Eagledad

>>The whole Buddhist/atheist issue is just such a consistency problem.

>>Either toss the Buddhists out, or come to grips with the atheist issue.

This is one of those discussions that no one wins. I work in a scientific environment and I have to kind of laugh at the assumptions of how we get from point A to point B thru science. Or what we assume is science. Sometimes point B is only the opinion of the guy at the top of the tower. It isnt until many years later after the tower crumbles that the truth is really found. I see it everyday. I think we will see that in global warming. Anyway, as much as I know what goodness God brings into our personal lives, much less our culture, I can relate to LeRoys view when thinking about homosex

I understand that one of these boys has a reputation for this kind of stuff, but remember that they are 7 year old boys. It is not in their nature to stand or sit being calm and quit while waiting for the next activity. Staying quiet for just a few minutes is painful for a seven year old. Many times I've sat in camp toward the end of the day of day camp listening to inexperienced cub leaders yelling at the top of their lungs. I never had too much problem because if I saw the scouts loosing control, I changed the environment. Sometimes that meant skipping a day camp activity to go over an

>>The troop is new having formed only in October of last year so we don't have much of a cultural institution to draw upon.

>>There is also the rumor that he has gotten some girl pregnant. Not my most stellar Scout.

>>As to the JASM in question, I have an ASM who only shows up when work doesn't interfere with him also - same rules apply - glad to see you here! I just wish either of them would show up more often and more regularly.

>>Essentially the scouting program is a 13 year old program. When a boy turns 16, the program offers him little (except perhaps a leadership position), and they do not like to "hang around" the "little kids".

I did this several times. Back when our Council Webelos Summer camp left a lot to be desired, we did our own Webelos summer camps. The first thing I did was send a very long letter to the parents that while we will be camping as a Group, it was in no way condoned by the BSA, Council or District. The parents had to sign the letter understanding that the BSA was not responsible in anyway. Each family had to prove the ability to pay for any health issues. A parent was required for each scout, however we highly encouraged the whole family to join the fun, which most did. We also had a couple of bo

>>The problem with not participating in popcorn sales (or FOS) is that it increases the burden on the units that do. It also forces the scouting professionals to focus on raising money instead of supporting their units.

>>It makes me feel dirty that I have to sell popcorn to get a patch! and on top of that the Cubmaster Knot requires your unit to get Quality Unit twice during your tenure.

>>My council removed fire buckets from summer camp because they didn't want untrained people fighting fires and because of the mosquito problem caused by standing water. Extinguishers are present in structures, but not in campsites.

"Ghost Chickens in the Sky" seems to be a fun favorite for all ages. We sang it from Cubs to Wood Badge campfires. Goes real well with a guitar. To the tune of Ghost Riders in the Sky. Lyrics: A chicken farmer went walking out one dark and fateful day He rested by the coop as he went on along his way When all at once a rotten egg hit him in the eye It was the sight he dreaded Ghost chickens in the sky! Bok bok bok BOK Bok bok BOK The ghost chickens in the sky The farmer had raised chickens since he was 24 A-working for the Colonel for thirty years or mor

Pretty Good. Leave the snacks until the last. Have you thought about Smores? That is what the little brothers and sisters will remember most. Barry

Hi All >>On a side note, kids are not allowed to fiddle with the fire -- no sticks poking in and out of the campfire. Sticks that get poked in get added to the fire perminantly. This earns me some hairy eyeballs from the kids, and some of the Dads think I'm too up tight, but I don't really care. Trips to the ER ruin my camping experience.

>>Otherwise boys would only be in regular patrols for one year until they turned 12. Kind of silly, don't you think?

>>It is perfectly permissable to give the Scout a rope and ask him to tie a bowline. It is perfectly permissible to ask the Scout to demonstrate first aid for a choking victum. It is perfectly permissible to ask a Scout demonstrate how a compass works and to orient a map.

>>Using terms with different common meanings is just going to be confusing to the rest of us that use the Scoutmaster Handbook for guidance.

>>I won't comment on the workability of a single-activity "patrol" except to say you cannot find any guidance on how to work the concept in any BSA publication.

>>Again, that is how Venture Patrols operate! Boys stay in their regular mixed age patrol and the Venture Patrol exist only until the activity is done, then are re-orged/reformed.

>>Your description of your "temporary activity patrols" is basically Venture Patrols.

Hi Lisabob The answer to your first question is you will find that many of the scouts wont want to do all that stuff. One year when we had about 35 fourteen and older scouts, I polled them to find out how many actually wanted to do high adventure. Twelve! Of course some wanted to do some high adventure, but not enough to join a patrol just for those activities. If you encourage the scouts to create and plan the trips, I think you will find that they come up with enough trips to keep the crews managble. But, lets say you do get a large crew, divide them up into a couple of smaller groups w

Hello Scoutingmama Our troop eventually went the direction of an adventure troop instead of Venture Patrols. For reasons that I wont get into here, Venture Patrols didnt work out well for us. Instead of waiting for your scouts to get old enough for the Venture Patrol, start encouraging Temporary Activity Patrols now. Those are patrols created for a specific activity like Philmont or Northern Tier or any other activity that is not planned by the PLC as a troop activity. Temporary Activity Patrols don't have an age or rank restriction unless the specific activity was limited by age like Ph

>>IMHO, the BOR has been crippled by decades of good intentions, and policy tweaking.

I second Bob White in that competition is instinctive for boys and you should use that to your advantage for good team building a Patrol bonding. Its in their boy nature; so learn how to use that positive energy for momentum toward their growth. You seem to be pretty successful in the patrol method part of the program, but struggling a little in the application of the Scout Oath and Law. That is OK, it is just a matter of practice for the adults and we all have to learn and grow to build a mature scout program. Remind the scouts that they are to serve the other scouts by using the scout