USSSP: Baloo's Bugle

SPECIAL NOTE FROM THE EDITOR IN CHIEF

This month's theme is "Seeds of Kindness." The word "kindness" has many meanings, but the most important is the personal quality of being of a friendly, generous or warm-hearted nature.

Aside from the great program material that Dave Lyons has packed in this issue with the special kind help of many seasoned Scouting veterans for this month's theme, this issue itself is part of a tradition of seeds of kindness. Each issue is evidence of several Scouters using that wonderful personal quality to plant seeds that grow.

In the early 1990s the first editor, Chris Reisel, planted the first seeds which have continued to grow. In the 13 years that we have been publishing Baloo's Bugle, hundreds of individual Scouters have contributed to various issues. Each month there are thousands of Scouters that download and use Baloo's Bugle passing the seeds further. For each Scouter who downloads an issue of Baloo's Bugle, the seeds get passed on to a handful of boys in a Den or maybe several dozen in a Pack. Over time these seeds of kindness have touched the lives of tens of thousands of Cub Scouts.

When you plant a seed of kindness, there is no limit to how many lives it may enrich.

While it can be said that kindness is its own reward, I believe that we all need to spend just a little time thanking people in our lives who have shown the wonderful personal quality of being kind. To often planting the seeds of kindness goes without recognition. True to the Scouting spirit, the Scouters who have contributed to Baloo's Bugle have helped without seeking recognition or reward. So, I'll ask for them - please extend your personal recognition to Dave and the many contributors to this and other issues of Baloo's Bugle by sending an email to: seedsofkindness@usscouts.org. Your message will be shared with all of the contributors. Thanks.

Mike

Michael F. Bowman

U.S. Scouting Service Project, Inc.

We often hear of random acts of kindness, but what about some not-so random acts of kindness?? Many organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, the Salvation Army, and your local food bank are in place to help others. Their purpose is to serve the needy. As cub Scouts and Cub Scout leaders, we can make plans to help these organizations or come up with ideas all our own in order to keep our promise to "do our best to help other people."

Some of the purposes of Cub Scouting developed through this month’s theme are:

ü Friendly Service, Cub Scouts will demonstrate friendly service through conducting food drives, coat collections, or other community service projects.

ü Good Citizenship, Cub Scouts will learn that part of being a good citizen is helping others in the community.

ü Personal Achievement, Cub Scouts will gain satisfaction from knowing that their service has helped improve the lives of others.

ü Compassion, Boys will learn to recognize the unfortunate situations or suffering pf Cub Scouts will gain a sense of responsibility through the Buddy System and other safety rules in and around water.

Can you think of others??? Hint – look in your Cub Scout Program Helps. It lists different ones!! All the items on both lists are applicable!! You could probably list all twelve if you thought about it!!

Another busy month and another great theme - a head on collision between life, work and Scouting - but I made it and getting closer to on time. This working for a living is not fun anymore and my customer wants his projects on time!! It was a lot more fun on the utility side.

It is that time of the year again when my Pow Wow CDs are running out of themes and I need new ones. Rachel at Rice promised me the Sam Houston CD when I saw her at Philmont this summer. Thank you. I received an Email today from Alice at SHAC and she updated me on how my friends there made out with the hurricane. Some were without power for over two weeks but Praise The Lord, there were no serious injuries in her Email.

Speaking of your next Pow Wow Book (CD), when you prep your ceremonies - make sure they include all ranks - I see a lot of advancement ceremonies in Pow Wow that books that have not been updated to include Tigers. Or with Bobcat after Tiger. Be careful, don’t just cut and paste, please.

Also, check the craft materials - Black bottom 2 liter soda bottles do not exist anymore. And mercurochrome is no longer considered safe.

If you send me a Pow Wow Book CD, I will get you a copy of some of the ones I have received. Possibly on line for you to download or via CD. My Pow Wow is in January, so that is when I usually send my swaps.

Health Update - Last winter I went for Proton Radiation Treatment for Prostate Cancer at Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, CA. I had to spend 9 weeks in Southern CA in Feb and March versus South Jersey.

My four month PSA had a 50% drop from the pretreatment level. The last 3 pretreatment PSA results were all about 3.0 ng/ml. (Thankfully it never got real high. God helped them find in it me early)

The 4 month post treatment was 1.5 ng/ml. That is a 50% drop and shows the treatment was successful. My PSA should reach its nadir (low point) and stay there about 3 years after treatment.

Proton radiation is a lot less invasive. The only side effect I have, is I gained weight while receiving the radiation treatments despite working out almost daily at their fitness center and have not been able to lose it!!

Read about the benefits of proton radiation at
www.protons.ocm and www.protonbob.com

And since this disease affects 1 in 6 men and there happens to be a lot of men involved with the Boy Scouts, please spread the word about Proton Radiation and Prostate Cancer. Encourage them to investigate for themselves. My doctor did not tell me about this treatment.

Disclaimer: I am an engineer not a doctor,
there is no medical advice here.

I see a lot of these are December themes. I guess the teem went with the holiday tradition of giving good will. CD

Month Name	Year	Theme
December	1940	Good Will - Cub Style
December	1941	Giving Good Will
December	1942	Good Will
December	1943	Good Will Month
December	1944	The Other Fellow
December	1945	Follows - Helps - Gives
December	1947	Helps and Gives
December	1948	Goodwill
December	1949	The Other Fellow
December	1950	Helps (for institutions)
December	1951	F-H-G (good followers, helpers, & givers)
December	1958	The Golden Rule
December	1961	Follows, Helps, and Gives
September	1965	Barn Raising
December	1969	The Cub Scout Gives Good Will
December	1971	Cub Scout Gives Good Will
December	1972	Follows, Helps, Gives
December	1975	Cub Scout Gives Good Will
December	1984	Do a Good Turn
December	1985	Follows, Helps, Gives
December	1986	The Golden Rule
December	1991	Follows, Helps, Gives
December	1992	To Help Other People
December	1995	Do a Good Turn
December	1996	Helping Others
December	1997	The Golden Rule
December	2003	A Cub Scout Gives Good Will
December	2005	Faith, Hope & Charity
November	2008	Spreading Seeds Of Kindness

National makes a patch for every Cub Scout Monthly theme. This is the one for this theme. Check them out at www.scoutstuff.org go to patches and look for 2008 Cub Scout Monthly Theme Emblems.

National has started a monthly podcast for Cub Scout leaders. It is called Cubcast. Rob and Kristin are the hosts and they do a great job. They also use actual volunteers from around the country as guest speakers. Check it out at

to pick up some really great ideas for the next theme. No special equipment needed. Chances are (Johnny Mathis, 1957) your computer can play it now!!!