Boy Scout Survival

Midwest Native Skills Institute, a Cleveland based Wilderness 50619d

Outdoors Skills School, has expanding its curriculum to include flexible course offerings designed especially for the needs of a particular group or individual. We provide quality "hands-on" instruction - our instructors are "full time" - our 8-5 job is teaching survival skills.

In the past we have responded to the requests of individual Scout Troops as well as individual Scouts to present programs on topics such as Fire, Outdoor Cooking, Shelter, Navigation, all with outstanding results. We have taken these experiences and created a flexible Boy Scout Program that can be as short as a one day "intensive" workshop to a weekend program designed to immerse the boys in the areas that both their Scout leadership and the scouts deicide would be of greatest benefit to the Troop.

Standard Course Agenda
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Below is an outline for our "Standard Weekend Course" agenda. Even though we frequently give 1 Day Classes to Scout Troops the full weekend agenda will provide you with a better idea of what we can offer and the time frames it typically takes for a group of 10-12 boys.

We are quite aggressive on the quantity of material we can present to your Troop in order for you to get the “most for your money”, however you know your scouts better than we do so if you feel that the agenda is a little “too full” we can eliminate some of the items to give the boys a chance to have more practice at the topics we do cover.

Alternative Topics
We also have the ability to substitute several alternate topics (listed at the end of the Weekend Agenda) in the event you want to substitute one for another. Again, our objective is to teach the topics that YOU want your scouts to learn. Likewise if for example the “Bow Drill” in important for the troop to learn , we can take the time to focus on that one skill to get the boys competent enough that they will be proficient at that particular skill.

Cost
The cost of the program is as follows (per Scout):

Transportation
If we come to you and the traveling distance is in excess of 30 miles from Cleveland, Ohio we charge only the actual cost of our fuel to get us to your event (not a set "cents per mile) plus $10 per hour driving time. We will use “MapQuest” as the basis for the round trip mileage. This is fair to you and us since it will use the current price of regular unleaded gasoline and the 15 mpg our Chevy Blazer gets on the road.

Supply cost
There is a basic $4 supply fee per participant for various supplies
used in the workshops such as jute tinder, 550 cordage, bow drill
spindles and fire board, flour and corn mean for ash cakes etc.

Optional Supply costs (indicated on the agenda) would only be incurred if you decide you want to have the skill taught in that way. This allows you to control over the budget.

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For example, to learn the Figure 4 Dead fall trap the scouts could get the wood for the traps parts from the forest however, it is much easier to learn the angles use to make the trap and carve the notches for the triggers using store bought wooden dowel which are straight and easier to carve

I have gotten better results in the past when the boys could take home a working set rather than a cobbled up crooked trap that worked marginally at best. After they get experience making the trap it can readily be made from the sticks found in the woods but learning the traps configuration and angles is a little different.

Likewise if you want the boys to take home a Bow Drill set they carved there will be a supply cost for the wood used in making the Bow Drill set

For the fish filleting, either we can supply the fish at approx $5 per fish or you can supply the fish (White Bass or Perch work well).

Food
In most cases I have found that the Scout Troop I have worked with supply the food for the meals, however if you want, I can supply the food for the cost of $10 per participant. This option is totally up to you.

Here is a sample of a typically "weekend agenda". Remember the topics can be modified to match your interests, time frame and budget. A "single day agenda" can be derived from the topics and times from this weekend program

Fire
2 hours	Each scout carves their own Bow Drill Set Optional material fee of $7 per participant for Oak Handhold, Oak Bow blank, cedar Fire board, cedar spindle and Bees Wax lubricant)
1 hour	Learning the Hand Drill Fire Making Method

Navigation	2 hours
30 minutes	How to read and use a Topographic Map Optional Use Topographic maps of area the camp is being held) $8 per topo map requested - Hands-on Workshop
20 minutes	/ How to read and use a compass - Hands-on Workshop
20 minutes	Determining distance with pacing - Hands-on Workshop
30 minutes	Navigation Course Exercise - Hands-on Workshop

Water	(1 or 2 hours)
1 hour	Building a Tri-pod Water filtering system - Hands-on Workshop

Camp Crafts
1 hour	Primitive flashlight construction (Making candle lanterns out of pop cans & dipping candles)- Hands-on Workshop Optional materials fee of $3 per participant)
1 hour	Making bowls and spoons (Bowl Burning using campfire coals to make bowls for eating) - Hands-on Workshop Optional materials fee of $8 if we supply cedar blanks for bowls)
1 Hour	for field identification walk
1 Hour	Make a herbal First Aid Salve - Hands-on Workshop Optional materials fee of $3 per participant)
2 hours	Plant Slide Show on the edible and medicinal plant in NE Ohio (Note: this slide show CAN be done in the wilderness without electricity)

	Other Optional Topics
30 minutes	Lecture - Signaling
30 minutes	Survival Kits Lecture / Discussion (This will provide good concepts and exercises that can revisited during future scout meetings as boys build and compare their evolving Survival Kits”)
45 minutes	Field Dressing game (chicken or rabbit) Optional materials fee of approx $7)
30 minutes	Cooking in a “Hobo Pot” – each scout cooks up a rice lunch in “hobo pot” Optional materials fee of approx $3 for Dinty Moore Stew can or equivalent)
1 hour	Primitive Weapons – Atlatl, Throwing Stick, “Quicky” Bow and Arrows

		Midwest Native Skills Institute, Inc. P.O. Box 31764 Cleveland, Ohio 44131 Tom@SurvivalSchool.com All Rights Reserved 2007