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kudzu

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Everything posted by kudzu

  1. There has been no lawsuit between the Center for Outdoor Ethics (the LNT people) and the BSA. A quick Google shows that. The BSA decided to broaden their approach to outdoor ethics and pulled all those efforts under the Outdoor Ethics banner. These include LNT, Tread Lightly (about motorized recreation), the Land Ethic (cf. Aldo Leopold), and the BSA's Outdoor Code. Just a glance through the reorganized Outdoor Ethics awards shows that LNT continues to play a large role in how the BSA approaches the subject. For more info from the horse's mouth (so to speak): http://www.scouting.o
  2. Our pack is in an area that is extremely underserved for the number of available youth we have (but the District's inability to start new units is another topic altogether). Our pack has ranged between 80 and 100 Cubs for the last 5 years. We're at 89 right now with 21 Tigers. We have had one school night roundup (our DE claims he's having trouble getting into the elementary schools this year), and have otherwise been recruiting via word of mouth and our pack website shows up well in Google searches. So far this year, we've recruited 21 Tigers, 3 Wolves, 2 Bears, 2 Webelos 1s, and 4 Webel
  3. I wouldn't leave it up in the air with the curent (previous?) Den Chief. I'd contact him and ask him (a) if he still wants to be the Den Chief and (b) if he plans to do all the duties of a Den Chief. Be direct but polite. Have you done Den Chief training with him so he knows his duties and responsibilities? If not, you should do that first thing with whatever den chief you end up with. If they don't know what to do, many Scouts (and people in general) won't do anything. But, if you train him and let him know what your expectations are, he may step up and be an excellent Den Chief.
  4. I've converted to hammock camping in the last 18 months or so. I find it more comfortable than sleeping on the ground (even with my big plush camp Thermarest), and I like being more open and exposed (but off the ground away from the creepy-crawlies and critters). With a tarp, underquilt and top quilt, I stay dry and warm. I've hammock camped down to about 20 degrees (with a stiff wind), and I stayed plenty warm. It's also lighter and more compact than a tent. As long as there are trees, you can nearly always get a decent hang. I've spent too many nights on rocky or sloping ground in a te
  5. My long answer is to suggest you (and everyone else) read "Last Child in the Woods" by Richard Louv. He details exactly what a lack of connection to nature is doing to our children. The short answer is that being out in nature allows us to experience the real world unmediated by video games (an easy whipping boy), the internet, TV, music, social media, and everything else that distracts us from ourselves and each other. I see it in my son (he's a 10-yo Webelos Scout) and I see it in myself (a 44-yo Scout Leader). I spend 8-12 hours a day in front of a screen (I'm a web developer when I'm
  6. We've had great luck scheduling outdoor activities for our Pack on Sundays. We have a lot of boys (and families in general) who participate in sports, and Saturdays are often filled with various games and practices. But, Sundays are still avoided by most sports leagues around here. We often schedule our monthly pack hike for Sunday afternoons between morning and evening church service times. That's worked out well for us. We have one den that has decided to meet on Sunday afternoon/evenings, too.
  7. The CS and BS Leave No Trace Awards are being expanded into new Outdoor Ethics awards: one for awareness and one for action. There's also a Scouter version available. They focus on the BSA Outdoor Code and also incorporate LNT and Tread Lightly (a program aimed at motorized vehicles). BSA is still getting this info out (and onto their website), and the actual awards aren't yet available though they have posted information about them and the requirements to the Outdoor Ethics section of the BSA website: http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/OutdoorProgram/OutdoorEthics.aspx I'm wor
  8. They ARE working on new editions of the Cub Scout handbooks, and I've heard that there are some fairly significant changes. You can --- and SHOULD --- still talk about LNT! They're just adding Tread Lightly (mostly aimed at motorized vehicles) to the mix.
  9. kudzu

    Camp Orr 2013

    Water levels are MUCH better this year, as in northern Arkansas we've had a wet winter and a wet spring so far. When the Buffalo National River (which runs right through Camp Orr) is running (and everything else isn't drought-stricken, too), it's a blast at Orr. Climbing to Antenna Pine, Canoeing and Swimming and Fishing (for our beautiful native Smallmouth Bass) in the Buffalo is awesome. We have had two bad drought-stricken summers, and that has affected Orr, but it is looking positive for good water this year in camp season (June, mostly).
  10. Like most everyone else, up high is "How much does it cost?" but we also get "Where do you meet?" which, it turns out, is mostly a variation on "How much time does this take?" Now, sometimes that's because they don't want to drive across town (we're sadly one of just three non-LDS packs in town, and we draw a lot of kids from the other side of town from where we meet because there's not a pack over there), but it's often also because they have other kids who are involved in all sorts of activities, too, and they have to shuttle numerous kids around at different times every evening.
  11. We have a pack meeting 10 months out of the year (no June or July). We have almost 100 Cub Scouts (about 65 that are active and earning awards), so just handing out awards to the boys takes 30 minutes. Our Pack Meetings have been pretty slow because of that, and I'm working on some solutions (moving some awards to den meetings, etc.), but we also do skits, songs, and occasionally guest speakers. We do a pack meeting in nearly every month even when we have a special event. August: Ice Cream Social and recruitment kickoff September: regular pack meeting with popcorn sales kickoff O
  12. Hey, I'm an adult (36 year old male) who would like to volunteer with Scouting. I was a Cub Scout as a kid, but never a Boy Scout (we moved when I was in Webelos, and my new town's Boy Scouts program was in shambles at the time). I have a son who's about to turn three, but I'd like to get involved now instead of when he's old enough. I participate in a number of outdoor activities, and I'd like to use those skills in some capacity to help. One of the things that's gotten me more interested in volunteering with Scouting is that a friend of ours is in the Air Force Reserve, and his uni
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