fred8033

I'm disgusted. Now I can't pretend to be 100% perfect. I've had two cases where my sons were not with me when we needed drivers to drive kids home. In one case, I dropped two kids off at one scouts home and the other scout's parents picked him up from there. In the other case, I dropped off the youngest scouts first and dropped the oldest scout last. But depending on "who", I may not have risked that as I want to protect myself as much as the scouts. ... With that confession though, I get really scared when I hear excuses and tricks to game the system: ---- Waitin

BSA doesn't block other organizations from forming. But they do protect their trademark property ... as any company does. So if you want to do similar things under different rules, just don't call yourself Boy Scouts or generally any combination of Scout and Boy. Try other names like YMCA, Outward Bound, 4H, Camp Fire, Woodcraft ####, Awana, Rangers, Young Pioneers, Pathfinders or one of many other organizations.

Cool. Thanks.

Just curious what happened to the forums over the weekend. I'd post this in the forum admin site, but I don't have permission there.

Kudu... Thanks. Your site and links are very interesting. I will definitely use them as a reference to think and learn. "Traditional Scouting" is misleading. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Scouting It is not "BSA" scouting and it is seems defined by the whim of those talking about it. But then again, I forget that everyone on this site does not necessarily promote BSA scouting. "Experts" on this site are often promoting another scouting program or vision. When I hear "Traditional Scouting", I think Cubs, Boy Scouts and Venturing without Learning For LIfe. Others hear

I apologize. I did not mean to start a debate on how to structure patrols. We've been there and done that. With that said ... Kudu wrote: "Still, the goal of Traditional Scouting is to have the Troop's most mature Scouts serve as Patrol Leaders for as long as they are the best natural leaders." I always fear when people talk of "tradition". Usually, "tradition" reflects unit or individual traditions that are not defendable by what BSA currently publishes and often not even what BSA published in the past. "Tradition" often means what some units do but not all units. "Tradi

Side note ... I don't think that you need an older scout to be an effective PL. Older PLs have an advantage because they are older, but I also think it's a hinderance to them and their patrol mates because they don't experience leading their piers. IMHO, the PL's that learn the most and the patrols that grow the most are the same-age patrols. But that's me. I know others have other opinions.

It's hard to advise without having been there. BUT ... -------------------------- DE-ESCALATE - The best SMs de-escalate situations. It's not good to take a relatively minor incident and formalize it into a corrective action. This sounds perfect for an informal sit down and chat. -------------------------- Treat as a grain of salt the comments of other ASMs / parents. Act on what you see and hear. Use their comments to alert you, but act on what you are sure happened. Way too often, I've found others misunderstood or only saw part ... OR are trying too hard to convinc

No

Well.... We had our annual fall join scouting night. We are a very healthy pack who has recruited 20+ cubs each year. The school district changed their policy this year to not send home flyers with the kids. Last year, we could send one home. Now, none. The result, five new cubs. Pack across town got seven new cubs versus 20+ last year. If this continues, I'm not sure our pack will be around in five years.

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I've been reading this thread, but fairly silent as I've been traveling without a good keyboard. ... I'm in this Forum for strong, good debate; to learn and to get to understand the opinions of other scouts and to hopefully share my perspective too. I fully agree with raising and debating virtually any topic. In the original thread, I tried not to insult as much as to raise my main frustration. I fully believe Merlyn LeRoy / Brian Westley is not here to "participate". He's here to "manipulate". To advance his agenda. ** And *** his agenda is advanced by damaging discussion this fo

My experience is that friendships are priority #1 to most kids. I'd find a way to leverage it and not fight it. If they are going to spend time together anyway, let them be a patrol ... if that's what they want. http://scoutingmagazine.org/2012/04/how-scouts-friendships-strengthen-patrols/

Merlyn_LeRoy - Yeah, shame on you. You just want to create ugly hatred. You know that too. Because that hate helps your goals. You just want to hide behind the dirt. That's shameful.

Beavah - Your right and everyone understands what your writing. The problem is that it doesn't help Merlyn. He has a political agenda and his agenda is served by muck raking. Stirring hatred and bigotry. It always says alot for an agenda when those advocating for it do it by damaging others. Merlyn - Shame on you.

Merln, Honestly - What's your goal? Do you want BSA's youth protection standards to change? Here they are. What do you want different? http://www.scouting.org/Training/YouthProtection.aspx I honestly think your working a separate political agenda by stiring hatred using old news against many many very good volunteers. Your demeaning others using one old topic in the hope to pursue a totally separate topic. That's just not intellectually honest. And I think that's low. You can disagree with a belief or a policy without belittling or causing hatred against so may w

$40 per year, every year. Covers registration, boy's life magazine and some pack costs. Scouts get next rank book in May. New scouts buy their own book when they join. The majority of the budget is covered by our fundraiser.

I've seen packs handle it two ways. - Charge full year dues with the reasoning that the pack is paying for more advancements and recognition for the graduating Webelos. - Charge half year dues with the reasoning that advancement cost is spread out over time. Either is fine. Just find your reasoning and be consistent over time. My issue is that 2nd year webelos tend to be the most expensive rank; followed by 1st year webelos. So by charging partial year dues, you are having lower ranks cover the cost of the webelos advancements. Generally it would equal out over time EX

Northern Star now has a new page. The old "inclusiveness" page re-routes to this one. I'm sad that Northern Star was pushed to change their policy. BUT ... I'm not sure if the policy was changed as much as re-written to be not so in-your-face defiant. http://www.northernstarbsa.org/aboutus/leadership/leadership_standards.aspx(This message has been edited by fred8033)

I also help on the district level and have helped put a few event budgets together. Not a huge number, but a few. I'm not an author of the budget, but I've helped. They are approved by the council and require a X percent mark-up to cover when other events (other districts or council) over-run their budgets. A good example is an event that purchased several thousand extra patches that they couldn't use. The theory is that the events will wash out in the long run. A few comments - Districts can buy supplies that can be used later such as flags, poles, equipment but usually only

I've been in this debate for at least the last five years. Districts have costs but no budget!!!! If you have a camporee, the profit goes to the council. The district can't carry profit for later use. As already discussed --- Crafts, reproductions, etc Other Costs --- District awards (District Award of Merit, Distinguished Unit scouter, plaques, etc.) --- Supplies (napkins, plates, etc) The result is that many volunteers donate both their time and their money. (This message has been edited by fred8033)

churning out paper woodbadgers ... LOL.

Stealth advancement? I always thought that most of what scouts do can somehow be tied to advancement. Camping counts toward the camping merit badge and to rank requirements. Creating patrol menus, aquiring the food and cooking on the camp outs can be just to have a good camp out, but can also be used for rank advanement and the cooking merit badge. Preparing for a canoe camping trip can contribute to the canoeing merit badge. But the scout still needs to contact and work with a MBC to complete the rank requirements as published. One of the challenges we've alway

Peregrinator wrote: "Why would you have to ban them for adults if you have to ban them for youth?" To not be a hypocrite.

During our annual planning, the scouts choose six topics that span two months each. Usually, they choose from the Troop Program Features (BSA pubs 33110, 3111, 3112) because then they can use borrow / modify the contained meeting plans. We've never used one 100% unmodified, but it's a starter. http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/33110.pdf http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/33111.pdf http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/33112.pdf I only mention it because each topic includes documnted "advancement opportunities" both for rank and for merit badges. Also the program featu