JoeBob

Open Letter to President Obama: THANK YOU for not listening to those pesky stubborn Republicans who wanted to delay the individual mandate for a year. You delayed the business mandate all by yourself; but if you had 'negotiated' with Republicans and kept the government open in exchange for delaying the individual mandate, we wouldn't be witnessing the current meltdown of ACA Website. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/20/opinion/sunday/douthat-obamacare-failing-ahead-of-schedule.html?ref=rossdouthat&_r=1& "Federal officials did not permit testing of the Obamacare healthcare.gov website or issue final system requirements until four to six days before its Oct. 1 launch, according to an individual with direct knowledge of the project. The individual, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the troubled Obamacare website project as suffering from top-level management disarray, changing systems requirements and recurring delays. Federal officials did not permit testing of the Obamacare healthcare.gov website or issue final system requirements until four to six days before its Oct. 1 launch, according to an individual with direct knowledge of the project. The individual, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the troubled Obamacare website project as suffering from top-level management disarray, changing systems requirements and recurring delays." http://washingtonexaminer.com/troubled-obamacare-website-wasnt-tested-until-a-week-before-launch/article/2537381 If a fourth year of over-budget work on the website had improved it's ability to function, Obamacare might have survived. Since the website is often quoted as being the easiest part of ACA implementation, I look forward to many more interesting developments as your federal government attempts to improve on healthcare. Makes me look forward to dying! Is a 'Death Panel' an interview process? Do you pass or fail? Thanks! JoeBob

Hands on training. Wood tools, training/mentoring youth leaders, knots, patrol competitions, troop games, backpack cooking ideas, Philmont preparation. Ask your SM's to nominate a topic that they feel proficient enough to teach, and delegate.

Just to be fair, even Bill Gates can screw up technology. Windows 8.1 launch weekend plagued by some show-stopping installation issues http://www.pcworld.com/article/2056292/windows-8-1-launch-weekend-plagued-by-some-show-stopping-installation-issues.html

Got anything to say about the ACA that doesn't involve slander or emotion? Something logical on topic? Okay. I'll check back later in case something comes to you...

Uh Huh: http://www.brindlemedia.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Anti-ObamaCare1.jpg

How interesting is it going to be when Obama has to delay the individual mandate because not enough young people can/will enroll to support us old codgers? Since delaying the individual mandate for a year was one of the first bills the Repubs sent to the senate to re-start the Govt; this will expose the petty bullheadedness of Obama: "I refused to negotiate delaying the individual mandate back then, because that would have given the Republicans a 'win'. But let's delay the individual mandate now, because we have to fix it; errr because it's the right thing to do!"

Kudu says "Chuck Those Chuck Boxes!" http://inquiry.net/outdoor/skills/cooking/lightweight.htm The Dragonfly that Kudu pictured is our troop's backpacking stove, too. It provides a good base for the large pots use by patrols. We have had issues with the pumps breaking, but they are boys...

With standards that high, an Eagle is just a Crow with white paint on his head.

Old448 - I'm sorry that didn't turn out better for your son. Don't you think he'll be better off with a better SM who can defend his positions with reason?

Excuse me? Den leaders plan large events and develop annual programs all the time? Only in the mind of a WouldBadger does riding herd on 10 third graders require Tom Blanchard management theory...

The problem with leaving for another troop for an OA election is that they probably won't get elected in a new troop where no one knows them. By the time that they're in a new troop long enough to get elected, their service window has dramatically shortened or they have aged out. SM's are not demigods, we just play one in the movies. This SM needs to be enlightened or circumvented..

I'd make the first shakedown basic for gear, and the second shakedown hike an extended distance, say 15? 15 in one day will point out to the adults any weaknesses for 5 x 10.

That would have worked well during the revolution and the WWs... Would we have a more pronounced British accent, or Deutsche?

To forbid an OA election is a policy decision, something that is well within the committee's purview. This would be the same as banning out-of-council summer camps, or in-council summer camps, or participation in district training or events. Can an SM forbid earning Hiking or Camping merit badges, because they place a boy in the woods? The OA is part of BSA. An honor camping society that renders service to the district. This SM needs to brush up on his Scouter's Spirit, because he;s certainly NOT setting a good community example for his men.

bazaar or bazar (bəˈzÉ‘ËÂ)  n 1. (esp in the Orient) a market area, esp a street of small stalls 2. a sale in aid of charity, esp of miscellaneous secondhand or handmade articles 3. a shop where a large variety of goods is sold Having a bit of trouble understanding, are we?

Having the same gear for each year sure makes sense to me. Hats 4 years x $13 = $52 Necker and Slide = 4 x $12 = $48 You'd save $75 per scout over 5 years. Of course, Irving would miss their profit on that...

I'm with the 'No Pool' crowd. 1- Pushing off the wall if you're doing down and back laps lets you coast half the distance. No open water comparison. 2- If you're swimming circles around the pool, you'll need buoys to mark the insides of the corners or the laps will circle smaller each time around. You'll need to calculate your distance for laps around the buoys, not the outsides of the pool. (At one summer camp they held the mile swim inside their designated swimming area. 40 swimmers trying to stay off of each other going in circles on the edge of a monster lake...). 3- An integral part of the Mile Swim is the confidence you get from knowing that you can swim long distances if you ever have to. You're exposed. There is no nearby shore to save you or pool edge to grab onto when your boat flips in the BWCA. You can swim a mile in a pool, but it's not the same...

Barry has valid points about youth not noticing some of the big picture when they're visiting a bunch of loud strangers. I want you to realize that your son may get more out of a troop that does not fit your ideals. A large troop that offers lots of places for a boy to hang out under the radar for a while, until he makes some new friends, might be best for someone new to the community. A small intensely boy-led troop may bring more pressure than he wants at first. Just be sure that the questions you ask him are neutral. Our sons want to please their fathers, and he'll pick up on any slant to your conversation. I don't want you on the board a year from now telling us that he dropped out of the troop that you picked for him...

Just curious; what would this SM do if the PLC invited an election team to an event other than a troop meeting? Gotta have 50% attend and requirement #4, SM certification of Scout Spirit could be waived or delegated to an ASM. Summer camp free time? Camporee? If the boys really want an OA election, Indians can be sneaky. It is the BOYS troop, right? Maybe elect the SM, too.

My situation swings the other way. The older boys, who really didn't respect the SPL (with some good cause), were close to sinking the troop. As adults, we quietly enforced courtesy at the back of the room so that a meeting could happen. The SPL eventually resigned his POR.

Don't forget your second son. He almost certainly will follow his big brother. I'm getting a little bit too much of 'what Dad wants in a troop' from your responses. It's hard not to impose your will on your son's selection, but you need to do everything you can to make it HIS choice. I pushed like heck to get my son to visit other troops. Nope. He was going with his friends, period.

What? Humility isn't an honorable characteristic anymore? Or did you not get the joke?

"OA is nothing more than a lodge flap to 90% of the OA members." Yep.

[h=2]"On Sunday, protesting the barricades placed at memorials around Washington D.C. by the vindictive Obama administration, veterans removed the barricades and proceeded to take them to the White House."[/h] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/10/13/Barricades-moved-WH?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

We used a Coffee can for donations. Label it "Pack 550 DONATIONS" so that 'Donations' is easily readable. Half our money came from folks who didn't want a $20 bag of popcorn but were very happy to give $5 to $10 to Cub Scouts. BTW: 100% of donations stay with your unit.