u/samalex01

I want to talk about Movo at an upcoming Roundtable and to help some of the units I support as Commissioner how to roll it out. Like does it just read the Pin or does it read the Calendar in Scoutbook? So if no meeting is planned for an upcoming week will it tell people this if they ask about upcoming meetings? The Pin may say meeting every Tuesday, but in reality no unit meets every week so I want to be sure Movo isn't telling new families about meeting nights when they don't meet.

So what good or not so good things are you seeing about it? Also I'm trying to find ways for leaders to get the email again, we've had some Key Three changes where new Key Three leaders don't have the email to activate.

Just trying to learn as much about it as I can -- Thanks for your input.

Hey all. I love the Meshtastic tech and I’m playing with two trackers now. I even want to setup a small tower at home with a pi connected to a Meshtastic tracker and my weather station. I also like the idea of using mqtt to gateway some conversations between remote locations.

But why if no one is using it… I’ve messaged a few folks locally who are close but no one ever replies. I’ve posted on the LongFast default channel and never a reply… and I’ve only seen like 2 or 3 random messages posted in over a week. My trackers have found couple dozen of nodes within a few miles of my house, and many more as far as 100 miles away with many hops.

I see so much potential!! But for what if no one uses it. I’ve played with APRS many times but given it requires a ham radio license and it’s way harder and more expensive to setup the idea of Meshtastic just seems so appealing and fun … but only if people use it.

Hey all - I've been a huge fan of System 76 laptops, I'm on my second one, first being a Pangolin Performance 5 I bought around 2009 and now my Darter Pro 5 I bought in 2019. The laptop is still solid except for the battery, doesn't hold a charge super long, but it's still my daily driver.

It came with PopOS 18.04 LTS and I upgraded to 20.04 LTS when it came out -- but it was a ROCKY upgrade. I'm thinking of backing everything up and just doing a full, clean reinstall of everything. Just curious if PopOS 24.04 LTS would still be a good fit. I bought this laptop fairly decked out - Intel Core i7-8565U and 32 Gigs of RAM - so I assume even with this older CPU the latest PopOS with Cosmos will run fine.

Anyway just curious about thoughts. Also does PopOS have any native or built in support for the older System76 laptops like driver-wise? I'd hope they'd build it to support its older hardware. This laptop came out right before the open firmware if that matters.

Thanks for advice for community or system76 folks.

I buy these chips for our kids couple times a month, and these went from $1.72 to well over $2 last month. And how they're showing $2.28 as a "Price Cut"???

Seems like they raised the price just to drop it and boast "Price Cut". Seriously :-(

https://preview.redd.it/6ay18fjk17kh1.png?width=1000&format=png&auto=webp&s=dfade5889d3b79ff084cfde2a5af4dc56c608eff

I’ve been using Meshtastic off and on for about a year, and though most messages seem to be people testing their gear I’m starting to see more general conversation on Meshtastic. But more I research Meshcore has some technical advantages so many areas are slowly shifting to Meshcore. Has Waco starting this shift or is Meshtastic still the standard here??

Just curious.. thanks

I've always loved the HEB California Roll sushi, but in the last 5 years or so they've cut how much they give in those black rectangle containers so much. I wish I had photos from back then, but they'd line it up in three solid rows parallel to the longer side of the container, packed! They didn't count it by pieces like they do now. And it was like $6. Then few years back they started angling it with three smaller rolls, 45 degrees to the sides cutting I'd guess about 30% of what they used to give, and it's up to like $8.

Then today I was in HEB and saw now they're laying some of the pieces flat, which cuts how much they give even more -- and it's up to $9. Just not worth it anymore :(

Maybe it's just the sign of the times, everything is super expensive, shrinkanomics is real -- but it stinks. I do miss the HEB Chinese Kitchen they used to have, and ours even had a hot deli until about 2010 with fried chicken, fries, gravy, the works! I'd goto HEB for lunch almost every day, they even had hot coffee you could buy in the morning when shopping. Just not the same now...

Hey all --

I've been a Star Trek fan since the 80's when I was a kid, and from then to about 15-20 years ago I've basically bought or collected anything Trek I could find. Now my interests have shifted and I don't need this stuff anymore nor do I have the space for it. I'd like to find a Trekkie in town who likes or collects this stuff and who may want to take it.

Not sure what I'll keep, but most of it I hope to part with. I have posters, figures, tons of books, magazines, and just misc stuff. I have some friends who are Trekkies who may dig through it, but if anyone else is interested msg me. I don't want to see any of this stuff trashed, but I don't have the bandwidth to sell it -- so just looking to rehome this stuff. Honestly I'd like to find a teenager or younger person into this stuff, that's when I appreciated it the most -- but I don't see many new Trekkies now'days, most seem to be old farts like me :-D

Much of it is boxed up in my garage from moving few years back, so it may be this fall before I can really pull much of it out.

Thanks --

Hi Everyone -- I've wanted to do this for years, and I'm finally taking the leap! Years ago I read about the Green Bar Bill Pack or Jamboree Pack featured in Boys' Life magazine in the 1940's, here's a link to a copy of the articles:

https://dankohn.info/~scouts/boys_life_reprints/greenbar_bill.pdf

I'm starting to gather the material and tools to do this, but after talking to a few folks who've made this pack it may some modifications.

First, I want to stick with rivets as the article mentions. I don't have a sewing machine, but rivets seem like they'll work. I'm looking at the rivet and burr ones, but I've seen some you cut off then hammer down the nub or some that are hollow and tap the middle to flair out -- any suggestions on which ones?

For cloth, the article mentions canvas or duck cloth - I'm not sure which one is best. This isn't a pack I'm doing like a 14 day Philmont trek or weeks on the AT, mostly just something fun to take with our scouts on weekend hiking trips or day hikes. Also I can scotch guard whatever I get and use a pack liner.

I did read some folks suggested making leather straps instead of the canvas ones, and using leather to reinforce the areas where the straps connect. Should I use leather on the inside and out of so?

I'm getting some cheap cloth first to cut and stitch together just to see if all lines up, and to modify if needed. I'm a taller guy, so I may need to modify this a bit to fit my build.

I've just always wanted to make something like this, and as a Scout leader who teaches scouts to not let others do for them as they do for themselves, this seems like a fun and somewhat easy project I can tackle with some scouts or other leaders who may be interested. To go hiking with you own home made backpack just seems awesome!!!

Thanks for any "getting started" advice.

I found this on a trail they're reworking in Rico, Colorado, it's Ely's Cream Balm with hayfever on one side of the bottle and catarrh on the other side. Bottle was just sticking out of the dirt in some freshly dug areas for the trail. This is an old mining town, and the trail is being dig-up in an old part of the town that used to have a hotel and other structures, though it's all just forest now. I also found lots of broken cups and plates, though none intact enough to get a marking from the bottom.

Just seemed like a fun find. It used to have what seems like an early form of Mentholatum like Vicks - apparently someone just sniffed it to help clear their nose.

https://preview.redd.it/hsdl63ep3aah1.png?width=583&format=png&auto=webp&s=e34ffcecae5120768a30bf0713d0bc584deb22d6

Hi everyone,

I'm a sucker for Scout Heritage, so I have loads of old scout books, a bookshelf of them I like to read through, and two particularly for Troops I've read almost cover to cover - Scout Field Book (1947) and Handbook for Scoutmasters (1948):

https://preview.redd.it/hsmrscvcv9ah1.png?width=1193&format=png&auto=webp&s=d7845744420abdb1df16dfa04a5ce139dc1e6546

These books are amazing! They teach scout skills to a much greater detail than any of our current manuals, and they focus on the Patrol method, which I don't see many troops following now'days. I'm an ASM currently, but I want to be a SM after my son earns his eagle and ages out - whether in our current troop or another.

Some of the information though is outdated, like sucking on a rock if you're thirsty, but I'd say most of what's in here is referenced to some degree in modern scout books. But instead of just teaching like lashings or knots without much reason on why/when to use them they have a whole chapter on using lashings and knots to build everything the troop needs to setup their camp site -- which it suggests is more like a hike out and in ... most troops I've seen just drop off the trailer and scouts camp near the trailer with everything store bought.

Also the Field Book was written by James E. West and William Hillcourt (Green Bar Bill), both icons in scouting Hillcourt setup the first Woodbadge course in the US, and James E. West was the first Chief Scout of BSA -- so this is the core material the program was built around.

And these old books still mention citizenship, physical fitness, and community service, but unlike our current books which focus on these mostly on the front end, these old books rather interweave them into the program.

Again, not saying these go to scouts or are used for any modern advancement, just possibly used to help our leaders learn more about what made scouting what it is -- I feel like sometimes we forget this.

https://tandyleather.com/pages/waco-store-191

I just noticed this when ordering some stuff from Tandy Leather, Google listed a local store?? When did this open? And how the heck did I miss it? Anyone been by there? It'll be nice being able to buy some of my leather working stuff and materials from the store and not mail order.

We're in Texas, but it's been my dream to hike even some part of the AT... and i'm finding out we have some others in our Scouting troop who are the same. If we planned a troop adventure to hike part of the AT what would a suggested path be? Probably over 3 to 4 days and 5-8 miles a day, which I know isn't much for the AT, but many of our scouts aren't seasoned hikers. The southern terminus is still 15 hours from where we live so we'd have to take two days to drive there -- so we'd someplace that's on the southern end of the trail.

Thanks --

Hi everyone, I LOVE the REI cargo pants with the zip off legs, but I've had like four pairs and three thus far after about 6-8 months of wearing (which I wear the heck out of them) the zipper (the fly) tends to creep down. I haven't found what I'm doing to cause it, seems if I move just the wrong way or get up and down it happens, not sure -- it's up then shortly after it's down :-( Has lead to a couple of embarrassing moments as I wear these pants at scout meetings and outings since they're a great alternative to the BSA pants .

My wife also has a pair, and after a year hers are doing the same thing. Anyone else? I have four pairs that are in amazing condition, one has a hole I tore while backpacking last year but easy thing to mend. I see these as an investment given their cost, and if not for the zipper they'd be perfect. I've actually started doing a zipper check on occasion when wearing them and facing away from people since I'm quite gun-shy now when I wear them. That or possibly finding some way to tie a string around the zipper and fasten it - but I hate that I have to do this given how much they cost. But I don't really like the idea of standing in front of 50 scouts or leaders then realizing my fly is down after...

thanks for thoughts --

Our office is moving us away from our two monitors to one ultra wide monitor -- I'm not sold yet. I've been in way too many meeting where people share their screen and it's this crazy large desktop with tiny fonts. ANd I've seen people fight with applications going across the entire monitor and not snapping to left or right or whatever.

What are the advantages to have one big monitor over two monitors? And if they force me to switch what tools are available? We're using Win 11 if that matters.

Hi Everyone, Our DE asked me to help with a new Scout Reach program they're spinning up at a local community college, four meetings one hour each over the next couple months. I know what Scout Reach is like at a very basic level, but I've never been involved with one -- but I'm excited to help. I was a den leader for 5 years and cub master for 3, plus I'm a unit commissioner now for three packs -- so I'm very familiar with the cub program.

My thought is that each meeting would be like a pack meeting and cover some details of what scouting is and what parents and youth get from scouting. I want to talk about aims and methods (what we do and how we do it), and about the Cub Scout program. I have no idea if we'll have 5 or 50 or 100 people show up, so honestly I don't know what to expect.

I'd also like some activity to keep the scouts engaged, get them outdoors if possible, have them make something they can take home, and hopefully give them an experience that'll make them want to come back an keep going with scouts after the four meetings. And all this with zero budget, or from whatever I can find in our district office.

This is a free 'class' through the college's Summer Kids College, and the hope is we'll get enough momentum that the college will continue to provide the families a place to meet as a Scout Reach pack until it can possibly evolve into a full Cub Scout Pack.

Anyway just looking for ideas ... Thanks -

Hi everyone -- I'm looking for a local, licensed tree service to take down a VERY large ash tree in my back yard. I got a quote from one big name in town, but it was like $2800. Another guy came by who quoted trimming all the trees in my yard plus taking down two trees in the back for $3000, but he didn't speak enough English for me to get a quote itemized since I really just need the one big tree cut down.

For those who have ash trees, about 10 years ago the emerald ash borer made its way to Texas, an evasive beetle that can destroy an ash tree in about a year. We have two huge ash trees in our back yard, as of four years ago they were full and green, but now one is basically just a big stick, but if it falls it won't hit anything and I like watching the woodpeckers have at it. The other though is way bigger, and if it falls will either fall on my house or neighbor's car port so it has to come down.

I hate to take it down as it's one of the biggest shade trees in our yard, but it'll come down on its own if I don't take care of it :( Thanks for any suggestions. Need someone who's fully licensed and insured, reliable, and someone who I can talk to since I'd like to get an itemized estimate with not only taking the tree down but also chopping it up into firewood vs hauling it off and griding down the stump. Thanks -

Used to be we'd have a recruitment night in September, blitz the schools with flyers, and we'd get a dozen to 20 new families showing up next week at meetings. They could fill out the application at recruitment night or take it with them to bring when they came to meetings. Generally, all that was due was the prorated amount from Sept to Dec which wasn't much - and often our pack would cover this or ask for $20 pack dues with the understanding the family would pay full dues for next year around October or November and participate in fundraising.

Families could jump in without worrying about money at least up front or 'try before you buy' and attend meetings then get an application in when they were ready. It seems now council and national want families to fill out the online application and pay full dues up front, and I'm seeing this as the BIGGEST issue stopping new families.

Our pack did a recruitment night month ago, and we had 12 applications started since they were pushing new families to the online application -- every single one stalled at payment and we never saw any of the families attend a meeting. As UC I didn't catch them until about week and a half later and contacting the families most had lost the momentum for scouting :(

Units can go back to unit pay for dues, but under current rules this requires full year payment with the floating expiration date which is a nightmare for units to keep an eye on. Possibly when the February date for everyone rolls out the prorated amount will return, but though the big check end of the year from the unit was a pain, it kept the burden of payment off the parents, they could still get registered and participate.

If the February due dates for everyone sticks and prorated amounts are possible as before I might start suggesting that units go back to Self Pay and paper applications as it was before. District and Council will fight me on this, but I see this as a MAJOR reason why many families aren't joining. Anyone else seeing this?