ASM514

And I want to add that you cannot possibly be as offended as I am when I see our boys in service (which my son is) wearing the US flag in reverse. You either need to back off, or start paying attention Bob.

ASM514

I Beg your Pardon! I am a member of fifth generatrion military ancestory. You Sir should be ashamed to suggest that by flying a flag from the pole by the stripes is a correct way to diplay a flag. Read your Boy Scout bible you proclaim to be your life and you will see what the proper way to display the US flag is. I ask you this, look at your Boy Scout uniform and tell me how your flag on your right shoulder is presented? Left? Or Right?

Maybe we should just turn our flag upside down and disply the blue and stars on the lower right? If you turn the Boy Scout flag upside down, blue and stars are on lower right, not upper right. To make the blue and star on upper right requires a re-tool of the standard. THE STANDARD since 1870.

Stop being so self proclaimed GOD of knowledge and accept the foot you have placed into you own mouth.

ASM514(This message has been edited by ASM514)

PLEASE! FOLLOW BOB WHITE'S ADVICE!!!!!!! He is right and his advice is your only hope at this point!!!

ASM514

Well, first off, Bob White is DEAD WRONG when he says the crew has no authority to recruit you as a leader. DOH! This is Venturing, not Boy Scouts. The crew selects an adult leader, presents that adult to the committee, they register, if they pass and are accepted by the CO, that is the new leader. Done deal. But, be aware if you are a male, you will need a female Advisor as well or you can forget outdoor outings.

I have been through all of this with our crew which is 5 boys and 4 girls. It's tough getting the female Advisors, but we did it, and you can too. Don't get discouraged, just make it work and good luck.

ASM514

The proper way to display the American flag is with the stars and blue field in the upper left. I think everyone here knows that. A flag upside down means distress or surrender. A flag with the stars and blue field displayed in upper right means treason.

Has anyone noticed that our American troops in Iraq are wearing their uniform flag depicting the flag with blue field and stars in upper right?!?!?!? Watch the news, pay attention, there is a message here that I think we are supposed to notice.

ASM514

Well, the one I always ask is this: Please explain to us, based on your scouting experiences both outdoors and within your training of younger Scouts, why you feel you are ready to recieve the rank of Eagle.

This usually separates the true Eagles from the one that are not yet ready.

ASM514

What a waste of type. Just take the course!

ASM514

This is simple. The boy swims, or he does not attend aquatic activities. Rules are rules

asm 514

There were a few Councils allowed to conduct in-school 5th Grade Recruitment sessions this year. I would like to know how it went and how many recruits did you get?

ASM514

PS. Our presentation was fabulous, but recruitment was low.

My Advice! Take the married couple and all of your supporters and walk! Form your own troop. Very easy to do. When we were rioted out of our old unit for being concerned about the new SM, we were asked to leave. No problemo! We went to the State offices and started a "S" type corporation, then went to our Council and chartered a new troop and venture crew. End of problems. The problems stayed with the old unit which has shrunk to almost non-existance.

Bit of advice though. Make sure you select a SM and CC who are not affiliated with the CO. Not manditory, but saves a lot of headaches down the road. Like the ones you seem to be suffering from.

ASM514

jbroganjr, like I said before, I know a lot of WB's that do not deserve the honor because they mised the training in the biginning, or just never got the program. What did you learn in NLE, ODLS training that made you decide to take WB? Did you take NLE, or ODLS?

Maybe your program was lacking. I am sorry for that. But, a vacation? Best time I have ever spent, and never have I injoyed my time more than in my WB training. I would do it again if I could. I think maybe you are looking at what YOU got out of it and YOUR pleasure, instead of what you could learn and pass to our youth.

WB has installed in me a new drive to recruit and lead new leaders into the training. Every new adult I recruit to take NLE, or ODLS, I attend with them. During this training, I promote WB with all my heart. It has to be. You must see that WB is the future of our program by educataing our leaders.

In Indiana, they are running "White Stag" JLTC. It is the same course as the old WB with a 6 day program. My son is attending next year and we live in Maryland. We HAVE to share this training in order for BSA to survive. I feel that is carved in granite.

An exeption to the original myth is: A Venture Crew which may adopt any style or garb they choose by vote of the members to serve as the official uniform of the Venture Crew. Ours is Black on Black BDU's. Much like a night para-military. But they could have just as easily chosen camo. And that is not a myth.

ASM514

An exeption to the original myth is: A Venture Crew which may adopt any style or garb they choose by vote of the members to serve as the official uniform of the Venture Crew. Ours is Black on Black BDU's. Muck like a night para-military. But they could have just as easily chosen camo. And that is not a myth.

ASM514

A misunderstanding. I did not mean that I, or anyone who has taken WB is "Elite", I meant that the training itself is the "Elite" of leadership training and produces fine leadership skills. I know some WB's that I would never call "Elite" myself included.

As far as the garbage about putting down $200 and a week of vacation, well, that does not fly with me. Scouting is not about your $200 or your vacation time. It is about how well we can prepare ourselves to teach our youth. And in closing, I was never invited to take WB. I seen the application at a training session and signed up on the spot. What is the invitation deal?

ASM514

You know, I am very happy for you. Congrats!! Man, when I recieved my beads there was such a mix up that I did not get a ceremony. But I didn't mind. My ceremony was not what was important. I got my award packet, and my dogs immediately enjoyed eating my woggle while wife and I were out for dinner. I got another one but now I am more involved in helping others with their ceremony to worry about mine. My certificate is hanging on the wall, my card in my wallet, and the Wood Badge experience in my heart. What more could I ask for?

ASM514

An added thought. My wife is taking Wood Badge this year. She is so excited about it and there is not a week that goes by that she does not ask me about the course. My only response is, you'll find out. She gets mad that I won't help her by giving her info. I tell her that nobody gave me information, and now I am glad they did not. She is drooling now and I actually cannot wait for her to go to the training. Knwoing what I know from my experience, I am so happy for her because she will be blown away like I was by the course.

ASM514

Eamonn, are you saying that you are course director and do not have your Wood Badge? Or are you saying that you are course director and have people on your staff that do not have their Wood Badge? I am confused. Please xplain.

Also, Wood Badge is and should be a mystery. It is the mark of the Elite in Scout leadership. The mark of commitment to the program. The "Beaded Ones" are of a select few who have devoted themselves to the cause of Scouting. To those who are offended by the mystery, I can only say, put your committment to the program up front and prove yourself by taking the course. It truly is a Mountain Top Experience. One that I will forever be greatfull for. I thank the Lord for giving me the opportunity to have participated.

ASM514

NE-IV-144

Well, 6 months ago I asked the same question and had the same thoughts. When my 14 year old son came to me and asked if we could start a Venture Crew, (being the cartered organization) I asked him if this was what he really wanted to do. He did, and we did. Well, to put it short, it has been like a rocket to the planet mars ever since. Recruitment was almost instant. Our Venture Crew is now 14 strong. 8 boys, 6 girls, and they are forming up like a government. I have never in my 30 years of Scouting seen anything like it. I am so proud of them that I am in awe at every meeting they have. They govern themselves, plan their events, arrange their accomodations, plan their safety program, and just plain practice self management.

I find now that I am stealing their planning to implement into our Troop. When Venturing came about I was a non-beleiver. Now that I see it, I am a major promoter. If you have doubts, form a crew and sit back and be prepared to be proud of your youth in action.

ASM514

I think we have found a way to make it work. You know this has taken some months to figure out which put us way behind in our efforts, but now I am sure we have it set. Our Co is working on a plan to set up a non-profit youth organization and raffle off the computers. The proceed will be distributed to local athletic groups and of course, our scouting units. Also, they want to sell these systems to other non-profits complete with raffle tickets for thier organizations. This would include volunteer fire companies, church groups, and just about any other group. Our CO would also donate those profits to our units. Does this sound like a plan to make this work? Sounds like making money off of a raffle without running a raffle, but many raffles without participating in any of them.

ASM514

ASM1, I was in philly today and my office called me to tell me about the same. When I got back I called our offices in India and requested that they find the transcript of the release. I will be calling our clients in UAE tonight for info.

ASM514

Troop 514

I speak for our charter organization, easy to do because I own it. We would stay the course with no change in our program. This case was irrelevent from the start.

ASM514

Troop 514

Here is an idea. To keep the chats private and away from wierdos you can go to www.everyone.net and set up a private forum that also includes a chat forum. After you set it up, you will be given a private web address (URL) that you give to all involved and chat your hearts out. I think it is an excellent idea!

Bob White, I am in awe at your original post. How insightfull. My God man you have the pulse of scouting indeed. I can only say, "Bravo"

Twocubdad, what we have in mind is just this. You have to think about scouting as evolution. Fresh in, old out. Sorry to say, but they grow up and move to Venturing or to the fumes. That being said if you think about it, in every Boy Scout troop there are patrols that are by all practicle thinking, the same except for names. Have you noticed how every young scout works his tail off to get to be First Class with the requirements so he may have a chance to be "Called out" for OA? Why? Because it is really Special!! And OA IS Special. Our thoughts were to bring Den Cheif's to that level, and perhaps even more. If it catches on in the district, or even other areas of the nation in other councils, who knows? You bring your best Scouts together, train them and give them those special perks. What they give willingly is service and training to Webelos. We think that the natural leaders in every troop will thrive on this program. And to make this program fly outside the troop is for this Den Cheif patrol also be the foremost Honor Guard for the Council at flag ceremonies. Full class A, (or nowadays Field Uniform) Baret and Den Cheif Braids. They will be very proud. The most important thing is that all the members of this Den Cheif patrol will be there because they want to be there, for as long as they want.

kwc57, my point exactly. You have to make them want it. Your post makes me know that we are on the right track. Thank you.