KC9DDI

The CO can set their own standards and restrictions as to who is permitted to attend their unit's events. These standards may be more restrictive than those set by the BSA. However, if the CO is only trying to comply with the BSA's guidelines, but you feel that they misunderstand the BSA's guidelines, it would not be inappropriate to ask the council to clarify this with the CO. However, the BSA cannot force the CO to admit you to any event or activity.

Not a bad idea to have one. We have a few that are battery-operated, waterproof, and handheld sized. The alert feature is nice, but you must know the right frequency and SAME code for the county you'll be in. I'd say it's a good idea for "base camp" type scenarios, and also if you're running a day or resident camp program. Not sure I'd could justify the extra weight for backpacking, though.

I'm not sure what to think of Scouting's advanced adult leader training program, if having "some experience" with Scouting is listed only as an afterthought for staff qualifications...

Well, the beauty of a hypothetical situation is that the facts can be invented to support any pre-existing conclusion you want. In my hypothetical world, there's no reason to remove these hypothetical Scouters, even with giving the hypothetical Scouts the benefit of the hypothetical doubt. Unfortunately real situations are a bit more complex. And seeing as there doesn't seem to be much of a connection between this "hypothetical" situation, and anything in the real world, it doesn't seem worth continuing this hypothetical conversation.

I'm not at all opposed to staff recognition, but most pomp and circumstance and gift giving should occur at staff-only events, in my opinion.

Hmmm... just a few thoughts: Apparently, you overhead second-hand information that a scout was "instructing other scouts on how to circumvent online security to surf hardcore porn". First of all, I'm a bit hesitant to take drastic action based on information gleaned second- or third-hand. I'm not saying that you should ignore the allegation, but definitely keep in mind the relative credibility and accuracy of the information you know. Secondly, there doesn't seem to be any allegation that any porn (hardcore or otherwise) was present at a troop event, was in the possession of

"laregest indoor camping program in the countrty" Throw in a "leadership development expert" and watch Kudu's head explode :-)

There's not a lot of specific details here, but what you have posted certainly sounds problematic. At the very least, the boy's parents need to be informed, immediately. Keeping the committee in the loop is never a bad idea, but in this case you need to talk directly to the parents. Hopefully that will solve the issue, but if not... Set clear boundaries regarding communication between youth and adults. It sounds like you've already told this Scout that his texts are inappropriate, but maybe you need to go a bit further. Something like, "I don't feel comfortable discussing these t

BD - Which council and camp is that?? In my council, tent camping is $0.50 per person per night, which for a normal sized unit works out to roughly what you'd pay at a state park or forest preserve. Improved facilities do run a bit more expensive, obviously. I think heated cabins can be had for $50-$100 per weekend, depending on size and facilities. The most expensive facility runs at $200/weekend, and that's a combination dining hall/full kitchen/bunk area/etc.

Taser - It's sometimes frustrating to learn that the district and council professionals and volunteers don't really have any investigation or "enforcement" power over individual units or volunteer Scouters. There's a few exceptions - events occurring on council property, events involving camp staff - but other than that, most issues are left up to unit committees and COs for investigation and enforcement. Bullying and emotional abuse? Between youth, or involving adults? If it's a case where an SM didn't adequately handle discipline - well, that's probably not a very good SM, but also s

Beav - Well, I re-read the thread, and while we did start talking about the PLC's goals, it's true that the original poster didn't specifically mention that. Of course, without any reason to believe otherwise, I'd assume that the troop was functioning correctly, in that the PLC is involved in setting goals and guidelines with the guidance of the SM. But maybe that's not an accurate assumption in this case. But maybe we're not reading the same thread. I'm not sure why you think I'd encourage anyone to take any course of action that would be considered rude or confrontational. All that

I'm hearing a hypothetical axe being ground in the background... If you don't have any first hand hypothetical knowledge of the situation, my advice would be to leave it alone. If you want to reach out to the Scouts who apparently lost friends and offer them a place in your unit, that would be a nice gesture - but there's really no reason to get involved in other people problems, especially these types of problems. If you do have first hand hypothetical knowledge of the situation, and know that it was handled in a way that a crime was committed without being reported to the authorit

Hmmm... One last post to try to clarify and defend my position. I think there's an underlying issue here beyond uniforming. Like I said before, we encourage and empower our youth leaders to make decisions, set goals, and develop standards and guidelines for their troop. We also (should) set some standards of accountability and responsibility for the youth when it comes to carrying out the concrete plans to achieve these goals. We all know that many adults don't fully buy in to the "boy led" approach. (In fact, that may be the understatement of the month.) I feel that part of

My council has three camps: 1) The full-service summer camp. The property is located well outside the council boundaries, probably a three or four hour drive for most people. So it's generally not heavily used by our council's units during the Spring and Fall. (It may be used by Scout groups in other councils closer to it geographically, I'm not sure.) However, it's located a short drive from several skiing and snowboarding facilities, so it's heavily used again in the winter time as a base for troops looking to hit the slopes. 2) Smaller 60-acre camp located in a suburban/semi-r

Right Beav, I'm not mistaking a 12 year old Boy Scout for an active duty Marine. What I am saying is that problems can develop when a 12 year old Boy Scout observes an admired, respected role model such as a Marine ignoring a rule that he is being asked to follow. Shortridge explains it well. True, uniforming is a tool and a method, but not a goal in and of itself. However, this troop has set a goal pertaining to their use of the uniforming method. We encourage the youth leadership to set appropriate goals, correct? And we encourage and empower them to meet those goals, correct?

Are we talking strictly about Boy Scout Resident camps? A pet peeve of mine, at any Boy Scout camp, is when the existing facilities simply are not maintained. I don't care if it's a three-walled storage shed with a dirt floor, or a multi-million dollar modern dining hall. If you're not going to commit to maintaining the structure, don't build it in the first place! For example, a few years ago a camp in my council received a donation of one of those big "office trailer" things that you see used at construction sites. It made for a nice camp office, with room for a private first ai

I might go a little against the conventional wisdom here. The way I see it, your troop is perfectly justified in setting a standard for uniforming. And if an ASM is undermining that standard, you at the very least can and should have a conversation with him on the topic. No need to be confrontational, but just explain your position - and, most importantly, listen to his! The fact that this ASM is former military shouldn't really have any impact. If anything, the fact that he's former military may make him MORE of an example for your Scouts. "Why do I need to wear my uniform is Mr. Jones

What's his angle? Can he legitimately not afford them? Or does he just not buy in to the uniform method?

I have come to the conclusion that those who have the mountaintop experience are very shallow people who have never experienced adversity or difficulty Aside from the unnecessarily degrading choice of words, there may in fact be some truth to this sentiment. Like most here, I have known several Scouters who have attended and staffed Wood Badge. Most of these Scouters have a positive impression of the program, and generally consider it to have been a worthwhile use of their time. But very very few of these Scouters have described it as any kind of "mountaintop experience." And

Who exactly is "adapting everything" to whom? The BSA (a private organization), in cooperation with another country's Scouting program, is offering a single, optional, one-time training course in a language other than English. Yes our country did wrong things but its still the best place on earth. Once an Englishman told me the exact same thing, except about England. So is the U S of A the "best place on earth," or is the United Kingdom? Or is it a tie?

Moose - I agree that staffing training course, and other events, offers a lot of benefit to the staff members. I'm wondering, though, if that's enough of a reason to ask that staff members pay for the privilege of staffing? I've known several youth who have worked at a council summer camp, and a few that have worked at HA bases. All now count camp staff as a valuable, educational, gratifying experience. Clearly they got some benefit from serving on staff - but they also got paid! Should they not be getting paid - or, should they being paying - when serving on camp staff? Like I s

Moose - I agree that staffing training course, and other events, offers a lot of benefit to the staff members. I'm wondering, though, if that's enough of a reason to ask that staff members pay for the privilege of staffing? I've known several youth who have worked at a council summer camp, and a few that have worked at HA bases. All now count camp staff as a valuable, educational, gratifying experience. Clearly they got some benefit from serving on staff - but they also got paid! Should they not be getting paid - or, should they being paying - when serving on camp staff? Like I s

Abel - Depends on the circumstances and the event - how is that interesting? My point is that usually it just doesn't really matter in the great scheme of things.

Or do you generally allow them a free meal that has been paid for by everybody else including the instructors? With a few exceptions, most of the meals served on these type of events are pretty cheap and simple. Cold cuts, dutch oven stews, french toast and sausage, etc. Usually runs $2-$3 a person, at most, and usually much less for large events where food is purchased in bulk. As far as I'm concerned, the friendly, courteous and kind thing to do is to offer food and drink to visitors, be they the professional staff, parents, members of the hosting organization, other community m

I think there's valid arguments to be made for both sides of the issue. From the perspective of a "customer", on the receiving end of a training program, I don't really care where the program fee goes. I look at the content and expected benefit of the program, and look at the fee for the program, and then decide if that's a good value for me. If it's a good value, I'll pay for it and attend. If not, I won't. Where the money goes isn't really a consideration for me. Just like purchasing any other product or service - If I don't see it as a good value, I just don't pay for it. I don't