The Legend of
344
The Official Quarterly Newsletter of the 344 Unit Set
(please don't hold me to the quarterly
thing)
If you
did not receive this in html and/or cannot see the imbedded images,
Winter 2005 
6 years ago Pack 344
had gone through a rough period. Leaders were tired and worn out and others
were graduating on into Boy Scouting. It appeared from a Northfield Scouting
standpoint that help was needed. A handful of people from other Packs
took the initiative to help their sister Unit and started a recruitment campaign.
The result was the initial core group of the 344 rebuilding project that were
some new comers to Scouting and some transfers from the other other Units.
The rebirth of what is now the 344 Unit Set was thus seeded in Grace.
The legend began. The success story of rebuilding that took
place is well documented in the "Quality System" work at http://www.qsystem.us , this success is ongoing
building a better organization each step of the way. For this we are all
thankful.
The "Quality System" is simply a document writing
down the theories that many of us developed and contributed to which outlines
how to rebuild Units through a method based in Grace, understanding of others
and the moral character values of the BSA. It is straight BSA protocol
and standards but provides insight into how people interact and what to do to
make this interaction not only good, but great. We take great pride at
344 in our programs and deliver them with enthusiasm, charm and wit. We
have been very successful in this endeavor and have managed over time to evolve
many of our slightly differing philosophies into a cohesive whole and unified
set of ever changing and melding protocols. The beauty of our system
is it's flexibility and ability to adapt to many different leader styles and
program initiatives. This has been and continues to be the key to our
success. Cooperation and melding of all. This work has taken on
a Mission like flavor that continues to propel us upward with each step obtaining
another level of success. We truly have something very unique here.
Something that is rarely found in our hurried lives.
The result
of all of this cooperation, can be seen around us. A successful Pack,
Troop and Crew coupled with a Campfire Girls Unit and a BSA Ship (new form of
Venturing Crew) on our horizon. This should make all of us feel proud
in this continuing collaborative effort. We could not do this without
dedicated Leaders and committed parents who all contribute what they can at all
levels of the program.
For those of you new
to 344 our overlying goal is to provide a program for Kindergarten through College
Youth that teaches Leadership Skills and essential life values within the safety
net of Scouting. These values, defined by the BSA are further strengthened
and modified by the blending of our families into a unified group. They
are a reflection of local values and local ethics led by local volunteers and
framed by our Chartering Partner Bethel Lutheran Church. Scouting does
require a belief in a One-God system. Our program reflects this and the
goals of our Chartering Partner. It is basically a non-denominational
Christian based Unit Set complete with Chaplains per BSA structure. We
have families from many differing Christian sects, we do pray at our meetings
but remain non-denominational in our delivery.
We provide a method
for your son to achieve the Eagle rank with several optional paths to follow.
These paths vary in program, intensity and speed so you can find a
suitable avenue for your son should he decide the Eagle Rank is something
for him to pursue. We also provide a path to the BSA Ranger which is a
Venturing rank, higher than Eagle, that both boys and girls can earn.
The Eagle Rank will help your son for the rest of his life. It is a well
recognized measure of achievement.
The BSA calls the
system we use "The Total Program Concept". The "Quality System" is our continuing, evolving
guidelines for operating this system. They are a fluid work, changed regularly
to reflect our new discoveries and methods. Sometimes new ideas go well,
sometimes they don't. We do encourage new ideas regardless, if they don't
work we learn, if they do we add them to our operating protocol. The "Quality
System" methods allow for an easy correction should a new concept fail.
They also do not allow our program to drift very quickly once we do have something
that works well.
We provide a place
for families to grow, to learn, be educated and have fun. You will find
Scouting and our local program to be well thought out from minor detail to broad
brush stroke. All of us working together help frame this outline.
We can always use more help as Leaders. If one person does too much they
get tired and can get crabby. If we all do a little bit no one person
is taxed to heavily so we do ask that everyone do what they can, ask someone
if you do not know what you can help with. There are so many different
tasks in Scouting and we are fortunate to have a higher ratio of people helping
deliver the Scouting promise than most Units do. This is why we are successful
as a whole. In fact we have Guidelines written and published on our Server that prevent any one person from taking
over a Unit. In this way the 344 Program will always be a democratic organization
a this reflection of local values and local ethics we brag about.
Our Server, which we affectionately call the "Q-Doc Server" serves all of our Units
and is a repository of useful (and sometimes quite frankly absolutely useless)
Scouting documents. These documents serve as an aid on our instructional
mission to our Scouts. There are pictures from events on there, Dutch
Oven Recipes, Song books, skits, etc. and continues to grow in size and usefulness.
There is some good comedy within the pages too, we also have our own Search
Engine on our site.
You will not find
a better organization for supplemental education for your Youth than Scouting.
Scouting teaches skills that no other youth program does. Kids learn to
be great Leaders through the BSA methods. In fact 4 out of 5 Leaders today
in Religion, Politics, Business and Government were Scouts. The program
works. We as parents make that happen. We may never fully see the
fruits of our labor but we do make a big difference in the future of our World.
We have always been
blessed with truly great Leaders and provide within the realm of the BSA a way
to make you as a parent a truly great Leader. Those of us who have been
in Scouting a while continue to be impressed with the parenting skills and Leadership
skills the BSA teaches to adults too. The program is good for us all and
helps our social, work and family relationships. This common purpose is
what binds us as a whole.
344 has and
continues to be the premier choice for Scouting in Northfield. For those
new to us, we welcome you aboard, for those that have been with us for a while,
we thank you once again. Without all of you, there is no program.
Your support is very much appreciated.
In Grace we started
our rebuilding, and in Grace we continue to grow, united in Scouting for the
common good of our youth and our future.
God Bless
344.
Tomahawk 2004 - Order of the Arrow Induction
Pack Status - Winter 2005
Snow Tubing at BSA
Camp Phillippo in Cannon Falls.
Awesome job
everyone! 6 years ago with 6 Scouts we now come close to 60 or a 200%
increase in enrollment each year. The Pack program is one of the best in
the area with horseback riding, IMAX theatre, camping and events at our own Camp
Dudley .
See the map to
Dudley at:
paste entire link
into browser.
Cub Scouting
a like all of Scouting, a family program. The parents run the program
and teach the boys many skills. Cub Scouting prepares the boys for Boy
Scouting and Venturing beyond that. Scouts start in first grade as Tigers
and make their way up the advancement trail to Wolf, Bear and finally Webelos.
Webelos stands for
"We Be Loyal Scouts" and is the transitional period to Boy Scouting. Once
a Scout completes their Arrow of Light they can move onto Boy Scouting.
Boys can also join Boy Scouting at age 11 if they do not join sooner.
We try to strive to keep all of our Dens from Tigers to Webelos at the same
level of advancement. This keeps the boys together so that they can form
a Patrol once in Boy Scouting. The boys who compete their work faster
generally help those that don't, in this way we start to develop the teaching
skills that the Troop and Crew teach as part of the Scouts Leadership Training.
Webelos Scouts are
invited to Troop events to give them the taste of Boy Scouting. In Boy
Scouting more challenging outdoor activities are introduced.
Our Pack is stronger
than it has ever been. Currently Alec Irwin is the Committee Chair and
Tracy Baron the Cubmaster. Many, many other parents pitch in to help keep
this program lively, fun and entertaining for both the youth and
parents.
344 hosts an annual
Pinewood Derby contest which has a youth and adult race. Alec always
loses in the adult race. He thinks he is a really good racer and has a
lot of theories about mass, angle and sheer, but there is only One Undefeated
Adult Champion who remains in that place and holds the coveted World Belt.
But try each year he must.
The Blue and Gold
Banquet each year marks the time of graduation to Boy Scouting for the Webelos.
The Troop and Crew have an Order of the Arrow team which assists the Pack leaders
in the bridging. It is cool.
A Pack is organized
into Dens by age grouping each with two to three Den Leaders per Den. All
parents are encouraged to attend and to help as you can. The family is
what drives the Pack and helps the Cub Scout Grow.
Most of our Communication
is done via e-mail as it is faster than phone calling however we do utilize
phone chains at all levels of the organization. A Key Committee governs
each Unit and directs the program side (Den Leaders, Cubmasters and Assistants,
Scoutmasters and Assistants) on how they want the organization to run.
We try at all times to do this on a consensus basis with call of a vote if there
are two distinct sides to a decision. We teach respect to our youth and
act respectful to one another, one of the great lessons and secrets of Scouting.
Leadership though kindness and helpfulness. Sounds vaguely familiar
from a variety of philosophical sources. You should watch for e-mails
from your Leaders and also check the Pack Web
Site at:
press on schedule
right below the Pack 344 logo. It should highlight. If you want
anything posted to the web, contact Alec
or me.
Tracy Baron
Cubmaster carefully places two of the Contender's Cars upon the Pinewood
Track. As
usual "The Champion" (in background) from Team Rocket, won last years race
as
usual.
Troop Status - Winter
2005
The Troop is just completing their latest mission of
beefing up the boy-led portion of the program. Kudos to Alec Irwin, Mark,
Olson and Larry Alderks Scoutmaster for accomplishing the last piece of our
puzzle. The Troop program is now complete weighing in at about 300% more
events and programming than the average Troop. Up from last year with
the addition of these key new leaders. Once again 344 goes over the
top. As we say in all our Quality System promotional material,
"Our program is simply the best of the best". Well we sure
try hard anyway.
Troop 344 started 3 years ago with a base of 9 Scouts
and has grown to 32 Scouts currently. Again exponential growth has been
experienced at this Unit level too.
In a Troop, the parents function as teachers, the boys
lead, plan and execute the program. We teach them to do this, offer them
skills courses and each try to offer 6 Merit Badges for them to choose
from. The adults step back a bit and let the boy do. It is hard
for most of us to let go, but rest assured again their is the safety net of
the BSA program that has a method for learning from things when they don't quite
go the way they planned. Sometimes we just have to eat the burned bacon.
We sure have a lot of good cooks now though after 3 years. This methology
is applied to all levels of boy development through what we call the Patrol
Method. Each patrol elects a leader who represents them at the Patrol
Leader's Council. At this Council the boys make the decisions for themselves.
They are guided by a loving and caring Scoutmaster and his or her assistants
that frame the questions to consider to keep the program on track.
The Pack and Troop are both held in high honors each
year at the District Recognition Dinner where we earn the Quality and Super
Quality Unit awards.
The Troop also utilizes the Council Order of the Arrow
Program. Exemplary Scouts are elected to the Order voted on by their
peers. The Order teaches selfless service to others as the ultimate means
of Leadership.
All indications (see graphs and Charts below in this
section) show the Troop like the Pack is a smashing success and combines leadership
values with rank advancement better than most other Units around. We meet
the Council goal of Tenderfoot to First Class in a year in most instances and
currently have 10 Scouts ready for Eagle ranging from 13 to 17 years old. All
of our original Charter Scouts appear that they will complete their
Eagle. The others that came later are not far behind. The Troop
is designed as a place where the boys learn to work hard on their advancements
and leadership skills so that when they get to the Crew (as teenagers) they
can focus more on fund raising to be able to afford to travel to some of further
distance National Camps and to the Rockies, Alaska etc. There is a lot
for parents who want to help at the Troop level to do. Like the Pack we
run a very intense program about 200 to 250% more than your average Troop.
We do this so that boys can work around their sporting, music and other events
and still remain on track with the Scouting studies. We do this because
we have parents that pitch in and help wherever they can. Again Scouting
is as good for the parents as it is for the adults and teaches parenting skills
that will make you closer to your child.
The Crew has just split off form the Troop and the Troop
and Crew Committees are currently working on an operating plan. The
boys direction from their meetings is for the Crew to dovetail in with
the Troop as a means of transitioning to their own Unit. We used a similar
approach when we started the Troop from the Pack. This interim operating
plan the Committees are working on will be in place until next August when
a more definite split can be made. It is intended by the boys to help
the Troop with the new program format of a totally boy-led program.
We exceed everyone in our District in all levels
now. We have 2 rotating Merit Badge systems, a Brownsea Program (Brownsea
is what we call the ranks of Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class), an
Aquatics Program and many cross events with the Pack and Crew. The BSA
"Total Program Concept" is working and we are all very pleased with
this.
All indicators show that Troop 344 is a rousing success
story and is poised to continue it's upward path of growth and Grace.
See charts and graphs below for Troop/Crew stats. We could as always use
a couple of more leaders, we are way above the norm however parent involvement
is what makes our programs so strong, successful, secure and consist ant through
time.
Please note that the following tables are based on Active
Scouts. Some Scouts go inactive for a period and then return. If
all Scouts are calculated the results are even higher than those shown here.
Troop 344's record, like all our other
Units, speaks for itself. We produce results in our youth, results
that last a lifetime, all in a fun family filled organization following the BSA
methods and reflecting the values of our Chartered Partner, Bethel Lutheran
Church.
We do this through the "Quality System" approach to Scouting utilizing
the BSA "Total Program Concept".
Crew Status - Winter
2005
River Run IV.
Members of Crew 344 and the 344 Aquatics Division host a Cannon River
Run
several times a
year. Troops from throughout the Council come to use our Aquatics
Programs.
The Crew is in it's
infancy and well off to a good start. We have established a Venturing
Patrol that meets with the Crew as a transitional means like Webelos.
Scouts can remain dual registered in the Troop and Crew. Scouts can
stay in a Troop until age 18. Scouts can be in a Crew until age 21.
Crews are co-ed and are Scout-run.
Where a Pack is led
and run by the parents to help the Cub Scout, the Troop is led by the Scouts
and a training ground for them to learn how to run their own Group. Once
the Scout has completed the 8th grade they can join the Crew where they put
these Leadership skills to work. Scouts who have completed the First Class
Rank can work on their Eagles at the Crew level.
The overall system
is designed as the Troop to be the place for hard work and advancement and the
Crew being the place of reward. Crews travel to exotic places and do fun
activities all planned and executed by the Scouts.
Currently the Crew
is helping the Troop in their programming and training efforts. 10 of our
Scouts are working on their Eagle projects at the Crew
level.
First
Campfire Ceremony at the Crew Council Fire at
Camp
Dudley. This was the first event to start our chain of
Lord
Baden
Powell ashes. Ashes from one of Baden-Powell's fire have
for
decades been placed in a fire before lighting. Ashes after the
fire
are
collected and given to friends. 344 has it's own branch of
this
age old
fire ash chain. Here a member of our OA team and
his son
performing the opening ceremony at the new Council
Fire
Ring. David Bright (right) from the NorthernStar Council
Committee joins us for this prestigious Ceremony.
Campfire Girls - Winter
2005
The Campfire is our
sister program for boys in Kindergarten (before they can join Tiger Cubs) and
girls from First Grade to Eighth grade. This program started last spring
and has grown like all 344 Units quite rapidly. With about 15 members the
Campfire continues to reach more youth through a program very similar to the BSA
Program. Campfire Girls and the BSA have run hand in hand many times
in the past with their roots tracing back to the same people who brought
Scouting to America.
Camp
Dudley
Camp
Dudley is a 5 acre piece of property that abuts the Cannon
River and serves all of our Units in one fashion or another. John and Pat
Dudley have given us permission to use the land as long as we are good stewards
of it, and keep it . Linus Langer is the caretaker of this property.
All use should be scheduled through him, his number is in the
book.
The Pack uses Dudley
for some of their meetings. The Troop and Crew meet at Dudley weekly from
April until October. The Crew and Ship use Dudley in delivering their
River Run packages to other Troops, Crews and youth groups by serving as
Historical and Geological Guides.
Camp Dudley is a
main part of our program and we greatly value and respect the gift that has been
temporarily entrusted to us.
Please remember to
utilize the property wisely. Try to keep the noise down for the neighbors
and clean up after yourself. Nothing manmade can be built at Dudley, as
it sits in the Wild and Scenic District of the Cannon River. We do have
permission to have our Scout signs, a composter and an outhouse on the property.
John Dudley is the Lead Supervisor for the Waterford Township Board and thus
our respect of him is paramount.
We are very thankful
for this gift. The Dudley's are very generous people.
Some day this
property will be sold and we will then find another place. Many of us in
the 344 Units were farmers here in town and know a lot of the property Owners
along the River.
Jay
Kuivinen dumps the Baden-Powell Ashes into the first campfire at Dudley while a
flaming
torch passes in front of the camera.
Ship 344's Aquatics
Division
Web Site coming
soon.
A Ship is a form of a Crew that is water
based. Jay Kuivinen will be launching this, so to speak, in about a
year. Currently the Ship runs several aquatics Programs listed
below.
We look forward to the Ship in the near
future as yet another option for our youth.
Our first Ship? John
Brantner navigates the
Cannon on the River Run
IV
Family Swim
Program
As part of our 'Every
Scout a Swimmer" program, on the third Saturday of each month, Ship 344's
Aquatics Division hosts the Monthly Family Swim Session. You can come
and splash around, work on aquatics advancement, get Leader Training or spend
time talking with fellow Scouters.
The Public is invited
to this swim. We use any proceeds we earn after paying for the pool
rent and lifeguards to go for canoes for us by all the Units.
Jay Kuivinen leads
the Ship's effort and is currently working on getting certified to be able to
teach BSA Lifeguard. Once this is in place, youth can get certified
to work at BSA Camps. The BSA is in need of youth
Lifeguards.
The Family
Swim is for all the Units. Cost is $3.00 per person, maximum $9.00 per
Family. See Swim
Flyer at:
River Run
Program
The Crew and Ship
use this venue as a fundraiser by planning and executing a guided tour down
the Cannon River. We also have a Boundary Waters Package and the exclusive
50 Mile afoot afloat program. Advancement as with all 344 events is
inerrant in the program.
paste entire link
into browser.
SSSAS
Super Saturday Supplemental
Advancement System
On the third Saturday
of each month, before the Family
Swim from 10:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. we have an Advancement Workshop
at the Northfield Middle School Library for Boy Scouts and Venturers.
Work on Brownsea (Tenderfoot through First Class) and Merit Badges with
the help from Advancement Councilors. This is a great way to keep
your son on their trail to Eagle.
On the third Saturday
of each month and at the request of Leaders to have more meetings in which
we could talk about issues we have formed the Leaders League hosted by me
the Unit Commissioner. The Leaders League meets this Leaders breakfast.
parents are encouraged to come to these meetings too. The Troop is paying
for the first $30.00 of the meeting. Come get help from Veteran Scouters,
voice concerns and help coordinate the cross effort between Pack, Troop and
Crew. This meeting has too been expanding exponentially. Currently
we have them at the Tavern at 8:30 a.m. (before SSSAS and the Family Swim).
No decisions are made at these meetings as those should take place in each
of the Unit Committees.
Web
Sites
The 344 Units if you
have not figured it out yet are an Internet based Unit Set that uses a myriad
of web sites to coordinate it's efforts. These web sites have over 7000
files on them and it is growing each day. Here is a list and description
of each of our current web sites. You can find just about anything you
need on our web sites. We even have a searcher that searches our document
base.
http://www.Qdocs.us - Our
File Server with many useful aids for leaders and parents to make your Scouting
experience more enjoyable.
http://www.Qsystem.us - Our ever changing operating protocol linking all of the 344 Units
into a cohesive whole.
Please note that all
7 of these web sites are interlinked to one another. It is hard
to tell sometimes when you leave one and enter another. Such is
the benefit of the "Quality
System" as everything we do is integrated
and yes elaborate. This is why we can claim with a straight face
that we are indeed the "Best of the Best". At 344, it don't get
any better than this.
Our programs are
ever expanding and as we are getting older boys in our new Units (Troop and
Crew) more and more of what we have set up is being turned over to them.
This is what the BSA is all about, teaching kids to run the
World.
Our programs have
grown and are reaching more youth through what our origins were based
upon, a simple method of Grace and kindness, and of helping one
another. We are thankful that we have had the opportunity to discover
these simple truths and to share them with those that follow
us.
I personally hope to
see you all at our many different venues and events that the 344 Units have to
offer. Keep up the good work, you are all truly an amazing bunch! We
have a very special and unique program here, one that is in keeping with
the BSA methods, yet one of our own, one that works for all of us through common
vision. What pride we all have in our 344! God please continue to
Bless us all.
Yours in
Scouting,
Don
Starr
Unit
Commissioner
Crew Lead
Advisor
And you thought you
had it
bad.........
;~}
