FScouter

The Troop Program Resources Book has a section with about 50 Scoutmaster Minutes. A lot of them are very good.

BobWhite - You mentioned the "Council Training Manual" and the "Council Training Committee Manual". Are you referring to the "Leadership Training Committee Guide" #34169F, or is there another resource out there? Some of the other "units of training" include Boy Scout Advancement Training, Merit Badge Counselor Orientation, Selecting Quality Leaders, Camping, Team Building, Rock Climbing/Rappelling, Survival, Backpacking, Cooking, Aquatics, and Topping Out.

We have several Scouters in our district that "look like sausage stuffing hanging out of the casing." They wear their civilian pants that look to be about 4 sizes too small, with their belly hanging out over the belt so you can't see their belt buckle. Those pants fit better and are more comfortable than uniform pants?

Thank you Mr. Steele. When I was a young kid, my parents would not let me play with toy guns. And they would not let me play "army". All the other kids had guns and played "army", but not me. 40 years later I understand why they took such a strong position. Killing other people was not a value they wanted to teach. And I don't want my kids to learn that killing people is OK either. Killing people is not a "value", and Scouting doens't need that.

I take that passage to mean that only 16 year old Scouts may drive, and 16-year-old non-Scouts may not drive. Membership has its perks. I also interpret that a troop event is considered an "area" Boy Scout activity. It doesn't make sense that a 16 year old driver is allowed to drive to national events, Venturing events, regional events, and area events, but would not be allowed to drive to a troop event. The safety factor in driving doesn't have anything to do with the type of Scouting event that is taking place or the driving destination, so it would not seem logical to interpret the

It's interesting how different folks read the same passages and interpret them to reach opposite conclusions. I'm reading the part that says "a youth member at least 16 years of age may be a driver" and don't see any exceptions having to do with trailers.

Praise be to Arnold. Our last governor sure mucked everything up. Now, finally, the budget will be balanced, waste in government will be ended, the economy will get fixed, the car tax will go away, schools will get the money they need, there will be plenty of cheap electricity with no shortages, Indian tribes will start paying taxes, and there will be jobs for everyone. Sure hope he can get it done in the first 100 days. If he doesnt, well that will either be because his predecessor screwed things up so bad they can never be fixed, or because the legislature will monkey-wrench all his effo

On the health history form, parents are asked to disclose any condition that may affect the participation of their boy. When they complete the form and hand it over to the unit leadership, certainly they expect that the leadership is going to read the form and thus be informed. Were breaching our responsibility if we dont read those forms and keep informed and up-to-date. I see liability issues if Mom provides information about her sons medical needs and the unit leadership chooses to ignore it, claiming confidentiality. Medical information shouldnt be public knowledge, and should be

Sure, on the right pocket as a temporary patch.

Any Bell System telephone, manufactured by Western Electric.

The "official" word on the new handbooks: "Boys who become Webelos Scouts after August 1, 2005, will be required to use the new Webelos Scout Handbook. For a more complete statement about the new books: http://www.scoutstuff.org/misc/news.html

There's no need to fret over how to define the uniform. It's defined quite clearly on page 12 of the Boy Scout Handbook. Confusion results when the troop or its leaders attempt to redefine what BSA has already defined.

A Philmont trek is so cool. Every boy should have a chance to go sometime before he turns 18. The boy just doesn't really understand what a Philmont trek is all about. There is a recruiting video you can probably borrow from your council. Show that video at a troop meeting and you'll fill your trek and have a waiting list.

A group of boys makes up a den. The den has a den number. The same group of boys continue to be in the same den with the same den number as they move through the program. When a den moves from Wolf to Bear, or Bear to Webelos, the boys aren't changing and the den isn't changing, only their rank is changing. I'd keep the same den number.

The new coil bound handbook is available now at the Scout Shop. The new binding will allow the book to lay flat at any open page. In the old book, with the paperback binding, pages would fall out and get lost when the binding breaks. The new coil binding should end that problem. The big downside is the cost - $20. Does anyone know if there are any updates or changes to the content, or is the binding the only change from the paperback version?

In our troop, we consider money in boy accounts to be used for the benefit of the boy, as long as the money is used for Scouting purposes. If a boy goes to another troop, the account would go with him. If he quits Scouting altogether, the money would stay with the troop. Your council isn't going to get involved to settle any disagreement about money between two troops. As long as you are not violating the guidelines for money-earning events (outlined on the back of the Money-Earning Application) your permit is not going to be revoked. If some overzealous "district officer" were t

Mike Walton is very knowledgeable and experienced, but Ive learned to take what he says with a grain of salt and look it up. He has a way of sometimes stating his personal opinions as facts; facts that cannot be substantiated in the BSA publications.

Patrol leader in not the only position available for advancement. He could serve as scribe, librarian, historian, instructor, quartermaster, among other positions. Boys are appointed to these positions by the senior patrol leader. Boys should not be assigned by the Scoutmaster. Not to step on toes, I think it would be proper for your son to approach the SPL about his interest in a position, and for you to ask the Scoutmaster to "clarify" what you read in the Scoutmaster handbook.

Less dangerous watermark detection methods: Naptha, lighter fluid, Freon, commericially available "safe" detection fluids, electronic detector (expensive), strong back lighting (limited effectiveness).

Carbon tetrachloride can be used to detect watermarks on stamps. A small amount is squirted on the stamp. It wets the stamp making it easier to see the watermark. It completely evaporates leaving no residue and does not damage the stamp. Other safer methods are available to detect watermarks.

Start by wearing the uniform correctly yourself. Then encourage your Patrol Leaders' Council to hold periodic uniform inspections. We did one last night and gave a prize of a new orienteering compass to the boy closest to being perfect. Oddly enough, or not, the winner was the new kid that turned 11 last week. He reminds me of the boy in the Norman Rockwell picture, "Can't Wait".

Mr. FatOldGuy: The epitaph on the dead mommys gravestone: But I told him the difference between a real gun and a play gun. You go ahead and teach your child the difference. But be sure you also teach him that pointing a toy gun at the wrong person can get him killed. And I dont just mean by cops in uniform.

Mr. Acco40: You are absolutely dead wrong. There isnt any difference at all. Whether the parents taught the child to point guns at people, or allowed our society to teach it, the result is the same. The mommy is still dead.

That reminds me of another story about the guy that got shot down by the Sheriff. He was drunk and pointed a squirt gun at the Sheriff. Ed, I pray you're not teaching boys to point squirt guns at cops.

Ed, and some of the others: Apparently you didnt hear about the 6-year-old boy that pointed a gun at his Mommy and said BANG, YOURE DEAD. He was right. He killed his mother with his Dads handgun. Whose fault is that? Its Dads fault for leaving his loaded gun out. And its both parents fault for teaching their child that it is OK to point guns at people. So you people go right ahead and argue about the wording in the Guide to Safe Scouting. I am going to use the common sense that God gave me and teach the boys in our troop that it is NEVER, NEVER, NEVER acceptable to point a gun o