Scouts Geocaching

[+MaxEntropy]

Both of my sons are in Cub Scouts, so naturally I've been through their Bear and Webelos books looking for a way to tie Geocaching into Cub Scouts. I can't find anything so far.

 

On the way back from our camporee today, we searched out a cache in Windsor, CA. The kids liked it of course, but the other leader was definitely excited about it. As soon as we returned to the car, he got on the cell phone and gave his wife the bad news...he's going to get a GPS.

 

Has anyone used Geocaching in their Cub Scout or Boy Scout program?

[+welch]

doesnt the book say anything about navigation? (probly with a compass, or orienteering?sp?)

 

[+Markwell]

I'm doing the Tiger Cub den on Nov 1 (prep) and 3 (hike).

 

Drawing a map of their city and taking a hike are two of the requirements.

 

And heck. When it boils down to it, does EVERYTHING you do with the scouts have to be completely related to getting a badge or earning credit?

 

Markwell

Chicago Geocaching

[+a182pilot]

Checking in here as an Eagle Scout currently leading a den of Webelos. We have a very active den and enjoy getting outside as much as possible. One of our favorite "fun activities" is Treasure Hunt. Sometimes when we need outside time during the den meetings, I'll hide a cache with items in it that the guys need to work on a badge or sometimes it's just treats. I then give each of my patrols a gps and the coords and the race is on. I'm also not one to make it easy so most of the time there are 3 or 4 waypoints or the use of a compass is required. The kids are learning teamwork, navigation skills and how to use a gps. This is the one game they are always asking to play.

At the end of the month we are planning a camping trip to a local park that has 7 geocaches with varing difficulties and we are going after all of them.

 

A182pilot

 

He who angers you, controls you.

[Salvo]

I'm working with our den out here in Memphis TN to involve geocaching into our den meets/outings as well.

 

I'll take a page from your book a182pilot, I hadn't thought about putting things they would need for a badge in the cache. Which park are you all planning to go to?

[+a182pilot]

Warner Parks

 

He who angers you, controls you.

[+MaxEntropy]

Since there are only so many weekends and evenings and there's a lot of activities to do, I'm trying to be clever in finding a way to combine Geocaching with some rank/patch/badge/pin.

 

I'm considering a micro-multi cache in a local park with enough caches for all of the Cubs to "drive" the GPS to a cache. Or perhaps we can do three real geocaches in a local regional park that has them within three miles of one another. We'll end up exchanging everything in the caches i'm sure, or perhaps we can just do a good turn and leave something and take nothing.

 

I imagine that eventually the BSA will integrate the GPS with other outdoor skills, but hopefully only after the Scout has learned the "hard way" with map and compass. The personal GPS receiver is a phonomenal invention, but like the laser, it's starting out as a geeky gadget that hasn't yet hit mainstream use. It'll be a while before we start seeing it in Merit Badges.

[+Mr. Vic]

Max,

I've incorporated geocaching with the Scouts as follows:

 

Tiger: Achievement #5 (Let's go Outdoors)

Elective #35 (Fun Outdoors)

 

Wolf: Achievement #7 (Your Living World)

Elective # 18 (Outdoor Adventure)

 

Bear: Achievement #12 B (Go on a Hike)

Elective # 23 D&E (Make a Map, Mark a Map)

 

Webelos: Incorporated it as part of Outdoorsman's Webelos Overnighter.

 

Hope this helps.

 

-Mark

 

Will cache for food

[Shane the Evil Twin]

quote:

---

Originally posted by welch:

doesnt the book say anything about navigation? (probly with a compass, or orienteering?sp?)

---

 

I don't think that comes around until Boy Scouts. Still a bit ahead of Wolfs (2nd grade) and Bears (3rd grade). But that doesn't mean it wouldn't be a cool idea. I'm going to put together a little virtual course at a local scout camp for this spring for my Bears. The hard part will be getting enough GPS's together. I'd like to get the boys into pairs or trios to do it, and have maybe 10 virtuals, with a final cache where the snacks and drinks are.

 

"Seek and ye shall find." - Jesus, quoted in Matthew 7:7

[+Icenians]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mr. Vic:

 

Webelos: Incorporated it as part of Outdoorsman's Webelos Overnighter.

 

---

 

I've been out of Scouting for a couple of years and live in the UK so sorry if this is a stupid question but, What is a Webelos?

 

Kev

 

Statistics show that those with the most birthdays live longest.

[+Geo-Johnson's]

Webelos are the 4th and 5th grade Cub Scouts. There is a small orienteering or compass skills in the Webelos program. My husband runs a small orienteering course every year for Camporee. You could do the same thing on a smaller scale. Pick a park. Set up 2 different courses. One with the Compass and one with the GPS. While 1/2 the scouts are using compasses, the other 1/2 could be using the GPS............then switch.

[+spinwebby]

Don't forget Girl Scouting! Great ideas in this forum. I wish I had done some orienteering in Girl Scouts. I'd love to try it out with someone thats more experienced sometime.

 

SpinWebby

[+Markwell]

Just wanted to report back that our Geo-expidition was a HUGE success! You can read our Den's log at this cache. I had done this cache before, so we just made it into a single-stage 0.75 mile hike. A little cold, but not one Tiger scout complained! Great time. I had a treasure map printed off for them, and these boys know compasses (how and why they work) and map reading (what are the cardinal directions) and about Geo-trading. The contents of the cache box were pretty scarce, but it's now overflowing with GREAT stuff.

 

I'm really proud of them.

 

We've also got a den Travel Bug: TC: Den 4 heading to a penpal Eagle Scout (now in the military) and we'll be placing a cache with permission in the Spring! Fun stuff!!!

 

Markwell

Chicago Geocaching

"Therapy is expensive but bubble wrap is free."

[+mbrownjer]

When I was a Webelos Leader, we put together a cache for our patrol. We included a traveller (bugs were not out yet) named Cub Scout Garfield, who has had some nice travels. We also included some goodies marked specifically for our scouts, as well as some for the general geocachers. Our guys liked hunting for the cache, and the other geocachers respected the "reserved" cache goodies.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=3909

[+CamDawg]

The latest edition of Boys Life Magazine has an article about scouts going geocaching. Anybody here involved in that one?

[+erik88l-r]

Just read that article in the most recent issue.

 

I think that will help in spreading the popularity among scout troups, as well as providing something that would be percieved as respectable to show parks officials who are hesitant about allowing caches.

 

~erik~

[+Markwell]

Yea, the article was great timing as we were doing it anyway. Very cool that it came out just about the time we were revving the kids up.

 

Markwell

Chicago Geocaching

"Therapy is expensive but bubble wrap is free."

[+Eswau]

Nothing really to add but found this topic while searching for something else. Since my avatar is (currently) a Boy Scout patch I thought I would jump in. I've been in scouting for 20 years but Geocaching for just a few weeks. I think you will start to see more and more Boy Scouts (11+) with GPS units and programs will naturally develop for them. Not really sure how effective they will be for Cubs and Webelos. Perhaps locally but I doubt if a National program (skill) will be developed for the younger scouts.

 

Eswau

[FISUR]

I recently read a summary of the Geoscouting Program (High Tech Treasure Hunting) at the Yawgoog Scout Reservation. I've never been a boy scout, but I thought it was interesting. (I came across the program from a link at Don's (aka: Johnny_Cache's) Geocaching Site.)

 

Happy New Year,

FISUR

Rhode Island Geocaching

[+Teagen]

With the new cub scouting program, it is a requirement that Weblos 1 do a geocache. For a family camping weekend event, our pack also plans on doing a makeshift geocaching activity. The geocache hider will be texting its coordinates to the cub scouts, and we will use googlemaps to find the geocache on our smartphones. We will be on private property at a camp, and our caches will not be permanent, so we thought this to be the best way. We plan on making totems for our boys, and in each geocache will be a different colored bead for them to grab. After a half a dozen or so geocaches, hopefully the boys will have totems full of beads, and an experience of geocaching, without random swag and log books, but color-specific beads to prove they found it.

[+edscott]

doesnt the book say anything about navigation? (probly with a compass, or orienteering?sp?)

 

<IMG SRC="http://www.scubaboard.com/images/smilies/whack.gif">

 

A typical GPS is not used in Orienteering. There are no coordinates supplied for the control locations. All you have is a map with the control points circled in red. The only GPS that a competitor can carry is one that simply tracks his position so he can download it later to see where he went and how efficient his route choices were.

[+edscott]

Webelos are the 4th and 5th grade Cub Scouts. There is a small orienteering or compass skills in the Webelos program. My husband runs a small orienteering course every year for Camporee. You could do the same thing on a smaller scale. Pick a park. Set up 2 different courses. One with the Compass and one with the GPS. While 1/2 the scouts are using compasses, the other 1/2 could be using the GPS............then switch.

 

Orienteering and Compass skills are both good activities, but it should be stressed that they are not the same thing. A compass is a tool that can be used while Orienteering, but as soon as they learn to read the map properly it becomes more like a first aid kit on a hike... use it only as necessary after an "accident" in map reading.

[+Markwell]

Haven't been involved in Cub Scouts program since 2011 when my youngest bridged. They've really changed the program for Webelos scouts. Neato

 

link

 

ARROW OF LIGHT REQUIRED ADVENTURES

...

Arrow of Light Adventure: Camper

Do all of these:

1. With the help of your den leader or family, plan and conduct a campout. If your chartered organization does not permit Cub Scout camping, you may substitute a family campout or a daylong outdoor activity with your den or pack.
2. On arrival at the campout, with your den and den leader or family, determine where to set up your tent. Demonstrate knowledge of what makes a good tent site and what makes a bad one. Set up your tent without help from an adult.
3. Once your tents are set up, discuss with your den what actions you should take in the case of the following extreme weather events which could require you to evacuate:
   1. Severe rainstorm causing flooding
   2. Severe thunderstorm with lightning or tornadoes
   3. Fire, earthquake, or other disaster that will require evacuation. Discuss what you have done to minimize as much danger as possible.

[*]On a pack campout, work with your den leader or another adult to plan a campfire program with the other dens. Your campfire program should include an impressive opening, songs, skits, a Cubmaster’s minute, and an inspirational closing ceremony.[*]Show how to tie a bowline. Explain when this knot should be used and why. Teach it to another Scout who is not a Webelos Scout.[*]Go on a geocaching adventure with your den or family. Show how you used a GPS unit or a smartphone with a GPS application to locate a geocache.[*]Recite the Outdoor Code and the Leave No Trace Principles for Kids from memory. Talk about how you can demonstrate them while you are working on your Arrow of Light. After one outing, list the things you did to follow the Outdoor Code and Leave No Trace

[+DE_Cryptoman]

Not sure that this speaks to the current topic but consider this. I have found many caches that have been placed by well meaning scouts/scout troops in an effort to meet certain scouting requirements (merit badges?). The problem I have found is that the placers are not following up on the cache to maintain the cache long after the particular scouts that placed the cache have moved on to other endeavors. Scouts should be made fully aware of the requirement to maintain or archive caches as necessary; that includes the scout leaders as well.

[+Manville Possum]

Not sure that this speaks to the current topic but consider this. I have found many caches that have been placed by well meaning scouts/scout troops in an effort to meet certain scouting requirements (merit badges?). The problem I have found is that the placers are not following up on the cache to maintain the cache long after the particular scouts that placed the cache have moved on to other endeavors. Scouts should be made fully aware of the requirement to maintain or archive caches as necessary; that includes the scout leaders as well.

 

I have to agree with you. From my personal observation scouts and their leaders are the worst geocachers I have encountered.

 

Scouting used to mean honor and pride. It really had merit to be a scout.

[+Adventure.AS]

Not sure that this speaks to the current topic but consider this. I have found many caches that have been placed by well meaning scouts/scout troops in an effort to meet certain scouting requirements (merit badges?). The problem I have found is that the placers are not following up on the cache to maintain the cache long after the particular scouts that placed the cache have moved on to other endeavors. Scouts should be made fully aware of the requirement to maintain or archive caches as necessary; that includes the scout leaders as well.

 

I have to agree with you. From my personal observation scouts and their leaders are the worst geocachers I have encountered.

 

Scouting used to mean honor and pride. It really had merit to be a scout.

 

Now it seems that scouting is all about the numbers.