emb021

Anything like this at Disney WORLD???

The BSA used to have some kind of "scout citizen" ceremony for scouts aging out at 18. This was back in the 1930s/40s. Not sure if its on-line at the USScouting website.

If you want the history of Venture (please don't call it "venture scouting"), Leadership Corps, and Venturing, check out my website at www.seniorscoutinghistory.org As noted, Venture Crews were established in 1989, replacing Leadership Corps. The LC was established in 1972, and the round patch was rolled out in 1987.

yes, time can overlap. Idea is that the leader (if he's meeting these goals) would earn it after being in the position 18 months, then get the training award next (2 years total) then Key (3 years total). The original SMAM was a kind of 'half way' award to the Scouter's Key.

Maybe we need to bring back the position of Chief Scout and put someone high profile in that position, like Eagle Scout Mike Rowe???

Stone Cold is correct. We've had them from day one. You wear them in place of the patch. The scout could also use them as a memento, but more on the line of a hat pin or the like, not to be wearing them on other parts of the uniform (ie, no wearing them on the lapels or the epaulepts.) (This message has been edited by a staff member.)

In my area, many Ships did use the 'dungaree uniform', in most cases as the basic uniform for the Sea Scouts (as apposed to the white or navy crackerjacks). They would get chambray blue dickies work shirts and navy blue pants/shorts. When they went out sailing, it was likely in shorts and t-shirts. I think we only went to Navy sources for the white crackerjacks.

"Back in the day, Wood Badge was seen by many as elitist and not worth the time and effort by those "on the line" (the folks actually working with the Scouts)." I think this was largely true, but this was so decades ago. When WB was brought back to the US post-WWII, it was pretty much offered in only 2 places: Schiff and Philmont, so only the top council/district people could go. Much later, cluster-council courses were offered. But the 70s/80s, councils were offering it every 2-3 years. This made it possible for 'front line' scouters to take it. (that's when I, as an ASM was able to go; along with our SM and his wife, a committee member). Yeah, there was an element of elitist. Some was actually caused by how the course was to be administered and delivered. This slowly changed, and many of the changes in the current WB was to reverse this. Most councils are offerent WB every year or so, so few 'front line' scouters have an excuse not to go. Sure, there many be some councils were the 'wb elistist' still exists, but that should be rare. So let's move on.

"I was told that WB21C no longer qualifies for CE credit like the old WB course. Has that changed? While I know my job doesn't have the budget to pay for me to got ot WB, esp after goign to 3 conferences with in a month, I may be able to get them to pay my salary to go IF I can get some CEs out of it." AFAIK, WB21C no longer qualifies for CE credit. My understanding was that it costs money for the BSA to do so, and so few people took advantage of it. Most companies who pay for WB do so for the content, not CEs, in my experience.

There is a difference between owning a patch for an event your didn't attend or for an award you didn't earn, and wearing it. I don't have a problem with the first. I do have a problem with the second. I won't wear an award I didn't earn. I won't wear a patch for an event I didn't attend. I would include JSPs and Jambo/NOAC flaps in that category. I also wouldn't wear a CSP for a council I am not a part of, just because I like the design better (as one scout apparently did). As a collector/memorabilist, I try to buy or trade for patches for events I am not able to attend, becaue I want all the patches for a particular lodge or council or event. I will buy extras to trade with others, as do other collectors. We don't expect people to wear them.

"I took JLT back in the late 1980s are they not doing this type of training any more? I've just got back into the Troop level and forgot about JLT until now." JLTC (Junior Leader Training Conference) became NYLT (National Youth Leader Conference) about 5 years or so ago. National has changed JTLC (including its name) several times since the 70s.

"I don't like them selling Jambo patches in advance of actual event." This is done because they expect people to put their jamboree patches on in advance of the event. Its also a way of telling participants from visitors. Been done that way from day one. NOAC, they always put the patch on a loop, and you get it when you arrive, and can start wearing it (most OA events are the same). This as compared with most Boy Scout events, where you get the patch at a souvenir at the end.

Well, the troop I was a member of as a youth had a mass exodus. Basically what happened was the Scoutmaster wanted to leave and form a troop at the church he was at. Then he invited ALL the older boys of our troop to come join his new troop. Almost all did, except one or two who decided to be loyal to the troop. That left just the newer, younger scouts. I think most of the ASMs went with the scoutmaster. So the troop committee had to scramble to get new leadership. We were able to get some troop alumni to come back and be the leaders, but we limped along for a couple of years before we started improving. Part of the reason this scoutmaster wanted to form a new troop was he really got into high adventure stuff, which he wanted to do with his new troop with older youth (he eventually formed a high adventure explorer post as well). I guess he felt he could do that easier with a new troop then with the current troop.

They are changing the age requirement for Venturing, effective May 1, to 13 and completed the 8th grade OR 14. The idea is to enable 13 year old high school freshmen being able to join.

Personally, I feel that Lone Scouting STILL has a place in the BSA. There are still kids who can't get to meetings due to distance, health or moving too often with their family. What does bother me are when I come across examples of kids using the LS program for reasons that don't seem quite right. I was listing to a scouting podcast, and a recent show touched on Lone Scouting, and some examples they had was a kid who had aged out of Cub Scouting, but didn't want to go into a troop without his friends (who were still Webelos), so he became a Lone Boy Scout until they did. That's a poor reason to do so. They also had a link to a website for a boy who was a LS, and his reasons was he didn't want to join any of the 3 troops in his town. One was run by a different church from his (his church had yet to set one up), one had female leaders (sorry, that's a poor reason), and the other was religiously neutral (I guess he wants his religious indoctrination with his scouting). I've also heard of home schooling kids who are LS. But a better solution is to get with other home schooled kids a form a troop just for them (which some have done. I know of packs, troops, and crews made up of home schoolers). Historically, I have read of boys who joined the old LSA because they were urban kids too shy to join a troop.

He IS recognized as one of the unsung 'founders' of the BSA. Yes, he is too often overlooked. He took Boyce's floundering/fledgling BSA and got it on the right track, bringing together many interested in 'boy's work', as it was called. He was our second 'managing secretary'. West was the third, and he later got that position changed to Chief Scout Executive. But I think because he worked more in the background (as evident by him going back to his original positions with the YMCA) and his involvement was short (but important), plus he was more of an organizational person then a program person (like B-P, Beard, Seton, et al), he is often overlooked.

"Can the Boy Scout Long/Short Sleeve Action Shirt be used as a Venturing uniform? Can you put insignia on it?" I would say No and No. It's a Boy Scout item. Venturers shouldn't wear it, any more then they can (or should) wear the tan Boy Scout uniform. Or even a Cub Scout uniform. If your crew doesn't like the forest green Venturing shirt, take a look at the 'fishing shirts' you can get from Columbia, Bass Pro Shop, Cabela's. I know of several crews who have adopted those and wear insignia on them. Tho cost wise they are (depending on where you get them) the cost is close to the spruce green shirt.

What skeptic said. There is a book on him, and there seem to be some who want to promote Burnham to a larger position in the establishment of scouting then I think is really appropriate.

In all the units I am aware of, tents and cooking gear are provided by the unit, and are all the same. All the tents are the same. The dinning flys are the same. the chuck book/patrol box are all the same, with the same equipment. (stoves, lanterns, pots/pans, etc as the case may be) So, when it comes to camping, what would be different would be how each patrol setups their camps, and the backpacks of the individial boys.

"As for the right sleeve, volunteers are not suppposed to wear anything below the U.S. flag, except Regional Jamboree patches. Standard Regional patches are supposed to be restricted to professionals and Regional volunteers. (Yeah, "Look what I got, and I'm going to wear it.")" Actually, the only people who are really allowed to wear the Regional Jamboree patches are those holding regional positions AT the jamboree. Just going to the Jamboree really doesn't entitle you to wearing the Regional Jamboree patch (this is clearly stated in the Insignia Guide with the Jamboree emblem info). You forgot about the Quality Unit/District/Council patches. the most recent one is worn on the sleeve. Also, if you are in Venturing, you wear either the generic Venturing patch or (if your crew has created one) a crew emblem.

Actually, National makes large vinyl sashes. They aren't in the catalog to my knowledge, as I think they come from OA National, but they are for sale (if you know who to talk to) at NOAC. My lodge has a set of 3 large wooden sashes, about 6-7 feet tall (they actually fold in half). We also have a set of "windfeather" sashes. the Windfeather company makes these and have done so for several lodges.

"why not replace the Lone Scout program with "virtual" Packs and Troops (say one per council or service area)?" It really won't be a replacement. Actually, under the original Lone Scout program, Lone Scouts DID form "tribes" of local boys where possible. there were also "radio tribes" (ham radio) and "mail tribes" (postal correspondence). Many of the Lone Scouts really got into amateur journalism (which is where the BSA got the Gold Quill Award), submitting articles & stories to the Lone Scout newspapers, and the many tribal newspapers that poped up.

Personally, I put a few patches on my backback, but there were very few. I would put the following on: * Historical Trails Award (its mean as equipment decoration anyway) * 50 miler (ditto) * Paul Bunyan award (ditto) * patches for any trails I backpacked (Appalachian Trail, Florida Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, etc) * patches for any High Adventure base/program I backpacked (Philmont, etc). So I wouldn't be putting my CPS or unit number, or jambo or camporee patches. But that's me. FWIW, I had an AT patch, Philmont, and Historical Trails Award patch, plus I branded the leather crampon patch on the pack with the Philmont brands.

There is no such thing as "lone venturing". There are only lone cub scouts & lone boy scouts. Lone Scouting arose out of the needs of serving rural boys who were too far away from other boys to even to be able to form a patrol, much less a troop. It remains today for the Cub Scout & Boy Scout programs for those boys who for various reasons (distance usually, but prehaps their familys move often, medical reasons, etc) that prevents them from attending a regular pack or troop meeting.

thing is, government bodies (that includes government schools) have issues with the BSA's membership policies, hence why they do not charter packs, troops, or crews. crews can be chartered by various community organizations, churches, businesses. Heck, we have a few 'friend of crew xyz' as the charter org.