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Showing content with the highest reputation on 08/22/19 in all areas

  1. Gabriella Burke, the girl who started the petition, did go to the camporee after all -- in Scouts BSA: https://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/all-girl-boy-scouts-1.34947886?fbclid=IwAR2900qv9ZyLznadkrfScbS--LbqJ-6iv47tBvhqvUzEEHBO6Nepie32Wm0
    4 points
  2. We complain that training centers are underutilized and "we'll never be able to pay the balloon payment on Summit" Then we complain when we make accommodations to lure more people to utilize those facilities. This has zero impact on Treks.
    2 points
  3. The way we do it is that the boys brainstorm and select their top "themes" --- backpacking, climbing, shooting, etc., and they can suggest locations if they have had good experiences someplace. We have a "camping coordinator", who is a committee member with lists of state parks, BSA camps, ACE properties, national forests etc. and he/she will then start calling around for reservations. If a location that the scouts suggested is available for the kind of activity they suggested, it's booked. If it's unavailable, another site is found that enables the type of activity. Only after the
    2 points
  4. Generally, the BSA plan is to crossover the Webelos into Boy Scouts in the early Spring. That gives the Troop the chance to camp with the new scouts a few times before summer camp. Talk to the Troop that most go over, and see what they would like.
    2 points
  5. The Scouts often don't look beyond the places that they have already gone to. I suggest that you talk up different sites with the senior boys.
    2 points
  6. Don't over-think. Did more scouts join than quit since you started? Give yourself full credit. If you're wrong, your UC can amend it.
    2 points
  7. Our CO's Pack crosses over in late March / early April as well. From my my observation, the Webelos are eager to join a Troop and their leaders are ready to be done. Personally, I like that extra month to have those crucial consersations about summer camp.
    2 points
  8. Just flew back from Philmont and boy are my glutes tired. This was our first trip and I’ll try to cover my personal gear, crew gear and my son’s gear. My Tent – Tarptent Aeon – Well, early on at Ponil, I forgot to pull out 1 stake, pulled on the tent and made a major rip where the mesh attaches to the Dyneema. Argh! Tenacious tape kept it usable, but it’s toast. I brought it because people said sites were tight. We had 3 advisers and I got to tent alone. Not true. I could fit my Duplex in every spot I put my Aeon. I planned to sell either the Aeon or Duplex, but now that decision
    1 point
  9. The troop leader guidebook, vol 2, p 60, says this.
    1 point
  10. "Family Scouting" creep is a major concern for me. Some folks do not care about boundaries. I've seen what a 5 year old Lion can do to a patrol at camporee. Add in his helicopter parents, and life was miserable for the Scouts. Add to it that Dad was so focused on 5 year old Lion that he didn't honor the commitment he made to running an event ,affecting not just a patrol, but every single Scout attending the event, as well as the adults he had to ask to take over the event, which happened to be that morning. Heck I've seen how an 11 y.o. "Family Scouting" Scout affected the entire patrol.
    1 point
  11. I don't know the specifics as I cannot afford PTC, but if you are correct AND they are out of the way of the trekkers, that is one thing. They just need to stay way from the trekkers until they get back to base camp. But yes, I got concerns.
    1 point
  12. I actually have seen what younger siblings on a camp out or visiting at summer camp can do. It is not pretty. That was the primary reason why my family left a troop. Despite the number of problems the family was causing, not only to my family but also to the other Scouts in the troop, other Scouters wanted to work it out. After 19 months of trying to work it out, I had to leave as the situation was getting worse and not better. So I can see where @Jameson76 and others have concerns. I have serious concerns with "family Scouting."
    1 point
  13. So the youth in the picture pass your crew on the trail. Or spend the night in the neighboring campsite. What are the potential negative impacts on your Philmont experience? Edited to add: Mustangs are 11 - 13, and if memory serves, they are accompanied on their overnight by PTC staffers, not mom and dad.
    1 point
  14. These "tents" are on the PTC campus, not on the camping headquarters side of the ranch. Rest assured, trek participants are still residing in standard issue BSA wall tents with cots when they are in base camp, trailbound and homebound. No electricity or other amenities. PTC and CHQ are two entirely different worlds.
    1 point
  15. PTC is for families. Why the hostility towards making them comfortable? We want more folks trained and if this is what it takes, why not? This is not for the folks on Trek. and you forgot .......air conditioning.....you ever been in the tents there?
    1 point
  16. I'm not here to defend the BSA. Both my son & I have had plenty of uniforms over the years. Only real problem I've had is the letters did peel off if I ironed them. They went back to embroidered letters and so that doesn't seem to be a problem. Clearly we all want to spend less, get more quality, and have them fit great. That's a no brainier and you'll get no argument from me there. For a $37 shirt and a $40 pair of pants, they seemed to work fine for us.
    1 point
  17. Come to Venturing. They've redesigned the switchbacks for the 3rd time in 5 years, and they are still awful. If they would design them the same as the fabric/style as the green ones, just in gray, we'd be golden. I have just got to the point that I don't want our Venturers wearing the "official", I tell them to go to any store and find gray shorts and/or cargo pants.
    1 point
  18. Folks who find scout uniforms expensive should be aware that Scout Shops are offering a 25% off sale. (https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2019/08/19/unprecedented-scout-shop-sale-on-uniform-shirts-is-too-cool-to-miss/) I went to the 25% off sale and it was great. I got a pair of khaki pants with one long leg and one short leg.
    1 point
  19. First, trust the scouts. I have to have this conversation almost every year with some of my adults. For all the goofiness that might be said during the process, and you really need to be patient during it, they want the program to be successful and they are going to ultimately act responsibly. This is a time when your relationship and mentoring with the SPL are critical. Make sure you've had some in depth conversations both in terms of how he runs the planning and in what kind of goals or outcomes you both want from it. A common problem is what Perdidochas describes, they'll oft
    1 point
  20. Before back in day, some hiked. Below two Venezuelan Boy Scouts , Rafael Petit , left, and Juan Carmona, right, sit on the steps of the Capitol Build and examine their boots after hiking 25 miles a day for over two years to attend the Boy Scout Jamboree in Washington, D.C. They started from Caracas on January 11, 1935 and hiked through Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, then through the southern US all the way to Washington where they arrived June 16, 1937, after more than 10,000 miles. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/201687
    1 point
  21. A scout troop camping in the Willamette National Forest found a campfire that had been left burning by inconsiderate campers. The fire had already spread beyond the fire ring. It took the scouts about 2 hours to put out all the smoldering embers. Scouts are credited with preventing a forest fire. Story: https://www.koin.com/news/human-interest/boy-scouts-put-out-campfire-that-was-spreading/
    1 point
  22. Obviously for new units, you simply replace the words "at the end of the prior charter year" with "on the initial charter." You therefore have: Number of youth members on the most recent charter renewal (A) divided by the number of youth registered on the initial charter (B) minus any age-outs (C). Total = (A) / (B-C)...
    1 point
  23. I think part of the problem was that while there were weather delays that of course cascaded across the country as happens with a hub system, there was also the problem that many contingents were delivered to the airport many, many hours before their scheduled flight, sometimes, based on comments posted on-line, 8, 10, or more hours in advance. I saw one contingent was delivered to the airport in the early morning hours, for a flight that was not scheduled to depart until 7:00 p.m. that evening. No airport is equipped to handle that many people arriving that early. You can't check bags for a f
    1 point
  24. This is from the current Guide to Advancement: So I think Scouts can come up with service projects in different ways. A patrol might come up with some ideas on their own. The PLC might come up with some. The Scoutmaster or other adults might come up with some ideas (but those ideas should go through the SPL, PLC, or Patrol Leader, as applicable). An adult service project coordinator (committee member) could help coordinate or mentor / coach, and the level of involvement could vary depending on circumstances and the maturity level of the Scout(s). And there is some guida
    1 point
  25. Older uniforms are much better. Ebay is your friend.
    1 point
  26. Let's see now, they raised $100,000 selling 600 bottles....that works out to about $167 per bottle. Yikes! I could almost afford to buy a bag of Trails End popcorn for that much money!
    1 point
  27. For whatever reason the ASMs are seen as important for patrols, the program is supposed to mature to independence away from that importance. There might be a temporary need to Patrol ASMs, but the need is a red flag that program is not working as it should. The two risk are that human nature does not like to give up authority, and has a reluctance to change. Unless the SM has a plan, and strives, to move the program away from the need for patrol ASMs, there isn't much motivation to change. Barry
    1 point
  28. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/07/big-in-peacekeeping-boy-scouts/590614/
    1 point
  29. It was once the most prestigious group of any size within Scouting - the SPL/Silver Award/Eagle Scout Club. Your heart pounded as the Tap Out Team worked its way slowly towards where you stood in line at the campfire - to the beat of a drum. "Thump, thumpo, thump" - Gary got it! Is someone behind me, silently holding his hand over MY head?! Could I be an Arrowman? Leadership in Service.
    1 point
  30. Just the problem. It's not "elite." Not much of an "honor."
    1 point
  31. I can't give you any advice on the right way, but I can unequivocally tell you the wrong way. In my troop, if the scoutmaster has a service project that he is personally in favor of, he will just schedule it, without consulting the SPL or PLC. He then will "require" everyone to be there by threatening to not advance them in rank if they don't show up. Also the service project will be on a day that already has another troop activity scheduled, and that activity was planned by the PLC and has been on the troop calendar for the past 6 months. Yeah...my Troop is a 9 on the 1 to 8 ladd
    0 points
  32. 0 points
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