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To everyone on scouter.com, Now that girls are already in the cub program and they are about to enter the scout program it's time to welcome them. That's a nice way of saying stop complaining about girls in the BSA. Every thread that is about girls entering troops has gone off the rails. There have been complaints about how the decision was made, the negative impact on boys, what's wrong with the BSA, and just a lot of anger. I understand that people want to complain in general but we can't have complaints about the decision to include girls any more. The reason is simple. No scout should

As moderator @MattR stated in his OP. This argument is over. The BSA decided. It's time to be Obedient. For those that want to keep arguing there are a few options: 1) Accept the change. Be curious and see how this change plays out with an open heart. Girls are scouts and they're in the BSA to have fun with their friends in the outdoors. Change is always rough but it keeps happening. 2) Leave. Stand by your principles and realize it's time to move on and find another way to volunteer your time. BSA troops have changed and there's no going back. 2.1) Don't engage in these t

Let's get back to the topic of preparing and welcoming new scouts to Scouting. Thanks, RS @MattR @desertrat77 @NJCubScouter @John-in-KC @LeCastor

A guy in our troop went backpacking with us and convinced me that daily protein is an important number when going for more than a weekend. I felt much better on that trip at the end. For a strenuous trip the recommended amount is 1 gr per kilo of body weight per day. For normal activities it's 0.8. The difference between the expensive and cheap dehydrated foods are the amount of protein.

I just got back from klondike and at 6am I was thinking about an idea for our Spring Camporee in May. A scout I was talking to yesterday wanted to have a really big event rather than the usual go from station to station thing. The overall theme is currently a meteor collides with an alien space ship and there's debris all over camp. Debris means a problem to solve. That supports things like emergency mobilization, first aid, and wilderness survival. So, aliens that need first aid or shelter, radioactive alien space ship parts. Other ideas? The unique part of it would be to have all the patrol

Everybody wants to be cook on a campout, nobody wants to be the dishwasher...well, why not give everybody what they want... Here are 5 time-tested ways to eat hearty on a campout while eliminating the need to scrub messy pots afterwards. SKEWERS Shish kebab by any other name would taste as hearty... Cut chunks of meat and spear on a skewer, interspersed with your choice of veggies. Onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, and zucchini all work great. Try it with beef, chicken, sausage, or even shrimp. Marinade the meat ahead of time for extra flavor. FOIL PACKS Wrap up

Too bad they don't sell Bacon Boullion...

As I've said many times here, training is the place to start change. But, someone has to justify and make the change, and someone has to train it. Barry

For those who like grits, add a Bouillon cube to the water when heating to boil. Barry

Why wait for National? Start at the Council or district level. Change comes from training. The higher the level, the better. I taught adult leader recruiting to pack leaders just before cub recruiting season. Barry

I do believe that the current approach allows for local areas to find what works for them. And in my area, its looking like it may go the way of @qwazse's Czech model. In my single-high-school single-middle-school school district the N Boy Scout troops concluded that, due to numbers, it made sense only to have one Scouts BSA girls troop. This troop is now linked to one of the Boy Scout troops, leaving N-1 strictly-boy-only troops. As far as the linked pair of troops: the boy troop and the girl troop have different troop numbers. They meet at the same time in the same building,

I would encourage us all to look for ways to make this work. The first troop for girls in our district is off to a fantastic start. In fact, I've see a number of very experienced Scouters from around our community jumping in to help them get off to a great start. I envision a strong patrol method troop that will be growing rapidly. It's really easy to look at anything in Scouting and just see the obstacles. I think that's just human nature. We focus on the obstacles because they are painful and no fun. I just figure that the challenge to me is to figure out how to address them and m

I find it ironic that a thread about the need to stop the grousing about the BSA choice to add girls has yet again descended into grousing about the BSA choice.

Thank you for this. Good to see the forum taking this stance.

I think a previous reply has put one side of the picture and so... As I understand it, there's a range of options. The scale goes from 1: A CO that has a Boys and Girls Troop that share everything except an SM. They might meet same place same time and share the same gear ASMs committee etc. This walks like a co-ed duck, and quacks like a co-ed duck to 50: A CO that only has a Boys troop, or indeed only has a Girls Troop. They may never go on any big campouts anywhere that ever have any opposite gender Troops at it. There will be every shade in between. All points

I so disagree with this. If BSA wants to start a separate girls program, that doesn't both me at all. And that is what they say, but that is NOT what is being done. I am a mom of boys only, so I am sure that colors my view. The rights of boys are slowing being eroded. Boys are not allowed to have ANYTHING to themselves. Girls are allowed now in Boys Scouts, football, and baseball. But boys are expressly forbidden from volleyball, softball, Girl Scouts and Girls on the Run. I should be clear that my boys don't want to join any of the traditionally girls groups but the rights of boy

Regarding grits, oatmeal, cream-of-wheat .... for it to be a legit backpacking breakfast, add a dollop of peanut butter for the requisite protein infusion.

The scoutmaster that I have been mentoring told me months ago that they don't want girls in their troop. I tried to explain to her, that it's not happening that way. You know, separate troops and all. I thought she got it but, her troop hasn't been on a camping trip since summer camp last June. She works weekends and simply can't take weekends off. Try as she could, she couldn't get other adults involved (too busy you see). I helped as I could, but I promised myself to mentor only. So out of nowhere, the church is starting a girl's scout troop. Some guy popped up whose son is a cub, and

After years of watching her 3 brothers have all the fun, my daughter has decided she wants to join Scouts BSA. My wife and I (both WB trained) have marshaled enough support in our community to start a non-linked Scouts BSA troop for her and her friends... We turn in all of our charter paperwork on Thursday, and I will officially be the Scoutmaster of Troop 19. Wish me / us luck! -DK

Retired Maryland state trooper Russell Williams suffered a heart attack while Christmas shopping with his daughter. Troop 355 ASM Wes Thatcher responded and started CPR - chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth followed by two shocks from the mall's defibrillator before EMTs arrived. Recovered, Mr. Williams attended a Troop 355 meeting to tell scouts personally the importance of CPR training and thank scouter Wes Thatcher. Video and sources: https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/miracle-at-the-mall-scoutmaster-meets-heart-attack-victim-he-helped-save https://foxbaltimore.co

Small point of order...some of our leaders have just got qualified to teach air pistol as well as air rifle. No snickering at the back. Not regularly, but ours have had the opportunity to go to Bisley and shoot all sorts of things, .303 rifles, 300yrd ranges. We could take them clay pigeon shooting, but it's very expensive. Oh, and paintball, and nerf guns, and water squirt guns 😛 Yes, I saw that and thought...oooohhhh, yes....then thought...awww, no. Would drop my other leaders in it for our explorers summer camp, and don't have enough leave for near three weeks, and it m

Ok, I clarified the eating part with my son this evening, whether they denied his food or not. He said no and yes. They let him to go through the food line. He got the fruit(s). When he asked to go to the salad bar, he was told to sit down. He said the whole troop knows that he only eats fruits and salad at the camp. He was hungry for 2 days (and also didn't sleep for 2 nights). He said he knows how the kids in poor countries feel about hunger. So, I told him how lucky he was because at least he knew where it would end but those poor kids would not. Of course, after he got back home, I fed him

First off my name isn't "Dude" Please show some respect and no I am not joking!!!!! I never said what he said I did and the Quote proves that as he still has not showed where I said that. I said disciplinary regarding the revocation of a Membership. I said nothing about a knife violation or two scouts getting in a fight or not agreeing with their patrol leader. I am so sick of you people taking everyone's posts out of context and adding your own spin and then bashing them. I thought you people were Scouts and Scouters. You act like a mob culture. Again Show me where I said it!!!

This post was a warning to all those that disagree with the change that you don't want to hear about it and NOT about best practices. (Besides wouldn't THAT be better off in Program?) Since the original post covered avoiding upsetting sensitivities and appears to be in violation of the spirit of many points of the Scout Law, I felt it pertinent to call out the underlying tone of the post and it's impact on me. Appears that I'm not the only one. Or is that not allowed either? (Yes, that's an honest question) If you want to be taken seriously, then be open and honest (after all, that's