Aquila calva

When it comes to a troop Code of Conduct, I gave up trying to write one a long time ago. Guess what? It has already been written and is available to everyone. (And no, it is not "just" the Scout Oath and Law, although they are a great place to start.) It is the Participant Statement of Understanding and Code of Conduct that is page 4 of the application to the World Jamboree. It was also part of the National Jamboree application and even may be part of other high adventure applications like Philmont and Sea Base. It is really a good document! Every new scout family that joins our troop gets a copy of that page 4. No one has to sign it but everyone is expected to read it and understand it. Parents have an ah haa moment when they read it. Our troop expects everyone to uphold these high standards. End of discussion. Click on the National BSA website link below. Then enter World Jamboree in the search box. At this page, click on the Scouter/Venturer Application. It is page 4 of this pdf file. Copy it and give it to everyone in your troop. http://www.scouting.org/nav/media/index.html (Maybe someone else knows how to post a link that goes directly to this document.)

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John or Dick. Baden, Ernest, Daniel or Rick. There are Scouts all around, Fun, camping, advancements abound. They all deserve more than a limerick! (This message has been edited by Aquila calva)

"I might bring along a child psychologist when talking to them, just to offer some expertise and perspective." Beavah, You apparently have a great network of friends. Wish I was so fortunate!

There once were some guys in Scouts Trying to be leaders but were really louts. They went neck and neck Until someone said what the heck And closed the thread saying, no one shouts! Hear! Hear! (This message has been edited by Aquila calva)

So, is there a name for "internet rage" yet? i-rage copyright 2007 by Aquila calva

anarchist, Should packs and troops all over the country be paying taxes on all income from that popcorn they sell? This is where your suggestion is leading. And then there is the case of Girl Scout Cookies. This could be one way for the government to collect enough taxes to pay the social security benefits of the baby boomers, or maybe pay for the war in Iraq. Taxes on popcorn and cookies, good idea????

This topic had some activity last year. Here is a link for further reading and lots of advice. http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=125312#id_125428

Here is an inspiring story and an idea or two, especially for those "new scout" patrols. Have fun Scouting. _______________________________________________________ 'Magnificent Seven' make Eagle By ANDREW WALLMEYER awallmeyer@acnpapers.com (Created: Monday, February 12, 2007 12:53 PM CST) AFTON - It is rare enough for any Boy Scout to earn the rank of Eagle Scout - fewer than two out of every 100 scouts do - but a remarkable seven young men in Lake Elmo's Troop 224 received the honor Sunday, largely because of a promise they made to each other when they were in the fifth grade. "All seven of us made a pact when we were 10 or 11 years old to stick in it and go for Eagles," said Ryan Mattson. "If anyone had thoughts of quitting, the rest of us would be on their back and get them back in, helping them out and making sure they wouldn't leave." The newly minted Eagle Scouts - John Andrews, Matthew Drahnak, Daniel Haywood, Zachary Hunter, Mattson, Ian Rothweiler and Peter Widin - said the fact that they reached their goal together made the achievement even sweeter. "Looking back to how we started as Tiger Cubs in kindergarten, it's just amazing to think of how far we've come," Haywood said. Like all scouts, the boys started out building birdhouses and learning their knots in elementary school, but in recent years their scouting trips have included weeks canoeing in the Boundary Waters, hiking in the New Mexico desert and scuba diving off the Florida Keys. Troop 224 Scoutmaster Jim Hunter said it has been a treat for him to watch the boys - who he collectively calls "the Magnificent Seven" - grow and mature over the years. "You see their maturity level and their attitude change to the point where you don't have to guide them anymore; they already know what to do, and they just go ahead and do it," he said. "It's really incredible." The day was an emotional one for Hunter, who choked up at several points in his speech, especially when it was time for his son, Zachary, to receive the award. "He makes me better," Hunter told about 250 people gathered at Shepherd of the Valley Church, fighting back tears. "I'm just so proud of him; I'm so proud of all of you. What you guys accomplished together is just short of a miracle." The scouts themselves were more modest. They said the most difficult parts of their journey were ignoring the peer pressure they felt in junior high to drop out of scouting and finding time to stay involved as their lives got busier in high school. Looking back, they said the experience was sometimes difficult, but the fact that they had so much fun together made it a lot easier. "It's so much work, but at the same time it went like a flash," Widin said. Now seniors in high school, the young men are looking forward to college and beyond. No doubt, the Boy Scout motto, "Be Prepared," will be on their minds in the coming months. Meanwhile, Troop 224 is preparing to welcome 12-14 recent Cub Scout graduates into the fold this spring, which will swell their ranks to almost 40, its largest group in years. So what advice does the "Magnificent Seven" have for those following in their footsteps? "Stick with it. When you're in elementary school and junior high, Boy Scouts are sometimes made fun of and ripped on - people think it's just tying knots and sitting around campfires," Mattson said. "But as you get older you can go scuba diving, backpacking, canoeing... anything. "And later, when people realize what you've achieved to become an Eagle Scout, they don't mock you, they respect you." http://www.stillwatergazette.com/articles/2007/02/12/news/news500.prt

Dear OGE, Now that the Ides have past (I got a kick out of your joke), something has been bugging me.... sauna? Are you mixing your Finnish with your Latin? "Always wear clean underwear, everywhere." Good advice, in any case.

Sentio aliquos togatos contra me conspirare. I think some people in togas are plotting against me. Animadvertistine, ubicumque stes, fumum recta in faciem ferri? Ever noticed how wherever you stand, the smoke goes right into your face?

One approach may be to encourage all scouts to earn Eagle before they turn 15. This could cut down on unit attendance issues, but could also have some impact on membership at the troop level. Gerald Ford, born July 1913, earned Eagle, Nov. 1927 = age 14 Bill Bradley, born July 1943, Eagle class of 1957 = age c.14

So, who will pay the $330,000? It appears that the officials at the Utah Scout Council were fully expecting their insurance company to cover the costs associated with this fire. Here is a quote from an article posted in July 2004. The link is below. The Great Salt Lake Council, which has told the attorney general's office it has more than enough insurance to cover the costs, is not church-sponsored, Johnson added. (Johnson is/was Assistant Attorney General Mike Johnson.) http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20040702/ai_n11473613 Below is a link to a pdf of a lawsuit. This is dated January 22, 2007. Perhaps some lawyers can interpret it for us. But the last line seems to put the responsibility directly on the Council. 2. The Court finds that the Council did have a legal duty as a matter of law. http://districtofutah.files.wordpress.com/2007/01/bsa.pdf (This message has been edited by Aquila calva)

More news this week on this topic. _______________________________________________ Deseret Morning News, Wednesday, March 07, 2007 Boy Scouts settle Utah suit over 2002 fire By Ben Winslow Deseret Morning News The ashes are now cooling over a controversial lawsuit filed by the state of Utah over a 14,000-acre wildfire started by a Boy Scout troop camping in the Uinta mountains. The settlement requires the Boy Scouts of America to shell out more than $330,000 in cash and plant more than 9,000 tree seedlings on state land scorched by a Scout troop left unsupervised in 2002. "They will institute education programs for Scouts and Scout leaders designed to prevent future fires," assistant Utah Attorney General Michael Johnson said Tuesday. The lawsuit was filed against the Boy Scouts of America and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 2004. At the time, the state sought more than $600,000 in damages for putting out the fire that spread over state, federal and private lands near the East Fork of the Bear River Scout Camp in rural Summit County. It mirrors a federal lawsuit filed at the same time, seeking to recover $13 million in damages. "Our suit is related to the money that the state spent to put out the fire," Johnson said. The lawsuits claim a group of about 20 Scouts from an LDS Church ward in Peoa were camping overnight for a merit badge for wilderness survival. The Scouts were left in the care of a pair of 15-year-old Boy Scout counselors who left the boys to sleep in a tent because "it looked like it might rain," the federal lawsuit alleges. Despite a fire ban in place, authorities said the Scouts started numerous fires that were even outside designated fire areas. The counselors knew about the fires, the lawsuits claim. "No reasonable quantity of water was present to suppress the Shelter 11 Fire, either where it was built, or if it escaped," the federal lawsuit said. "No reasonable type nor quantity of tools or fire-fighting equipment were available to suppress the Shelter 11 fire nor keep it from escaping." After the Scouts broke camp on June 28, the fire flared up and spread burning 14,208 acres of federal, state and private land in Summit County. Federal agencies estimate it cost them more than $13 million to put out the blaze. In a twist, the Boy Scouts of America filed its own lawsuit, claiming "unknown Scouts, on their own free time" started a new fire that spread. The lawsuit filed against three unnamed people acknowledged that the Scouts were unsupervised. That complaint is wrapped up in the federal lawsuit against the Boy Scouts of America. A federal trial was scheduled to start this week in the U.S. government's lawsuit. Instead, it was abruptly canceled with no new date set. There is speculation that the federal government is also in settlement talks. However, the U.S. Attorney's Office declined to say if it was in settlement talks. With the state settlement, the LDS Church has now been dropped from both lawsuits. Both Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and then-U.S. Attorney Paul Warner took criticism for the lawsuits, despite their support for Scouting. "We had to recover taxpayer funds," Johnson said. The Great Salt Lake Council of the Boy Scouts said it plans to turn the seedling settlement into a lesson for Scouts and their leaders about the damage associated with wildfires. "The council is also initiating a training program at our long-term residence facilities and day camps which will better educate Scouts and their leaders about fire safety, wildfire prevention and information on restrictions and closures," Kay Godfrey, a spokesman for the council, said in a statement Tuesday. "We are pleased to have settled this issue and are looking forward to partnering with the state on these important matters." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2007 Deseret News Publishing Company

littlek, Your enthusiasm for scouting is commendable. The trick is to make that enthusiasm infectious so others will be waiting in the wings to take over when you decide to change positions. Volunteer for your position one year at a time. One year may turn into twenty! Once your oldest son crosses over to Boy Scouts, your whole world may (will?) change. There is lots of adventure out there to explore. Have fun Scouting!

SSScout, Thanks for posting that article. It is great! I'm going to print it out and give a copy to each of our scouts. If anyone else sees such a good article about scouts and scouting, please post it here. I'd like to read it. Have fun Scouting!

There is a good article on public radio this morning about a Boy Scout who earned all the available merit badges. The audio will be available later today. Transcripts will be available at some point. BOY SCOUT BADGES Audio for this story will be available at approx. 1:00 p.m. ET Weekend Edition Sunday, March 4, 2007 18-year old Eagle Scout James Calderwood of Chevy Chase Maryland has earned all 122 Boy Scout merit badges. He explains to Host Liane Hansen how he managed to become an expert on everything from fly fishing to nuclear medicine. (2:58) http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7706158

Google can be so much fun! The current SE of Baltimore is Hugh Travis. Semper points out that Mr. Travis salary in 2005 was $273,333. Wikipedia article says Hugh Travis is one of six finalists for Roy Williams job of Chief Scout Executive in Irvine. Roy Williams salary was $552,378 (see article below). If Mr. Travis is chosen to replace Mr. Williams, he will see quite a large salary increase. Its only money! For further reading enjoyment, see. From Wikipedia on Roy Williams http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Williams_(Scouting) From The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Sept. 28, 2006 http://www.philanthropy.com/free/articles/v18/i24/24003901.htm

Troop 24 The Scoutmaster's name is Jack.

Welcome Bugs! You have gotten some good advise above. I have found, after 6 years as CC in a Pack and Troop, that a good way to organize the committee agenda is to list the positions of the people who will be doing the reporting. This way, the focus is on the people who have volunteered to do the various jobs in the Pack or Troop. Each person in each position can report at each meeting. I always list all the positions for every meeting, and then list specific projects or action items under each position to help us remember specific items that need to be covered at the meeting. By listing every position on every agenda, the people in those positions know that they always have a place on the agenda. If they cant come to a particular meeting, they either call someone else to give a report, or we may need to skip the item until the next meeting. I always make sure we have a treasurers report, one way or another. We currently have the best treasurer in the world and she always sends several reports even for the few meetings she has had to miss. I always make sure that the Scoutmaster can come to the meeting. If he cant come (which hasnt happened yet) the meeting needs to be rescheduled. If the head program person (SM or Cubmaster) cant attend, the meeting becomes only a business meeting, which is almost pointless. This meeting is primarily about supporting the Scouting program in a Pack or Troop. The Scoutmaster or Cubmaster needs to be there. Since you are in a rebuilding stage now, you and the other leaders will want to recruit adults to fill all the committee positions. I always invite all adults to come to all the committee meetings. We also call them leader meetings, alternately, to help make it clear that all the leaders are always welcome. We hardly ever vote on anything, unless it has to do with spending a lot of money. We use a consensus-building model. The traditional "committee" model hasn't worked, because the group inevitably gets bogged down in the question of who has the right to vote. Once the group of adults gets comfortable working together, the consensus-building process gets easier. As time has past and the people in the committee positions have become more comfortable with their jobs, and better trained, the other adults start to trust the leaders more, and the committee meetings actually become meetings of those leaders who have volunteered to fill the committee positions. Now you have a real "committee" in place, but this can take a long time to devolop. One or two other adults may attend the meetings from time to time. Our meetings used to last an hour and a half, but now are usually closer to an hour. The secretary always writes minutes. These are distributed to all troop adults by email. Here is a typical agenda for a Troop Committee (Leaders') meeting. These can be done in just about any order. I used to always do them in the same order, until the committee finally asked if we could please mix them up. Call to order and introductions Secretarys Report Treasurers Report Scoutmasters Report Outdoor/Activities Coordinator Report Advancement Coordinator Report Chaplains Report Training Coordinator Report Equipment Coordinator Report Membership Coordinator Report Friends of Scouting Coordinator Report (this is not an official position, but should be) Date of Next Meeting Adjourn This agenda model has been successful. We also will have adults who volunteer for one major project a year such as popcorn sales coordinator or annual picnic coordinator. In a Pack this could be a Blue and Gold Dinner coordinator or a Pinewood Derby coordinator. These adults come to meetings at the appropriate times of the year to report to the whole committee. This, or course, sounds like a lot of business. But the purpose is to help everyone have fun in Scouting. Now its time to go camping or go to your sons den meeting.

This was an open-book test, wasn't it? What do we do when faced with a modern-day Gordian knot? Slash it with the Google sword! It may be considered as acceptable as it was 2300 years ago with a real sword. The one important question to ask these days is "Who has the cell phone with the internet link?" Have fun scouting!

Too complicated for me...but Google helps! The path to enlightenment lies behind one of two doors. In front of each door stands a guard who knows which door leads to enlightenment, but one of the guards always lies and the other one always tells the truth. In your search for enlightenment, you are allowed to ask one guard only one question that can be answered "yes" or "no", but unfortunately, you do not know which guard is the liar. You will be banished to the dungeon of logical illiteracy if you fail in your quest. What question should you ask to find the path to enlightenment? Answer: If you ask a guard directly "Are you guarding the path to enlightenment?", and the answer is "no", he could be guarding the path to enlightenment and be lying about it, or he could be telling the truth and the path to enlightenment is behind the other door. The question that you ask has to involve both guards at the same time: "Would the other guard say that you are guarding the path to enlightenment?" When we ask a guard this question, there are 4 cases: 1. The liar is guarding the path to enlightenment. He answers "no" because the truthful guard would say "yes". 2. The liar is not guarding the path to enlightenment: He answers "yes" because the truthful guard would say "no". 3. The truth teller is guarding the path to enlightenment. He answers "no" because the other guard (liar) would say "no". 4. The truth teller is not guarding the path to enlightenment. He answers "yes" because the other guard (liar) would say "yes". So, if a guard answers "no", he is guarding the path to enlightenment. If he answers "yes", the path to enlightenment is the other door. Notice that even though we have learned which is the path to enlightenment, we still don't know which guard is the liar. To find out who is the liar we would have to ask a question like: "Would the other guard say that you always tell the truth?" A reply of "no" means you are talking to the truth teller, a reply of "yes" means you are talking to the liar. George Boole (1815-1864) was an English mathematician and logician who devised a system for representing logical symbolic relationships now known as Boolean algebra. The logical relationships, called Boolean expressions, use the logical operators AND, OR, and NOT between entities. These expressions have application in computer circuit design, information retrieval strategies, and logic problems such as this. Tables that list all the outcomes of a logical expression, like our four cases above, are known as "Truth Tables". http://www.scientificpsychic.com/mind/door1.html

Suggestion: The Cubmaster and Committee Chair can make a list of all the jobs that need to be done in the next year. These are the jobs needing a volunteer adult to help provide leadership. Make this list generally available at committee meetings and pack meetings. Whenever someone complains, or offers a suggestion for improvement, hand them a copy of the list and ask Which job would you like to volunteer to do this next year? The Pack (Den) can use your good help.

Our troop has OA elections during the meeting that occurs the first or second week in February. Then we have a welcome New Scouts meeting during the third or fourth week in February. This avoids the situation you describe. Also, as Calico pointed out in the other thread, eligible voters in OA elections need to be registered ACTIVE members of the troop. The scoutmaster has the authority to determine what ACTIVE means in this situation. It is reasonable to determine that a 10 or 11 year-old scout who has never camped with the troop (or perhaps camped once as part of the recruiting process) does not meet the definition of active. There is also another situation to consider which can be commonThat is, if the scoutmaster allows all the new scouts (attending their first or second Boy Scout meeting) to vote in an OA election, and the new scouts include brothers of older scouts, you can end up with a case of the younger brothers only voting for their older brothers because those are the only older scouts they know. This is quite unfair. Since OA is a scouting national honor society and one of the main purposes is "To recognize those Scout campers who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives", the scouts voting for new members should have a good idea of the scouts who are worthy of membership in the OA. In most cases brand new scouts have little or no knowledge of what OA is and they have had little camping experience with the troop. Allowing them to vote in the OA election can be counterproductive and unfair to the older scouts. When I first became CC of our troop we had the situation where about 10 new scouts came to the meeting that included the OA election. The troop had about 20 older members present. The new scouts, along with their parents, saw the video about the OA along with the rest of the troop, then they went to another room to talk about the troop and do a scouting related activity with the troop guide. Meanwhile the rest of the troop cast their ballots for the new OA members. This worked well, but now we separate the events between two different meetings. The new scouts learn something about OA at summer camp when they see the call-out ceremony. Very impressive! By the way, the only place I have seen printed the election process for new youth OA members is on a sheet of paper that comes with the election forms from the lodge. I've looked on the internet at various sites to see if they are printed somewhere else, but I haven't found them yet. (The OA book is somewhere in my son's room.) Can someone else point out where these "election rules" can be found?

We used Cadillac Jack Inc. last summer. They did a good job for our group of 13 scouts and leaders. We travelled from Fort Lauderdale area to the Keys. There is a website.

Eamonn, This is very presumptuous of me, but see what you think of this. You may delete this posting if you think it is not appropropriate. You, or anyone else, may use any of this that may be helpful. Congratulations to OJ! _________________________ Charge to the Eagle Scout! OJ Eagle Court of Honor Sometime in 2007 By Whomever In my position as _____________ and as a representative of (your family and of) Boy Scout Troop XYZ, I have the privilege to give you, OJ, an Eagle Scout Charge on this important occasion, marking your advancement to the highest rank in Scouting. You are an Eagle Scout! The Scouts of all nations together form one of the most significant, far-reaching and reputable youth movements in the world's history. You are judged by the Boy Scouts of America as being worthy of its highest rank. All who know you rejoice in your achievement. OJ, you are marked with the sign of the Eagle. Your new position is one of honor and responsibility. As an Eagle Scout, you renew your obligation to do your duty to God, to your country, to your fellow scouts, and to all people. As you live up to your responsibilities you will bring honor to yourself, to your family and to your brother scouts. OJ, I charge you to undertake your citizenship with steadfast dedication. Be a leader who looks only towards the noblest goals. Lift up every task you do to the highest level of service to God and to all people. I charge you, OJ, to dedicate your skills and abilities to the common good. Continue living according to the Scout Oath and Law, from On your honor to morally straight, and from Trustworthy to Reverent. Be of strong character, be self-reliant, be considerate, serve others, be courageous, and above all, be a good citizen of America and the world. Continue enjoying the adventure of the outdoors. Have fun with your family, friends and fellow scouts in all the natural wonders of our planet Earth. As the eagle flies to the highest peaks, so too, should you always soar to the highest goals. OJ, I charge you to choose your friends carefully, and be a leader who acts with integrity and respect. Make ethical and moral choices throughout your life, based on the principals you have learned in Scouting. This is the charge to the Eagle Scout. Congratulations, OJ!