Varsity Vision
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The VARSITY VISION Newsletter FOR VARSITY SCOUT LEADERS UTAH NATIONAL PARKS COUNCIL™ BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA® www.utahscouts.org/varsity scouting/varsity vision news letters December 2010 Constantly escalate your goals Vol. 13 No. 12 The Varsity Scout reaffirms his adherence to the traditional Scout Oath, Law, motto, and slogan. Because he has advanced beyond traditional Scouting, the Varsity Scout, in addition, accepts and lives the Varsity Scout pledge, which is: As a Varsity Scout I will: live by the Scout Oath, Law, motto and slogan; Honor the dignity and worth of all persons; Promote the cause of freedom; and do my best to be a good team member. Cross-Country Skiing Program Feature Table of contents Subject Page Varsity Scout Pledge . 1 Cross-Country Skiing Program Feature . 2 Back Country Safety . 2 All 27 Program Features Coach’s Corner “Bad Idea” . 3 E-List Signup can be seen at the following Web “Who are we talking to?” V.S. Chairman Report. 4 Sites Ski the Greatest Snow on Earth . 4 To get this Varsity Vision 2011 Operation “ON TARGET” . 6 newsletter sent to you Vol. 1 automatically every month, Wood Badge 2011 . 8 http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/ go to the Utah National VarsityTeamProgram-V1.pdf “Virtue is its own reward” . 9 Parks Council™ website at Scouting Vendors . 9 http://www.utahscouts.org Vol.. 2 Cross Country Ski Equipment Rental . 10 and enter the e-list sign-up http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/ ALL-STARS “Alive Again”. 10 icon on the left side of the VarsityTeamProgram-V2.pdf Try Something New This Summer . 10 home page. Follow the Eagle Scout Scholarships Available . 11 instructions given there to Vol. 3 High Adventure Planning Website . 11 register. http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/ Coach’s Corner “You’re Training Patch”. 12 VarsityTeamProgram-V3.pdf Family Odyssey-Family Wood Badge . 12 Coach’s Corner “Brick by Brick”. 12 Index of all Varsity Vision Newsletters for 2010 . 13 December 2010 VARSITY VISION NEWSLETTER The boots you’ll use with three-pin bindings will be low Cross-Country Skiing and light as running shoes. Gaiters are used to keep the snow out of your boots. Your ski poles should be long enough to reach from the floor to fit snugly beneath your armpit. Adjust the length of the wrist strap until you can put the weight of your arm Program Feature on the strap without gripping the pole One thing to keep in mind is that winter can be very unforgiving; you can’t “wing it” like you often can in summer when weather conditions don’t normally demand the same kind of precise planning. The big difference is the cold, of course. If you’re not Your Program Feature book is full of information properly prepared, cold can stop you even faster than its necessary to have a safe experience in the great outdoors. opposite weather conditions Techniques are discussed along with equipment and exercise Always know where you are. Maps of summer. There is less programs specifically designed to meet the challenges of cross- compass and especially a GPS will room for error when it’s cold, country skiing. pinpoint your location. wet or freezing, or all three. Cross-country skiing is a Winter will require great winter adventure. The additional groundwork, equipment is simple, durable, and above and beyond simply easy for a beginner to use, yet the dressing warmly. Some challenge of the sport keeps even the types of preparation may be best skiers interested year after year. obvious; other elements may be more subtle. This Varsity Your Varsity Scouts will program feature blends need no more than an empty field or several activities to provide a a snowy park near home to learn the basics. Once you’ve challenging but enjoyable mastered the basics, skis may well become an essential part of event. your cold weather camping gear carrying you deep into remote wilderness for the best winter treks of your life. Mastering the skills necessary to deal with the challenge of winter also helps provide a confidence boost that To get started, you’ll need skis, bindings, boots, and can help you deal with other challenges in life. poles. It’s wise to rent gear from an outfitting store the first few times you go skiing. That way you can learn about quality, fit, and design before investing in equipment of your own. Back-Country Unlike downhill skis, skis for cross-country use are long, narrow, and often quite flexible. Safety Your skis should be just long enough to reach from the floor to the wrist of your arm stretched overhead. Most modern day skis Before any Varsity Scout team engages in a backcountry trekking experience, youth and adult leaders for the are constructed Cross-Country skiing at of fiberglass Sundance ski resort activity should have an appreciation for the potential hazards layered around they might encounter and should be sure steps are taken to cores of foam or wood. reduce risks. Adherence to the following points will help Varsity Scout teams avoid most significant risks in the backcountry. Bindings are attached to the top of each ski to hold your ski boot in place. The Qualified Supervision majority of cross-country skiers use a All backcountry experiences must be supervised by a three-pin binding consisting of three pins mature, conscientious adult at least 21 years of age who protruding upward from the metal plate accepts responsibility for the well-being and safety of screwed onto the ski, and a movable bail. everyone in the Varsity Scout team. At lease one Holes near the front of the sole of a boot additional adult must accompany the team. The lead adult is responsible for ensuring that someone in the team is made to fit the binding slip over the pins, currently trained in first aid. American Red Cross and the bail snaps down to bind the sole Boon-docking through Utah’s Wilderness First Aid Basic, a 16-hour course that includes backcountry, what a BLAST! in place. The heel of the boot is free to CPR, is recommended. move up and down as a skier kicks and glides across the snow. 2 December 2010 VARSITY VISION NEWSLETTER surprises. Details of the itinerary should be shared with parents and a designated contact person. If the itinerary is changed, one of the leaders shares the change with the contact person who, in turn, shares it with parents. If you are going deep into the backcountry one of the leaders should carry a means of electronic communication in case of an emergency. Monitor Conditions The Varsity Scout leaders are responsible for making good decisions during the trek. They continually assess conditions including weather, terrain, group morale, food and water supplies, and group physical condition. If adverse conditions develop, the Varsity Scout team is prepared to stop or turn back. Varsity Scout boys braking fresh snow on the Fairview skyline Discipline Keep Fit Each Varsity Scout knows, understands, and respects the rules and procedures for safe backcountry trekking and Varsity Scouts and Leaders need to have a Personal has been oriented in backcountry safely. The reasons, as Health and Medical Record—Class 2 or Class 3 for any well as the rules and procedures, should be shared to trek lasting longer than 72 hours. When accidents occur, encourage compliance. Youth and adult leaders must be they are frequently related to unknown physical conditions strict and firm, showing no favoritism. Ask if there are any or are the unexpected result of some known physical questions and respond to them or seek the correct answer problem. The lead adult should review the medical record from a knowledgeable person. Point out that the lead for each participant and adjust the backcountry experience adult must ensure that someone in the group is currently and activities to reduce potential risks associated with trained in first aid. individual health conditions. Good safety requires an understanding of the risk of individual health conditions. Plan Ahead The backcountry experience should match the maturity, skill level, and fitness of team members. Permits must be obtained to use some public or private land. “BAD IDEA” Training in the principles of Leave No Trace is essential for Coach’s Corner both safety and consideration of other visitors to the area. An eagle was flying high above a mountain. Gear Up With his keen eyes he saw a dead rabbit on a large A qualified youth or adult leader ensures that the piece of ice floating with the current on a river far below. Varsity Scout team has the proper equipment and clothing Further downstream he could see a steep waterfall. He for the backcountry trek. Every team member must have a swooped down and landed on the ice and looked over first-aid kit and the means to carry and treat water. The leader reminds everyone to bring and take prescribed the food. He glanced downstream to see how far away the waterfall was and decided that he had enough time to rest there standing on the ice before taking off again with his food. He rested there until he was very close to the waterfall’s edge. He went to pick up the rabbit in his claw and fly away to eat the food but he discovered that both claws were frozen to the large chunk of ice. He tried frantically to fly, but he could not free himself from the ice. The eagle went over the waterfall with the large piece of ice and fell to his death.