John-in-KC

Two things I did not take: A laptop and a cell phone. I saw a classmate of narritcong's and I be fully distracted one evening by things of the day job. We had access to the Course Director's laptop to build a particular product. That was sufficient unto the day. Was wrong about the poncho liner. It quickly went back in the car. I had my tent on the roadhead row of South City, under the trees. By sundown, temp in the tent was down to 70. Usually by 2AM (don't ask), it was below 60. By dawn, it was below 55. My down bag became a nice light comforter Kudos to Brian Gray and the entire PTC operation. The academic facilities match or exceed most college classrooms. The recreation facilities... well, it IS Philmont!

FScouter, In my District, what you posited would be (and has been) rejected. One time picking up trash. The rejection was upheld at Council.

From G2SS: http://www.scouting.org/healthandsafety/gss/gss02.aspx Lifeguards on Duty Swim only where there are lifeguards on duty. For unit swims in areas where lifeguards are not provided by others, the supervisor should designate two capable swimmers as lifeguards. Station them ashore, equipped with a lifeline (a 100-foot length of 3/8-inch nylon cord). In an emergency, one carries out the line; the other feeds it out from shore, then pulls in his partner and the person being helped. In addition, if a boat is available, have two people, preferably capable swimmers, take it outone rowing and the other equipped with a 10-foot pole or extra oar. Provide one guard for every 10 people in the water, and adjust the number and positioning of guards as needed to protect the particular area and activity. 2 Lifeguards minimum. That takes you to 20 folks in the water. Thereafter, 1 additional LG to each 10 swimmers OR FRACTION THEREOF. That means the 21st person in the water triggers the 3d LG. Hire the pool. Hire the support staff. That meets SSD. BTW, have you done your TOUR PERMIT?? It's required for aquatics events.(This message has been edited by John-in-KC)

In my District, new trail will fly. Maintenance will not. Restoration ... unless the project is approved by State or US Rangers, will not.

Pre-election is a definite time for mentorship. Scoutmaster should talk to two groups of Scouts: - Those who meet eligibility requirements. - The Troop as a whole. Along with the Elections team, the Scoutmaster is the gatekeeper of those who their peers will advance to candidacy. If the SM leverages the ethic of cheerful service well, the youth will understand this is not a popularity contest. If he doesn't invest his own planning, it will be a contest. Been there, seen it happen, both ways. ICS, John

Hire an appropriate pool. Hire the services of competent lifeguards. That's permitted under SSD. Otherwise, you're going to be calling in a fair number of BSA Lifeguard qualified Boy Scouts to help... and a homemade fried chicken dinner would not be an inappropriate incentive to bring them along

Come on back You're old enough that I suspect you've had the "Oh, ####!" moment in your life, and your idealism is now balanced with reality. Enjoy the journey. Lots of good advice in earlier posts

FScouter, In my neck of the woods, setting up a one-time service project day would not. OTOH, recruiting a Troop and its Chartered Partner to enter "Adopt a Highway" litter control program, taking the safety training and then training the Troop and Partner, and planning/coordinating/supervising the first years' quarterly cleanup days, to include safety teams during the work, has flown.

I really do like what Neil said; the fact of the matter is forced change of a SM or CC is a traumatic event, and needs to be done with care. Commish and the Professional Service will probably need to support the IH/COR/CC as they resolve the almost inevitable drama that goes with a forced change of key leadership. I assume, of course, anyone having a disagreement with a SM has already had more than one friendly cup of coffee someplace, trying to identify and resolve differences. From this remove I cannot tell if the disagreements are in terms of the program, the practices, or the people are simply not meshing. I also assume there are no urgent, legally reportable issues where the SE must be the first person notified (in other words, YP). I wish the original poster well.

Beavah has said it more than once here: If you crosswalk the materials Scouting publishes, you will not always get uniform results. We're very lucky: We have a co-ed Crew, with more than enough willing Scouters to cover two-deep and m/f mix. Lord willing, we'll stay that way!

Our Camp Director has a Crew in real life. It operates away from Camp as well. It's chartered by an area theater league; it's arts oriented. She does so well being the boss at Camp her Camp Staffers join her crew.

Barry wrote, in part: "On My I will do my best to do my duty to God and county, to help others at all times. I never saw giving back as a debt to struggle with, just a noble call to serve others before myself." Barry, you nailed it again. You will be able to tell those who really got the ethic from those who were doing the resume` building by their actions years from now!

What's the problem here? I've seen a Venturer, a woman, 17, who was a better lifeguard than 85% of all guys. She was a member of our pool staff. I've seen a Venturer, a woman, 16, who loved things arty and crafty. She was the go-to person in our Handicraft Lodge. This very night, I saw a Venturer, a woman, 17, the President of EagleSon's Crew, who did an exceptional job in the "Lightbulb" skit at our Cub Scout Family Resident Camp's campfire. Confidence and competence go a long way to solving the problem of the sniggering 14 year old.

Physically strong. Reverent. God's standard is absolute and utter perfection. I fail every day. Only by His Grace can I meet this point in the Scout Law. Sometimes Cheerful, especially when I've been working for extended hours and I'm TIRED.

It's the same concept as the "lifelong ticket" in Woodbadge, where we keep creating items for ourselves to do: It's the challenge to a young man (or woman) to keep playing the Grand Game, taking things to the next level. Where would our Scout Camps be if young men and women didn't step up to serve on the staff? What about the Rangers at Philmont, who help a crew inprocess, prepare for the trail, and accompany out the first couple days into the backcountry? A challenge to "give back" also carries with it a second challenge in the background: What is the reason a young person does Scouting for so long? Is it simply a resume` builder, or is it something which demarks their values for time and forevermore? I believe it is an effective challenge, and a proper one. There are thousands of niches a young man or woman in Scouting can fill. Last week at PTC I had the opportunity to meet the 2007 Western Region Venturing President. She's a backcountry Ranger, but was at Camping Headquarters because she had laryngitis. She had taken time to come over to the National Lutheran Association on Scouting annual meeting. Since she'd not had the Lord's Supper in some weeks, it was also a chance for Pastors Dick Wertz and Gordon Gross, both Philmont staff chaplains, to specifically minister to her. She has her Silver as well as the Venturing Leadership Award. She was giving back to the Grand Game, in her particular niche!

The same reason we're over halfway to annointing President Messiah? Sometimes kids make bad choices... We say we want them to learn by failure. Sounds like they might have learned.

shortridge, Have you seen the garbage sackcloth BSA Supply Corporation uses for Venturing shorts? Loose weave garbage! We have a Cabela's here. EagleSon's Crew goes there to buy grey shorts and grey trousers. Darn things wear like iron. That said, I think some of the two-tone green is a remnant from the "Leadership Corps" days of the 70s/80s. I know a Council camp staff which does it. What I like personally is what one of our camps does: They make their own staff epaulets from various patriotic grosgrain ribbons! (Note to self: Include a set of those tomorrow!)

Gern, You've never watched "Iron Chef?" Discard the menus and recipes the camp gives you. Have the kids take the foods they're given, and figure out a way to prepare them. Yeah, it's menu planning one meal at a time, but now they're having to think about what they've got and what they can do with it. Of course, the well-equipped patrol box always has biscuit mix... and I can do wonders with biscuit mix

Lose the contracts. They don't do much good. Invest in talking about the Scout Oath and Law, beyond recitation at speed from memory. Better to invest in some Adult Association and talk before you go to camp, while at camp, after camp, and after any incident you have. Helpful... Friendly... courteous... kind... When the SPL backed up by the SM says "Don't Throw Rocks, dagnabit!", Obedient.

CP, To amplify, to me cleanliness in the backcountry is... Keeping the parts which can chafe from starting to chafe. Keeping hands clean when cooking or eating. Keeping camp bowl, cup, and K/F/S clean so dysentery cannot happen. Enjoying a dip in the lake or a cool bucket of water to sponge off the dust.

No sniping taken. I know what Missouri summer humid heat is; heck, I know what Houston summer humid heat is. I can imagine a fair bit of what Virginia summer humid heat is. I've heard about the Charley Foxes of gathering all the participants into a hot sunny place and making them wait for the President to show his smiling face and Secret Service entourage. I've got a pretty good summer weekend schedule working at one of our Council camps. Jambo is a major muscle group for a family now. I'd rather serve some of our Scouts who have to work to save for just Scout Camp!

Assuming there is truth that Cooking MB will return to the Eagle Required MB list in the next two years, Having Patrol cooking at Scout Camp will greatly increase opportunity for kids to do the toughest phase of this merit badge: COOK SIX MEALS. I learned the greatest basics of cooking as a boy scout, all those years ago!

What Barry said. As someone said here: If you think you don't have a Unit Commissioner, well, you really do have a Unit Commissioner: The District Commissioner has direct responsibility for any unit which does not have a UC or ADC assigned! If your UC is the Invisible Man, the DC might want to know that. Lastly, if you get pushback on this, or if you don't get CC support (from what you've said, I've written off your COR for the moment) before having this meeting, (and either might happen), then it comes gut-check time: Is it worth your energy to push this noodle without support, or is it time to let this troop be a mill, and find a Troop which understands Aims, Methods, and Program just a tad better? What Barry said!

Stosh, http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=99680 I was a very young lieutentant when I first heard Murphy's Laws of War. Two of them are: - The enemy has a vote. - Even if you do everything right, bad things can happen. I can only hope the two young men were reunited in death.

emb021, My point exactly. Lord willing, I can ask that this coming week at PTC and see if there's a vision and a roadmap yet.