Apache Bob

First of all - Welcome to the campfire. Pull up a log and sit a spell.

You have already started your training - don't stop. I am in my 33rd year as a Scouter and still am learning. Online training is good. Go to the classes your Council holds. Go to roundtables as most have subjects that you will be using the next month.

Talk to people, we all started out without any training. Your knowledge will grow very quickly.

Back many, many moons ago when I was a den leader I got home late and had forgotten that I had a den meeting that night. I held my den meeting at my home and I had not been in the house more that 10 minutes when the first Cub arrived. No plans had been made. Soon I had nine Cubs in the family room. We had our opening - No plan yet. We played a game - no plan yet. I went over what we were doing for Pack meeting - no plan yet. Well it was now time and by accident I looked at the fireplace. I asked the boys if they had ever started a fire. No one had. We had a good sized fire place and I had two boys at a fire start a small fire in the fire place. For all the boys it was the first time they had ever been allowed to start a fire. The boys talked about that den meeting for months. I even had some comment on it when they were in Boy Scouts.

It was the best den meeting I ever held.

You are going to do great.

Just remember, you are the SM and no one else.

Advice is a great thing, even mine, but it is free so you know how much it is worth. Go with your gut and your knowledge.

Mike - welcome to the campfire. Just pull up a log and sit a spell.

Your unit commissioner, in most cases, is not a member of your unit. He(she) is there to be a resource for you and to let you know what is going on at district and council level. You are the unit leader and not him. I repeat - Not Him.

He is allowed in your unit only because you allow him to be there. If he is causing a problem with some of his advise ask him to leave. Then contact the District commissioner and ask to have that unit commissioner removed from being assigned to your unit. You are in charge not him.

Yes I went over board but after 19 years as a commissioner it bugs me to see or hear about a commissioner who doesn't know what he is doing.

I have yet to hear anywhere in the media that a radical muslim terrorist killed soldiers in Fort Hood Tx. Why?

Or is just everyone being political correct.

Go for it now. I have, over the years, been a Scout or Scouter in six locations. Had a great time in everyone of them.

You can say that same thing in the next place you live. And then the next.

Go for it now. Don't wait.

Not passing a bor should not be a susprise to the Scout. He should have known before as it should have been discussed with him about his lack of leadership. That being said.

Your Scoutmaster signed off the boy during the SM conference. Therefore in the view of your SM the boy HAD met all the qualifications for the next rank to include leadership. So I assume that the board members and the SM should sit down and discuss this in detail.

The boy only has to be in the leadership position. If nothing is required of him during that six months that is not the fault of the boy. He was put in that position and he served his time. If no one gave him anything to do then he did was he was told to do. May be the lack of a duty is instead the failing of an adult?

Not sure if this is the one you are looking for.

Two Frogs In Cream

Two frogs fell into a can of cream,

Or so I've heard it told;

The sides of the can were shiny and steep.

The cream was deep and cold.

"O, what's the use?" croaked No. 1.

"Tis fate; no help's around.

Goodbye, my friends! Goodbye, sad world!"

And weeping still, he drowned.

But Number 2, of sterner stuff,

Dog-paddled in surprise,

The while he wiped his creamy face

And dried his creamy eyes.

"I'll swim awhile, at least," he said-

Or so I've heard he said;

"It really wouldn't help the world

If one more frog were dead."

An hour or two he kicked and swam,

Not once he stopped to mutter,

But kicked and kicked and swam and kicked.

Then hopped out, via butter!

Oh yes, he will go pick up the award. Another chance to get a ride in the big airplane.

Does anyone know who put his name in for the award?

Nolesrule - you need to get a long sleeve shirt.

Thank heavens we will have our memories of the trio in our minds and hearts forever. Even if we can not carry a tune. In the car and when alone I alway am in tune.

Welcome to the campfire.

I remember taking my Troop several times to the White Mountains when I was SM down in MA.

Packsaddle - I always liked this quote.

If L. L. Bean can remember what color sweater you ordered for Christmas last year, why should you have to fill out a new medical history every time you go to the hospital?

Food for thought.

How about one that has been used for a long time.

"Do Your Best"

Amen.

Back in the dark ages when I went to join the Boy Scout Troop I was told that I could not join it because I was 14 years old. And all boys 14 years or older would be joining the Explorer Post, which I did. Had a great time. And earned the Explorer Silver Award.

Tell the truth. You have Cubs that are going to be coming in contact with him. You owe them and their parents the information they need.

Contact the DE now. I am sure the safety of the Scouts is a number one on the DE's list. If not the DE then go higher up.

Welcome Keystone28 - I'm just south of you in a Pack and Troop.

Pull up a log and have some more coffee.

I am on my computer all the time but do not have a website or have I ever set one up. Doesn't it cost to have a website?

If so will the Council office pay for the website for units that don't have the money to set one up?

OGE - that was my exact thoughts when I saw the picture of the three of them together.

Maybe it time to retire?

So what you are saying Gunny2862 is that if a Scout downloads it that he can not have it signed off as he does his requirements. Correct?

Welcome to the campfire.

I lived in East Liberty and Whitehall many moons ago. Met my wife there.

Go Steelers!

I remember one of my Scouts earned Beekeeping merit badge. There are still a huge number of bee keepers in this country and we are now finding out how important bees are to us.

Didn't they have a tracking merit badge?

The only problem I have with the Philmont Belt is that over the years my belt has gotten smaller in size. Its not as long now as it was when I purchased it. Any ideas as to why?

captainron14 - my friend was talking to a Venturing national person at another event at NOAC. The subject was dropped as the other event started. That ended the conversation. My friend is not in Venturing.

It was not that the Girl Scouts were going to merge with us but that we were going to change the advancement for the Venturing Girls.

You are correct. We will see in 2010 if it takes place.

I have sent an email to the Scouter who first gave me this information and asked that he come to this website and make some more information available to us.