Gutterbird

Last year, our troop had several fundraisers to purchase all new tents. It has been our policy that at the end of a campout, if the tents are still damp from dew or rain, that a scout will take the tent home to dry. The scout AND the parent have been briefed on this policy and asked to please lay the tent out to dry that same day and return at the next troop meeting. On occasion we get a tent back with a little mold due to the tent not being dried thoroughly. This past week, we opened a tent to use and there was a significant amount of mold on the tent. So much mold that the tent is unusable. The prior campout was very dewy and apparently this tent was not dried by the scout or parent! We need to address this issue. How do other troops deal with wet tents and does anybody know how to clean mold from a tent?

I was suprised to still see reply's after a year. I had to go back and read my original post because I forgot what is was. Long story short, we have stayed with our original CO. A meeting was held with the church, there is a new executive officer and COR. They both have been great and we now have 100% support from the church.

Thanks for all the great ideas. We went with the church option and found a church near Madison that will let us crash in their basement for the weekend. For all those troops that have used churches in the past, let me ask you this: Come Sunday morning, did your troop stay for their Sunday Service as a good gesture or did you just pack up and head home? We will plan on staying and placing an offering during their collection, I'm just curious what other troops do.(This message has been edited by gutterbird)

Our troop is planning a ski trip in Feb to Cascade Mountain, just south of the Wisconsin Dells. We want to make a weekend of it and are looking for a place to camp. Preferably cabin camp since it is still winter. We were planning a Boy Scout Camp near Janesville but they are booked solid. Any Ideas?

Here is my situation, I am a scoutmaster for a troop, committee chair for a pack, and advisor for a crew. Granted, not all those positions by choice. The crew advisor just up and left without a word and I felt bad for the kids so I stepped up. For the troop and pack, at one time I was running both because of a lack of leaders. Two years ago we found a cub master but she left, last year, we got a new cub master but one of the den leaders did not like her and forced her to leave due to the headaches caused by this den leader. This den leader then stepped up to the top position. Fast forward two months, a decision was made to find a new charter organization due to lack of support. Everybody agreed and we met with another church in town that was willing to meet our needs and support us 100%. We moved forward with the arrangment for the move, however, this same pack leader changes her mind and no longer wanted to change organizations. So we put everything on hold and discussed the issues. So, here we are at the same organization because she did not want to make the move, which is fine. However, here's the kicker, now she is quitting the pack and all the other leaders are pissed. She and her husband kick and scream about making the move, now she leaves. It is to late to make a move now due to telling the other organization "never mind". We have one week till recruitment night and I have been getting phone calls all day from other leaders wanting to know what's going on with the recruitment and the start of the pack year. I did not realize nothing has been done to prep for the year, so I took the bull by the horns to get things going and get things ready for recruitment. I have been accused, by this leader and her husband, of overstepping my boundaries and being to controlling. I only over step my bounds when I get calls from den leaders needing to know what is going on because the cub master failed to call them. The pack only has me for a committee and I am doing my best to now run three scouting units!! I know we are only volunteers but how can anybody just say " I wash my hands to all of you and I quit". How do you face the kids you are leaving and the other leaders that you have thrown all this on? I guess I am just being the fall guy because nobody else wants to volunteer or fulfill the obligations as leaders. No other leader wants to step up. We do have the COR and the district helping us out. I am just lost for words and frustrated over the whole situation.

I did talk with the boy and his mother, I did tell them about both units and what each one has to offer. the mother was asking me for my recomendation, it is a tough call, it would be truly up to the boy as to what he wanted to do. I just wanted to see what others thought.

We have both a Venture Crew and a Boy Scout Troop, we have a new scout wanting to join either unit, he is 16 years old and will not make Eagle if he chooses to go into the Boy Scout side of the house. So, what do you think, join Boy Scouts or Venturing? What is everybody's thoughts?

All that sounds like some good ideas. Maybe I can get the SPL to officiate a renewal of the vows and I can rewrite the vows to make them scouting vows. I also plan on calling ahead to a local resort about getting some roses.

Here is my situation, this summer we are taking the troop on a 7 day camping trip to the Canadian Boundary Waters. The same week of our trip is my 20th wedding anniversary. The wife is going with us on the trip, since she is a Committee Member. Since we really cant be alone on this day, I have been trying to think of some celebration I can do boy scout style but coming up blank. Anybody been in a similar situation? Any ideas?

Thanks for the input. Our final destination are the boundary waters on the Canadian/US border straight north of Duluth. I am thinking we will take 94 to Eau Claire then head north towards Duluth and the boundary waters.

Our troop is heading up to northern Minnesota in a few months for a week of camping. It will be a multi-day drive for us and we are needing a place to stop for the night. We're planning on the Eau Claire Wisconsin or Rice Lake Wisconsin area for the overnight. Does anybody know of a camp site where a group of about 25 scouts and scouters can camp for the night in the above listed area's? I have also heard of church's opening their doors to scouting units for the night, any thoughts? Any help or ideas would be great.

John-in-KC - "What do YOU think your chartered partner is not doing, according to the annual charter agreement?" Bullet points 3 and 4 "How did you invite your IH/COR to attend? Letters, email, personal visit? Have you talked with your unit commissioner about this?" We have made personal visits to the CO AND sent formal invititations for Blue and Gold. Unit Commissioner? What Unit Commissioner? BSA24 - We fall under your first category, we are pretty much use the facilities and get them to sign whatever needs signing. However, one of my goals is not only increase the size of our troop, but to increase the size of the scouting community within our city. I want to bring scouting back into this community which at one time had 2 troops and 4 packs. Now we have only one of each. I may be wrong, but I think that having a CO that will support the current troop/pack, provide the leadership necessary, has a good reputation with the community, and is willing to provide the resources necessary, will allow us to expand scouting throughout our community. Case in point, I was vital in getting a Venturing Crew started. I approached an organization that was well known throughout the city. I talked with their director, brought in the DE and a council suit, got them on board as a CO. They have been an active part of the Crew ever since, taking a real interest in the program, providing the support needed to grow. Gives us space in their newsletters, and lets us have fundraisers on their property. This is what I am looking for with the troop/pack. I would like to use this same CO for the troop/pack. But they do not have the space for all of us. I do not think the current CO even knows what their obligations are. I have talked with them before and we all feel that the troop/pack is being held back due to the lack of a strong CO.

Our CO is a local, non-denominational church who is basically a CO on paper only. The COR, a minister, is there only to sign the paper work, (recharters, adult apps, etc.). We have invited them to numerous banquets and COHs and Pack Meeting but never come. When we have fund raisers we ask if they can put it in their weekly bulletin, they dont. They even told us we are on our own to find our own leaders. The only support they give is the use of the rooms and gym. I will say, they have been very accommodating when it comes to the use of the facilities. I would like to find a new CO. I have another church in town that does have the faculties and they want a troop/pack. They have had one before but it has failed because of lack of leaders. Now they can have two ready made units. I strongly believe that this church will give us support; in addition, this church has an even greater presence in the community than the current CO. So, are we, the troop and pack committees, within our rights to seek out a new charter organization. How do we approach the current CO regarding this issue? Has anybody ever had a similar situation? Any advice?

So where do we buy the ALPS brand tents with the 45% discount? Website? Thanx

Did a little research and found a couple tents that may work. One of the things I was looking for was an enclosed vestibule so the scouts can store their gear and park their shoes outside the tent. In addition, we need to keep the cost around the $100 mark per tent and plan on purchasing 10 - 12 tents. The two we found are: Coleman Hooligan 4 http://www.coleman.com/coleman/ColemanCom/detail.asp?CategoryID=11070&product_id=2000001591 Coleman Trailblazer http://www.coleman.com/coleman/ColemanCom/detail.asp?CategoryID=11020&product_id=2000000281 Does anybody use these tents? If so, how do you like them? Where did you purchase them from that gave you a good price? Thanx