Eliza

I want to thank everyone who has sat through the waiting game with us! I was able to talk to the leaders at my son's school's open house. So we have finally succeeded in getting him in and he just participated in his first event! He had a lot of fun. He will have his first meeting this week. After seeing the other kids together, I wish I had gotten him into it much sooner.

A number of years ago, SM asked me to get a list from Council so he could see if Council advancement records matched pack records. I was handed a list that included all registered adults and their ages. Also, isn't there a blank spot for age on some trip forms?

For comparison, in Girl Scouts, adults are asked their birth dates, but the computer will not kick out the registration if you input 1/1/1900. Girls Scout adults who are applying as leaders get a code, which they then use when contacting a commercial background checking agency; all the GS Council gets re age is something like: '21-50', 'over 50.' So the Council simply does not have age info to give out.

It's a Youth Application (the Adult Partner), just turn it in. If BSA kicks it out, deal with it then...

 

Especially if it's for the mom... my momma taught me to NEVER ask a woman her age.

There was an article in the most recent edition of Chess Life (the publication of the United States Chess Federation, or USCF), about a parent in Virginia who organized a chess weekend for Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts. She did not do the actual teaching, but got experienced adults and scouts to help. I can't link to the actual article, because access is for USCF members only, but perhaps USCF would send you a copy if you asked nicely. It should have some good ideas. I believe (but not sure) that Cub awards and mb were earned, but I don't remember the logistics of how that was done.

And here is an article about two scouts who organized a successful chess tournament at a local library.

http://hasbrouckheights.patch.com/gr...ate-leadership

If you haven't seen the 'Recommendations for Chess Merit Badge Counselors' from merit badge.org, you might want to check it out, just for background info.

http://meritbadge.org/wiki/images/5/...counselors.pdf

Good luck!

As a parent, I would be extremely hesitant about putting my son on bus that was not owned and run by a professional bus company. I would make up some excuse, like being in the area, no trouble to drop son off, etc. Or skip the trip entirely. Have you got a sense of whether people in your troop would actually want to use your bus?

 

Also, I noticed you mentioned a CPAP. If this were an indication of medical issues that might impact driving, I would run, not walk, away. I am sorry if this sounds harsh.

 

It sounds as though you have a lot of energy and commitment. Are there merit badges that you could be a counselor for, instead of doing the bus thing?

 

Do You Ask to see every parents Medical records prior to Letting your scout ride with them. I highly doubt every who Snores admits to a Sleeping Disorder...Every One who snores has sleep apnea which cause Drowsiness. My CPAP keeps me breathing allowing me to get full rest...I do Teach Merit Badges by the Way... Nature, Pets, and Reptile and Amphibian Study for Now may do more later.

 

It is just an Idea...

just like building a BBQ Rig with a Chuck Box or A Trailer with a Small Cabin and the BBQ Rig with Chuck Box

just like Building a Nature Center at our Camp

just like trying to get an OA Lodge Built and OA Call out Area

or a Climbing Tower at Camp

As a parent, I would be extremely hesitant about putting my son on bus that was not owned and run by a professional bus company. I would make up some excuse, like being in the area, no trouble to drop son off, etc. Or skip the trip entirely. Have you got a sense of whether people in your troop would actually want to use your bus?

 

Also, I noticed you mentioned a CPAP. If this were an indication of medical issues that might impact driving, I would run, not walk, away. I am sorry if this sounds harsh.

 

It sounds as though you have a lot of energy and commitment. Are there merit badges that you could be a counselor for, instead of doing the bus thing?

My mistake about the CPAP. I read that something was plugged in.... Obviously, I am not as familiar as I should be. Sorry to OP!

As a parent, I would be extremely hesitant about putting my son on bus that was not owned and run by a professional bus company. I would make up some excuse, like being in the area, no trouble to drop son off, etc. Or skip the trip entirely. Have you got a sense of whether people in your troop would actually want to use your bus?

Also, I noticed you mentioned a CPAP. If this were an indication of medical issues that might impact driving, I would run, not walk, away. I am sorry if this sounds harsh.

It sounds as though you have a lot of energy and commitment. Are there merit badges that you could be a counselor for, instead of doing the bus thing?

Your search brings back memories. I remember trying to find a new pack for my son. (We were in one that did very little.) I spoke with one of the District Executives -- BSA Councils are divided into smaller geographic Districts, and the District Executive should be familiar with the troops in his district.

I asked about packs fairly near me that were active -- the DE told me what packs went to the fishing derby, Klondikes, summer camps, etc. He was also surprisingly frank in telling me what packs did nothing. I doubt that I would have got any of this info in an email!

One thing I would be careful of is a pack that draws from a delimited group. For example, a school pack from a school your son does not attend. The DE might not have this info -- you would have to ask the pack.

Another way that you might ("might") get more info is on the Council website. They may show what packs have done well in the Klondike (a winter competition that Webelos scouts can go on), or other info. Or the Council website may have nothing -- BSA is just plain weird technologically speaking.

Agreeing with others that summer is a down time for many packs, but everything starts up again with the new school year. Packs are supposed to let the District/Council know when their recruiting night is -- so calling Council?District again in the fall might get you info about packs near you.

Adding: In my town, the pack that recruited the most was the do-nothing pack. The 'good' pack didn't recruit much because they drew kids from a wide geographic areas and the recruitment flyers never seemed to get to all the schools. When you visit a pack, ask them what they did last year -- better indicator, imo, than what they *plan* to do this year.

Another question to ask is if the pack sends its scouts to a particular Boy Scout troop, especially as your son is pretty close to transitioning (usually middle of 5th grade).

Scout said the

 

lunch stank big time....Meat crackers, trail mix and dehydrated pineapples for lunch.

 

Breakfast was Ok....nothing more...

 

Dinners were really good.......he had plenty to eat.

 

he is sitting on the couch beside me...so it is first hand info.

I'm glad for your Scout that the dinners were good. At least one satisfying meal a day!

Peaches are a big crop in VW, I think -- it would have been nice to see BSA using some local foods.

I would call the quality adequate. Lots of processed food, but I'm not sure how to avoid that given the circumstances. The quantity was way out if whack.

 

The biggest complaint we had was the wastage, most meals we received more than we could eat of most of the contents and there was no alternative to throwing it away. As an organization I would say we were shockingly unthrifty in the absolute tons and tons of food we had to throw away in the last 10 days.

 

As an example, the final night we had 90 hot dogs plus buns, two very large bags of chilli, 2 gallons of macaroni salad, two big bags of carrot sticks, a big bottle of ranch dressing, multiple bottles of ketchup and mustard, and a packaged apple pie for dessert --- all for 40 people. We ate close to all the hot dogs, maybe half the chili, at best a quarter of the macaroni, a quarter of the carrots and an appropriate amount of dressing and condiments. Everything not eaten, which was a lot, got tossed, and that happened every single meal.

 

We had one cooler and a limited amount of ice so anything perishable couldn't be sent back and had only a very short life in the cooler before we had to throw it away. With non perishable foods the amounts were equally excessive, we had again only limited storage in the site, and instead of pitching everything we dumped it in big piles up at the sub camp HQ. In theory those foods could be donated to food pantries, but I'm skeptical that there was actually a logistical ability to make that happen. As a guess I would guess most of that ended up in a dumpster today.

 

It was really depressing dumping so much good food every single evening

As for the processed/packaged food -- I never saw so much on one menu in my life. The Los Angeles school system serves 650,000 meals/day and uses fresh, locally sourced produce; of course, they have permanent kitchens, so there is a big difference there..

Thank you! I realized that the girls were a new addition, but I had not known that it was the first Jambo for Venturers. And the pictures of the aquatic facilities looked wonderful. So, the Day of Service is new also -- knowing it comes from the World Jamboree puts it in a better light.

I was surprised, too, not to see more in the news about the Jamboree; most mainstream articles I saw focussed on weight limits. Sad.

Thanks again!

I have heard the phrase, "a Jamboree like no other." For those of us who have followed this Jamboree, but don't know much (well, anything) about previous ones, would anyone care to comment? What does make this one different?

The Jamboree menu sounds a bit skimpy, at least from looking at the online version. I'm curious about what it was like IRL -- was the food decent?

https://summit.scouting.org/en/Jamboree2013/Documents/Jamboree_Menus_2013.pdf

I like this 'Sportsman's Blanket.' An Eagle Scout who gave a winter camping presentation to our troop suggested it. It's compact and lightweight, with one reflective side that can be faced up in cold weather and down in warmer weather. It is only 5' x 7', but it works well with the right sized tent.

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/CAMOmnifindQueryCmd?storeId=226&catalogId=40000000226&langId=-1&searchCategory=&ip_state=&ip_constrain=&ip_navtype=search&pageSize=24&currentPage=&ip_sortBy=&searchKeywords=sportsmans+blanket

Color: Blue

Basketry -- from one of the BSA kits

Beading -- marginally useful, but ties in with Native American study

Weaving -- this can be really calming and sort of addictive

Soap or candles from a kit

Fleece throw with one of the giant 4-5" Webelos patches sewn on (look on internet for no-sew throw)

Handsewn books/booklets -- many you tube videos on this

and love those survival bracelets!

Those are great ideas -- I'll try them at home.

I get that standing up to get dressed is SO much better than wiggling in a cramped space. One of our tents is a Eureka Sunrise -- they used to make a 10' model -- now I see the only Sunrise that would allow you to stand up is the 11' one. The Sunrises are great tents, IMO -- sturdy and very easy to put up. I should think that, at 6'2", you'd be able to get the rain fly over the top of the 11' model without help.

We also got a smaller tent -- it got to be hard to find a large, clear, rootless space in the woods where we camp. But I love that big tent!

Good luck, whatever you choose!

AK

It sounds as though your program pulled together lots of different resources to help/inspire the boys.

Thanks for posting the update -- and congratulations!

Coming to this discussion a bit late -- but I have one thing to add to the excellent advice you have already got. A big help (shortcut) in determining what species you have (not talking about grasses so much as woody plants, etc) is a CHECKLIST. Many nature centers, preserves, and so on publish short (a few pages) lists of their plants. So, you can see, for example, what hickories or oaks are in your immediate area. It is much easier than looking through a regional identification guide or even a state flora. I do agree with pp that you do not need to id every little thing, other than species 1 or species 2, but if you see a plant with, say, giant purple flowers or very distinctive leaves, it is nice to be able to put a name to it.

Good luck! I think you have some great ideas.,,,

I think a biggie for first-time campers is knowing what equipment is needed. Bring in and show tents, sleeping bags, etc. Give people an idea of costs, where to spend and where to save, what to look for and what to avoid. I have heard so many parents say that they want to go camping, but don't have a tent. At first it can be overwhelming, but if you can break through the barrier of confusion, you may get some more campers.

By all means, give patches out at the pack meeting following the campout -- the nicest patches you can get.

Welcome families that can only come to part of the campout -- because of scouts/siblings in sports or parents coaching, religious obligations, etc. Maybe they will like the campout so much that they will put it ahead of sports next year. I have seen schedules that say to arrive at 8 am and heard parents say that they would like to camp, but can't be there so early.

Welcome siblings. This can be a deal breaker for parents who are alone -- single parent, spouse working, spouse in military, etc. By welcome I don't mean a formal sibling program, just a welcome in announcements and emails. Some parents may not have heard the term family camping.

And tell people what the bathroom facilities are like. Maybe most 9 year old boys don't care, but parents might want to know.

Make sure to let people know that help is available for putting up tents.

Here's a great book by someone who hiked the trail (or most of it) recently:

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail [Mass Market Paperback]

Bill Bryson (Author)

Good luck!

Oh, I am so sorry to her about the whole situation. My heart goes out to all involved.

One thought -- if the boy did find another pack now and that pack did summer camp as a group, he might be able to go to camp at the same time as his new den. Also, if a different pack meets every week or two weeks, there would still be a number of meetings before the summer.

Or the boy could just spend some time visiting other packs, looking for a good match for next year. The idea of finding what pack(s) his new troop draws from sounds like a plan too.

ETA Staying with the troop for now -- might there not be activities that the boy could not participate, GTSS-wise?(This message has been edited by Eliza)

>>I hate to say it, but reading here and some IRL experiences I've had recently make me think that BSA needs to add some mandatory disability awareness training to the list.

TL

I wish I had enough experience to give you some scouting-specific ideas. All I can do is say that I read your post over several times and I feel so terrible for the boy. It must be beyond frustrating -- if it were just one dimwitted leader, that would be difficult. But to have all the boys in his den excluding the boy and calling him names, and to have them in the same school -- that is so wrong ethically and morally. Sure the boy could go on earning extra awards, but I see that is not the whole point of his scouting -- he needs the social interaction.

One thing I was wondering about -- if much of the den is from this boy's school, are they teasing him there too? Perhaps the mother could visit the guidance counsellor (or case manager, presuming the boy has an IEP) at the school and discuss the situation. Laws against bullying are getting stricter in many states, and some states give schools responsibility for bullying that occurs out of school, if it involves students at the school.

One reason I'd suggest getting the school involved is that they have a vested (including legal, perhaps) interest in helping the boy, while the DL not only doesn't care, but is also part of the problem. Also the boy spends more time with his den mates in school than in scouting.

I am curious why you asked what could be done, OTHER than finding another pack. In our area, there are some packs whose leaders have AS kids. They "get" it. Their hearts are in the right place, and they know what to do. That kind of person knows how to make a new boy welcome. And often, if you have a leader who is good with kids who need extra guidance, parents who appreciate those skills find the pack, so you end up with a good parent group. If I were the mother and could find a pack that would support my son, I'd move there. You did say that was not part of the equation, but I felt I had to say that anyway. Sorry!

I wanted to add one more thing -- you probably wouldn't want to be way stricter or way more lenient than is your pack's custom (presuming you basically agree with your pack, of course). In our pack, there is one person, now with our troop, who knows a lot and is respected by everyone. When I have a judgement question about advancement/requirements, I go to this person for advice, and I've always felt it was a smart move. IMO, that is a good way to avoid people thinking that you are either too easy or too hard -- anyone who asks will find that you are doing it all 'our pack' way.