John-in-KC

They are a DEN. They are operating under the Method "Preparation for Boy Scouts." That is why they take a name and a patrol patch. They are a DEN. They are not yet a miniature society. Their LEADER is an adult. Notice that in a TROOP, the LEADERS are YOUTH MEMBERS.(This message has been edited by John-in-KC)

Scoutmom, TCD and Stosh hit a point: We can control who we are. Controlling others is far harder. No matter how this turns out, if your son lives Friendly, Courteous, and Kind, no matter who or what the other fellow is, he'll have the respect of others. Thoughts for him to ponder, no matter what his final course in this mess be.

On a very fast google search, I found at least two Council website with Charter Agreements identical to the one click23 originally posted. Paging Secret DE, Secret DE... Paging Secret DE, Secret DE... Has there been a change to the format of the Charter Agreement between 2008-9 and 2009-10?

Venturers can choose what they desire for their uniform; they can choose not to have a uniform. The encouragement is that if you want a uniform like Boy or Cub Scouts, encourage the youth to select the official shirt (I'm no fan of the pants/shorts; I still recommend Columbia, Cabela's, or Bass Pro grays... better fit and finish and less expensive). The pedants among us will want the Supply Corporation pants/shorts.

I don't ever, EVER want to be in a courtroom, and have Beavah at the other Counselor's table...

Mom2Scout: Here's how I wrote up my ticket items: VISION: 1/World thought. GOAL: What I wanted to do. Process: SMART acronym, writing to each letter of the acronym. HTH.

tokala and nolesrule, With regret, the comments on interfaith worship demonstrate to a T why I believe they are anathema. Faith is not a matter to trifle with, and offending another because they are outside your faith group, even by accident, is wrong. nolesrule, as tokala, I'm glad you were able to absorb this in a mature and thoughtful way. You are a better man than I, Sir, I do no think I could have done that. Now ... are you ready to work that ticket ? :-)

This is not quite a Gordian knot. My take: The Scout in question does need to sit down and write: Clearly and simply write down why he does not respect the CC. Next, he needs to find that Venturing Crew, and ask his records be transferred, please, immediately. Third, after having written, sat on, and then carefully re-read the reasons why he does not respect the CC, the Scout in question needs to give that letter, or an apology, to the CC. There are other things which cause me to question how this troop does business, but I don't want to pursue them. If the IH/COR are active at all, and accept how the unit is being run, change will not happen. If they're absentee franchisees, change will not happen. All the UC (all the Commissioner's Service indeed) can do is drop a few hints on regular visits. It's time for this Scout to cut his losses. My $0.02.

One word: YES!!! 1) You're doing family camping. Cub Camping is Family Camping. 2) You're recruiting. 3) I don't know a Professional out there who does not understand trying to increase membership. Nothing I write here is hard based with research in BSA literature; I'm trying to apply common sense to the situation.

This is the thread that has no end... It just goes on and on, my friend... Some people started posting to it not knowing what it was... and they'll continue posting to it forever just because... This is the thread that has no end... It just goes on and on, my friend... Some people started posting to it not knowing what it was... and they'll continue posting to it forever just because... This is the thread that has no end... It just goes on and on, my friend... Some people started posting to it not knowing what it was... and they'll continue posting to it forever just because... This is the thread that has no end... It just goes on and on, my friend... Some people started posting to it not knowing what it was... and they'll continue posting to it forever just because... This is the thread that has no end... It just goes on and on, my friend... Some people started posting to it not knowing what it was... and they'll continue posting to it forever just because... This is the thread that has no end... It just goes on and on, my friend... Some people started posting to it not knowing what it was... and they'll continue posting to it forever just because... This is the thread that has no end... It just goes on and on, my friend... Some people started posting to it not knowing what it was... and they'll continue posting to it forever just because... This is the thread that has no end... It just goes on and on, my friend... Some people started posting to it not knowing what it was... and they'll continue posting to it forever just because... This is the thread that has no end... It just goes on and on, my friend... Some people started posting to it not knowing what it was... and they'll continue posting to it forever just because... This is the thread that has no end... It just goes on and on, my friend... Some people started posting to it not knowing what it was... and they'll continue posting to it forever just because...

OT, It worked at home. I've sent Mr Minter an email about his page, since his comment about MBs and BSA Lifeguard is also wrong. You do not need LS MB to earn BSA LG.

NE-IV-88-Beaver, Scouting magazine pulled back the requirements. The requirements are not on the merit badge section of the national council website. Folks from National have been asking councils to pull unapproved requirements. Show me where these requirements are approved. As I said, I agree that National has bolo'd this. That said, our mission of serving the youth members does not include giving them bad requirements. Where is the source of the requirements you posted? If something is on the National website, it's an approved deal. These aren't. What's your source?

NE-IV-88-Beaver, Where can I find that on the www.scouting.org website? Until... - The requirements are released by the National Council. - A begin date is set. - The MBs are loaded in the advancement module of ScoutNet You're playing with fire with your youth. TRUSTWORTHY. Are you going to load advancements worked on before the approved begin date? Trustworthy and loyal cut both ways, to the boy and to the organization. Now, I'm the first to agree the National Council has flummoxed this by not getting things on for 3 months of the Anniversary year, but that does not give me the right to say "Here are requirements, go forth" when they are not National's requirements.

From someone who was a youth member, welcome to being a servant of the kids.

Mark my words: There will be Scouts and Scouters wearing these patches for the next 15 years.

OK, it's time, my two cents: 1) WORDS HAVE MEANING, and the word hazing, as Counselor Beavah said, has specific meaning in the law. 2) EVEN SO, the word is a so-what, who cares. THE ACTIONS of young people are what need addressing. 3) THE FIRST YOUTH who needs consequences to happen is the Scout who offered the drink. 4) THE SECOND YOUTHS who need consequences are the Scouts who planned this. 5) What I think reasonable: - SPL/SM huddle and agree: This is worth all four Scouts being dismissed from the event, immediately. Parents come and get them, now. - Scoutmaster conferences are in order: FRIENDLY/KIND are the watchwords of the day. These are not friendly SM conferences, these are "These are the consequences of your actions" conferences. SM needs to visit with parents too, though I think that should be separate from the SM conference. - The SM and the CC need to have each others' back on this. The consequences should be pretty well settled on before the BOR begins. - COR needs to be informed as a matter of course. - Non-Advancement Boards of Review are in order: They will mete out the final determination. The SPL should not sit the BOR, but he should be invited to give his thoughts to the BOR. I think this is the path Beavah, SMT224, Barry and Lisa are looking.

Tokala, I know you are already in the field for weekend 2 along with your student nolesrule, but your implementation of the curriculum sounds spot on. Perfect is the enemy of Good. I am saddened that other staffers, when asked, would not step up to the plate. I remember my CD specifically thanking two who had stepped in at the last minute. Please give my special kudos to TG Bruce. My TG in my course was emphatic that "During the intersession, I am Troop 1. Ask me a question, I will get you an answer you can hang your hat on." Bruce sounds like the same sort of guy.

Thankfully, what BadenP describes has not happened at the camps I have directly observed in my Council. Health forms are maintained in unit bundles, and are returned to the units at checkout. Eagle92 and PhillyScout: Thanks.

Mr Walton's link is DEAD.

I'm generally with Beavah. Once the immediate need is met, the SM and CC need to have a friendly cup of coffee with the IH/COR of the Chartered Partner. Policy about non-custodial parents, espcially if they've run afoul of the law, is a Chartered Partner decision, not one for the Pack/Troop/Team/Crew committee.

Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience From a quick googlesearch... C.O.P.E. is an acronym for "Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience." a COPE Course is a custom built challenge course or ropes course designed to meet the Boy Scouts of America (BSA)Project C.O.P.E. installation and operation procedures. COPE Programs are based on attaining seven goals outlined by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). The seven C.O.P.E. goals are summarized as: Teamwork Teamwork is the key that allows a group to navigate a C.O.P.E. challenge course successfully. The C.O.P.E. challenge ropes course experience makes it clear that each individual can accomplish more as a member of a team than by going it alone. Communication A C.O.P.E. challenge course encourage in the moment active learning of critical listening and discussion skills important for any group, troop or individual attempting to accomplish a difficult task. Trust Participants completing difficult tasks on a C.O.P.E. challenge course develop trust in the C.O.P.E. staff members, their fellow troop members and themselves. Leadership Team members attempting to solve problems on a cope course have abundant opportunities to develop and exercise leadership skills in small and large groups. Decision Making Project C.O.P.E. requires groups and troops to make decisions by developing one or more solutions to a the specific obstacle, problem, or initiative. Teams must consider all the available resources and alternatives, and evaluate the probable results before moving forward. Problem Solving Project C.O.P.E. challenges groups and individual to develop solutions to interesting problems. Participants must step outside of the box and frequently use creative ideas. Participants can then test their solutions and evaluate the results. Self-Esteem Meeting the challenges of a C.O.P.E. challenge course allows individuals and groups to develop self-esteem and encourages them to set challenging yet attainable goals. Cope course programming on a challenge course, rope course or team course emphasizes learning by doing. When we work with scouting associations, scout troops, scout camps, scouts and scouters on the design, installation, inspection and training of C.O.P.E. challenge courses, ropes courses and/or climbing towers we emphasize the need for a design that will accommodate all ages, sizes, shapes, and physical abilities. Our C.O.P.E challenge course options include innovative initiative elements, climbing towers vertical climbing elements and low and high ropes course challenges. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Here is Camp Mountaineer (Morgantown, WV)'s COPE pages: http://www.literati.com/cope/ Again from their website, here are the standards to run a COPE course. This is well beyond the resources of a single volunteer or even unit, this is Council Scout Reservation stuff: http://www.literati.com/cope/framestandard.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Finally, to conclude, Scoutfish, there is a language of Scouting. We talk a lot about the AIMS of Scouting and the METHODS of each program level in Scouting. Much of this information is available at the National Council website. I haven't finished mining the place yet.

I see an iPad in Beavah's future... Seriously, I'm with Kahuna on this. DOD is moving away with speed from paper topographic maps. USGS products are already available online... just use a googlemap relief map. I think Beavah's idea of an electronics chip (no pun intended) is a pretty good idea. Our job, after all, is to prepare the whole boy to be the whole man.

Beavah, Since you've been on camp visitation teams in the past, and I assume somewhere you have a copy of National Camp Standards, can you share what the NCS provisions are for health record privacy during a unit week at a Scout Reservation? Thanks in advance.

Sounds like the folks in Sea Scouting need to have long heart to heart talks with the Council Relations Group. BTW, why are you turning in blue cards to Council instead of an Advancement Report?

Source: http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/BoyScouts/AdvancementandAwards/eligibility.aspx#ven Age Requirement Eligibility Merit badges, badges of rank, and Eagle Palms are for boys (emphasis added Jkc) who are registered Boy Scouts or Varsity Scouts. Any registered Boy Scout or Varsity Scout may earn these awards until his 18th birthday. Any Venturer who achieved the First Class rank as a Boy Scout or Varsity Scout in a troop may continue working for the Star, Life, and Eagle ranks and Eagle Palms while registered as a Venturer up to his 18th birthday. Oscar Tango, I've now cited my source. Please cite yours.