GopherJudy

Sorry about the death of your grandmother, even though "it's expected", it's still a surprise when it happens.

Regarding the adult who stayed in camp, I think his behavior is rather childish. You did a lot of work going around to meetings, etc. while that person just stayed in camp. Granted I'm sure that gets boring but still in all, you deserved the recognition & award.

Regarding homesick scouts! Having had one last week I know about this! My son who is a new scout & went to his 1st summer camp was homesick & worried about me even before I left camp. His SM talked to him & I was able to leave to go home. It was very upsetting to see my son cry like that. He called me Monday night & cried for me to come & get him, I told him he'd regret coming home now & to stay the whole week, that he would be able to do that & That I'd be ok. He was better by Wednesday & when I picked him up on Saturday he greeted me with a big hug & kiss & told me he was glad that he stayed. I attribute my son's change in homesickness was that his SM talked to him & assured him that he'll be fine & realized that during down time when my son had time to think, that's when he got homesick, so he kept Mark busy during down time. Also, one of the older scouts, talked to Mark, told him that he had gone through the same thing when he was a new scout, that he got through it & so will Mark. He really helped Mark out a lot when they didn't have "classes" & saw the difference in Mark after a few days. The older scout also said that Mark's eyes lit up the day he got a package in the mail from me! I know all the boys are different & probably react to homesickness differently. I would say for homesickenss have someone (the SM, ASM or older Scout) assure the boy that he'll be ok & to enjoy camp. I think an older scout might work better in that the new scouts might believe them better than an adult. Hopefully the older scout will be able to "hang out" with the new scouts to make them feel better. Don't let the boys call home, it makes it worse. I think also having a parent send them something to the boy at the camp via mail helps too. Good luck for next year!

Regarding meddling parents, remind them that they're not there to babysit their son(s), they are there to assist when necessary. To stay back & let the boys learn & if they make mistakes, they'll learn from their mistakes. Also, that "tattling" is rather immature unless it's a life or death situation.

Judy

mmhardy,

thanks for the explanation of "WWJD", as I said, I never heard of it before.

Judy

Joeleeper & EagleInKY,

Thanks for your answers! I asked my son Mark & he said that had 2 adults (1 leader & 1 adult volunteer) in camp! He's not sure if this was at all times since he was at his "classes"!

Judy

If I've offended anyone with my posts regarding this topic, I'm sorry, as that was never my intent.

I feel that whoever enters this country illegally should be deported. I was just saying what is happening here on Long Island & the "house cramming" of illegal aliens, the county officials are going after the owners of these single family houses for tons of violations including the amount of people living in the house. Those houses are unsafe when you have 40 to 50 or more people living in them no matter what race the people are.

Again, I never meant to offend anyone & I apologize if I did. Take care.

Judy

ASM59

EEK about the Mom! No wonder the boy thought it was ok to wear that jacket! I guess the parents don't have any brains! I hope that someone mentioned to her that she shouldn't be walking around in her underwear!

Scoutldr,

My son knows that camels have humps, he watched "Barney" as a baby & toddler & knows the song "Sally the Camel"! I wasn't too happy of him learning another definition of Hump as this scout was talking about "humping his girlfriend". My son didn't need to hear this at the age of 10.5, I know he'll hear & learn it one day but I would prefer it be when he's quite a bit older!

mmhardy,

You posted "For example...if I came to camp wearing a shirt that said "WWJD...be an orthodox Jew" I'm certain that there are some who's head would spin while others see it as point of absolute truth." To be honest with you, I have no idea what "WWJD" means? If you could clue me in so I'd understand your post better I'd appreciate it! thanks!

Judy

Eamonn,

Relax, you came here legally! So did my husband, he was from England & we had to go into the city (NYC) several times to Immigration with tons of paperwork. I remember we had to catch a train around 5am so we could get to where we had to be by 8am. The train ride was around 1 hour & 20 minutes but that took us to Penn Station, we still had to take a subway & a taxi to get to INS!

It doesn't matter what country you came from but if you're sneaking over the border or whatever & coming here illegally, you should get deported. I'm not saying that every one coming here illegally is a gang member but quite a few are. There are certain groups concentrated in certain towns on Long Island & you hear about the drug busts & gang members being arrested. The crowding of illegal immigrants into single family homes on Long Island goes from Nassau County to the end of Suffolk County & I was surprised to learn about gangs (don't remember if it was the Bloods, MS-13 or the Crips) living & dealing drugs in Greenport! In fact if you ever heard of the Guardian Angels, a group started by Curtis Sliwa back in the 70's I believe, they rode the subways to try & prevent crimes & muggings, etc. in the city. The mayor of Greenport is talking to Curtis to have a branch of the Guardian Angels in Greenport because of the gangs & drug dealing.

On my mother's side, my great-great grandparents came from Ireland, Holland & Germany in the early 1880's, my other ancestral group was already here, the Native American, Blackfoot tribe in Montana. My great-great grandfather, who was from Holland, was a gun-runner & rum-runner to the Native Americans & that's how he met his wife. Yes, we all didn't start out in this country & yes the Europeans did take land away from the Native Americans but many helped them too!

BAck on topic again! I think that if they really cared about coming here, they would use the proper channels, like INS & come here LEGALLY! This is for all people who want to come to the US, not just certain groups; it's just that you hear about certain groups more than others.

Judy

Here's the link to an article in today's Newsday regarding illegal immigrants. You could probably check out others by clicking on archives.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-lifarm0720,0,6044432.story?coll=ny-li-bigpix

Judy

sorry you have to copy & paste into browser, I thought it would come up as a "link thingy".

I don't understand this either & any topic about illegal immigrants really gets me started! First, all illegal immigrants should be DEPORTED immediately, they are tearing apart this country & bringing it down. I'm tired of seeing signs, especially at DMV, Social Security, etc, in English & Spanish; it should be English only! There are certain areas in Suffolk County that if you go there you don't feel like you're in America, most of the people in the town are illegal immigrants.

I don't know if you've heard of "the Farmingville, Long Island Incident". Where 2 men told 2 illegal immigrants that they had a job for them but took them to an empty warehouse & beat them up. I don't condone that but, if they weren't here in this country illegally, that wouldn't have happened to them. There are a lot of illegal immigrants there & across Long Island & you have about 30 or more men waiting on a street corner to be picked up for work. They urinate wherever they feel like it. There are single family homes with 20 to 40 men living in it, there's garbage all over the place, they urinate & deficate in the backyard of the house they are living in. Property values are going down. Their kids go to school but they don't pay any taxes! Some "brain sturgeon" came up with the idea that Suffolk County should build a shelter for these illegal immigrants to wait to be picked up for a job! Excuse me but I don't want my hard earned tax dollars spent to build something for people who are here in this country illegally! That shelter wasn't built & I'm glad. A house that's about a 5 minute walk from my parents' house burned down about 6 months ago! Why, you ask? Because about 20 or more illegal immigrants were living there, in a single family house & who knows what they did. This house was always there, it was one of the model homes before my parents moved here from Brooklyn in 1957. I cried every time I passed the house & thought what the hell is happening to my town & my country. It's being brought down by illegal immigrants. Also, they bring their gangs here too! Now the gangs are moving into the area where I live, they hang out at the Smithaven Mall & other places so I don't even want to go there, especially at night. The illegal immigrant problem & gang problem has gotten worse here on Long Island, even as far as Greenport, on the North Fork of Long Island. Yes, we have people who feel sorry for them & trying to get them legallized which I think is wrong. They need to be deported & as soon as possible.

I remember watching "Dateline" & they had a piece on our borders & that pregnant women who are about ready to deliver their babies, walk across the border, the baby is delivered in America & considered an American citizen! That child can go to school here, the parents don't pay a penny for the education of their children & I think they get healthcare here too! This is so wrong. Those babies born here like that ARE NOT American citizens! Someone in the government better get to work on this border problem before America goes down the drain.

MY grandparents, my father's parents, came over from Norway in the 1920's, went through Ellis Island & whatever else they had to do. They didn't have anything handed to them, they worked for everything. They learned English by listening to the radio & reading the newspaper, they didn't have things made extra easy for them by having all documents, etc. printed in Norwegian just for them.

So back to the original point, if they're "Illegal Immigrants" they are in this country illegally & should be deported the government shouldn't be helping them to stay as it only encourages others to try & sneak into this country.

Judy

I'm glad that your troop wants to do this, I think this will be very beneficial for both the Webelos & the Boy Scouts! I would talk over with the DL's what Webelos activity badges and belt loops/pins that the boys have earned & plan it around what they haven't earned or have started to work on. If they haven't done the Outdoorsman, Forester, Geologist, Naturualist, Readyman, Aquanaut (depending on the weather & time of year), to name a few, you could have the boys work on them! The Boy Scouts could teach the Webelos knots & lashings, how to pitch a tent, how to start a campfire, how to cook (they could do foil cooking). Go on a nature hike, take them to try fishing. Make sure that the Webelos do for themselves as much as their age & ability & the G2SS will let them because this will prepare them better for Boy Scouts. At the campfire all the boys can sing & do skits! You have endless possibilities to prepare something that the Webelos will have a lot of fun AND learn new skills & earn badges, etc. & prepare them for Boy Scouts. Good Luck! Let us know how it goes!

Judy

My son started as a Bear & they worked on Belt Loops and/or Pins at den meetings & the stuff that was done at home at to be brought in, like a poster, they did a family tree, etc. The den went bowling, we went fishing, they played marbles at a den meeting, so depending on the belt loop and/or pin, they did it as a den at a meeting or an activity but they did them together. The only times they didn't do it as a den is during Cub Express because some boys, with a parent or buddy. would go to different stations & earn different belt loops.

I think you have the right to ask the boy what he learned & to share it with the den if you don't think he really did the work. It's not fair to the other boys that he receives loops he hasn't earned & it's not fair to the boy if he receives loops & Pins that he hasn't really earned; it teaches him the wrong that.

At the last Cub Express in October 2004 we had one boy who "went & did" every single activity. Each boy is handed a card that has each station # & as they go to each station & complete it, that # gets punched or signed. They also receive a list that states what requirements each stations covers - belt loops, Wolf or Bear Achievements & Webelos Activity Badges requirements. Well, this mom, who causes a lot of problems when her son joined our den in January 2004, punched & signed the requirements that her son didn't do so his whole card was completed! How do I know this? Well, I had collected the cards from the boys & she didn't give me her sons til a day or 2 later. As the AWDL I was going over them to figure out what each boy completed & earned so I could show the DL & then he could give that info to the Advancememt person. I checked the cards against the 3 boys who I know wouldn't do that since they were with me & I noticed that the punches & signatures were totally different on that boys card for the same thing on my son's card & the other 2 boys. I spoke to the DL who's also the CM & explained things to him & which ones they were & he told Council to show & ask them some things & that boy only received credit for legitimate punches & signatures. That boys parents are nothing but troublemakers, they had left another pack because it "folded" & the reason it folded was because of them!

Also, this boy is only in 2nd grade! I seriously doubt if he did all that. I would really keep an eye on what this boy does & as not to single him out, have all of the boys talk about what they had to work on in front of the den or show what they did - poster, collection, if they made something, demonstrate a skill, ect. Good Luck with this parent!

Judy

Hops

Have a great time! I hope that the weather is good, not too hot & humid! Take care!

Judy

There is a time & a place for everything & at scout camp or any other camp where there are young children, inappropriate clothing shouldn't be allowed. That goes for too revealing or for inappropriate pictures, sayings etc. You'd also think the boy's parents would have said something about not bringing "that" jacket!

My son went to Spring Camp & learned a new word - Hump & I'm sure you know how the word was used! He never heard that word before! He was in 5th grade & he didn't really need to learn that word. Older teens should really watch what they say around younger children. My son had gone to camp without his troop, so he was with boys he didn't know. I has asked him what other words he learned & I told him never to use them!

Judy

As long as you don't start arguing with yourself you should be OK! I often have great conversations with myself too!

Here's a "peace" flower to give to yourself!

@---->--->---

Judy

I've never heard of this rule but I do not allow my son or any of his friends ride in the front passenger seat but it's for other reasons! I believe in NY State the law requires or recommends I'm not sure which one, that all children 12 & under have to ride in the back. I also have a front passenger airbag so that's another reason the kids ride in the back, it's too dangerous for them to sit in the front in case the airbag goes off. Actually I would like to have the airbag disengaged in the steering wheel as I'm short & sit rather close to the steering wheel!

Regarding the 3 seat pick up, I would assume that you'd have your child in the middle!

As in the case of the van, depending on the laws of your state (the age that that a child can sit in the front) & if there's a passenger airbag I would have an older child sit in the front passenger seat since most of the time they are taller & don't have to sit so close to the dashboard!

Here on Long Island we yelled "shotgun" too! Me, I always needed to sit near a window! I always need the window open while I'm in a car, even if the A/C in on! I need to hear the window open so I don't feel enclosed!

Judy

Can you blame it on the heat & humidity? That's what I say when I have problems thinking or anything for that fact!

Jduy

Kristi,

I'm so sorry to hear the answer that you were given & you have every right to be angry. I don't know why they were used as centerpieces in the first place, whoever thought of that was an idiot. It's a real shame.

Judy

Dan Kurtenbach said it perfect, nothing to do with the uniform at all, just the way a teenager thinks, if that's possible! I'm trying to remember if I thought as a teenager but that's too long ago! LOL!

I keep telling Mark that if he wasn't in scouts he wouldn't be doing the things that he's doing (camping, hiking, cooking, going to different places, etc) & learning what he's learning if he wasn't in scouts.

My head hurts too much so I can't think any more!

Judy

Trevorum,

You did a great job! I'm sure it made the boys in your troop feel proud & to be proud to wear their uniform.

Judy

Ed,

Thanks! I could not figure that one out, must be the heat & humidity!

Judy

This thought just popped into my head while I was playing a game of Bounce Out on Yahoo. That's probably why I lost at the 4th level!

I remember in 9th grade, school year 1971-1972, this one boy would wear his Boy Scout uniform to school once in a while. The hat was the flat kind back then & he had it tucked in his belt. I don't remember anything else really about the uniform. Now, I remember some of us (me included) teasing him about wearing his uniform to school & saying what a geek he was. Actually, he was a geek no matter what he wore, he was that kind of kid. I'm sure that if a non-geek scout wore his uniform to school, he would have been called a geek! In elementary school, at least back then, it was ok to wear your scout uniform to school & your weren't a geek. BUT, once you hit junior & senior high, you were & were "asking for trouble" if you wore it! Translates to - getting picked on. I think this is a normal teenage reaction & still prevails today. The only difference I would say is that kids are crueller at an earlier age today so I don't think a scout should wear their uniform to school even in elementary school. I wore my Junior uniform to school in the 6th grade a few times & so did other girls from my troop!

I remember being very proud to wear my uniform when I was younger. I was only a Cadette for 1 year (7th grade), the troop didn't do much & I was too shy back then to say anything. I tell my kids that they should be proud to wear their uniforms to troop meetings & other scouting activities.

I think the uniform is important because it does identify you as a scout. I don't really understand what the problem is. My son has been in scouts since the 3rd grade, what was the uniform for Boy Scouts like before the uniform that is out now? I hope that made sense! Maybe for camping & hiking the pants or shorts could be an olive color denim, would that be better? My son did have green jeans & no, not Mr. Green Jeans from Captain Kangaroo! ;)I found them at K-Mart & green happens to be his fave color! They were a dark green. Would something like that be more useful for camping? Just an idea!

Still, it could be just the boys, especially as teenagers maybe "asserting" themselves!

The tatoos posts "killed" me, I laughed so much! But I do have 1 question - what is a POR? Thanks!

OK, I must go & do something else now!

Judy

Sharon,

Thanks for your answers too! I hate to see Mark spend all his money on snacks! I'll talk to his SM regarding money the boys have & about letters from home! Thanks for the suggestion of small bills, I'll make sure I get enough of them before he leaves.

That sounds interesting the "Build Your Own Program", good luck with your own "First Class Adventure"!

Thanks again for your suggestions, I appreciate them!

Judy

ljnrsu,

Thanks for your post! Mark has already earned his Tenderfoot so he'll be doing the Second Class rank advancements. He's excited about earning his Totin' Chip & Firem'n Chit, I reminded him that is was a privilege & a responsibility & he's excited about doing archery & rifles! He was so glad to hear that the showers are private & so was I! At least he'll be clean!

I'll send frozen bottles of water & some not so frozen for him to drink! I'll have to try 1 of the milkshakes before I leave! I'm glad that I'll be allowed to tour the camp too! Mark is a picky eater so if he's not going to eat dinner one night, than I guess a milkshake will be ok, at least it's not carbonated & make him burp!

Do you work at the camp every summer & if so, what do you do there? Thanks again for you answers!

Judy

Matt,

Welcome! You sound like a very busy young man with your studies at school & other activities! Good luck with them! Regarding church history, are you going to be studying just the Episcopal Church history or all church histories?

I clicked on your links & I am sorry to hear that you were bullied by other scouts at camp after you publically acknowledged you were gay. I think the leaders should have disciplined those boys who did that to you. There was no reason for it at all.

Judy

You're welcome Trev!

Hopefully you'll get dollars instead of pennies. I'm sure if it was in your garage at the time that Ford would have said it was the garage's fault! At least you still have your house & garage, good luck on the oak tree.

Judy

My son Mark will be going to summer camp for the 1st time on July 17th. The troop is going to No-Be-Bo-Sco in New Jersey for the 1st time, apparantly they always go to Yawgoog in Rhode Island. Do most troops always go to the same place for summer camp every year or do they go to different places?

Now, do all troops go out of state, out of council for summer camp & if so, is there a reason for that? I'm just curious! My son has camped at our in council camp, Baiting Hollow as a Webelos Scout, did Webelos Woods there (obviously!) & has visited for the day as a Webelos Cub Scout, local Boy Scout troops in our area.

At this camp they have a program called "First Class Adventure" for new scouts up to & including those who haven't earned First Class rank. Do most places offer a special program like that for the new boys to work on rank advancements & a few merit badges? They recommend Basketry, Leatherworks & Wood Carving for the boys in this program. I went on the camp's website & found the schedule for this program, they just put it on at the end of June & I showed it to my son & he was very excited about it! To those of you who are experienced in this, what does your troop do & what does the camp that you go to offer for new scouts? Is this the normal thing for new scouts?

Also, how are the new scouts with showering at camp? Do they give the SM or other adults a hard time about this because they don't want to shower in public? Are most of the showers private? I know if it's communal, my son will not shower & I wouldn't blame him! I hated that part in gym when I was in junior & senior high! I took activites that didn't require sweating like ping pong!

Also, are the boys allowed to bring their own drinks & snacks with them? I was going to freeze quite a few 6 oz water bottles for Mark to take with him so he'd have nice, cold water to drink & wouldn't have to go to the camp store & be tempted to buy soda!

How about writing him a letter? Do any of the parents do that? Does it make the new scouts more homesick?

He has the checklist of what to bring & we'll be going over that to see if we have to go to the stores to get anything else. He's got a backpack & a daypack & merit badge books for the crafty badges.

If anyone has any suggestions, ideas, etc. I'd really appreciate them! Thanks!

Judy