ASM7

Good thing she didn't have a "puddy cat" on her. She would have been arrested. I like my Leatherman super tool for campouts. The new Leatherman has the knife blade on the outside making it more convenient, but I haven't lost my old one yet. I can't justify getting one until I do. The little Swiss Army pen knife can be a great little tool for every day use. The Scout one makes a great gift for leaders, assuming they have their totin chip.

Adventure is the first thing talked about in the Boy Scout Handbook. I think the promise of adventure and the idea that they will be doing something new and exciting is the draw for boys to become Scouts. Its our responsibility to keep them excited and to arm them with knowledge so that these adventures are positive experiences. The program is designed to do that. We slip this knowledge in when they are not looking. Doug

DeMann I believe acco40 and Rooster7 were just being honest. I see you checked out the "How we as humans came to be" thread. You can probably see that we have "beat that horse to death". You can also probably tell a lot about some of the posters on this forum. It is a very diverse group and a good forum because of that fact. I appreciate all the differing views and all the facts about the BSA. Welcome to the forum and I'm looking forward to your contributions. Doug

If they are taking the oath every week, what good would come from a contract? If you don't trust them, what example of trustworthyness do they have? They are making a contract with themselves when they say the oath. When on a trip, I expect my scouts to have age appropriate behavior. If I wanted them to act like adults, I would hang with adults. However, inappropriate behavior should have consequences. That should be discussed ahead of time. That way, when you follow through with it, you are keeping your end of the bargain. Then they learn to trust you at your word. Doug

Another demonstration was to use two sticks. The parents light their stick and the scout lights his. The flames, held up, will soon go out by themselves, but when done again and held together they continue to burn brite. Demonstrates parents and the scout working together. A scout working without their support may soon lose interest. Doug

Sorry about the use of GSA instead of GSUSA. I plead ignorance. I still would like input on this topic. I hear that many denominations are starting associations. They really promote P.R.A.Y awards and individual awards within the denomination. Anyone belong to one of these associations? Doug I wanted to put this back in the last 24 hour posts.

Besides the specific job of an assistant Scoutmaster to watch over a certain patrol (new scout, venture), the SA is usually assigned specific program duties. Of course, with the absence of committee members who perform the support duties, the SA usually will pick up that slack, even though they are not on the committee. He/She wears many hats. Just try not to burn them out. Good SA's are sometimes hard to come by.They are also needed for two-deep leadership.

Another one I used to do at the first Pack meeting was to have the parents hold one candle and the scout to hold a candle. They would light their candles from the Scouting Spirit candle and hold them separate. Then I asked the audience to observe the light that they emit. I then asked them to touch the two flames together. The flames grew much higher and emitted more light. This represents that the spirit of Scouting is much greater when the Scout is supported by his parents. I only used one candle for the two parents so if a scout only had one parent or guardian, the result was the same.

The Advancement Committee, Policies and Procedures states that a Board of Review is a periodic review of the advancement of the scout, whether he is benefiting from the program. The unit leader can use the review as a measure of his/her effectiveness as a leader. The review is not an examination, the board does not retest the candidate. Rather the board should attempt to determine the Scout's attitude and his acceptance of Scouting's ideals.

I think that the name Board of Review leads a lot of committee members to believe that an all out grilling of the scout is in order. The scout has learned his skill and has been examined! Maybe a name change would affect their behavior. Something like "Confirmation Hearing" or "Affirmation Board". Anybody have any other names? Doug

This from the manual Advancement Committee, Policies and Procedures. "The BSA has placed the Eagle Scout board of review in the hands of either the troop, team, crew, or ship committee responsible for advancement. The council will decide and promulgate which method or methods may be used. The BOR for an Eagle candidate is composed of a minimum of three members and a maximun of six members, 21 years of age or older. These members do not have to be registered in Scouting, but they must have an understanding of the importance and purpose of the Eagle board of review. At least one district or

Advancement Committee, Policies and Procedures. In big bold print. There is no limit for completion of merit badges other than age 18. Doug

After reading through this thread, and just completing TC training, I agree with Bob White, totally. If you read the responsibilities of the troop committee on page 13 of the Troop Committee Guidebook, you will see that the committee is not a legislative body that yeas or nays anything. Page 12 states " The patrol leaders' council, not the adults, is responsible for planning and conducting the troop's activities." How much plainer can it get. The troop committees that do otherwise are overstepping their bounds.

Also on page 12, The Patrol Leaders' Council, "The Patrol leaders' council, not the adult leaders, is responsible for planning and conducting the troop's activities."

LauraT7 Do you have a copy of the Troop Committee Guidebook? Page 13 states the 12 main responsibilities of the Troop Committee. Doug

The rules state that you can only have one position within the troop. The Unit Commissioner is a member of the District Committee assigned to your troop, but is usually not a member of the troop. The Chartering Organization Representative is a member of the Chartered Organization. As for whether the COR is a member of the troop or a troop position, that is unclear to me. Bob, where are you?

We had one of those metal thermal mugs with our course patch design on it. SR-389. It was OK but tends to get liquid in the hollow part when washed, but who washes them? I just rinse mine out. . I don't use mine because of that and like to use one of the plastic type. They are lighter and cheaper. Doug

Having been caught by surprise by the fast moving destruction of Hurricane Hugo, we tend now to not take the threat lightly. We have assisted the Red Cross in logistical details since that terrible September night. The Red Cross office is right across the street from our sponsoring church. Our troop helped supply relief stations at several schools in our county that were assigned for that purpose. It turned out that they weren't needed, but the scouts learned about being prepared in a real world situation. I suggest if you want to help, to contact the RC and find out what the needs are. Our

I was just looking over information on the website for the National Association of United Methodist Scouters. It looks like a lot of good info in there. I'm thinking about starting a chapter in my district(UMC). Does anyone belong to a chapter? I think it would be a great boost to the ministry of scouting. This includes BSA, GSA, Campfire, and 4-H leaders. What has your experience been? The website is www.naums.org

I don't claim my scout expenses as a tax deduction, but since we are on the subject of taxes, is there anything in the constitution or the IRS tax code that requires us to pay taxes to the federal government? I believe Yaworski stated we were required. Can any body help me on this one? I understand that when we sign that tax form, we pay voluntarily. I'd just like to see it in print.

NJCS So, we just look at one's usage of the English language to determine whether one is fit for the Presidency? O yeah, you need these skills to coax those young interns to the oval office, right? You know, there are many true Americans, born right here in the good old USA that have never spoken a word of English and if they are older than 35 they could be elected President. And I'd much rather have the previously described in office, as long as he was a true leader who bases his decisions on morals and ethics and the best interests of the American people, than that two-faced example we jus

Ozemu The JLT happens at the troop level for training of scout leaders. After this training the scout can wear the trained patch. The JLTC is offered to scouts by the council after completing JLT. After completing JLTC, the scout can wear the JLT patch as temporary patch, right chest pocket. Order of the Arrow is the official Honor Campers Society of the BSA. Our local chapter goes on camping trips and does a lot of community service. They also meet quaterly at scout camp for weekends of fun and fellowship and to work on maintaining the camp. They really feel connected to the camp after g

Rooster7 The OA doesn't hold these events secret. They are even published. However, it has always appealed to the curiosity of the scout going into the OA, if he knows little about what he is going to experience. Most scouts have heard through others the basics. I went through ordeal a few years ago as an adult and there was nothing untoward about it. As a matter of fact, the ceremonies were very meaningful to me. I have since received my Brotherhood and that was even more meaningful. I always say to a scout nominated for OA if he asks, that I can tell him about it but he will have more fun

I have not seen anything in BSA literature about Mic-O-Say. After years in BSA, this is the first time I have heard of it. I went to the website, and it looks to be a near copy of OA. Is it sanctioned by BSA? If not, how does it continue to operate at a BSA camp. I'm a little worried about this secret organization stuff. "Ceremonies, customs and traditions of the Tribe are for the eyes and ears of Tribesmen only, and are not to be discussed with non-Tribesmen." from the website. This seems to go against BSA policy about secret organizations.

le Voyageur What about the requirement to stay away from main highways? Who was the MB counselor? And there had to be two scouts doing it, right? Buddy system. I would strongly question the MB counselor training.