Leaderboard

My apologies if this gets off topic ... I recently have had conversations with my eldest son. In the end though he completed his Eagle rank, he soured on scouting. For him, it was the adults. Every time he was upset, it was because of something the adults did. IMHO, the best troops have adults that diminish their own visibility and involvement. I know others would argue this, but you just don't need that many adults to run a good scout program. And too many adults or too much involvement by those adults will damage the program.

I teach the Leatherworking Merit Badge and I allow the scouts to make anything they want as long as it is a tripod stool. This makes it much easier to know my costs upfront. They can make whatever design on the stool, use rivets, sew, transfer patterns and learn edge detail. Best part is that they all bring these on campouts, save room in the trailer and because most put their names on the stool they know which is theirs. Tribolts sold at Tandy, legs made from dowels from Home Depot, I buy a discount 3/4 leather Veg tan side for around $70. I make straps to go around the legs with scraps.

Your son is technically chartered and registered with the troop until 12/31, whether he is actively attending meetings there or not. His election by now should already be recorded by the Lodge, so he can attend Ordeal between now and 12/31. The SM cannot do anything about it now. Sea Scouts that are not dual registered are not eligible for OA until the membership change goes into effect in February of next year, and at that point he would need to be elected “again” by that unit if he is not registered to a troop at that time. The situation sounds awful, and is hitting close to home for me

If he doesn't want to do the job then I'd let him quit right now. This has nothing to do with the OA. If it's something official you're worried about then let an ASM take his position but just don't give him a new patch. Sorry to hear that, btw.

I don't think the "mandate" is changing for either gender. The rule on adult supervision (and I looked at the new one, which I think takes effect in October) says two leaders must be "at" the activity, or "present at" the activity. We have had discussions before about what those words and phrases really mean in practice. I have never understood the rules (including the new one) to mean that every Scout must be within eyesight of a unit leader at all times while at an activity. (Indeed, there are times when that CAN'T happen even if anyone wanted it to, in light of the YP guidelines regardi

As a scout mom of 7 years, I am against girls joining the BOY Scout of America. If they like BS's program so much, they should advocate GS to follow it. As a cub scout leader of 5 years, I am against girls joining the CUB Scout. It's hard enough to recruit volunteers because fewer dads step to the plate now. Also, the more the moms volunteer, the more the Pack looks like daycare. Adding the girls will make it like GS. It's truly ridiculous to have girls in different ranks but the same den. Each rank has its own achievements to accomplish so how do they design and run the den meetings by h

There is a bit of a misunderstanding on the ban. The BSA does not ban laser tag guns, paintball guns or squirt guns - the BSA is fine with these activities as target practice. What they ban is using these simulated weapons to have games of tag or gun fights where Scouts target other Scouts - they do it to be consistent with their gun safety teaching on the range. I find it a bit ironic how we often complain about the BSA not being consistent about things then when they are consistent about something, we complain about that. More importantly though - understand that the BSA isn't going

I've been thinking a lot about this over the past few days. I do indeed see things differently, though not in the ways many seem to think. I know this may not be the thread for this, but it is in response to a comment made in this thread, so I knew not where else to post it - moderators may remove it to a more appropriate thread without objection from me if that better serves the integrity of this topic. First of all, people are trying to "sequence" events, trying to determine which came first - a church move to exit Scouting, or incoming policy changes which the church found object

Never trust that common sense is all that common. I am sure I have been an excellent example at times.

I got to hand it to you CP, you are consistent. Your creatively stretched reasoning reminds me of Evil Knievel jumping the Grand Canyon. And when creative reasoning doesn't work, intimidate change with threats. Yep, sounds very inviting. Barry