Eagle732

All The Dukes of Hazzard!?

Special rank patches for the 100th anniversary? Maybe only given out for ranks earned this year? If you read the fine print at the bottom of the page it says Lion Brothers. They are a large company in MD that does much of BSA's patch design including MBs, and the Jamboree patches.

Scoutfish,

Right on!

Disregard the negativity and ask away.

The troop owns one trailer already, a canoe trailer which is titled in the troop's name and has no insurance. The utility trailer we are going to buy will also be titled and owned by the troop. The troop also owns it's own building which has homeowners insurance on it. I'll check with our agent about a rider or other insurance for the trailers. The trailer will be parked behind our building and we are planning on locking it through the hitch and maybe the wheels.

Some questions about troop trailer insurance.

Do troops carry insurance on their trailers?

When a troop's trailer is in tow does the tow vehicle's insurance cover it in case of an accident?

Who's insurance covers it when it's parked at your meeting place between trips?

Any other suggestions/recommendations on trailer ownership?

Our NSP is where new Scouts start. When they make Tenderfoot they can chose another patrol or stay in the NSP which. If they keep enough members in the NSP they eventually becomes a regular patrol.

No records were transferred since no request was made. The troop that the Scout went to is not in our council. I guess the SM accepts previously signed off requirements from another troop. The Scout was working on First Class so the new council just accepts that he earned Scout, Tenderfoot and Second Class?

One other thought. As a Cubmaster and later as a Scoutmaster one of the saddest reasons I've seen kids drop is because of divorce.

Cub Scouting is a family oriented activity for sure. Kids have to have the support and encouragement of their parent(s) or they end up dropping out. After all how long to you think a kid is gonna want to go to meetings when dad is complaining all they way! Dad does not understand the value of Scouting and probably never will. I feel for your nephew.

By the way I had a great time doing PWDs with my son, our pack even had a special race for the adults and I raced my old 1969 vintage car one year. It was slow and it almost made it to the end of the track!

I had a Scout leave my troop, seems mom didn't feel he was advancing fast enough which is understandable since the Scout rarely attended camping trips and only half of the meetings. His new troop does advancement on a troop wide schedule, in other words everyone in the troop comes to a meeting to work on a certain requirement together. This type of troop apparently fits his needs better than our boy led troop since mom said her Scout needed more individual attention than we were giving him. So at some point the Scout transferred although I don't know exactly when. I did get a look at his handbook when I went to visit him and mom to ask why he was leaving. It seems that the Scout was getting signed off on requirements from both troops at the same time! So my question is; Is it customary for one SM to give the other SM a call and let him know if a Scout is leaving his troop? Should SMs let each other know if a Scout is looking to change troops? Maybe give the current SM a heads up on a problem he might not know about? In this case I had no idea they were looking to move. I think it would be the courteous thing to do. Also, I don't feel it was very honest for the Scout to come to me for signatures on requirements when he knew he had already joined another troop. That's not my concern now since he's left but maybe that's something that should be discussed between two SMs.

Seems like parents not playing well with others is always the problem in Scouting. The problem become critical when a parent or Scout begins creating so many problems that they start to negatively effect the unit. I have had this problem before on several occasions and this is how I handled it. If it's an adult problem all adults sit down and hash it out. Let the participants know that the unit leader has final say and it's OK if the end result is that someone leaves the unit. Lay down the law, establish that you are in charge and everyone will be polite and respectful to each other. Listen to all sides. Discuss how the actions are harming the unit. Ask that the bad mouthing stop and that the money that was raised in the name of your unit be returned. If these concessions won't be made than the mom and Scout are free to pursue their Scouting career elsewhere. End of story!

Pot Shots? Who's taking pot shots?

The 1968 Signaling MB book has the exact requirements as the reintroduced MB although it's broken down into 6 requirements instead of 5. For comparison the 1922 Signaling MB book has these very different requirements:

1. Send and receive a message in Semaphore code, not fewer than 48 letters per minute, or use the General Service (International Morse Code) code, not fewer than 24 letters per minute.

2. Give and receive signals by sound, using the buzzer outfit sounder, sounder, whistle or bugle.

3.Make a buzzer outfit, or a heliograph outfit.

Google "gang signs", there's lots of info on them. Most likely your guys are just having fun and have no idea what they are doing.

I do believe that Tracking has surpassed Archeology as the ugliest merit badge. What is that thing? Looks like a cat with mange!

So where do I find the requirements?

Just took my guys snow tubing at a commercial facility and no one there was wearing helmets. The facility did not rent helmets and I didn't even consider that they should bring and wear them for this activity. After reading the guideline "this includes the recommended use of helmets for all participants engaged in winter sports such as sledding and other sliding devices" it seems to me that helmets are recommended not required for snow tubing and sledding.

ev,

I would not think of asking the SM what's going on and if he told me I wouldn't post it here without his permission. Just like I haven't posted what others that are involved have told me. mdsummer will let us know when National has decided.

evmori,

You said "You know for an absolute fact this is the way midsummer45's sons Troop operates? You know this how? If I'm not mistaken, midsummer45 is located in the Maryland area and you are in northern Jersey."

Well I wonder if you might think it's OK for me to comment.

I am from the same council, a neighboring district now but I spent many years in her district. I know many of the district level volunteers. I also know the Council rep assigned to this case and I know at least one other Scout from this troop. As far as how her son's troop operates, I don't know how it's being run but I do know how it should operate. You see I took my Scoutmaster Fundamentals with her son's Scoutmaster.

The SM is a nice enough guy, dedicated Scouter, holds several positions at the District level. A very involved guy.

Having said that I hope the Scout is awarded his Eagle by National, I think he deserves it.

Beavah,

Define your statement "insert themselves into the process". Do you think it's inappropriate for members to comment, offer help, talk with directly or act in any way on behalf of this Scout and his mother?

And if its not a sham?

I wonder if the apologies will come a quickly as the criticism has.

Just a thought...

I don't know why someone would have a problem with Clinton, Bush or Obama's name on their Eagle certificate, heck I got Nixon's on mine!

I just went through this with two brothers acting exactly like you described but probably worse. Here's what I did, pulled them both to the side and said "You are free to pursue your Scouting career elsewhere".

I sincerely doubt that the Troop, District or Council would make any comments here on this situation?

I don't think the people asking the questions here have a hard time making decisions, I think they are just trying to be better informed before making them. It use to be I would call the Council help line or my U.C. to get a question answered. Now I might ask here too, put all of the information together and make a decision. Its certainly not the fear of making a judgement call or being perceived negatively that prompts me to ask a question here. Besides I thought that was the purpose of this forum, to share ideas and information.