Its Me

I am a Bear den leader with about 7 active scouts. Within our pack there is another bear den of about 2-3 boys. My den is fairly strong, meeting two-three times a month as a den. The other den I am told is not as strong. Should I invite this other den to join in an up coming den meeting? If yes how should I approach the other leader. Whom I don't know.

As side note there is a kid and dad in the other den that my boy and I both know and enjoy their company.

Dan, new packs, dens and troops would be built. Old units would be influxed with new blood. Our Council has a great Cub Scout camp. It has 70 acres with old oaks and two lakes. We have five council cub outings a year there. I contend that if this property exemplifies how scout resources are used then by and large scout resources are substantially under utilized.

I know you are all just pointing out places you have seen an ad but most kids aren't up at 3:00 AM and I can say almost none read Forbes. The ads would recuit, shape and define the image. I agree most don't know what we do. The adults may have an idea but how would an eight year boy learn about scouting?

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Can I, should I wear my Gilwell Troop #1 kerchief between weekends? What are the rules for this?

I can't ever recall seeing a TV ad or even a radio or print ad for Scouting. Why not place a national ad during on a Sponge Bob Show? Or a Venturing ad during a show that teens want? Demand can be created. Images can be made. If the postal service can make sending mail cool, why can't there be an ad to make scouting look cool?

I know that all the others are affirmation of a character, but I always liked " A Scout is not a fool". Only because not all people are Scout like and some take advantage of boy trying to perfectly meet the law.

If I were a cubscout or Webelo, what would I like about being in your den?

If I were a parent of a cub, why am I pleased that my cub is in your den?

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Well done.

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I wouldn't be coy about this. This may read a bit harsher than it would sound in-person but, be man about this and tell he can not self appoint himself as assistant scoutmaster. Ask him what gave him the idea to become and assitant scoutmaster. Interview him with questions and scenerios, than give a job description of what you expect from an ASM. Then ask if he still wahts the job he will need to fill out a background check sheet with the pack.

Email, we all use it and have come to rely on it for setting up meetings and getting out information.

For an up comming meeting or event what and when is the right amount of emails? Is a week in advance too early. Are two in one week for the same event too many?

What are the stipulations on using BSA registered insignias? If I wanted to have some tee shirts made with a BSA insignia for use at Cub scout campout out what release or other forms must be granted?

We do two campouts a year. One is a council event where all activities are ~organized~ . The other campout in the spring has only our pack and its unorganized. At least last year's was. This year I am the BALOO setting and planning the event. Last year the BALOO managed to reserve a site. That's it. No campfire program, no day hikes or wilderness adventures, not even a flag ceremony. The place we are holding the campout has lots of opportunity for swimming, fishing, and even an old fort to explore. So there is plenty of things to do. What is the right balance between a highly structured event and a completely free event? I am a little affraid that the introduction of any planned events will be met with luke warm reception.

Describe what you feel I must and should plan.

I pushed hard to get my Bears to complete their whittling chip and last month I got five out of eight active scouts to complete the requirement. The night they got their chips the popcorn awards were given out. The Cubmaster's son wins a knife. The CM takes it out of the box and hands it to his son. The CM's wife who is also the CC tells the CM "a cubscout can't have a knife at a scout function without a whittling chip". Jr does not have his chip. The CM waves off his wife pushes the knife in the scouts pocket and mouthed to his boy "don't worry about it".

Looking back, the Pack should have held one big whittling chip night. Knives and boys go hand in hand. The more scouts hear and the more frequency the boys hear about safe knife use, the better off all our boys will be.

Great cross over SP.

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I don't think it is dead yet. There is still the Yu-Gi-Oh show on Cartoon network. My 3rd grade son still plays it. But at about 4th grade it dies down in other boys and I haven't seen it in the 5th grade. I do think it is on the decline. At least its a quiet game.

Go to REI.com and look at backpacking stoves. Tuna can stoves and pepsi can stoves are for the ultralights. Save that day for when you are weighing your pack to the nearest 0.5 oz.

The big fight betwwen backpacking stoves is canister and liquid fuel. I have canister stoves manily because I didn't want liquid fuel to spill or otherwise casue trouble. Liquid fuels are cheaper to run, burn hotter and operate at higher elevations. But when reading about liquid fuel stoves, they always discuss how easy they are to clean in the field. (?)

The orginal poster described a cabin that needed to be heated.

I would not introduce an open flame heater or stove to the inside of a tent. By a better sleeping bag.

Don't burn raw liquid fuel like that. One spill and you and your cabin will be a memory. Get a ready made propane heater.

Such as http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?memberId=12500226&productId=35309042

Coleman makes a line of propane heaters for outdorr and shanty use, but heck you can google too.

Tell me how you would set up meals and food procurement for a Webelos den campout. Assume all scouts will have at least one parent. Also take into account that although the campout is Friday to Sunday some will arrive Saturday.

Cajuncody I absolutely agree with you. A solid effort over 8 - 10 weeks can get an entire tiger den to rank and even get a few electives. An ambitious parent may be able to do the tiger program in two weeks. Its only 12 requiremnets. Many are go see'em and home based family activities.

I wasn't specifically taking a stab at Wood Badge training. I purposely posted here in Issues and Politics instead of the adult leader training forum because it is not unique to Wood Badge training. Recent changes in US laws [Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)] strongly protect patient issues. I suspect that asking if I have ever had a skin problem or similar non disabling issue is no longer subject to disclosure. I believe that under the new laws that if my medical doctor releases me unconditional or conditionally that is all that may be divulged. Maybe I am cynical, but it seems that all these self divulging medical forms play more of a roll as a legal release and establishing pre-existing conditions than for the pure pursuit of my medical treatment.

I will soon take the Wood Badge training course. The council sent me a medical release forum to be filled out by me and a licensed health-care practitioner. Now I don't especially mind having to get a doctor's Ok to hike and camp but as for the rest I am little taken back. Why, in age of private health care records, must I delineate when my tonsils were removed or whether I have ever had a skin rash? I will be turning this into the head trainer that will pass it along to who know who. And this information seems only to establish a preexisting ailment for the purposes of legal matters. I highly doubt that this self proclaimed information would play a prominent roll in my emergency care treatment.

"Which reminds me of the time my UCLA alumni card was mistaken for a ACLU membership card. I just wanted to purchase some BBQ, but the dyslexic fellow was certain I was a "pinko lawyer"... "

Cheap Son of a Gun lawyer trying to use a student ID to get discounts. Typical liberial.

Most parents won't come out and say "I will be an assistant den leader" so they must be drafted. Such that, any parent that hangs around the meeting can be drafted. Typically they will be glad to assist as long as they aren't the ones responsible for the whole shabang.

Draft them by saying things like, "Mr Johnson can you ride shotgun over these four boys and make sure they complete their assignment?" "Mr Brown can you take those four?" This is better than having each individual parent supervise their own child.

For cub scout campouts our den uses $2.50 - $3.00/meal/person for budgeting. That includes paper plates.