frankj

Best of luck. I would be happy if the BSA could just print our correct town on the Eagle Certificates. On the last 4 certs issued, they were wrong. A written communication to Texas corrected one Scouts certificate but the next three were right back there with the wrong town listed. I called the Council again, today. Was informed it had something to do with Scout Net(?) and they would try to correct it.

Getting back to concerned's original question: are LDS Scout's injuries out of proportion? It would require a study that allowed for the various contributing factors, otherwise, its all anecdotal. It is possible that on a risk-adjusted basis, the accident rate is equal to other types of units.

Factors: Leader training has been pretty well worked over in this thread. Geography -- Utah is different, less forgiving. If most troops tend to go on outings within a few hours drive of their home base, then by definition, Utah and other western states' troops are operating in less forgiving locations.

What is the accident rate by council? Within council, what is the accident rate by LDS unit vs. non-LDS unit? Do LDS units tend to make "riskier" outings? The definition of risk is up for grabs. A trip into a canyon led by very experienced, trained leaders who have made the trip before, could be less risky than a trip to a county park on a river led by the untrained.

I think there is more to be gained by following the patrol method in planning the meals and rotating the duties of grubmaster than by going shopping on your own (for what, PopTarts, Snickers and Mountain Dew?). I'm assuming here if they supply their own cooking gear they are also on their own to plan individual menus.

If the Troop can afford tents, they should supply them I think and not require boys to get their own. Too much of a burden on families. Imagine scraping together the money to buy the full uniform and then being told you need to get a tent too! What is this leader thinking? Self-reliance will come simply by following the program, taking part in activities and advancing through the ranks.

We meet on Mondays, so our Troop asks for the committment (and the money) at that time. The outing dates are publicized well before then. I agree with the 'no refunds' rule unless the Scout has a very good reason My wife and I have experienced the lack of committment and follow through in other volunteer activities. It makes one appreciate those who "deliver" that much more. I think a good way to handle it is to have rules, guidelines, or policies -- whatever you choose to call them, that are sent to Scouts and parents in written form. It could be formulated jointly by the Committee and Senior Patrol and then go out signed by the Senior Patrol Leader.

Bring it On! Or bring THEM on ... the trip to camp that is. As long as they can carry them from the parking area to the campsite along with their pack. Yes, chairs promote camaraderie and can be moved when the smoke is blowing right at you versus the log that is sometimes present as a the only place to sit around the campfire. Our SM brings a collapsible something that folds out into a lounge chair and even has cup holders! But he is so energetic, he doesn't spend much time in it!

300 pictures seems like plenty. Will there be others taking pictures as well? Maybe you should think about pooling the images so the disk you ultimately produce contains the best of the best. The price you paid for the 512 sounds about right. I bought a 256 for $ 40 at costco, a discount retailer here on Leftist Coast. 512s were going for around $ 80.

With my 3.2 digital, I can get so many pictures on the 256K that it gets a little burdensome working through them all. One other thing I have learned in the switch from 35mm film to digital is the time-lag between pressing the shutter release and the actual recording of the image. With my film camera, what I see through the view finder is what I get. With my digital, what I see through the view finder is not necessarily what I get -- the subjects move between the moment you press the button and when the image is recorded. But you have probably also discovered this. The higher priced digitals don't have this drawback.

Have fun at Jamboree, 4 boys from our troop are going.

Trev: The same thing happened to someone I work with. Late model f150 caught fire spontaneously. Shortly after, I read that a switch or circuit or (something electrical) having to do with the cruise control can overheat (yes, with the engine off) and cause a fire. We got a recall for our 2000 Expedition having to do with this. It sounds to me like this is what happened to your pickup. I drive an F-150 for work. Model year 2004, no recall notice rec'd on it .... yet. Best of luck on working things out w/ insurance.

I would be happy to see research on the subject of what part of the brain controls the ability to "plan ahead" and further, if diet can influence this ability in teenagers. I can attest that if indeed, diet may be a factor, Doritos, Cheetos, Lays Salt and Vinegar Chips either have no influence, or may even suppress the ability. My luck is that research will show that cooked, green vegetables contribute to the development of this ability.

I have used the Silva Ranger-type compass for almost 30 years, mostly for work but for recreation also. For Scouts, the Scout compass is an adequate starter and you can get decent ones for under $10. I bought my son a Brunton compass, very similar to the Scout compass but a little larger for $7. The reason I chose it was you could set declination.

The Silva Ranger-type priced where it is, might be gift appropriate at an Eagle Court of Honor (?) And by the way, these come in two varieties, 'bearing' and 'azimuth' Buy the azimuth variety.

On a related note: I attended a roundtable recently where there was a breakout session on compasses, maps and orienteering. I was a little disappointed in the lack of depth so I decided to write up some instructional material on my own and make it available to the District and Council. I'm at the point where a second set of eyes to review it might be helpful. If anyone would like to do this, they can contact me by the e-mail option and I can send them the material. Thanks.

I didn't read every single post so I might be repeating something already said. 1) To me, a 14 year old Eagle scout is questionable. Do they really have the leadership skills? I know, there are some 14 yr olds who are more mature ... 2) If the boys mentioned in the first post are ready to start, let them. The business about holding them back so it will 'count' on a HS transcript in nonsense. As a leader, I would want to see the boys do a meaningful public service project and at that young age I would wonder how much was done by the boy and how much by the parent.

Beaver -- you beat me to it!

Flags of Our Fathers is a book well worth reading. It briefly mentioned a Navy doctor in one chapter, it turns out this man was the father of a high school classmate of mine. The Marine Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery should be seen if you visit Washington, DC. Thanks for posting the message at the start of the thread.

How about sunflowers? Plant 2-3 seeds per pot.

To EagleInKY Thanks for posting the requirements. What a great badge! I'm thinking about the opportunity this could afford our guys to learn some objective facts about nuclear science (nuclear energy) vs the stuff they will pick up in the popular press.

I agree with eammonn's posting. It is important to lay out the expectations when they assume the job, so they know what is expected and what qualifies as fulfillment of the duties. This also enables the tailoring of the expectation to the boy's abilities or age. I have found, if you don't do this, the time period slips past and then you have a boy asking for the req'mt to be approved when he hasn't actually done much.

In our troop there is a correlation between parent involvement and advancement. The parents are pushing, slightly. Sometimes all it takes is for them to remind the Scout to bring his book to the meetings. It seems once they realize they are a few badges away from Star or Life, they get more motivated about seeking out counselors.

We've found that badges not completed at camp seem to take forever to complete, even when there is only one requirement left to do. On the merit badges, I think it is important to sit down with Scouts individually and through a question and answer session, help them establish a strategy for earning badges. Make sure they earn some Eagle badges while doing fun badges, etc. In the end, it is up to them, I think that is the way it was intended.

firstpusk, why is it you can't stand to have one of your bold statements corrected. Your implication was but for the vigilance of the Clinton administration, the millenium bomber would have gone undetected. I say, it was the good work of a customs agent. Do you expect us to believe that Customs has been less vigilant under the present administration? As to your Limbaugh rant: OK, I admit it we're friends. Actually, there is more. I write all his material and produce his show. I wish you well, firstpusk. Remember: ... friendly, kind, courteous, cheerful ...

firstpusk: Don't make assumptions about my radio listening habits. You attempt to associate me with a radio personality that some people hold in low regard as a way to dismiss what I say. Maybe you can examine one of your last statements and clarify it for us. You said Bush may not be the worst, but anyone would be better. If, as you say, "anyone" would be better, then isn't that the same as saying he is the worst?

He's not the best, nor is he the worst. Bob W is right, each president faces different issues, they can't be graded as if they've all takes a the same test. firstpusk says the Clinton admin "prevented the millenium bombing." If he is referring to the guy nabbed coming into Washington State from Canada -- the Clinton admin had nothing to do with that. Give credit where it is due: a Customs Agent who thought something looked fishy.

How many new oil refineries have been built in the US in recent (say 10) years. My guess is the number is zero or near that. This could be a factor in the price of fuel: limits on the supply side. Another item, I understand that when states such as CA and there are some others, mandate certain types of fuel additives it affects the refineries' production runs.

If it won't meet the criteria for an Eagle project it would still be worthwhile doing as a troop or patrol project and it would qualify for service hours for the participants.

I have little to add to these great answers except to say I agree with taking the mystery out of fire. It may be more than you want to undertake, but if there is a fire training center in your area, you might want to check it out. We have a regional fire fighters training center located a couple hours away. Our troop has gone there as a campout, and worked on fire safety merit badge with one of the trainers as the conselor (registered, of course). The boys got to see some actual training of professional firefighters. We are going back because it was one of the most popular outings.

Adrianvs has one of the more intelligent posts on this thread. I second his emotion. You people need to read the book he cited, Vision of the Anointed, by Sowell, to appreciate the concept of condescension on the part of liberals.

Benny Hill

Oz: I hope they are able to locate the koala. The native wildlife that will always be number one for me in Australia is ... the kookaburra. Please correct my spelling if wrong. I never laughed so hard as when a bunch of these got going one morning where we were camped, and they WOULD NOT STOP. That a bird could make that much noise, and make it sound as funny as it sounded, was amazing. Best Wishes.