artjrk

Just a thought to think about. Our Pack also does the hamburger/hot dogs for dinner and pancakes for breakfast, everytime twice a year. What happens is that when the boys move up to Boy Scouts, that is all they know about camping food. And honestly, hamburgers are terrible for Boy Scout camping. When a patrol uses a camp stove to cook on, they have no idea what to do with the grease. Pancakes and hot dogs are good and simple and kids can cook 'em themselves.

One year I tried to offer to cook donut holes myself for breakfast just to show the boys some variety. They said no cause they didn't want to deal with the extra work. Remember, I said I would do it myself. Sometimes the adults just don't want to put in the effort.

There are many menu ideas that can be done for cheaper than burgers and are more appropriate for group camping. Chili, Stews, Soups, Jumbalaya etc. These also are no more work. Unfortunately many treat Pack campouts as a Family cook out and not a group caming trip.

As far as kids eating the stuff. of course they will, if its what's provided and parents don't supply extra snacks instead.

I don't see a problem using the hours for both. Think about how many other school items we count towards advancement. I'm think Cub Scouts right now. Sometimes to book specifically states that an item can be part of a school, family or scout activity.

An example: The 4th grade curriculum has a section on electronics that mirrors what is in the Webelos handbook for the Science Activity Pin. Since we know the boys will have it covered we do not need to go over it all again in a meeting. We may have a quick activity using some of the items learned. But why rehash the material.

There are just a few items in Boy scouts where the handbook states that items can not be used for double-dipping.

As the owner stated in the article, the treehouse is on the side of his house. He must live on a corner though. When on a corner the city considers you to have two front yards and two side yards. I had the same issue when building a shed when I lived on the corner. The treehouse probably falls under the regulations as a shed, meaning he doesn't need a permit if it is under a certain size.(ie 150 sq. ft.) Also sheds must be in the back yard. On a corner lot they consider the area directly behind the house to be the operative back yard. To put one on the side you would still need a variance. He may have asked if he needed a permit for a treehouse and was told that he didn't. It may never of come up in conversation that he was on a corner lot.

In my case I was just finishing the shingles when I got the letter informing me I was in violation of the town ordinances. I went to the zoning commission meeting and received a variance because I was able to show that I could not use my small back yard due to a major powerline that tranversed my "BackYard" I also received letters from my neighbors of no complaint. I also had put the shed too close to the house but that was due to water drainage. In the end I was able to keep the much needed shed. The money saved by not getting a permit was spent for the variance.

On a side note: My oldest son received an aluminum mess kit as a prize for popcorn sales in cub scouts. It was so light (and useless) that he used it to make a mobile for art class.

Personally I use standard Lexan outdoor dinner set with a mesh bag for storage and drying and a double-ended Lexan Spork. If backpacking I leave the plate and bowl at home and just bring the cup and spork. I have seen many older scouts use just a metal sierra cup and a spork. I have not found any scouts who actually use the traditional mess/cook set for more than their first year. With patrol cooking they are not really needed. Another new item I have started to see are Guyot Designs Collapsible Camping Bowls and Silicone Collapsible Bowls/plates/cups. These are kind of cool in that the are lightweight, easy to pack and are unbreakable.

I would recommend against metal unless it has a handle because hot dishes are too hard to hold.

I understand that when switching units, ie Pack to Troop, both youth and adults need to fill out new applications. Also when applying to be a Merit Badge Councilor you need to have a new BSA adult application even if you are already a registered BSA leader, since a MBC is not a directly a Troop leadership position. But why do you need a new application for switching positions within the unit? Honestly, in the three units i have been associated with have not followed that policy. We would just make changes at time of recharter.

I tried searching on the web for this information but can not find it.

As Shortridge says "Bad,Bad,Bad Idea."

Ideally I would like to give the rank badge out immediately as well. Unfortunately we know that is not possible since you need to turn the paper work in first. I just checked ScoutStuff.org and apparently you can NOT get the rank pins either without the proper paperwork. You can not even get the Webelos Activity Pins in advance.

So much for immediate recognition.

After reviewing several articles on the subject of sanitizers. They all call for the water to be warm to hot. Chlorine 70-100F, Iodine 70F All article I read indicate that the Sanitation needs to be done last, after rinsing. The organic material breaks down the ability of the sanitizer to work.

So I suggest Hot Wash, Hot/Warm Rinse, Warm Sterilize. One advantage to having all the buckets at least warm is on cold weather campouts, kids will not refrain from putting their hands into cold water. Note the Hot does not have to be scalding, just hot enough to breakdown grease no hotter than the hot water tap in your sink.

Most important to all this is boys should clean their plates of all food debris before starting to wash. Keep all that out of the wash water. If that means a Cold water pre-rinse so be it. But sometimes water is a bit on the scare side. We always teach the kids to "self-sump" their plates. add some hot water on plate, swirl it around with fork to loosen all food item and then drink it down. Yes it sounds gross but it helps get just that much more water into the boys and keeps the wash water debris free. First time I had to do this, we had salad with Italian dressing. not appetising but sure effective. Suggest to kids that licking their plate clean first also goes over well, since they aren't allowed to do that at home.

Any item unclaimed or accounted for after each trip goes straight into the dumpster next to the shed. No scout goes home before all items are either claimed, accounted for or dumped. Since we meet in a school and our storage shed (which we share with the Pack)is not very big, storage space is at a premium.

As far as singing goes. Our district has put an end to that tradition. At camporees when lost items are claimed there is the occassional boy who sings anyway because they like the spotlight.

My initial thoughts are that I would reorder 2-3-4 as 4-2-3

Resaon being:

1 has a different style necker from 2, 3, 4.

3 has the boys with hair styles consisting of bangs and longer hair.

The leader on the left does appear to be the same, his height as compared to the window in the door remains constant, while his waist seems to be increasing. (why this strange affliction happens to scout leaders,? I don't know) The odd thing to this is the number of patches on his shirt decreases from 2-3. He does have an OA flap in 2,3 but not 4

As a youth I attempted the mile swim in my first year. Since i was not successful myself, I admire it when my scouts attempt the feat. This year we had 6 scouts complete it along with two adults. One first year scout completed it at age 10 and was recognized by the camp for his achievement. Another (competitive swimmer) completed it in 16:30 setting the camp best time for the summer. This is swimming in Lake Marriott at Goshen Scout Reservation. These kids always amaze me.

As SM, I used ScoutTrack for over a year. Main reason was it had the data for the New Scout Handbook as well as all current MBs. Used it more for reference than tracking Since TroopMaster came out with a mobile version for their website. I did use it for tracking my own sons though.

I did not like BSA's Handbook app.

I treat the parents with the same respect as I show to the boys. When any come to me with a question I will give them an answer and then direct them where they could or should go in the future for the information.

In the example of the placement of the patches, I would would simply direct them to the Handbook, since the instructions are written out plainly there. Then ask the parent that when she gets home to ask the son to get his handbook and go through it together to find the info. This lets the new scout realize that many questions can be answered with the book. helps the boy be more independent. Just sending him off to ask his PL is not always the best solution.

With the scouts, many times I don't always have the complete answer so directing them to the proper place/person is usually better. I will also ask them to come back and fill me in with the details.

As they say Feedback is a Gift.

Here's a few observations:

Why the need to track progress on a merit badge? As a Scoutmaster the only time I saw the progress of a Scout was when I gave him the signed BC to get Started and when I signed it off as completed. I do see the benefit though of tracking what MB each scout may be working on at the time.

Can you compile reports to see how many scouts have or have not completed certain advancement requirements? This can benefit the PLC to know what skills can be worked on to help the greatest number of scouts.

Can you track items like number of nights camped and whether they count towards different things like Camping MB or OA eligibility?

Can PLs be given access to view advancement status of members within his patrol only?

I do like the easy and well thought out interface.

Well my oldest completed his Eagle Board of Review last night. Paper work turned in 2 days before 18th B-day. (he wasn't worried).

The next one is talking that he actually does want to finish his Eagle, so we are setting goals to get various Merit badges done. He is 1st class and turns 17 in September. All very doable.

The youngest just crossed over to Webelos. I in turn am stepping down as Scoutmaster after three years to spend some time working with the youngest. Plans are to go to the International Jamboree in WV in 2019.

This has been a fun ride and it just keeps going!

Our pack simplified it as: earn a BL or pin once as a Tiger/Wolf/Bear and once again as a Webelos

Growing up, our family was at a National Park out west for one of the campfire programs. The ranger had the steel wool and electrical battery set up. To add to the dramatics he soaked the steel wool in a bit of gas and gun powder. When he flicked the switch their was an immediate flash of light and smoke followed by a steady growing fire. Quite impressive to the spectators. As an adult and Scout leader I have never tried to duplicate this.

I have seen people hold steel wool to a 6 Volt battery in their hands to get it burning to use as a fire starter. Seemed pretty safe to me. No flying shards of metal.

The requirement as listed on the Eagle Application itself:

"REQUIREMENT 2. Demonstrate that you live by the principles of the Scout Oath and Scout Law in your daily life. List the names of individuals who know you personally and would be willing to provide a recommendation on your behalf."

Think of it as you would a job resume and application where one lists references and the potential employer contacts the references directly. This is how it is in the "adult" world.

Now the scout should always ask the references first before listing them on the resume as a courtesy.

I simple trick for foil dinners to keep them from burning. After wrapping and sealing the foil around the food, wrap a wet paper towel around and wrap with another layer of foil. When cooking this creates a layer of steam to protect the food from direct heat.

Also be sue to cut the food into small pieces (no more than 1/2"). Allows for shorter cooking times, which the younger boys will appreciate.

OK I know that the deadline is the day before one turns 18.

My question is what parts must be done by the deadline and what can be done after (3 month period) I understand the EBOR can fall in the Grace Period.

The Application Lists 6 Requirements ending with the Scout Master Conference.

But what about the various signature on the actual application? The reason I ask is that as one reads the application it states "CERTIFICATION BY APPLICANT. On my honor as a Scout/Venturer, all statements on this application are true and correct. All requirements were completed prior to my 18th birthday" followed by the signature blank and date. Next is the "Unit approval", Unit leader and Committee Chair and dates for them, Last is the "BSA Local Council Certification" and date.

In my mind is the Application is stating that the Six requirements need be complete by the deadline, but the signature do not. They just confirm that the required items were complete on time.

Another question is is there a reason that these four signatures need to be received in Order as listed on the form?

And where in the time deadline does the new Pre-certification fall?

Mind you my son's birthday is Saturday and will get his last Signature tonight (Thursday) and will submit the Pre-certification on Friday. So I know we will be ok. I am just wondering after reading the Actual Application form myself.

I just want to add a bit to the comments about the dad's time on the project. When my son was meeting with his District Advisor, he was told to include all time put in by everyone. This even included the time I spent driving him to meet the DA and sitting in the car. So if you consider I drove him to each of his meetings with each person involved. Add in the time we spent together creating the flyer and working with the forms (I am designer so he would tell me what he wanted and I would create it quickly, in the end less time than if he tried to do it himself) Add in the time we spent where I was just a sounding board as he formulated his project and worked out his game plan. Its easy to see where a parent can have almost as much time involved as the Scout.

As a CC, you do not sign off for the "Approval for Completed Project". The only sign offs required are Scoutmaster/Coach/Advisor and Representative for the Benefiting Organization. (I'm looking at my son's workbook right now as I have just signed it for him as SM.

If you are referring to his Eagle Application, then I think it should be up to your better judgement. You could sign the application and leave it to the Board of Review to address the issues. Will you be sitting in on his Eagle Board of Review? I know in our troop, the CC almost always does. Then the entire Board can decide whether this Scout has truely earned his Eagle.

Try and recruit an Assistant Den Leader as well to help with the work load. Having a team of leaders really helps when one has a busy plate.

Side note: I'm glad this is the topic of the thread. I thought at first you had a problem with a Del Leader soliciting for monetary tips from the parents. Just when you thought you have seen it all.

I'm not going to get in on this specific debate, but want to address the broader statement by the OP. You claim Carter to be the "worst" ex-president ever. Let me ask this, what have other recent ex=presidents done to rate above Carter? We all know Reagan had health issues soon after his term. What about Bush Sr.? Bush Jr? I can't recall hearing their names in the news. Clinton?

Whether you agree with his politics or not, at least he is still doing something (ie Habitat for Humanity) and as others mentioned, he still is there to help negotiate in times of trouble.