DYB-Mike

Is the USS Little Rock sleepover a Council sponsored event? If so, I believe that affords you some protection in the event of problems.

Has your Pack Committee discussed the event and shared all the details, including the sleeping arrangements, with the parents? If some are uncomfortable they can opt not to attend.

Our Pack has done sleepovers on battleships (USS Massachusetts, sleeping like the sailors in hammocks), museums (Boston Museum of Science and Plymouth Plantation, both very popular, folks bed down all over the floors of the exhibit halls), and cabins. All of these have seen mixed sleeping arrangements with male and female leaders and parents, the boys, and sometimes siblings (boy/girl) all together in a large space. In the case of the museum and battleship, all Council sponsored events with separate rest room/changing facilities, we were participating with many other packs and troops. In the cabins sheets and tarps were used to make privacy areas for changing. In all these cases we havent had any problems with impropriety, only my snoring (well, not JUST me).

In our Pack's case no one person was making a common sense decision on his or her own. With all these events our Pack Committee and Leaders discussed the details and options, shared this information with the parents, and I guess you could say a common sense by consensus decision was made concluding that, by attending the event, the benefit to the boys would far outweigh the potential for problems. If someone complains later on, they cannot deny that they were unaware of what they were getting into.

I concede that this is a litigious age we live in but, as it has been said in this thread, you cant foresee every danger. If we worried about every eventuality the boys would do nothing. I agree that good common sense is key, but a fully informed pack is also important. MOST people are not unreasonable as long as they know what theyre getting into and can prepare for it.

It seems a shame that the boys have to suffer for adult paranoia. If the sleepover is anything like our USS Massachusetts experience, theyll have a ball.

YIS

Mike

I was a Boy Scout for a couple of years back in the late 60s. My only memories are of summer camp (Adams Pond, New Hampshire), some good points, some bad points, and a camping trip that my Dad and younger brother attended (neither were scouts). That later trip was particularly memorable in that my Dad passed away when I was around 15 and its one of my fond memories of him. My brother and I also got eaten alive by mosquitoes on that campout.

My adult scouting career is fairly new Ive been an Assistant Cubmaster for about 8 months now. I cant honestly say that my boyhood scouting experience has made an impact on my adult scouting experience beyond the ability to say I was a scout as a boy. I did remember the Scout Oath from back then though and thats come in handy. I got involved again because I saw an opportunity to bond with my sons and hopefully provide something positive to them, their cub friends, and the other boys in the Pack. Ill admit that I also was having a good time attending the special events and activities as a volunteer. Basically its all new to me and Im learning, and getting training, as I go with the boys providing the inspiration. Needless to say Its been a blast.

YIS

Mike

The boys in our Pack wear the neckerchief but our Cubmaster and Den Leaders dont with one exception, one of our Webelos Den Leaders wears her Wood Badge neckerchief. Im the Assistant Cubmaster and I wear a neckerchief. Its a nice tradition and I feel we, the leaders, should set the example if we expect the boys to wear one. I started out with the current standard Cub Scout Leader blue neckerchief but I picked up an old (1930 40s) CUBS BSA blue and gold neckerchief and now wear that one exclusively. The old one is much bigger but not that heavy. I wear mine on top of the collar.

The leaders in our big brother Scout Troop (were chartered by the same organization) generally wear bolo ties. If my memory serves me correct the scouts dont wear neckerchiefs.

I wear a campaign hat, much to my wifes chagrin. In my humble opinion it's another worthy tradition.

YIS

Mike

I had touched upon this site before but really got into it recently through following a discussion thread on the campaign hat (love the campaign hat, I wear one). I decided to take the plunge and sign on.

Ive been Assistant Cubmaster for Pack 22 here in Braintree since May 2007. My oldest son joined as a Wolf and I had been involved with the Pack as a helpful parent prior to the Assistant Cubmaster role. My oldest is a Webelos II now and will cross over this May but my other son will be coming in as a Tiger at that point (hes excited about it). Im planning to be his Den Leader as well and hope to bring him through to the Troop five years from now.

I must confess to the dual pleasure of striving to be a role model to my son and his friends as well as getting a lot of personal enjoyment and fulfillment. I was a scout for a few years back in the late 60s but unfortunately didnt get very far. Now Im re-learning the scouting ropes and the knots!

I see that there is other Braintree representation here, including our own Troop 22. Hello!

Ive followed a lot of interesting discussions here; hopefully Ill be able to make a contribution at some point.

YIS

Mike