John-in-KC

Here's the fundamental issue pizzafrisbee hints at: COOKING MERIT BADGE IS NOT ON THE EAGLE REQUIRED LIST. When I was a Scout, I needed the times I was cook, either in camp or on the trail, to get my count up! No, I didn't plan menus, but I had to work with the PL (or when I was PL, insert myself in the roster) to make sure all the roster jobs got done. Cooking isn't part of the Eagle matrix right now. That's a BAD thing, IMNSHO. The leadership cooking teaches (not to mention the culinary skills) come back to help Scouts as they approach Eagle. The other thing is that Scout camp competes for $$$ (whether the Scout earns them or Mom and Dad send him) with band camp, tennis camp, debate camp, space camp, this camp, that camp, and another camp. From my observation, parents want concrete, quantifiable achievement. Personal growth and having FUN, which was part of my years in camp, just does not cut it anymore. YIS

Gilski, I have to agree with others here: This is adding to the BSA program, and thus is out of bounds. May I suggest pointing this out politely to your CC and SM. If they don't listen, talk to your COR, the District Advancement Chairman, and your UC. If they continue not to listen, the youth need to go into another Troop! BTW, If a Scout wants to be "ready" to design, develop, and execute his Eagle Leadership Service Project, encourage him to take Family Life, Personal Fitness, and Personal Management before getting Life. Why? All three have long-term record-keeping within their curricula. The records help teach time and activity management. (This message has been edited by John-in-KC)

GOOD! Someone in that Council is actually thinking about using their head. Now, maybe if the TOUR PERMIT REQUESTS get a good hard look before the Council approves them...

If there are three pieces of advice for any first time camper, 1) Get them a good water bottle, such as a Nalgene. 2) Make them drink (and make sure you drink). 3) Buy plenty of ice through the trading post or camp kitchen. 80F temps can deceive in how fast a person dehydrates. Water, water, and more water. Cool is far more palatable than tepid or even hot.

We had 11 Scouters beaded last night at Roundtable. Amazingly, some districts in my Council do not permit beadings at RT. Heck, we know how to form the Gilwell Field square Couldn't hear the Beavers ... We Owls put in a "hoot-hoot" after "what to do!"

Our Council Professionals use the terms "Class A" and "Class B" uniforms in their own publications, including the Scout Camp Leaders and Program Guides. Can you say "tempest in a teapot?"

This was distributed last night at Roundtable; I've since found it on multiple Council websites: Fire Bans and Cooking Requirements for Advancement A significant part of the country has experienced fire bans that prevent the use of open flames outdoors. Some of these bans have been in effect for months and have prevented Scouts from completing Tenderfoot requirement 3 and Second Class requirement 2e, 2f, and 2g. The National Advancement Committee has approved the substitution, during periods of fire bans only, of the use of a cook stove or, when no outdoor cooking is allowed, completion of these requirements over a kitchen stove. These substitutions are allowed only during periods of fire bans.

Both feel appropriate. Having seen a crew start-up, the briefing may have to be adapted from the standard syllabus of BSA. There are no prior officers to handover from, so this Crew Officer Briefing may well be a brainstorming session of where your ship wants to go. Then, conducting VLSC (which isn't restricted to just the officers) helps form the bonds that will take them into the program.

Saint Cad, Again, welcome to the campfire. Pull up a log. Here's the short version: The leaders of a Scout unit come from a community, and are known to the community. Leaders from other Scout units are not necessarily known to the community, and should work through the residnet adult leadership, unless we are talking true emergency. Correcting the proper wear of the uniform is not a true emergency. Here's the long version: Scouting, blessedly, is neither military nor even para-military Baden-Powell used elements of outdoor skills training and elements of citizenship training (including teamwork) to make Scouting what it is, and not an army wannabe. BTW, I say that as a veteran Scouting is, however, a licensed, or chartered, organization. Congress chartered the National Council, a non-profit corporation, with nationwide responsibilities. If you look at BSA's national boards, you will find prominent businesspeople, government people, and religious people, all coming together to serve our next generations. The National Council charters local Councils ... area based non-profits. Same concept, local focus. The local council issues a charter to a local organization: Often a service group or church, sometimes a business. That's the Chartered Partner. The chartered partner signs off on your adult leader application, and deems you suitable to serve the youth of your neighborhood. They do this together with the local Council, who, through local agencies, conducts a background check on you. So, you, the leader in Pack 123, are known to the boys of your Pack. A leader, within the circle of the unit, is the right person to discuss both the uniform method and the correct wear of uniform elements. Those who are outside the circle should not approach a youth they do not know. Approach an adult, instead. My considered thoughts.

Welcome to the campfire! You didn't tell us which Council you are in, so I cannot tell HOW MUCH training is going on near you. Western LA Council (http://www.bsa-la.org/) Balboa Oaks District, has Cub Scout Leader Specific Training TONIGHT (Jun 1, 2006). They are running it again on July 6, along with instructor led youth protection. It runs again August 3. New Leader Essentials (the common core of all BSA adult leader training) will be offered in the Antelope Valley District on July 12. Crescent Bay District (iirc around Santa Monica Bay) runs Cub Scout leader specific on August 12. Now, that's a lot of dates, and none of us have actually given you a trail to follow. In a perfect world, the initial training regimen you should undertake is: Cub Scout Leader Fast Start Orientation training. As CNY said, this is available online. Boy Scouts of America Youth Protection training. Again, this is online. New Leader Essentials. This covers the general program of Scouting. Position Specific Training for (insert level here) Den Leaders, Cubmasters, and committee members. Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation (BALOO). If your Pack is going to do aquatics activities, I recommend you add Safe Swim Defense/Safety Afloat (again, available online) to this basic suite. Beyond this, there is ongoing supplemental training available to you: - Monthly District Roundtables, which are designed to give you a "heads up" on the program 1-2 months out. - PowWow or University of Scouting, which offers subject specific program information. Ours does everything from neckerchief slide making to "Pinewood Derby 101." - Den Chief training. Boy Scouts from area Troops, seeking leadership positions, can be available to assist you in operating your den program. This class supports both the Boy Scout serving, and the Den Leader receiving the service I want to leave you with three takeaways: - I've described an elephant. Eating this elephant can be done, do it one bite at a time. Do Fast Start online first - Keep It Simple, Make It Fun (KISMIF). This is the single most important concept to presenting program to 7-10 year olds! - Bookmark your Councils' website. As you start the trail, let us know about where you live. Training may be available close by in the Southern California metro. Let us know how we can help you start the trail YIS(This message has been edited by John-in-KC)

Sue, The lined up, locked arms over shoulders, and tried to do the can-can. Feet get about 18" off the ground though... Have fun staffing.

Sue, Have you learned what my WB SM called the "staffer happy dance" yet? John

My Brothers, What is done is done. Featherbear is a member of our Order, and deserves respect as such. We all went through the same Ordeal he did. All we're doing now is having a urination contest. It's counterproductive. May we please get back to the original question of featherbear's post? I'm always looking for better program ideas. In Cheeful Service, John

OA induction weekends ... I have a passion at the moment to inculcate service as a lifetime habit. Even in Scouting, I see too many doing just enough service hours to get by. OA induction overnight at Scout camp sessions. Ditto. Locally, serving the Cub Pack with an end-of-year campfire meeting, where the Tribesmen of Mic-o-Say come out and help put on the show for the Pack, and get the "ooooh, aaah" effect from the 8, 9, and 10 year olds.

We just had the local Tribesmen of Mic-o-Say gather to do the T-W, W-B, B-W1, W1-W2 end of the school year Pack campfire. ASSUMING the Arrowmen in your Chapter have made native attire, they can support this kind of evening as well. John

Sheesh... Last time we couldn't get a signle Bobwhite to come up and sing... now we have three of them... In the meantime... Here we sit like Birds in the Wilderness Birds in the Wilderness Birds in the Wilderness... Here we sit like Birds in the Wilderness Waiting for the Eagle Patrol... Waiting for the Eagle Patrol... Waiting for the Eagle Patrol... Here we sit like Birds in the Wilderness Birds in the Wilderness Birds in the Wilderness... Here we sit like Birds in the Wilderness Waiting for the Eagle Patrol! John A Good Old Owl

Lisa, Since Kum-bay-yah has been claimed by others of a different political bent, mebbe we can go back to the WB forum and sing a round of Gilwell We never DID find a BobWhite for it.

Tour Permit is really not much more than some deliberate planning going into an activity. If you don't do it now, it will come as a rude shock when your youth move to the Boy Scout Troop. Ditto health forms. A Class 1 takes 3 minutes to fill out by the parent. A Class 2 is a simple doctor's check ... if your youth go to the family practicioner or pediatrician every year for a check-up, this is a no-brainer. A Class 3 is generally for older youth on high adventure, or for old farts like me. The pack I supervise as a COR has a wonderful guy who understands the rules. There is a book of Class I/II/III data that goes wherever the Pack goes.

Mr or Ms Rodriguez, Welcome to the campfire. Pull up a log. Take a load off those feet for a while LisaBob and funscout both give you solid pragmatic ideas that hopefully will get you by for a little while. In the meantime... Your Pack is a the result of a Scouting license (charter) agreement. A local civic organization, such as the Kiwanis, the local Catholic Church, or maybe even a school PTA, is the Chartered Partner who actually owns the BSA license. This is one of the times for your Cubmaster or Committee Chairman to engage with that Chartered Partner. BY CONTRACT (License/charter), the Local Council PROMISES to provide training. The Chartered Partner has two persons who can get your Council's attention: The Institutional Head (in BSAspeak the Executive Officer) and the Chartered Organization Representative. Your COR is a voting member of the Council, and by his office can attend District Committee meetings. He can ask the District Training operating committee to find resources for you; he can also ask your Unit Commissioner for the same. Let us know how getting the training resources you need pans out.

Lisa, I almost always ask "A Scout is Reverent?" How does that work out in your daily life? As a result of hearing answers these past few years, there have been a couple of young men I've asked this question: "Have you considered actively asking God's Will about you and the Public Ministry?" Many of these young men have well-formed faith sets ... especially as they approach Life and Eagle.

I think we've hit a small epiphany here. The MESSENGER and the MESSAGE must be appropriate. An inappropriate messenger gets in the way of even a good message. As far as issues go, in Ollie North's case, he as the messenger gets in the way of any message.

Like Beavah, I register Republican. I tend to vote morally and fiscally conservative. Oliver North is NOT the man Scouting needs. Gerald Ford, otoh... For that matter, Colin Powell.

Mandatory Scouter registration for anyone sleeping over at a Reservation is what my Council is doing. Nothing yet mandating YP, FS, NLE common core or NLE position specific.

The biggest single thing our Lodge does at summer camp ... IS HAVE A WORKDAY, ORDEAL, AND BROTHERHOOD CEREMONIES. Weds night ... Tapout from the visitor's night campfire. Arrowmen know what happens from there. Thurs AM, Ordeal members working to Brotherhood give Cheerful Service. Candidates do what Candidates do. Thurs PM, the Nemat hike and a Brotherhood Ceremony. Thursday after supper, Ordeal ceremony. We also provide a "walk-in" operation. Those who come on-property overnight, either for Brotherhood, to serve as Elangomats/Nemats/Runners have a home in one of our campsites. Various units pool water barrels, camp lanterns, pen/paper/envelopes, and a small cracker barrel. Fair enough? YIS

LH, Sadly, I believe you are true. We have governmental authorities who do not understand the first point of the Scout Law: A Scout is Trustworthy. We also have those who do not understand the first stanza of the Scout Oath: On my Honor, I will do my best, to do my duty to God and my Country... I would hope that all of us on this forum who are of age exercise our rights to vote. If we use the Scout Oath and Law as our standard for "is this candidate worthy of office?", we will have done more due diligence, and exercised our vote far more wisely, than too many of our fellow voters.