IN scouter

Thanks everyone for the information. I've just been thinking of different ways to increase communication with families. In th past, DL's haven't called parents, or parents were psycho and SAY they never got called(ask my wife about her time as a Tiger leader!). On the old website, we would put the Pack calendar, upcoming events like PWD, pics from day camp and Webelos Adventure Camp, etc. so parents could get the info in this digital, high-speed 24/7 society. Now, if the IH/CO/COR/CC decide this is something it/they want, then finding someone to set it up and maintain it becomes the problem!!AARRGGHH! lol (All I can hear in my head is the Madonna/Justin Timberlake song that has the lyric line "The road to h*** is paved with good intentions").

Thanks again all for the previous and future info.

Does anyone know about any regulations from National about posting pictures of Cubs on a Pack Myspace page? I tried the search and didn't find what I wanted. Our Pack had a website about 4 years ago, but the Cubmaster left and the site died (it was hosted on his work's server). I do vaguely remember something being mentioned either on these forums or from our UC about no individual pics of Cubs and no last names, and of course, permission from parents to put their Cub on the site. Since I'm now the CM, I thought I could gather all the info I could before presenting it to our committee at our annual planning meeting in July. Any comments or info are greatly appreciated in advance. Thanks

In our Pack, we only give a gift to those leaders who are leaving through their son's leaving due to age. As the (former) Wolf through WEB2 leader, I received the Indiana Jones style hat, as did our treasurer, who had served in that position since his oldest son was in the Pack. For leaders who aren't crossing over, and committee members, they receive the foil certificates.

Since the leaders have been involved for several years, you may already have an idea of their personality, Scouting needs, etc.

I remember from my Scouting days, our new Scoutmaster received a carved walking staff from a local Scouter and woodcarver, who also helped revise the woodcarving merit badge in the early 80's.

In my Scouting days of yore (early 80's), our patrols cooked their own food and an ASM/SM or SPL/ASPL ate with a patrol for every meal. A new Scout would usually be assisting an older Scout. When a Scout had a little experience cooking, like working on the cooking skill award (remember those?), he would start being the head cook for a meal. If the SM was coming to eat, it provided a little extra incentive to do things right. The adults did no cooking or cleanup for the patrols. We were a very stongly boy-led troop.

The troop my son crossed into is more adult led than I would like, but that's something I'm going to work on as a committee member. Our adults cook and eat separately from the boys. I think it would help the adult/boy dynamic because several of the boys are on the verge of being feral at campouts. Before I joined, the current leaders told me one patrol discovered ramen noodle required no cleanup, so that's what they ate 3 times a day. Another patrol wrapped EVERYTHING in foil to avoid doing dishes. Now I'm not advocating that our troop turn every kid into Wolfgang Puck or Emeril... Camping Life magazine always has 3-4 recipes for a camp meal that sound better than hot dogs. The recipes aren't that complicated and could probably be done in only a couple of pots/pans.

I own a small t-shirt store in our local mall. We specialize in airbrushing T-shirts, front vanity license plates, etc., but my education is in automated manufacturing and design.

It's really amazing at the wide variety of professions and backgrounds of those on this forum, from white-collar to blue-collar, high-tech to low-tech.

On the Scouting front, I'm currently the pack's ACM after serving as a DL for Wolf, Bear, WEB1 and WEB2. Also serving as a Committee member for the troop we crossed into at B&G.

What are the requirements for Philmont? I looked on the official site and could find no minimums for age, rank, etc. My son is crossing into the troop in 2 weeks and our old CM, who's now an ASM, mentioned a Philmont trip in 2007 or 2008.I'm his WEB2 DL and will become an ASM in the troop at crossover, and I want to go to Philmont! My son will turn 12 in late July this year, so would he be old enough for 2007? Would my son be allowed to go if his birthday were close to the time of the trip and if I were to go as well?

When I was a Scout, our troop went to Boundary Waters. My brother was only twelve, but our uncle was a registered leader, and was his personal "chapperone", so my brother was permitted to go. I know policies have changed in 23 years, but was curious. Of course I could be kicking dust up on the trail for no reason if my son doesn't want to go to Philmont. Thanks for any info.

Dace, we make ours almost exactly the same as SWScouter. A local sporting goods store (whose owner in involved with our Troop) stocks some inexpensive wood shaft arrows for $1.50. We'll replace the fletching with blue and gold, paint stripes for each rank; orange for Tiger, red for Wolf, gold and silver for any arrow points,royal blue for Bear, more gold and silver, ? for Webelos, ? for each activity pin, and navy blue and gold for Arrow of Light. Then a short leather thong with red and black feathers for Boy Scouts (red and black are the color of the Troop neckerchief). One of my scouts is one pin away from having all of the activity pins and had several arrow points, Wolf and Bear. His arrow will be almost all paint!

SWScouter, I like the M shaped coathanger. I was going to get some peg board to act as one end and a stop all in one.

Lisabob, I do plan to take OLS when we cross over to Boy Scouts, as well as stay active in the Pack as ACM (probably a de facto ADL for a Bear den too). I didn't learn much at OWL because I was the only one who was there. Several others signed up and paid, but didn't show, and BALOO was to happen at the same time and place, so I ended up helping the trainer with some of the BALOO training.

BTW & FWIW, I was a Scout for 4 years (1st Class) with almost 100 nights in a tent and almost 25% of those were sub-freezing, so much of the material was like a refresher.

Almost none of our leadership wears any knots. Not sure if they don't wear them, haven't earned them, or don't care about turning in the papers. I would have the AoL knot, but the district office can't (or don't want to) find record of it. I earned it back in '80, but their system isn't computerized that far back. Other than going to powwow or U of S, I have completed all neccessary requirements for WDL knot. Granted, the knots can look impressive, but other threads have addressed the "fruit salad" issue.

My troop also wore the beret in the early 80's, along with the change to the tan shirts. All of us who wore the beret seem to agree, impractical field hat but an impressive part of the dress uniform for ceremonies.

My troop would send 35-40 Scouts to summer camp every year. For flag lowering, we would stand on one side of the parade field and the rest of camp on the other. We were always nicknamed "the Xerox troop" because we went to flags in full dress unis; shirt, shorts/pants,berets, socks and dark leather shoes/boots. It was like looking at a pro football team across from a sandlot team. Striped tube socks, cut-off shorts, miscellaneous t-shirts, some pieces of a Scout uniform here and there. Not all of our Scouts were from wealthy families, but we had escrow accounts to pay dues, camps, and anything Scout related, and we were very active in our fundraisers, so that eased the financial burden. It was never said we HAD to be in uniform for den/troop activities, but it just always was done that way. I wish the troop our pack feeds into was a little more formal on the uniforms. No neckerchiefs at troop, and a lot of jeans and sneakers.

It was a shock to my system when my troop sent a crew to Summers Canoe Base in Ely, MN (Northern Tier, now) when we wore our kerchiefs under our collars and baseball hats instead of berets.

As a side note about the uniform that is probably for another thread, it's been 25 years since the last update to the uniform, why not use new moisture-wicking materials and such?

Thanks ScoutNut, that's the info that I was looking for. I was reading my new issue of Scouting last night and saw thw WLOT acronym and was wondering if that was the same as OWL.

I'm a WEB2 DL and had BALOO training last year. Our district is now offering OWL (Outdoor Webelos Leader)training. I signed up for the training in my district that is taking place at the end of October.I have another Cub as a Wolf, so I'll still use the info. I asked our former CM what OWL was and he didn't know, the district (then council) having discontinued it some 6-7 years ago, in favor of BALOO. I know they are different, but was hoping for an explanation of the differences. After this training I'm looking into Woodbadge training. (I just hope that I'm not more into Scouting than my sons are into Scouting!)

Thanks for any and all information (This message has been edited by a staff member.)

Regarding Q2&3, if it's a Scout camp, have signs or take turns. If it's in a place such as a rest stop with multiple urinals and stalls, take a stall.

RE Q4:THe buddy system is the way to go. I'm going to be leading a group of WEB2's to Adventure Camp in July, and I'm in the process of making a buddy board for Scouts and Scouters. It will have areas for trading post, health center, shower house (it has the only flush toilets in camp. The boys figure out that it's worth the walk instead of using the pit latrine at the edge of our campsite), etc. Having the adult leadership follow the buddy system only helps to reinforce (however subtly) the message.

I agree that the G2SS and YP are to help leaders MINIMZE exposure to risk, because avoiding it altogether is next to impossible. A good seasoning of common sense doesn't hurt either.

When I was a Scout, I had both the pants and shorts, and they were comfortable and durable. I wore them to every patrol and troop meeting,as well as four summer camp weeks and eight or nine Camporees (our troop said at those events, the full uniform was required). I outgrew them before I could wear them out. That was back in the early '80's. As a Scouter, I do have the shorts, but I went to Wal-Mart and found a pair of olive casual pants to wear in the winter months. In our pack, I'm the only DL with uniform shorts, or even anything close to uniform-looking pants, but does that affect our program? I'm heading to our Scout Shop for Wolf rank book, etc., so I may have to try on the pants. I personally would like to see a cargo-style pants that are nice enough for formal events and rugged and functional enough for camping. That's just my two cents.

Camp Krietenstein, Brazil, IN '81-'84

Charles L. Summers High Adventure Canoe Base '83

I hope my Webelos2 will join the troop our pack feeds, and stays in until 2010 and gets selected to go to Jambo. Didn't get to go as a youth in '85.