Eagledad

My SM had a way of getting me set higher goals. I liked myself when I was around him. When I got my job at the FAA in 1995, my building was across the street from him. But when I looked him up, he had passed away six months before. Barry

>>Mark: >>I wish everyone saw it your way and did what your troop >>does. Most do take the summer "off." I wish it were >>otherwise. Like Mark, I'm a little surprise also. We take a week off after summer camp. Otherwise it's pretty much business as usual. This is typical for most of the units in our area. We may change the meeting agenda when the Venture Crews are out because that's usually most of the PLC. This is very interesting. Have a great weekend. Barry

Camp Slippery Falls in Oklahoma Camp Arrowhead in Missouri Camp Pioneer in Arkansas Camp Alexander in Colorado Camp Frank Rand in New Mexico We learn a lot about Camp Spanish Peaks in Colorado while using it for a backpacking base camp. A Kansas Council owns that one. Our Troop is going to Camp Hale in Oklahoma this year while I'm at Philmont. Barry

Hi All >>Ah, yes the 13th point of the Scout law for adults - be flexible.>Let's just say that I love the scouting where the rubber hits the road. I enjoy inter-acting with the volunteers who are doing what's best for the boys. I respect the heck out of the national and regional offices, but I'l stick to local council operations. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Happy Days All Does anyone know if there are any changes to the advancment requirments or a 180 degree shift in the context of the material. If not, I don't think you have much of a problem. When the Boys Scouts changed their books, they looked completely different and the order of the topics changed. However the context of topics and subjects changed very little. If the advancment requirements don't change in the Cub books, I don't think a scout buying the old book this year will have be a big problem. I would suggest that the den leader ask all the scouts in the den get the same book to

Great advice Ed. Also you guys need training. I know, everyone says that. However I'm not saying that because I'm compnay guy, but more because I was once where you were at. The first thing we did was Eds advice, close all accounts and start over. Then we looked for help and training. You need to learn the business end of your Pack program pretty fast. Sign up for training, that is a given. But I would also suggest you find another Pack with a solid program and ask them for little guidence. District and council training are important, but a big brother is worth it's weight in gold.

>>Why assume that character and integrity are gendered?>Surely it's not that we (as a society) take character and integrity for granted in women and find it so rare in men that we have to hunt for examples! :-)

>>Don't be afraid to totally "roll your own". If you have a solid camping program, you can do this!

Have you looked at the Pecos trek sponcered by Camp Frank Rand. Our scouts feel Pecos was best and most challenging backpacking trek our Venture Patrols have done. Rand gives you a guide with any patrol gear you don't have. You can add or take what ever gear you prefer. They get their food from Philmont. The Pecos Wilderness is very large, so you can pick as challenging Trek as you want. And there is some routes with fishing. I don't think you will be disapointed. Great trek. Anther one we liked was Spanish Peaks at Camp Spanish Peak near Walsenburg Colorado. They also include a guide and

Hi All Call your DE and ask if there is a troop these boys would fit in. We had a local troop that would take these boys, but it was not well known to the general public. A Troop like that may be waiting for your call. Barry

Hi All One aspect of scouting I like to teach adults is that bad behavior is not a reflection of your program performance, How you work with the scout is. Adults should never take a scouts behavior personally. Bad behavior is part of scouting and are opportunities to be a scout leader, not embarrassments. Developing habits of behavior Is our Job. Behavior is the main product of Teach-me, Trust-me, Let-me Go. I learned that every time adults get excited about misbehavior, the scout is held less accountable because the adults take the burden on themselves. Its the scout's responsibility, le

>>Wish I could share the eggs with you all.

>>Woodbadge is not to train you how to run a troop it is to develop leadership skills. Not Scout Leadership skills. >In all due respect, the proglem is not that the Wood Badge course is missing the target, the problem is you misunderstand what the target is. >Experience can only build confidence if the individual has a thourough understanding of the tools and what they are supposed to be accomplishing with them. Bad experience can even help make a better leader, but only if they recognize that it was a bad experience.

Hi All I'm a little lost on what National wants of WB. When I ask, I get different answers. I did not think the old Boy Scout Wood Badge contributed much to helping adults run a troop. I had fun and took away a few new ideas from the old course but I went in with several years of Troop experience and was only looking to build on my experiece. It was not a mountain top experience, but an addition of training. I feel Wood Badge was design for those with some experience to bring perspective to their WB experience. On the other hand the Cub Scout WB sounded more like the type a of train

Aero Engineer for the Research Division of the FAA. Barry

>>If you do not know what the troop needs, your ticket is going to have to be written either for the council or the Cub Scout side. You would have to be in a troop for at least a year to see what needed to be improved.changed/fixed. I would suggest you wait

>>The trouble spot is middle school. Middle school (ages 12-14) is the time when "coolness" becomes life.

>>If we could register another dozen men like him the program would be infinitely better off. But I really don't know where we could find even one more, at least right now.

>>Putting people into the class on a mandatory basis would only serve to alter the Sprit of Wood Badge in a less than positive manner.>Maybe there is a SM or SPL for woodbadge reading this and can take my criticisms and use them to make their program better.

>I think having a female den leader makes the boys learn respect for women. My cubs treat me with the greatest respect as I do them. < Hi All When I reverse roles and think about my daughter learning how to be a woman of character and integrity from a man, I cringe. I have no desire even attempting letting her learning womanhood from a man. We humans learn 80 to 90 percent of our behaviors from those we see and want to duplicate. A boy will respect the woman for her skills, but that will not have the same impact on him as man with the same skills because we naturally duplicate the

Hi all I agree, the course is well worth the price and I have applied it to my own personal life. But, we have been told that eventually any adult who wants to be a SM will be required to take the course. Boy, I know some SMs in parts of Oklahoma that can't handle that cost. Can the perceived cost prevent good adults from considering the job? If the course eventally becomes required, I believe something will have to be considered at the Council level. I don't know what, maybe scholarships, discounts or even free admitance for the SM. It's a tough call for me because I think this new

I just got a good deal on the Dana Design Glacier Internal Frame Pack from Northern Mountain. It is a $300 pack for $179 and well worth it. But we went on a Philmont shakedown last week and I borrowed a Dana Design Terraframe for my son who outgrew his Jansport. During the hike, he complained the Terraframe was too small, so we traded packs. Wow, Very comfortable and now I'm thinking I should have saved $80 and bought it instead of my internal Frame. I've also notice that Sierra Trading Post was selling the Kelty Tioga for around $85. That is another great pack for about half the price. I

>>What I would like to know is why woodbadge cost is so highcompared to other similar length courses. Can someone explain a basic breakdown on course costs?

>>Many kids just don't know what it is about. It needs to be packaged and sold. Good grief, people used to buy Pet Rocks because of advertising. If you can sell a rock, you can sell scouting

>>As for wearing a uniform so as to not be hassled, if wearing a uniform is a hassle, then the discipline and pride question just answered itself.