Herms

I got a chance to visit last November on a business trip. It was kind of nice that it is so close to DFW that you can get there in a few minutes. I, like some of you that posted, was a little disappointed with the museum myself, although the Rockwell gallery is worth the trip! I also was looking for more old memorabilia. The animation of Baden Powell telling the panoramic wide screen story was kind of cool. I'd also lose the Pinewood Derby display. The scouts I saw going through seemed to really like the virtual reality rock climbing/whitewater rafting/biking display. And

For the 81' Jamboree our patrol was the Galloping Geese (our was it Gooses??) named after an old railroad that used to run through the area in the 1800's. We got a local tourist shop to donate some cool patches with the train's old logo on it for our patrol medallion.

Our council doesn't provide the forms, but re-chartering is usually when we do it also.

LOL!!! Niiiiiccce!!!

For Cub Scout Packs: http://www.scouting.org/forms/14-220-04.pdf For Boy Scout Troops: http://www.scouting.org/forms/14-221-04.pdf

One of our "new scout patrols named themselves the Raging Rattlesnakes. It was pretty cool because the patterned there flag after the Gadsden flag. They are even trying to get custom patrol patches.

You people out there who think that America is "hated" around the world need to stop watching the twisted news! I have traveled the world (over 3 times), been to 30 different countries and recently just got back from South Korea (were by the way the love Americans). Everywhere I have went both; East and West, people of other countries respect the U.S. Of course there is nah-sayers in other countries (just like in this one!) that bad-mouth America (and get the most press), but overall I've met a lot of great people around the world. Take England for example. Recently, you've seen a

My pleasure. The medal has been given by the DOD since 1996. The associated award knot is probably not in the guide yet because it was only recently authorized for other organizations in January 2004. It has been used only for the Daniel Carter Beard Masonic Scouter Award for a few years, but last year other organizations applied for consideration so BSA expanded the award knot to include the other groups like the DOD, Elks, VFW and Legion who have always been big supporters of scouting. When I was talking to the Relationships Division people they said that the Lion's Club has also appli

FScouter Dont know about any other service, put the following link (page 43) is the Navy Awards Manual: http://neds.nebt.daps.mil/Directives/1650/four.pdf These are the scouting links that describe the medal and/or it's association to the award knot which is brand new (Jan 2004): http://www.usscouts.org/awards/DODMedal.html http://www.scouting.org/factsheets/02-582.html From the reading and the way the Relationships Division explained it, it is like the religious medals, where you would only wear the medal at an appropriate function, whatever that means. I have y

NWScouter, I specifically called National on this issue, speaking with the Relationships Division as I have three members of my reserve unit with this "military" medal. I was told the ARE allowed to wear this medal as long as it represents his service to scouts. Additionally, they are also allowed to wear the new Community Organization Award knot, again as long as the medal was awarded for service to Scouting. The result is two are allowed, one is not (received it for his volunteer firefighting work).

I'll try to find the instructions for building one and get them out. Building one is really easy, inexpensive, and can be done in one (maybe two) den meetings. The boys probably have the most fun decorating them. If we do it indoors we do races of two dens at a time, outdoors we have done as many as 4. We try to do enough races so that each boy gets to ride a least once. We require the rider to wear a helmet (usually a bike helmet). At our races, which we held along with our scout festival (tri-pack), a den of Tigers won the most races beating several of the Webelos dens! Ill dig throug

dan, Lets look a requirement for 2nd Class. From the book Demonstrate first aid for the following: Heat exhaustion Shock Heatstroke, dehydration, hypothermia, and hyperventilation Now, do I give him a first aid class, after which he immediately parrots from his short term memory what I just told him and I sign his book, or do I provide this as an introduction to these requirements, request that he go home, study (or master if you prefer) these requirements and then come back and demonstrate? Is this adding to the program or following the true intent and spirit

There are all kinds of exceptions out there. For instance, you can wear the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal on your Scout uniform. I too have been wondering about the US Heritage awards as they are not a BSA award.

If your boy wants to start wearing the blue uniform (and you are willing to buy it) let him start now! As of August 1st (after a rare "official" announcement from National) all new Tigers will be in the blue uniform. The orange tee shirts are gone!

FYI One military honor that is still authorized for wear on the Scout uniform is the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal.

Not all kids are cut out to be leaders. Im sorry MrsSmith, but I completely disagree with you. That is one of our jobs as Scout Leaders is to work with our boys who will be the leaders of tomorrow. Everything in scouts has an element of leadership, and EVERY boy has the potential to be a great leader. Ive seen boys who were shy and self-conscious when they started turn into outstanding leaders over the years. It is up to us to work with them, to find out what they need to achieve there full potential.

I can relate to what Thumper is saying. At a camporee recently, I watch two Cub Scouts (a bear and a 4th grade webelo) perform better on a knot rail than a Life and two Star scouts. During the same camporee I saw a wolf Cub Scout do better on a compass course. Are we really doing our scouts justice by simple showing them something and then signing the book rather than ensuring that they have REALLY acquired the skills? It is up to all of us SMs and ASMs to make sure that our boys are not only advancing, but that they are having fun and REALLY learning the skills. You never know when those

No, I would not go back to the BOR committee to have them reconsider. They have done their job and that is their decision. That is their purpose, like the checks-and-balances of our government. Maybe have him get started on some of the tougher merit badges. Place him in a greater position of authority, like PL, where he has patrol meetings and outings to plan so he can start to develop leadership skills. You don't want to dampen his enthusiasm, but it sounds from your email like Mom is the pusher. Maybe get mom more involved as well, like secretary or treasure or ASM or so that she

Good job on slowing down the boy. I think Mom needs to take a step back and see that it is not the advancement that is important, but what the boy is learning along the way. Maybe a way to channel the boys (and moms) enthusiasm for a while is to get the boy interested in his particular religious emblem and/or entice her with starting a Hornaday Award level, which even fewer scouts ever achieve. Additionally, I tend to agree with dancinfox, however, there are requirements for "Demonstrate scout spirit" which is kind of ambiguous and open to interpretation. How can a boy show the Sco

Here is something my Committee Chairman and I did 30 years ago in different Packs up Montana council and which weve started here. Its called a Chariot race. The Dens get a cardboard box big enough to hold a boy (i.e. TV box), hook ropes with knots tied into it and the dens take turns racing around a track. One boy riding and the rest are the horses. Weve done it both inside and outside (add carpet to the bottom for outside) and the boys love it. We even have tri-pack races now with two other local packs. Again great job and have a great year!

That's very wise council Eamonn. Like I explained to a new leader last night, they need to remember to always do "What's best for the boys". The way I see it from reading all of your posts, is that you feel if you don't move to a new troop or start your own will you lose these boys from scouts? If the answer to that is yes, than what is best for the boys is to move, but move with purpose as Eamonn stated. Another question I have is while all this fighting is going on between adults are the boys getting out camping? Working on advancement? Having fun? It is always saddens

Weve had two services projects so far this Calendar year. The first was a tree planting in the community. Pretty amazing turnout, 32 boys showed up!! We even had people who live nearby brought over shovels and pitched in. It was great! Got 60 trees, which where donated to us, planted and fertilized. The organization, which gave us the trees, even donated a nice little Arbor Day patch for the boys. We also participated in community cleanup day, where we had 15 boys spend several hours in trash pickup and can recycling. We have a cleanup / beautification project scheduled fo

My Pack 174 out here in Albuquerque NM, get ours from Pack 175 in Topeka, KS. (Great idea, thanks Pack 175!!) http://www.cubpack175.org/heavyshoulder.htm

Was wondering what the Scouting worlds thoughts were on this issue? As a Cubmaster, I have always (with the District's approval), allowed Kindergarteners who are 6 years old and about to finish school, to start in Tigers with me now, in the Spring, so that they can participate in the Summertime Activities like Raingutter Regatta, and Day Camp. Heck we just ran a recruitment at the local fire station (Thanks Guys!!) where we got 7 new Tigers. My brother, who is also a Cubmaster in the same Council, but different District, on the other had, is being told by his DE that his boys have

Man, I'm looking at these prices, it's $2500 from New Mexico! In answer to the original question, I say yes, if the only way you can attend is as a guest do it!! I went as a participant in 81' (Wow, that long ago) and it was one of the best expierences of my life. I have one boy that just crossed into Boy Scouts and two that started Tigers (twins), and I am going to try to get all of them to the Jamboree in 2010! But I kind of agree with the other posts that the guests need to be "honorable" and leave the activities and the pride of the patch to the participants.