fgoodwin

I've learned the hard way that the recharter info is not a reliable indicator of the trained status of your adults. When I first managed a recharter for my son's Cub Scout Pack back in 2001 (I was a newly appointed committee chair), I navely went through and updated the trained status of every registered adult in the pack. I was surprised to find at our next recharter that none of that info "stuck"; I found out later that the council ignores the trained status field for recharter purposes (I hope that changes under the Centennial Unit Quality process). Talk to your district training

My son is helping at an Eagle COH in a couple of weeks; what got my attention was that the two Eagle Scouts plan to serve bar-b-que and have a dance after the COH! Bringing a dance partner won't be a problem for me (unless the wife decides to back out), but it was the bar-b-que that got my attention!

I use a Kelty Teton 2 (I'm a big guy and I need the extra room). It weighs a bit more (4 lbs 2 oz), but I'm willing to carry an extra pound or two to get the room I need. And it cost about $115 at a local outfitter.

I don't know if the Supply Division is open to suggestions, but it wouldn't hurt to ask them about an official sweater. But I suspect we'd already have one, if SD thought they could turn a profit. Back in the 50s and maybe early 60s, BSA used to sell official shoes (you could see the BSA logo stamped in the soles). I suspect they quit making them when kids (or their parents) stopped buying them.

I just updated mine, for the Nth time; I don't hold out much hope that it will last more than a few days before going blank again . . .

Barry, if you've Louv's book, you know he doesn't hold out a lot of hope that BSA can do much to get kids outside again. And that saddens me, because BSA ought to be considered the premier youth program around in terms of getting kids outdoors, and developing self-confidence and self-reliance in them, as well as teamwork, citizenship, leadership, etc. I know sports can also do some of that, but not every boy is cut out for varsity athletics. Isn't it ironic that people all around us are making much ado about global warming and saving the environment, while at the same time boycottin

Experts Now Recommend Hands-Only CPR http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/H/HANDS_ONLY_CPR?SITE=OHCOL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT http://tinyurl.com/2s8olc Mar 31, 5:12 PM EDT By STEPHANIE NANO Associated Press Writer NEW YORK (AP) -- You can skip the mouth-to-mouth breathing and just press on the chest to save a life. In a major change, the American Heart Association said Monday that hands-only CPR - rapid, deep presses on the victim's chest until help arrives - works just as well as standard CPR for sudden cardiac arrest in adults. "You only have to do two

I think declining numbers in BSA is just a symptom of a much larger societal issue. Google "Pergams and Zaradic" to read about their research on declining camping numbers at the national parks; they relate much of the decline to the impact of watching TV and playing video games -- they also note the decline isn't localized to the US -- they see the same decline overseas. Someone mentioned "Nature Deficit Disorder"; that phrase was coined by Richard Louv, who happens to be in the process of updating his book, "Last Child in the Woods" in which he observes (as many in this thread have

Arbor Day in many states is celebrated on the last Friday of April each year; this year, that is Friday, Apr 25. I know Earth Day gets much more press around this time of year than does Arbor Day -- and Earth Day obviously celebrates a good cause, but we should not forget Arbor Day in the glare of all the Earth Day media and activities. Some Arbor Day resources: http://www.arborday.org/kids/carly/ http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/arborday/ http://holidays.kaboose.com/arbor-day/index.html http://www.teacherplanet.com/resource/arbor.php http://www.theteachersguide

I've updated my profile too many times to bother. It "takes" for awhile then disappears. Until the sys ops figure out why the records continue to disappear, and fix the problem, I won't bother. It has nothing to do with wishing to remain anonymous.

http://www.savethephillyscouts.org/

While it may be technically correct to say the religious awards are not part of the Scouting program, one might just as well ask: if that's the case, why does the Bear Book ask a boy to earn the religious emblem of his faith as part of achievement #2?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120641101055361411.html

Nick, I don't recall being at the Religious Relationships Committee Meeting that approved the UUSO award -- I might have been, I'm not saying that I wasn't -- just that I don't remember. I do have an email copy of PRAY's 1Q05 bulletin in which it was announced that BSA had approved the award -- that's what started this whole thread (thanx, Packsaddle for finding an online copy). I also have an email from Mark Hazelwood stating, without elaboration, that BSA approval had been rescinded. I don't know if he mis-spoke, if he didn't have all the facts, etc. All I know is that PRAY's onl

Parenting -- Girl (Scout) on a Mission http://tinyurl.com/2jqkcw By MICHAEL WINERIP Published: March 23, 2008 UNIONDALE GIRL SCOUT COOKIES! bellowed Ayazhia Lee, 11. THREE-FIFTY A BOX! yelled Katherine Aanensen, 13. Shanna Mena was rushing by at the Roosevelt Field mall in Garden City when the words registered and she came to an abrupt halt. Girl Scout cookies? said Ms. Mena, who works at Macys. Oh my God, Girl Scout cookies. She made a sharp pivot, hurried to the booth and started picking out boxes. I need one of these, she said, grabbing a box of Thin Min

Has anyone seen the Hertz commercial about "going green" or something like that? It involves a deer and another animal driving a car along a country road -- at one point they pass a group that looks a lot like a SM and his troop of several boys. It flashed by kinda fast, but I don't think they were in official Scout uniforms (seems like they were wearing khaki pants instead of olive green) and the SM had what looked like a green campaign cap, but I'm not sure. Has anyone else seen it?(This message has been edited by fgoodwin)

50 Ways to Get Kids Hooked on the Outdoors Feel the wind on your face, plant a garden, jump in a pile of leaves - just get outside! March 2008 By Dyanne Fry Cortez, Wendee Holtcamp and Bernadette Noll Kids don't develop a relationship with nature by watching it on the Discovery Channel. They need to feel the wind, smell leaves and wildflowers, run their fingers over rocks and make personal contact with other living things. Pristine wilderness is not required: Ask any of today's dedicated outdoorsmen, and you may find that his favorite childhood memory involves a backyard

US Fish & Wildlife Service: Children & Nature website Includes an outdoor activity sheet for kids, a fact sheet for parents, and a resource sheet for teachers. Don't miss the 52-page special "Children & Nature" issue of "Fish & Wildlife News" (it includes a nice article about the Girl Scouts, but unfortunately does not mention Boy Scouts or Cub Scouts).

Joni4TA: I never suggested doing nothing, I suggested using the current syllabus. Some of the boys in my troop have been through both JLT and TLT and by far they prefer the new curriculum over the old. I'm not gonna stand here and tell anybody they are doing things wrong -- that wouldn't be very Scout-like and in the absence of all the facts, would be foolish. But I stand by my comment that NAYLE and NYLT build on concepts introduced in TLT, and that boys who've had TLT will be at an advantage over those who haven't, when both go to NYLT. If that's not an issue for some SMs, so be

Wheres the remote http://www.hcn.org/servlets/hcn.WOTRArticle?article_id=17570 March 10, 2008 by Jeff Osgood You may have heard the news: Fewer Americans are venturing into anything that resembles the outdoors. According to a Nature Conservancy study, the number of visitors to state and national parks is declining, and fewer people are hunting, fishing or going camping. Why are people trading in their hiking boots for slippers? The studys authors, Oliver Pergams of the University of Illinois-Chicago and Patricia Zaradic of the Environmental Leadership Program, say the cul

Sctdad, you don't mention if your Pack has a BALOO-trained leader. A BALOO-trained leader is a requirement in order for a pack to go camping. In BALOO, a leader will learn the nuts-and-bolts of planning a pack campout, but I must admit, I don't think it goes into great detail re: camping fees.

Webelos Activity Badge Worksheets are now available online Boy Scouts have been using Merit Badge Worksheets for years. Now worksheets are available for Webelos too. Optional worksheets can help Scouts organize notes, listen actively, and document their work. Leaders and parents can quickly see if a Scout is understanding. Worksheets allow group instruction with individual attention. Check out these samples of some of the added resources in the worksheets: Blank US Map needed needed for Forester Graph paper for Engineer The BSA Home Safety Checklist and BSA Energy A

mothercub, if you've looked at the current TLT syllabus, then you must know it covers much more than position-specific training. It covers the boys' vision for the troop, and how it s/b in sync with the vision of the SM. It covers the "know-be-do" of leadership, and asks the boys to review troop operations in "start-stop-continue" analysis. Would you continue to teach an old MB book after it has been revised? Or use an old Boy Scout HB after it has been updated? Would you continue to wear an old uniform after it has been updated? All I'm saying is, when your boys go to NYLT,

If the money is supposed to pay for a campsite, tell them they don't have a campsite since they didn't pay up-front, or send them to the park ranger to work out their own arrangements. If the money is supposed to pay for a meal, you could ask them to pay up when they show up, or if you don't have enough food to go around, point them to the nearest McDonald's, etc. But in the packs I've been involved in, the families were expected to bring and prepare their own meals -- the pack didn't do any cooking for the entire group. So what exactly is the money for?

fastbow writes:I researched this for well over a month before placing my sons scribe patch on the right sleeveI'm curious what official, written, BSA sources you consulted in this month of research? As others have suggested, the Insignia Guide clearly states the Scribe patch goes on the left sleeve. If your troop doesn't have a copy of the Insignia Guide, I suggest they invest in one and consult it whenever these questions arise.