More Scouting!

The last week or two has been even more scouting.  Most of it has been pretty exciting though....

First, on Saturday,  the Scouts and Venturers had a Lego Mindstorms Workshop, and the last-year cubs were invited. This involved making various lego robots, and then programming them.

Building the Robot

Delta has a sense of humour - his caption for this is
"You thought you were having a bad day"

Almost done - this robot has a sensor to detect colours.

Will Delta's robot follow a black track?  I'll never tell!

In the morning, they made robots from a selection of plans.  In the afternoon, they could build one from their own design.  Some of the older kids took up the challenge to make a robot that could climb a rope.  Delta chose to make a fighting robot instead.

The Finished product

Delta downloading the program he wrote to the robot

Next came the scout meeting and.... Archery!  This was Delta's first chance at this sport, and he discovered that Legolas makes it look a lot easier than it is.

Legolas makes this look so easy.....

A couple of days later - it was the cub meeting night.  This one was a special meeting though, as the third year cubs were leaping up to Scouts.  

Saying goodbye to the Cubs

Changing uniform under the parachute....

Getting invested as a Scout

Mom gets to put on the Woggle (Neckerchief Slide)

Welcomed to the Troop!

My Scouting Kids

Great selection of Scouting Uniforms in our family!
(Looks like Echo is getting eaten by the Wolf!)

 Then the next Saturday,  the Scouts (including Delta) were selling hot-dogs and Chocolate Bars to make money for their summer camp in the States!   Meanwhile, the Cubs and Beavers were getting pledges for Scoutrees, where they get pledges to plant trees.

 And coming up.... Tonight Delta goes to cubs, and I get to receive a Scouting Award from the Lieutenant-Governor for service!  Later this week, cub meeting, more chocolate bar sales, and so on....

And yes - we are still doing Homeschooling.  Delta is up to the first-quarter test in Math (he started a new level in February) and Echo is close behind.   Spelling is going fine.  And we are on about week 30 of 36 weeks in our AO years.

January 2014 Review - Mom's a Proud Mom!

Ok - I admit it - Today's post is about things I'm proud of my children about - plain and simple...

Back Row -  Delta, Foxtrot, Echo.  Front Row - Golf  - See our new eReader!

As you know if you read my blog, our family is very active in Scouting.  A part of that involves doing fundraising.  This Fall we participated in selling Scout Popcorn - which we did as a family.  We were fortunate to have sold enough popcorn, not only to help fund our scouting program, but to be entered into some draws for awards.  Christmas Eve I received a phone call that Foxtrot had won a Kobo eReader - which is working out nicely for our little homeschool.  I was proud of all the hard work they had done, and happy that they got a little 'extra' out of it.

Then in January Echo was baptized.  It is so hard to think that another child is already 8!  I was quite proud that she had decided she wanted to be baptized.

Echo's Baptism Day

I had another proud moment one day when we were doing math.  Echo is working on Fractions, and as such is using the Fraction chart/puzzle.  Well, Golf was right there like white on rice....  and boy, she is good at puzzles... she was finding the right fractions and putting them in the right spots for Echo.  I suspect Golf will enjoy math... every school day she asks to do a "practice sheet" (for her, just drawing on the white board) - and to sing "Yellow is the sun"....    I was also proud with the patience Echo was showing on letting Golf do the puzzle with her.

Echo and Golf

And then this month with just a little 'poking' Delta finished up the requirements for a few more Awards in Cubs.  There are 10 Awards (when you include the World Conservation Award and Religion in Life Award) - and now Delta has earned all 10.  He earned his 6 star award last year (which has a plaque to recognize this accomplishment) - but each of the Cub Awards require a star, generally a few badges from that activity area, and a few more requirements.   There are a few more badges that Delta will probably earn (there are a couple he doesn't have planned for the pack to earn together yet) - but he is now eyeing the scout program.  He will officially move up to scouts in a couple of months - probably April - and can attend some of their meetings now as well.  

Delta in his Cub Uniform - all Awards

 This last month has been very busy - and a few things have been difficult - but it has been a month with my kids doing things that would make any mother proud!

Working for us Thursday - or is it Friday? Week in Review Too!

Ok - I'm late.  It has been a busy week, and I just am getting around to this entry.

So - what has been working for us?  Well, for quite a while, what has been working for us is CUBS and BEAVERS!

For those that might be confused - I'm not talking about animals.... I'm talking about Scouting.  And yes, in Canada - Scouting is Co-Ed!  This has worked out well, as Cubs and Beavers for our group meet at the same time, at the same place - so Delta, Echo, and Foxtrot are all at meetings at the same time.  Golf "hangs out" with Mike - we say she is in "Wanna-Bee's" because she "wants to be" a Beaver.  The more used term for this stage is being a "Bit" - a "Beaver in Training"....   And I'm not sure if I've mentioned it - but I'm a Cub leader (again!) with the group now too.

Back Row - Snowbird Technician;
Middle Row - Echo, Delta;
Front Row - Foxtrot, Golf

Delta is in his last year of Cubs.  He has earned so many badges, his arms are getting full.  I think the count is at about 42 - including Stars and Awards.  He only has a few Awards left to earn - and a few more badges on top of that.  He has also attended a Scout Activity and a Scout Camp, and will be invited to a few more Scout activities as the year goes on.  I suspect he will "Leap" up to Scouts in about April.

Echo is in her first year of Cubs, having completed 2 years of Beavers.  She is also enjoying the program, and has already earned 10 badges and 1 star.  She keeps eyeing Delta's badge chart as well as her own, deciding on what to work on next.

Foxtrot is in her first year of Beavers - being thrilled to no longer by a "Wanna-Bee".  She is enjoying fun activities, including making a Terrarium yesterday.

Me as a parent (in the red leader uniform) putting the neckerchief on Foxtrot at her Investiture as a Beaver

I suspect that Scouting will generally work for us - but will say up-front that it depends so much on the group.  Our first group was a big disappointment for us, and we had to switch the group.  But in a city there are usually a choice of groups.   If there isn't something that will work - there is also the possibility of doing things as a Lone.  It takes more motivation, but is definitely possible.


Just a few more points in the week -

• Monday we went to the Remembrance Day Ceremonies. 
• Tuesday was a regular school day - with the bonus of having the car.... so we used some audiobooks.  We didn't go anywhere too interesting though.
• Wednesday - Mike wasn't feeling well so he worked from home.  We didn't do regular school - but we went swimming in the afternoon to allow a quiet house for Mike.
• Thursday - Another regular schoolday - and of course, Cubs and Beavers!
• Friday - Echo and Delta are off to cub camp this evening.   We had our regular Friday - which I'll save for another blog.

Delta's Report

For Delta's "Canadian Healthy Living Award" in Cubs, he needed to do research and create a report on a Canadian outdoor or sports person that made a significant contribution to Canada or the World.

After considering some options, he chose Jacques Plante.  After reminding him about the 5W's, he wrote this report.

------------------

Jacques Plante was the first person to use a hockey mask in a game.

 

He did it because he was hurt by a slap shot to the face.

He wore it on November 1, 1959

The hockey game was at Madison Square Garden

This is a significant contribution because the game of hockey is a LOT safer.

--------------

After, he decided to recreate the scene in Lego...

Been Busy

New Canadian Cub Badges

Well, I've been pretty busy.  You see I've been made a cub leader again....  and I noticed something right away....  we keep buying badges.   Now, this wouldn't be to terrible of a thing except - well, our group HAS badges.  We had badges from our group, but we also had badges from another group.... and another group. Yet, as no one knows how many badges we have when discussing working on a badge... well, more gets bought.

Ok, this was also made worse because the badges from the different groups are in different boxes... so a leader might check one box and not see any, but not check the other box.

This would be bad enough... but the uniform changed a couple of years ago, and the badges changed.  They were made smaller to fit on the sleeve arm.  So if you have a mix of badges it can cause some problems.  If you have mostly older badges, with a few new ones, it works ok.  But if you have mostly new ones, you are going to want all new ones or they don't "fit" well together.

But if that weren't enough....  The entire Canadian Scouting program is being reviewed and revised.  And this is sounding like a major badge-program overhaul.  The new program is supposed to be starting September 2015 (If I didn't get mixed up....)  So we have 2 more years of our stack of "old" and "new" badges before they are likely not used again.  (Ok, it is possible, I suppose, that some of the badges may be the same...  but they may redesign the shape and everything of the badges...)

And honestly - we have LOTS of some of the badges.

So - this afternoon I took all the badges our group now owns, and the badge boxes.  I reorganized and consolodated the badges into one badge box system - including relabelling the boxes.  Now all of our cyclist badges, for example, are in one spot. (located alphabetically, and labelled.)  I think we have about 50 or 60 of them.  (And about 20 cubs).    My next step will be to count all the badges and record what we have....  (sounds like fun...)

Scouting in our Homeschool

Ok, I will admit to getting this topic from another blog.  But, it is one that is important to me, and I think it is worth talking about.  Warning - this is my longest post ever!

I guess I will start with a bit of background in my own scouting experience.  If you aren't interested, skip ahead a few paragraphs!

Me! - The red badge is for the Queen's Jubilee

When I was a child, way back in the 1970's, (Yes, way back then) - girls in Canada were in Girl Guides, and boys were in Boy Scouts.  In our School, Brownies and Cubs met at the school right after school.  So many kids were involved (I think pretty much all of us), that there were 2 packs for each.  So Brownies was Monday or Tuesday; Cubs was Wednesday or Thursday.  On the day of your meeting, you wore your uniform to school - so about 1/4 of the kids in your class were in uniform on almost any day.  (Guides and Scouts met nearby - I think at the nearby Catholic school - so they were in uniform too!)

My Brownie Handbook

Ok, I admit it - I was a rotten Brownie.  But, I have an excuse - my parents were separated and involved in a custody battle over me.  This was almost unheard of at that time.  So much of the Brownie Program back then was worked on at home, and there just wasn't the support at that time for me.  For a while, I wasn't even sure how people got all those pretty badges.... each week the badge pillow was at the meeting with badges other Brownies had earned... and I remember hoping there would be one for me.  Later I learned that you needed to call a badge examiner (yes, this is the old days!) to get tested for a badge.  In any case, I sent to 2 different Brownie Packs over 2 years (I moved) - and never earned a single badge.  I didn't go for the 3rd year, and never tried Guides.

Fast forward until I'm an adult - and my Brother becomes a Blazer Scout Leader, and his wife becomes a Cub Leader.  I'm pretty interested in all they are doing, and start reading the "Leader" magazine they they got.  I still wait a few years, but decide to become a leader - but have trouble deciding between Guiding and Scouting.  With more thought (and influenced, I'm sure, by my Brownie Experience) - I become a Scout Leader.  I also am "thrown to the wolves", as I'm the Scouter in Charge of a Scout Group that is struggling to   keep going.  After a couple of years, I also join Rovers as a "Youth Member".

Scout Handbook when I was a leader

Fast forward a couple more years, and some politics happen with my scout group - and I look for other opportunities.  I have 6 different groups wanting me for a leader, but I'm a little soured on it because of the politics - so I become an assistant Brownie leader for my Rover Advisor (who is also a Brownie Leader).  After a couple of years, I add in being a Guide Leader near my house.  I step aside as a Brownie leader after another year or so - and look towards being a Pathfinder Leader as well as a Guide Leader

One of the Guide Handbooks when I was a Guider

Soon I was moving, and having trouble fitting into the Guiding community in my new city - so I'm back to Scouting....  first as a Scout Leader - then a Cub Leader.    By then, I'm married to a wonderful man who also had over 20 years of Scouting experience (which I won't go into.)

Mike - playing a game with the Cubs

Still Reading????

So now, as you know, Delta is 9, Echo is 7, Foxtrot is 4, and Golf is 2.   Beavers in Canada are for ages 5-7, Cubs are 8-10, Scouts are 11-14, Venturers are 14-17, and Rovers are 18-26.    When Delta was 5, we honestly weren't to thrilled with the Beaver program, so we went to a different organization instead.  However, there was no doubt that we would be doing Scouting.  (Guiding has changed a lot since I was a leader there, so our girls will do Scouting too!)




Once he turned 8, he started cubs.   Our Cub pack has a Beaver Colony that meets at the same time - and our first year I had to take all the kids with me, so Echo started Beavers.   So far, it has worked quite well.

New Uniform!

So - Scouting and Homeschool.  Finally, I'm getting to the point.

The Scouting program in Canada has a lot that works well with Homeschooling.... and I'm sure it does in other countries too.  Right now, of course, my kids are in Cubs - so that is where the emphasis is.  If we are doing well with our regular subjects, I have NO PROBLEM taking the occasional day to let Delta work primarily on Badge Work.  And he occasionally will chose to work on badgework on his own.  I don't generally assign badgework or anything - but follow his interests and desires.   Today, for instance, we went over some of the items for First Aid badge - which works well as a subject for "Health"...

Here is the Canadian Cub Badges - with a few notes on how this can relate to school....


Black Star Area (The Natural World).  Great for any CM Homeschooler, as Nature Study fits right in there!

• Black Star  -  (kind of a taste of various nature topics)
• Astronomer  - great nature study!
• Gardener - nature study / science (botony)
• Naturalist - more nature study - knowing about animals/plants
• Observer - more nature study - mostly ID'ing different things in nature
• Recycling - great for chores... lol
• World Conservation (old) Environment Award (new)  - learning about habitats, pollution, endangered species, etc.
• Climate Change (new) 
• Canadian Wilderness Award - having done a lot of things in Nature

In the Conservatory - Black Star

A Nature Hike - there is nature all over!

Animal Tracks.  (In our Yard!) - Naturalist

 Green Star Area (The Outdoors).  - more of a Scouting Skills area - but great for things to do outside!  

• Green Star  -  (kind of a taste of various outdoor skills)
• Camping - life/survival skills
• Cooking - Life Skills here!
• Fishing - good hobby and survival skills
• Hiking - fits in good with nature study again.... nature hikes!
• Trailcraft - what to do if lost!
• Watercraft
• Winter Cubbing  - important in Canada 
• Canadian Camper Award - quite skilled in Camping
• Canadian Heritage Trails Award - Know a lot about Hiking 

Cooking Badge

Klondike Derby (outdoor skills competition)
- Winter Cubbing, Green Star, and many others

Quinzee - A Snow Shelter - Winter Cubbing

Tawny Star Area (Creative Expression).  - here are some of those Fine Art moments in a CM education

• Tawny Star  -  (kind of a taste of various creative activities)
• Artist - Requirements work well with Nature Notebooks and Drawing forms of Narration
• Carpenter - great handicraft / life skills!
• Collector - great opportunity to learn here with stamps/coins/or whatever.  Or nature collections (leaves, rocks).  
• Computer - great skills for school!
• Entertainer - singing, folk dancing, recitation, playing an instrument - lots of great options here!
• Handicraft - obviously has great options for handicrafts for school
• Musician - also obvious
• Photographer - lots to learn about here - great for nature notebooks or other notebooking!
• Reader - there is lots of reading in homeschool - and knowing how to use a dictionary, atlas, encyclopedia, the parts of a book, taking care of a book, etc - fits right in!
• Canadian Arts Award - Knowing a lot about the Arts

Handicraft - making Wooden Models

Morse Code - Tawny Star

Kub Kar Races -
Designing and building a wood car!
- Handicraft

Red Star Area (Health and Fitness) - Having problems deciding on Health topics and PhysEd for homeschool?  Lots of ideas here!

• Red Star  -  (kind of a taste of various health/fitness activities - mostly the Health stuff is here)
• Athlete - Knowing basics on how to exercise, and demonstrate best in various activities - PhysEd!
• Cyclist - How to safely ride a bike - more PhysEd
• Skater - PhysEd
• Skier - PhysEd
• Snowboarder - PhysEd
• Swimmer - PhysEd
• Team Player - PhysEd
• Canadian Healthy Living Award - Doing quite a bit in Fitness/Health

The Effects of Smoking  - Red Star

Make an Obstacle Course - Red Star

Stretches - Athlete

Blue Star Area (Home and Community) - here is a lot of Life Skills and "Social Studies"...

• Blue Star  -  (taster)
• Disability Awareness - What is out there to help a disabled person?  (ASL works here too)
• Family Helper - Every Mom's Favourite Badge!!!!   Chore/Life skills
• Family Safety - things any child should know - Health topic!
• First Aid - things EVERYONE should know - Health topic!
• Guide - Reading maps and giving directions.  Geography skills!
• Home Repair - more great Life Skills!
• Law Awareness - social studies...
• Pet Care - "Something to Love"....
• Emergency Preparedness Award - are you prepared for an emergency for 72 hours??
• Canadian Family Care Award - skilled in Family Care skills

Sewing on a Badge - Family Helper

Vacuuming! - Family Helper

Purple Star Area (Canada and the World) - Social Studies topics!

• Purple Star  -  (taster)
• Aboriginal Awareness - some history, some social studies...
• Canadian Heritage - more history, and Canadian geography too
• International Trade - what is produce in Canada and exported?  What do we buy that has been imported?  Geography topics...
• Space Exploration - Lots of fun, with drawing, models, or scrapbooking! 
• World Religions - Social Studies...
• World Cubbing - Learning about another Country!
• Language Strip - Foreign Language study!
• Religion in Life - (requirements vary depending on your religion...)
• World Citizen Award - Current Affairs topics, the UN, and other things learned in this area...

Space Exploration - model of a space craft Delta designed

Meeting an Astronaut! - Space Exploration

And there are 2 "specialty" badges (1 for the pack, 1 for the cub) - so, once approved, you can earn a badge for work in an area not covered above.

Can't you just see a lot of possible school topics here?

Delta earned all 6 Stars!  On to the Awards!

I haven't discussed Beavers as much, as they don't have badges or a specific program.  However, in the meetings, Echo has done things like make bottle rockets, learn about simple machines, make butter, and done many other exciting things.