This year, my OSG group will move several scouts up from Pathfinders to Rovers. We’ve been looking for a ceremony for this, as there is a ceremony for the other age levels. When looking around, I spoke to Scoutmaster Amy Jo of the 971st Great Blue Herons, and she shared this lovely ceremony with me that she has used with her...
One of my favorite meetings of the year, is our December meeting. This is my favorite for two reasons. One, is that we usually do our fall community service project then. The other, is that we use it as an excuse to make crafts. Crafting I love crafting with our guides, and in December you can make a ton of...
What do you do if the camping trip you booked a few months ago, will now be cold and rainy? OSG leaders were asked this question, and they had a whole lot of suggestions! Below, are tips from our leaders from all across the country! Bring 3 or 4 extra tarps. I find that they are better than most footprints...
If you have been around OSG for a while, you are probably aware that our new Pathfinder Handbook has been a long time coming! The committee to rewrite that handbook formed in 2019 and spent countless hours writing, rewriting, debating and designing a new handbook that went far beyond the previous handbook. If you have not yet gotten a copy,...
First class Ceremony Baden Powel said “When a [child] has become a First-class Scout — but not before then – [they have] got a grounding in the qualities, mental, moral, and physical, that go to make a good useful [adult].” The original First-Class Requirements Swim 50 yards, send and receive a message in Semaphore or Morse go on a fourteen-mile...
PLEASE NOTE: Since the publication of this post, the Pathfinder Handbook has been published. You can learn more about it here in the announcement on the OSG website. In Outdoor Service Guides, one of the biggest achievements a pathfinder can attain is earning First Class. Attaining First Class is comprised of two pieces. One is that pathfinders complete a set of...
Being a leader in Outdoor Service Guides is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. However, it isn’t always easy. Today, I’m offering tips from long time leaders about how to have a successful group and be an amazing leader. This is advice for you, no matter which age level you work with. Rule #1: Make it Fun...
GSM Tips / Otters / Pathfinders / Timberwolves
by Laura Sowdon · Published February 14, 2023 · Last modified February 8, 2023
As scout leaders, we teach a lot of knots. Using better ropes, can make teaching them a lot easier! Different groups have different ropes that they prefer for this reason. When teaching knots, scouts often need to remember which end of the rope they are working with. One easy way to do this, is by adding a stripe of colored...
As part of a happy and healthy Outdoor Service Guides group, you should plan for your guides to have a lot of fun. One easy way to make every meeting more fun, is to start with a game! This is a list of games that work well for groups of guides. There are Icebreakers for the start of the year,...
There are lots of good reasons to work on making maps, and several badges now require it for pathfinders. But how do you make it fun? Because scouting is a game we are playing, and we want our pathfinders to enjoy their meetings, as well as learn from them. One thing that it is important to remember, is that you...
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