hot_foot_eagle

jblake wrote: >>Hmmm, I noticed an emphasis on competition and accomplishment that seems to run through the thread. If scouting is a progression of development, why is it there are ending points in the middle of the process? AOL and Eagle, being the two biggies. But then after the boys have achieved these two milestones, then it's time to quit.

Our own Council camp suffered from a spell of poor management several years ago. The food suffered (quantity and quality), the staff quality suffered (no esprit de corps), and the facilities suffered from penny-pinching. Not surprisingly, attendence suffered. I'm happy to say that things have really turned around and summer camp is a great experience again. I've not seen a tighter group of staff than we've had for the last two or three years in particular. I said all that to say this: the attitude and ability of the camp's management directly affects everything else. If you ca

In another thread Vicki states: "I counsel four MBs (the maximum allowed by my council)" - which got me to wondering. At first blush a restriction of four MB's seems rather arbitrary. It would seem reasonable that an individual might be found with the right combination of professional and personal interests to make a good MB counselor for the Citizenship triad, Law, American Heritage, and perhaps one or two other closely related badges. . . and that's all assuming that said counselor doesn't have any hobbies. Is there an overabundance of counselors? Is the four badge restrictio

As a former bugler myself, I'm sad to see the tradition going by the wayside. We have several potential buglers in my troop. I'm hoping that one or more will take up the challenge. Incidentally, most bugle calls are available on the web in musical notation and as .mp3

I know my son has sold more this year than last year, but not by much. I don't have much feel for how the rest of the pack is doing at the moment. Our only show-and-sell is still a week away.

BW writes: "Do I knowingly violate the rules of any organization I belong to or thosde of my community? No Do I think choosing to violate these rules simply beacuse they are personally inconvenient show a lack of personal values and ethics? Yes I do. " To which I ask: How would you reconcile your ethical conflict on those rare occasions where the rules of the organization and the rules of the community are in conflict? Is it possible that morals, ethics, and values are constants and that the situation dictates which action is the ethical one? (edited for cl

There are a number of designs for alcohol backpacking stoves on the web. Most are made out of aluminum cans, cat food cans, etc. Several are said to be qute efficient. All are extremely light weight. I've played with a few and like them, but haven't taken the time to build my own yet. I'll probably make it a winter project.

Backing up a bit - Someone posited (and I'm paraphrasing) that it was dishonest to claim to teach ethics and then choose not to abide by the rules of the organization that they voluntarily joined (Scouting) It reminds me of an issue I bumped into several years ago in YPT. Back then, the rule was that if you suspected child abuse, you MUST call the SE. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Problem is that in my state, people in certain professions have a legal obligation to immediately report suspected child abuse to the appropriate agency (typically CPS or LE). Would I have be

Just as a point of reference, my council began taking scout and adult applications for a contingent over a year ago. We just started receiving invoices for boys on the contingent in late August. I received my Dear John letter for adult leadership this week.

Before our first outing of the year I try to hold a "baby BALOO" meeting aimed at Tiger cubs, new scouts, and parents. We set up "camp" in our meeting room and go over the packing list, how to get off cheap on camping supplies, how to be comfortable outdoors, etc. I try to have a selection of equipment that ranges from expedition-quality backpacking stuff to improvised shelters, reused soda bottle canteens, and trash bag ponchos to show that camping does not need to be expensive. The boys who haven't been camping before love to get their hands on the gear, and the parents usually co

We had an OK reruiting year after a fantastic year last year. What surprised me the most was the number of new Wolf scouts we've gained. The common thread I hear from those parents is "His friend so-and-so is in scouts and had a great time and that's all we heard about." Lesson learned: a good program and enthusiastic boys are your best marketing tools. My second observation from this year is that our "official" roundup is well-publicized, but many parents think that if they missed "the meeting" it's too late to sign up. A follow-up in the paper, etc. would seem to be the solution fo

"Yes, the BSA will put out position papers, many will give you their opinions but the vast majority of Scouters will not look for ways to boot the boy out but try to keep the boy in the program so that they derive benefits from the program. " Until they fill out an application for Eagle - then the rules seem to change. Or at least the interpretation / enforcement seems to change, and I think that's grossly unfair to the boys. They need to know up front that their path will NOT lead them to eagle, and that their time and energy might be better spent in another organization.

"While I agree we need to see the entire world, I feel this can be done without the BSA having a CYA program like diversity training. Heck, diversity is all around us! If we follow the Oath & Law diversity is a non-issue!" __________ I'd ordinarily be one of the first to complain about undue PC-ness, but I really don't think this is the case with either the WB ticket requirement or BSA's outreach interests. I also think following the Oath and Law is necessary, but not sufficient, to make diversity a non-issue. Our error is one of omission, not of comission. I hang out with a

German Spotlight was our favorite stalking game. It's about the only time I can remember our entire troop absolutely quiet for any length of time. Camo became de rigueur after dark. (The horror! Scout's in camo!)

I would add that not all camperships need to be 100%. If a family can afford to pay 10%, 25%, or 50%, then meeting them part way may help those families while stretching your campership dollars a little more.

"And did knowing the boat was going to sink diminish your experience?" In the case of a movie, knowing the outcome or how the story is told cannot influence the outcome, only one's enjoyment of it. If everyone is familiar with the lessons in WAUC going into it, then it becomes an exercise, not a game; classroom, where the magic isn't instead of interaction where the magic happens. FWIW our staff did an outstanding job presenting the game. (This message has been edited by hot_foot_eagle)

At the risk of heading down the path of issue debate, I had a gut feeling that the intent of the course designers was to address the desire of BSA to deliver its program to more under-served demographic segments - race, disability, income, etc. I think Vicki's examples are true to the spirit of the requirement, at least as I interpret it. I worked my own ticket item in that spirit, but with the full knowledge that I had other options that perhaps would not have challenged me as much.

I would venture that most people don't like the plot twists and endings of movies spoiled before they have a chance to see them on their own. I think some "secrets" should be kept to preserve the joy of discovery for future participants, not to suggest exclusivity.

The WB21C curriculum requires participants to have at least one ticket item that addresses diversity in Scouting and I got to wondering how much difference there is in the interpretation of the diversity requirement. On the one hand you might have what I would call a "strict" interpretation of the term requiring focus on minority scouts or potential scouts based on race, disability, religious affiliation, etc. On the other hand, one could more broadly interpret diversity and "count" just about any project or activity involving more than one person as meeting the diversity requirement.

At last roundtable, my DE (fresh from Nashville) stated that the hope of National was to have everyone in the centennial uniform by February.

To some extent merit badge pamphlets were my wikipedia when I was growing up. When I wanted a basic overview of a topic (whether or not I was interested in earning the merit badge)the MB book was a great resource. Encyclopedias didn't have any really useful info when it came to things like wilderness survival. It would be great if the MB pamphlets could be broadened in scope and content to appeal to a mass market. The merit badge requirements wouldn't need to change, but information beyond the basics would add another dimension to the product. It would be a great public resource, good

When I went to the article, the new uniform picture did not load. After a second try I see that you are correct.

I find it ironic that the photo accompanying the article is of the OLD uniform.

Think of it as a kilt - but for women.

When I say I want to "give back" I mean that I want to pay tribute to those men who were my scoutmasters and assistant scoutmasters by helping to perpetuate and strengthen the program. The only way I know how to do that is to provide boys with opportunities and guidance that help them develop into better men than they might otherwise become without scouting's influence. I do this because I gained far more than I gave to scouting as a youth. Of course I can only really say that looking through the lens of some age and wisdom. Asking an eagle candidate how he's going to "give back" to th