eagle90

Moose - You hit that right on the head! At one point on just about every one of our High Adventure trips, whether it's rafting, canoeing, hiking, etc., I say to myself "What am I doing here? I'm getting too old for this!". At the end of the week it is "Where are we going next year?"!

Sure, six months down the road the next eagle candidate will want to wear his scout shirt and soccer shorts. We are a uniformed organization. Especially at such a prestigious ceremony, the candidate and the rest of the troop should be in full uniform.

We have a very comprehensive website (troop90bsa.org) which has our newsletter, forms, permission slips, photos, news, etc.But we still also rely on a printed copy of the newlsetter mailed to each home and also pass out hard copies of permission slips before an event.

I think it varies from state to state as top who can own the trailer, but our trailer is titled in the Troop's name. We have a small insurance policy (about $50 per year) thru State Farm also in the name of the Troop. As was stated before, check with an insurance agent.

Maybe we should ask the guy who has the two hour boards of review. He must have a TON of questions!

jkhny, if you spent half the time delivering a quality Scouting program to your boys instead of finding fault with councils across the nation and bad mouthing the program from one end to the other, you would be much better off. Your attitude has got to roll downhill to your scouts. I pity them. If I were as unhappy as you are about everything going on around me, I would get out and find something else to do with my time.

I have found the boys tend to get a little jaded after about the tird year at Summer Camp and need a boost - a new challenge. This is what the national programs (High Adventure and Jamboree) can add to your local program. It tends to keep boys in Scouting longer. Bob White is right on the money about the beauty and memories you pick up along the way. Sitting in the bowl at AP Hill with 50,000+ Scouts and scouters with lit candles reciting the Scout Oath with "God Bless the USA" in the background brought me to tears. It's something I will never forget.

Those experiments were done at Western Electric's Hawthorne plant in Cicero, Illinois. My two grandfathers, two grandmothers, mom, dad, and various uncles and aunts all worked for WE. I even put in two summers ther while going to college. Most of the production was for switching systems for the old Bell rotary tetlphones. The plant was a city in itself, employing over 35,000 people. The plant was closed in the 1990's. AH...memories!

I received both Boy's Life and Scouting magazine on Wednesday, September 1st.

I know what you mean about sports...Out of 29 scouts, we are bringing 7 to the Jamboree. We were at the Grant Pilgrimage in 2004. We do it about every 3 years or so. We've also done the Lincoln Pilgrimage. Last time was the infamous monsoon of 2001.

Any of you Midwest Scouters heading for the Illini Jamboree on September 9-10-11 in Rantoul, IL? It would be nice to hook up and place a face with the names!

After Summer Camp I send the partial card to each scout with the name of a local counselor for that badge. Then it is pretty much left up to the Scout to finish it on his own. Unfortunately the percentage that do is pretty small. Of course some of the badges, like the shooting sports and aquatics need special facilities which may not be readily available. I do remind them periodically about the partials.

Very interesting. I think it would also be interesting to see what the bottom 5 were.

PLC Meeting on Monday Troop Committee Meeting on Tuesday Annual Family Campout on Friday, Saturday, Sunday Here we go again!! Isn't it great???? DALE

I don't understand what your mission is here, jkhny, but before I make any comment one way or the other I would also like to see the letter from Mr. Greenblat so I can hear both sides of the issue. Give us the full information, not just one side, the side you are espousing.

It's the little things that make this all worthwhile, isn't it? I got an EMail recently from one of my former scouts who is stationed in Afghanistan (after spending 11 months in Iraq). All he said was "Just wondering how summer camp went this year? I really miss that" Here is someone risking his life every minute of the day and he remembers that we were at summer camp and was thinking of us. Dale

We have been scheduling two swimming meetings per year. One in fall and one in spring at our local high school. We either have a Swimming MB counselor there or the pool supervisor is a Red Cross Instructor.

For those talking up the Dallas area - we just spent a week at the Sid Richardson Scout Ranch 70 miles north of Dallas. High Temps were 97 to 104, no rain for almost 2 months, and lows in the upper 80's. Not much of an improvement from Virginia. I also hope AP Hill is still available in 2010.

We have given incentives for recruiting new scouts at times. Normally we would give a gift certificate to Blockbuster. But we added the stipulation that the new recruit must pay his registration fees and dues, attend a weekend campout, and attend 4 meetings. We figured by then you would have him hooked and he would stay!

Although it's probably about an hour outside your limits, we attend Lefeber Northwoods Camps in Laona, Wisconsin, about 325 miles north of Chicago. Camp is run by the Milwaukee County Council, who does an outstanding job. Great facilities, great staff, great program.

Well, it's off to the north woods of Wisconsin and Lefeber Northwoods Camps tomorrow morning. Taking 15 scouts and 6 adults with. Have a great Scouting week! Dale

Thanks for the good tip Bob. I will make arrangements for some lettering on our trailer immediately.

Is it just me or are we emphasizing Merit Badges at camp way too much? How can one possibly earn 8 MB's in a normal 6 day summer camp and do all the requirements? To me that is way too much class time, and not enough time for just enjoying the surroundings, walking in the woods, having fellowship with your buddies, etc. We ask our Scouts to sign up for 2-3 MB's maximum. Then go to free swim, open shooting, wander thru the nature lodge, have some FUN! Agree? Disagree? Dale

I'd highly recommend the program. As I said, there is something for everyone. Even this old Scouter did new things - never slept in a teepee before, never blobbed, never tubed, and never camped in 100+ degree heat! Dale

We are back from the Chisholm Trail Adventure at Sid Richardson Scout Ranch in Bridgeport, TX. What a great time, and a great program. In spite of the intense het (near and over 100 every day), we all survived with lots of water and sun screen! The Longhorn Council does a great job logistically in putting on this program. There are 8 adventure areas of which you pick 5 for the week. Evening and mornings are spent there, with the afternoons being spent at a water activity (Thank God!) The water activities can be sailing, kayaking, tubing, wind surfing, wakeboarding, swimming, and playing on two "blobs". You move from area to area on your own 22' pontoon boat. Our scouts did Covert operations ( Finding an objective at night out inthe woods using night vision goggles, gps units, computers, and radios) Texas Rangers (We shot black powder rifles, rode horseback, and had a "shootout between the adults and scouts!), Comanche Village (slept in teepees, threw hawks and knifes and spears, archery, war canoes, and native Indian games), US Cavalry (drilling, loading and shooting cannons), and Texas Cowboy Cookin' ( cooked our own steaks, potatoes, corn on the cob, cobbler, breakfast burritos) Meals were fairly authentic to the adventure area you were in. Lunches were cold, and left a little to be desired. Overall, it is a great program, with a lot of diversity. Something for everyone. The staff was very friendly and accomodating. I would definitely do it again int he future. Now ten days till Summer Camp! Dale(This message has been edited by eagle90)(This message has been edited by eagle90)