fgoodwin

Wouldn't it make more sense to ask Andy where he got his info, than to ask a third party to confirm what he wrote?

Nick, are you saying might makes right? Because the point was "proven" by the barrel of a gun.

Whatever happened to respecting minority rights?

From the short blurb, it appears the intent is to honor BSA's Centennial, but I fear you are right, some will want to politicize it for their own purposes.

That's the reason I posted the announcement here rather than in the general Program folder.

I was working a Cub Day Camp several years ago when I came across a Cub in full uniform, proudly wearing his religious medal.

I didn't see his walking den leader but suggested to him that it might be a good idea to put the medal safely in his shirt pocket and button the flap. He kept going oblivious to my suggestion. Of course, someone later found the medal but we had no clue which Pack the Cub was in. All we could do was turn it into the camp lost & found and hope the boy came back to retrieve it.

The "policy", such as it is, may be an urban legend, but there's a reason for it, nonetheless . . .

NELSON INTRODUCES RESOLUTION CELEBRATING THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA

http://bennelson.senate.gov/news/details.cfm?id=311932

April 23, 2009 Today, Nebraskas Senator Ben Nelson introduced a resolution in the U.S. Senate which designates February 8, 2010 as Boy Scouts of America Day to celebrate the organizations 100th anniversary.

As an Eagle Scout, I know what an immensely valuable organization the Boy Scouts of America is to both the state of Nebraska and to the country as a whole, said Senator Nelson. Their continued emphasis on civic engagement, self-reliance, and strong character has certainly shaped my life for the better, and it is my hope that the Boy Scouts of America are around for many years to come so that they may teach these same lessons to our future generations.

The Boy Scouts of America was founded on February 8, 1910 by William D. Boyce, Ernest Thompson Seton, and Daniel Carter Beard. Since its founding, more than 110 million Americans have been members of the Boy Scouts of America.

Senator Ben Nelson earned the rank of Eagle Scout on August 23, 1956.

My problems with the original switchbacks: they pill far too easily and my belt got so twisted up that I had to remove it and use a standard belt.

I haven't bought a pair of the new switchbacks, but they appear to be made of a heavier fabric and hopefully won't pill as easily as the originals.

The Lodge is allowing us to redo our election because we apparently had some ineligible Scouts cast votes (they were visiting the troop and I guess everyone assumed they were recent crossovers).

The results were not announced so I'm not sure how anyone knew they were elected or not; I suspect we'll get the same result after the re-vote, but I've told the SM that this is it -- there won't be a third election just because one or more Scouts don't get voted in.

Thanx for everyone's comments.

I guess every troop must go through this; how do you handle it?

Ours is a small troop (fewer than 25 boys). Five boys were eligible for OA this year; only three were elected. Of course, the two that didn't make it are disappointed. Some of the adults want to scrap our troop participation in OA altogether if we cannot simply appoint every eligible member to be an Ordeal candidate.

What to do?

Fred Goodwin

Brotherhood

NCAC published their history several years ago (my copy is in storage someplace). I think it could stand to be updated.

I don't know if my current council (Alamo Area) has recorded its history.

Our chapter has a very active dance team that is extremely popular around AOL and cross-over time!

Even though the Troop Committee had a full Troopmaster printout of the boy's rank advancements, because he showed up to the BOR without his HB, they denied him a BOR and made him wait another month (our BORs are scheduled ONLY during the monthly Troop Committee Meeting).

Now, in fairness, the boy was given the option of going home and returning with his HB, but his parents are divorced, his HB was at the parent's house who was of course out of town, and the other parent had no key or other way to get into the home and retrieve the boy's HB.

How do other troops handle this sort of situation?

My son is a Life, and has been for a year and a half.

He's only a freshman in HS, but I doubt if he'll finish his Eagle. He says he wants to do it, but every time I mention MBs, his eyes just roll back in his head. I had a deal with him as a Webelos (he wanted to quit then): if he stayed in long enough to make First Class, I would not push him any further. I think I've lived up to my end of the deal (he made Star & Life on his own terms and schedule). I will love him the same whether he tops out as a Life or an Eagle.

I just hope he has no regrets later in life if he stops at Life.

Book character survives on Boy Scouts expertise

http://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/2009/apr/04/character_survives_boy_scouts_expertise/

http://tinyurl.com/dlcwap

Apr 4, 2009

By Zach Fridell

Herby lives in a mountain town in Colorado, much like Steamboat Springs, and as he navigates his way through perils related to being 6 inches tall, Herby learns the value of survival skills and the Boy Scouts.

Herbys Secret Formula, the first novel by Colorado writer Sue Hughey, describes the struggles of the title character after he shrinks himself using a special formula. Hughey will hold a book signing from 2 to 4 p.m. today at Epilogue Book Co.

His only chance for survival lies in his own ingenuity and the skills he learned in Boy Scouts, states the back cover of the book.

Steamboat Scout Master Brian Berry also is quoted on the books back cover.

Young readers will be carried forward by the plot and action and delighted by the wonderful illustrations. Older readers will be wondering if they could be as resourceful as Herby in the same circumstances, Berry wrote.

Hughey said the book is not only for Scouts, although she encourages readers to join the organization.

Id like to see more boys join Boy Scouts.

[excerpted]

Pinewood Derby on "The Buckets"

It started on Monday, March 16 and continues through today (there are a couple of non-PWD strips, but keep going):

http://comics.com/the_buckets/2009-03-16/

Mafaking writes: "I would eliminate wilderness survival. Its not any more than, hug a tree, blow a whistle and don't eat anything until help arrives."

Would you mind pointing me to the requirements for the WS MB that involve hugging a tree, blowing a whistle and not eating anything until help arrives?

Those who follow the rules won't need this, and those who don't follow the rules won't bother with it, but I'm gonna post it anyway. Scouting Magazine addressed this in response to a letter to the editor back in 1999:

Correct wearing of sashes

Articles in both the January-February Scouting and the January Boys' Life had photographs showing a Scout wearing the Order of the Arrow sash in the proper, over-the-right-shoulder position while also wearing a folded merit badge sash on his belt.

I tell the boys not to wear their OA and merit badge sashes on their belts. Although [they say] it is easy to place [sashes] there so one does not lose them, I tell them they should either wear the sash correctly or not at all.

Larry Sherman

Troop 344

Scranton, Pa.

The merit badge sash is worn only on formal occasions, and its correct position is over the right shoulder. The Order of the Arrow sash also goes over the right shoulder (but under the epaulet). It is worn on formal Order of the Arrow occasions or service projects and, according to the Order of the Arrow Handbook, "it is not to be worn in any other manner."

Both sashes should never be worn simultaneously.

http://www.scoutingmagazine.org/issues/9905/d-lett.html

It hardly seems fitting that all I can give is a few words in exchange for the service of our men & women in uniform, especially those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

But I am eternally grateful for their service, and my heart and prayers go out to the families who also sacrificed.

My sense is that long-time Scouters know exactly how to wear the uniform correctly.

Those who choose not to are looking for justification or simply rationalizing their behavior, which is the only reason why these questions continue to crop up. As for me, I will follow the Insignia Guide. No OA sash for me at COHs and never over the belt.

What you do is up to you, but you can't say you were ignorant of the rules.

emb21, who told you this story? You should ask that person for proof.

It isn't up to us to confirm or deny another person's story -- its up to them to prove it.

Is this what you're looking for? I don't know how current it is:

http://www.cubroundtable.com/assets/pdf-documents/Webelos-planning-guide.pdf

How many of you think the Scout HB you used as a youth is better than the Scout HB of today? I'd wager many of you.

How many of you think today's Eagle projects are watered down compared the one you did? Again, probably many.

How many of you think today's training doesn't hold a candle to the training you experienced (I'm especially thinking of WB21C compared to the "old WB", and TLT compared to JLT and earlier courses)? Several of you?

I was never a Boy Scout (and thus am not an Eagle). I never taught JLT, only TLT. My only experience with the Boy Scout HB is the current one my son uses. I went through WB21C not the old course. So I have no basis for comparison.

But I do know that some have a tendency to view the old through rose-colored glasses and are unwilling to give the new a chance. I say let's give the new stuff a chance, and not write it off simply because it is new and unlike that which you've previously experienced.

rjscout, I haven't taught BALOO in a couple of years and have not seen the latest syllabus, but the syllabus I taught from specifically states that it is not to be combined with other courses.

How in the world did your council / district combine BALOO with IOLS? The audiences, skills taught, and skill levels assumed are completely different. The syllabus for Outdoor Leaders Skills for Webelos Leaders (OLS-WL) specifically provides a modified agenda that combines some sessions with IOLS, but I've never seen a syllabus that combines BALOO with either IOLS or OLS-WL.

I thought when trainers go through TDC, they make an oath to teach the course as written?

You might want to bring a notebook or folder, to store all the handouts you'll get.

If you bring a ring-binder, bring a hole-punch also, in case the handouts are not punched. I've found a book-bag or backpack works nicely for keeping those stray papers in place on a windy day or (relatively) dry on a wet day. Bring a "spork" in case they don't provide utensils for the foil meal.

You might also want to bring a camp-chair (lightweight folding chair) in the event there are not enough chairs to go around, or they can't be moved from station to station.

"Hi, my name is Fred. I'm BALOO-trained and its been sixty days since my last campout . . ."

Thanx for the update -- I'll be looking for it!