BSA HORSESHOE TRAIL DISTRICT NEWSLETTER

Chester County Council February 2011

District Award of Merit Presented

The District Award of Merit recognizes Scouters who render service of an outstanding nature at the district level. An ad hoc committee of prior recipients reviews the nominations and selects the three Scouters who best meet the criteria of outstanding service beyond the unit level. We are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2010 District Award of Merit for Horseshoe Trail district. Horseshoe Trail District Chairman Rich Coster presented the award to all three of these outstanding Scouters at the last district Roundtable on January 4.

Top: Kevin Collette, Scoutmaster of Troop 23 – Kevin has organized and led the district’s Webelos Woods event for the past three years, been a member of the district training team, and an Intro to Outdoor Leader Skills (IOLS) Course Director.

Center: Jeff Kearney, Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 23 – Jeff is the Chairman of the Chester County Council Leadership Training Committee, been a member of the district training team, been an IOLS and NYLT (National Youth Leadership Training) Course Director, and served on several staffs.

Bottom: Mark Morris, District Commissioner – Mark has served for years as a Unit Commissioner, Assistant District Commissioner, Roundtable Commissioner, and now oversees the unit service activities for the entire district.

Lots of Spring Activities and Training Planned . . . for Youth and Adults! See inside for more information about activities and training opportunities coming up in the next few months: • Cub Belt Loop Bonanza – March 5 • Chester County Council First Aid Meet – March 12 • National Youth Leadership Training – May 6-8, 13-15 • Venturers – NE Region Area 6 Summit – April 8-10 • Webelos Woods, Summer Camp, Science Camp • Wood Badge – April/May • Scoutmaster / ASM Specific Training, Wilderness First Aid Training • Den Chief Training Also in this issue: • HTD News • Units About and Around • Using Journey to Excellence Tools • Tips for Winter Camping from the Guide to Safe

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Chester County Council February 2011

Activities and Opportunities

Annual Chester County Council First Aid Meet - March 12 The meet will be held on Saturday March 12, 2011 at Oxford Area High School from 7:30am until Noon. Cost is $36.00 non-refundable deposit, which will be applied to the per Scout cost, due at registration. The First Aid Meet is a skill event for Boy Scouts to challenge their knowledge and application of First Aid. A new theme at the meet this year will focus on teaching Scouts some first aid skills, through responding to “real-life” situations with “victims”, making a first aid kit, and competing against other patrols for prizes! Click here to register today!

Belt Loop Bonanza set for March 5 All Cub Scouts are invited to join us on March 5 for the Belt Loop Bonanza at Great Valley Middle School from 9am-12pm. Space is Limited for this event - Please Register Early! Cub Scouts in attendance will complete all of the requirements to earn three Belt Loops from the following selection of Cub Scout Sports and Academics Program: Chess / Geology / Map and Compass / Wildlife Conservation/Hockey / Nutrition / Soccer / Bicycling / Volleyball This is open to Tigers, Wolves, Bears and Webelos and the cost is $15 per Scout. For more information and to register online, click here.

Chester County Council Webelos Woods Weekend April 15-17, 2011 - Paradise Farms, Downingtown ALL Webelos of 2011 (or Bears who will be Webelos in 2011) we want you to come camping with the Boy Scouts of Horseshoe Trail District! Join us from April 15th - 17th at beautiful Paradise Farm Camps right in Downingtown, PA. All campers will be sleeping indoors, as Paradise Farms has plenty of cabins! Arrival time is Friday between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. All campers will clean up and depart Sunday morning. The weekend campout will serve as qualification for requirement #5 necessary for the Arrow of Light – "Participate in a Webelos overnight campout or day hike." The cost is $18.00 per participant (adult/boy) which will be collected at check-in. This includes: a patch, program materials, Saturday lunch, and facilities fees. A $36.00 non-refundable registration fee is required with the registration submission. This will be deducted from your final registration fee at time of sign in. **Please note - approximately one week prior to the event your unit leader will be contacted with cabin assignments for your group.** Registration is Open for Day Camp! Horseshoe Trail – July 25-29 – Kerr Park The theme for the 2011 Cub Scout Day Camp program is "Pirate Adventure." District and volunteer staffs are currently planning the programs for the hundreds of Cub Scouts who will attend day camp in the Chester County Council. Cub Scouts shoot BB guns and bows and arrows, work on advancement badges and Cub Scout belt loops, sing songs, learn about nature, make crafts, and play games. If you have not made plans to attend, you should! Going to camp is a wonderful part of the Cub Scouting experience, and it helps your pack earn Scouting's Journey to Excellence and Summertime Pack Awards. Schedule: Day camp programs start around 9:00 a.m. and end around 3:00 p.m. each day; they run Monday thru Friday. Fee: Day Camp fee is $175.00 prior to the $20.00 early bird discount fee; cut off date varies by camp. Campers can attend FREE if parents volunteer for the week. Who Can Attend? Any registered Cub Scout, grades 2 – 5, may attend day camp. Registration: Please register individually, not as a pack beginning January 31, 2011! Register online at www.cccbsa.org. (CONTINUED on next page)

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Chester County Council February 2011 Day Camp (CONTINUED) It is recommended that packs have at least one registered adult leader attend camp for every five to six Cub Scouts. The minimum number allowed at any time is two, and all adults in camp must have completed Youth Protection Training. Everyone must complete parts A and B of the revised 2011 Annual Health and Medical Record. Your district will provide a Leader’s Guide for your adults, which will have specific schedule of times and programs. If you do not know what district you are in or are unable to reach your district’s day camp director, please contact the Chester County Council at 610-696-2900. The Contact person for Horseshoe Trail District’s summer camp is Jenn Casazza, at [email protected]

Science Camp Registration Now Open! Chester County Council’s Science and Radio Merit Badge Camp will be held at Camp Ware from June 26 to July 2, 2011. This camp provides that extra edge for a Scout who is ready to earn Merit Badges he may normally not be exposed to in a home troop environment. This camp is recommended for a Scout who has already attended at least one week-long summer camp with their home troop, attained the rank of 2nd Class, and has been active in Scouting for at least one year. Click here for more information and to register online.

Northeast Region Area 6 Officers’ Association Presents Summit 2011 - April 8-10 The Northeast Region Area 6 Venturing Officers’ Association invites Venturers, Sea Scouts and their guests to attend the third annual Area 6 Venturing Summit. This year’s theme is The Summit at Mount Olympus, a Grecian/Roman festival of Olympic level fun! Where? The 2011 Summit will be held at the Del-Mar-Va Council’s Rodney Scout Reservation - North East, MD When? Friday, April 8th through Sunday, April 10th. The festival begins Friday night with icebreakers, snacks, flashlight tag & group stargazing. Saturday activities include climbing, rifle shooting, shotgun, discus, javelin, fishing, toga yoga, karate, astronomy, American Sign Language… even supplies to tie-dye your toga! An Olympic competition will take place throughout the entirety of the event and a winner declared at the feast Saturday night! After the feast, we will hold our traditional Summit after party, complete with professional DJ and costumes all around. The weekend will conclude on Sunday with closing activities and clean-up. Greek/Roman costumes of Venturing-appropriate nature are encouraged for the entirety of the weekend and prizes will also be awarded Saturday night. Bring personal gear, keeping in mind that all meals will be served in the dining hall. Any Scout ages 13-20 may attend the Summit, providing they attend with an existing crew. Volunteers for specific areas of event staff are appreciated. Contact the Area President for details. Cost is $45 for tent camping & $55 for cabin lodging. This includes all meals, facilities, shooting sports, event patch, event t-shirt & program materials for on-time registrants. Registration must be completed by March 25th. Registrations after March 25th will not receive a t-shirt or event patch. Register at www.ne6venturing.org

2010/2011 Area 6 Officers NER A6VOA Advisors Christine Luczka, President [email protected] Scott Worsham, Advisor Cody Evans, VP Administration Josh Kirby, Assoc Advisor to VP Administration Kelsey Prunier, VP Program Catherine Pressler, Assoc Advisor to VP Program Jose Sandino, VP Communication Ron Brown, Area Director Casey Paton, Secretary Paul Johnston, Jr. Quartermaster

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Chester County Council February 2011

21st Annual Scout Weekend at Shawnee Saturday and Sunday March 12-13 Shawnee Mountain 570-421-7231 x 223 [email protected] For a complete Scout weekend information and registration package - email [email protected] Beginner’s package, Adventure package, overnight lodging details (gymnasium, hotel & villa, cabin) meal deals

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES For a complete 2010-2011 Calendar or to register online go to www.cccbsa.org National Youth Leadership Training May 6-8 and May 13-15 – Camp Ware - $250 This youth-led conference focuses on providing youth leaders the skills to run successful youth-led units. The NYLT skills are also lifelong leadership skills that will distinguish participants from their peers. The event fee of $250 includes meals and materials for the event. Before 3/31/2011 a discount of $25.00 will apply. A limited number of camperships are available. This event fills up fast! Register now online at CCCBSA.org! NOTE: Registrations can not be accepted for participants who cannot attend the full, two weekend session. If you are unable to attend these weekends, our neighboring councils (PA Dutch, Minsi Trails, Cradle of Liberty) also offer this course and you can register for their courses on their websites. Parts A and C of the health forms must be filled out and mailed in to the council service center prior to the start of the course. Den Chief Training March 19 – 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon St Peters Roman Catholic Church – Manor Road, Coatesville - $5.00 Why a Boy Scout should be a Den Chief work well with Cubs, has strong scout skills and will Being a Den Chief will give a scout the opportunity to lead be a good ambassador for the Boy Scout program. in a safe environment, build his confidence by having the A trained den chief will work with his den leader to: Cubs look up to him, satisfy rank advancement • Help Cub Scouts advance through Cub Scout ranks requirements, and improve his own skills. • Assist with activities in the den meetings Why a Troop should encourage their Scouts to be den • Help out at weekly den meetings and monthly pack chiefs: meetings The den chief experience will help a Scout be a better troop • Set the example leader; he will be an ambassador for Scouting to the Cubs • Be a friend to the boys in the den and their parents; he will make the transition from the pack • Encourage Cub Scouts to join a Boy Scout troop to the troop smoother for the Cubs. upon graduation Why a den chief would want a den chief in their den: • Live by the Scout Oath and Law A den chief is an active member of a Boy Scout troop. He • A trained den chief is an asset to his troop, his den has been selected by his Scoutmaster, who feels he will and their pack. Please consider how this valuable leadership position can fit into your unit.

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Chester County Council February 2011 WOOD BADGE for the 21st Century - 2011 N6-524-11-1 - Bashore Scout Reservation April 29-May 1, 2011 and May 21-23, 2011 The staff of this year’s Wood Badge is busy preparing a top notch experience for you! They are highly experienced in Scouting and in the team building, communication, and leadership skills the course will help you build! And as past Wood Badge participants, they are ready and eager to share the camaraderie of dedicated Scouters with you. Don’t miss this opportunity! Ask anyone who wears the Wood Badge beads about the benefits . . . and sign up now!

Have you gotten some experience as a Scouting leader, and want to take your capabilities to the next level for your unit? And perhaps for other areas of your life? Do you struggle with issues in your unit . . . planning large projects . . . managing conflict among youth . . . communicating effectively . . . enlisting involvement and building teamwork in your unit’s adult population? Then Wood Badge is the opportunity for you to grow in key areas while building lasting camaraderie with fellow Scouters who share your interest.

Wood Badge is open to any adult 18 years of age or older who is currently registered in the may attend Wood Badge upon meeting the eligibility requirements. NOTE: You must have completed training for the role in which you are registered as a BSA Scouter, e.g., Cub Leader or specific training. Wood Badge is coed and open to Venturing Youth who are over 18 years of age; if registered as a youth Venturers are not required to have completed leader training.

COURSE DATES COURSE COST CONTACTS (Attend both weekends) $ 270.00 fee includes COURSE DIRECTOR: Karen Goswell April 29-May 1, 2011 - Food, program materials, Email: [email protected] May 21-23, 2011 camping, 2 course T-shirts, & Phone: 717-305-7941 (6 full days) other fees COURSE ADVISOR: Karl Ziegenfus COURSE LOCATION A $50.00 deposit is required Email: [email protected] BASHORE SCOUT RESERVATION with your registration. Phone: 717-394-4063 (PA DUTCH COUNCIL) * Balance is due by April 1, 2011 Chester County Council Staff Advisor 160 MOONSHINE ROAD PREPARATION for Wood Badge: Earl Eckbold, JONESTOWN, PA 17038 An information packet will be [email protected], 610-696- (www.campbashore.org) emailed. 2900 x.24

Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster Specific Training Saturday March 12 – 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. St Peters Roman Catholic Church, Manor Road, Coatesville Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster Specific Training is designed to help the new Scoutmaster or Assistant Scoutmaster get up to speed quickly with their new leadership position! Cost: $5.00. Bring a bag lunch. Register online at CCCBSA.org. All three parts of the training will be offered: Part I: The Role of the Scoutmaster in a Boy-Led Troop Part II: The Outdoor Program and the Advancement Program Part III: Program Planning and Troop Administration New Scoutmasters and Assistants must also complete Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills and This is Scouting online to complete basic training. NOTE: All adult leaders must complete the required training for their role to register in 2012; be sure to take advantage of the training opportunities being made available throughout 2011! Wilderness First Aid March 19 and 26 – 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Council Service Center Wilderness First Aid is required for all crews attending Philmont and desirable for those attending Northern Tier or conducting High Adventure activities with their units. This class is conducted in two Saturday sessions in March (19th and 26th) from 8:00am - 6pm at the Council Service Center. Attendance at both sessions is mandatory for successful completion and certification. Cost is $50.00 for in-council, $75.00 out of council. Register online at CCCBSA.org.

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Chester County Council February 2011 Journey to Excellence – Use the Tools to be a High Performing Unit As we discussed in the December Horseshoe Trail District newsletter, Scouting’s Journey to Excellence is the BSA’s new performance recognition program designed to encourage and reward success and measure the performance of units, districts, and councils. Journey to Excellence provides clear and supportive tools to help you and your unit. The primary tool, a Scouting’s Journey to Excellence” chart specific to your level (Pack, Troop, Crew) was provided at Rechartering, and can also be found at the website indicated below. The goals are specific and measurable, with point values identified for Bronze, Silver, and Gold level of achievement. Your unit committee should spend time at your meeting reviewing the chart now, rather than at the end of the year, to reap the full benefits it offers. Your Unit Commissioner can assist you in using the Journey to Excellence tools; don’t hesitate to ask them to be involved. 1. Use this tool now, as you move into 2011, to assess where you stand with respect to the “leading indicators” of performance developed through nationwide surveys of high performing units - Advancement, Camping or Outdoor, Service Projects, Training, Membership, Retention, Leadership, and Budget. 2. Identify areas where your score is looking low, and where you might want to focus attention. Use the tool as an early warning. 3. Plan and implement: Set goals. Make sure you are continuing those activities that are valuable, and add enhancements to your program. The specific guidelines for performance will give you good ideas about what to plan and when to implement. 4. Evaluate throughout the year, to keep your unit on target to meet its goals. If your point level in any area falls, you can know to take early action to head off more severe problems. 5. Prepare for Recognition of your good performance. Remember: the point of the Journey to Excellence is not just to “make the numbers,” but to provide a high quality program for the youth in the Scouting program. At the following link you’ll find the new forms, FAQs, webinars that discuss the new program and more: http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Awards/JourneyToExcellence.aspx. The website has PowerPoint presentations you can use to review the program with your unit committee and leadership.

HORSESHOE TRAIL DISTRICT NEWS DISTRICT CALENDAR (Check CCCBSA Calendar for times, registration, and additional Council events) • Feb 8: Council Roundtable – Downingtown Middle School, 7:00 p.m. • Feb. 25: Council Recognition Dinner • March 5: Cub Scout Belt Loop Bonanza - Great Valley Middle School from 9am-12pm • March 7: Horseshoe Trail District Committee Meeting – St. Peters Church 7:00 p.m. • March 8: Horseshoe Trail District Roundtable – St Paul’s Lutheran Church Lionville, 7:30 p.m. • March 12: CCH First Aid Meet - Oxford Area High School, 7:30am until Noon • March 12: Scoutmaster / ASM Training – St. Peters Church • March 12-13: Shawnee Scout Ski Weekend • March 19: Den Chief Training – 9:00 a.m. to noon, St. Peters Church Coatesville • March 19 & 26: Wilderness First Aid – 8:00 a.m.-6:00p.m. Council Service Center • April 4: Horseshoe Trail District Committee Meeting – St. Peters Church 7:00 p.m. • April 8-10: Venturing Area 6 Summit 2011 - Del-Mar-Va Council’s Rodney Scout Reservation • April 12: Horseshoe Trail District Roundtable – St Paul’s Lutheran Church Lionville, 7:30 p.m. • April 15-17: Webelos Woods – Paradise Farm Camps, Downingtown • Apr 29-May 1: Wood Badge 2011 – Part 1 • May 6-8, 13-15: NYLT • May 21-23: Wood Badge 2011 – Part 2

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Chester County Council February 2011

Chairman’s Corner With the start of Scouting’s second century here in America, what great things do we have to look forward to? Let me tell you, there is a whole lot on the horizon. Always looking for ways to improve the program that we offer to our youth, you can expect to see new initiatives. We are actively building our Commissioner corps. These are the men and women who are ready to listen to you, and if you want, share some of their experience to help you in the job that you are doing. So expect to see them at a few of your meetings.

In the coming year we will all be participating in Scouting’s Journey to Excellence. If you have not heard a lot about this new program that has replaced the Quality Unit program, you will. If your commissioner has not talked to you about this, you will hear more at the Council Roundtable this month as well as articles in both this newsletter and the Trailblazer.

Since every youth deserves a trained leader, there will be more opportunities for all of us to be trained. There will even be times that we as adults are trained by the young men and women in our Scouting and Venturing programs.

These are just a few of the things we can all look forward to in the coming year. Opportunities for growth in all of our programs. And maybe, just maybe, we can have a little fun too.

Yours in Scouting, Rich Coster, District Chairman

Annual Recognition Dinner – February 25th Chester County Council's Annual Recognition Dinner will be held Friday, February 25, 2011 at the Desmond Hotel, Great Valley. Our evening program and dinner service will begin at 7:00 PM during which time we will recognize the outstanding volunteers of Chester County Council, our 2010 Eagle class and 2010 Silver Beaver Recipients. We hope to see you there! Help us congratulate our many volunteers & say thank you! Click here for more information and to register online.

Check the Trailblazer: Important Updates! BSA Must Read! Tour Permit changes effective March 1st! Effective March 1, 2011, what are currently known as local and national tour permits will be superseded by what will be called the tour plan. Click here to read more about the new Tour Plan and find out what is different. Follow this link ( http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/680-014_fillable.pdf ) for the new downloadable & writable "Tour Plan" form.

Annual Health and Medical Record changes for 2011 The annual health and medical record has been updated . . . it cord consolidates all records from the National Council and the three national high-adventure base forms, enabling a single medical form to be used across all BSA activities. The Annual Health and Medical Record is required for participation in all Scouting events, including day and resident camps and high-adventure bases. It should be updated no less than annually. Click here to download the new form.

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Chester County Council February 2011 Great Ideas ‐‐ by Earl Eckbold, Horseshoe Trail District Executive

Pack 157 had a very good year selling popcorn in 2009, but heading into 2010 they thought that they could do better. So, they offered an incentive to help pay for Day Camp: sell $500, the pack pays $50 of your camp fee; sell $750, the pack pays $100; sell $1,000, the pack pays your camp fee. The result was staggering!

They almost doubled their popcorn sales, from $11,708 in 2009 to $21,198 in 2010! But they also had a terrific impact on camp participation. In 2010, only three boys from Pack 157 went to camp. So far this year, since Day Camp registration opened on January 31st, they have 13 boys going to camp with more likely to join them!

There are few things more critical to an excellent year of Cub Scouting than funding a great program with a single fundraiser and getting boys to camp. Pack 157 developed a way to use each activity to promote the other. Boys are camping and paying their own way; it just doesn’t get much better than that! Congratulations to Pack 157 on a Job Well Done!

(All of you are doing great things. Why not share them? Send your Great Ideas to Earl at [email protected])

Looking Ahead: 2011 Friends of Scouting The 2011 Family Friends of Scouting campaign is almost here. To ensure a successful campaign for your unit: • Please schedule your presentation now (date, time, location) at [email protected]. Most units already have firm dates for Blue & Gold events, Winter/Spring Courts of Honor, and other activities conducive to successful FOS presentations. • Schedule the presentation early in your program. • Plan 3 – 5 minutes of “empty space” following the presentation to encourage and support pledge card turn-in. • Promote participation incentives ahead of time: FOS Honor Unit, Pudding Song, etc.

UNITS ABOUT AND AROUND Pack 216 has a used wooden track to donate to a pack that needs one. If you’re interested, please contact Cubmaster Mike Cattell, [email protected].

Tips for your winter camping trip It’s been an especially trying winter, with snow, ice, cold, and more snow, and more ice . . . but that doesn’t have to stop your unit from enjoying outdoor activities. But be safe! The following is excerpted from the Guide to Safe Scouting. other active winter sports. Periodic rests also help 1. Use the buddy system for winter outings. Buddies avoid overheating. can check each other for frostbite, make sure no 5. Pulling a load over the snow on a sled or toboggan one becomes lost, and boost the morale of the is generally easier than carrying it in a backpack. entire group. 6. Snow is a terrific insulator. Snow shelters are much 2. Plan to cover no more than five miles per day on a warmer than tents because they retain heat and winter trek on snowshoes. An experienced group keep out the cold wind. If you have adequate time can cover 10 to 12 miles on cross-country skis. for building snow shelters, you will spend a much 3. Always allow ample time to make camp in winter, more comfortable night sleeping in them than in a especially if you plan to build snow shelters. tent. 4. Fatigue encourages accidents. Rest occasionally when building a snow shelter; taking part in cross- CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE country skiing or snowshoeing; or participating in

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Chester County Council February 2011

Tips for Winter Camping (CONTINUED) the switch of your flashlight in the "off" position 7. Snow is the greatest thief in winter, swallowing up until you are ready to use it. This will prevent it small dropped items. Tie or tape a piece of brightly from being turned on accidentally while in your colored cord to small items so they can be seen in pack or on your sled. snow. Some items, such as mittens, can be tied to 12. Encourage everyone in your group to wear brightly larger items, such as a parka, to prevent them from colored outer clothing so that each person will be being dropped and lost. more visible, especially during severe weather. 8. Melting snow in a pot to get water may cause the 13. Small liquid-fuel stoves are much better for pot to burn through or may scorch the snow, giving cooking in winter than fires, which are difficult to the water a disagreeable taste. Prevent this by build with wet wood. Gathering wood that is frozen adding a cup or two of water in the bottom of the to the ground also can be difficult, if not pot before putting in the snow to melt. impossible. A pressure/pump-type stove is 9. Punch a hole in the top of your ice chisel and string essential in winter. a stout cord through it. Before trying to chisel a 14. Always use a funnel to refuel a stove so you won't hole in ice, anchor the cord to something large or frostbite your fingers by accidentally pouring fuel on them. Fuel evaporates at a high rate of speed too heavy to be pulled through the hole so you will and quickly removes heat from anything it touches. not lose your chisel in freezing water when the ice 15. Place a stove or fire on a platform of logs or rocks is penetrated. so it will not melt through the snow. 10. Always test the thickness of ice before venturing 16. Never light or use a stove inside a tent or snow any distance from the shore. Ice should be at least 3 shelter. A tent may catch fire, and vapors in a snow inches thick for a small group; 4 inches of ice is shelter may lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. safe for a crowd. Since ice thickness can vary Neither of these potential mishaps is worth the risk. considerably, it is best to stay near the shoreline of 17. A windscreen is essential for using a stove in the large lakes. winter. Even a slight breeze will direct the heat 11. Use alkaline batteries in flashlights. Standard away from its intended mark. batteries deteriorate quickly in cold weather. Tape References: Okpik: Cold Weather Camping, , Scoutmaster Handbook, and Camping Sparklers

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