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Our Webelos Night:

Powerpoint for the Parents

Pancakes for the boys.

Everyone gathers, the boys are put into Patrols, and then they go around a series of activities to give them a feel for the Troop (backpack race, knot relay, putting up a tent, lashings and the aforementioned pancakes). Each station is run by a different patrol, and Troop Guides are leading the Webelos around.

While this happens, the parents are getting the powerpoint presented by my SPL and my Webelos recruiter. When I come up, I invite the parents to ...

Go away (delivered with a smile).

"I hope you have enjoyed SPL's presentation - it is his Troop, not mine. Boy Scouts is boy run, not adult run. In our Troop we ask for parents to drive to campouts, and to stick around if they wish to be there for ALL of the boys. For those of you who are the Den Leaders - we would love to have you on our Committee and to consider becoming an Assistant Scoutmaster. However, we also recommend that you take some time off while your son fits into the Troop. This is a great time to let your son stand on his own, with the help of his fellow Scouts."

The looks of relief are priceless. I find that doing that not only helps the parents accept Boy Scouts, but I also get stronger volunteers after their break.

We rotate (4 camps, thinking about adding a 5th). We do have our Council on our rotation, but we push hard on them after an unfortunate incident from several years ago when we were kicked out of our week (after paying and making plans) because the LDS troops wanted a 100% LDS camp. The Council's Camp staff did not handle this well, and we took our camping elsewhere. We found that the rotation really gets the boys excited, and older Scouts keep coming back for the new places.

Replacement rate for zero population growth requires an average of 2.1 - 2.2 children for a family.

As I said, we have two sons, and having more children would require that we reduce the opportunities that we can give to our children. I have no issue with the Duggars - they are (from what I know) to be self-sufficient. However, since this thread started by stating that I shoukld have MORE children - what part of my son's lives would you like me to take away so that we could add more?

While Professor Ehrlich's Malthusian predictions of food shortages have not come to pass, the continued development of open space into housing certainly has. I purchase cables for my iPhone at a site where a National Jamboree was once held. Continued population expansion in the US DOES have an impact on the environment, at the minimum by reducing the open space available.

Finally - it would be interesting to see if there is a correlation between numbers of children and volunteering activity. I do not see a trend at all in my volunteer time.

With education and opportunity, family unit size decreases. Sociologists have been plotting this trend for quite awhile, and it keeps on happening in the third world as well.

My wife and I have two sons. They each have their own bedroom, though the littler one prefers to camp on the floor of his big brother's bedroom. If we added more, we would have to go into debt to pay for college. Our family size works well for the opportunities that we wish to give our sons.

I will also say that the largest impact on the environment is population growth. While we may have built an American empire on cheap labor at the bottom that kept on coming in from overseas, that is not a long-term sustainable model if we wish to keep on having places to take boys camping, fishing and hunting. Here in Southern California I can see the impact of a large population - we don't need to encourage more of it.

Packsaddle:

If the drunk driver was caught, then he will show up in a background check if he (or she) got a DUI. I used to be in charge of the background checks for our local AYSO league, so I saw all of the convictions - those luckily only included DUI and Drunk & Disorderly on the ones in our region.

Got mine as well, and it is getting me to pick up my new uniform shirt now. I will sew it onto my "formal" shirt, and leave my two older shirts for campouts.

I received my staff appointment - helping out at SCUBA and snorkeling!

Let me be one more who thinks that boys don't want more school. My new SPL has jumped on making the skills fun, and boys are learning new things for a reason.

Example - lashings. With today's tents, and the prohibition on cutting wood, and the reduction in fuel on the ground - lashings are hard to see as a vital skill. My SPL's solution? Seige artillery. They have been working every Monday on building a trebuchet. Each week they put together the poles, make adjustments, tighten their lashings, improve the knots on the guy lines, etc. Last week they had their first successful launch of a tennis ball across the church parking lot. Lashings are now fun. At the end of each Monday, the SPL walks up to the younger boys who put the trebuchet together and signs off in their books on certain lashings and knots. The younger boys did not even realize that they were "demonstrating", it just happened.

We have a big controversy regarding a new high school stadium. I invited a member of the school board to come and speak on the subject, and to take questions. It was a very interesting meeting for the boys. He invited the boys to come to the next School Board meeting. They could present the colors, and some could even make comments during that period. AFTER all of that, the boys learned that this was a requirement for Cit Community.

Hide the "work" in something fun. Don't make it a worksheet exercise, rather read the book yourself and think of ways to slip in advancement work in a way that doesn't look or feel like work.

I use the Garcia, not the Vault:

Vault:

+ Clear, so you know which one to open.

+ Wide mouth top is easier to reach into.

+ Twist off top, no scrambling for a quarter or a flat head screwdriver on your knife

- That twist off top can misthread, and in cold weather is a little more work with.

- Round barrel rolls away easier.

Garcia:

+ Odd shape, does not roll very far.

+ The "use a quarter to open" mechanism is easier in the cold.

- Black can MUST go inside your pack, and packs a bit unevenly.

- No clue what is in there until you open it.

- Gotta keep your scout knife handy to open it.

I think it is a toss-up regarding which is "better." I can sit on both of them at 5'10 and 200 pounds. I usually sit on the ground and use one as my table on the trail.

Re: The Cameron's "research" - wikipedia has a nice entry with plenty of footnotes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Cameron

Suffice to say, their work has come under fire from all of the top professional research groups in psychology and sociology. While a percent of that can be attributed to political correctness, the accuasations of methodological fallacy appear to stand up. Put simply, his work is not peer reviewed - so take it with a grain of salt.

Re: The Biblical support for bigotry against Gays. Y'all were wrong when you used the Bible to support slavery. Y'all were wrong when you used the Bible to support "separate but equal." Y'all were wrong when you used the Bible to keep women from being equal citizens. Y'all are wrong now.

I am one who would prefer to have civil unions granted and recognized by the government, and to have marriage be granted by the church of your choice. Less government is better, and a chill runs down my spine when my preacher acts as an agent of the State.

Since a few have asked about why the Mormons are singled out by protestors:

They are not. The protests in LA went from LDS site to Catholic site. There were protests also at Saddleback church (mega church - Pastor is the author of A Purpose Driven Life) in Orange County as well (led by members of the Saddleback congregation).

What is more interesting is the conumdrum felt by some on the Left when they realize that the margin of difference appears to have come from black voters. Blacks voted for prop 8 by 70%, and Hispanics favored it as well. The minority (a questionable term in today's California) vote was a big part of the reason for prop 8's success in passing.

However, it WILL be knocked down over time. If you review the polling data, prop 8 was passed by people 50 and over. The younger voters voted against it.

"Eagle Mill" = what we call the Troop that has more Eagles than ours.

"Too Young for Eagle" = what we call a boy younger than ours that makes Eagle.

"Advancement Mill" = what we call a Troop that holds more merit badge days than ours.

You sound like you are doing well. In my Troop I have 14 year old to 17.99999999 year old Eagles. I will probably have a 13 year old Eagle or two within a year. They are getting there thanks to the opportunities I have presented to the Troop:

- 3 backpacking trips per year, plus one 10+ mile hike.

- Merit Badge Counselors available at Troop meetings twice per month.

- 2 nights of camping every month

- Summer camp (with the current theme of multiple merit badge classes offered)

- Troop JASM focused on Trail to First Class, along with one Guide per Patrol (we do not have an NSP).

- ScoutMaster Conferences whenever and whereever the boys ask me.

- BOR at almost any given Troop meeting.

- Advancement is recognized thrice (BOR, Patch and COH).

Nobody is forced into any of this. I have a group of boys who bridged over 1.5 years ago. Their ranks range from Tenderfoot to Star. The opportunity is there for the boy who WANTS to grab it. However, if a boy just wants to show up sometimes and go camping - we welcome him.

I use JASMs. One is in charge of the Trail to First Class, and helps out the Patrol Guides. The other provides guidance to the SPL. One is an Eagle, the other is almost there. In the future I would like to have all of my Eagles serve as JASM (if they are not SPL), to build on the old concept of a Leadership Corps.

Not sure if that will work, but that is the general forward looking thought of the minute.

In the next election, California will vote on Proposition 8 (marriage is only for a man and a woman).

In reviewing my voter guide (here):

http://www.voterguide.sos.ca.gov/argu-rebut/argu-rebutt8.htm

I find at the bottom on the pro-8 side:

ROBERT BOLINGBROKE, Council Commissioner

San Diego-Imperial Council, Boy Scouts of America

Now - I thought that we were not supposed to politic' in uniform? Here we have a Council Commissioner signing onto a ballot measure. I realize that since the BSA is anti-Gay in its membership policies, some might find that this is appropriate. I don't (and I am not in his Council, so this is nothing personal).

Sorry - I just needed to vent.

I have the Scout initial the book during the SMCs being held for Advancement purposes. We have usually already talked about the Troop, the boy's Patrol, and their goals for the future in and out of Scouting. I like to talk to them about each of the blocks, and comment on who signed their book.

Then I get to the last 3 - Spirit, SMC and BOR. I usually talk about the BOR and what sort of questions they might have. I help the Scout prep for those, to help him find his own answers.

Then I show them the Spirit portion. I ask them if they think that they can honestly sign for themselves, and where do they think that they need to try harder.

It is a great moment, and it reminds them that they have to impress the Man in the Mirror, not the guy in knee-high socks.

In our troop the boy requests a BOR by going to the Advancement Chair (personally, phone call, email or using the Troop's website). She then contacts members of the committee so that they can hold a BOR at the earliest possible time (during campouts and at most meetings). BORs are also held during other times when needed.

The Scout Shop here requires proof to purchase rank patches (Cub Scout through Eagle) and merit badge patches. They will sell an adult the AOL knot without proof, but they require proof for your Eagle knot. For the Eagle Knot you MUST have your Certificate or Card from NESA (I brought in my original case with badge and patch and they rejected it and told me that I had to get proof from National. It took a couple of calls to my old District and a few weeks waiting to get my documentation).

Trev:

Part of the problem might be email. In our troop it is parents on the email list, not Scouts. Very few of my Scouts have their own email account, so when an email blast goes out it hits their parents and it is the parents that respond.

I sometime get an email with headers from Johnny's Mom, but it is then signed Johnny. However, when someone is just clicking on an eamil link, you are going to get the recipients.

I do tell parents that I take calls from Scouts, but with email it is tougher to enforce.

I just wish that I could get real Haggis in the US.

I wonder if the BSA is making a kilt to go with the new uniform...

The BOR SHOULD have said, "You have earned the rank, but we need to see your book for final confirmation. Come see any one of us with your book for the final sign off."

Our troop has done that, but made it a simple bit of showing evidence of having passed all of the requirements. It is never a big deal, just a reminder that the boy has a place in the book for sign-offs so that the BOR can see that he has finished. If a boy loses his book, he goes back to the people who saw him complete it and gets the places re-signed.

We used to be on a BOR once per month schedule. I convinced the committee to move to an "as requested" model, to fit the more openness and frequency that I was granting SMCs.

We used to only give out ranks and merit badges at the COH. I convinced the committee to start handing out badges as soon as they are earned (and recorded - about a two week delay). The date on the ranks is now the day the BOR occurred, so that the boy can start work on the next rank immediately.

If you are trying to shift the timing of BORs - see if your Council is doing any BOR training soon. If they are, then go get trained and you can then offer to hold BORs on a more frequent basis now that you are trained! That will help you show that you are willing to handle some of the work involved in making the BOR's more frequent.

We do put a stop on BORs as we lead into the COH, so that the Advancement Chair has time to prep for the COH. They boys are given frequent notice about how they need to schedule themselves. What is good is that since we also do not require the COH for advancement, the rush has died down a bit.

We bought green tabs for everyone and distributed them two weeks ago. We are letting the boys switch over on their own schedule.

Anyone have a good vendor for troop numbers? We want to get our number with our veteran bar as part of the package.

VERY interesting discussion. Moral Relativism and Moral Presentism are both rearing their heads, and looking around for something to eat from the Dutch Oven.

In my mind Lee's only issue is the keeping of slaves. The abolitionist movement had been going on for long enough that he can not have been ignorant of the issue. He would have only kept slaves to prevent losing all of his money and land. By the time of the Civil War, many plantation owners were making more net income from the sale of slaves than from growing crops. The import of slaves had ended, so only those that had slaves had sufficient breeding stock (as slaves were seen to be) to be able to provide more slaves to others. Lee chose to stay in that business, and that was his moral failing. He was not unique in this, so I do not judge him any more harshly than I judge any other person of his era. Hanging on the wall of my living room is a portrait of slave owner (who sold her slaves and moved to Iowa before the war - she saw the writing on the wall), and the portrait of a Union veteran.

State level citizenship was more important than National level citizenship at that time, so his loyalty to Virginia was at a higher level. I see no moral failing there either.

The most interesting bit, is that some here have defended Lee in that Slavery was legal. Well, in some states (and churches) same-sex marriage is now legal. Shall those states Councils now allow Scout leaders who are gay? If you are defending Lee's standing as "Morally Straight" based on the laws of the time, then do you also alter our current definition of "Morally Straight" based on the changing laws of ours?

Pity my son, I guess. I remember overhearing a conversation between him and a friend in Webelos.

Friend: "My dad is really pushing me to go into Boy Scouts, but he will let me have a choice. My older brother never bridged and quit after Webelos>"

Son of Horizon: "I don't really have a choice. My dad is the Cubmaster and has his AOL and Eagle knots. I KNOW that I have to get my Eagle."

I have asked my son to stick it out, even with peer pressure. However, he looks at me and has decided that he has no choice.

1) It is a great idea for the Scout to keep his portion of the Blue Card. My son stores his in a baseball card / business card plastic sleeve that goes into a 3 ring binder. He puts the blue card in first, and when he gets the advancement card he puts that in with it. If and when our Advancement Chair misses something on the list, he can show her the blue card so that his advancement is properly recorded.

2) Everytime we go to the Scout shop he asks for a print-out of his advancement record. He then checks that against his blue card / advancement card records to see if the computer shows any problems in dates, etc. We had an Eagle in our troop that had to have several parts of the record corrected. Remember, data entry is often done by volunteers.

3) Some summer camps do NOT use blue cards. My son has four advancement cards without the corresponding blue cards because his first summer camp did not use them. If he was found lacking at his Council BOR, he would certainly win an appeal with no problem.

Scouting.org says this:

"How old (or young) can a boy be to join Cub Scouting?

Cub Scouting is for boys in the first through fifth grades, or 7 to 10 years of age. Boys who are older than 10, or who have completed the fifth grade, can no longer join Cub Scouting, but they may be eligible to join the Boy Scouting or Venturing program."

Now - if the boy is already a Cub Scout, he is not joining. Hopefully someone else will stop by with further clarification.

Personally - I would keep the boy a Cub Scout with his friends, and let him bridge at the Grade appropriate time.