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Personally, I think a lot of packs could stand to tone down their "elaborate events" - they become almost like wedding receptions what with all the pomp and money thrown into them. I think that learning to simplify things and creating a more modest approach to rank advancement at the Cub level is an important lesson for many packs. Yes, we should be celebrating achievement and advancement - I always do with my den - but it should be to a degree that's appropriate to their age and accomplishment. The grand advancement ceremonies and Blue and Gold banquets with the huge costs and extravagant dec

A 5, 10 or 15k road march is no substitution for shakedown hikes and does little to prepare for the AT (my knowledge is limited, but I'd say the same for Philmont). Elevation change is the name of the game for AT, and walking a road isn't going to cut it. Shakedown hikes and followon camp activities are designed not only to break in boots and accustom one to carrying a ruck sack, but should also be used to assess your gear load out. You should be assessing everything you carry and use and determine if you really need to bring X or if you could get by with 1 less Y. Pretty hard to deter

I wouldn’t suggest funding it yourself, it’ll teach you a lot by going out and asking for donations from everyone. Sure helped me. I know a Eagle in my troop that paid for most of it but paid himself back once he received funding. Ask a local printing store (Do they even have those still?), Staples, UPS, FedEx, and I’m sure one of them will at least offer discounts.

Yes, if you look at materials from the 20's and 30's, it was expected of boys to wear their neckerchiefs over the collar, a look I very much enjoy. When I take my boys on service projects or especially rigorous outdoor activities, I only require them to wear the necker so that they can be recognized as Scouts. At this point I have emphasized the appropriateness of this option so often that most of the boys in our pack and troop can quote with a degree of precision the exeprt from the guide to uniforms and insignia regarding the appropriate wearing of the neckerchief without the rest of t

Thank you for the suggestions, it sure does seem like I can really bring together a lot of people here if I do it right. I guess I have to get better at describing it though if it was confusing @ItsBrian. I heard another scout in my troop was delayed a month in starting his Eagle Project because he couldn't explain to the district what his project actually was! That would definitely be problematic since I will only have just over a month to get this done with a little built-in buffer time, due to the date of the election itself.

I see 2 problems with this idea. The minor problem is these races aren't free so for a crew to use this approach there will be a non-negligible cost... maybe that is worthwhile if it is enough of a motivator <shrug> The major problem is these tend to be road events.Running or backpacking on pavement is way more taxing joints and muscles. If my wife trains for road marathons she is injury prone and yet she can train for 50 mile trail ultras and be fine. Her races are places like the Superior Hiking Trail, so rocky, rooty, hilly like the AT or Philmont. I think training solely o