Boy Scout Troop 325
Scoutmaster Minute
High Tech Scouting
August 9, 2005
Larry Polyak, Scoutmaster

Tonight you learned a little about how to use maps and compasses. The earliest known use of a compass was in the 2nd century B.C. The Chinese discovered that a certain type of rock that had magnetized metal inside would always point north when balanced on a fulcrum. It took another few hundred years before this type of device was used for direction and navigation, but essentially, the technology you used tonight is over 2000 years old.

GPS, which stand for Global Positioning Systems is a high-tech method for direction and navigation using satellites and was invented in the last 15 years. In fact, members from our Troop who are attending Bristlecone leader training this week are taking a course in how to use them. Will GPS and other high-tech devices make compasses obsolete?

Scout leaders haven't come to a decision on that one. The diehard map-and-compass guys and GPS guys have an ongoing debate.

But even Ted Gartner, a spokesman for Garmin Ltd., a manufacturer of GPS equipment, said the devices cannot replace basic outdoor skills and knowledge. He takes a compass with him on hikes, along with extra batteries for his GPS. "Just because you have GPS doesn't mean you can throw common sense out the window or not practice good woodsmanship," he said.

Cell phones are another great high-tech device. A Scout troop in Kansas was recently lost on a canoe trip, and tracking their cell phone signal helped the State Police find them quicker than they normally would have. But in many remote areas, there are limited or no cell phone towers and they are useless. GPS uses three satellites for pinpointing location. In deep conyons, this method does not work.

I was watching a game show recently and one of the questions asked was "Lately, in your neighborhood, has the sun been setting in the North, South, East, or West?" One contestant actually said "Ah - North I think.". I can just imagine some inexperienced hiker out in the wilderness with the afternoon sun beating down on him, trying to use a $500 GPS meter to find out which direction is West.

As an electronics engineer, I say let's make use of any high tech device that we can, to help stay safe. As a Scouter, I know that there is sometimes no substitute for basic knowledge, common sense, and ingenuity. That's why we'll continue to teach these basic skills, and that's why - as a Scout - you'll be better prepared than most.

Thank you for listening.