Kudu

Eamonn, did you find the regulation that specifically prohibits a BSA Scout from wearing BSA patches on whatever he wears? I think there is one, but I skimmed our Troop's 1980s vintage Insignia Guide last night and couldn't find it. (Me!!) might not like the idea of it being called a Scout Uniform The last time I checked, the BSA's technical definition of "Activity Uniform" specified the one they used to sell, so if not "Activity Uniform," then "Troop Uniform" works for me. Of course if the BSA allows official patches to be sewn on patch vests or patch blankets, then we might

Leave the uniform as adopted by the Boy Scouts of America alone!!! Um, that is the whole point, hops_scout, to leave the BSA's dress-designer's uniform completely alone :-/ Kudu

Venividi writes: There is a Catholic military academy for high school boys about 2 miles from my house. The distinction that I would make is that this Catholic military academy does not have a government-established monopoly on "school." If they were to adopt BSA Uniform pants as a part of their school uniform, I bet a significant number of students would beg their parents to enroll them elsewhere. So the school would either respond to market forces and offer a uniform in which their students can take pride, or position their school as valuing obedience over self-discipline :-)

FScouter writes: There is no support at all in any BSA publication for making up your own uniform. Well, duh! The whole point is that the BSA never thought of forbidding it! But don't try to tell the rest of us that what you wear or what your personal web site says, has anything at all to do with the Boy Scout uniform! I'm talking about the Uniform Method, not the BSA product. People who see the BSA uniform as a symbol of mean-spirited neo-conservative values usually don't understand the distinction :-/ Kudu

scoutldr writes: certain BSA symbols and logos are registered trademarks and/or copyrighted. I feel certain that you would not be able to use those in making up your own patches. The idea is to use already available patches as much as possible. A Troop Uniform would probably have the same status as a patch blanket. My books are packed right now, so someone else will have to look at the rules and report back. For instance, is there a rule that forbids putting BSA rank patches on the back of a Merit Badge sash or a patch blanket? If so, does this rule govern the use of the metal r

Case in point :-)

No one is required to own one to be a BSA member but if the uniform is worn, there are rules that define the proper way to wear one. Why haven't you mentioned this before, Ed? :-/ I'm sure that most readers envision this as a choice between a sharply dressed uniformed unit on the one hand, and Scouts in blue jeans and flannel shirts on the other. If you love the Uniform Method but hate the finger-in-the-eye ugliness of the BSA Uniform, Ed's loophole is big enough to drive a Troop through! As far as I know, there are no BSA rules against rejecting the BSA Uniform and ado

My point exactly. Defenders of the Uniform see it as a symbol of the BSA's neo-conservative "values" (with "obedience" being high on the list), pragmatists see the ideal Uniform as reflecting Scouting's promise of outdoor adventure (where form follows function). Kudu

Certainly, as far as I am concerned you are dead wrong. Obviously Hawaii is the exception that proves the rule :-/ Kudu

I think the thread is well named. I suspect that there is a high correlation between people's opinions about the Official BSA Uniform (such as it is) and their religious beliefs. This explains why it is always such a perennial and hotly debated topic in this and other Scouting forums. I bet that if you tracked what people post about the Uniform and what the same people post on topics like "Duty to God" and other "3-G" issues, you would find that that those who support a zero-tolerance BSA Scout Pants policy also support BSA policies which are based on fundamentalist interpretations of t

John, Good luck with your research! I believe that you will find that Hillcourt is the author :-) Most people forget that the correct quote makes a distinction between the Scouts' game and the Scouters' game: "A realization that to the boys Scouting is a gameto you, a game with a purpose: Character building and Citizenship training."

If you're aware of another source of info, post the link. William "Green Bar Bill" Hillcourt's classic "Ten Essentials of Scoutmastership." (This is where the "Game with a Purpose" quote comes from): http://www.inquiry.net/patrol/hillcourt/scoutmastership.htm Kudu

Some resources for designing your own Troop winter camping training course can be found at "Okpik Online!" See: http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/winter A list of useful "Hints" or "talking points" can be found in each of the following session categories by clicking that tab at the top of the above page: [Winter Camp] [Activities & Recreation] [Food & Water] [Gear & Clothing] [Health & Safety] [sleep & Shelter] [snow & Ice] [Travel & Navigation] Kudu

I'd like to know what kind of Courts of Honor ceremonies y'all have had. We keep the advancement "Scout Spirit Scavenger Hunt" work sheets, so that the Scout doesn't have to read from a card or memorize anything as he explains a point of Scout Law while lighting that candle. In this candlelight ceremony the SM Minute (actually only 30 seconds) is done at the beginning, in the darkness, just before the SPL lights the first candle. See The Inquiry Net: http://www.inquiry.net/advancement/ceremonies/candlelight.htm Kudu

For those who are looking for plans for various kinds of sleds, a good collection (from classic wooden sleds by Ben Hunt and Dan Beard, to converted plastic equipment sleds) can be found at The Inquiry Net: http://www.kudu.net/outdoor/winter/gear/sleds Lots of other plans, including snow shoes and "skaters' wings" can be found at: http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/winter/gear Igloos can take a number of hours to construct, and snow cave construction can be frustrating if the terrain and snow "density" are less than ideal. The snow "density" problem can be solved with mod

The Scouting program has three specific objectives, commonly referred to as the "Aims of Scouting." They are character development, citizenship training, and personal fitness. The methods by which the aims are achieved are listed below in random order to emphasize the equal importance of each. The "Three Aims" and "Eight Methods" of Scouting are unique to the BSA, and have changed dramitically over time. In 1920 the BSA had two different sets of "Aims:" one for adults (Character, Citizenship) and one for Scouts (Pleasure, Interest). The model was parallel "train tracks," with o

Well, Dan, perhaps for you complete anarchy would still be too restrictive? It is simply a violation of "The Guide to Safe Eating" to cook burgers over a wood fire or a lightweight stove. Remember Dan, a hamburger is "obedient" and "loyal"! What a burger actually tastes like is not important because: "A hamburger is a meal with a purpose!" Kudu

Dan writes: I am not sure what fast food restaurants has to do with Monopoly? I would be happy to explain that for you, Dan. The analogy to Scouting would be that everyone sort of knows what a "burger" or "hamburger" is, but most of us can agree that mushrooms on a burger is just plain wrong. So McDonald's convinces Congress to grant them a Congressional Charter to protect the good name of "burgers" from associations like Chili's. McDonald's patiently tries to get all of the other hamburger chains to merge with them. Chili's refuses to go along, so McDonald's sues them out o

These "follow the rules of Scouting" discussions will remain "pointless" only for so long as liberals, libertarians, and moderate Republicans (including those who plan to remain in the BSA) fail to recognize that Scouting is literally (not figuratively) a monopoly game. It is only the lack of competition that allows the BSA to play to their religious-fundamentalist political base on "values" issues; and to produce unpopular, inferior products like the BSA uniform. This will not change until we work together to actively to support legislation and trademark litigation to allow freedom in

Do you still have your original "Monopoly" post on your hard drive? I thought it was a nice metaphor for American Scouting. I tried to find your post on my Google Desktop, but it wasn't archived :-( If you do have it, you could post it under "Monopoly" as a "new topic" rather than the spun thread. I do have a rough draft of my reply, maybe others do as well. Kudu

Did the "Monopoly" thread entirely disappear? http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=117264

A collection of 124 games for disabled Scouts can be found at The Inquiry Net, see: http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/games/disabled They are indexed into the following categories: Games for Deaf Boy Scouts, Cubs, Children Games for the Blind Games for those Confined to Bed Games for the Ambulatory (Able to Walk) Games for the Developmentally Disabled Kudu

Leadership is key in a troop. The BSA knows that and changed the focus of Wood Badge for that reason. Yes, the 1970s "11 Leadership Skills" Wood Badge was about leadership, 21st Century "Seven Minute Manager" Wood Badge is about leadership, JLT is about leadership, and I'm sure that the new JLT is about, um, leadership. I think we can all agree that the BSA has the "Leadership Development Method" covered. But what can we do to teach the "Patrol Method"? I haven't used the "Grumps method". Our adults usually look over the menus of the different Patrols, and plan to eat with t

Are you saying that if a troop separates patrols during outings that is all there is to the patrol method? If a Scoutmaster only does one thing to promote the Patrol Method, that would be the most important. If the Patrols are separated, then at least some form of the Patrol Method is occurring. And what I wrote has nothing to do with the patrol method? For the sake of discussion, I will take that extreme position :-/ Remember that you wrote, "Separating patrols by area is a good idea, but I do not think it has much to do with the patrol method. I look at the patrol met

I just read the list that Kudu posted, and I think we're all better off for that guy's leaving the program. By all accounts he was a dedicated, tireless, and dependable leader from the time his sons joined Cub Scouts until years after his older son earned Eagle and aged out of the program. He continued to serve as SA/acting Scoutmaster for a couple of years after that, and then served on the Troop Committee. After he quit the Scout Section and wrote the "My Reasons for Leaving Scouting" letter, our Crew Advisor asked him to volunteer, where he and his wife continue to serve to this