Eagle707

Membership ID numbers are issued by individual councils. Therefore, if you are registered in multiple councils, you have multiple ID numbers. I wish there was one universal number for each member but that is not the case.

I may be mistaken but I believe that would defeat the purpose of chapters. Chapters are designed to make the OA accessible to units and members in their districts. The OA is not meant to be a replacement for unit activities. The "Guide to Officers and Advisers" has this to say: "Arrowmen are expected first to give service to and be active in their own units. Then as time permits, they can assist the lodge in such activities as unit elections, camping promotion, service to council camping facilities, etc." As I read it, there is a distinct division between lodge/chapter a

I'm in the same boat with my concerns. I went to the 2005 and 2010 jamborees and, both times, I was impressed with how the US Army handled the logistics of the event. This leaves me wondering how badly we will miss them in 2013. I'm guessing we will be seeing a ton of requests for volunteers with EMS training and other "specialized" qualifications in order to fill the gap that the army has left. The other option would be paying for on-site EMS services from the county. My other thought about filling the gap is this: we have plenty of Fire/EMS, Police, and Search and Rescue Explorin

Let me preface this with a disclaimer: I am NOT a lawyer. I would avoid making a big deal of this for one main reason: you shouldn't know this. You have gained access to confidential information and would have to explain how you got it. It's hard to expect Scouts to be trustworthy if you are ignoring confidentiality rules. Also, if you didn't have a problem with him before you learned this, why do you have a problem now? It sounds like he's working to keep these things out of his Scouting life (if not his whole life). If it was truly a concern, it would probably be public knowledge.

When I was a Boy Scout, I was in my high school's marching band and my troop's "Flag Team." In Scouts, my friend and I did teach a clinic about how to do "about face" and which foot to start on; marching band, conversely, was hours of drills. In Scouts, we did not spend hours (or even half an hour) working on drills. Serving on flag team was a big deal in my troop so Scouts wanted to learn how to look sharp and that was what our brief practice session (at the request of the PLC) entailed: sharp turns and sharp salutes. We didn't need hours of training for flag team. Similarly, when I

My former troop did their planning exactly as Alabama Scouter described. It worked quite well for us too.

Thanks. That makes sense.

No worries, Oak Tree. I'm glad you put it up for discussion. As a bonus, I understand the body type you're talking about: I'm a distance runner as well as a swimmer. I was trying to be facetious on that one but was unsuccessful. Edited: I'm not sure why it spun a thread from my last comment. Sorry for any confusion.(This message has been edited by Eagle707)

I'm the one who originally posted that so I'll take a moment to defend my comments. I should have been careful not to use an absolute. I am one of those people with very little body fat but, curiously, I cannot sink (it makes being a mock victim difficult ). I posted that comment on a thread where we were discussing a Scout who was afraid of swimming. The point I was actually trying to make was that many people cannot float because they tense up from fear and then sink. In this case, you need to get them floating as the first step in making them comfortable in the water. What I shoul

I know this is a long post so I'll say this up front: I'm an Eagle Scout and an American Red Cross-certified Water Safety Instructor so reading this post shouldn't be a waste of your time. First, I wouldn't tell him "he's done" at all! Instead, I would encourage him to take private lessons to get over his fear of swimming. Yes, private lessons. They may cost more but by removing them from a "conventional" class environment, the instructor can give the Scout his or her full attention and the Scout doesn't have to feel self-conscious about his fear. As far as the facing the fear,

I meant "treatise" in jest, as I'm sure you recognized. I would caution you to be careful in how you use your words, though. As Beavah said, the College Board would not look kindly on misuse of "permeated" or "conceited." That's not really important to this discussion though and I'll keep my feedback brief this time. 1) NYLT and a rigorous high-school curriculum are focused on different things so, actually, reading that you are NYLT-trained would be encouraging. Are you? 2) Does your troop do annual "Troop Leadership Training" for your Scouts? That training can make a big differe

I think that you have some fantastic ideas- and I applaud your for your devotion to Scouting- but I want to post a few questions/comments: -Given that an "ideal" patrol is eight Scouts, why are you trying to run a patrol of more than twice that number? You seem eager to delegate authority to your "sub-PLC" so why not split your patrol into three patrols? That would create two new PL slots and two new APL slots and give the Scouts in your troop more opportunities to practice their own leadership abilities. -If you have rowdy older Scouts, why haven't they been split off into a Ventu

The other posters are correct! You have the power to help effect change in your current troop: you are still a youth leader. Also, as JASM, you are in a position to mentor your SPL. I'd suggest that you, the SPL, and the Scoutmaster talk about the changes you want to see in the troop. If the SM wavers, or is afraid of the committee, mention that, as a JASM, your job is to mentor the youth leaders and help them deliver "Scouting" and not "Dad and Lad." You're old enough that you have the luxury to take these stands. Don't worry about currying favor or needing an ASM job to say active

Fantastic idea, Beavah! Here's a list from the troop I was in (and since I'm a College Scouter, there can't be any "that was then, this was now" ): -The OA Troop Rep was responsible for contacting the chapter for an election team and for determining who was eligible (the adults DID give him a nights camping print-out, though). -There is only one adult at the annual Troop Planning Meeting: the Scoutmaster. Otherwise, it's only youth leaders, led by the SPL. -The Scouts handle their SPL and PL elections themselves. -They have an annual patrol cooking competition (judged by adul

If you're interested in learning more about these older programs, check out seniorscoutinghistory.org The person who maintains this site has information about every incarnation of Exploring so definitely reference it if you want to use the shirt as part of an exhibit.

I'm not saying grammar isn't important, I'm just saying that AFOSP addresses the order in which problems should be fixed. Grammatical mistakes impede communication but there's no point in communicating if there is nothing to be said. The promotion of grammar over everything is what I'm cautioning against. Grammatical mistakes irritate me to no end but they are minor failings compared to the inability to answer a question. Writing is like owning a car: the stuff under the hood is most important to maintain. Once the car runs, THEN it makes sense to wash and wax it. It's cool to have

I think Lisabob posted an excellent explanation but I'll add my two cents anyway. I definitely agree that not everybody enters college well-prepared to write. However, a major misconception that people have is that appropriate grammar is the indicator of a solid paper. I work in one of the top college writing programs in the country as a tutor and as a facilitator for English 102 (a tutorial for students who do not pass our writing diagnostic test) and what we teach students in these settings is a concept we call "AFOSP." Each of the components is listed in order of importance.

I just want to leave a final answer in this thread in case a future college student finds it. Despite what may have been said in the past, the College Scouter Reserve is still a valid registration category. I called the National Office to confirm this and I am currently registered as a College Scouter (Position 92). The only training required for this position is YPT. As far as how it works, College Scouters are on their own for figuring out what they do. If they are Arrowmen, encourage them to stay active in a lodge. If not, it is best to contact the local DE and go from there.

Sparrows- What the other posters have said is true: your son can be a Scout and I'm glad you support him! Parental support is key to a Scout's success and it seems like he will have plenty of it. While you are unable to register as an adult leader, you are able to wear the "mother's pins" he receives as he advances. Welcome to Scouting!

I think you're ok. Scouts wear uniforms when they volunteer at cemeteries and at patriotic events. I think this qualifies as both. My only caution: make sure the uniform is complete--even if the bugler has to borrow some pants from another Scout.

Does his Scouting season end by personal choice or because his troop "shuts down" for the summer?

Go for it! The Den Chief position benefits everyone involved: the DL gets help, the Cub Scouts get an older Boy Scout to mentor them, and the Scout gets to practice his leadership skills.

You shouldn't have a problem. Don't worry about the cards but, if you're concerned about being stopped, bring your son's book to the Scout shop in case they ask to see some sort of documentation. That should the most anyone needs to sell you the badges.

Touche, packsaddle. I'm definitely out of patience. For the record, though, I didn't suggest he START an organization. I'll just say I agree with FScouter's observation and leave it at that. I'm excited to see what local units can do with this award.(This message has been edited by Eagle707)

BadenP, I must have misinterpreted your posts. If that is the case, I apologize. That being said, I have a few candid remarks of my own. I'm glad you have no problem with science and Scouting but I'm sure you would agree that mentioning the downfall of the BSA in every comment on these threads could very easily be misconstrued: I have gone through all of your posts and I have found exactly one remark that explicitly suggests that you welcome science in Scouting. Otherwise, you have only derogatory jokes and stereotypes about people who might be interested in STEM-focused awards and tho