife and throw it, but if it gets hung up in the tree, you will have a problem.

I do the same thing with rocks and sticks. Sometimes I use 6 layupsticks that are 7' each and snap them together and push it through all the trees! It's a work saver for sure.

Putting up a bear bag I use the rock or stick method.

In lift out ceilings I use the roll of string to throw across the room then pull my wire with the string.

I have to watch the bear bag between two trees on youtube to keep having to remind myself how it's done! So many cool things. Thanks for sharing these tips with your boys.


We are heading out tomorrow at 9:30 am to Stockton lake with 2 cardboard boats we will run 4 races in. We have a great group of boys, leaders and family over 20 attending.

Thanks Commanders for sharing your ideas and stuff. It stirs the rest of us up to do even more for Jesus our King! Great is your reward!

[quote="Mark Jones"
In lift out ceilings I use the roll of string to throw across the room then pull my wire with the string.    


[/quote]

Great Application of the Concept.

I also use the same technique when hanging a deer to bleed out and process. Toss a weight attached to a piece of parachute cord over a tree limb or crotch, hook it up to a ratchet strap, then pull the deer up.

(Old men don't get to be old by being stupid.)

Oh, something else that we showed the boys was that you should never run your spike or tent stake directly through the grommet of the poncho.


We found in Minnesota and Alaska that the ground could often freeze overnight, and now the bottom side of your tent is frozen to the ground. Here in the South, it may not seem like that big of a deal, but you may also drive your spike into a big root: effectively nailing your poncho tent to the ground.


Better to tie a piece of twine or parachute cord around the stake and run it through the poncho. If need be, just cut the cord, and you are only missing a spike.

That is right on. I have done just that with driving the stake into a tree root and can't get it out and have for many years put a short loop of bungee cord 1/8" or less about a foot in length and it keeps the tent taunt as well as works for what you and I have both learned about tree roots and stakes. Most of my tents now have the bungee cord on the tie outs.

Claymore wrote:Oh, something else that we showed the boys was that you should never run your spike or tent stake directly through the grommet of the poncho.


We found in Minnesota and Alaska that the ground could often freeze overnight, and now the bottom side of your tent is frozen to the ground.  Here in the South, it may not seem like that big of a deal, but you may also drive your spike into a big root: effectively nailing your poncho tent to the ground.  


Better to tie a piece of twine or parachute cord around the stake and run it through the poncho.  If need be, just cut the cord, and you are only missing a spike.

My outpost is talking about setting up and running a concession stand fundraiser for Camporama during our church's Trunk or Treat activity around Halloween. We can buy chips for 25 cents and sell them for a dollar. Candy also makes about 50% profit if you charge a dollar. Canned drinks cost about 30 cents and you can sell them for a dollar. We can borrow a concession trailer to work out of. We will only need one power cord for lights. We will stay away from prepared hot food because of the strict food handling certifications required. Our pastor is all for it. We'll have 2,500 people show up over 3 hours. Seems like a lot of profit is possible for 2 attendants. Anybody else have any concession experiences to share?

Great idea.

I think you have a Bell Ringer.

There is a pallet making business in our little town that has volunteered to give my Ranger group all of the leftover slabs and slats that we will ever need for all of our camping activities. We took them up on their offer and took a load out to the woods to camp last night. The wood was very green and a little moist so the boys had trouble starting the fire. One of our commanders took over and had a great fire going in a few minutes. Since firewood is so needed by our group, we are thrilled to have this new source for wood. Do you have a pallet maker or shipping container plant in your area that might bless you with free wood?

Good find and check with your fence companies as well. Privacy fences made out of cedar are great firecraft resources. Don't burn the CCA or treated fences. Smoke isn't good for us.

I haven't had an outpost for a few years now, but God has a way of meeting my needs. The children's pastor asked me to run 4 "knot-tying" classes for his Adventure Kids group on Wed nights. I'll work them through the basics, leading up to making a rope bridge on the final evening. It will feel good.

Good job. Stay active! Show them kids skills. We picked up some ropes the past 2 months and they had forgotten all of the knots we had taught them last year. I need to get my rope tree bucksaw out and put some good ropes out to remind me to have them tie them once a month or so. Other wise they will say... errr um... I can do that..and then can you show me once again!

joecool wrote:I haven't had an outpost for a few years now, but God has a way of meeting my needs. The children's pastor asked me to run 4 "knot-tying" classes for his Adventure Kids group on Wed nights. I'll work them through the basics, leading up to making a rope bridge on the final evening. It will feel good.

GREAT IDEA.

See, you knew that all of that Navy Training would eventually pay off.

This is what we are currently working on:

With the current shortage in ammunition, I picked up a couple thousand rounds of 6.5 Swedish ammunition. They are blanks with wooden bullets loaded into actual rifle brass that has been previously used.

While about 20% of the brass is questionable, with hand inspection and cleaning, I can salvage about 80% of the brass, pull the wooden bullets, dump the blank powder, resize the necks, measure rifle powder, and seat a regular projectile, and have practice ammunition for the boys at about 90% of full-house ammunition.

So I am looking at a couple of hundred rounds of blanks that failed the inspection. I tried about 5 rounds in one of my rifles. They all functioned fine, and are LOUD: louder than U.S. 7.62 blanks.

I called the Pastor with an idea. I said that we have the equipment and blanks for a Firing Squad at funerals for military and law enforcement veterans (tradition calls for at least 3 rifles firing the salute). We are a bit short on personnel from the Rangers, but maybe he could speak with other pastors, and we could have a combined team from local churches. Additionally, I could contact the County Veterans Service Officer. He may know a volunteer or two.

He agreed, and said that it would be a good thing to do, once we are back on our feet from this Covid Crisis.

I expressed that I thought that it may be more critical, NOW. When a family is at the grave of grandpa, and there are only a couple of people there at the site, it may add a lot to their peace, to add to the ceremony and give a final salute.

He agreed. We're going to try to get the ball rolling.

That sounds like a great thing to do for families, to show them that someone cares.