kahits

According to his father, who is my UC, the council they came from banned the use of white gas for all scouting activities, but our council has no such policy. His, my UC, opinion is that it is fine for older scouts, but new scouts should use propane. With proper training, I think it's safe for all of the boys. Something for the troop committee to help make the decision.

Having a small troop that has been using propane (my lanterns and stove) for the past few years, we are adding two, new scout patrols, and will effectively triple our chuck boxes and cooking equipment. My ASM, who is on loan from the district committee, has continuously said we need to get rid of the white gas lanterns, and other stoves, because they are too risky and are no longer allowed. I have another, mint, Coleman stove that would work fine with the troop, but I thought I would ask here, for a definitive answer. The previous SM used white gas for everything, and other then some extrem

Thanks, GWD... we had our meeting, this past Monday, and even though there were 1 or 2 boys missing from the two, new patrols, I let them go ahead and select their patrol leaders. It was difficult (especially when everyone voted for themselves, in one patrols case), but we got it done. We decided to use two of the next older (by one whole year, but lots more camping, Brownsea, JLO, and summer camp experience..) boys to serve as guides, with my ASM (I think I have one stepping up from the crossover parents, who is the Pack CM)to oversee, the both of them, to start with. This way we can

Thanks, Bob... I needed to hear this. The other 3 scouts came in the beginning of this year, from January to March, so it's only been 6 to 8 months, and they are close in both 2nd and 1st class, but have only completed tenderfoot, as of this month. We are planning on them completing both ranks by December, with the campouts we have scheduled. I think there will be enough for 2 NSP's, as you suggest, but with only one, active, ASM, we will have our hands full. I agree, without these new scouts, the troop probably would not have survived, but I knew that going in (Jan.06) with m

Hey, everybody... having been on this board since my sons crossover in January of 06, our small, but old, troop finally got the shot in the arm it needed, last night, when we crossed over 10 Webelos (9 from one pack). Now I'm reading all these posts on patrol organization, and I have some simple questions. First, after a tumultous spring where we had 3 of our older, scouts leave the troop, for mostly personal reasons (they were friends, which is how they came, one by one, to the troop). They joined the troop as 7th and 8th graders and just never quite embraced the program, as they sa

Thanks for the great responses. Just an update with our incoming Webelos, things have moved quickly, now, with the den scheduled for their AOL/Crossover ceremony, three weeks from tomorrow. I was still under the assumption we had more like 3 months, rather then 3 weeks, but the boys are getting restless. The CM's son is virtually a professional BMX rider, and is only agreeing to stick with the troop to the end of the year, which is a real shame, but explains why his Dad has been non-committal in talking an adult position in the troop. I may be lucky to only have an ASM step up out of the p

Thanks, FS... the SM of that troop was just made the activities chair for the district, since the last Spring camporee. He maintains that he still wants to continue to run the event, as he has the last 2 years, and without a viable alternative, that will probably be the way it will go. Currently, all of the stations are being run by adults (leaders from other units or outside of scouting). The Chapter is in no condition to take on something like this, so it would seem this is a self fulfilling endeavor, but it does not have to be that way. Of course, that is just my opinion on this commit

Thanks, Mark, I think this is the ideal, and how this should absolutely be done. It will build the chapter, and motivate the boys to step up and lead, as arrowmen, which is the purpose of OA, especially for anything related to camping. Our chapter has suffered mightily, because it has been left out of these kinds of opportunities, and just plugs away with the minimum of purpose (OA elections, AOL and tapout ceremonies). The current Spring Camporee has been taken over by one of the troops, for the past 2 years, and the end result has been they have won it, the past 2 years. Other troops h

I have a quick question. How does your district plan and run their district events, both for packs and troops, and is it done under the supervision of the camping committee, or a different committee. Our district has the Activities and Camping chairs seperate (but equal) on the committee, with everything planned and executed by the Activities chair. The Camping chair reports on monthly tour permits, and long term camps in the summer, and very little else. The OA chapter adviser, although and member of the committee, only reports on the direct activities of the chapter (elections, tapout, o

Thanks USR, You speak from experience and I agree with all of it. Our situation is different in that our troop is very small, and is now mostly 11 and 12 year old kids, who are just a year ahead of this den. My son (14 & SPL) and another boy (13) are all that remains of the older group, with most having aged out, and others who left the troop, because they just didn't want to be leaders, which is what was being asked of them, due to their ages. Obviously, we have a different set of needs then the pack, and when I meet with the pack leaders on Monday, I need to make sure the troop need

I can only imagine, GW.. I wore the blue in the early 60's, before we moved off the rez (North Dakota).. but missed out on Boy Scouts because of it. Up there, we needed long sleeves and long underwear for alot of our activites, which is different from your experience. So, I think the campaign hat is appropriate, and knowing these new Class A's are yet another pocket to try and sew a patch on, he might consider going with velcro and use both patches, for different ceremonies and reasons, but use the current patch for most activities involving the uniform. As nice as this very old, gr

Interesting idea, but then do you go the rest of the way and use only vintage rank patches, along with the lodge flap. Our current lodge flap is too big for the current uniform pocket flap, but that is what they want us to wear. I guess since the color seems to be green in the uniform change, this would tie in better with the new uniforms. Knowing things are going to be a mixed bag for the next year, or even two, this didn't seem like all that large of an infraction. Some of our boys will probably not change uniforms until they outgrow them, which, could be 3 or more years from now. I see

Our small troop is in a process of commemorating the 75th anniversary of the troops last recharter (it was originally chartered 15 years before that), and I have a question. With the new uniforms coming out, next month, our SPL is trying to create a more formal, yet historic, homage to the troop, with my encouragement. A part of that is him wearing a campaign hat, with a 1930's era SPL hat pin, for flag ceremonies. He was given a mint, inissued SPL patch of the same design and age, that could be worn on the new uniform, sleeve pocket. I'm impressed with the quality that went into the patch

Very well put, InfoS.. We have several months for this to happen, and I'll be meeting the pack leaders on Monday, to go over the big picture and how it works best for the pack to transition their largest den and group of active parents. Obviously, this is all good for the troop, and patience will be key to doing this right for all concerned. The important thing is the boys are fired up to joining Boy Scouts.

Thanks, InfoS... that is really what I was trying to imagine, in terms of them attending meetings while still maintaining their active Webelos status. We are having our Klondike in January, and if they are going to try and camp, while attending the event, we will need time to prepare them, before they are active members of the troop, which probably won't be until after New Years. I have been very honest with their parents, this spring, in terms of what the troop will need from them, and they are already a very active bunch of scouters, so I don't think I'm pushing anyone over a cliff

Thanks, Eol.. I was very disappointed that we lost that boy and his father, because of the incident at Camporee. He never liked that boy in the troop, but his approach was so different from mine. When my son and I joined the troop, there were some 17 boys on the troop roster and they were light years away from my son and my experience as a parent. It took me many months to begin to develop a connection with just some of them, as they began to, quickly, age out of the troop. I knew this boy in particular, because he was a few years ahead of my son in the pack, before he dropped out, due to

The boys have all turned 10 before summer, from what the DL and CM have told me, so they should meet that requirement. Once I realized they were completing their requirements for AOL by the beginning of 5th grade, that is when I got concerned they might not have enough to keep them from getting bored with the program. I certainly may be stepping over the line in all this, but I'm trying to help the pack keep this group together and excited about doing Boy Scouts. Isn't that my job? Some of the parents have expressed concerns about their sons going into a troop in 5th grade, and whether the

Thanks, BW. Truth be known, I went with my son to the troop (2 1/2 years ago), with the understanding that the Webelos 1 den would follow behind us, both boys and dads. In hind sight, it was a leap of faith on my part, not having any idea the difference between the two programs, and if I had really known this was going to happen, I probably would have not crossed over into this troop, and it would have never made it to it's 70th birthday (this past January). After 8 months in the troop, I attempted to do this same crossover coordination with the now Webelos 2 den, and they decided the

This pack are very much over achievers, when it comes to the W2 den. Of course, the CM's son is in the den, and even though his father is not the WDL, they have been gung ho from the beginning of the W1 year. They have done alot of work, this summer, along with going to WWW at the Council camp, which my son's pack never did, mostly because we/I never had the kind of active parents this den has been blessed with. He is telling me they all have completed their AOL requirements, as of right now, and I agree they could continue and complete the rest of the pins. I'm just a little concerned tha

Having had a conservation with the CM of one of our feeder (in theory) packs, today, I wanted to confirm the status of his sons, Webelos II den. They have 10 boys in the den, of which 9 are contemplating joining our troop. We invited them and their parents to attend Spring Camporee, for the day last April, to start the ball rolling. Since then, they have completed most or all of their requirements for AOL, in their first Webelos year, and finishing up with the rest over the summer. He is considering a crossover into our troop around the middle of December. I strongly suggested that

Thanks, very much.... I did locate one on ebay, and was successful in getting it. I was just a little confused when what was labeled as a SPL pin, looked alot like the ASPL pin, but I now realize that one preceeded the other. I think I'm going to pick up a square, unissued SPL patch as well, but will present it to him at some point. It would be cool to wear it, but that is a different uniform set.

Thanks, GW... the source I found had both pins, labeled just as you described. What is now the ASPL patch image is or was the SPL pin, way back when. He also has the JASM, with the 3 full, green bars, both pins with the first class emblem in gold on each, so he is correct in his identification, and I am too new to know.

I am looking for one of the very old, spl hat pins for my son to wear on a campaign hat, for flag ceremonies. The only one I have located has the fleur in gold, and has the 3 green bars, with the bottom bar being shorter then the upper two. That would appear to be an ASPL pin. Is that correct? I know these are probably rare, but I thought I would ask here.

A very good question.... Having not done scouting beyond Cubs in my youth, it was my son bringing that flyer home in 1st grade that brought me to a meeting, that I went home being the Tiger den leader. I didn't become CM until 3 years later, but I had already saw a need to help with Day camp (PD). When it came time for him to choose a troop, we were asked to visit the local troop with our same, single digit, unit number. They were approaching their 68th year as a continuously chartered unit, the oldest in the Council, with virtually all of their boys approaching their 18th birthday.

Interesting, JnKC, Since that is a rather extinct East cost culture, I don't see much mentioned in the current OA handbook, other then very general regalia references. Is that the same for dance team competitions? The ceremony team dancing I was referring to was the grand entry or parade of the grand chiefs (as this lodge refers to it) that occurs after the Saturday night feast at Conclave. Anyone in regalia lines up and dances in with the flag, for about 3 songs (the flag is placed after the first song, and that is it. It's kind of an anomaly, because none of the other lodges in the sec