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Precooked bacon, ham, leftover cold cuts from Saturday's lunch.

There are a number of possibilities. For starters, youth see things differently than adults. It could be the ballot. I've seen three different types of ballots and they get different results, especially if there are a lot of candidates. Ballots that require the scouts to write out their selections tend to be the smallest with the most well known being selected. I'm guessing that is your method. Ballots that list the scouts in some set order tend to favor the scouts on the top of the list. I've not idea why this is the case. We started making randomized ballots. This

The JASM generally eat with the patrol, although they are welcome to eat with the adults. The SPL and ASPL generally eat with the adults. There are times they don't like what the adults are having and will go off to beg from the patrols. On occasion they will eat with their friends in their home patrol.

I'm a bit surprised at how many are ready to throw the ASM under the bus. After speaking with the various ASMs, SPL and PLs it was fairly minor stuff. The scouts had known they had for several weeks that they were staying late to clean up. The ASM used to send parents an email regarding what the patrol was doing, but the scouts asked her to stop that a while back. They all said they had let their parents know that they were staying late. Chances are some either did not make this clear, or the parents forgot and looked at the permission slip for the return time. Simple mistake, easil

Talk with your COR, explain the situation and determine what needs to be done. One thing you need to determine, why was he made the CC when there was a "blow out" when he was selected? There must have been a reason he was installed despite objections. What has changed that now makes it so that the people that were not listened to last year need to be listened to this year? Then the two of you should sit down with the CC and be frank about the situation. If the two of you have decided to remove him then thank him for his service and install your new CC. Hopefully you know who that wi

Have you discussed this with your Charter Org Rep? This is really his responsibility.

Generally at camporees. Typically at summer camp it is an honor system, "Was your unit in 100% uniform at evening flag 4 days this week?" At camporee they have scouters inspect a patrol in another unit. Points are deducted for things that are wrong. I'm not sure how consistent people are.

BadenP. I feel secure in my ability to handle the situation. I posted it for a couple of reasons. First, I wanted to make sure I was not over or under reacting to various aspects. That is something that is difficult to do from within an organization. Between writing things out and reading your responses I think I have a good handle on it, not much different than when I started. Second, it was a bit more interesting than most of our usual complaining about how National is trying to ruin scouting, the BSA's inability to make an affordable and practical uniform in the USA, what the heck to

Each of the 6 patrols has an ASM assigned to coach the patrol leader. Okay, two patrols (NSP and Venture) have JASMs and not adults. It is a common enough structure that it is on page 16 of the Scoutmaster Handbook. This particular ASM is more hands-on than I like. She would say they need the added involvement. It may be that the ASMs need to be changed, although they are initially chosen by the patrol. I try to get them to chose an adult without a son in the patrol, but it doesn't always work that way. This is one of those patrols. I'm fairly certain that the ideas of doing the flag reti

tmmw4, I get the impression that you were not on these campouts. I hope that you went to retrieve your scouts and did not make the scout leaders return them to you. If you did the later then you should not be surprised if the leaders do not want your son to come camping with them. Even if the former is the case, this can cause a problem with the unit. "Johnny got to go home, why can't I go home?" Now I find that not allowing him to come camping is extreme, although I could see requiring a parent to come along. Have you spoken with the leaders about all of this? If they gave a

Beavah, I'm the SM, I guess that is why it is my concern. I don't think that the other ASM's are whining because their "little darling's patrol didn't win". One's son is the ASPL and did not compete, the other's son is in the patrol where its members were practicing for the Call Out Ceremony. The ASMs where just letting me know how the event went. On other occasions something will happen at a campout that I am not aware of and when a parent then talks to me about it I am clueless. How the Spirit Award is determined is a mystery. It certainly does not involve input from the unit

I received the information 2nd hand from other ASMs. That, and the parents that called me wondering when their sons would be back. I doubt if the people that did the inspection asked if everyone was present, they generally don't. I would be surprised it 25 or more patrol would have know to give their okay. One of the troop's patrols had half of their scouts practicing the OA Call Out. They just played the games as best they could. You make choices, sometimes that means you don't win. The patrol wants to be together. They choose which patrol they are in. I would be very reluctant

This weekend was the district camporee. I was unable to attend. One of the patrols did the following: At morning assembly, had one scout hide in camp as he did not have his uniform for the inspection. Skipped the afternoon games, to practice a flag retirement ceremony for the campfire. Instead of doing this they played, threw rocks and made a dutch oven dessert for that contest. Their ASM was on camporee staff and arranged for them to get full points for the games they did not complete because they were working on the ceremony. Laughed and talked during the flag retire

Gunny2862: "It's a curse having such a big trailer because it's easy to get into car camping and not taking those coll backpacking trips AND you limit the number of vehicles that can pull the thing." You've got that right. We don't take it on backpacking or canoe trips.

Our troop own our 4 trailers.

We have a 7x14 tandem axle cargo trailer with electric brakes. We installed shelves made of 7/8" angle-iron and plywood. It holds the troop and patrol gear for nine patrols plus adults. There is room for about 110 gallons of water when we need to haul it in. This gear includes 10 chuck boxes, stoves, lanterns, propane, 2 16x20 canopies, patrol dinning flies, axes, saws, rope, charcoal, tables, etc. The tables are old folding tables that had the tops replaces with expanded metal and are used to hold everything in the shelves when we are on the road. There is a small solar panel on it that

acco40: "instead a basic discussion on our assumptions of what we expect out of our government is in order" I wonder if this can even be done any more. Most of what has passed for philosophy in school for the last 50 years has been so skewed by progressivism that very few understand the liberal foundation of the nation. Start to discuss the issues with "positive rights" and people start getting confused and either blow up or shut down.

evmori: The point is that you make the choice to purchase from a store and pay the tax or not. PackSaddle: "What I see is someone who seems just to have discovered the problem and seems to think no one else has." If 20+ years is "just" then you could be right. I "shout" about it because our fiscal policies, are wrong, both economically and ethically. The problem is people just take government action as the way things are and do not bother to ask if it is the way they should be. Just because people "have long ago decided to let circumstances dictate the terms of the outcome" does not

>>> The only way to avoid taxes on purchases is illegal. Come on, you know that is just not true. In most states private party sales are not taxed, generally the exception are only for purchases of registered items like automobiles. In many states used items are not taxed. In areas where food it taxed, you can either grow your own or purchase it is a place that does not charge the tax. In some jurisdictions Internet purchases are not taxable as long as the retailer does not have a physical presence in the area. There is some question if the use taxes that 22 states are

>>> All taxes are involuntary. Not exactly. Should a person choose, it is possible to not ever directly pay a tobacco tax, gasoline tax, highway toll or property tax. While more difficult, they can also avoid, and certainly can minimize sales taxes, duties and tariffs. Generally the inconvenience of accomplishing this adds additional costs so that a person is better off just playing the tax. While it is possible to avoid payroll taxes, it is very difficult to do so legally unless you are very rich. >>> That doesn't make them wrong or illegal! I never said

You will have great times with your son. Yes, it can be bitter-sweet watching him grow. There are times I miss that little Wolf. But as I look at the young man he has become (he turns 18 in June) I just marvel at him. Enjoy your time. Go to what you can and enjoy the ride.

>>> No, it's not. Go check your dictionary. violence: an act of aggression (as one against a person who resists) What do you call throwing a person into prison? >>> In a civilized society, we have to follow the rules. Our rules are set by our chosen >>> representatives. Nearly 100 years ago, they chose to adopt the federal income tax, >>> even putting it into the Constitution. Is capital punishment not violent? Is war not violent? Just because something is legal, and maybe even necessary does not make it non-violent or even right. F

How am I "profoundly ignorant about the Fair Tax"? It is a consumption tax is it not?

In general: What role to the Dads play in the Troop if they are not leaders? They may go on campouts, become merit badge counselors, join the committee, be a help. Just going to the meetings can make a big difference for a scout. There will always be those "I don't want to go, I just want to hang out at home" nights. Most of the time if you say, "I'm going anyway" it will help him get over whatever it is that is causing the lake of motivation. Are we expected to seperate ourselves in favor of letting the Patrols run themselves? Yes, at least in many troops but to varying ext

T2Eagle: "This is the view I dont understand. We have somehow come to believe that we dont have to pay for our democracy, that somehow taxes themselves are an evil thing levied upon us by ignoble forces they are not, they are rather one of the cornerstones of democracy." There are taxes and then there are taxes. Initially the Federal Government was funded mostly by tariffs, user fees and property taxes of various types. Being voluntary, these forms of taxes tend to be readily self limiting, which is why, until the establishment of the income tax, government taxation and spending was mostl