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gcnphkr

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Posts posted by gcnphkr

  1. Adults are not elected, they are nominated.

     

    From the website:

    Adults (age 21 or older) who are registered in the BSA and meet the camping requirements may be selected following nomination to the lodge adult selection committee. Adult selection is based on their ability to perform the necessary functions to help the Order fulfill its purpose, and is not for recognition of service, including current or prior positions. Selected adults must be an asset to the Order because of demonstrated abilities, and must provide a positive example for the growth and development of the youth members of the lodge.

     

    Who does the nomination depends on the unit and district. For the troop I serve, the COR and our OA adviser consult with me and we choose one or two candidates that we believe will be of aid to the youth. For us that often means adults with a son in the OA that can help with one of the ceremony teams. There are years we do not nominate anyone. Note that the are not being nominated in recognition for past service but for their ability and willingness to help in the future.

     

    Once the adult is nominated, the lodge may choose not to accept the nominee into the lodge.

  2. As other have said, it will vary. In the unit I work with for a scout that goes to everything it would work out about like this:

     

    Registration, dues, Boys Life, FOS, etc. $75

    Uniform: $0-$100 (a new shirt is generally not needed every year)

    Summer camp: $150 - $800+ (We do 3 each summer, doing them all would add up. Next year we are going to Alaska, so make that $1000 for next summer)

    District events: $24

    Council events: $0

    Monthly Campouts (10x): $200-$300 include transportation, meals, entrance fees, etc.

    Camping equipment: 0 - many hundreds. Overall my son's 7 years it totaled about $300. Say about $50/year.

     

    So all told it runs about $750/year. Some manage at about $500 and others may go over $1500. We have multiple fundraisers and enough in the bank to help anyone that is still short and needs some help.

     

  3. I would much rather see a scout or scouter in scout pants or shorts and the troop t-shirt than one in the scout shirt and jeans. The former is in uniform, their activity uniform, while the later is not.

     

    This does seem to be the preference of older scouts. Rank is more important to younger scouts, so they like the shirt for the patches.

     

    One thing that irritates me more than a scout in jeans is one in those basketball knickers or a Hawaiian print swimsuit. I don't care if it is summer camp, Hawaiian print swimsuits do not go with a scout shirt....uuuuggggghhhhh.

  4. Perhaps lax standards result in desperate times.

     

    At some point people need to start setting an example and expecting it to be set.

     

    As for the OP. I don't see a problem with the SM trying to get them pants. The old SM was out of line in several ways, most importantly in undermining the current SM. The current SM should have set expectations when election was set up. On the other hand, I don't think it is unreasonable to expect an election team to understand the need to wear a proper uniform.

     

    As for a the lack pants being "normal and acceptable" for any unit...I guess it isn't any worse than the other seven methods being optional.(This message has been edited by jet526)

  5. >>>and the problem isn't with the boy, but the scout leader

     

    I can think of no reason that a scout leader would be involved like this. Is this a parent?

     

    >>>they cannot be left alone where they are building for their safety and the safety of the animals around them

     

    Then the scout needs to understand this and plan accordingly. This is your organization's project, on your organizations property. If something goes wrong it will be your organization that is left responsible.

     

    >>>if it doesn't get completed soon he will have to miss this batch of eagle scouts and join the next one

     

    The unit's traditions are not your concern. Having a half completed project is. The scout needs to complete it because he made a commitment to do it.

     

    >>>We have done many projects with the scouts, and enjoy doing them, but this one seems different and more of a problem then a help.

     

    Is this a different adult from the other projects or is he just behaving differently? Except for making sure a new organization understands the parameters of an Eagle project and a call at the end to make sure that everything went will, the unit and its leaders have no real part it in except as labor. This is the scout's project. It might be worthwhile contacting the unit's Scoutmaster and having a friendly chat about the adult interference on this. Hopefully he can get the adult to back off. If not, you have the option of politely telling the adult that you are only going to deal with the scout.

     

    Who provides the materials is dependent on the agreement made with the scout. In my experience the organization provides the materials if they are materials they regularly use. When these are not materials in the organization's inventory then the scout typically provides them. For example, the city will provide the paint for painting over graffiti on city maintained property or rip-rap for erosion control. But the wildlife rescue facility will not provide the material to build a fence around an enclosure so the scout finds a way to acquire them. Of the 25 Eagle projects I've approved as Scoutmaster and the dozen or so I've reviewed sitting on Eagle Boards I have yet to see a project where the scout was reimbursed by the organization.

     

    I take it that the scouts have provided materials for prior projects.

  6. Eagle92 -- Thank you for the correction.

     

    shortridge -- I wish it was just local restrictions. However, I have noticed an increased avoidance of the use of fires even when the restrictions are not in place. A scout can go through his entire time in scouting, including earning Eagle, and never light a fire. It may take a while, but I can easily see a future with no campfires without adult supervision.

  7. I also think this is just the start. There will be definitions what "present" means (and it will not be 300').

     

    I'm trying to rent three sites at the council camps for about 30 scouts in order to get the separation. I keep getting push back of "These sites are really big. Any of them will handle your troop." The idea of having this much separation is foreign to the professionals.

     

    Chemical fuel (including propane and butane) is only to be used under adult supervision. Alcohol is prohibited as a fuel. While not yet actively discouraged, the use of campfires is becoming more marginalized. Look for that to be prohibited without adult supervisor soon.

     

    Swimming and other aquatic activities require adults supervision.

     

    Soon hiking will be added to the list.

     

     

  8. This really messed with my class on implementing the Patrol Method at University of Scouting on Saturday. Instead of being able to lead with "How many of your patrols go camping on their own without adults?", I had to go with "How many of your patrols go hiking on their own without adults?".

     

    Even that created looks of shock. "You mean a short 1 or 2 miles don't you?"

  9. Other than cuts, scraps, cactus and dehydration. We have had one broken arm (I believe he was running and fell) and one numb-skull scouter that went sledding and ended up with compression fractures of L3 & 4 plus the coccyx. And let me tell you, after 4 years that coccyx still hurts.

     

    The main item that I've considered having the troop purchase is an AED. $1500 is a chunk of change, but with an aging scouter population along with the risk of a cardiac event in the scouts from an injury (a ball to the chest can stop the heart) it may be the best $1500 that we hopefully would never use.

     

    We have an EMT that comes on about half of the activities. We also have people with WFA, an RN and a cop.

  10. Our troop has offered 3 summer camp opportunities the last 3 years and will do so again this year. As a result we have about 85% of our scouts go to camp, with a few making it to all three. This is while troop meeting attendance are at a low of around 55%. Prior to this we ran about 60% participation with only 2 summer camp offerings.

     

    But the only way we can do it is by being a large unit with many volunteers willing to go to summer camp.

  11. For a bit of the counter view. I've long been opposed to any rule that is not included in the kit.

     

    The only modification not covered in the kit rules that gives a car an unfair advantage is when dad goes out and purchases a set of professionally matched and machined wheels. If it is a real concern then eliminate the wheel issue entirely by adding a single rule that wheels will be issued at race time.

     

    The modern axles need very little work and most people doing it at home end up making them worse.

     

    I personally think that a scout experimenting with wheelbase, weight distribution and even modifying wheels is a good thing. I do tell the boys in the troop (yes we still race on occasion) that if they show up with a set of machined wheels they need to bring a picture of them using the lathe with which they did the modification.

     

    If the council or district uses special rules then you should use the same ones. That way the cubs do not risk being DQ at a district or council event.

     

    Finally, if the pack has been using these rules then tell the complainers to pound sand.(This message has been edited by jet526)

  12. Inflation is a funny thing, it all depends on what you are measuring. The CPI tries to average it based on many different things, but using it to determine what something would cost today, or a long time ago is fairly useless.

     

    For example. If you were to base inflation on the price of gold or a loaf of bread then that uniform would cost about $280 today. On gas, about $130. On an entry level car it would be about $67. Based on the cost of a long distance call it would be under $3. Based on the computing cost in instructions per second, around $0.000024.

     

    In 1970 a basic men's suit would have run about $35-40 dollars, now about $350-400. Yet a pair of Wrangler jeans only went from $10 to $20 in those 40 years. So even in clothing the inflation adjuster just doesn't work.

  13. infoscouter is correct. Almost all garment manufacturing has been sent off shore. Most that are left are either highly specialized or are not really manufactures but finishers. Even when the fabric is made here it is shipped out to manufacturers in other countries.

     

    This is actually a good thing.

     

    If this was a bad thing then it is also a bad thing for silicon wafers to be manufactured here in Arizona instead of there in Kansas. Clearly that takes away jobs from you. Of course when you do that then Arizona has to increase its light plane manufacturing capacity. Soon we will have "Buy Arizona Planes!" campaigns. Before long every town, village, hamlet and home has to make their own light airplanes, silicon wafers, horseshoes and stone axes. Division of labor is why we no longer have 90% of America working on farms or making flint arrowheads.

  14. Moostracker.

     

    Yes, elected members-at-large are voting members. Different districts will handle that differently. That is why Hawkrod needs to know who is a voting member. If the district is one that all the commissioners and various chairs are elected then it will be much harder than in a district where there are few at-large members.

     

    Even then, a group of angry CORs should put fear into any key three.

  15. What exactly are you trying to accomplish? If it is simply prevent them from holding district positions then you and the CORs from the other effected units just need to go to the next district committee meetings and make this part of the agenda. Don't allow the DCC to adjourn the meeting until it has been discussed and a determination of the committee has been made. I have a hard time imagining 3 or 4 CORs showing up at a meeting to discuss this not being taken seriously. There is nothing to prevent this. The chair cannot say, "We discussed this at the arbitration and the matter is closed" unless the majority of the VOTING members of the district committee present agree and vote to adjourn.

     

    In my experience, most of the people that attend district committee meetings are not voting members (although they may think they are). Voting members are CORs, the District Committee Chair and Vice-Chairs, the District Commissioner, ELECTED district members and council committee members that live in the district. Often the various district positions (Advancement, Training, Roundtable Commissioners, etc.) are appointed, not elected positions, and have no vote. To be successful here you need to know the rules and be able to show them as well as know who is who on the committee.

     

    You mentioned that the DE asked the committee to document the issues. Was this the district or unit committee? You also implied that the DE is supportive of your efforts. He should know the other units that has issues and can help get their CORs to the meeting.

     

    Note, this is a BIG DEAL. It could make you many enemies and you still might not get what you want out of it. You need to decide if it is really worth it to you, the unit and the district.

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