What is ILS*, NYLT, NAYLE, KODIAK, and SEAL?

Previously I posted about Wood Badge and Seabadge, the high-level leadership and management courses for BSA leaders. Now I am going to post about the high-level leadership and management courses for youth, specifically NYLT, NAYLE, KODIAK, and SEAL. NYLT, NAYLE, and KODIAK should be taken is successive order. Before Scouts, Sea Scouts, or Venturers can participate in NYLT, NAYLE, KODIAK, or SEAL, they must first have completed ILST, ILSC, or ILSS.

The purpose of the Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops (ILST) course is to teach Scouts with leadership positions about their new roles and how to reach success in that role most effectively. It is intended to help Scouts in leadership positions within their troop understand their responsibilities and to equip them with organizational and leadership skills to fulfill those responsibilities.

The Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews (ILSC) course's purpose is to teach Venturing Crew members with leadership positions about their new roles and how to reach success most effectively in that role. It is intended to help Venturers in leadership positions within their crew understand their responsibilities and to equip them with organizational and leadership skills to fulfill those responsibilities. Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews is the first course in the series of leadership training offered to Venturers and is a replacement for the Venturing Leadership Skills Course (VLSC).

Introduction to Leadership Skills for Ships (ILSS) was introduced in 2012 and is intended to help Sea Scouts in leadership positions within their ship understand their responsibilities and to equip them with organizational and leadership skills to fulfill those responsibilities most effectively. ILSS replaces the Crew Officers Orientation (COO) and the Venturing Leadership Skills Course (VLSC).

National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) is an exciting, action-packed program designed for councils to provide youth members with leadership skills and experience they can use in their home troops, crews, and ships and in other situations demanding leadership of self and others. Completing this course also allows youth to wear the NYLT-trained patch under a position of responsibility patch, instead of the Trained patch, while serving in a non-adult position of responsibility.

National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience (NAYLE) is an exciting training program that enhances leadership skills and expands upon the team-building and ethical decision-making skills learned in National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT). NAYLE emphasizes leadership, teamwork, and selfless service, using the core elements of NYLT to help youth strengthen these skills. The NAYLE course is offered at all four national high-adventure bases. The material presented is basically the same at all four venues but is specific to the unique environment of each site. To qualify for participation in NAYLE, Scouts, Venturers, and Sea Scouts must be 14 but not yet 20 years old, hold a unit leadership position, and have completed NYLT.

NAYLE a special experience. Youth will live in a patrol setting and use their leadership skills to resolve exciting and challenging situations.

NAYLE equips youth leaders to be better unit leaders, NYLT staff members, and/or superior camp staff members. It will help guide their journey to become true servant leaders, able to develop the members of any team they lead. NAYLE provides life skills for now and the future.

Kodiak is a week-long (5 days minimum) leadership trek designed to be an adventure that pushes the boundaries of every participant—one that encourages youth to try new things that may be out of their comfort zone. It is an experience—but one that has its underpinnings in the application of the leadership skills they learned in the Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops (ILST), Crews (ILSC), or Ships (ILSS), National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT), and National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience (NAYLE). It is, as is all of Scouting, an adventure with a purpose.

The Kodiak Challenge can be done on a unit, district, or council level. Approval is needed by the council training chair or his or her designee. Multiple councils can get together to conduct an area course (the area training director’s approval is required). Kodiak is not classroom delivery of leadership skills. Instead, it is conducted as part of a trek.

A Kodiak Trek is an expedition, a road trip, an adventure, a visit to another country, a whitewater rafting trip, a cross-state bicycle adventure, running a sports week for special-needs youth—anything that helps push the participants out of their personal comfort zone for the sake of adventure and learning.

A trek is an adventure that pushes boundaries. Not all Troops, Ships or Crews go on high-adventure outings, and Kodiak need not be a high adventure to be a great experience. A natural setting is always a plus, but the key is adventure. For some units, it may be more challenging to do a week-long city tour than a backpacking trip similar to other trips in the past. Do what works for your unit, but do something that is truly a challenge to each participant.

Kodiak is not about the trek; it is about leadership skills. During the Kodiak trek, BSA leadership skills are the framework to help the participants live out their adventure—and grow from this. Each day there is an activity to showcase one or more of the BSA leadership skills previously taught in the unit Introduction to Leadership Skills course and at NYLT and NAYLE. In addition, each trek will have numerous times where leadership skills are essential for success. For example, all treks begin with planning, and all groups must communicate effectively about expectations and shared tasks.

Taking part in a Kodiak adventure gives participants an opportunity to practice the following leadership skills on their trek:

• Creating a Shared Vision of Success
• Planning
• Communication
• The Stages of Team Development
• Inclusiveness
• Values & Ethical Decision Making
• Servant Leadership & Leadership Styles

Many Scouts, Venturers, and Sea Scouts have decided to join the Corps of Discovery after completing their Kodiak Trek and understanding the importance of Servant Leadership.

Sea Scout Experience Advanced Leadership (SEAL) Training is a Sea Scout youth leadership training course offered by the Sea Scout Support Committee. It is an intensive, week-long leadership course conducted aboard ship at sea. Successful completion of SEAL Training allows the graduate to wear the SEAL Training Award, a silver pin (or patch) with twin dolphins, on their uniform above the left pocket. Staff wear a gold version of the same pin (or patch).

SEAL Training is intended to be a leadership course. While it is conducted on board an active sailing vessel, it is not intended that seamanship be taught. Students should have a thorough understanding of basic seamanship prior to the course.

• Skills taught
• Evaluation
• Team Building
• Leadership
• Training
• Communicating
• Goal Setting
• Planning & Preparing
• Motivating
• Managing, Supervising, & Commanding
• Counseling
• Implementing & Re-Implementing
• Problem Solving

The First Scout Martyr: Saint Alexis the Passion-Bearer

The Most August Scout, Holy Passion-Bearer Tsarevich-Martyr Alexis. Killed by the Bolsheviks in 1918.

If we need an example of a life following the Scout Law, then we do not need to look farther than the vita of our Brother-in-Scouting, the Holy Passion-bearer Alexis (Alexei), Heir to the Russian Throne.  Saint Alexis was a Scout of the Tsarskoe Selo chapter. He became the first martyr within Scouting.

From the first day of his birth on July 30, 1904, Saint Alexis was thrown into suffering: he had developed hemophilia. This genetic disease, which St. Alexis received through his mother, the Holy Empress Alexandra, from her grandmother, the English Queen Victoria, causes incoägulability of the blood, owing to which a small scrape or any wrong move could entail death. Moreover, attacks of the disease are connected to great pains.

It would be understandable if, on the basis of such sufferings, St Alexis turned into a withdrawn, antisocial, and angry teenager. However, this did not happen. Instead, in the words of witnesses and peers, St Alexis was lively and happy, smart and noble, kind and attentive, and direct with his sympathies and emotions. Moreover, the disease seemed to teach him thoughtfulness and humility, and created within him a strong faith in the Lord, a very strong will, and empathy for the sufferings of the people. It was also seen that he loved his homeland and was a fierce patriot.

By order of the Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II, the book of the founder of the World Scouting Movement, Lord Robert Baden-Powell, "Scouting For Boys," was translated into the Russian language. The Sovereign not only acquiesced to the idea and symbols of scouting (the motto and emblem), but called to make every effort in order for Russian society to become interested in the Scouting Movement.

In July of 1914 the First World War began, which proved to be quite tragic for Russia. Russia mobilized, and together with others to the Front, went the founder of Russian Scouting, Oleg I. Pantuckoff [Pantyukhov]. However, at that time, a Scouting chapter has already developed in Tsarskoe Selo. St Alexis took great interest in Scouting, especially because his friend and relative, Grand Duke Georgy, being an active Scout, told him about the meets and hikes. St. Alexis quickly entered the ranks of the Tsarskoe Selo chapter of Scouts, becoming the second member of the Imperial Family after Georgy, of which he remained proud until the end of his life.

It is known to us exactly how actively St Alexis was able to take part in scout life, seeing as, speaking not of his disease, he had serious obligations: not only in preparation of becoming the ruler, but also in fulfilling his duty as the Heir to the Throne and taking part in public initiatives. Thus, as the heir, he was the chief of an entire series of regiments and was obligated to visit them with the goal of raising morale. His father often took him with him to the Front, and St Alexis loved his, as he took interest in military matters. However, we know that St Alexis remembered out motto "Be Prepared!" for his whole life, and tried to follow it always and everywhere.

Action on the Front did not turn in Russia's favor. Russia could not allow a prolonged war for herself. Defeat and great losses, a lack of manpower at the read, the interruption of production, hardships with provisions for the army, problems with supplies in the cities - all of this aggravated unhappiness in the populace and opened to door for the demagogues, and eventually, led to a crisis in leadership. The Emperor had to abdicate from the Throne on behalf of himself and his son, and the Provisional Government came to power, which in turn was quickly overthrown by the Bolsheviks.

The Provisional Government had already arrested the Imperial Family. The Bolsheviks, then, sent the family into exile in Ekaterinburg, intensified the prison régime and, finally, decided to completely destroy the family. On the horrifying night of July 16-17, 1918, the Bolshevik wardens ordered that the family get dressed and descend into the semi-basement of the house with the supposed purpose of evacuation. St Alexis, who was afflicted by his disease, was carried in his father's arms. Then, into the basement entered a death squad of mostly Hungarians (Russians were not trusted), the death sentence was read, the ringleader of the squad thereupon shot St Nicholas in the head, and this served as the signal for the other guns to fire at close range. The wounded Saint Alexis was finished off with bayonets and rifle butts. He was only 13 years of age upon his death.

At the end of the 20th century, the remains of the martyrs were found and identified. For his blameless death, for meekness, humility, and godliness during the most difficult of circumstances, for bravery in the face of suffering, for the very considerable moral dimensions to which he rose, for his unwavering faith, the Orthodox Church added Saint Alexis into the synaxis of passion-bearers.

---

SOURCE: SGPA Scoutmaster periodical "Expertise" #166. July 2018, pp 8-9. Compiled by Scoutmaster Alexander Taurke from publicly-accessible documents for the upcoming book "The Faithful". Translated by Michael Kazmierczak of the Saint George Pathfinders a.k.a. Russian Youth Scout Association Abroad (in Exile).

The Corps of Discovery's 20th Anniversary Flap Patches Now Available for Sea Scouts, Venturers, Scouts, Explorers, and Scouters!

CoD Flap Patch on the Official Sea Scout Uniform (TOSSU)

The very limited edition 20th Anniversary Corps of Discovery flap patch, which was previously available for pre-order, is now made and available for order from the official Corps of Discovery web site at https://www.thecorpsofdiscovery.org/recognition.html. The theme of the 20 year flap is that everyone was entitled to vote. On November 24, 1805, the Corps of Discovery, led by Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, votes to spend the winter on the south bank of the Columbia River. All members of the expedition are allowed to participate. This is the first election by Americans in the West, and the first election to include a woman, a Native American Indian, and an African American slave.

Corps of Discovery Flap Patch on the Red BSA Jac-Shirt

This is the first ever Corps of Discovery flap that is available in standard Venturing/Scouting flap as well as a Sea Scouting or red BSA Jac-Shirt flap patch. While the new design does not have the logo of the Corps of Discovery on it, the CoD pin still fits on the new flaps and looks good. (In the past the COD pin was worn above the program strip, translator strip, and nameplate, but it is currently worn on the Corps of Discovery flap patch or an OA flap patch [if said person is a member of both the CoD and the OA] instead).

CoD pin (with permanent party disk) on the new 20th Anniversary Flap

Included in this blog post are pictured of the new Sea Scout/Jac-Shirt patch both with and without the CoD pin, so you can see how good it looks on both, before you order one for your Sea Scout uniform, red BSA Jac-Shirt, and your personal Scouting badge collection. Please forgive the poor quality of the photos taken by my mobile phone. Currently only 12 more of the Sea Scout/Jac Shirt version are left and a few more of the standard Scout/Venturing flaps remain. If you wish to order some, I suggest you order quickly.

REVIEW: Cub Scouts Preview Adventures

Recently the BSA introduced 2 Preview Adventures for Cub Scouts, The Protect Yourself Rules Preview Adventure and Yo-Yo Preview Adventure, 2 corporately sponsored Adventures. So my new Tiger and WEBELOS Cub Scouts tried them out and here is their feedback. But first a brief description of each Adventure.

• In partnership with the Barbara Sinatra Foundation we are proud to present the Protect Yourself Rules Adventure. This adventure is designed to provide your Cub Scouts information on how to Recognize, Respond, and Report abuse as part of the BSA’s Personal Safety Awareness program. This adventure is available for all Cub Scouts. It may be earned in place of the Cyber Chip requirement for Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos, and Arrow of Light badges of rank. (Lions do not earn Cyber Chip). If used in place of the Cyber Chip requirement, it may not be used as an elective adventure towards that badge of rank.

• In partnership with Duncan Toys, we are proud to present the Yo-Yo Preview Adventure. This adventure develops eye-hand coordination and teaches fundamental concepts of gravity, motion, and energy. This adventure is available for the following ranks: Wolf, Bear, Webelos, and Arrow of Light Cub Scouts.
  

For the record, both of my Cub Scouts have already taken their Cyber Chip for this Cub Scout Year, and so this was to be done as an elective. Both said they thought it was much more detailed and helped them more than Cyber Chip and can see this being a new more modern replacement for the Cyber Chip. Both thought it was very good and made them think.

Only my Webelos Scout was eligible for the Yo-Yo Adventure, although my Tiger Cub Scout really wanted to do it as well. The adventure recommends THIS Yo-Yo for the Adventure, and it definitely helps to have the right kind of Yo-Yo! The above link is the cheapest way to buy the recommended yo-yo. My Webelos thought this adventure was a little hard, but overall fun and was probably one of the shortest adventures he has ever done in Cub Scouts.

So overall my Cub Scouts recommend both adventures. You can check them out yourself at https://www.scouting.org/programs/cub-scouts/preview-adventures/

Matthew 5:16: "Thus, let your light shine before men that they might see your good works, and might glorify your Father Who is in the heavens."

Verse and Patristics taken from the Orthodox New Testament Volume 1: The Holy Gospels (Evangelistarion) as usual.

"As many therefore as stand indebted to you, either for money, or for trespasses, let them all go free, and require of God the recompense of such your magnanimity. For so long as they continue indebted to you, you can not have God your debtor. But if you let them go free, you will be able to detain your God, and to require of Him the recompense of so great self-restraint in bountiful measure. For suppose a man had come up and seeing you arresting your debtor, had called upon you to let him go free, and transfer to himself your account with the other: he would not choose to be unfair after such remission, seeing he had passed the whole demand to himself: how then shall God fail to repay us manifold, yea, ten thousand fold, when for His commandment's sake, if any be indebted to us, we urge no complaint against them, great or small, but let them go exempt from all liability? Let us not then think of the temporary pleasure that springs up in us by exacting of our debtors, but of the loss, rather, how great! Which we shall thereby sustain hereafter, grievously injuring ourselves in the things which are eternal. Rising accordingly above all, let us forgive those who must give account to us, both their debts and their offenses; that we may make our own accounts prove indulgent, and that what we could not reach by all virtue besides, this we may obtain by not bearing malice against our neighbors; and thus enjoy the eternal blessings, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and might now and always, even forever and ever. Amen." –Saint John Chrysostom

The Utah National Parks Council of the Boy Scouts of America is introducing the Duty to God Buffalo Award.

“The Scout in his promise undertakes to do his duty to his king and country only in the second place. His first duty is to God. There is a higher mission before us, namely the promotion of the kingdom of God. That is the rule of peace and goodwill on earth.” –Lord Baden-Powell

The Duty to God Buffalo Award is a necklace with a realistic, western-style buffalo skull and a swiveling medallion in the center that shows the Duty to God shield on one side and Matthew 5:16 on the reverse.

"He did not say, "You must display your virtue," for that is not good; but rather He said only, "Let it shine," so that even your enemies will marvel and glorify not you, but your Father. If we practice virtue, we must practice it for the glory of God, and not for our own glory." –Saint Theophylact of Ochrid

This item is a good reminder of Scouting’s focus on Duty to God. The requirements are focused to help the individual better understand and implement their Duty to God:

1. Read Matthew 5:16 and summarize what it means to let your light shine. How does letting your light shine glorify God? Share with your group or leader. 
2. How can “men see your good works”? Write a plan and set goals to serve those around you and your community. Perform a service project of at least one hour. 
3. The Holy Spirit is here to guide you. What are ways you can reduce the worldly noise around you to clearly hear His promptings? 
4. A Scout promises their first duty to God. Discuss with your group or leader how you can fulfill this promise by putting God first in your daily routines such as daily prayer and scripture study, participating in church duties (if any), etc. 
5. God loves us and wants us to gain as much knowledge as possible. Make a list of these opportunities you’re given and share with your group or leader.

The Council encourages all Scouting units and youth groups to incorporate the Buffalo Award and associated activities during your time at camp this summer.

You can apply for the award at http://blog.utahscouts.org/duty-to-god/duty-to-god-buffalo-award-2019/

Corps of Discovery's 20th Anniversary Flap Patch Available to pre-order NOW for Sea Scouts, Venturers, and all other Scouts & Scouters!

For the 20th anniversary of the Corps of Discovery (nee the Venturing Corps of Discovery) Service Organization, 2 special patches are being made in very limited quantities. There will be 200 traditional flaps (for Scouts BSA and Venturing BSA uniforms) and 50 hexagon flaps for both Sea Scouts BSA uniforms and red wool BSA Jac-Shirts. If you would be interested in pre-ordering one (or more) of these limited time, limited edition flaps celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Corps of Discovery, please contact Dr. Craig Murray at https://www.sageventure.com/store/COD20.html and pre-order them A.S.A.P.. The ordering window is very short!

The images will look even better once they are made into flaps and are on your uniforms. Craig's patches, knots, and flaps are always exquisite, which you can see from this picture of my latest BSA Scouter uniform shirt.

As a society that encourages servant leadership, the Corps of Discovery seeks to recognize the willingness of Scouts, Venturers, Sea Scouts, Explorers, and leaders to nurture and grow their programs. Induction into the Corps of Discovery should be a "pay forward" commitment. Similar to the commitment made when taking an oath of office.

The first item used for recognition was a animal tooth that hung on a wire from the right pocket. Later, a western region Venturing leader asked Dr. Craig Murray to design a pocket flap. The first flaps were presented to youth who completed a Kodiak training course in 2005 and made a promise to take on a simple service project when he or she got home. Some of the projects were as complex as helping with Scoutreach camps, Powder Horn, and VOAs, and others were as simple as recruiting some friends to join their Units.

Below is the history of the Corps of Discovery flap, from oldest to newest, showing only the traditional Scouts BSA style/current Venturing style flap and the older Venturing style flap, as this is the first one with a design ever made specifically for Sea Scouts pocket flaps! As you can see, the quality improves over the 20 years that the Corps of Discovery has been around!

Here are some additional special Corps of Discovery flaps that were made for special occasions as well.

Make sure you do not miss out on this limited time opportunity and pre-order these special flaps for both yourself and your friends in (or soon to be in) the Corps of Discovery today!

UPDATE: The limited edition flap patches are in. See https://orthodoxscouter.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-corps-of-discoverys-20th.html for details and order the very limited remaining stock while supplies last! 

HOW TO: Paleo Diet

This is me at the end of May 2018 and at the end if January 2019. I went from wearing size 44 pants and XXL shirts to size 36 pants and medium or large shirts. I went from 258# to 202#! How? Doing the Paleo Diet.

At the beginning of June I went on the Paleo Diet to naturally take care of a problem with my gut bacteria.

Within weeks, I was sleeping better and solidly throughout the night (I used to wake up 3 times a night at least), had better breath, lost the scaly ashy skin on my elbows, snored less, had more energy.

Saint Cormac of the Sea

St. Cormac was born on the mouth of the River Lee in Cork of a seafaring family.

It was he who built the first church on this site, thus giving it its name, Kilcormac.

He was St. Columcille’s friend, first at Durrow, then at Iona. He was given the title Cormac of the Sea because his skill with a boat on rough water was great. Unlike many hermits, he didn’t want to find a desert island and spend the rest of his days there. So Columcille sent him back to Ireland and there in a forest, near a beautiful waterfall on the Silver River, he built a round tower and a church.

One day upon looking out of the tower he saw two black snails crawling up the side of the tower slowly changing shape. Terrified at the sight he leaped off the tower and ran. He ran and ran followed by two wolves which by now had evolved from the snails. Finally they caught up with him and tore him to pieces. It is said everywhere a drop of blood fell, a spring of fresh water sprung up. These are still here to kneel and pray at, and are still called St, Cormac’s Wells.

What is Wood Badge and Seabadge?

The Boy Scouts of America offers two high-level leadership and management courses for BSA leaders that are internationally recognized so much that many companies will give time off and/or pay for Scouters to attend the courses, as it makes them not only a better Scout Leader, but a better employee, spouse, and parent. Generally, it is suggested that you attend Wood Badge Basic Leadership Training before you attend Seabadge Advanced Leadership Training, as Seabadge will take the skills you learned in Wood Badge to an all new level. The American version of Wood Badge is celebrating it's 70th anniversary this year and Seabadge will celebrate it's 50th anniversary in 2020.

The purpose of Wood Badge Basic Leadership Training is to develop skilled leaders who can strengthen Scouting units in achieving the mission of the Boy Scouts of America. Open to adults, including Scouters in any BSA program and Venturers and Sea Scouts ages 18 and older. The Wood Badge course is either held as a 6-day course or two 3-day courses and is run by the local council.

Wood Badge serves as the basic leadership training program for all branches of Scouting, including the Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Sea Scouting, and Venturing programs. Wood Badge allows an in-depth exploration of leadership skills as well as a supervised implementation of the skills through a multi-part, post-course delivery plan referred to as a “ticket.”

Besides position specific training, Leaders of each Scouting program have other preresiquites before they can take Wood Badge.

• Cub Scout leaders are recommended to have taken BALOO: Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation
• Boy Scout, Venturing, and Sea Scout Leaders are recommended to have taken IOLS: Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Skills
• Venturing participants must have completed ILSC: Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews
• Sea Scouts participants must have completed ILSS: Introduction to Leadership Skills for Ships

Wood Badge teaches participants the basics of listening, managing conflict, leading change, stages of team development, coaching & mentoring, leadership for different stages, servant leadership, project planning, communicating, valuing people, and more. Once the skill is learned, each member is given the opportunity to use the skill as a member of a successful working team. At the conclusion of the course, each participant develops a set of personal goals related to his or her Scouting role known as "the Ticket." Working toward these goals allows each participant to practice and demonstrate new skills.

Seabadge Advanced Leadership Training teaches leadership skills for unit, district, and council Scout leaders. Seabadge is intense leadership and management training focused on the “how-to” aspects of managing a successful youth led Scout program. While Seabadge was originally developed as an advanced leadership training program for experienced Sea Scout adult leaders the course is open to all adult Scout leaders. The driving theme for the training is to “Focus on Youth”, which makes the course especially valuable for any Scout leader dealing with older youth. Seabadge does not cover topics like boating, knots, or other program-related materials found in the Sea Scout Manual.

Seabadge is an intensive 3-day course. Course participants and staff function as a model ship to help participants understand how a ship or youth-led unit should function. The curriculum includes twenty sessions, with established objectives, that are presented in a motivating and informative forum. After the course, participants have 18 months to complete their Praxis, (previously known as the Rutter) similar to the Wood Badge Ticket.

The objectives of Seabadge are to:

• Improve the understanding of leadership, management, and motivational skills among adult leaders.
• Provide management, leadership, and presentation skills and tools to adult leaders so that they may use and share them with others in their day-to-day Scout activities.
• Use the skills and tools acquired at Seabadge to improve the quality of their Scouting program.
• Encourage the development of lifelong contacts and sharing of resources by and between course participants and staff.

Course applicants must meet the following minimum standard requirements prior to consideration for participation in a Seabadge course:

1. Is a registered adult member of the Boy Scouts of America.
2. Has completed the basic training courses for their Specific Scouting  position(s) and Leader Specific: Sea Scout Adult Leader Basic Training.

To find your next local Wood Badge course, check the website if your council and/or that of surrounding councils. For the next regional Seabadge check https://seascout.org/adult-training/seabadge/

Orthodox Christian Saints that were Scouts and Scouters

While it is somewhat common knowledge to many Scouts that Saint George the Trophy-Bearer of Cappadocia is the patron saint of Scouting, and that Sea Scouts share the same patron along with Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker of Myra in Lycia, Saint Brendan the Navigator of Ireland, and Saint Cormac of the Sea, many may not know that some modern Orthodox Christian Saints were involved in Scouting.

I only list a few more prominent saints, but I am sure there are many more Orthodox Christian Saints that were involved in Scouting as well.

Saint Nicholas the Tsar Martyr - Had Scouting brought to Russia by Lord Robert Baden-Powell (pictured left)

Saint Basil the Hieromartyr of Kineshma - Scoutmaster and Bishop (pictured top left)

Saint Alexei the Royal Martyr and Passion Bearer - The First Scout of Russia (pictured right)


Saint John the Wonderworker of Shanghai and San Francisco - Scout Camp Chaplain in Europe and America (pictured top right)

You can see more about the founding of Scouting in America, in Russia, and in many traditional Orthodox Christian countries at https://orthodoxscouter.blogspot.com/2016/09/orthodoxy-and-scouting-in-america-and.html

I will post more about the lives of these holy saints of Scouting in the upcoming months. Holy Orthodox Scouts and Scouters, Pray unto God for us!

Servant Leadership: The Corps of Discovery

Founded in 1999 by a Venturing Crew, the purpose of the Corps of Discovery (COD) is to promote a stand alone servant leadership and service program within our home communities or religious institutions that youth groups, especially Venturing Crews, Sea Scout Ships, Scout Troops, and Exploring Posts can use to enhance their program and to service regardless of the endorsement of any national organization. The mission is to provide servant leadership to youth and adult members of youth groups through leadership training, program development, and service projects.

The COD is not an honor society so much as it is a unit-based co-educational Service organization. To be a member, one must simply be willing to commit to doing service, and ask to join the Corps of Discovery. The COD takes its name and symbolism from Lewis and Clark's historic Voyage of Discovery.

The Corps of Discovery is a Service Society for the youth and adults who have shown a willingness to promote service within their Scouting organizations, communities or within their religious institutions. It is intended for youth and adults who have gone beyond what would normally be expected by a unit member or unit leader; ones that provide widespread service. It should not be thought of as an inclusive precursor to the (newly made Co-Ed) Order of the Arrow (OA). It is a totally different animal. One must not choose between membership in one or the other. In fact, many CoD members are also OA members.

The Order of the Arrow is an optional Honor Society whose purpose is to promote camping in Boy Scouting. It is structured into a Lodges like Freemasonry. It's theme is based in American Indian culture, and its ceremonies involved dressing up as Native Americans.

The Corps of Discovery is a Service Society whose purpose is to provide service to Venturing, Scouting, Exploring, and our communities. It's theme is Servant Leadership and it is based on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The moment depicted on the current pocket flap is when Sacagawea recognized her brother, Cameawhait, upon her return to Western Montana. She had been kidnapped by a rival tribe as a young girl and was returning to her home territory for the first time — as a member of the Corps of Discovery. The reason this moment is so important is because the Corps was in danger of failing at that moment, as they needed horses and directions in order to cross the Bitterroot Mountains into Idaho and Eastern Washington State before winter, which her brother provided.

The first pocket flap was a depiction of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark at the white bluffs of the Missouri Breaks at the moment they (thought they) could see the Continental Divide. It turned out they were seeing the Bearpaw Mountains and were a week or so away from the Rockies.

The next pocket flap, designed for the 20th anniversary of the Corps of Discovery, will show the leaders of the Corps voting on whether to spend the winter on the Washington State side of the Columbia River or to cross over to Oregon to winter near the present site of Astoria. Everyone in the Corps got a vote, including Sacagawea and York, Clark's slave. This was almost certainly the first time in American history that a woman and a black man got to vote in a major decision. The Corps voted to move to the southern shore of the Columbia and wintered at Fort Clatsop, a small log compound which they built themselves. That flap can be ordered in a variety a of shapes. Click here for more information on this special flap.

Here is the elevator speech version:

"The Corps of Discovery is a Service Society based on one of the greatest adventures in American history. The Order of the Arrow is an Honor Society based loosely on American Indian culture and Masonry."

The COD is not an official part of the Boy Scouts of America (although some BSA districts, councils, areas, and regions recognize it as an important part of their program) many units, including Venturing Crews, Sea Scout Ships, Scout Troops, and Exploring Posts are embracing the program for several reasons. Some of those reasons include:

• The fact that the COD takes its name and symbolism from Lewis and Clark's historic Voyage of Discovery.
• It is a service organization and not an honor society of lodges.
• Both males and females have always been able to belong to the Corps.
• To become a member, one must simply be willing to commit to doing service (a pay it forward concept).

For more information on the Corps of Discovery and how to join, please see https://www.TheCorpsOfDiscovery.org & https://www.SageThinking.org/COD.shtml as well as on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/16213695514/ and https://facebook.com/vcorpsofdiscovery. 

Great Lent 2019/7527