alki

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Yes, again emb021 is right. Our SOP on rechartering is to match the church youth group's membership list to the charter roster, with the addition of any non-LDS Scouts we have participating. No comment on the 2 troops thing since I haven't run into that problem yet. I do have youth co-registered in Varsity Teams, Venturing Crews, and Learning For Life units. Some of these units are non-LDS.

This thread got me thinking about some of my winter camping experiences in Scouting and with my dad: - My first Klondike Derby in Connecticut, I forgot mittens and a hat. Dad snuck away to a gas station and returned with snowmobile mittens and a Pittsburgh Steelers stocking cap. Saved my life. - Troop outing in the Buckhorn on the Olympic Peninsula. Had a huge snowball fight with a frozen pond as no-man's-land. Had to thaw out the fuel lines on our rides home with coals on a garbage can lid. Dad's idea. - High adventure trip to Hurricane Ridge. Blizzard closed down the roa

I'm an LDS Scouter. emb021 explained the Sunday issue very well. Here's an excerpt from the booklet mentioned: "The [LDS] Church does not approve of hiking or camping trips on Sunday. [LDS] Scouts and other [LDS] youth groups should not travel to or from camps or youth conferences on Sunday." I added the "LDS" to clarify that the audience of this booklet is adult leaders of LDS-chartered units. LDS Scouts are not required to be in an LDS unit, just as non-LDS Scouts are welcomed in LDS units. Many LDS Scouts (in LDS units) are co-registered in non-LDS units.

Our unit has been tasked with producing a High Adventure experience that is low-cost and local. The boys discussed this and at first decided that they would do a 50-miler in the ranch/farm country around our city. Then the idea to make it a race was proposed and you could see their pupils dilating. Has anyone carried out an "adventure race" before for Scouts? Are there any units in South Texas (or even further away) that would be interested in competing? This is not a fundraiser, again, keeping with the mandate given us by our chartered org. The cost is $75 per boy. Our boys are

I, too, have struggled with the ambiguity in the insignia guide over "cluttering." I'm at peace with myself now that I have one uniform with all my knots, interpreter's strips, etc. [for roundtable and special events] and one [for general wear] that is "plain jane." My wife is helping me make displays of my Cub and Boy Scout youth awards. My red, white, and blue surfer shorts (swim trunks with pockets!) have my BSA Lifeguard, Snorkeling BSA, and Mile Swim patches. I've noticed that people listen to me more when I'm wearing the knee-high uniform socks and my WoodBadge neckerchief wi

This started at a winter camp a few years ago when the temperatures were too cold for us to have fires. [Freezing temps in Texas = no running water to most of camp = no fires] Instead of huddling together in our campsites for warmth after the day's activities, we decided to get active. I sent the buddy groups to various high points in camp, all toting two-way radios, flashlights, and Morse Code sheets. They were to reach their positions without drawing undue attention to themselves. Then we played "telephone" by sending coded messages with the flashlights around the camp. We used the

Great photos!! I especially like that the uniforms have simple, uncluttered, insignia.

I can't honestly say that it was my idea, more a spin-off of an activity we did at a winter camp. The idea is fairly simple. Avoid drawing attention to yourself by being seen, heard, or smelled. I don't let them do it unless they each have two-way radios and signalling devices. All other safety precautions (buddy system, etc.) are standard and accepted. Not sure how this would work in a large unit, but the Venturing Crew that does it only numbers 6 active members. If you'd like some more details about how they do this, we oughta spin-off a new thread...

Some of our boys went to Tom Hale Scout Reservation in Oklahoma this summer. I was pleasantly surprised to get a packet with hard-copies of an obviously electronic "blue card." I even received "partials" with the appropriate boxes dated and initialed. The counselor's name was printed on there, all signatures were present, and they even used blue paper! Even though it was a single sheet, I cut them immediately into thirds and gave the boys their copies. I don't know how to get this e-version of the blue card, but if you run a scout camp, you'll make a lot of friends by using it.

I apologize that my frustration with bureaucracy came out and soured our discussion. Please forgive me. [Je suis dsol que ma frustration avec le bureaucratie a rat notre discussion. Je t'en prie de me pardonner.] I should correct my earlier statement that said a newly-elected scoutmaster "must" quickly be trained if they aren't already. The truth is, unfortunately, that a scoutmaster may go many years without training. If a scoutmaster breaks rules, frequently it is the chartered organization and the Boy Scouts of America that are sued [pursued in justice], not the individual scoutm

Just so the color of clothing doesn't become more important than the buddy system and adequate/qualified supervision... In our ESAR post, we all had blaze orange caps but many of us had Swedish military trousers (wool that wore like chain-mail) and warm woolen sweaters (hard to find back then in anything but OD and navy). We also stuck to our buddies like glue. The Olympic Peninsula was a place that few walked out of alive if lost. Our blaze orange caps would disappear within 20 feet. Outdoor ethics also infer that your clothing, tents, etc., not mar the wild landscape that others

trevorum - Yes, I was in France as a missionary for 22 months. I lived in Angouleme, Cholet, Bayonne-Anglet-Biarritz, Bordeaux, and Cahors. Absolutely loved it. It's been awhile, though, so my French is comparable to a "vache espagnole". hugolin - Un certificat d'entranement avant de devenir chef scout n'xiste pas ici. Au contraire, on est lu chef scout, comme Trevorum a dit, et puis on dois assister (tout de suite!) sois-mme aux entranements si tu n'y tiais jamais. Le gouvernement amricain n'a rien faire avec a. Le BSA dirige tous ces runions pour toutes les organisations qui veul

concerned - I don't believe that "going up the chain of command" ecclesiastically is the best way to approach this problem. Firstly, let's make sure the units WE work with are the safest possible. I asked our ecclesiastical leader to "call" a health & safety officer for our committee. He did. This officer's goal is to help us earn the Ready & Prepared Award [to give structure to his ultimate aim of making us safer]. He just happens to have 35 years experience of this for the DOD and DOE. Secondly, I wouldn't be surprised if something isn't already "in the works." The ne

concerned - Thanks for addressing this. I believe that you have been prompted by a higher power. I would really like to help in pursuing this through the most diplomatic means possible. My personal observation has been that a small number [statistically] of highly-motivated LDS unit leaders have shouldered running the Scouting program. This is often with little or no tangible support from parents or ecclesiastical leaders. I think it's obvious that the significant factor in the deaths mentioned is a lack of adequate, qualified supervision. [Though I hope that reputable studies will co