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eagle77

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Posts posted by eagle77

  1. You are right on Narrticong, I remember trading both CSP's and OA flaps as a scout. My dad got me hooked on it, after going with him to a few tradorees he gave me all of his OA flaps and told they are yours now go get more. Traded for what I needed, but more or less for some of the real colorful and cool looking patches that were out back then. Wouldn't think of not going to summer camp without a few patches for trading. Went to the 77 Jamboree and traded like crazy. Also had other scouts and adults who I traded with through the mail. What a fun activity. Now you just can't seem to interest the scouts with trading patches or even purchasing them when you go to a camp. I had patches for all the camps that I attended as a scout, now all the boys worry about is do they have slush puppies. Today, my lodge is just as guilty many lodges just issue flaps for income. Also continue to change design for same purpose.

  2. The answer is real simple, I have all the scouts CPR trained within the first year of Boy Scouts. Having some older leaders along, including myself I would like to know that the scouts know and can do this if the issue comes up. Also covers all the MB's that call for CPR. If getting CPR trained is not do able in your area, then having the scouts do it for each badge is not too much to ask for something so important in both scouting and the streets. Having to do it over and over also means that they keep sharp on the skills too.

  3. Definetly have the PLC change it's entire program to accomidate this one boy. Jeez!! I have had boys who need to leave for other activities be them family, school or religious. They let me know this beforehand. Not when they want to leave. Part of being a Boy Scout is learning responsibilty, if all you are willing to do is have the rest of the troop alter their plans in order to try and keep this scout on the trip. What has this scout learned? Not a darn thing other then I get my way again. I guess that will prepare him for life won't it? The fact that the other scouts see this and have questioned it means maybe they should act on it. Have the scouts discuss it at the next PLC and see what they feel needs to be done. He and his parents are the problem not the other scouts.

  4. I am dealing with something very similar to your dilemma, Our troop competes with one other troop for the cubs from 3 neighboring packs, non of them associated with either troop. This past spring one pack only had 1 W2 scout and he was not going into Boy Scouts. Another had 12 boys graduating, had them stop by for a visit and talked with them, I happened to notice that the leader was wearing an eagle knot and right away thought we should have no problem at least getting some of the boys along with the leader. Our troop is boy led the other is adult led, they also have about 65 boys registered to the unit, while we have 28 boys. Well when it came time to find out how many would be coming to our troop my face almost dropped to the floor, NONE including the leader, in fact because of the leader. I just couldn't figure that out. While we were at our district camporee I was walking with a couple of my ASM around the area and stopped in on this troop to talk with the scoutmaster. While talking with him the W2 leader came walking up and I just came right out and asked why none of the boys from his den came to our troop. Now I quote him here in what he said " Boy led is some fantasy that certain gung ho leaders came up with", "scouting is meant to be fun not hard or challenging", "expecting boys to lead themsleves is stupid and unproductive". Now this is an Eagle scout saying this. I just stood and looked at him and said "suddenly the rank of Eagle does not mean that much to me when you put it that way". He told me that "I was one of those kooky guys who gets a kick out of bossing young boys around". I said good bye to the troop's scoutmaster and just walked away. One of my ASM's said to me it's kind of like the Pro baseball thing, whether they used steroids or not they hit the homeruns and nobody will care when they look at the record books, same goes with eagle some boys were fortunate to have gotten the boy led and those like this guy that just got the patch.It is an easier way and if you boy comes out with the same thing as the boy led boy who cares or knows the difference each of them will still wear the same patch. Sad very sad.

     

  5. I too agree summer camp for many troops is just an advancement week. We have never had problems with getting close to 100% participation on any of our troop's summer camp expierences. Of course we don't go back to the same old camp year after year and we don't go primarily to work on merit badges.Plus the boys are involved in the selection. As a scout, summer camp was a troop/camp time. Program was mainly chosen by the troop and PLC. You had troop times at lake/pool, boating, shooting, troop campfire as well as the camp wide fire. The last two years that I was a scout I did not work on one single merit badge, I had already earned what I wanted or needed to advance. But I did feel obligated to attend since I also was a SPL one year and JASM the last. To me it was just part of being a scout in the troop. Today the concern is with "what's in it for me" or "what will I earn there" attitude that exists today. This past spring I offered to take our troop to Colorado for a week in 2010.One of the requirements to attend was 70% participation on trips and meetings for the upcoming year. I will not tell you how many e-mails and phone calls I recieved from parents saying I was being unfair to their sons by putting in that requirement. Needless to say after all the dust settled I withdrew the offer. None of the parents could give me an answer to my one statement. "If your son wants to do it bad enough he will have to work and strive for it". All I heard was how important these other activities were and that they had to do them as well.

  6. Isn't that the time when the new CSP came out to replace the old R/W. I was scout when they made the big change in 72 and remember trading and buying these new council shoulder patches. One thing I will say is I may not agree with many of the changes they made then, but one thing they did do was bring in a whole lot of color to the uniform.

  7. Couldn't agree with more Mafaking. From what I have heard though is that more and more councils are looking for those adults working their tickets to help and volunteer for other programs. Some have become down right dependent on it. One question though, How can you have a boy-led program if more of your adults are trained then the youth?

  8. Although there is no ticket for the boys to do they do have the vision that they must work on. This though is something that the SM should work closely with the scout on. I have seen too many adults send boys to these expecting to get back trained junior leaders, and they are, but they still need to be guided by the SM to that scouts vision.

  9. I guess sending them to another council's NYLT would be up to the council running the course. We have been sending our boys to an out of council NYLT for the last 4 years. One of the first boys to do this is now on the staff for the course. Our council did not run any courses and we still wanted to get our scouts trained. It is just like woodbadge in that participants for them can be out of council too. It's all according to when the course is being run, in our area the spring and late summer are most popular. We made the mistake and sent boys once they had been elected to a position, felt that was the wrong move. Since then we send 2 or 3 boys based on age and interest. Sooner or later they will have a position anyway, this gives them a chance to try different positions and to get the feel for leadership.

  10. we have not attended our council in 10 years, camp is over crowded, over priced and a merit badge mill. We go to other camps, but do not go to the same one back to back. The adults and PLC help select the camps, those that meet our requirements are then voted on by the entire troop, the winner is where we will go. In order for camps to qualify they must offer enough variety and programs for the different age groups, a first year program is not really necessary because we do not use them, we run our own first year. There must also be some more challenging activities for the older scouts. We will also listen to others at RT and camporees as to what their expierences were at different camps. Distance is not really a problem either.

  11. mmhardy first off BSA does not have any ban of the use of cell phones, don't think they would ever step that way either. This is a troop issue. I have seen troops that have no problem allowing their boys free use of cell phones others have more strict rules and some even ban their use entirely. I put this question to our troop PLC, I let them know my position on it, but if they would work out a solution that they could all agree with I would be more then willing to follow it, it is their scouting. After about 30 minutes they came to me with their rules.

    1. Cell phones must be on vibrate during all meetings, no texting or other use during the meeting. Except during the game they could look and answer any call or message.

    2. Cell phone use on camping trips would be limited to the ride to and back from camp.Phones would be left in cars once we arrived. No cell phones in tents. If a scout needs to use his phone during the trip the SPL or acting SPL would need to be asked.

    3. Lending or borrowing anothers cell phone was prohibited.

    4. No cell phones in latrine or shower area.

    5. Adult leaders would be asked to set their phones on vibrate and take any calls away from the site or away from where the boys are.

    6. Any damage to cell phone was the sole responsibility of the owner.

    7. On certain trips the use of cell phones may be looked as means for one group seperate from another to communicate any info.

    The last rule was the one that surprised me most.

    8. Summer camp use would be at the discretion of the SM or adult leader in charge and would be used in front of him.

    You see I personally don't think that a boy needs to have a cell phone at all times, but I also did not grow up with this type of communication (thank God). But today's youth have and I need to respect that. Leaving it to the PLC to me was the proper means in which to handle this. Is it a tool? Yes. But just as much as a saw is a tool too, these boys need to know when it is proper and when it is not. What better way then for them to decide on it and to over see it's enforcement. Since that time there have been no complaints and no abuse either.

  12. Daddy-O writes,

     

    I think its a wonderful idea (surprise surprise).

    No it wouldn't surprise me at all. Too many people want to rush and get requirements out of the way, I've even had parents that showed me their sons schedule for their complete time as a Boy Scout.

     

    When I cut the grass I do it as fast as I can. I dont want to be an expert; I want to be finished! From my reading (and very little else admittedly) It seems that the biggest problem with your organization is attrition, not too many inexperienced Eagles.

     

    I want to get the grass done fast too, but it should also be done right. Sometimes that takes a little bit more time than just rushing through it. I did not join Boy Scouts to become an Eagle Scout, I did that once somebody told me I couldn't. Can't tell you which time I earned witch merit badge but the times that I had and shared with my fellow scouts are always there for me to remember. Being outdoors, working and playing, but more then anything learning about nature, just can't put a price or Rank on that.

     

    I dont know, but I would bet that your Eagles are much better contributors and supporters later in life (no pun intended). Why would some aged out star scout give money, time or encourage others to join?

     

    Not true, two of our troop's ASM were both Boy Scouts and only went as high as Star, and believe me I put them way ahead of many other Eagle Scouts.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  13. Then I did not interprit the post correctly. If she wasn't willing to give any further info then I too would have felt there was something fishy going on. I would have handled it the same as you did, sorry.

  14. Somebody needs to chill a little. My point was that until there is some kind of documentation what does a parent do? Should I have cut my son off from all activities and have him locked in the basement? I explained to all what was going on and that once I had the proper documents I would hand a copy over to them. The fear and stress that I had as to whether or not this man and my ex would try and take my son away I would not wish on my worst enemy. Oh and yes I would go above the law to protect and safe guard my son. Wouldn't you?

  15. Pack15nissan,

    I would have left your pack too. When my ex-wife and I were first divorced we had joint custody of our son. Later she met someone and he moved in with her. Found out that when she was not at home her boyfriend was using cigarettes to disciplin my son. Until all the proof and court things were done I had no documentation that said I had sole custody. The only thing I could do to protect my son was to request to the school, YMCA, coaches, and Cub pack that the mother had no right to take or be with my son. Once everything was said and done I was awarded custody and the mother was on supervised vistation. One of the things that needs to be remembered here is that a good amount of child abductions are by family members. Custody battles between parents can be very ugly.

  16. Many councils do this and their EBOR differently. In our council they give a sheet that lists the 12 points of the scout law and how the person would grade them on this, from poor to excellent. There is also an area for written comments, it then asks if they approve the scout for Eagle. I don't see this as much different then the refrences that an employer or higher education school may ask for. Aren't we supposed to be getting these boys ready to be adults? I did have one boy who was home schooled and just asked him to give one to another person or friend. Also when it comes to parents who are also leaders since I never signed for my son on any advancement I also asked another leader to do the SM sheet. Granted these can be a pain sometime, but we need to get our youth ready for adult life and the sometimes redundt things that go on there too.

  17. I think a big part of the problem is scouters, parents and scouts who believe that the only thing there is to scouting is achieving Eagle. Once this is completed its on to something else. A scouts advancement is basically controlled by one person, the scout. As SM I can have all the conferences I want to discuss this but the final decision is up to him. There are leaders who feel that earning eagle, at say 14 or 15 that they lack the leadership or expierence. Those are not requirements as long as the scout has completed the requirements that national has set for Eagle or any other rank, to hold back or delay is actually adding requirements to what is already there and these leaders need to be updated on what advancement really is. It isn't just a patch it is a growing and maturing type of thing and as we all know different people mature at different speeds. Can't change that or adjust it to your way of thinking.

  18. we split up our other POR leaders amongst the ASPL's, Chaplain Aid and Quartermaster are with one ASPL, the ASPL updates and makes sure that these other leaders are up to speed on what is coming up or what may be needed from them for a meeting or activity. We also use them to help out and work with any scout skill that a patrol leader may be having problems with. All of the ASPL's in our troop have either served as patrol leader or Instructor. (a requirement in our troop for being SPL or ASPL).

  19. Being held back does not add anything to it. He must be 11 or have completed the 5th grade. If he completed 5th grade and is not yet 11 he could still join, if he is 11 and has not completed the 5th grade he can still join to the key word here is "or".

  20. Hey buddy talk to your politicians they are the ones that have dumped on the american worker and companies. I too live in Pa and I work for a company that makes steel pipe. We are losing business and customers not to american companies but to steel pipe made in China. Until something happens and we get some Patriotic leaders in D.C. you and I will just have to settle for foreign made products.

  21. I had a boy who was pretty much in the same situation. The main reason he joined was also to be with friends that were his age. After he had made the choice and filled out the application I had a little sit down with him and the boys that talked him into joining. It was agreed that he would be a member of their patrol and they would work with him and get him up to speed. In 8 months he was 1st class. At the first summer camp he attended he worked on merit badges not a first year program. He aged out as a life scout this past summer. He is now one of my younger ASM. Funny his friends are now gone off to other things like college, but he is still here helping. Bottom line he joined to be with his friends, keep him with his friends and if they are true friends they will help him along the way. Why does everybody think that the only reason to be a boy scout is to attain Eagle? He told me one time the fun and laughes out weighed earning Eagle. Though he did wish that he had joined earlier.

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