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May not be a big deal to most people, but my kid was on bacon duty this weekend. He crossed over in March and wont hardly cook at home. We help staff a Cub Family Campout this weekend and the Boy Troop and Girl Troop were both there. I am usually helping the girls and let him go on his own with the boys. Mainly so he starts to learn to do without me always being there to help. In addition to bacon, he also scrambled eggs, and cooked two hamburgers.

This discussion is the cart before the horse. What is the purpose of scouting? What is the purpose of the activities? I learned as I gained experience to measure if each activities was providing a positive growth opportunity for the scout. Mostly character, but other growth as well. By measuring each activity, I was forcing myself to understand the goals of the program, as well as insure the activities were presented in a manor that would produce growth. If the adults don't know where they are going, how do they know if they are doing it wrong? HOWEVER, scouting is game with a purpose and

This past weekend was a District Cub Family Campout... So, the boy Troop and girl Troop helped staff. Meaning, we helped run the various activities during the day. Otherwise, it was a pretty typical weekend campout. I flew a kite on Saturday,.

It's not absolutist bad with documentation. BSA does a lot pretty well. The problem comes in with a large repository of documents. Written over decades. Emphasis and concepts evolve. Editors and authors come and go. I'm betting often editors and authors don't even know the words are different in different documents. IMHO, BSA should adopt a system similar to the 2011 BSA GTA re-write for all the documentation. Whether you agree with GTA or not, I really really am impressed with the process / system behind the GTA re-write and what's happened for now 10+ years. Schedul

There's certainly a middle path between going by the book and adapting. Not all change is good, but not all change is bad. The program is local and flexible for a reason. For example, I personally think the taut-line hitch should be replaced with a more modern and effective knot. But learning to tie an adjustable knot that holds under tension is a big part of camping/scout or bushcraft. Similarly, functioning as a patrol is a big part of scouting. What exactly that means can vary, but keeping up with communal gear matters.

Hello all! I'm Andrew from Canton, NC. I used to be fairly active on the "official" Scoutbook discussion forums page, until they banned all content that wasn't related to "Scoutbook, Internet Advancement and all other BSA IT software and resources". I'm happy to find this website so I can learn from others and share my own experiences. You'll most likely find me in the Cub Scout forums as I am a AOL DL/CC for our Pack.

When will they ever learn? Rule #1 Don't ask for a rule, you'll live to regret it. A grant is not fundraising. A grant is a commitment to partner with an organization who might provide the necessary funds to accomplish a project but cannot itself employ all of the laborers. Son #1's eagle project was grant-funded. Son #2's was expensed as part of his church's budget. In neither case did we push fundraising paperwork. You need to heed your LC's guidance when it comes to funds that will build your troop's treasury. You need to heed the grant's funding agency's guidance when

First, it's really easy to go down a rabbit hole over any scout who leaves over how you do things. Especially if you start insisting on things that you might not have before. The question to ask yourself, are the other scouts happy with the decision? Secondly, is everyone becoming more worried about equipment than about scouts? This happens when troops invest in more and more gear to the point that patrols have a lot to maintain? Putting it together, I take kids on backpacking trips that not everyone in our troop wants to do. (Those of you who hike a lot would consider these to be ve

I'm somewhat of the opinion that the Ordeal process is a bad method of conveying that purpose. And having that being the starting event is going to lead to a lot of misunderstandings among the youth.

In a Scout troop, everyone pulls his weight and does his/her share of the work. BP said, "Never do anything for a Scout that a Scout can do for himself." hat's the program. No, I don't think it should be changed.

I think this is a really important observation, and I would take it one step further — scouts who are eligible don’t want to stand for election. Both represent part of OA’s “membership market” that are opting out. As someone who came back to Scouting after a long absence, I think the main issue is OA actually articulating what it is and why Scouts would want to join. I was elected very late in my youth Scouting career, so I didn’t actually have much calendar time to do much more than go through the Ordeal. So when I came back to Scouting, I didn’t think of OA as much more than “Scouting

Around here, two reasons primarily: 1) Our local lodge does little to nothing in the way of community service or service to units. It is all about internal lodge or OA functions, and providing a labor pool for setting up/taking down tents for Summer Camp (poorly at that, I might add) 2) Another activity that they feel they have no time for. We have very good success with our youth, because I make it clear that there is NO EXPECTATION (from me) of service to the lodge upon becoming an Ordeal member, and to not listen to anyone who tells them differently 😜 Ordeal membership

Purdue argues for third-party releases. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/nation/appeals-court-to-consider-paving-way-for-purdue-pharma-deal-out-of-bankruptcy https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/purdue-urges-skeptical-appeals-court-revive-sackler-shield-opioid-lawsuits-2022-04-29/

I think your SPL has done an excellent job. Just what rule has your pack violated? Only "at times?" I find it easier to tally the times the rules gave clear guidance. They never do. I have not been able to find a definitive answer to my questions. "When the police break the law, there is no law." -Billy Jack. Translated to BSA-speak: "When the rule writers can't (won't) write comprehensible rules, there are no rules." So, as is apparent from the comments, units are "just finding their way." I have just now come to the opinion that the BSA rules are intentional

They are trying to say don't ask for money for units, because we want it at the local council level. And, your requesting it from individuals or corporations gets in the way of them giving it to us. Note, it says you cannot solicit (ask for) donations, but you may accept them We get donations all the time. Every time we are doing a litter crew on the roads, someone stops and gives us a $10 or a $20. We tell them we are not allowed to take tips or payment for community service. When they insist, we ask if they'd like it to go to defer the cost of camp for Scouts who could use litt

Check Goodwill too. Sellers on ebay as well.

It would not be odd at all. In fact, if you dual register, one Troop should be designated as primary, and they would handle all of your advancement. Both Troops putting in advancements for you would potentially cause problems. If you dual register, explain to the gaining new Scoutmaster the situation you are in with your other unit regarding OA. Explain that you still feel loyalty to your old, and will support both Troops. Don't say that you are there just to get in the OA. If you told me that, I'd be inclined to turn you away. Just tell the new Scoutmaster that you are curious

As @scoutldrstated, you do not "join" OA, you are elected by the members of your troop. In order for someone to be elected, the scouts in the troop should know that person well. Were I still a youth member I would be leery of voting for someone who dual registered for no other reason than to use our troop to gain election to OA. If becoming an Arrowman means that much to you, I would either try to convince your SM that being elected to OA is not going to cause you to neglect your troop, and therefore allow an election to be held. If that cannot be accomplished you have to look at the p

Even if you only have two Scouts, go!! And, did you learn anything interesting about the KC-135R?? (I flew them 😝)

Lol...so, in your council, asking questions is "spreading rumors"?? Truth is dead, and we have killed it. (with a nod to Nietzsche)