Scouting, Volume 71, Number 1, January-February 1983 Page: 20
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A sticky solution for
Webelos colors
During the time our four sons were in
Webelos Scouts, my wife and I found that
a Cub's uniform sleeve becomes quite
tattered from continual pinning and un-
pinning of the Webelos colors.
To try to preserve the colors and protect
the uniforms during games, we usually
had the boys remove the colors for games
and strenuous activities. This brought
about further deterioration of the uniform
sleeve.
Finally we came up with a solution. We
had parents sew a piece of Velcro on the
Cub's sleeve. The mating piece of Velcro
was both sewn and pinned to the back of
the colors. We used a Velcro strip approx-
imately '/2-inch wide and one-inch long.
Now the boys can remove their colors
for a game or other activity, and when the
game is complete, get back in full uniform
without the problem of pinning on the
colors crooked, too low, or putting undue
stress on the uniform material.
Jim Kennelly
Webelos den leader, Pack 78
Long Beach, Calif.
In case of fire ...
October is Fire Prevention Month. There-
fore, I decided it was my responsibility to
discuss with my Cub Scouts what to do in
case of an emergency. 1 began the conver-
sation by asking, "If there was a fire in
your house, what would you do?"
The boys successfully explained about
waking sleeping parents and others, es-
caping from the house, and calling the fire
department.
My next question was, "How would you
escape?" 1 received descriptions of exiting
by the back stairs, upstairs halls, and front
stairs. Then came the stumper: "Now
suppose the fire were right by your door so
you couldn't get out of your room?"
20
I never realized it, but all but one of my
Cubs had a sloping porch roof outside his
bedroom window. 1 decided I'd better
make it more difficult.
"Suppose you were at home and there
was a fire and there was no porch roof.
Then how would you get out?"
Silence.
I explained what I thought was the
accepted answer: Tie your bedsheet to the
bedpost and climb down to safety.
More problems!
"I couldn't tie my sheet to a bedpost,"
one boy objected. "I have a Hollywood
bed. What do I do?"
Then another voice. "Mrs. Schoen, if I
tied my sheet to the leg of my bed, the bed
would go right out the window with me."
He explained that his bed was a cot that
weighed less than he did and was narrower
than his window.
Ah, but I had a solution. "Tie the sheet
to the middle of the long side of the cot.
The bed will jam across the window."
Before I could ask the next question
another Cub interrupted.
"I have a storm window on my window,
and it hooks on the outside. How do I get
out?"
I remembered a talk the fire chief gave
us girls in my college dorm.
"Just 'dust' the window off with a
chair," I said, echoing the fire chiefs
words.
A dubious look crept across the young-
ster's face. "But," he objected, "Mom
wouldn't like it if I broke the window."
"Your mother wouldn't like it if you
burned up either, would she?"
He brightened and assured me that his
mother preferred boys to windows any
day.
Mrs. Frederick Schoen
Hobart, N. Y.
Just what we needed
Our troop was setting up tents at a council
camporee when the quartermaster dis-
covered the troop axe had not been packed
among the equipment. The closest thing
we had to a chopping implement was a
folding camp shovel which one resource-
ful boy used for hacking away at a com-
pletely rotted log. The broken hunks of
wood were almost peat and provided good
tinder for getting the fires started.
The weekend activities, difficult exer-
cises in Scouting skills, provided a real
challenge for my young troop of 11 to 13
year olds. When the final flag ceremony
was held on Sunday, all the troops were
lined up on the parade field for the awards
presentations.
I could hardly believe it when one of my
patrol leaders was called forward to
receive a camp lantern as the third-place
prize in overall patrol activities. Even
more surprise came when the senior patrol
leader was called forward to accept the
third-place troop award.
I stood there beaming while the SPL
returned with the award, a bright blue
folding camp shovel. When the boys saw
it, a couple of them chimed, "Oh boy,
another axe!"
Ralph Yearick
Troop 4
Wilkinsburg, Pa.
Christmas visitors
During my years as Scoutmaster of Troop
16, Topeka, Kan., the troop has hiked
many trails, visited many places, and
carried out many activities. One experi-
ence stands above all others, however, in
terms of its impact on the boys.
One year the troop decided to adopt
some inmates at a nearby prison as a
Christmas project. The prison superinten-
dent agreed to the idea and selected 12
prisoners who seldom received any mail
and who would not be expecting any
contact with relatives at Christmas.
Each prisoner's name was allocated to
two Scouts, and three evenings before
Christmas we went to meet them in the
prison recreation room. The guards in the
watch towers around the high-fenced area,
the clanging of the metal doors being
locked behind us as we entered, and the
presence of the guards at our party added
a grim solemnity to the occasion.
The prisoners varied in age from the
early twenties to grizzled old-timers. Our
visit lasted about 45 minutes. It consisted
of presenting the books, socks, toiletries,
and other approved gift items, singing
carols, and letting the Scouts visit with the
respective prisoners they had adopted.
That simple description, however, does
not convey the depth of emotion with
which the entire room was charged. There
were more than a few tears visible in the
eyes of the prisoners, and the Scouts, who
were normally a lively and boisterous
bunch, were very quiet and deeply moved.
As we left after singing Silent Night and
wishing them a Merry Christmas, I was
filled with the thought that I didn't know
what their individual offenses were, but
that being locked up in a lonely place at
Christmas would be a heavy part of any
penalty.
C. R. Reagan
Topeka, Kan.
Do you have a Scouting story—serious or
humorous—to share with our readers? If so,
send it to Scouting magazine, 1325 Walnut
Hill Ln., Irving, Tex. 75062-1296. If we use
it, we will pay you $10. ■
January-February 1983 Scouting
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 71, Number 1, January-February 1983, periodical, January 1983; Irving, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth353567/m1/24/: accessed May 8, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.