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Greaves

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Everything posted by Greaves

  1. The memories of my time in Girl Scouts are stirring. I earned very few badges--mostly, only the ones the whole troop did. I also remember enjoying GS immensely. Tia, thank you for your program overview. I look forward to helping swimming-lesson-mom take baby steps towards the big step. She's an active & involved mom, and willing, but scared. I can help her feel less scared, now.
  2. The daughter IS on a waiting list. I was a Brownie when young enough and it stuns me that there's a need for a waiting list. Why aren't there enough troops for the girls interested? Thanks for the program specific information. I will pass it on.
  3. I'm a Cub Scout mom. Both my kids are boys, and I have a good handle on BSA. Today, at Eldest Child's swim lesson, a mother with daughters asked me about Girl Scouts--since I know "so much about Scouting." So I tell her that I only really know BOY stuff, not the GIRL stuff, but I reckon GSUSA does a lot of similiar things for supporting & training new leaders. Was I right? Does GS offer leader training regularly? Are there meeting suggestions? In BSA, I can find a lesson plan for the whole year, if I want it. Do the girls have something similiar? Her daughter i
  4. Janey-- Does he like doing the stuff? If it's still fun, then you're not overworking him. If it's some kind of torture to get him to do things, well, maybe back it down a little, or pick different things. Earlier in the year, the den probably worked more heavily on advancement stuff. With most boys in the den so close to completing, they'll be moving on to the electives and just plain old FUN things. In your shoes, I would print the Cub Scout Advancement record--page two (found here: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34-29-30.pdf ) and track what your son's finished, and
  5. Things we've done that went over well: Capture the Flag Kickball--kids against adults. Super fun. Fishin'. Our Cubmaster, couple years back, demonstrated fire building & had the boys compete in building a fire. The object was to build a setup for a safe one-match fire. {the adults handled the matches.} our council camp has an obstacle course that's also popular, & hikes are always a win.
  6. evmori: "Answer the question What type of example do you want set for your son?" My question is not about my family. It's about my Pack, and applying rules the way they're supposed to be applied, and running things the BSA way. The rule quoted says, "leaders," not "parents." I haven't taken any outdoor leaders training, and I want to know if there's BSA support for making the two terms equal.
  7. That rule says "adult leaders." Do you apply that rule when Mom & Boyfriend aren't registered leaders, and it's a family campout?
  8. Overall, Cub Scouts is definitely a family program. I'm the main Scouter in our house and my husband comes with us to Pack meetings and campouts. I go to Den meetings & am active in leadership (Comm Chr this year, Webs DL next ) In our Pack, it's probably 40/60, with "Dad" having a slight lead on "Mom". I know lots of people who think this is a great father-son bonding experience, and they're right. It's also a great mother-son bonding experience, too.
  9. So, I went to our council's PowWow last weekend, and it seems that lots of Packs are using PackMaster or ScoutTrack to manage the data. Our Adv Chr has been pushing/begging for something. I think she's right--it will radically simplify that job, and help the den leaders & parents get things accomplished. Does your unit use one? What's the biggest drawback? How can we "sell" this to the rest of the committee? Thanks!
  10. Eagle92 said: "Edited; I like the insaurance cards UNLESS the policy number si your SSN" Having worked the medical billing side of thing {mostly insurance follow-up) I can tell you nearly every insurance carrier has stopped using SSN as ID#s. They started changing after HIPAA was signed into law. The biggest exception? The federal gov't--that is, Medicare.
  11. man. I have tried to start thispost four times, and can't seem to get it right. Scouts are expected to be honest. Parents are expected to set the example for their children. Den Leaders are expected to have expectations. With this being the Webelos den, I would invite the DL for a coffee. I would want to know that he understands and feels comfortable directing the Webelos program. The DL is Akela for that group, and he should be confident that he has the final say-so(and that mom & dad are no longer the primary reporters of achievements) Having said that, is it possi
  12. I know there's a Tiger elective of "make a snack," but I don't see a comparable one in the Wolf book. . . .
  13. With 17 boys, there are AT LEAST seventeen parents available to draft--I mean, recruit--possibly 34. They are where you need to turn; speaking from my own experience, I didn't volunteer because the leaders looked like they had it all under control. When I was personally invited to help out, I was thrilled to have the chance. Seriously, you don't have to do it all.
  14. 17 Bears!! Wow!! That's awesome! And, I agree, too many for an effective den. If you don't have the leadership to create OFFICIAL separate dens, you can make "practical" dens. Y'all start off together for your opening, then split up into two (or three!) working groups. This is what we're doing with my son's Wolf den (13 boys, but some count double )and it's making a HUGE difference. Stuff gets done now. Draft parents to help--if they're unwilling to commit to long term leading, get them to take on a meeting. Parents are usually glad to help out if they're asked. We have a sign
  15. Well, I passed your suggestion along before you confirmed it; he already has a kilt. She's opting for a Bass Pro Shop gift card, which is like flowers for guys. (always appropriate, always appreciated) Thanks for your help, and I'm sorry I doubted you! :-)
  16. Why do I feel like you're not serious? :-) I told her that I thought the beads themselves were sufficient acknowledgement. Based on your oh-so-fashionable suggestion, tho, I told her to look at his patrol animal for gift ideas. Thanks for your help! (seriously, lol)
  17. I have a friend whose husband has completed his Wood Badge. Is this something appropriately celebrated with a gift or something? Without more definitive answers, she'll resort to "fancy cake" and call it done. . .but are there traditions out there we (meaning she and I) haven't learned yet?
  18. Welcome aboard! This place is loaded with helpful people and good advice. Have fun!
  19. raisinemright: "This year, we went to Walmart and got some cheap bowls. Printed out a Cub Scout logo and used some sort of craft glaze my wife has to affix the logo to the bottom of the bowl. She oven baked the glaze in to waterproof it. We put a thank you card and a packet of Cub Scout popcorn in it." Could you get more specific on this project? This sounds like a craft project we could use. (Ask your wife if she minds typing it out if you're not sure) What kind of bowls, glass or ceramic? What sort of glaze is it? I could go ask the staff at Hobby Lobby, but they can be very h
  20. My Pack gave adult leaders and committee members token gifts; a refrigerator magnet. The CC also had a printed thank-you note that resemebled an Old West "Wanted" poster. I felt more appreciated by the round of applause we all got, tho.
  21. I recently read a book, Boys Adrift, by Dr Leonard Sax. He's a pediatrician and psychiatrist. In this book, he addresses the lack of motivation that so many young man have to "grow up." One of the five factors he discusses is the overuse of video games, and that they supply easily defeated challenges, if you have the player's guide & cheat codes. So it is his theory that these boys are being conditioned to seek out these *easy* challenges, and to avoid the REAL challenges--like the ones Scouting provides. I'm not sure how much I agree with him, but it's something to consider,
  22. Annual dues at recharter, $45. In addition to Boy's Life, it also covers next year's handbook and neckerchief. We don't have weekly or monthly dues, but I sort of wish we did. Of course, my idea of what scouting looks like is shaped by Follow Me, Boys, and may not be accurate in this day and age.
  23. My son and I are the only Protestants in a Catholic Pack. We like it; my husband's Catholic, so this gives us a chance to spark inter-faith conversations. In our pack, too, religious awards are earned on "your own time," so to speak. The Catholic boys who earned the Light of Christ have the chance to have them awarded by the Bishop. It's a great chance to teach my son to appreciate the success of his peers. I wouldn't want the Den to work on it; my son uses a different booklet.
  24. Thanks so much for your answer. That was the sense I was getting, that there is no time frame in these loop & pin achievements. I was going crazy looking for it--I must have read the book a dozen times, trying to see it in there! And then I read website after website--which just quoted the book!
  25. So I'm this year's Achievement Chair, and I'm confused about the Academic & Sports Program. My predecessor told me that belt loop and pin work had to be completed in the scouting year--as in, "if you haven't completed the work to earn Art by the time you advance in rank, you must begin all over again." I read the book on Academics and Sports, and this question isn't mentioned at all. Also, I was told that all belt loop work must be completed *again* to earn the pin next year. Again, I searched the book, and found nothing to confirm or refute this position. Basically, wha
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