eghiglie

thanks

The pack my son was in a few years ago did just what basement talks about.

Every week we took the bling he earned and put it in a plastic storage box, he never had a patch vest. They even gave the stuff away if you missed the event!!

The most memorable bling my son has was when we went to a Pack campout a number of years ago. There were about 40 families in tents on Saturday night. My son and I fell asleep at 9PM. About 11PM it started raining very heavy. He woke me up to tell me.

No water was coming into our tent so I told him to go back to bed. He was not scared.

The next morning when we woke at 5AM there were only 4 families left. Sure it was damp, but we had breakfast and went home.

At the next leaders meeting, a few days later, many of the other families complained about the rain and that the cubmaster should be replaced for not knowing about the rain. She had also left during the rain.

What I could not figure out is why leave a dry tent to get wet to pack up and go home.

I got up and stated that the families that left should of looked upon the rain as a way to demonstrate to their kids how to take things in stride and improve camping skills. I was denounced also as a Outdoor nut.

At the next pack meeting the 5 families were each given a small 'Endurance' plaque and I talked about how to look at the terrain to know where to pitch a tent.

About 15 of the families who left the campout wanted to learn, but sadly quite a few quit.

The plaque is in his room and he still recalls the rain that night. The rest he has no clue what it means.

The names of people WILLING to be a ref are required

The people listed don't actually have to send one in. As pointed out it could be an email or a phone call.

I've seen one or two EBOR's with only the letter from the parents.

Naive question:

Is this award available to Asst Scoutmasters?

For warm/hot weather the cot is a great way to go with a pad or thin air mattress for comfort.

For cool/cold the cot is much worse as Stosh says. The opening under the cot is the culprit and an air mattress on the ground is not much better.

I like to sleep in comfort given that I'm in my late 50's.

My winter sleep gear is a dreamtime xl pad, and a sleeping bag of either -15 degree or 20 degrees and a wool blanket.

Based on what was stated two wool blankets, one under the bag and one over should be better along with a watch cap.

An ASM in my troop always sleeps on a cot with a backboard, He has a blanket that covers all the airspace and it helps a lot.

Good luck and let me know what you decide to do and how it works.

The program length is hard to categorize. It doesn't allow for the kid who has been outdoors all his life to move on early, nor does it allow for the kid who has been babied by his parents to stay for another year.

When based on a grade in school it has problems, the kids don't always fit into the ranges asserted. Keeping kids together at the same academic level makes sense, but the AoL award complicates things (my opinion).

Not only are there the 11 yo 4th grader, there is also the 9 yo 5th grader. Both happen on a regular basis where I live. The council I am with said that cubbies are aged out at 12 yo or when 5th grade is over.

Where I live only 35% of the webelos cross over to a Troop. Of those that do, 50% quit the troop within 8 months.

So was the military, train stations, water fountains, lunch counters, stores and buses.

This was a crappy part of American history.

When I was younger I used to get punished all the time for the c$%p my younger brother did, even if we were miles apart. When he was 11 he got arrested and my dad whipped me for it when I got home from the troop camping trip. This was 35 years ago.

Grew up resenting him.

Excusing the Patrol because "boys will be boys" is a cop out (maybe I read this wrong).

Firing the PL is really the wrong reaction. The Patrol (except the PL) needs a consequence.

Why was the PL cooking? I could see if he was helping the Patrol Cook.

The idea ScotNut has is great.

I learned at lot at Woodbadge a number of years. Not just about leadership but about myself. I've used the training to help me in my life, at work and in Scouts. When I started a unit in 2007 it was because of what I learned in Woodbadge. In 2006 I ran a Webelos Day Camp because of what I learned.

Woodbadge also taught me to say No and walk away because of it. Prior to Woodbadge I would just say Yes without thinking.

In the district I'm in woodbadge is pushed hard and more than 75% of the people at RT have 2 beads, with 3 beads becoming popular.

Where can I find these units that have adults running to fill the positions?

I want to join that unit.

I'm being sarcastic.

I just need to learn the secrets to convince the parents, any ideas?

Our council and the one north of us accepts the NRA credentials for shooting sports. This works out well, and the council offers NRA training once a year at a reasonable price.

The big gotcha in all of this is the liability insurance I'm not covered by the BSA and the Charter Org insurance will sort of cover me for liability. NOTE: The council provides accident insurance.

Prior to 11/2008 the cost of an umbrella plan was affordable to me and my family and we had a blast teaching the boys to shoot real bullets. As I can no longer afford the insurance I had to stop teaching the boys. The other gotcha lately is that ammo is very hard to get and has increased in price.

I'll still renew the credentials though because I'm hoping that in 2012 things will change.

When I first went to SM school the teacher swore that NSP was the only way to go.

My observation over the past years is that the boys in the new scout patrol elect the tallest 11 yo kid, regardless of whether or not he is qualified. Most were not. The NSP just ran around playing tag. After a few times of this, I took an older boy in the troop and appointed him the first PL for a three months.

The NSP was told he was in charge and because he had senior rank would be able to sign or not sign a book. The PL would then appoint boys to present something at a meeting, many would present as directed. This worked out great, but not prefect.

Every month though there is a scout who comes to me and claims the PL 'hates me' and won't sign the book off on something. I chat with the PL and find out the boy did not do the requirement at all or very badly. I give the boy a chance to demonstrate the item and this proves that the PL was right. I give the boy a few tips to learn it and have them come back when they can do it.

The NSP really didn't work for us, we now split the boys amongst the three patrols.

What I noticed is that boy maturity takes longer now than 10 years ago for some reason and 11 yo's don't/won't and refuse to told what to do by another 11 yo.

Good luck

Typically Den dues cover den expenses that Pack dues don't cover.

When I was WDL we charged $4 a month (4 boys), at the end of the time (16 months) there was $12 left.

The idea that they should be turned into the Pack Treasurer just adds a barrier. All it does is make it harder for the WDL to get reimbursement on the craft supplies that had to be bought.

Also, not everyone can afford to pay for stuff out of their pocket.

Make a plan and delegate things to him to do. Call him on the phone and give him status on what your doing and then find out how he is doing on his tasks.

Maybe invite him for a cup of coffee and ask if he wants to trade jobs? Sometimes when we adults take a job, we don't understand what we really have to do.

But as Twocubdad says make clear statements at the leaders meetings. No one takes a hint.

One thing I learned at Woodbadge was to say No and it works.

I learned a lot here, before a meeting I would do a search and check for ideas and use as needed. The oldest boy in my troop is 14 so these ideas have helped them.

I haven't seen one. Try making one up. Perhaps find out one or two things the den did and read them off when presenting to the kids.

However, we don't do service stars. The cost is part of it, then there is the disc to consider. The other problem is the clutch used comes off very easy and the pin gets lost. Quite often another scout has it embedded in their shoe.

I think there a great idea though, perhaps if it had a pin clasp instead.

'Cub Scouts can use power drills?' Most of the ones they are way too heavy. We did however have cub use small impact screwdrivers to attach parts to bat houses. The trick was to have the tool pointing down, and their adult partner held the sides of the tool. The kids loved it. Drills however were the old hand crank type.

'Bears and Webelos can do outdoor cooking.' Sort of kind of. We had them flip pancakes on a flat griddle that went over a propane stove. Using a long match they lit the stove. I looked at my old Webelos Book when I was a WDL and Outdoorsman required some cooking. Over an open fire was another story. We did teach fire building, fire lighting and how to cold out a fire but not how to cook over one.

'Webelos 2 can use propane stoves.' Yes they can however this is not the part of putting it together and lighting it. Many times when the Webs camped they cooked over a stove with adults watching.

The way this this quiz is worded no kids in cubs would be allowed to roast his marshmallow for a smores.

Many 5th graders help in the kitchen and the grill under supervision of course.

I guess I was a bad DL, twice!!

I had started doing training for leaders. I thought it would be fun to share my knowledge.

The book said the SM fundamentals class was supposed to last eight hours with lunch, we did it in five because there were only 3 people in the class and 3 teachers. We ate lunch during the class. We were told after the fact that we should cancel for that small of a group.

A few day later the leader of the course got an call from the training director from Council who said we were wrong for not having everyone stay the full time even if there was nothing to do. The person threatened to revoke the cards we issued.

The only training I do now is the JLT/TLT within my troop.

If they have been signed off at some point then typically retesting is frowned on and many times your Council will tell you that you cannot retest.

Our troop says the Oath and Law every meeting but the boys are just mumbling it.

Last week we had a inter patrol challenge using the a scramble game of the oath and law. Based on the results we started remedial teaching. The boys ranged in rank from TF to Life. The life scout knew the oath, but stopped at loyal for the law.

If your the SM you are the Unit Leader and your allowed to sign. There are no rules that prevent it, but be careful, because other people's perception is their reality.

In my troop I only act as the MBC for my son in group badges and both my son and I make sure he is not the first one done.

That said, in his 36 badges I have only been his MBC twice. In both those cases I had another adult sign off as unit leader.

Given its almost 40 years ago now its the best I recollect. I left scouting in 1973 almost a Star scout with some merit badges and belt full of the loops.

The day I started High School I was given a million pounds of books, two hours of homework and a 1 hour bus ride each way. Two weeks later my mom said something had to stop.

She didn't like my suggestion of quitting school.

It's very sad to see Scouting turn into a retail operation with a cash register.

I contribute to FoS a small amount, the troop does get more from me direct.

I could not afford to be on our Board.

My small donation probably explains why I have to wait 48 hours for a return call.

The rules now state that a boy can earn a MB as soon as he joins. Its a great rule.

In the 60's though you could not get a MB until 1st class, you earned skill awards, that were by scout belt loops. I have 12 of them.

That said though the first troop my son joined also said now MB till 1st class. This was an unwritten rule. We then un-wrote our self from the troop. The old troop still has this rule because it they say it controls things.

At our monthly parents/committee meeting anyone who is registered can vote.

We try to get sold majorities on votes. The few times that the vote has been without consensus we take a fresh look a week later or so. It happens once or twice a year.

The COR is from the Church and they give us a lot of leeway. They have only said no once and we respected it. He can vote as he is on the charter.

There was a similar post related to this.

School admins and teachers are under incredible pressure from parents for many things. The states typically don't absolve them of personal liability.

I've spoken to the school chief in my county and Zero tolerance is there because 'what if' another kid took the and hurt someone or himself. Two years ago the daughter of a friend was suspended two weeks before graduation because she had a fake drill rifle in her car.

The big deal is 'what if' another kid stole the fake rifle and pointed it a cop. The cop would not know its fake and they would have a split second to decide to defend them self.

The fact that the boy is a scout makes it worse, because now people will think scouts are allowed to have the rules bent.

Because of the things I keep in my truck I don't even bother to park on school grounds when I have to go.

Have we gone too far?

Either way let your elected representatives know your position on this.