hendrickms24

Well a Scout is Thrifty. ; )

"Never? I really don't expect them to do this. They refuse to come out with knots on spruce green and THEN go after the people who do make knots on spruce green."

I really don't understand this train of thought. I look at the scouter knots like a military ribbon. They Military does not change the colors on the ribbons so they can match the uniform color. All the knot colors make up which award the knot represents.

Mark M.

Nick,

When you become an adult leader get trained. You may know more then most of the Adults your training with but you will learn thing that Adult leaders do behind the scenes like Tour permits and more.

Mark M.

I took JLT back in the late 1980s are they not doing this type of training any more? I've just got back into the Troop level and forgot about JLT until now.

Mark M.

Have the scouts work on belt loops or electives for their badges.

I have done this in the past and its work very well. If you have enough leadership available you can even divide up the scouts by age group and work on their specific requirements.

I think the troop number should be Hot Pink with white numbers. ;-)

Ft Frederick State park is another great place to camp and is approved in Mason-Dixon Council, and the NCAC approved my tour permit but I made sure to write on the permit that it was an approved Cub Scout site in MDC.

"And yes, I understand that most of them are W2DL because their son is in the den. But if we say that we are in it for the boys, that removes that argument."

Sorry but in my option that complete Bullhockie! I was a Den Leader for five years and was down right tired and burned out. I kept telling the boys and the parents that they needed to get X, Y and Z done so the boys could earn the AOL. Well they still would not get it done no matter how many times I told them. So who fault is it that Johnny was not going to bridge over with their friends? ME? I don't think so but one thing for sure I was not going to just hand them the badge so their feeling would not get hurt. Boys in general need to learn that life is not easy and if they want something they have to work for it. Cub Scouts is just as much a family program as a Den one so don't throw the blame just at the DLs. I told them that the last Den meeting was X date and everything needed to be done by then. Heck the boys had 18 months to do all the requirements by time the last den meeting took place. So should I have stay for another 6 month for the boys that could not take the time on their own to do the rest of the requirements? Sorry but no way!

"Not letting the Scout cross over to me seems like a pretty good way to encourage them to drop out. "Sorry, you can't do Scouts equally with your friends for the next three months. We really want you to stay in Scouting, though."

Yet again bending the rules so John will not drop out is just as silly! Should Eagle be give to John when all his friends earn it to insure that he will not drop out at that point too?

SAINT GEORGE is the Adult Religious award for the Roman Catholics.

The Boy Scouts awards are Ad Altare Dei which is designed for 13-14 years old Boy Scouts. The Pope Pius XII designed for Venturing Crew Members and Boy Scouts 15 years old and older. So they are not limiting it to just Venturing Crew Members. I got this straight off the National Catholic Committee on Scouting web page. This committee is in charge of the Roman Catholic awards so I would take their word over anyone else. I have only seen one person with the Pope Pius XII award but think that has to do with the age group it's for. Most of my friends and I really did not care about awards at age 16 and older! We stayed in scouts for the camping and a place to hang out with our friends.

"If National and the Supply Division keep going they way they are, the only way a lot of us going to be able to survive in the future (and many of us fear that it is the not-too-distant future) is by operating Troops that look like the one Lem Siddons ran in the first 3/4s of "Follow Me Boys" (i.e., non-uniform dress, etc.)."

If your troop looks like Lem's troop then your doing just fine. I think your making a big deal out of nothing. Just the way I see it.

Mark M.

Did no one else notice that the scout rank was not included? I don't like the new ranks and think if they wanted to do something special they should have added the something like the100 year ring that you can put around the World Crest instead of the wording. My Troop is new and does not have any extra rank so if the boys don't like the new rank they will have to earn a rank as soon as it turns 2011.

Lone-Scout,

Your opinion of veterans that have problem are the same as the US military. They are some how not man enough or are not real good soldiers. That's not true and that's why they are not getting the help they need. Many Soldiers and Marines coming home from the current wars are committing suicide by an alarming rate but the press or the government is not letting the country know because Veterans that have medical and mental issues are not worth the money to get them help. Veterans benefits are always one of the first things that cut from the budget and always will. In today's wars there is no front lines. My old army buddy was a signalman in Iraq but went out on patrols just like the infantry. More and more men and women are seeing combat then in wars before so we are seeing more mental problems. So don't make blank state about veterans with problems.

Mark M.

My question is would the issue be the same if the church men's club was meeting in the same building with the GS troop?

I really don't think it is a problem.

Mark M.

Eagle92,

Your statement is interesting but I have never hear this before. Where do you get this information from? I'm sorry but I never believe anything unless its from an official document. I guess, this comes from me being in the army for four years.

Mark M.

After thinking about this issue, I realized that I did not get to wear my Webelos badge for more then a month before I became a Boy Scout. I'm going to sew my Webelos badge on my adult uniform tonight. My only question is should I also sew on my Bobcat since you have to earn the Bobcat first before any other badge can be earned in CS?

Mark M.

Eagle92

I agree with you and think that majority of the BSA units out there are going to have some huge problems about training if BSA does not do something about the training records. When I looked at my unit Roster provided by council it had down that no adults were trained and I was fully trained before the my troop was even formed. I was a Cub Leader when I got all My SM training so I was a registered Scouter. I guess the Transfer part of the Adult application is just a waste of time to fill out.

Mark M.

Do you think that would increase its cachet any?

Short answer! NO!

"Shoulder epaulets came to military uniforms sometime around WWI to provide a place for smaller size commissioned officer rank, vice a host of rank insignia systems. They also gave a place for the trooper to identify his regiment. There is no need for them in Scouting at all. Period. They are decor, not utility. They should go away. "

John-in-KC not that it matters but Epaulets have been on uniforms since the War of 1812 if not earlier. Their original purpose was to keep Accouterments that soldier wear in the proper place.

" 'Course, the Muslim Troop I Commish won't do left hand shakes anyway, so we do right hand and it's alright... "

The left hand shaking issue is not done for ethnic reason not religious. If your from the middle east and Christian you would not shake with the hand you wipe with either.

"I know it's pretty close to the WWI Doughboy uniform?"

It is very close to the WWI US Army uniforms. I read a story a while back that lots of poor scout would just use their Dads or a family friend's old Army uniform.

"Am I the only one that picked up on this last part? Mark per the ACP&P guide already mentioned parents are expressly PERMITTED to serve as MBC's for their boys. There are several places in several publications that specifically state that a parent MAY counsel his or her own son. I think for the most part most parents choose not to counsel their own sons, but it is OK to do so as long as the parent is a registered MBC for that merit badge."

BrotherhoodWWW,

One of the main reasons I don't want to be a Merit Badge counselor for my own son is I tend to be a lot harder on him then other Scouts and / or other children. I was his CS Den Leader and he was always one of the last scouts to earn the badge we were working on due to me being so hard on him. Was being harder on him the right thing? When I look back at I'm not that sure but I know that I would still do the same thing today. So I will not be his MBC.

Thanks for all your help,

Mark M.

Thanks John

I check the search option to see if this was asked before but did not see it. I'm the new Scoutmaster for my son's troop and I want to know if its okay for me to sign the Signature of unit leader on the blue card for my own son? I'm not going to be the Merit badge counselor for any of my son's Merit badges because I know it's a big no no.

Thanks in advance,

Mark M.

Let me make some changes to your statement. "Being in the Army is just like being in the Boy Scouts, except... " when you make none regulation changes to your Army uniform you will get an Article 15 or even worse.

No Merit Badges are a youth earned so you can not wear them. On special occasions (like COH, Eagle ceremonies, and Blue and Golds) you're allowed to wear your Eagle Medal w/ palms.

Mark M.(This message has been edited by hendrickms24)