Who all has been or is currently involved in boy scouting?

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DanMan4142

Joined
Feb 16, 2004
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A post from a couple of days ago got me to thinking about how many of you guys were scouts as a kid, or even still involved in scouting? I have noticed a number of posts where people mention their scouting experiences, so I thought it would be interesting to know how many guys started off their interest in knives from scouting? I have always liked knives, even before i joined boy scouts at the age of 12. I was about 8 or so when my dad bought me my first knife, it was a single bladed slipjoint that said "Operation Desert Shield" in red lettering on the side. Once i joined boy scouts though, I really became more interested in knives. I usually carried a SAK,a leatherman PST, and also I had a boy scout knife made by Camillus( this was before I had ever head of them, I just got lucky at the army surpuls when i saw it and thought it looked cool). I never had any nice knives besides a few SAK's and that camillus, most of them were cheap knives, (but not the crappy 3 dollar ones, i had better sense than that). Althought it wasnt scouting that got me into the more expensive knives, it certainly played a big part in starting my intrest in them, as well as giving me an apprecitaion for the outdoors.

so who used to be as scout or even still is one, and did it start you out into knives?
 
I am no longer active but I joined the BSA when I was 13 or so and attained Eagle a month before the age cutoff :)
I was "into" knives from 4. My Grandfather - who lived with us - and my father both carried pocket knives.
By the time I was in Scouts I guess I had a number of knives but the one I carried to the campouts was a Victorinox Huntsman and it was my best knife.
I gave that knife away, still wish I had it.
Added: Out of 60 troop members I was the only one who was "into" knives so I guess my experience in the Scouts didn't make my habit worse. I did that all by myself!
 
I've been in scouting since I was a Cub Scout. I am still working with the kids, now I work the National Conference and as a Unit Commissioner. 39 years so far...
 
Eagle class of '97, OA Vigil '98. Jamboree in '97. Oh, how I love it so.

*goes back to cleaning the knives he picked up at the TOR today* :D
 
Sounds like me, I finally got my eagle about 2 months before I turned 18, I was cutting it pretty close. I had most of the stuff done by the time I was 16, but with playing football and going to school and suff I ended up dragging it out till the end.
 
I was in the scouts during my high school years...for 5 years...

However, it was rather informal compared to other troops...we just did it our way...no jamborees...no formal tests...

We just did everything but didn't really apply for the badges or anything...

I think my scouting days were one of the best times of my life...my patrol always ended up being the rebelious kids...we always got punished and stuff...but we usually did the camping stuff better than the other troops...

I remember one of my patrol members being pissed off with the teacher and he masturbated and ejaculated into the teacher's rice...(the teacher makes each patrol cook dinner for him)...he never knew and he enjoyed the food...

Man...i had some nasty kids in my patrol...

We also did some night stuff where the seniors dumped us in the middle of the jungle...without anything...no lights or anything...so we just had to wait there all night in the dark...bloody scary....

In terms of knives...we didn't really have leatherman's then...well in malaysia they weren't really popular...so i just used my swiss army knife and a cheap machete i got from the hardware store...i was just mentioning to my wife if only i had my Battle Rat then...it would have been so much easier chopping up the bamboo....

Great times...
 
I was a scout back in the early 70s. During that time, my troop had two scoutmasters, both of whom were active duty officers in the Marine Corps, great guys both. I remember once an orange handled aviator's switchblade with shroud line cutter being awarded to one of our scouts for accomplishing something (can't remember what). That would go over big today, LOL!
 
cubscout-eagle scout, Order of the Arrow, all that fun stuff. I did have 2 corners ripped off my toten chip card for irresponsibility with knives. Learned a lot of stuff and had lots of good times. That was before I new the difference between good knives and cheap knives, before that, anything was a knife worth carrying. Then after high school, I wisened up. :)
 
Yup..... Scouting made me the man I am today.

My favorite Scout Camp story - not sure if this is something to be proud of but it is close to my heart..........

My troop trolled around Camp Mitigwa http://www.bsa-ia.org/camping/mitigwa.htm one night systematically egging (fresh and raw) new "Order of the Arrow" inductees.

The next day we trolled around camp trying to get those poor bastards to talk...... asking them if they believed the stories of how the woods were haunted with the spirits of dead Indian Warriors.

... Man I can see the looks on some of their faces like it was yesterday!

"As a camping facility Camp Mitigwa offers whatever you’re looking for in the great outdoors, from peaceful tranquility to all the excitement you can handle … and then some." :D :cool: :D :eek:
 
was in boy scouts and cadet corps (somewhat like the military, except it was an ECA in schools) a long long long time ago. scouting gave me a lot of my backwoods experience, or, at least the foundation. Where I was growing up, and during that time - we had only the most rudimentary and basic of equipment and gear, so we learnt to make a lot of things / survive under pretty bad conditions. No tents (we built jungle shelters and hammocks), no gas cookers (we used dry firewood or solid fuel tabs), no goretex (just rubbish bags, hehe). I didn't even know what puritab (those clorine tablets) were, until we met a couple of scouts from a much "richer"-overseas neighbouring country.

Being dirt poor and not having any money to buy knives, I carried a small 5 inch kitchen knife as my do-it-all blade. worked very well too. I was introduced to axes, parangs/goloks/machetes and simple slip joints in my scouting days. Oh yeah, and girl guides too :D

I like to thank the boy scouts (and BP) for introducing me to the joys of being in the wilderness.
 
I was in the scouts all the time growing up. I made Eagle and then I kind of got out of it. One of my sharpest memories is of trying to start a fire using a cheap flint and steel bought from the local camp ground novelty store when I was about 8. Good ol' boy scouts.
 
Started in Cubs when I was 9, finished with Scouts when I was 15 (football took over). Got my first knife (a Vic SAK) as a prize in a knot tying competition. Attended the world Jamboree in 1981 - got into trouble for sneaking out after curfew to meet girls.

I have some great memories of camping, canoeing as a kid. I still practice a few of the skills that were taught back then.
 
I was a scout for several years in elementary school. Went on some great camping trips. Some of my fondest memories of childhood were from the scouts.

It's funny, but even though I was once a Webelo, I still have no freakin' idea what a Webelo is!
 
Great thread. I was also in scouts when I was young. I'm sure I'm still influenced by the experience.

As an aside, Spyderco has had the thought for many years to develop a modern Scout Knife. Changes in materials, thought and laws have changed the Scouting experience with regards to knives.

I've always been impressed with knife forumites in general because of their passion for knives. Forumites have actually helped create designs for Spyderco a number of times.

I would like to take this opportunity to invite you over to the Spyderco forum. I'll start a thread on the subject. Any information that you can provide is useful.

sal
 
TorzJohnson said:
It's funny, but even though I was once a Webelo, I still have no freakin' idea what a Webelo is!
Click to expand...
Webelos wobble but they don't fall down. :p
 
Went from Cubs into Boyscouts and have a lot of good memories. The application of the motto "Be Prepared" has taught me to do just that.
 
Fastlane said:
The application of the motto "Be Prepared" has taught me to do just that.
Click to expand...
I agree entirely. I was taught in boy scouts to be prepared, and it seems that I carry that over almost subconciously to many things that I do, whether or not it relates to the outdoors. When I go hiking or hunting or camping, I always make sure that I have the tools to easily spend a few unexpected nights in the woods, and knowing that I am ready for whatever happens allows me to enjoy being in the woods more since I have no worries about what I will do if i become lost or have a minor injury.
 
I was involved with Scouting for about 7-8 years. It was a great experience, I learned much about the outdoors and life in general. It was also where I got exposure to messing around in small boats on water, which has been a favorite past-time for 35+ years.
Stay Safe,
Clyde
 
I was in scouts as a teenager, and did my share of backpacking, canoeing, and camping. I learned a lot of things about the outdoors the hard way, but had loads of fun doing it.

I have been involved with scouts as an adult for a number of years now, mainly helping out with the outdoor activities. It gives me the excuse I need to get outdoors more often than I would otherwise be able to do.

As for knives, I always had one, always will. My first scout knife was then the standard Boy Scout knife, probably made by Camillus, similar in tools to the SAK.

TorzJohnson: Webelos stands for WE BE LOyal Scouts.
 
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