varsity vision newsletter feb 09

Survival Program Feature

The

VARSITY VISION Newsletter

FOR VARSITY SCOUT LEADERS UTAH NATIONAL PARKS COUNCIL™ BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA®

www.utahscouts.org/varsity scouting/varsity vision news letters

February 2009 Plan for the Best & Prepare for the Worst Vol. 12 No. 2

VARSITY SCOUT PLEDGE * * * *

As a Varsity Scout I will: live by the Scout Oath, Law,

motto and slogan; Honor the dignity and worth

of all persons; Promote the cause of freedom; and do my best to be a good

team member.

Table of contents Subject Page Varsity Scout Pledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Survival Program Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Quiz, Test Your Survival Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Advancement Program Field of Emphasis . . . . . . 5

Online Tour Permits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Gee Whillickers “Roger’s Story” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Don’t Get Lost – But – If You Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Answers to the Quiz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

HAM Radio Merit Badge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Varsity Scouting - Highest Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Pay Attention to Each Boy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Survival Kit – Keep it with you at all times . . . . . . 11

Comments and Suggestions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Coach’s Corner “Hibernation” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Coach’s Corner “Aim High” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

February 2009 VARSITY VISION NEWSLETTER

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SURVIVAL Program Feature

Some of your Varsity Scouts may have already earned the Wilderness Survival merit badge. In this Varsity Scout Program Feature, we will go beyond those basic and intermediate skill levels to work on advanced methods. Our goal is to develop skills in each Varsity Scout that will help him solve problems in life, and develop self-confidence that he can do things if he puts his mind to it. Teach him how to work with

the environment and to see how nature can help him live in harmony with the rest of us. One of the most important keys to survival is keeping a clear mind so you can analyze the situation and solve the problems that are at hand. Your best tools in dealing with any challenge are your brain and common sense. Teach your Varsity Scouts that every action they take should have a purpose and a calculated result.

SURVIVAL PRIORITIES Knowing priorities in an emergency lets you start to work immediately and without confusion. Below are listed the logical steps to take in an emergency situation. 1. POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE As attested by those who have survived wilderness emergencies, a positive mental attitude may be the most essential element in survival. 2. FIRST AID If an injury is life-threatening, such as rapid loss of blood, first aid becomes the most important thing to do.

3. SHELTER Extreme weather conditions, too hot or too cold, make finding or building a shelter of top importance. At such times even painful but minor injuries must wait until shelter is available. This is even more urgent if night is approaching. 4. FIRE Often, along with shelter, you will need a fire for warmth and signaling. Fuel should be secured and the fire started before dark. 5. SIGNALING When you have taken steps in dealing with the emergency, you will need to prepare rescue signals. 6. WATER Under all circumstances, water is essential. You can live only a few days without it. 7. FOOD A person can live several weeks without food; it does not rate high as a survival priority.

My winter survival camp with snow caves on the left

LET’S TALK MORE ABOUT THESE 7 PRIORITIES

Positive Mental Attitude

Survival is largely a matter of a positive outlook. The will to survive is the most important factor. History is filled with accounts of ordinary people who endured intense heat and cold, and overcame hunger, thirst, pain, and loneliness. With the right frame of mind, a person can survive for a long time with a minimum of shelter, water, and food. No one can survive without hope. Panic is the most destructive response to a survival situation. It can lead to hopelessness, which can lead to a breakdown in the will to survive.

Teaching your Varsity Scouts advanced survival techniques can instill confidence in their survival

situations. Most people immediately become concerned about starving to death. With adequate water, you can go about a month without food. For the first three days without food, you literally are fasting and will experience hunger pains, headaches, and dizziness. After that, hunger pains will go away


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for about three weeks. Without food, the body needs several quarts of water a day.

Survival First Aid

If an accident occurs in the wilderness it will be your responsibility to deal with the situation. The specific sequence of actions when dealing with this situation is:

1. Remain calm, providing your Varsity Scout with quiet, efficient first aid treatment.

2. Keep the boy warm and lying down. Do not move this injured boy until you have discovered the extent of the injuries. 3. Start mouth-to-mouth artificial respiration immediately if the injured Varsity Scout is not breathing. 4. Stop any bleeding. 5. Give your Scout reassurance. Watch carefully for signs of shock. 6. Check for cuts, fractures, breaks and injuries to the head, neck or spine. 7. Do not allow other Scouts to crowd the injured boy. 8. Do not remove clothing unless it is imperative. 9. Decide if your Varsity Scout can be moved to a proper medical facility. If this is not possible, prepare a suitable living area in which shelter, heat and food are provided.

Survival Shelter

Use a headlamp instead of a flashlight. It leaves your hands free to start the fire. Gather a big pile of firewood to burn all night. Your supply should include wrist-diameter stick, plus some 5-foot-long logs. Night air flows downhill. Build your shelter in a lee with the opening of your shelter parallel to the wind direction, so it doesn’t fill with smoke. Don’t ever sit on the cold ground. Use your closed-cell sleeping pad to kneel on. If you don’t have a pad, sit on your pack. Blow three whistle blasts at regular intervals to alert the search team where you are. Panic leads to dehydration. A small pot weighs less than an ounce and is vital for melting snow to render warm drinking water.

Note: In Varsity Scouting we don’t encourage breaking or sawing branches or gathering pine boughs but in a life or death situation this may be necessary.

If you don’t have a tarp, one of the quickest shelters to build is a lean-to that uses a tree branch for the ridgepole. Break or saw branches for the frame-work, then lace smaller branches through the frame to make the shelter rigid.

Thatch the shelter with branches or pine boughs. Arrange them with tips pointing down to direct runoff. Tilt branches against the thatching to keep it in place. Bank the lower sides of the lean-to with snow for insulation. Once you build a fire, it’s unnecessary to wrap up in your space blanket. Instead, tuck its edges into the shelter so the silver film forms a reflecting wall. It will provide warmth and cheery light. Insulate your body from the ground and snow. Snap branch ends to make a bough bed at least 8 inches thick. Place a retaining log across the shelter opening. It makes a comfortable seat and blocks the heat of the fire from melting the snow under the bough bed. Use logs to build a wall in back of the fire, directing the fire’s warmth toward your shelter. Wet clothes quicken hypothermia. Hang your cloths by the fire to dry.

Build a Fire

Building a fire is one of the most important tasks when dealing with survival in the wilderness. Be sure to build your fire in a safe place. The most common mistakes made by those attempting to build a fire are: choosing poor tinder, failing to shield precious matches from the wind and smothering the flames with too large pieces of fuel. The four most important factors when starting a fire are flame - tinder - fuel - oxygen.

The most common ways to create flame are:


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1. Waterproof, strike-anywhere matches are your best bet. Matches may be water-proofed by dipping them in nail polish. Store your matches in a waterproof container.

2. A Bic lighter is also a good way to produce a flame.

3. The flint and steel method is one of the oldest and most reliable methods in fire starting. Direct the sparks to a bundle of dry tinder or charred cloth on top of the flint to catch a spark more quickly and then produce an ember.

4. The steel wool (0000) and a battery will ignite a piece of charred cloth or bundle of dry weeds.

5. Allow the suns rays to pass through a magnifying glass onto the bundle of tinder.

Dry grass, paper (TP) or cloth lint from a cloths dryer all make good tender. Place your tinder inside the small pile of dry wood resembling a tepee with the driest pieces at the bottom. After you have started a small fire by one of the above methods place it in the dry tender at the bottom.

It is important to keep in mind that smaller pieces of kindling such as, twigs, bark and shavings, are necessary when trying to ignite larger pieces of fuel. Gather fuel before attempting to start your fire. Obviously dry wood burns better and wet or pitchy wood will create more smoke. Dense, dry wood will burn slow and hot. A well ventilated fire will burn best.

Signaling

As a lost Varsity Scout, it is your job to make the Search and Rescue’s job easier by staying put. But as you wait to be found, there are other things you should do to stay comfortable and alive.

1. Build a fire in an open area, such as a ridge-top. Stack green boughs beside it so you’ll be ready to make a smoke signal to alert search aircraft.

2. Get out your bright

colored clothing and hang them from small trees or spread them on the snow, where they can be seen from a great distance.

3. Drag logs to construct an SOS sign with the sides of

each letter at least 10 feet long. 4. Practice aiming your signal mirror so you can direct the

flash when Search and Rescue aircraft appear. If you

don’t have a mirror you can use a pot, a space blanket, anything that is reflective will work.

5. When a Search and Rescue aircraft approaches, raise

both hands to indicate that you need help. If you need medical care, lie down on your back with your arms stretched above your head.

Finding Water

Water is much more important than food. Two to three cups of water are required each day to stay healthy. It is wise to conserve the water in our body by reducing activities that may promote water loss. Finding water during the summer months is quite easy. Running water such as springs or streams in isolated areas is generally safe for consumption after purification but be aware that water in stagnant areas such as sloughs and ponds may carry disease and should either be boiled for a minimum of ten minutes, or iodine (nine drops per quart) or halazone tablets added. On the desert you can dig holes deep enough to allow water to seep in:

• In valleys and low areas • at foot of concave banks of dry river beds • at foot of cliffs or rock outcrops • at first depression behind first sand dune of dry

desert lakes • wherever you find damp surface sand • wherever you find green vegetation

It is wise to carry a water purification pump with you. This allows the Varsity Scout to make use of stagnant water in any situation and it is not necessary to carry water with him. In areas where no surface water is available, dig into damp soil and allow this muddy water to settle and become clear. Water may also be found on the dew of plants, by collecting rainwater.

During the winter months you can look for water under ice. Melting ice as opposed to snow is more fuel efficient. Remember that hard-packed snow will yield more water than light, fluffy snow. Do not eat snow as it tends to dehydrate the body.

Food

In a wilderness survival situation, it is possible to live for extended periods of time on little or no food. A healthy Varsity Scout can survive on 500 calories a day with no side


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effects and with plenty of water and a comfortable resting place. He can live approximately three weeks without food. During cold weather or periods of heightened activity more food is required to maintain a normal body temperature. Running out of food is more often of psychological distress than physical. Be careful what you snack on in the wild. Many plants are poisonous and many poisonous plants resemble safe ones. All grasses are edible, though usually offer little reward.

You are better off eating insects, frogs, lizards, etc., than plants about which you know little.

Being prepared for all types of situations is a smart idea,

and knowing some basic survival skills could save your life.

Are you the Varsity Scout outdoorsy-type, knowing everything there is to know about nature?

Would you know what to do if you were lost in the woods?

Do you know which plants you could eat

and which are Poisonous?

Are you a true survivalist, knowing what to do in an emergency?

Take my quiz to find out! (Your answers can be found elsewhere in the newsletter)

1. Counting the seconds between a flash of lightning and thunder indicates the storm's distance in miles. True or False 2. Eating snow is a good way to quench thirst during the winter: True or False 3. Dressing in neutral, earthy colors makes you less visible to mosquitoes: True or False 4. Cattail makes a poor fire starter: True or False 5. Clear creek or stream water that flows quickly over rocks is safe to drink: True or False

6. Most weeds in your lawn are not edible: True or False 7. Treat frostbite by rubbing the affected areas vigorously: True or False 8. If you are lost in the woods, you should try to find your way home: True or False 9. If you are too warm in cold weather, you should take your hat off, not your coat: True or False 10. You can survive a long time without water, as long as you have food: True or False

Your activities in Varsity Scouting can take the young

man beyond the basic skills he learned as a younger scout, and give him a chance to prove himself among his adult leaders. Name what you want for your boys - new skills; improved self-esteem; the ability to lead, to cooperate, and to make ethical decisions; the experience of some memorable times - whatever your objectives, the trail begins with Varsity Scouting.

Captured in Varsity Scouting is the romance of the great outdoors. Your boys will cherish the backcountry and delight in opportunities to enjoy it safely without leaving a trace. You need to teach them to respect other people, the land and its resources.

Here's the heart of Varsity Scouting, the 5 Program Fields of Emphasis. Successful activity programming results from selection, planning

TEST YOUR SURVIVAL SKILLS

ADVANCEMENT

Program Field of Emphasis

Varsity Scout Advancement

*****************

Varsity Letter

Varsity Letter Bar

Denali Award

********************

Program Feature Activity Pins

Survival

Snow Camping

Bowling

Basketball

Whitewater Canoeing

Cycling

Discovering Adv.

Etc. total of 27


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and follow-through. Varsity Scouting includes activities in all five major fields:

Advancement High adventure Personal development Service Special programs and events (SP&E) When your boys participate in all 5 fields, they will

achieve a balanced program. Your young men should be aware of this because they're involved in planning both individual and team activities. Your team Program Manager (youth) over each of the 5 fields will make the plans and see that they're carried out. Your Team Committee member (adult) assigned to that field will lend support to your youth Program Manager.

Conduct an annual Team planning meeting. Also, tentative plans for each quarter but plan each month firm. Teach your boys to be flexible. Always have a backup plan, let the boys be creative. Try for the best program possible. Keep your ward bulletin informed with stories and pictures of your Varsity Scouts in action.

Involve parents often and communicate with them.

Use your committees in your ward to assist. Your District Roundtable Staff is always there to assist and train your Varsity Scouts in specific areas (Operation ON TARGET, shotgun safety, GPS and Orienteering, etc.) just as an example. Make it the most exciting program you can and plan for it. It will happen if you plan it.

This month in this Varsity Vision newsletter I have

listed some ideas on the Advancement Field of Emphasis. Many activities can be used on more than one Field of Emphasis. Next month I’ll collect ideas on High Adventure etc.

As team Coach, you'll be meeting with each new boy

as soon as possible to do an inventory of his present status in Advancement and the Varsity Awards program. Your Varsity Scout Captain and Advancement Program Manager will be present in this meeting also. Together you'll review the needs of the new boy as he works towards his Eagle rank or other awards. Repeat this process every six month or sooner if necessary with each boy as he plans his own advancement goals.

The Advancement Program Manager is responsible for the motivation, organization, and planning of the team's advancement work. The manager maps out personalized advancement needs for each member of his team. Their Varsity Letter, the Denali Award and Duty to God requirements are also evaluated. These needs are carried out at meetings, campouts, and other activities.

I have listed some ideas here for your review:

1. Earn your Quality Unit award for 2009 2. Group Merit Badge instruction. 3. Clinics and Pow Wows 4. Regular growth agreement conferences 5. Varsity Courts of Honor 6. Recognition 7. Eagle Scout projects 8. One rank advancement goal 9. Be an Eagle Scout

10. Earn your Varsity Letter 11. Earn the Denali Award 12. Work on your Duty to God Award 13. Team display board to show advancement 14. Invite Merit Badge counselors to promote 15. Make up a Merit Badge counselor list 16. Hold progress reviews 17. Work on a Merit Badge as a team 18. Do the mile swim 19. Help younger Scouts with their advancement 20. etc.

Varsity Scouting provides a series of surmountable obstacles and steps in overcoming them through the advancement method. The Varsity Scout plans his advancement and progresses at his own pace as he meets each challenge. The young man is rewarded for each achievement, which helps him gain self-confidence. The steps in the advancement system help a Boy grow in self-reliance and in the ability to help others.

Online Tour Permits

Varsity Scout leaders are now able to submit local and national tour permits electronically. This new system takes just four easy steps, and it will save the transportation and training information, so leaders can easily recall it for future permit applications. All registered Varsity Scout leaders will have access to Tour Permits from MyScouting, accessed on: www.scouting.org. The MyScouting account verifies that the owner is a BSA leader associated with a team. Leaders will only be able to submit tour permits for their team. This authentication replaces the physical signatures on tour permit application. Other team leaders are notified via e-mail when an application is submitted and approved. The system allows submission of both local and national applications.

Varsity Scout winter camp

Team Leader enters all the necessary information for the tour, and rules specific to tour permits are applied. When appropriate, helpful messages will advise the leader about any


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missing information. Once the tour permit has been submitted, the council will evaluate and approve it or return it for further work. On line features allow easy entry of driver information for transportation and required training supervision. There will be automatic notification at all appropriate steps in the process to the permit creator, the tour leader, and the assistant tour leader. The team committee chair and team leader will also receive e-mail notification if they have MyScouting accounts. The online help document explains how to complete and submit permit applications to the council. Additionally, the Guide to Safe Scouting is available on the site for easy reference. Other documents, such as the BSA Transportation Guidelines and the Pledge of Performance can also be accessed from Tour Permits. Authorized council staff members will review and process submitted applications. The tour permit creator receives a PDF version of the approved permit via e-mail. The approved permit PDF can also be obtained from Tour Permits in MyScouting. As a reminder, local tour permit applications should be submitted two weeks before the tour and national applications at least one month before the tour start date. We encourage all Varsity Scout teams from our council to use this new service to submit their local and national tour permit applications online. For more information, and to access a simple training

presentation, visit www.utahscouts.org/tourpermit.

Gee Whillickers We have been authorized to award $25.00 each month to the writer of the best Varsity Scout story submitted to this newsletter. We want to hear from your 14 -15 year old boys. All Varsity Scouts from our Utah National Parks Council are eligible and invited to participate. Tell us about a special Scouting experiences or adventure. Articles should be between 500 and 1000 words and written by the boy himself. Pictures can be used to help tell the story. The winning boy is eligible to win once every 12 months. Coaches, have your boys send in your high adventure stories.

Hi, Me and my Scout buddies were going on a backpacking camping trip to the Bolder Mountains. We got all our gear together and headed to Loa, Utah. We stopped at a store just before starting our hike into the Bolder Mountain wilderness area. I asked the store clerk, "Do you have any bears around here?" "Oh yes," the clerk said.

"What kind?" "Well, we've got black bears and grizzly bears." "OK, I guess I better get some of these bear bells then. That way, when we’re hiking the bears will know we are coming and will get out of our way." I got a couple bells and take them to the counter to pay. "By the way, is there any way to tell if there are grizzly bears or black bears around?” I asked. "Sure," replies the clerk, “just check their scat to see what type of bear is around. You can tell the type of bear by what's in its scat." "What do I look for in the scat?" I asked as I was thinking to myself, what is scat? "Well, black bear’s scat got berries, leaves, some grass. Grizzly bear’s scat got bear bells."

Roger

Thanks Roger for this story, you had me going there for awhile. We sent Roger $25.00 for his story. There will be another Twenty five dollars to the Varsity Scout with the best story submitted to the Varsity Vision Newsletter next month.

send to: [email protected]

Stay in one area, where others may expect you to be. Beforehand, make sure someone knows where you'll be and your timetable. Use emergency whistle, signal mirror, smoke from burning green or damp plants. Lay out an "SOS" or "X" using branches, rocks or brightly-colored gear.

Stay calm. Take an inventory of your gear. How can it be put to good use? Seek shelter early - don't wait for dark or cold. Drink and eat at regular intervals. Don't panic. Panic is your worst enemy.

You can survive about a month without food. You can survive from 3 to 5 days without water or fluid. Temperatures and activity level effect this time period. You can die within hours from lack of shelter. You can die even more quickly from panic-induced injury. STAY CALM!

Sleeping overnight in the wild will likely be more of an inconvenience than a threat to your life. If you are properly equipped and prepared, the experience can end up being fun as well as a challenging event.

VSVS

Don’t Get Lost BUT

“IF YOU DO”


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STAYING ALIVE When experts and researchers interview survivors of air disasters, ship wrecks, hostage scenarios, war prisons, wilderness attacks and misfortunes, they hear the same story beneath the story every time – survivors keep their wits about them, they believe that they will survive and they decide on a plan of survival and see it through. Here are a few truisms and thoughts which may help you in a wilderness survival situation:

1. WATER vs. FOOD – a human can typically survive up

to a month without food, but only several days or less without water. Food is more important in wintry cases as your body will require the calories to keep it warm.

2. When lost, one of your first concerns after safety,

immediate shelter from heat or cold, and the treatment of any injuries should be water. You must find it. A bandana, sock or tee shirt can be used to remove dew from wet grasses and leaves. A Water Still may save your life. Trap rainwater in rain gear, tent fly, plastic bag, etc. Seek water in low areas and areas of lush greenery.

3. Running out of food is more often of psychological

distress than physical. Be careful what you snack on in the wild. Many plants are poisonous and many poisonous plants resemble safe ones. All grasses are edible, though usually offer little reward.

4. You are better off eating

insects, frogs, snakes, etc., than plants about which you know little.

5. Carry an emergency kit.

Carry it with you at all times, even when going to the toilet. A Fanny Pack or Survival Vest is a good way to go. You can never know when your camp may be invaded by a bear, covered by an avalanche or rockslide, or visited by thieves. At least once a year, replenish items with freshness dates (aspirin, medications, emergency food, etc.).

6. Every Varsity Scout in your group should have their own GPS, map and compass, emergency whistle, water purification tablets, pocket knife, poncho and warm clothes, matches and butane lighter, emergency candles, flashlight and extra batteries, and personal water supply – at a minimum. Why should only adult leaders have the means to survive?

7. During thunder storms, avoid the largest tree or

boulder. Both may act as lightning conductors. Get away from metal you may be carrying. Sit on your sleeping mat.

8. Stay dry – wetness hurries hypothermia. 9. If you become lost – sit down for a while. Gather

yourself. Think about your predicament. Sleeping a night or two in the wild isn’t all that bad. Help will be dispatched – that’s virtually certain.

10. Do not wait until dark or encroaching freezing night to

seek shelter. Accept early that you are lost – give yourself at least two hours of daylight when possible to build or find shelter, firewood, water, etc.

11. Tree branches make great lean-to shelters or teepees.

Caves, fallen trees, rocky overhangs, low-to-the-ground fir trees – all can make ideal accommodations, but avoid rocky overhangs during lightning storms.

12. A small fire provides heat and companionship during

the dark of night. Drink often. Munch a little food. Go through your gear and inventory its contents – every item is a friend. Comfort is nice, but relatively unnecessary to survival.

13. Protection from the

elements, ample water supply and avoiding injury are important to survival.

14. At daybreak, think about

signaling for help. Create smoke using damp or green foliage. Try your whistle every so often. Lay out colorful gear in a clearing – use brightly colored clothing, tarp, tent or tent fly, foliage on snow, etc.

15. Have a mirror handy for signaling aircraft or far away

searchers. Stay put! Do not wander about. Movement diminishes chances for being found; increases the chance of injury; burns vital energy and increases need for water. Use your time gathering firewood, nursing your fire, replenishing water supply, etc.

16. Praise yourself for the job you’ve done so far. Feeling

good and remaining positive about your situation is important. In nearly every situation, discovery is but hours to a few days away. I’m not saying it can’t get worse, of course it can, but it usually doesn’t. Staying calm and using your head are the key points to getting out safe.


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Here are the answers to the quiz from

page 5 1. Every five seconds - not one - represents a mile. When you see lightning flash, count the seconds until you hear thunder. Divide the total number of seconds by five. This is the distance of the storm in miles. 2. Eating snow can lower your body temperature and increase the risk of hypothermia. Melt the snow or ice first, and drink the water. 3. Dressing in neutral, earthy colors may make you less visible to your friends, but not to mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors, as these absorb heat. Choose light colors or white clothing. 4. Cattail fluff makes an excellent fire starter, but it should be dry. Cattail fluff can also be used as insulation, its leaves can be woven into mats, and it can be eaten from root to tip. 5. While a burbling creek is tempting and is probably the best bet for safe drinking water, even the cleanest, clearest, fastest-flowing water is not completely safe to drink without boiling first. Always boil water for at least one minute before drinking. 6. Most common weeds are edible, and especially those found in lawns, such as dandelions, plantain and purslane. There are many other weeds that can be eaten, and it is a good idea to know which ones in case you are not sure where your next meal will come from! 7. Never rub any area affected by frostbite. Frozen skin must be brought back to room temperature slowly and gently to prevent damage. Breathe on the skin to help warm it, or let it rest in a bath of tepid (not hot!) water. 8. Many people become disoriented and confused when lost in the woods. Moving around and trying to find your way home can make it difficult for people to find you. Stay put, and find a way to make noise to let people know where you are. 9. While taking your hat off might feel good if you are too warm, too much heat escapes from your head. Even with a thick, warm coat, you may end up feeling cold and have a hard time to warm up again. Keep your hat on, and take off a layer of clothing. 10. While you may be able to survive for three weeks to a month without food, you can only survive a few days at most without water. There isn't enough water in food for your body's needs. Always find a source of water to drink to stay alive.

You are an outdoor person through-and-through if you got 90-100%. If you had to use survival tactics in the woods, you would probably do just fine and be able to make do with the resources you found in the wild. Congratulations on being prepared for all situations.

“HAM” Radio Merit Badge

Surveys show that many Hams got interested in radio through Scouting! I know I did, when on Staff for an All-Star course “all around” Mount Timpanogas a few years ago. The course was spread out with mountain biking, river rafting and backpacking and we needed to keep in contact with each other at every point. It worked great; all the staff (youth and adult) got their Ham radio license. My calling today in the Ward and Stake is Communication Specialist in emergency situations. My Ham call sign is KC7-RTJ. The church can certainly use more of us Scouts in this area of responsibility. Unfortunately, Radio Merit Badge has not been a popular merit badge. Only about 4,000 Radio Merit Badges are earned in the US each year. When compared to the 85,000 Swimming Merit Badges earned annually, it's obvious that we need to promote Amateur Radio to youth. The site listed below shows hams how easy it is to run a Radio Merit Badge course in their area. A Radio Merit Badge event is a great way to promote a follow-on Technician Licensing course!

Why Hasn't Radio Merit Badge Been Popular? A number of reasons caused this, including outdated requirements, few experienced Hams at summer camps, and the fact that many summer camps don't have ham stations. Fortunately Radio Merit Badge has been changed to better reflect radio today.

What you can do as a Ham radio operator?

A Scout can now meet the revised Radio Merit Badge requirements with a few hours of self-study, three hours of class and an on-the-air contact. The Amateur Radio community needs to provide these opportunities. Local Ham clubs should also consider adopting their local Scout camp to get a Radio Merit Badge program established at summer camp. Each Ham should make sure that a Radio Merit Badge event is available to Scouts in their area. The best time of year for such an indoor event would be the winter to avoid other Scouting activities. By making it an annual event, local Hams and radio clubs will expose more young men to amateur radio and how to get licensed. And you'll find that it's easy and fun to share your knowledge of radio with Scouts! To learn more visit: http://k2gw.tripod.com/radiomeritbadgeday/


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Varsity Scouting “Highest Award”

A couple months ago, a half-dozen young men from the Fox Pointe Ward, West Jordan Utah Bingham Creek Stake, gathered for a special Court of Honor. Before receiving their Scouting organizations highest award, each of the boys was recognized for providing service to others, learning new skills, working together and demonstrating leadership. But not one of the 16-year-olds was presented Scouting's Eagle Badge that evening. No need. Each of the young men had already earned their Eagles. Instead, the six priests were presented the Denali Award, the highest achievement in Varsity Scouting. Never before had six members of one Varsity Scout Team from Utah's Great Salt Lake Council completed the Denali Award at the same time. For many young men, claiming their Eagle Award marks the end of their Scouting experience. But others take full advantage of the opportunities offered by the Varsity Scout program designed for teacher-aged boys. A well-run Varsity program offers a variety of high-adventure and leadership activities. The sort of things, boys just buy into. For years, the Young Men general presidency has counseled us to promote Varsity Scouting. But operating a successful Varsity team can be tough. Often a young man steps away from Scouting once he's earned his Eagle. Many of our Varsity leaders simply know little about how the advanced programs work. By design, the young men are responsible for much of the planning and leadership in Varsity Scout activities. Still, it's vital that adult leaders fully understand the ins-and-outs of the program. We encourage leaders enlist in Varsity Scouting's Specific Training and, if possible, the advanced Wood Badge course to best understand the Varsity Scout program. We can't teach boys about a tool we know nothing about. Additional resources on starting up and operating a Varsity Scout program can be found at: www.utahscouts.org/VarsityScouting

Devoted Varsity Scout leaders can make all the difference in a team. Scout committee manages the administrative tasks (permits, equipment, scheduling, and advancement) so that the Varsity coaches can focus entirely on the boys. Our advice to the young men leaders anxious to succeed in Varsity Scouting is simple: "Love the boys and get out into your ward and discover who the outdoorsmen are." The Denali Award is available only to a Varsity Scout team’s youth members who have already earned the Varsity Scout Letter. Denali is the name American Indians gave Mount McKinley, in central Alaska. The requirements for the award are:

1. Be a registered Varsity Scout team member. 2. Advance one rank toward Eagle. If you are already an

Eagle Scout, earn a Palm. 3. Hold leadership positions in a Varsity Scout team for at

least six months. 4. While serving as team captain or a program manager,

act as primary leader on at least two activities. Program managers should choose activities in their field of emphasis. Team captains may be primary leaders of activities in any of the five fields of emphasis.

5. While serving as a program manager or team captain, demonstrate shared leadership skills by participating in supportive roles in activities in each of the three remaining fields of emphasis.

6. Satisfy the team captain that; you know and live by the Varsity Scout Pledge.

7. Complete a progress review.

Pay Attention

to Each Boy

For young men in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to succeed today, they need to learn how to work hard, and the Boy Scouting program and its camps are among the best ways to accomplish that. "Our young people are not learning that today," Elder Donald J. Keyes, area seventy, said of hard work at an "LDS Church and Scouting Relationships Conference" President Dean R. Burgess, first counselor in the Young Men General Presidency, also spoke at the conference and reiterated what Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of Twelve


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Apostles has said -- that young men need to be turned into men. "Bring every young man to Christ through a Scouting experience." President Burgess said. Scouting provides opportunities outside church buildings -- through its camps -- to strengthen testimonies. "Scouting is the Lord's program," he said. Elder Keyes said the teachings of the Boy Scouts of America and the LDS Church is consistent. He said nearly 100 years ago a prophet of the Lord felt inspired that the church should adopt the Scouting program, and 10 prophets later it has continued as such. He said some young men are struggling in the Missionary Training Center today, but not with the kinds of problems you might expect. Some are suffering cell-phone withdrawal, or similar separation issues from other electronic devices. He stressed that Scout leaders should make sure cell phones, cards, iPods, magazines and the like are all left home during Scout camps. He said the only exceptions are some cell phones leaders take for emergency use. Elder Keyes also challenged Scout leaders to get all the training they can. "If you get trained, you won't run a hobo (scout) camp," he said. "Young men who go to hobo camps learn nothing and do nothing." President Burgess stressed that Mormon youth leaders simply can't have a casual approach toward young men today because there are too many distractions in the world. The church has a partnership with the BSA and that means, among other things, supporting and attending Roundtable meetings. That means going to them not with a what-can-I-receive attitude but with a giving accent. "Be trained in every aspect of Scouting," he said. President Burgess also said stake presidents will now have the first right to attend the BSA's premier high-adventure camp, Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, during LDS week. He said other youth leaders wanting to go to Philmont should now use their stake presidents for admission. He also expounded on four principles that Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Twelve had used successfully when he was bishop of the Bonneville Ward to get almost every priest -- 38 -- to serve missions.

1. Pay attention to each boy, 2. Love them 3. Build a team 4. Know that it's the Lord's program

He said he noticed a quorum of young men entering the Temple as he drove into the Tabernacle parking lot and said, "That's why we are here tonight," to keep young men pure and worthy to enter the temple. President Burgess also stressed safety in Scouting and said: "Don't take risks. Use common sense and be prepared."

All experienced outdoorsmen prefer to carry survival equipment with them all the time, even when going to the bathroom. A Fanny Pack or cargo pockets in your Scout pants work great. Fanny Packs are available in many configurations. Many Fanny Packs are adaptations of fishing or photographer’s packs. Some work better than others. I use the Fanny Pack like the one in this picture; it has multiple storage options with about 250 cu. in. of carrying capacity in the main compartment. It also has two water bottles, one on each side. My entire survival kit is kept organized and accessible. When you have a backpack on, the Fanny Pack can be moved to the front. For comfort, safety and ease of accessibility the Fanny Pack should not be too large. It should fit comfortably around your waist, and not too tight or loose. It should be so comfortable that you never know it’s there. An alternative method is to carry survival items in a Fishing Vest so that they are always with you in case you are separated from your backpack. For those selecting a fishing vest, the short models tend to be better for use with a backpack.

What should you have in a wilderness survival kit? That depends on what environment and what season you'll be backpacking in. Weight of the items is also a concern for ultra-light backpacking. Compile a kit of items from the following “suggestions”, but be sure to always have first aid supplies and a way to start a fire.

POSSIBLE SURVIVAL KIT ITEMS:

Signal Mirror Whistle LED head lamp Space Blanket Sun Block (Small packet) Sewing Kit (Needle and thread) Water Purification (Iodine or other tablets) Waterproof Matches (At least 20) Bic lighter Candle Tinder Bullion Cubes (2 or 3) Fishing Line (30 feet, 15# test) Split Shot Fishing Weights (2, small) Fish Hooks (2 or 3, size #4) Compass and/or GPS Orange Flag Leatherman Knife Nylon Cord (20 to 30 feet) Plastic Bags (One small, one larger)

“Keep It with You”

Survival Kit


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Zippered Plastic Bag (For water) Bandana Duct Tape (20 feet) Paper Pencil

POSSIBLE FIRST AID ITEMS:

A few antibiotic ointment packs 6-12 Antiseptic cleansing pads 6-12 Alcohol pads A burn treatment gel pad A cold compress Gauze roll bandage Large butterfly wound bandage A few of various size adhesive bandages Eye pad Several gauze pads or varied sizes Roll of adhesive tape First Aid Guide Vinyl gloves Some medium safety pins Scissors Tweezers Moleskin Snake bite kit Soap Towelettes Knuckle Bandage

Coach’s Corner “HIBERNATION”

It means to sleep through the winter. Woodchucks do it. So do some chipmunks, ground squirrels, bats, and some mice. Bears do a lot of sleeping in the winter, too, but they're not true hibernators because they sometimes get up and yawn and look around a little on a warmish winter day. Did you know that some Varsity Scouts are hibernators, too? They're what we call warm-weather Scouts. When the air gets cold and there is snow on the ground they'd rather stay at home than go outdoors as Varsity Scouts do. I hope you don't have any hibernators in your Varsity Scout team. Leave hibernation to the animals that really need to do it because it's part of their life cycle. The most important part of the word "Scouting" is "outing" and in your team you need to get outdoors rather than try to find your adventures in front of a computer or a Wii. Part of the fun of Varsity Scouting is learning to live comfortably outdoors all year round. You will find that there is a lot of satisfaction in knowing that you can take care of yourself in any weather. That doesn't mean that you’re nuts, though; if you get caught in a blizzard with sub-zero temperatures, you need to come home. But you do need to know how to take care of yourselves in all kinds of winter weather if necessary.

Coach’s Corner

AIM SO HIGH YOU'LL NEVER BE BORED

The greatest waste of our natural resources is the number of young men who never achieve their potential. Get out of that slow lane. Shift into that fast lane. If you think you can't, you won't. If you think you can, there's a good chance you will. Even making the effort will make you feel like a new person. Reputations are made by searching for the things that can't be done and doing them. Aim low boring. Aim high soaring.

The Varsity Vision Newsletter provides Scouting

leadership motivation and inspiration as well as a dialogue on needs, direction and policies in the Utah National Parks Council. The newsletter Staff assembles and distributes useful new ideas practical tips, enthusiasm and the VISION of Stand-Alone Varsity Scouting.

Opinions and ideas expressed herein are those of the

editors and contributors and do not necessarily reflect official BSA policy. The Varsity Vision Newsletter is non-profit service publication to promote Scouting leadership excellence through-out the council and is distributed 12 times a year through the UNPC web site at: www.utahscouts.org/Varsity Scouts/Varsity Vision

Comments and suggestions can be e-mailed to me at

[email protected]. I would like to hear from you.

varsity vision newsletter feb 09

Documents

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