As we continue to meet over zoom, our group needed a lesson plan to work on some leadership skills and to do the second class first aid skills. This meeting outline could also work in person, just make appropriate adjustments to assign roles. As written, the plan requires 4 adults, but can be adapted. Leader 1: Okay pathfinders, today we...
Okay, forgive my bluntness, but there are some key differences in leading girls vs. boys. In big, general terms that don’t apply to every scout, girls and boys tend to have some differences in where they most need us as leaders to push them along. Part of the challenge of the program we offer, is that we have mixed gender...
What is the patrol method? The patrol method is a small group learning technique where a group of four to eight scouts form a team to work together to meet their goals. As teams have colors and mascots, a patrol selects colors and a patrol animals to represent them. The patrol also invents a call, or a fun way to...
With scouts still doing many meetings over zoom, what new ideas have you come up with? The 17th BlackBear pathfinders asked to make paracord bracelets. And as a scout led organization, the adults worked to help make that happen. Scout leader Richard Sowdon, created kits with buckles, and pre-fused paracord and mailed them to his pathfinders. Cord colors were in...
GSM Tips / Otters / Pathfinders / Timberwolves
by Laura Sowdon · Published October 5, 2020 · Last modified June 11, 2022
As an OSG leader, one of your goals is probably taking the group camping. You probably even know a place or two you can go. However, as your group grows, you are going to want some ideas for exploring further afield. What to do? National Parks Camping in a National Park is a very reliable way to find group camping....
What do the Pathfinders at the 17th Black Bears think sounds fun? Pioneering and Medieval Warfare of course! So, scoutmaster Richard Sowdon has been working on creating kits for every scout to work on these important skills! As part of their distance scouting program this fall, the Pathfinder scouts of the 17th will be given kits and directions to create...
Sorting Pathfinders into Patrols is supposed to make scouting more fun, and easier on the adults. But, if you are new to scouting, you may be wondering how to sort the kids into patrols or where to start with that. This is the story of how patrols evolved in the 17th. Getting Started Robert Baden-Powell envisioned his patrol method...
This is a set of ideas all around map skills to use while scouting during the 2020 Pandemic. Each zoom meeting idea is laid out below. The set is designed to progress from the most basic ability to read a map, up to reading a topographical map. Each idea is supposed to be the foundation for one meeting. Read them...
After 7 years of having pathfinders in our group, I’ve realized that there are some issues that old school scout leaders may have with doing a “scouts led” program. I want to tell you that it’s okay for your group to be actually scouts led. Here’s a list of things I want to put your mind at ease about. 1....
This is a great time to have your pathfinders work on the Naturalist badge. You can see all the requirements below. Your pathfinders can tell you the answer to number 1, over the phone or zoom. You can challenge them to work on #2 by watching plants and animals in their own yard or ones in their neighborhood. Your scouts may...
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