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Scout Salute and Farewell

These were the lowest attended events for the troop. We asked the scouts why nobody wanted to go, they said they really were not much fun and that our troop outings were better. We are a larger troop so we typically have 35 - 40 on outings, plus leaders. For camporees and district events we would get less than half of that attendance Discussion was should we maybe (God help us) get involved with the planning of these. Both are run and organized by the OA mafia in the district and they really do not have a welcoming vibe to them. So we took the path of least resistance about 8 to 10 y

I'd say let them camp wherever they want. Don't try and solve problems that don't exist or try and follow rules that aren't clear. The best approach to solving all sorts of camporee problems is to make the camporee fun. Scouts will put up with all sorts of things if they're having fun. Our next camporee's theme is Zombie Snowpocalypse. We will probably give extra points for anyone that can pronounce it, 10 times quickly, while eating a cracker, and maybe hanging upside down.

I disagree with how you're reading into YPT. Requiring a male and female adult at all times for every enclosed space would mean that every Den Chief training and merit badge pow-wow would need a male and female registered adult in every classroom. That would spread resources so thin that it would set up a very predictable situation for a predator to take advantage of. Again, several teams of commissioners, each made up of the opposite sex, roaming the halls and checking in on classrooms would do more to make sure our youth are safe. I am really concerned about over-interpreting YPT b

Hmm Unfortunately that is how ours is set up due to small camping property. When I was in a larger council with bigger properties the units were spread out and didnt have view of each other. Ahh the wooden toggle experts. I dont trust them either and they bring out my unscoutlike demeanor. Many I have dealt with are not there to help just to point out flaws. If you are not here to help you can pack up your tent and leave. I dont need "experts"

Being forced to camp cramped in with the other troops for one thing. The troop next to us deciding to start breakfast at 4:45am (not sure, but I assume they were cooking a turkey). The night before, the two troops who ignored lights out time. Things like this seem to happen at every Camporee we've attended. When surveyed, our scouts dislike Camporees. The inevitable wood badger telling us all we're doing wrong doesn't help, either. I'm not condemning all wood badgers.

One more reason not to go to camporees.....

Unfortunate, but not a particularly dangerous risk, nor one that can be reasonably avoided. Look at info from the CDC and the Mayo Clinic and you'll see that... * Histoplasmosis is not rare, and that most people exposed to it never even realize it * Histoplasmosis is transmitted by breathing in fungal spores that come from bird or bat droppings, so exposure is more likely to happen in local parks, fields, farms, or even your own back yard than at a scout camp (though birds and bats poop there too...) * Most people who get sick from histoplasmosis exposure are farmers and l

If the council employees that answer the phones at the Service Center/ Scout office are being difficult, calling or emailing the Council Scout Executive, his email will be in this format first.last@scouting.org, is always on option. His or her name and email should be available on the council website.

@swilliams Is your son currently in the 5th grade? Is there a separate Webelos den for 4th graders? If so, both dens are actually Webelos dens and he can meet with either (if the den leader of the den for 4th graders is agreeable). Like @Pale Horse says, most Cub Scout requirements can be done on your own (outside of den meetings). Do the requirement, then have your son talk to his Den Leader about what he did, and get it signed off. Even better is if he takes pictures to show what he did. This is actually good practice for when he joins a troop. As another option, talk to the

You do realize you don't need to be a Lone Scout to work on requirements outside of Den Meetings? Do the requirements, have your son talk to his Den Leader about them and get them signed off.

Great question ... For the unit to approve, the scout needs to fill out the "Proposal" section of the workbook. If it ain't written, it ain't a proposal. Otherwise, it's like someone asking you to sign a check without them filling in the receiver and the amount. https://www.scouting.org/programs/boy-scouts/advancement-and-awards/eagle-scout-workbook/ The approver can be one person. You don't need the committee to review. We often just use the committee chair. Other troops assign a person. Some troops do have the scout present to the committee.

For me ... The good Patrol mates and refreshing fellowship of being with other scouters who wanted to be there. It helped rebuild my energy for the program. Watching how they ran the program. Marching. Songs. Competitions. Service patrols. PLC. Blue and Gold. etc. I was not a scout in my youth. It helped show me an "ideal" program. The meh... I won't say bad because none of it was bad. Classwork and individual topics. I've been through so so many leadership, management and team development programs that I saw little new and much of it was d

RememberSchiff said: ...and of course, local Snipe hunts. Putting on my Leave No Trace hat, I'd just like to remind folks that one of the LNT principles is "Respect wildlife." So please...when taking part in Snipe hunts, remember to practice catch and release practices.

Malum prohibutum vs malum in se: "wrong [as or because] prohibited") an unlawful act only by virtue of statute, as opposed to conduct that is evil in and of itself. Depending on the state, or country, you live in, and ignoring some philosophical questions of federalism, this scout's possession of MJ is illegal simply because he is not yet 21. When I was a senior in high school I could legally purchase and consume alcohol approximately three hundred yards from my back door but not thirty feet down the street from my front door simply because I had stepped over a state line. Today, if

What we have here is a great opportunity for BSA to correct a bad branding decision. Who are Scouts BSA? The public doesn't know. It has no history, no identity. You have to explain it, and it goes something like this: "Oh, that is the program for young people age 11 to 18 that used to be called 'Boy Scouts.' It's just a name change for that program. The umbrella organization is still the Boy Scouts of America. The point is, it's really Boy Scouts, just with a new name . . . " Huh? What? You lost me at "program." If you stop calling the program "Boy Scouts," you're giving

or call the by their individual, patrol or troop name. Hey troop 123, Hey Coyote Patrol, Hey johhny and phil, Hey jane and margaret.

Maybe there will be a patch...

@TLK, thanks for lurking no more. I agree that the name change is rushed and not needed at all. All we needed to know was that concerned adults could be permitted to form BSA Packs for girls, Dens for girls, and Troops for girls. Three new programs to supplement existing programs and meet post-modern nomadic parents desires. And an explanation of rules and minimum coverage. New literature, logos, and brands could wait a year or two. However, suits are always made to sound like they are a sure thing. That's nothing that strong legal teams can't pick apart. Problem is, every dime dro