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EagleInKY

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Everything posted by EagleInKY

  1. For the Cubs, our pack does the following: - Day camp. About 1/2 of the pack attend day camp. More of the younger ones, less of the Webelos. - Webelos Resident Camp - about 1/2 of the 1st year and virtually all of the 2nd year Webelos attend WRC. - Picnic/Pool Party - We have a picnic in a local park and rent the local aquatic center. We encourage them to invite friends for recruitment. It costs about $300, but we charge $1 per head. - Rocket Derby - In August, just before School starts. Getting them back into the fray. Boy Scouts - We continue our weekly troop meetings. We take a couple of weeks off (the week after Scout Camp and the week after a longer campout). We go the the local YMCA for one meeting prior to Scout Camp to work on swimming skills. We go to Summer Camp the last week of June. We also go on two other campouts. Nothing high adventure this year, but we are planning a rafting/climbing trip next summer. To keep the relationship with the pack, we participate in the pool party and help run their Rocket Derby. We set up a food booth at a local community festival as a fund raisers. We may also march in the parade this year.
  2. I was having a discussion last night with my Scouting mentor (aka my dad), who has nearly 4 decades of scouting experience, served at virtually every level and position and a vintage Woodbadger to boot. He swears by the SM-appointment method, for the very reason I stated. In fact, one of his former troop's is now defunct largely due to the troop electing a poor choice of SPL. When the adult leadership tried to deal with it, a political battle between warring factions of parents ensued. No one came out a winner. However, I still prefer to put it - to some degree - in the hands of the boys. The method I described does that. There are probably some others that will also work. Is it "bad"? Not sure if I would go that far. Does it go against the rules? Yes, I think it does. (And, the boys will find out the rules, so they could bring it up.) The concern of the approach is that the SM can pick someone that he thinks will be a great SPL, but he may not have the respect of the boys. This could work against the boy in trying to fulfill his position. If the boys elect him, you would hope they would follow him.
  3. I have little to add. I, too, encourage you to not go it alone. We don't have all the facts, so it's impossible to give you perfect advice. But I know that sometimes there are other factors that make "kicking her out" more difficult. She could have friends on the committee, be a member of your chartering organization, etc. All of these facts can complicate the matter. Second, it sounds like the boy is behaving better, but the mom is the problem. It's really unfair to punish the boy and deny him the chance of scouting if he is behaving acceptibly. I've had the cranky mom problem before. Usually the "we're always looking for help, how would you like to be in charge of ?" nearly always works.
  4. Virtually every organization does discreminate to some degree. Many worthy, charitible, non-profits require you to be of a certain age to be a member. Can an 8 year old join the Y (without an adult)? I don't know, but I wouldn't criticize them if their rules prohibited it. If the VFW limited it's members to veterans of foreign wars, I would assume they are limited to people of a certain age (old enough to have fought in a war), and are citizens of the U.S. Again, I don't know that they do, but if they did, I wouldn't criticize them for it. IMHO, the majority of people do not view the Boy Scouts as being a discrimenatory organization. You are perfectly within your rights to request the space. If the owners sees it otherwise, then thank him for considering it and move on. I wish there was someone around here that offered that.
  5. I agree that starting with an innocent question is the best entry into the matter. The answer will probably be something to the effect of a horrible SPL in the past that was elected for all of the wrong reasons. Any SM who has been that will likely have the desire to have more control over the situation. I know several that use that appoach for that very reason. A happy medium that I've seen work is to allow the boys to make nominations for SPL (you can set minimum criteria if you like - many troops do.) Then, the SM approves the nominations. He has to approve at least two. This way, he still maintains some control, but the boys do the ultimate chosing. The only thing it won't guarantee is him getting the one boy that he wants. But that's not the purpose, now is it? If the boys refuse to elect someone, there may be good reason.
  6. 2CD - You da man. I was searching for the right way to say it when I saw your post.
  7. trakker - I believe it is the left breast pocket on the suit coat.
  8. I believe that Hibernation for the summer is a good activate. Huh? Are you saying that hibernation is a good activity? If so, I strongly disagree. Please clarify.
  9. You see, Mrs. Smith and others new to the forum, Bob has just taken the bait and made my case. But seriously, this is exactly the treatment that makes people upset with Bob. I will stand before any judge and jury regarding the grant funds our troop received. I broke no law, I violated no policy. Admittedly, my first post left a few points out. Once I was able to clarify them, I feel that I vindicated myself. I received several PMs from people who agreed with me. (I can only assume they didn't publically agree for fear of receiving the indictment of Mr. White as well). Anyone who posts on a forum like this knows the feeling of writing what you think is a perfectly clear and concise point, but finding out from the responses it incurs, that it clearly was not the case. I've had many of my posts challenged. That is perfectly fine. FOG once accused me of running my troop like a den. But, based upon the wording I used in the post, that was a fair criticism. Once I clarified my statement, he was okay with it. Consider the fund raising example for a moment. My original post did leave out some points. What if Bob had approached it like this: Eagleinky - I'm confused. It sounds like your unit is requesting money in a manner not consistent with the BSA's Money Earning Application. Can you clarify this for us? How do you have the 501©(3) status required to get a grant? Did your CO make the request, or did the troop? How were the funds given to the troop and were their stipulations? If Bob had approached it like that, it would have been both educational and positive. And, if I had broken any rules, I would have learned and been able to correct my actions going forward. However, Bob's attack created an instant battle that made me look guilty. I was almost expecting a SWAT team and a flurry of government TLA agencies to show up at my doorstep the next day. The other problem this causes is that there are a great number of people who consider Bob's word as "gospel". Therefore, in their minds, I can only assume I am a felon. And, that is what bothers me the most. Bob can think what he wants about me, but I feel that his words have tainted me in the eyes of his minions.
  10. I've had a little experience with this. I've told a leader to watch his mouth in front of the boys. If he wants to tell an off-color joke or use foul language in front of a couple of his pals that's okay, but not in front of the boys. I had a boy use foul language and I told him that we didn't talk that way. He told me that they did in his house. I told him that was between him and his parents, but he wasn't in his house now. He hasn't done it again. If talking to them doesn't work, I'll agree with everyone else, get the COR to have a word with him.
  11. As SM, I tend to know who is working on Merit Badges. I may not know the particulars of how anyone is doing, or how far along they are, but I do know that they have initiated the process. So, I'll sometimes provide some extra encouragment on those MBs that require the long projects (Family Life is another). I may do it in the form of a SM conference, a casual comment, or in my SM Minute at the end of a troop meeting.
  12. I don't squelch. I like to read what the different posters have to say. And, with the exception of the previously mentioned wheelie boy-wonder, I think all posters have valid points at one time or another. I tend to scan the updates to the posts, and make judgements on who I pay more attention to than others. If a comment is made in reference to another post, I may go back and read it. Again, I make a judgement call. So, squelch if you want, but I like to know what's going on. What I find amazing is that the two posters who are after Bob Whites hide with the most vengeance are also ignored by other forum members as well, but its only Bob White who incurs their wrath. I'm not in anyone's camp on this subject. I wish FOG would drop it and move on, but that's his decision. I think both of these guys make some good points, from different perspectives. I actually learn from both of them. As for why BW catches the wrath, I think it is because of his style. BW is very precise and likes to parse your words and find the flaw in what you post (I realize that by saying this, I'm inviting him to do that very thing to this post). While I find his knowledge and insights very informative and agree with him a great deal of the time, he tends to assume the worst in others (or at least in me). We recently had an argument over fund raising, he accused me of lying, breaking the rules, misrepresenting the BSA and breaking the law. All of which are not true. But this type of personal attack does get tiring and is what brings on the attack from the "other side". I hope the forum continues in the spirit of mutual support and informal education/advice. I hope the mean-spiritedness exhibited by many of us from time-to-time (myself included) will soon cease.
  13. Mark, As far as I know, a Scout can ask for cash donations to help with his Eagle project. I've known of a few scouts who did just that. He's asking for it in his name for the purpose of his project, so I don't think the normal unit fundraising restrictions apply. I've never been directly involved with one that did, so I'm not sure if they sought formal approval or a ruling from the Coucil.
  14. We don't have any policies regarding this either. I prefer to use those drivers that have experience pulling trailers. I have a couple of dads that have lots of experience towing. Those of us less experienced only pull when necessary.
  15. There are a couple of troops around here that still wear them for dress headgear, such as a for a color guard. They are still sharp for that kind of purpose. But, I agree, they have little value as traditional headgear.
  16. The Council should know what numbers are available. If you have a preference, you should let them know. If it's available, they should let you have it. If you don't have a preference, they just pull an available number out of the hat. That's been my experience.
  17. 2CD said it so eloquently.... If they complete the requirement, they get the badge. Our pack does roundup in September, the dens really get going around the first of October, and the boys typically earn their ranks by March. Do the math, that's 5-6 months, including the holidays. It's probably only about a month more time than you have to get them completed by May. Furthermore, in Cub Scouts, you've got a little latitude, as 2cd quoted from the Cub Scout Leaders manual. Sounds like your new CM is struggling to figure out his place. Good luck.
  18. Billr - Welcome to the forum. Oh, where to start??? First, the kid is only 2nd Class. He's got a long way to go before Eagle. Ask how many "Life for life Scouts" are on this forum, and you'll find a lot. He's got a ton of work before he'll reach Eagle. Many things (cars, girls, sports, etc.) can get in the way before he's achieved it. Second, "they" (his parents) can't "check off" on anything. Advancement is the responsibility of the SM & the Advancement Chair. They have no say in what is required. Third, as has been pointed out, active means "active". You can't be an active scout and hold a position of responsibility while "mailing it in"... He has to be involved. It's your responsibility to help define that for him and agree upon what is reasonable. All of these posters have some good comments. Good luck in handling this issue.
  19. I think I've seen in Troopmaster and some other places the comment "Highest rank achieved in Cub Scouting". Arrow of Light is an option. I know it's not official, but I believe the AOL is commonly referred to as a rank.
  20. We haven't come up with a name yet, hopefully this year we will. But we do have the Adult patrol yell. It goes something like this... all the adults start yelling random things like "Don't run through camp", "Where's your patrol?", "Put your shoes on", "Ask your Patrol Leader", and of course "QUIET".... All of these are yelled randomly, on top of each other. Chaotic of course.... It's good for a laugh.
  21. We have a "Parent's Handbook". I try to steer away from words like 'rules' & 'regulations'. The word 'policy' may sneak in their a time or two, but we try to avoid that as well. Partly due to the input from these forums, I've changed the tone of our handbook. It's really about how our troop interprets and implements the eight methods. Here are some quick examples: Uniform Method - We follow the uniform method as prescribed by the BSA. We expect boys to be in proper field uniform at all activities. We specify what is included in that, and when "activity uniforms" are proper. We also mention not wearing inappropriate attire (such as a t-shirt with a beer advertisement). Ideals - We talk about following the Scout Oath, Law, Motto & Slogan in everything we do. When a scout doesn't, we do have a discipline policy. We talk about what takes place when a Scout doesn't live by these guidelines. At the end, we do include a section about finances, gear, and the like. Since those don't really fit into the methods that well. IMHO, it just makes sense to set the expectations clearly from the outset. We give parents a copy of the handbook when they visit the troop, usually during a Webelos open house.
  22. Many Bob? On my three treks, I've never heard of anyone held back, or that it was common in any way. The only thing close to that was a leader who became ill that was taken back to base camp for a few days, only to rejoin us on the trail. I've heard that occasionally a health issue is discovered, but it's very rare.
  23. 1. Have you ever allowed a person (scout or advisor) to go on the trip against your better judgment and regretted it? When I was a crew leader, we allowed a scout from another troop to join our crew. We felt we needed the extra muscle on the trip. His troop was pretty inactive and he was kind of an outcast. He never fit in well with our guys. His personality just seemed to rub people the wrong way, but his dad (SM) was friends with our SM. When we got to Philmont and were faced with the physical and mental challenges (as mentioned in a related thread), the personality conflicts surfaced, and it made it a much more frustrating and challenging experience. In retrospect, we shouldn't have included him. 2. Same question, but the participant surprised you and the trek was a success for all involved? Actually, yes. On another Philmont trip, we had an undersized Scout. He was a great kid, just tiny. He was a very small lad (about 90 pounds as I remember). He was fairly athletic, given his small build. He ran cross country and track as well as participated in other sports. There were concerns as to whether he could make it. While he couldn't carry the normal 40-45 lb pack, he was able to carry a pack in the 35-40 lb range. As it turned out, he was a great asset to our crew. The fact that he was carrying such a large percentage of his weight was an encouragement to the bigger kids. The physical challenge was tremendous to him, and he had some problems, but overall it was a great experience for him.
  24. She loaded up the committee with her relatives when she began. There's part of the problem. It's not the SMs job to build the committee. I've fallen into that trap in the past, and it's not a good idea. The CC and the COR needs to be responsible for building the committee.
  25. I know there is a thing called a collar butterfly, but I'm not sure how it's used. Of course, there are external stays, that may be able to do the trick.
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