Aquila

"I wish for some of the opposite things Pack does. I wish there were more male school principals, male firemen instead of firefighters, etc.

My opinion is that in today''''s society of unwed mothers and high divorce rates, junior is left to feminization because mommy isn''''t a male figure. The world of left oriented books "Heather has two mommies" and "Daddy''''s boyfriend" is hogwash too. Studies show that children do better in two parent male and female homes."

Offended? Quite the opposite! It''s nice to see someone stand up and say they''d like men to be men.

I think we''re seeing a polarization, though Men who want to be men vs. men who want to marry their mommies. And women who want to be ladies vs. women who want to be men.

" "Chainsaws and mechanical log splitters may be authorized for use only by trained individuals over the age of 18, using proper protective gear in accordance with local laws." - Guide to Safe Scouting "

Never said the 17 year old was using the saw or the log splitter...

This has been an extremely high-paying fundraiser for us, and well worth the sweat.

Thanks, Scott. It''s 6-8 Scouts, mostly in the 14-16 range, ranging from Star to Tenderfoot. We did an urban hike earlier this week that was great!

My understanding (please correct me if I''m wrong) is that we need a trip report if there''s driving involved. We meet at the trailheads.

"Two registered adult leaders or one registered leader and a parent of a participant, one of whom must be 21 years of age or older, are required on all trips and outings."

What constitutes a "trip" or "outing"? Obviously, campouts and overnighters, but what about Merit Badge activities?

"A Scout must have a buddy with him at each meeting with a merit badge counselor. A Scout''s buddy could be another Scout, or be a parent or guardian, brother or sister, relative or friend."

If I''m running merit badge required hikes for the Hiking badge where the kids are dropped off at the trailhead, is that an outing or is that a merit badge session? Can someone please provide me with clarification?

It matters. Have any idea how difficult it is to find adults willing to hike ten miles?

Remember, YOU asked.

A few comments, to ignore or not as you see fit.

* I had to click down to a fourth page to get to "What is Scouting?" You might consider more of a tree design so it''s a single click.

* Do you have an agreement with your advertiser as to placement? His banner is the first thing I see and it''s distracting. Your logo ought to be above his advertising.

* Along those same lines, your Click To Donate section is too large. Also, you''ll get more donors if it''s on the right side of the page. Yes, really. And, if you''re paying $150/mo to keep your site running, you''re getting ripped off. You have typos on that page, too.

* Why does Webelos get its own buttons while Cubs and Boy Scouts are clicks?

* I''d run your buttons as tabs across the top of your info section or on the right side. Or, leave them on the left and make a tree (see USScouts.org)

* Grammatical errors on your front page (for instance, Today''s requires a possessive apostrophe).

* You might consider coming up with a slogan. Why should I go to InsaneScouter instead of one of the other sites? What do you offer that others don''t?

* I like the Clipart section. Is it all yours? Or is it public domain? I don''t see the © and usage info.

There''s some good stuff there. It just feels unorganized to me.

I''ll send you my bill in the mail.

>>O''''course, it''''s goin'''' to be hard for her son to grow up unless she does.

I read through the Guide to Safe Scouting and don''t see anything that would prohibit a 17 year old from splitting wood (granting that he has a totin'' chip.) What do you mean that we "are in violation of the BSA safety policies and can have (y)our membership permenantly removed?"

Please cite the violation you allege.

About the wood... you can rent a hydraulic splitter for about $25/day. Quadruples the amount of wood even a strapping 17 year old can split.

We doubled our money, though. After a big storm, we charged a "nominal" fee to remove down trees, then cut them up and sold them.

If he's not getting what he needs from the troop and isn't likely to in the future, I'd find another troop or start my own. Those teen years go so quickly.

Not about the money? My 15 year old would beg to differ. He'll be at next year's camp as a first-time staffer, and is already calculating where the cash will go ;-).

A workman is worthy of his hire.

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing is a neat experience. Definitely the Library of Congress. I think the CIA in Langley still offers tours. Haven't been there since before 9/11, but the Pentagon tour was a good one. The FBI one was interesting, too.

Lincoln, Jefferson, Washington memorials. And the Jane Fonda one. Rent a paddle boat to play around on the Potomac.

Since it's a Scout troop, try and get your Congressman to make time for you. It's a good photo op for you and for him, and he may be willing to set up something unique.

The White House tour is something to do once so they can say they did. The best one we did was the Easter Egg hunt on the front lawn. They pick kids, though, so there's never a guarantee you'd get in -- unless you have really cute little Scouts. LOL

Schedule a tour at Georgetown if you can. It's beautiful, and the atmosphere is great. Lot of street performers at the mall on Friday and Saturday nights.

Do you have any Scouts of other cultures? A tour of one of the embassies of his heritage could probably be arranged.

When are you going? August is miserable -- way crowded, hot, and humid. May is gorgeous! If you can get their parents to agree to let them out of school early, you'll miss a lot of headache and crowds.

Build in the cost to get a MetroRail pass. There were some days I spent simply riding the Metro and people watching *s*. Only $22/wk if you're willing to forgo rush hour.

You could also travel a little further and arrange a tour at the Naval Academy. Their Eagle Scout society used to hold a Scout Jamboree every year. You might find out beforehand.

That's the key -- beforehand. Plan out everything.

I'd stay out of downtown DC after dark, unless you're very careful to remain in a tight group. Although the crime rate is decreasing, it's still high.

If you want to eat out, but you don't want to spend the $150pp at Mr. K's (absolutely worth it!), try Song Que Vietnamese Food (less than $10) or Costco in Arlington (old town is neat to visit in Arlington as well).

I spent some younger years bopping around in the area that I'll not soon forget *s*. DC is definitely a unique destination.

Our public school system is geared for girls. Any parent with both genders knows they are vastly different from the time they're in the womb. It's one reason Scouts is so important; because it lets boys be boys.

We have The Dangerous Book. It's a little mild, but a good introduction to various topics. It's a lot less "dangerous" than our old chemistry sets used to be ;-).

OGE, nowhere did I assume that your troop does this. The summer camp my boys went to did.

I thought they revoked James Dale's award? Maybe I'm wrong.

From Terry Lawson, National Director of Boy Scout

Advancement and NESA

>>The Eagle Award cannot be removed once it has been earned and posted at the National Office. While we would hope every Eagle Scout would continue to live his life according the Scout Oath and Law, what would become the dividing line should we remove it. An Eagle who commits a felony? A Congressman (Eagle Scout) who has an affair with his secretary? A judge who gets picked up for Driving Under the Influence?

These are all hypothetical instances and the policy, at this time, is that we do not remove the Eagle Award. Hope this helps

Terry

My favorite is Citizenship in the Nation because I'm a real stickler. *s* Seriously, it's because I get the chance to make a (hopefully) permanent political impression on these future leaders.

My least favorite is probably Computers -- because the majority of the kids know more than all of the counselors ;-).

How about a table for each one of them, so that they can display all their Scouting stuff? Even though they're doing it together, they still need individual recognition. Also, you might ask each of them to invite one relative to make a 3-minute speech (not a parent).

The best Eagle COH we've attended are those that are family-oriented. Not necessarily the fanciest, but the coziest.

Sounds like his SM may need to visit the other troop and see why it's so wonderful!

Our SM has said that parents can't sign up to counsel their own sons UNLESS they also extend the opportunity to any other Scout who wants to do it as well. Not sure whether he can do that according to the rules, but it works. When mine are being counseled by me, we document EVERYTHING. Things that are "show" are done on video, and if it's an option to tell or write, they write.

We've recently started doing some of the badges at troop meetings and my boys hate it. They have to work at the pace of the slowest kids, can't ask the gazillion questions they do at home, have no internet access, and they don't get to choose what they work on. It's a bad idea all around, and I hope it changes soon.

Kudu is right. No boy is too obese for hiking. We've been doing the badge (10 milers!). Well, the boys have been doing it; I just tag along to carry the cathole shovel. One of the boys (who is 11) is about 4'10" and close to 200 lbs. As long as the pace is "the slowest boy on the hike" and we stop for plenty of water breaks, he does fine. It's actually the skinny-winny who usually has the problem. They have a great time; the adults hang back and are there just for safety; the boys don't even realize they're working. When the fatter kids (it's a description, not a judgement) seem like they're lagging, an adult will carry their pack for awhile. Been a lot of fun. We're just about ready for the 20.

Grey, being able to do something to a minimal standard ONCE and having it signed off by some 14 year old at summer camp who just wants to get to the next kid doesn't really help a Scout. The push to make First Class in a year sees MANY boys cheated out of really earning something. And it negatively impacts those Scouts who actually DO master the skills.

It will be interesting to see how long a 12-year old Eagle sticks around ...

We have a Scout with a seizure disorder whose doctor hit the roof when he found out he was swimming. He's not allowed to be in water without a special lifejacket.

>>I have approved alternative requirements for 1st Class swimming where the 11 y.o. scout was psychologically incapable of submerging his head, due to a recognized medical syndrome. In this case, I approved a set of alteratives which involved hiking. Ultimately, this scout was able to overcome his disability and earn the Swimming MB straight up.

A tragedy all around. I agree with not charging him, though. No point in it.

You can't sacrifice the rest of them for the one who is errant.

I'd suggest that he take up Lone Scouting until his emotional problems are under control. That way, he can still participate with troops when he is having "better" days, and can work on his own when he is not.

You can feel for the kid all you want, but feel for those whose experience he is negatively impacting as well.

ETA: You're going to lose more Scouts -- not just those who would've joined the troop, but those who can't take it any more. We have an Aspie in our family; this doesn't sound like it at all. Aspies are largely compliant (just clueless sometimes!), generally on the quieter side except when talking about their "one thing", and aren't prone to outbursts of inappropriate language (Tourette's is something completely different). Frankly, it sounds more like poor parenting to me -- and Scouts is NOT about being these kids' parent.(This message has been edited by Aquila)

We rotate within the patrols. Each patrol sets its menu, the adults commit to eating with one or the other (usually whomever has more meat!), then they shop on their own. They have $8 per person for the weekend (4 meals), and they are reimbursed up to that amount. If they go over, they're stuck with the balance. Scouts who sign up to go are liable for the food cost, whether they end up going or not.

Patrols that contain Scouts with special diets get no extra money -- it's been pretty interesting to see how the boys deal with "no pork", "Kosher", or "ketonic" diets. They manage. And frankly, I much prefer to eat with the Kosher patrol than get stuck with the invariable weiners and macaroni & cheese (blecch!)