LauraT7

I assume that "the church" you mention is your charter organization - and I wonder why they are limiting your boys camping??? it just doesn't make sense - Be that as it may - you probably can't do anything about that NOW - but if it were me, I'd work on changing it. It always annoyed me that BSA limited cub camping to family camping, when as a Girl Scout, I had been camping since 2nd or 3rd grade! Boys are certainly as capable of the skills as girls are! I think part of the problem troops have with boys on troop outings is that they weren't brought up doing it all along! On the iss

i agree that it is confusing to have requirements change without some kind of warning or schedule - but I also thing that the badges and rank requirements need some updating and evening out. I don't know where they get the committes that update the badges, but why do they always have to make them longer and more complicated? for examples, look at what they've done to the cooking badge - its now about 4 pages worth of requirements! I have nothing against the badges having different levels of difficulty - but so many of them are so heavy on writing and explaining - it's like sen

Ask the boys that Are in your troop to invite a friend anytime - or have a special nite to invite a friend for a special activity - We have 5 troops in our town and 3 packs - our troop is not affiliated with a particular pack. we have a variety of local boys, from all the packs, a few homeschoolers and some from out-of-town. Since our troop has not actively worked on recruitment in a few years - our membership is down. So we initiated a long-term program this year that will hopefully give us a steady flow of GOOD and varied recruits of all ages for all future years. We don't wan

you're not the only one who had problems with taking clothes and stuff in a public pool - we can get away with it at out local high school, mostly because they aren't there when we use the pool. They let us in, and trust us to meet their requirements (they require a Red cross lifegard - but they never actually check) We get the life guard AND follow the BSA Safe swim requirements. But our city pool, and all the other public and most private (health club) pools won't even allow you to take appropriate PFD's into the water! (they say this tempts people to trust the PFD's and not

i admit that at home - I can get pretty verbal and loud - but i still hate "yelling" at kids. sometimes you have to shout to be heard - outside, across a gym, etc. But did you ever LOOK at someone yelling? they look really dumb and out-of-control! How can the boys respect that? I used to substitute teach - my favorite grades were 4thgrade thru Jr high - REALLY noisy! One thing that would allways capture their attention was to flick the lights. the classroom lights go out and they would all look up and stop talking. At least long enough to redirect them! I do carr

to kwc57 15 boys is too many - divide and conquer! They can still do major activities together if you want - but for meetings they should be a smaller group. Besides, this is where they should start getting the idea of working together in small groups - the "patrol method" used in boys scouts. many areas keep a den togther as a "new scout patrol" when they move into boys scouts. the ideal patrol is 8 boys.(give or take) It naturally divides them for games, camping, chores, competitions - and it gives each cub more individual attention. I wouldn't resort to yelling, t

Plan for some activity time to burn steam - and work out a regular schedule or plan for the meetings. Teach them "sign up, mouth shut" and NOTHING happens until they recognize that signal. No games, no projects, no fun. AND STICK TO IT. Set strict guidelines and Stick to them! My biggest problem was with my own son, who is ADHD. To complicate things, we met in my basement - to Jon - it was like having a roomful of wild buddies over! Jon had the "3 step plan" - every warning I had to give him got him 3 steps closer to going upstairs (12 stairs)and staying with Grandma! this appli

Our troop uses TM - but I don't have it - our advancment coordinator does a great job of tracking the boys advancements, but attendance? well... mmmm... I guess that's become my job since I attend most of the events with the bulk of the boys. the SM gave me a chart (from BSA) to use - but I had an excel spread sheet from cubs that i just adapted to our scout troop (for activities attendance only) that I keep on my palm pilot and can track who attended. i did just download, and am trying, a tracking software for palm that was free under "Scouting with a PDA" from the USSSP site.

As a former seamstress (don't have time for it anymore!) the manufacture of alot of slothing is shoddier than it used to be. Especially the skimpiness of seams and the lack of finishing. I have had pants of my sons where either the seams came undone, or the fabric just frayed right down to the seam itself - and then there's no fabric LEFT to sew back together! And he usually outgrows his clothes in height, long before he wears them out or strains seams! the type of fabrics used in scout clothes IS pretty tough. I have to admire the wear those uniforms get at summer camp and how they a

I do sew - so the length doesn't bother me - plus, my son seems to grow up, and up, and up! ALL his other pants are "high water pants" LONG before he outgrows them around the middle! Our troop doesn't require official BSA pants - but he does have one pair for dress. Many of our boys wear jeans, or more popular with them - are the zip-off leg pants in an olive green scout color. I'd love to see BSA adopt these for uniform use - they are SO PRACTICAL for scouts! (no need for long AND short pants in packing!) Our troop has a uniform bank - we all toss outgrown uniform pieces in, a

I checked out the OA site - very interesting & informative, but many things were locked away from non-OA members by password. OK - so letrs say I'm interested in OA as an Adult - my troop and I have met the other requirements and my committee elects me next spring as an adult candidate. So what's next? what does an OA "ordeal" involve? All I know is what I've seen the boys do at camp - they spend the night alone and work for 24 hours in silence. The work is usually strenuous and the meals sparse. Is this the same for adults? or different? I'm sure at 60 lbs over weight

You mentioned details about how a youth becomes eligable and can join OA, but what about adults? I have seen adult members who were "tapped out" at camp - is their process and ordeal the same as for the boys? I'm thinking that as my son gets older and does more outings that won't include Mom (backpacking trips and stuff I can't /won't do, and him getting older and more independant)OA might be a way for me to still be involved. Either that or volunteer on the District level. But I'm more camping oriented than paperwork/organization oriented, if you get my meaning - staffing cam

in our area, we have quite a few packs and the boys will choose different troops to go into. Some packs / troops have the same charter organizations - but there really is alot of movement between them - I don't think I've seen any group of webelos from a pack ALL go into the same troop. most packs do what KC's do - present Arrow of Light, then do graduation, then crossover. Of course, if you have ALOT of boys, this could take a long time. When a Webelo chooses a troop, that troop is notified of the date and time of the packs' crossover and the troop sends adult and/or boy represent

"And what if some of the committee members insisted that there was no safety issue and would not budge." to refresh your memory - I posted earlier that our troop had planned a caving trip, a small group of older boys wanted to backpack that weekend instead and the troop committee tossed out the PLC's plans and "decided" to make the backpacking trip for the whole troop. The odd thing is, I AM on the committee - the activities coordinator, in fact - and I dont EVER remember any discussion or voting to change the Caving trip to a backpacking trip - some very strongminded Committee peop

I can't find the requirements online to check the merit badge - But I know we used my digital camera for alot of the badge when i worked with my son and two others who worked on it this summer.... I seem to think that for some of the requirements, the KIND of camera was not specified - so for things like illustrating lighting and perspective, the boys used my digital camera and had a ball with it. they also used regular 35 mm SLRs, and the local community college offered a short B&W course (adult summer ed) that they signed up for to get the darkroom / development inf

I prefer fundraisers where you don't have to "sell" any product, or where the product sells itself to the general public. Every time I turn around theres some kid at the door that i don't know, trying to sell me candles, wrapping paper, cheese, candy, nuts, magazines, etc for school, scouts, church, daycare ad nauseum.... and the ones who sell all this stuff and get the big fundraising bucks either go door to door (which the handouts say they are not supposed to do - not safe in this day and age) or, more likely, they come from a big extended family or mom and dad work for big comp

"Open in case of broken meeting." i like that! ok - here's some - A book of skits - they don't have to use these, but it's amazing how they will twist them - you can find hundreds here on "Scouter" site - a box of any weird props for skits or run-ons Skill competitions - write 'em out and put them in the box - or you won't be able to think of them when you need them - Putting up a tent race - between patrols - handicap the older boys by adding blindfolded members that have to work under direction of seeing members. not only will it "even the field" but its hilari

Oh boy does THAT sound like fun! I know our boys would LOVE to sleep in an igloo! But getting back to these sleeping bags.... my son and I have used our new "Black pine" bags a couple of times last winter, but haven't gotten them out yet this season. However, this summer we broke the zipper on one of our old summer bags (it was probably 20 yrs old) and it was cheaper to buy a new regular bag than to replace the zipper! So I was out bag shopping again! For us "healthy sized" people - be aware that the standard bag is 33" to 35" wide (laid flat). That's alot for a boy - no

WOW! so many boys! Aren't you lucky! ok - how about this - don't plan a "troop" meeting. plan the night for "patrol" meetings instead. wasn't it BP's idea that "the patrols gather to form a troop, the troop doesn't divide into patrols?" I may have misquoted, but the idea is the same. Break them down into manageable parts, forget trying to do anything but summer camp and camporees and big stuff as a whole troop. operate your patrols as a "troop within a troop", give each boy ownership of his patrol and he'll be interested enough to stay active. You're never going t

our troop has enough Timberlines for boys AND adults, although a few are out for repair right now and if everyone in the troop went on a trip AND the adults wanted to use troop tents, we might be tight.... Our boys always use troop tents, but the adults mostly prefer to bring their own tents - and mostly so they can stand up, too. Plus, to preserve our tents, our troop has a rule - no packs in the tents. With frame packs this makes sense - but it is rather inconvenient. So I bring my own tent - one I can stand up in and put my stuff in. One thing about using private tents -

I can't quote book and page - Where's Bob White when I need him? LOL! but i do know that it's a National level BSA rule/guideline that Webelos cannot PARTICIPATE in a Boy Scout camporee or Klondike.... I think the reason given was that the skill levels, hardship of a winter event / camping etc and less parental involvement are beyond the limits for Cubs. Your council may get around the rule legally if they set up a simultanious Klondike FOR the cubs at the same time and location. Then the cubs are not competing with or against Scouts, and not doing scout level skills.

I think that's only part of the problem - that there's just such a BIG jump between Cubs and Boy Scouting - in that area - Girl scouts does a better job by having groups that go up by age/grade ranges, and the changes are more gradual. BSA could either make Webelos more like Boy Scouts, or make a separate group for the 6th & 7th graders (under 1st class) there is also a HUGE difference between badge and advancement requirements - Cub advancements, even at webelos level are SO easy, and BSA keeps revising the Merit Badges and making them longer and much more complicated. It's great t

Since you can't come visit OUR troop (we would welcome you with open arms at ANY time!) I would have a frank talk with the powers that be - be it your commissioner or the troop scoutmaster or committee chair, or all three! It sound like this troop, being the ONLY troop in your area, is EXPECTING all your boys to join them and not making any attempt to service the boys needs. Even if recruiting is easy - it still needs to service the boys first! Getting their Arrow of Light is important, and a boy shouldn't miss out because of missing ONE meeting or activity. However, we ran into a

Cool! Where would you find this application? do you have a link or is it just part of the newest version of troopmaster? I'm not sure what software we use in our troop - but I know we recently got an upgrade... gotta check it out

I LOVE technology. I love electronic toys (both the kid kind and the grownup kind) and would not want to be without my cell phone, Palm pilot, home computer, internet, fax machine, answering machine - how far should I take this? can I include my new dishwasher? ;-) All the modern conviences and inventions are terrific. they are also a great way to reach the boys - as bombarded as they are with electronics - you CAN NOT escape the impact they have in their lives. Yes, there are problems - our kids expect instant rewards, instant gratification - and that can be a problem. But if y