Wild and Edible plants

[Murfreesboro]

It sounds like you've already got a lot of good ideas!

Hmm, 10-13, or thereabouts. 6th through 8th grades? That is indeed a very transitional time, and a lot of girls start dropping out of Scouting at that age. My girl liked (still likes) arts & crafts, and I think girls that age might still be willing to do camp-outs and other outdoorsy things. Certainly a fall hayride and a campfire would be fun! Touring historic sights in the community is always a good idea, although you will find some girls interested in that, and others not. Some of the girls would be interested in costuming and dress-up, especially if they were asked to write a play or something. You could always think of a theme that would be good to share with younger scouts.

[MauEvig]

Aww thanks. I hope so! I like being creative in all aspects of life.

I dropped out much earlier than that; but indeed it is a transitional time. I think it's one of the most interesting times in a child's life. The changes are rather difficult to go through; both for the child and often their parents and mentors. To be honest; I didn't want to go through the change! I found it very embarrassing and I still played with toys right on up until I was about 14. No kidding. But then again; I'm still very much a kid at heart because I still collect toys and action figures. I just display them now; either in their packaging or in cool poses. I feel like such a dork. Childhood is just too short in comparison with the rest of our lives; and a friend of mine told me being a parent is in a way a way to relive childhood by playing with their kids. I guess that makes sense, but with childhood comes a sense of wonder and amazement at the world and learning about it. Middle school kids still have that to some extent; while they're trying on their "grown up" shoes at the same time. People think I'm a little crazy for wanting to teach that age group; but I think they're the best age group to teach.

I suppose I'd have the kids vote to see what they'd do, I think older girls should take on some responsibility for the activities we do anyway. Writing a play sounds like fun, and getting the younger scouts involved would be a good idea too. I think it's great your daughter still likes arts and crafts, I think that's something no one should ever have to grow out of!

[Murfreesboro]

People definitely feel called to teach particular ages. My husband began his teaching career in middle school and still prefers it to any other age group, although his job has been in high school for some time. But he says that in middle school, if you see them making a mistake, they are still young enough that you can help them get back on track. In high school they are too set in their ways already. He also was active in Boy Scouts for many years because he said that some adolescent boys he couldn't reach in the classroom, he could reach through scouting. It is experiential rather than book learning.

My kids had a middle school band teacher who once announced to the parents at a concert, "This is the best age to teach! The kids are so passionate about their interests, and they haven't gotten distracted yet by jobs or romance."

[Kolchak]

I like to look for edible plants and berries at Kroger or Ingles or Winn Dixie.

I made it as far as Weblow, when I was scouting. I just lost interest in the program, and sports and hunting and fishing were more important to me by that age.

I've been through several army schools that taught outdoor reliance on things that grew in the wild. When I went through jungle warfare school in Panama I drank monkey blood and ate bugs and snakes. All things being equal, I would rather have eaten at Steak & Shake or Wendy's.

One day at jungle warfare school i caught a live snake and was in the process of showing it to one of the school instructors. He took one look at the snake, and yelled....Put that down you stupid idiot! That's a Bushmaster. He called me something much worse than stupid idiot but I can't post it here.

[Murfreesboro]

Well, now, that sounds intense!

[Kolchak]

My stupidity saved me that day!

[MauEvig]

Pardon my lack of knowledge on the subject, but what is a "Weblow?"

lol Yeah that's pretty much what I usually do. Look at the local grocery store for food. That's the easiest way.

But if I were to be caught in a survival situation, it's always good to know what's out there. But growing up in my home state, finding wild berries was actually a real treat.

Blech, I don't think I could do monkey blood. Certain bugs; maybe. I heard they were going to make it legal to buy insect made items in the grocery store, including a type of chips called "chirps" made from crickets. I'd really have to stomach them down, I don't think I could eat something that looks like an insect, but if it's ground up into a powder and hidden in a chip I could probably do it. Still, knowing what bugs are edible can provide a food source as well, plus from what I heard they are full of protein. Some of our primate cousins I'm pretty sure eat insects as well; and people in other countries do so. It's sort of taboo in the United States though.

Snakes...not sure about that one. I suppose if it's a eat or be eaten sort of thing I'm certainly not choosing the latter.

And it's OK Kolchak, I have to censor my language a lot as well.

Fun fact: The Bible mentions certain insects that can be eaten.

[Kolchak]

Webelos were/are kind of a middle group in scouting. You're higher than a cub scout, but not quite a boy scout. Or at least that is what it was back in the late 1960's and early 1970's. Don't know about today.

Speaking of Bible and bugs. Locusts are considered Kosher.

[Murfreesboro]

Webelos comes from "We'll Be Loyal Scouts." Kolchak is right, it is an intermediate level between Cubs & Scouts.

I think most insects are not kosher, though, are they?

[Kolchak]

I guess so. I got this from a soldier in the Israeli army. We were talking about surviving in the desert and more as a joke than anything else, I asked, what if you're kosher? He told me that in the Old Testament, Moses let his people eat a certain type of locust. Why not? They have festival in Texas where people have contests cooking crickets. They have cricket chocolate chip cookies.

You can find me at Golden Corral.

[Murfreesboro]

I don't think I have ever knowingly eaten an insect. I remember, maybe twenty years ago, I was up in D.C. for the day (back when I lived in VA), and I saw a restaurant that was all about insects, all the food. I don't know if it survived or not.

It's funny, though, how conditioned we all are about our food. For most of us, it's OK to eat a cow or a chicken or a pig or a lamb, but we would get squeamish if offered, say, a horse or a dog. Yet there's nothing sweeter than a baby chick, and they say pigs are as smart as dogs. I don't like the idea of eating cow's brain, although my mother would do that. Yet I don't mind eating its muscle.

What you are wiling to eat probably is relative to how hungry you get.

[MauEvig]

Well that makes sense then!

From this article only certain types of grasshoppers are permitted as Kosher, but there are exceptions:
http://www.torahmusings.com/2013/01/kos ... s-insects/

Of course unless I was starving, I sort of doubt I could bring myself to eat certain insects. Although I have no problem at all eating lobster, shrimp or crab meat. One article described certain edible arachnids and insects being like eating those though. And shrimp is not a kosher food! But I love having some dipped in cocktail sauce. I wasn't raised to eat only kosher foods so if I was living by kosher law I probably wouldn't know the difference.

I think you're right murf, and not just that but culture plays a huge role as well. The Chinese people will eat a lot of stuff that I would consider gross, or in my book forbidden against my personal moral code. Cats and Dogs in my opinion are meant to be companion animals only, yet I have no qualms about eating steaks. I don't think I could eat anything other than the muscle though. My stepdad however, seems to like cow tongue. Yuck!
I've tried certain chinese foods I really like though; such as sweet and sour chicken, pork, egg rolls and other delicacies.

Just stay away from the secret chinese red sauce.

[Kolchak]

I had an anthropology professor in college who was Korean. The man had a flipping PhD but he liked to eat dog. He said dog was good with beer.

It's okay for people to enjoy their cultural cuisine, but you come around looking to eat my dog.....Son. We have a big problem.

[Murfreesboro]

I'm with you there, Kolchak!