Gonzo1

You got OFS, CRS, BTW, LOL, IMO, IMHO, CBS (as in chicken, beef and sausage - a good Chicago wedding reception favorite), NBC as in NBC, PDQ, XYZ, PX, etc. After a while, it's alphabet soup.

Sorry FScouter, That thing is not a boonie hat, despite what the catalog says. Go to any Army surplus store and you'll see a better selection, in olive drab, about $10, a little silicone spray later, and you got a perfect hat. (IMHO) By the way, I never really liked the current ball cap either. Too much red in the front.(This message has been edited by Gonzo1)

It's too bad when someone gets the rules in advance and then can't follow them. Next time, have someone hold up a car from last year (really this year) and point out the features required and the inspection process. You could hold a "How to build your car clinic" and remember to involve the boys (and siblings) by allowing them to operate the stating mechanism, and/or have some other activity like a mini loop-a-rama for them too. Gonzo

I agree with john-in-KC, A boonie hat is perfect, You can roll it, fold it, water-proof it (with camp dry) and it still looks good. I'd go with the old green ones too. I like my expedition hat also. But, i also wear a boonie.

Beavah, Ed, SR540, I agree, I'll observe and only comment if there is a flagrant safety issue involved. OGE, I'm not sure, I haven't been to this property before, I haven't camped with this troop before, so, I don't know. The COR is a friend, the adults seem nice, here in the South, we call 'em "good ol' boys". The troop trailer for hauling gear is one that has a kitchen in it, once used for selling food from, kinda like a "roach coach". I plan on tent sleeping, just seems right. Prairie, You're not off base, but I'll be interested to see what happens. It's one thing to

Thank you to all of you. You know, the best thing I find in the forums is sound advice, kind comments and usually confirmation of pre-existing thoughts and ideas. thanks, G

A potential problem with having more uniform options is that "uniform" goes away. It's hard enough to get Johnny in green uniform pants and now they want to throw in a different shirt? With T-shirts, Brian fave, the red polo, the tan shirt now this new shirt, but only for otdoor stuff. Someday "Johnny" will show up in the wrong "uniform" and say 'but I didn't know', no one called me. The other one is in the laundry, my dog ate the tan shirt, etc. I we keep changin our uniform, we'll look like a mob.

Which resource does your troop PLC use to do planning? Woods Wisdom or Troop Program Features? Which do you like best? Is one any better than the other? I sometimes refer to old handbooks, how about you? I appreciate your comments. Gonzo1(This message has been edited by Gonzo1)

I was on the phone today with a friend of mine who is a SM in town. He congratulated me for my son crossing over to another troop 2 weeks ago. His troop, say Troop 2 has a fine boy lead, outdoor oriented program. The troop my son joined is getting there, let's say Troop 3. SM friend was talking with some of the scouts in Troop 3 at a local event recently. He warned me today that the scouts in Troop 3 like to burn bamboo (found in the area) because it pops and they like to put cans of beans or corn in the fire to watch it explode. He said the same boys mentioned that the adults who c

Sounds like grandma is in serious need of training and perhaps a few campouts at home, i.e. not with the troop.

I'd have to say that as a boy, it would have to be backpacking at Philmont. As an adult, either my woodbadge experience or my son's cross over to boy scouts.

Trying to get cub scouts to march? You'll have better luck herding cats!

When Webelos visit, try to capture contact info. Have the SM and/or CC send a letter to the parents. Have the SPL send a letter to the scout. A phone call before the next event is helpful. Once they visit, assign a "sponsor" to the scout and adult like mentioned above. Stay in contact.

My son just crossed over 2 weeks ago. He visited a couple of troops, I went with him. I also asked the adults and older boys of the troop at our church, but that troop said they combined the 2 patrols into one and was mainly adult led. When I told my son of my findings, he decided he didn't want to be in a Webelos III den. He joined the newer, less flashy troop, fairly boy led, the committe is open to suggestions. I joined as ASM working with the PLC to improve boy leadership and planning. My son basically said he felt more welcome in this troop, sometimes the boy just knows w

Tough question, though OGE is right. I'd go to Camp Freeland Leslie, Oxford Wisconsin, though it's owned by Three Fires council in Illinois. Central time Zone. Excellent program, archery, rifle/shotgun, waterfront, usual badges. PATROL COOKING!!!!! Riesen's restaurant was nearby. One of our adults would sneak out and bring in some fresh apple pie for a treat, yummy! I suppose if I had only one camp to go to, I'd personally like to go to Brownsea Island or Gilwell.

Lisa, Brrr, what part of the country are you in? I used to live near chicago, so I know about the cold and winter camping. G

The classic example of a business at the most basic form is a lemonade stand. Supplies are needed, marketing of some type, inventory, costs, receipts, (profit and loss), etc. While a lemonade stand may be juvenile for older scouts, maybe mowing lawns might be a good example.

Rather than re-inventing the wheel, why not obtain clothes already on the market? REI, columbia, Fleyrs (from Sam's Club) etc. have active wear that people use. I recently bought a pair of shorts at Sam's with lots of pockets, olive drab/dark green color, some elastic in waist, fits well, takes a beating, washes well without shrinking. The only thing missing is a small BSA logo somewhere. Same could go for a shirt. BUT, and here's the but difference: keep the patches the same size, they are already made this size, don't waste money on all new patches. Therefore, return to the old

Lisa, It still gets cold in Georgia. It was in the low 30's when the AOL ceremony took place. We had an ice storm last week and the schools closed for a day.

The Navy calls it geedunk, the other services call it pogey bait.

SSScout How about an American "Attaboy!" too. Eamonn, did you say "Jolly"? Cheers, now there's a new thread waiting to be spun. Whatever happended to cheers, the Class A clap, Class B clap and Class C clap, watermelon cheer, etc. Gonzo

So what's the protocol for an adult leader who is an Eagle Scout, been ASM, SM, UC and then becomes a Webelos Den Leader. He's been to Fast Start, YPT, IOLS, Scoutmaster Fundamentals, Woodbadge, but hasn't been to BALOO? Obviously, the other courses are more in depth than BALOO, so now what? This guy isn't BALOO trained, but has everything else that "supercedes" BALOO.

LongHaul, I finally found my old handbook. It says in the 8th edition, pg 87, requirement #4, "Earn any one merit badge." 9th edition got watered down, no merit badge and only 1 skill award. Gonzo

Almost every unit has this resource available. They are called VETERANS. Also, if your town has a reserve center within about 50 miles, there will likely be a reservist who lives in your town. Contact the unit, ask to speak with the unit commander or senior enlisted advisor (as the title varies by branch of service) and most units would be more than glad to have one or two young people help out. For a little more excitement, ask if you can bring your unit to them on their Drill Weekend. Clearly, you won't be drilling there all the time, but it would be fun for your scouts. If you go ther

John-in-KC, I'm not talking about allowing 8 legged monters, I'm talking about stringing up a rain fly.