JoeBob

We use Troopmaster Web for eMail and advancement recording. It IS clunky and slow, but it works. The group eMails are the best feature. Your login determines your level of access: scout, parent, leadership, SM&CC, webmaster. You are responsible for your own mess-ups...

I NEED an 'Agitator' patch.

JP, we're on the opposite ends of this one. I won't sign off on many of the Merit Badge 'Clinics' or 'Fairs' for my scouts. These events are frequently fund-raisers and poorly run, with little interest in actually teaching the subject and meeting the requirements. (Some badges do lend themselves to clinics, so I have to judge each case separately.) Whereas I know the counselors in my troop, and they know the boys that they're working with. We all toe the line about meeting requirements, and can discuss individual boys' needs. You want the boys to approve their own counselors? It will be all clinics and 6 to 8 merit badges 'earned' a weekend. At least with my troop MBCs I know that they're learning.

The OP is just avoiding your bullying, Basement.

Email interviews? For an SMC? I don't do eMail interviews. How can he show me a bowline via eMail? How do I know if he has the book open on another screen?

Getting high on weed while camping is the same as getting drunk while camping. Don't want you near the fire, stove or lantern. Don't want to see an axe or a knife in your hand. Can't trust you to wander off in the woods to take a nature call; you might forget your way back. Certainly don't want you climbing, rappelling, canoeing, shooting or any other high adventure activity. Our troop will not be responsible for you if you're high or drunk. Do that stuff in the safety of your home.

Was the card game they were playing regular cards or 'Magic the Gathering'? 'Magic' is a very elaborate game with thousands of cards that had become very addictive. It's something like Dungeons and Dragons when we were young, that meets every Friday night at the local coin and card shop. Our troop has had to banned 'Magic'. It was a direct contributor to our SPL getting relieved/being asked to resign.

I like Huey's advice. Don't leave quietly. Blow the whistle. You've already written it up nicely for this forum; cut and paste.

Issues/Lockheed Martin thread - Shows last post as Jan 8th, but it was really Jan 22.

Ember, are you holding up the gay lifestyle as a good example for the boys to follow? Enrollment numbers are really gonna drop, unless you've figured out a way around that procreation thing...

Basement, I'd suggest that if you ever met Mr. GeorgiaMom in real life, you might lose a few of your teeth. If you're a Scout Leader, act like one; even on the internet.

Yep. It really helps the boys. Still trying to figure out how.

Wouldn't it be more weight efficient to just carry a compass yourself instead of all the extra dogfood you're gonna need to get a second and third bearing?

Basement, I like you better when you're contributing positive ideas instead of trying to prop yourself up by standing on others. If you think a new poster acts without intelligence, ignore it. Why contribute to the total time wasted with 5 windy posts of your own?

GLAAD and A&E are coming out with the short end. 1- Lotsa folks who never heard of Duck Dynasty will now tune in to see what the dust-up is about. 2- Phil and DD may part ways with A&E. They've had similar arguments in the past: "When A&E decided to add bleeps to the show to add "spice", Robertson went to the network and told them to not make it seem like they use profanity, as they do not. Also, while they did not cut prayers, they did cut out the part of Robertson's prayer where he said "in Jesus' name". When A&E told them that they did not want to offend the Muslim population, Phil asked, "What year is it?" They replied "2012." He pointed out that the year was 2012 A.D., or in the year of Our Lord. He asked them why they would take someone out who the entire universe is based on. He also asked A&E how many Muslims were watching Duck Dynasty." Other networks are knocking. Phil is just a good ole Southern boy (net worth between $5 million and $15 million) who turned down a chance to play NFL ball (interfered with hunting season) who doesn't mind people thinking he is stupid (Masters in education from La Tech). That's why we Southerners talk slowly. We are stoopid. (I had an uncle who painted his dog to look like an alligator so he could charge Yankees $5 to watch him wrestle it...) Merry Christmas! (You too, Merlyn!)

Folks that make decisions based on emotion don't want to talk about Obamacare anymore, but damn!!! [h=1]Juking the ObamaCare Stats[/h] [h=2]HHS won't disclose the enrollment data that really matter.[/h] http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304477704579252481397105554 [h=1]Taxpayers Shell Out $14,000 per Obamacare “Enrolleeâ€Â[/h] $5.2 billion for just 364,682 “enrollees" (signed up - most not paid) http://www.atr.org/taxpayers-shell-obamacare-enrollee-a8033 Connecticut’s Obamacare exchange, spent nearly $75,000 to commission three murals http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/366052/connecticut-health-exchange-buys-three-murals-24980-each-zachary-janowski Oregon signs up just 44 people for Obamacare despite spending $300 million http://washingtonexaminer.com/oregon-signs-up-just-44-people-for-obamacare-despite-spending-300-million/article/2540529 The Sexiest Man Alive is being enlisted to spice up Obamacare http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/sexiest-man-alive-brought-boost-obamacare-enrollment_770780.html#

Not too harsh. Any more circumspect, and you risk not communicating your expectations, to the parent and to the rest of your troop. It's MUCH easier to let the boys know what you expect from an SPL than it is to fire an SPL later because he didn't know that there was work involved.

Just another post in a long line of uniform posts. "I don't like some aspect of the uniform for some particular reason and I want to wear something similar but not the uniform and want the forum to tell me it is OK." The boys will know you are not wearing uniform pants. Introducing the double standard of adults do what they want but the scouts have to follow the rules. Parents? They should expect you to follow the program as closely as possible and set the example of perfect uniforming so they can point to the adults to show their sons they should be uniformed properly. The Uniform is the most Appropriate apparel for all scouting events and activities. Wearing something other than the uniform is not appropriate. If you want to look more formal in the official uniform, send it to the laundry and have it professionaly cleaned and pressed. Leave the bellows pockets empty and neatly pressed flat during more formal activites. Have the pants hemmed to the proper length. Have all the patches sewn on in the correct location. The public, parents and scouts will appreciate that you made the effort to wear the uniform correctly. Then you dont have to be a hypocrite when you are reminding scouts to wear their uniform correctly. Scout Sunday, ECOHs, and troop COHs do call for a nicer trouser than the Scout pants will ever be. If you put enough starch in your zip-offs to make them look good, you'd better wash them twice before going on a hike. I think your Scouts, parents, and the general public will appreciate that you went to the trouble to make your uniform look good. (I have an un-official pair of green slacks for formal occasions, too) The only people who will even know that you're not in the official uniform pants are bureaucrats whose opinion should be of little value to you. Let them stand next to you in front of the congregation looking nappy in their zip-offs.

Fred: We are doing exactly what you are doing. But you explained it much better than I. Thanks.

Is it time to revive that Concealed Carry thread? http://shark-tank.net/2013/11/22/thug-playing-racially-motivated-knockout-game-gets-shot-twice-by-victim/ "One teen playing the Knockout Game ... attacked a concealed carry permit holder. Marvell Weaver attempted to attack a father who was waiting for his daughter at a bus stop. The middle-aged man tried to use a taser on Weaver. When that failed, he pulled out a .40 cal handgun and shot the teen two times. ... After being taken into custody, Weaver admitted that he had previously attacked seven people prior to the father. Maybe he’ll think twice before assaulting random civilians again when he gets out of the slammer. "

jipped stud: Kind? "OH My Gosh...If Ya Can't afford $25 a Year to Register...Get out of Scouting." Friendly? " if you Knowingly allow an Unregistered Adult to perform Functions you are Lying." Let's work on 'mentally awake': " The term "Volunteer" sometimes can mean Adult Leader depending upon context but can also refer to non-registered adults who help." http://www.meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Adult_Leader If you can find a written citation that requires all adults working with a troop to be registered, I'll pass that on to our Unit Commissioner, who believes otherwise. You may want to re-think picking a fight with someone who knows how to use the 'shift' key...

jps toad: National BSA has decided that we, Scouts and Scouters alike, are a piggy bank. I can see from your comments that you were not aware of the lucre demanded, so your blind defense is understandable. $94 is almost half what BSA requires for the smallest unit allowed: 6 paid youth and two adults. Nike & qwazse: Thanks for letting me vent. Fees go up, but services either go down or remain the same. There is no return on our investment. You know what really sticks in my craw? That $1500 is an annual payment. Every year we pay again for the same material.

j stud of tex ass: "If Ya Can't afford $25 a Year to Register...Get out of Scouting." I'm trying to take your advice. I keep asking our committee to fire me. But while you're riding up on that high horse, would you mind looking around for me and tell me what my troop is getting for the $1,500 plus check we'll be writing for our charter?

"So two half hitches is still the same as a clove hitch?" No sir! Definitely not the same knot! The best use of a clove hitch is the starting point of a lashing. I've heard the Two Half Hitches with the reversed second hitch called a 'Butterfly Knot' in knitting circles. (Please don't tell anyone I knew anything about knitting?) In climbing, a Butterfly Knot is something else.

At our recent committee meeting we were trying to whittle down the number of paid adults. I specifically asked our UC, who just happened to be at the meeting, what was the minimum number of registered adults we needed to stay legal in the eyes of BSA: "Two, an SM and a CC."