Eamonn

The G2SS states: Prescriptions The taking of prescription medication is the responsibility of the individual taking the medication and/or that individual's parent or guardian. A Scout leader, after obtaining all the necessary information, can agree to accept the responsibility of making sure a Scout takes the necessary medication at the appropriate time, but BSA policy does not mandate nor necessarily encourage the Scout leader to do so. Also, if your state laws are more limiting, they must be followed. My take on this is that the parent should decide if they want a Scout Leader to dispense the drugs or if they want their son to take them on his own. It also is the choice of the Leader, he does not have to accept the responsibility. As a rule when parents have asked me I have agreed to take custody of the medication, but I tell the Scout and his parents that I will be at a certain place and it is his job to come to me and ask me. I'm not going looking for him. If he does forget I will find him but please don't tell anyone!! I do ask that all prescriptions are clearly marked and have never needed any forms or the like. Eamonn

Sad to say the Patrol patch is not an Adult uniform item. I'm not sure what the penalty is for wearing one? More than lightly you would have to write the words to "Back To Gilwell" ten times with a broken pencil. I really liked the Critter Belt Buckles, but they are no longer in the catalog. A pal of mine did find some hiding in the store at Philmont. Eamonn.

I'm sorry ASM1, The National office has requested that troops do not camp within 50 miles of the Jamboree site.Finding loop holes or ways around the request is just plain wrong. The example it sets for our youth members is dreadful. I hope you will reconsider. Eamonn.

Welcome Sir. While Bears are the critter of choice, we do extend a friendly paw to our Fox pals. In fact for the most part we all are a friendly bunch. You might have a problem if you are an ear-ring wearing, cell phoning, Scout pants lover!! Of course I'm joking. I'm sure with your history you will be a great asset to the forum. Eamonn.

Sad to say there is no good camp fairy. There are a lot of different fund raising opportunities out there, someone has to decide which one suits the unit best, file the paper work with the Council and get everyone behind the sale or activity. Most Councils do offer a Campership for Lads that need a hand and some charter organizations also offer. However if the parents are unwilling to apply there is not very much that can be done. Sorry I couldn't suggest a sure fired way. Welcome to the forums. Eamonn.

While I don't see any reason not to make these at Day Camp. Nor can I see any reason why they couldn't be used at the range under qualified adult supervision. I do wonder what happens when the camp is over? Most times we allow the little fellows to take what they made home with them. Allowing the bows to go home might cause problems and I sure as heck wouldn't want to be a neighborhood cat. Welcome to the forum and good luck with Day Camp, it's a great time and place to meet and get to know our little Lads. Eamonn.

We did the egg drop many years ago when I was Program Director for Day Camp. We used a helicopter a pal of mine owns the largest helicopter repair business, this side of the Mississippi. Clean up wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. My idea is based on something like: http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/1997-12/879182442.Eg.r.html Eamonn

We have been looking for an indoor challenge for our Venture Crews. I have been thinking about A Great Egg Race. Where you build a vehicle that will transport an uncooked egg over a course. The only power is a rubber band. Has anyone tried this? Eamonn Some colleges use this.

Bamboo,is great for small indoor type projects:Sedan chairs, catapults, rope ladders. Some Troops have had a lot of luck using rubber bands or cut inner-tube in place of some of the lashings. We never had much joy and went back to using rope. Table-top pioneering can be fun using uncooked pasta and thread or dental floss. For a Troop AGM,we had each patrol design and build different bridges this way, the end result was very impressive. The project is too small to keep an entire Patrol busy so we had them work in teams of two or three. Eamonn.

Participate in: A winter sport or activity. Visit a local theme park. A night hike. Building a monkey bridge. A high adventure activity. Plan and give leadership to one of the above for a Patrol or Troop. Eamonn.

I can't help thinking why the Scout Executive if he is as bad as you have painted him is still there? Each and every Council is visited every quarter by a member of the Area Committee. This happy band then meets every three months to discuss what is happening in the Councils. They look at membership and the finances of the Council. Either the Area President or a Vice President is in contact with a member of the Council Key 3, normally the Council President or the Council Commissioner. The Area meetings are attended by the Area Director. While the Area Committee does not have the power to fire or recommend the dismissal of a Scout Executive, they can prevent the Council from receiving a normal charter and only issue a provisional charter. This is a wake up call for any Council. What has gone on in other parts of the country is very sad, and while it seems clear that a few ( three or four Councils out of more than five-hundred.)people have abused the trust that we put in them. I have to wonder where the volunteers who work next to these guys were? As I have already posted Scout Executives serve at the pleasure of the Council Executive Board. If the Scout Executive is as bad as you say, I have to wonder why a member of the board hasn't made a motion to remove him? Unless that happens you are stuck with this guy until he decides to move. People holding back support from the Council only hurts the people that we are here to serve. While Scout Executives are powerful people in any Council, they only act to carry out the wishes of the Board and meet the needs of the long term strategic plan of the Council. No one person acting alone can sell Council properties or change the direction of a Council. While it is easy to look at some of the Non-Scouting people who sit on our Committees and Boards and say that they don't understand or they don't know what they are doing. However these people are used to dealing with huge sums of money, many have eons of experience of working for large companies, which many scout volunteers don't have. While the idea of a bunch of happy Scouts singing around the camp fire is a great Scouting image, there has to be some poor soul working away trying to balance the budget, meet payroll, worry about insurances, maintenance. Hoping that the money coming in is enough to meet the money going out. With Council budgets now running into the millions of dollars, we need to get as much support from people who understand dealing with these sums as possible. Eamonn.

Try talking nice to the people who run the Council Camp Site they may have a wooded area that needs to be thinned out. Good luck and welcome to the forum. Eamonn

Just for fun. If we were going to "Bump Up" the challenges, fun and the adventure of the Boy Scout Program by adding a " While a (FILL IN RANK) Participate in a ...... (Name the Activity. What activities would you have our Scouts participate in? For now let's not worry about Scouts who can't do things for one reason or another. Just stuff that a normal everyday (If there ever was such an animal??)Scout could do. The words to remember are: Fun, Adventure and challenge. Eamonn.

fotoscout, I'm sorry old Lad, I wasn't very clear. In another thread someone asked about declining membership. Amid a lot of reasons there was this question. I posted in the thread but didn't go near this. Last night when I looked at the people who serve in the District where I'm Chair. I seen that the everyday volunteer really isn't up on what is going on either at the Council or the National level. A week or so back SemperParatus, had posted that maybe National could do a better job of improving the program. I disagreed with him. My thinking being that we can make the program as challenging and adventurous as we want. I was wrong. The people I looked at last night will deliver the program as it is in the book. I apologize for the confusion. Eamonn.

Chatting on the phone to Pam today. Pam is my DE who retired last October. She is now a Member Of The District At Large and works on special events, mostly the golf outing and Dinners that will bring in a few thousand dollars. She was asked to be the Council Activities Chairman, which was a fairly dumb idea, she was always better on the admin side of the things. She asked me "What are your plans for next year?" My term of 3 years being District Chairman comes to an end this year. I have given it the odd passing thought but have no real plans. I do sit on the Area Committee and that doesn't seem to come with any term limit. I have been asked to ride with some of the Area Committee Vice Presidents and look in on Council Charter Reviews and presentations. I am and have learned a lot and do see the need for someone doing the job. Still it is not what I think of as "Real Scouting" Sure some of the Council Board Meetings that I have visited have had a few Scouts present to do the opening, but that is about the only time I have seen a Scout. Our Council will have a new President next year. He seems like a nice fellow. He is an attorney, I don't think that he has any Scouting background. His wife is a judge, she seems like she would do a better job. But we have him. I don't think that I have the connections to ever be the Council President. I know the people in the area where I live but when it comes to people in the two counties that our Council covers I'm not that knowledgeable. We should be seeing a lot of the Vice-Presidents move on next year. While I know that they do a lot of work and get a lot done in Executive Committee, I would sooner see it done at the Executive Board, it just seems more open and above board. Not that anything they are doing is not. To be honest the only two VP positions that I would consider would be either Membership or Program. Of course no one has as yet made any offers of anything!! Where do outdated District Chairman go? I no longer am on any unit charter. Having spent the last eight years as part of the District Key 3 I feel a bit like a grandparent, kids are fine as long as when I'm done with them I can hand them back. We have the nicest chap in the world as our Council Commissioner, I wouldn't mind his job when he is done with it. But there are no term limits on his job and he is doing such a good job I sure as heck wouldn't like to see him go. I think that I'm just not going to think about it!! If nothing comes along I will just get more involved in the Area stuff and maybe someone will ask me to join a unit committee? Eamonn.

"I'm constantly amazed at the stupidity of the BSA. Concerning the subject of the "swim test", our council scheduled it at a local pool" Slow down, this isn't the BSA.In fact I very much doubt if it is even the Council. The swim test has to be done by the Jamboree Leadership. If the Jamboree SM is happy to accept that Tiny Tim is a world Class swimmer that is on him. If he is like me a real pain in the neck he will want to see for himself that each and every Scout can pass the swim test. One goal I have for the Jamboree Troop is that we come back home with the same number of Scouts that we go with. With any luck them being the same Scouts will be an added bonus. Eamonn.

OK let me see we have: No Heat -Maybe? No Food - Sort of? And only seven minutes to do this cooking presentation. Of course what to do is very easy. Go ahead and do everything that you want to do, make the oven, cook the biscuits, fry the eggs and video tape it. Edit it down to seven minutes and add a new sound track. Eamonn.

Double Posted - Sorry!! Eamonn. (This message has been edited by Eamonn)

What Have We Done to Live Up to the Scout Oath and Law? Everyday I get up and give it my best shot. Some-days I do better than others, some days I don't do very well at all. I don't see it as any event or serious of events, more a way of living. Sad thing is that even when I think I have it down pat the bar gets raised. Todays best is not good enough for tomorrow. When the time comes I don't want anyone (Not that they would!!) to write : Here Lies Eamonn he was Trustworthy,Loyal,Helpful, Friendly,Courteous,Kind,Obedient, Cheerful,Thrifty,Brave, Clean, and Reverent. He was physically strong,morally straight and mentally awake.He always helped other people at all times. I will be happy if it just reads: Here Lies Eamonn He did his Best. Eamonn.

I am the 2007 World Jamboree Chairman, for NE Region Area 4. To date there is no real information available, other than what is on the 2007 Jamboree web site. Jamboree Contingents are managed on the Area level. I have heard all sorts of guesstimates as to the cost ranging from about $2,500 to $5,000. The truth is that there is no hard information available. From what I'm hearing from across the pond things are not going that well with Eurojam. They are not getting the staff members they had hoped and the numbers are not getting the number of participants. My contact tells me that British Scouts think that the Jamboree fee is to high. What with them having the Eurojam and us having our Jamboree everyone seems very busy. I have for the past month been trying to find out how many people they are sending over to staff the 2007 Jamboree exhibit at the National Jamboree and seem to be getting no where fast. E-mails and phone calls are not working. It seems that the 2007 Jamboree is not part of the British Scout International Department and a separate corporation has been set up and the left hand and the right hand are not talking to each other. I'm sure it will be alright on the night. Our International Division is sending out a application form which doesn't give very much information, in fact it doesn't give any. You might want to call them and ask them to send you one. I'm not sure what good it will do. Adult positions with Troops will go very fast, you might want to consider going as a Staff member. If I remember correctly you can apply on line. Eurojam is looking for people to go and help get the site ready. I have the details and will E-mail them to anyone interested. This is before the event and they are looking for plumbers, electricians, and tradesman. Of course they are requesting volunteers and you would pay your own way!! Eamonn.

I had heard that this memo was being sent to all SE's. Every week it seems that we lose more ground. I wonder what the good men who were around in 1776 would think about what is going on now? A few months ago in a Council near our Council a newspaper ran a story about how nice and how good it was that a school had worked hand in hand with the local Council. The people who Scout in that Council were overjoyed. The Council is having a hard time financially and everyone thought that this good press would help. The very next day the Council got word that the American Atheists, were preparing to file a law suit. The Council moved quickly and the PTA took the charter. I don't know if the ACLU or this AA group will go after the PTA? While they may be right and may have right on their side, surely they have bigger fish to fry? Eamonn.

I really ought to have done a spin on this. But I didn't!! I seen this and when I posted I intentionally didn't go near it. We had our monthly Roundtable meeting tonight. It was the meeting where we cover youth protection, for some reason we seem to get a better turn out for this, more than anything else. I really have no idea why. Just about every unit was represented, there were about 80 people. Most were in some thing that they thought was a uniform!! Even though most have been through this training before they seemed to pay attention and seemed interested. We have a lot of trainings going on all over the District, these were covered in a news sheet, as were the details about Scouting For Food. Still there were a few questions about both. I thanked all the units who allowed us in to do FOS presentations and made mention of the fact that our District has more people attending the Council Recognition Dinner than any other District. Which might be because Her That Must Be Obeyed is the Chairperson? But is a little surprising as no one from our District is receiving a Silver Beaver and the Dinner is a good 45 minute drive from my house and I live in about the center of our District, the people on the far side have another 30 minute drive. Looking out at the unit people that serve in the District, I realized that they don't care about National, most have no idea what Region they are in!! Council to them is just the service center a place to buy uniforms and pick up advancements. When there was a problem before they would call our old DE, but they don't seem to know the new DE's phone number. The number of calls and E-mails I receive has increased slightly. These people do what they do for the kids. The kids in their homes and in their units. I will bet almost any amount of money that most of them have no idea about what has been going on in other parts of the country. Most do know the name of our SE, but would say that they know the Lady who looks after the shop far better. I very much doubt if they could name our Council President or Commissioner. They just don't want to be interested. We have units that are small and they have been small for as long as I can remember. We have units that were large and almost closed and are now large again. A little while back someone said that maybe we need to look to National to put more meat on some of our programs. I shot the idea down. Maybe I was wrong!! Much as I think the program can be what we want to make it, maybe the people I was looking at tonight do need to have a program that is full of challenges and offers more adventure, maybe if they see it in black and white they will go for it. Maybe we need to have more requirements that require our Scouts to participate in more outdoor pursuits and do more stuff, not just add another required merit badge, is the direction that the National office should be leading us. The people I seen tonight will do what we ask of them they really want the kids that they serve to do well. They may not all be imagine-eers!! But their heart is in the right place. Eamonn.

Did we ask them? How did we ask them? Do they hear us moaning and groaning about all the time we spent? Isn't that enough to make any sane person not want to volunteer? Ten minutes on line is fine and dandy. Doing it for the first time with one of the tan shirts adds confidence. Eamonn.

We could I suppose fill a zillion pages discussing our image and what is and what isn't cool. While it might make the hairs on the back of some necks stand on end. The bottom line is that we are who we are and the image that send out to the man on the street and his children is not going to change in the very near future. Membership is about retention and recruitment. Two years ago the troop that my son belongs to had a lot of boys cross over from a couple of local packs. Nearly all if not all of these little fellows went to summer camp. But yet sometime, somehow from last summer till now they have all quit. What is worse as far as I know no one has yet asked them why or invited them to come back or try another troop. I was reading something the other day that said 57% of Lads who quit would return id asked. Next week myself and some others are eating pizza and calling each and every boy who has been taken off a charter. We will document why they quit and will invite them back. While we in most of our Councils do a fair job of recruiting Cub Scouts and spent a lot of time and money (One year I worked out that we were spending over $10.00 per Cub Scout recruited - without counting the donated time for TV ads.) I admit that I do twist arms and set goals for packs. The Cub Scouter's do get behind us District types and support us. Sad to say we don't do much for Boy Scouts and Troop leaders seem happy to wait and see what each Spring will bring when the Webelos Scouts cross over. Talking to Boy Scouter's they say that there isn't a good time of year?? When School first goes back there are sports and band, then it's the holidays, then it's sports again and next comes Summer!! They become disheartened because unlike Cub Scouts where we can without to much hard work recruit 20 or more Cub Scouts into an active pack, Boy Scout recruiting tends to end up with numbers less than ten. We need to change the mindset of Boy Scouter's, maybe just as we we an Advancement Chairman, we should have a membership chairman and he or she could work with the District Membership Team? I am a little unsure what the problem is with Venturing. I don't think that the Crews that spring out of Troops are working. I know that we have seen four Crews not recharter this year. One is supposed to be merging with another, but from what I hear neither has any sort of a program. The one Crew that is doing well has an annual plan and they are sticking to it. They have about 20 members, for some activities they have as many as 15 or 18 show up and they have had as few as 3. Small Crews, with so many things going on with the members: Jobs, School and so on need to have almost everyone turn up in order to make the activity worth while, when only one person shows up it isn't a Crew activity!! Eamonn.(This message has been edited by Eamonn)

Glad to hear that my countrymen are treating you right. Welcome to the Forum. Eamonn.