kenk

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.

While I was a den leader I started out using the large poster-size record sold by the Scout Store, then I switched to using a home-made Excel spreadsheet. Eventually I spearheaded a switch to an on-line system called ScoutTrack.

Many packs use Packmaster software, but the trouble with that system is that one person has to enter all the advancement, and with a large pack that can be a huge job. My son's pack started using the ScoutTrack on-line system since that allowed both parents and den leaders to input the completed requirements for their sons/dens. This can greatly simplify things for the den leader and the advancement coordinator.

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'm also a registered leader (helper Dad) for my daughter's Girl Scout troop. The leader for that GS troop is also the activity coordinator for the BS troop, and a wonderful person. I'm happy to help her with the GS troop and enjoy being just as involved with my daughter as my son. So far the parents don't seem to mind even though I KNOW that the first troop leader was a father and he was essentially forced out because the parents were weirded out by a "man" leading them (sigh).

My daughter only joined the troop about 1.5 years ago, and since then I've been on all three overnight campouts with them (more than many GS troops by the way).

Anyway, on EVERY one of these the GS troop leader's daughter has vomited in the middle of the night. Nobody knows why. She doesn't seem nervous or homesick. She seems to really enjoy herself. All we can think of is that the requisite marshmellows, chocolate bars, and other junk food are just too much for her.

My advice will be for her to skip the junk food at the next overnight. Maybe a roasted apple would be better.

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 is to let that animal go and releive their pain and suffering, all while knowing that you''ll never ever see them and enjoy their warmth again.

Thank God the actual process of putting a dog (or cat, or guinea pig) to sleep is an amazingly calm and peaceful experience. Unfortunately the same can''t be said for putting a horse to sleep. The three times its happened to us the horse was standing, and though the end comes quickly, there is a certain violence to it that is really tough to see.

My heart breaks for you and your loss. It will get better. The pain fades, but the memories stay strong. Just the other day I was in Google Earth looking at the park where my first dog and I used to walk when he was a puppy (some 20 years ago). I could even see the curb he fell off of head-first and scratched up his little 10-week old nose. Though the pet may pass away, their memory lives on.

I''m confident I''ll see my beloved friends again in Heaven.

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 and things still didn''t go well. He left the troop soon after that.

We''ve had parents at summer camp when a Scout is going to be tapped into OA, but they stay at an entirely different area (family camp) or a nearby hotel - not with the troop.

Of course that SM, ASMs, and committee members are all parents too.

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 for a week.

Here is are some web sites you may find useful:

http://www.onepanwonders.com/

http://www.freezerbagcooking.com/

http://www.mattfischer.com/ramen/

Nice breads to make ahead of time:

Mount Logan Bread

3 cups flour (white or whole wheat)

1/2 cup chopped dried fruit

1/2-1 cup shelled nuts (walnuts, pecans, cashews, peanuts)

1 cup honey

3/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup brown sugar

6 eggs

1/2 cup powdered milk (Nido)

1/2 cup raisins

2 Tbs. Peanut oil

Mix dried ingredients, then stir in oil, honey and eggs. Spray a 9 x 5-1/3 x 2-2/3 inch bread pan with a nonstick coating. Pour in batter and tap the pan on the counter. Bake in a preheated 275 degree oven for 2 hours. Cool 10 minutes before taking out of pan. Yield: 18 slices

Pilot Biscuits

1/2 cup wheat germ

2 cups fine-grind corn meal

1/2 cup quick-cooking oatmeal

2 cups white flour

1 tbs sugar

1 tbs seasoned salt (for spicy try a few shakes of onion flakes)

1/8 cup Sesame Seeds or broken pumpkin seeds

1 3/4 cup water

Put everything in a bowl and mix with your hands.

Use parchment paper not oil to line two cookie sheets

Separate into 4 equal parts - 2 parts to each cookie sheet.

Roll to 1/4 inch thick.

Score deep with a knife into biscuit sizes before cooking

Bake about 350 F for half an hour.

After cooling break into biscuits.

I vacuum pack into packs of 4 to 6 biscuits

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 and help and they did - with flying colors. We had the best den - probably because we had so much parental participation.

At the start of each year I went through the advancement and the national monthly program schedule, selected topics for each month - ususally, but not always matching the national schedule, and then presented that schedule to the parents. They signed up from there. Some parents had to do two months, but we split them over time as much as possible.

Ken K.

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 Sh-- in the Woods" and, being someone who has had the good fortune of having latrines whereever I've been - even in the Boundary Waters, I find the issue of sanitation without latrines very interesting.

Ken K.

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 been that the advantage of the on-line software fades with Boy Scouts as tracking advancement becomes more centralized more so than with Cub Scouts.

On the other hand, obviously MANY packs track advancement using paper and get along just fine.

"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 themselves, an AS kid is likely to laugh and not catch that the person was hurt. They tend to be rude or obnoxious, or not knowing when to shut up. They tend to have problems with imagination. They tend to categorize life and can't draw outside the lines. They don't like change. They prefer sticking to the rules. They tend to be clumsy. They tend to have "meltdowns". They often have sensory overload problems (for my son it is touching wet things and loud noises). It is very common for them to have an "expertise" or an unusually developed fascination with something. They think everyone else is just as fascinated with it, so they often irritate others by neverending discussion about their interest.

It is not uncommon for AS kids to use so much energy trying to read and understand their surroundings that they wear out over time. An AS kid might do fine during a two-day campout, but as Dan said, after ten days they may simply be over stimulated. My son clearly needs to spend down time at home to get away from things.

Everyone associated - the mom, the Scouts, the Scouters - need to be educated on AS. They have to understand that AS kids don't want to be mean or unliked. They just don't know how to behave "right". They essentially speak a different emotional language than the other people.

This is a tough tough issue. Scouting can be one of the best learning experiences an AS kid can have. It is one of the few places where AS kids can be exposed to social situations with the relatively close guidance of mature leaders (both older Scouts and adults). So it is really important for the AS boy to be able to stay in Scouting.

On the other hand, it can be really hard on boys (and leaders) who don't understand AS and/or don't understand how to respond to the "issues".

In my son's troop we have two boys with AS. My son is not very irritable or physical (luckily, since as I write this he is a 6' tall 12-year old), but the other boy tends to be a bit more irritable and physical. Not all AS kids are the same.

For my son I made sure that all the boys and leaders knew he has this thing called AS. I try to keep it in the open and "talkable". I go on most outings with him to buffer situations while still giving him the space to make mistakes, anger people, and such, but the I'll sometimes have some "private" (not really alone) talks with those boys who are frustrated with him to remind them of why my son is acting as he does.

I've often said that life would be easier for my son (with AS) if he'd have been blind or born with some more noticable disability. At least people would know why he's the "way he is". With AS they just think he's stupid or a jerk or irritating. Most of it goes over my son's head (he doesn't read this but it is VERY hard for a dad to see and hear this). As I said, I try to limit my involvement as much as possible though.

BTW, last spring we tried giving my son Ridalin for the first time. After 3-4 years of teachers begging us to put him on medication we finally caved in. It did absolutely nothing. At the time we didn't tell anyone at the school. After a few weeks - near the end of the school year - we asked his teachers how he was doing lately. They said he'd been having MORE problems focusing during those last few weeks.

The point is that an AS kid CAN control themself, but they either don't don't know to control themself, but more likely they either don't know when to control themself, or they choose not to control themself because they don't think they really need to -- if that makes sense.

Dan - have you ever put your son in Marshal Arts classes - such as Tai Kwan Do? My son has been taking classes for something like four years now and it is absolutely the best thing we've done for him. It has taught him an amazing amount of self-control - both mind and body - and self-confidence. I've also read that AS kids like Marshal Arts since it is regimented and predictable - AS kids don't tend to like change.

The scout's mom needs to get her son diagnosed, accept his condition, and take an active involvement in his Scouting experience - she can't put all this on other parents. She should really consider enrolling him in marshal arts.

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 backpacking I currently use my older 1.5" Thermarest pad which is much smaller and lighter weight, but my back does NOT like it.

I'm thinking about trying an "Exped SynMat 9 Sleeping Pad". It is 3.5" thick and weighs "only" 2.8 pounds, but the recommended Pillow Pump is another 4 ounces and . Cost is about $100 plus $20 for the pump. I've read lots of good comments about it, but am a tad concerned about its durability.

Now, for the backpacking gear I've been most impressed with ... the Eureka Spitfire solo tent. It is reasonabily lightweight (2.75 lbs), inexpensive ($90), well-built (aluminum poles), easy to setup, and reasonably spacious ... for a solo tent. The only thing to be careful of is making sure that your pad will fit within the tent ... because the floor is not rectangular.

While a lot of folks can use lightweight tarps for backpacking, the mosquittos are just too bad around here to camp without netting.

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 the troop. Since then I've been keeping advancement records on both Troopmaster and ScoutTrack - just in case the troop decided not to continue using ScoutTrack.

Now about 17 months later, the troop did renew ScoutTrack's annual license and I continue to keep both systems up-to-date. I personally like having the on-line calendar and the automated reminders, BUT to be quite honest, none of the other leaders or parents access the system on-line (I can see when they've last logged on).

ScoutTrack may be better suited for a Cub Scout pack, where den leaders and parents can enter advancement records and there is more parental involvement.

So, from that perspective, I'm thinking about returning to just using Troopmaster, which provides more detailed record keeping for non-advancement things such as leadership positions held, OA records, and merit badge partials. It also provides some really nice reports.

About the only thing I don't like about Troopmaster is the calendar generation/entry tool. It seems kind of archaic.

By the way, ScoutTrack is setup to import Troopmaster records fairly easily. I don't know of a way to move records from ScoutTrack to Troopmaster. That is why I've been maintaining records on both.

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 checks to pay back the Scoutmaster for food purchases, the advancment coordinator for badge purchases, and keeps track of all of this in Quicken.

There is another person on our committee, but she doesn't have a specific role. I think they just thought there should be more people on the committee.

The committee has one meeting in August of each year to identify the upcoming year's activities and the troop's schedule. It is held in the committee chair's house, so of course her husband the Scoutmaster attends, but he doesn't have much input. It is at this same meeting that the committee decides what the troop will do for fundraising during the year. Once the fundraising activities are selected, nobody really asks anyone to help - they just wait until nobody volunteers and then drop the fundraising. That is why our troop has no money to buy gear, which is why our troop only has one stove and one propane tank to cook for 14 Scouts plus the leaders. This allows the troop to all eat together which the committee chair says is what they want to do anyway - she says they tried using patrols once about four years ago and it didn't go over well with the boys.

The committee also holds boards of reviews for advancement tice a year just before the court of honors. The boards of review consists of at least one committee member and two other adults. Assistant Scoutmasters can participate, but the advancement coordinator and the Scoutmaster cannot.

The Scoutmaster is the person who works with the PLC to decide what the menus will be for the few campouts we have. Most of the time the Scoutmaster purchases the food too. This doesn't happen too often since the troop is only camping twice this fall and two or three times next spring. This camping schedule meets the committee chair's objective of keeping the Scoutmaster - her husband - at home as much as possible. The Scoutmaster also does Scoutmaster conferences, does the Scoutmaster's Minute at the end of troop meetings, and at the end of each campout the Scoutmaster scolds the Scouts for goofing off to much and leaving too much litter around.

The Patrol Leaders Council meets just before each troop meeting and consists of the senior patrol leader, the assistant senior patrol leader, the two patrol leaders, the two assistant patrol leaders, the scribe, the quartermaster, the librarian, and the historian. Of course this is 10 out of the 14 Scouts in the troop, so with all that confusion its probably a good thing that they focus so much on the upcoming game.

The assistant Scoutmasters work with the Scouts during the PLC meeting to decide what they're going to do during the troop meeting which starts in about 45 minutes. They use the standard Troop Meeting form as best they can. The primary focus is on the game that will be played. Part of the reason the game is such a focus is that the troop can't do too much skill development or advancment at meetings since they didn't plan the meeting until the previous hour, so they didn't bring any materials with them (ropes, maps, compasses, stoves, etc...), but that is OK since most of the advancement takes place in Tenderfoot-to-First Class sessions during the week of summer camp.

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: Are there any brands/styles/models that are better for Scouts than any others? or do we get something cheap so they can beat them up without any concern?

#3: What are your thoughts of each Scout bringing their own? I see pluses & minues - much like the troop tent vs. personal tent thing.

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 think the only adults that are trained are myself and one other ASM (he only attended the classroom portion of the SM training). Right now the Scoutmaster's wife is the committee chair and his son is the senior patrol leader. Of course she was also the committee chair of her son's pack - and the husband was the cubmaster. She thinks the troop should be run like the pack. She demands that our troop not "camp too much" as her husband and son are already too busy. She tried to stop one of the only real fall campout "because her daughter was moving to college". This year's program was created by the committee with zero youth input even though I asked for it several times - her response, 14 year old boys can't create a schedule. This year's program contains four nights in tents this fall (two of them because I demanded a September campout) and three nights in tents next spring, excluding summer camp.

My son likes it in the troop and doesn't want to look elsewhere, so I'm at the point of just learning to shut my mouth and limit my involvement. Sigh. Its just not the kind of Scouting I'd hoped my son would experience.

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 many hours. The skin will redden after 24-48 hours and usually will eventually blister. Even as the blisters heal, the skin takes on a brownish cast that can last for a year or more.

If you know you've brushed against Wild Parsnip the best thing is to get out of UV rays as soon as possible - preferably go indoors - not just in shade - for 24 hours, as its effects seem to diminish over time. Attempting to wash off the chemicals doesn't seem to be too successful since it appears to absorb into the skin rather quickly.

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 you are dealing with families & adults, not just youth. The reality is that some families won't come without their dogs. This is for several reasons, one being that an overnight stay at a kennel can be very costly. Also, a lot of families have dogs that are amazingly well-behaved with other people and pets.

Might I suggest a modified "rule": Pets are allowed, but families with dogs that are unsociable or disturb the peace will be asked to remove their pets from the camping area. Remind the pack about this just before the campout and encourage them to think carefully before bringing pets. Heck, years ago one of the families in our Pack brought along a rabbit of all things, and it did very well on a harness.

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 rope, but it came back fairly fast. Not too many natural ropes in my life - mostly nylon.

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 in GPS technology years) and might be out of print, so I'll tend to recommend "Wilderness Navigation Handbook" by Fred Touche

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 the troop, but my own interpretation of the voting rules is that he should have been included in the ballot whether he was present or not.

My plan this fall is to ask the lodge about the voting rules so that we have things straight for next spring's elections.