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Parents sign off on requirement completion in Cub Scouts. They should keep handbooks up-to-date. The den leader is responsible for keeping records for the Scouts in his den by going through the handbooks. He keeps advancement records for each individual Scout, and may optionally choose to track attendance. Personally I don't think there is a need to track attendance. On a regular basis (before each pack meeting) each of the den leaders submit advancement records to the pack's advancement coordinator so he/she can update pack records and purchase awards before the pack meeting. W

I agree that there probably should be some professional help involved. I suspect that the boy has issues that may or may not be diagnosed. Some parents fear a diagnosis - any diagnosis - so much that they'll avoid the issues altogether. As the father of a boy with Asperger's Syndrome I knwo what it feels like and am sooo glad we sought help very early. To be honest, the doctors really haven't done anything to help, but the knowledge of exactly what the issue is, and the research we've done on it, have been a huuuge help. In addition to being an Assistant Scoutmaster for my son's troop, I'

John, (drooling) That sounds sooo good. Can you share your recipe with us? I'm sure you Mom wouldn't mind. Actually its more for my kids (and the Scouts), as my wife & I are on a diet. I've lost a bit over 20 lbs in the last four weeks! Nutrisystem really works! Ken K.

We have LOTS of animals in our family - two horses, two dogs, two cats, two birds, three guinea pigs, one rabbit, and some number of guppies of which only my 11-year old daughter knows the count and each of their names. With all those animals comes a ton of love and affection in each of their own ways. But, as you know, it also brings its share of searing heartache. Making the decision to put down a dog (or horse, or a cat, or guinea pig, ...) is just about the toughest thing I''ve experienced in my life. At some point the pet (and God) tell you it is "time". The most loving thing you can do i

In our troop ... 1. Any adult to camps with the troop MUST have taken Youth Protection training. 2. We won''t forbid a parent from camping with the troop, though we''ll have them camp and eat with the adult leaders, not the Scouts. 3. In the nearly two years I''ve been an ASM with our small troop (18 Scouts), only once have we had a non-registered leader camp with the troop, and that was the father of a brand new Scout who had LOTS of problems with parent-separation. On the first campout he had to go home after the first night. His father joined us on the second weekend campout

Some of our Scouts have brought cell phones camping. So far the rule has been that the phones stay out of sight (in a backpack or in the tent) except if used to call parents for pick-ups afterwards. I''ve heard rings/beeps from inside a tent, but that doesn''t really bother me so long as the Scout is particating in the program and not just sitting inside the tent on the phone. If I see/hear a cell phone outside I''ll put it in my truck for the remainder of the activity. The Scouts have done well by this policy ... so far.

Breakfasts can be granola bars, oatmeal, bagels, graham crackers w/ jam, or poptart type stuff. Lunches can be dried soups, granola bars, raisens, craisens, or even PBJ ... for that matter peanut butter on just about anything. Dinner can be pastas and sauces with chicken from a foil pouch. I think there are some dry tomato-based sauces too. Dessert can be any just add water muffin or cake mix mixed in a plastic bag. Then fry it up like pancakes. Gorp (trail mix) can be a decent breakfast or lunch too. I''ve read that Guda cheese (the stuff in the wax) keeps real well f

It is critical that they know that the Tiger Den Leader only coordinates with parents to make sure they are setting up the monthly program AND tracks the den''s advancement. They certainly don''t do all the work themself. By the way, through my five years as den leader our den ran the program much like the Tiger den. Each parent signed up for a month''s program and prepared/lead the meetings and activity(s). I started out the Wolf year trying to do it all myself (with an assistant) but with both my wife and I working full time it was just not possible. I asked the den parents to step up a

My curiosity is screaming!! Does the bag hold both feces and urine? I assume the "gel" mentioned is to hold the urine. How big is the bag? How big is the opening of the bag? No offence intended, but do people squat over the opened bag and hope they have good aim? or do they "go" on something else, like a peice of waxed paper, and then wrap it up and then put it into the bag? How does the bag close/seal? I've read about mountaineers using "poop-tubes" - lengths of PVC sealed on one end and with a screw-in plug on the other end. Years ago I read the book "How to S

I agree completely with what's been said. When I was a den leader I tracked advancement of my den, and then reported completion of ranks or awards on to the advancement coordinator for purchase and distribution. If you have internet-savy parents in your pack using ScoutTrack on-line software can be a huge help to the parents, the den leaders. and the advancement coordinator. This software allows parents and den leaders to enter advancement on-line. This info is then used by the advancement coordinator to generate reports and the apporopriate documents for council. My experience has b

"I tend to pack too much" Have you noticed that there is a kind of Scoutmaster syndrome that makes you tend to be, well, maybe a little over-prepared? That leads to packing anything and everything you - and the Scouts - might need. I have that problem. After every backpacking trip I promise myself I'll bring less and lighter stuff.

Wow ... as soon as I read Lisa's post I immediately knew that we were probably talking about Asperger's Syndrome and not ADHD since my son has AS ... and then I read Dan's post. Dead nuts on target Dan!!! AS kids have problems reading others - with social cues. They actually don't "know" how to behave or when to behave. They find life complicated, confusing, and sometimes scarey. Picture being dumped in a VERY foreign country where you just can't understand the language or customs. They can't read faces or situations. The don't tend to have much empathy - when someone falls and hurts them

My back!! When I was a kid I could sleep on the ground anywhere. Now that I'm approaching the mid-century of life my back cares VERY much how much I'm carrying and what kind of surface I'm sleeping on. So from that perspective my worst backpacking gear is my sleeping pad. For car camping with the troop I use a large-sized "Cabela's Ultimate Self-Inflating Sleeping Pad" which is absolutely wonderful - cost $130. It is 3.5 inches of delightful padding! It is tough as nails, BUT it is big and heavy - 10.5 pounds! It is way too large and heavy for backpacking. So, for backpacki

In addition to being an ASM I am also the troop's advancement coordinator. Before I came on board the troop was using Troopmaster, but they struggled to keep it up-to-date. Previously, as a Den Leader & Cubmaster, our pack had used ScoutTrack (scouttrack.com) to maintain records, keep a pack calendar, send automated e-mail reminders for activities, and send e-mails. The committee and den leadership liked this on-line system a lot. When I took over the advancement at the troop, the incoming families who were used to using ScoutTrack paid for a one-year license to introduce it to t

In my son's dysfunctional troop ... The committee is lead by the committee chair who decides what activities will occur during the upcoming year and when both the activities and troop meetings will be held. The activities coordinator books the actvities and collects the money and permission slips. The advancement coordinator collects handbooks at troop meetings and records completed advancement requirements putting it into Troopmaster, and plans & hosts the bi-annual Court of Honor at which the Scouts get all their badges. The treasurer collects receipts, writes check

In my son's young/small troop one older Scout has been the main instructor for Totin' Chip. This Scout brings his own hatchet (hand axe) as the troop doesn't have one. Recently the SM announced that Scouts can bring their own hatchets if they want to. I asked if Scouts wanted training on use of longer axes (2 lb head size), and they seemed interested, but the SM voiced concern about safety, saying that the larger axe could do a lot of damage. So, this leads to three questions: #1: What does your troop use? An axe or a hatchet? When I was a kid we only used longer axes. #2:

Yup. It means that the youth make the decisions and run the program. Scoutmasters provide guidance and the committee provides adminstration and support to ensure the program runs. Unfortunately the troop my son joined has turned out to be run like a Cub Scout pack for older boys. The committee does all the planning. The troop of 16 boys camps and cooks as a single troop. Patrols exist only on paper. The senior patrol leader does essentially nothing. The patrol leaders do absolutely nothing. As an ASM I've done my best over the year to change things but keep hitting a solid wall. I th

A nasty, but often overlooked plant common to the U.S. midwest is the Wild Parsnip. This is a non-native plant that started showing up over 100 years ago. This plant tends to grow in abandoned fields (as opposed to forests). It can grow well up to 4-6 feet tall, has yellow umbrella-shaped flower clusters - much like a wild carrot but bigger. The thing about this plant is that skin contact puts a solar accelerant chemical on the skin. This chemical is energized by UV light and breaks down skin tissue. If the "victim" stays in the sun the skin burns as if it had been in the sun for ma

Personally I tend to try to avoid adding rules where possible or minimizing the rules to ensure I get the desired results. Here is an example: Many troops forbid electronics at outings. In our troop the "rule" is that electronics aren't allowed OUTSIDE of tents. We can't control whether Scouts bring cell phones, ipods, radios, or any other electronics since we are NOT going to be inspecting their gear. BUT if those things are seen (or heard) outside the tents, then the offending item is carefully stowed in a vehicle for the remainder of the activity. With a Cub Scout family campout

These knives from Colonial Knife Company, available at knifecenter.com looks a LOT like the Camillus knife, though I haven't a clue of their quality. http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=CLG10 http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=CLC10 FYI, I've purchased a fair number of knives through knifecenter.com and have nothing but excellent service from them.

I have a few questions regarding how Troop Guides (TG) operate: -Is the TG a member of the New-Scout patrol? (I think the answer is "no".) -If the TG is not a member of the New-Scout patrol, are they a member of another regular patrol? -Is the TG more like the SPL & ASPL - not really a member of any patrol? -Who does the TG eat with on a campout? -Who would the TG buddy-up with to sleep on a campout? I've read that the SPL & ASPL would typically buddy-up in a tent.

You know, I've never really gotten into learning lots of knots. In generally I've found that the Scouting knots I learned back 30+ years ago have suited my needs remarkably well. Since them I've found a few additional knots have come in handy, such as the fisherman's knot for tying together two small nylon cords (lanyards and such), what I think is called the double-figure 7 knot for creating loops in thin nylon cord that seem to hold better than a bowline, and the trucker's knot for fastening my canoe on car racks. When a Webelos den leader I certainly had to relearn how to whip a r

Can boiling water result in 3rd degree burns?

Some additions from an outdoor skills perspective: The Complete Walker IV, by Colin Fletcher 98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive, by Cody Lundin (yeah, you can gripe about the title, but it is a great book) Boy Scout Field Guide Also, if they are planning a high adventure outing, another one to consider - another wonderful book that also has an edgy title - is "How to Sh-t in the Woods: An Environmentally Sound Approach to a Lost Art" by Kathleen Meyer. For navigation, my favorite book "GPS Land Navigation" by Michael Ferguson is now 10 years old (ancient

Thanks for the replies everyone. The Scout involved was eligible and the Scoutmaster approved including his name in the ballot (not sure of the specific terminology), but because of the Scout wasn't present at the meeting his name was removed from the ballot. The actuality is that the Scout was not included in the ballot. The Scoutmaster didn't seem too concerned about it figuring the boy will have another chance next spring, so I stayed quit about it (I'm an ASM). Of the three boys voted on, only one received enough votes. I'm not sure if the Scout would have been elected by t