Laurie

Also, they often have several units assigned to them, and they are volunteers. I know several UCs, each with an average of 5 units assigned to them, and each working full-time as well as serving as UC with most serving in some unit and/or as trainers in addition to serving as UC.

Tiger Dad, with your attitude and obvious concern for keeping things going and keeping the boys interested, you should have a great summer. Good for you for keeping them going in some way over the summer!

(This message has been edited by Laurie)

Good point about not going for the whole Wolf badge over the summer. I agree with that, and in fact, we encouraged the following activities last summer--as a pack though some could be done as a den--and found this to be effective: (1) Use the summer months for outdoor activities, especially for those going into Webelos. (2) Use the Sports and Academic Program, and this way the boys are earning something but not knocking out the rank so quickly. Host some pack activities, maybe one a month, and during that time earn a belt loop. This was a huge hit last year! By the way, if one act

Maybe I missed this in the posts, but don't forget Bobcat. Not all Tigers earn Bobcat during the Tiger year, so make that the number one item. Then go for it! As for everyone earning things at the same time, as CM it makes it easier on me, but it is much rewarding to the boys to have their badges immediately. Our den leaders include items that enable the boys to advance together, but if some boys earn a badge earlier than others, they will be awarded them with a ceremony. The others will have a ceremony as they earn their badges. This past year is the first year--at least in a while--tha

To a lesser degree than you, I have had to deal with this type of situation. Now, we had a leader involved who was irritating everyone, and I could not and would not step in unasked between other adults. However, when I had a difference with this leader, I went to the leader privately, told the leader what the problem was, and tried to find some common ground again so we could try to aim for that as we worked through this and continue to work together. It was not a little issue; it was pretty big; it needed to be dealt with. The result was that the leader stopped talking to me; I continued

Welcome to the forums, and welcome in advance to this area! I am registered in a pack and troop in the Cradle of Liberty Council, and though I have not yet had the opportunity to go to Treasure Island, the other council camp properties I've been to are well cared for and have excellent programs. Do you have the council website url? If not, here it is: http://www.colbsa.org/default.asp?sm=2 The menu is to the left, and if you choose Camps, you will then see list of the camps in this council. If you choose Council Staff, you will see e-mails listed for the camping department. Hopef

I am so sorry to hear of your loss. William sounds like a wonderful young man who many will miss, and my prayers are with you, his family, and his friends.

You are right that the CR is an experienced Scouter, but the unit "found" him. Having an experienced Scouter is a benefit indeed, but the relationship between the unit and CO was worked on by the unit for a year before this CR became involved, and the relationship was strengthened before his involvement, which shows that the unit can make it work--at least sometimes. The unit did not have a good relationship with the CO. The CO treated it as a bother to it, and the unit wondered why it should care about a CO anyway since it was just a place to meet. That is the attitude when I became pa

A great many items that are sent home via my children's backpacks are simply deposited in the trash can -- no offense taken, no harm done, no time wasted on the stuff. It's a lot like that junk mail that comes to "resident" -- I don't want it, didn't ask for it, and rarely spare more than a glance at it.

About a year ago, noone knew the CR for the unit -- it turned out there was a CR on paper only as the person had left the CO but noone ever made the change. Noone knew anyone in the CO -- the meetings were scheduled, cleared by the CO and put on its calendar, but were often cancelled because the CO had an event and would call a leader to say the unit couldn't use the building. There was no service by the unit to the CO for at least 2 years too. Many changes were taking place in the unit, all backwards because they were beginning with the den leaders who were then getting training and recrui

I just received my CM postcard from BSA Supply Division today: "It's official! Beginning August 1, 2004, the official uniform for all Tiger Cub Scouts will be the complete blue Cub Scout uniform with identifiable and appropriate Tiger Cub insignia. ... This change will be key in your summer and fall recruiting and round-up plans. ... The Tiger Cub adult partner will continue to wear the orange Tiger Cub t-shirt. And the orange Tiger Cub t-shirt is still available for Tigers Cubs. It now becomes the perfect activity shirt for casual wear and for certain Tiger Track Adventures."

I've heard a number of SMs say, "We tell the parents that if they aren't willing to be involved that they had better find a new troop." And then there are us moms who want to get involved when asked to but end up labeled pushy moms. And all we need to do to earn that title at times is simply be a mom who completes and turns in an app! As for good role models, isn't that what the approval process is about--trying to screen applicants and avoid problems. That said, we are learning the hard way that when the applicants aren't met with and interviewed and checked out that the unit suff

I'll second the welcome and the request for you to elaborate.

Bob, that's funny--thanks for the laugh! The question about negative ads: I don't care for negative ads. They tend to make me consider voting against the person who is negative rather than for him/her. I don't mind comparisons or one saying how they will do better than another, but the personal insults, the put downs, the "dirt"--that turns me off from the person saying it.

I should be clearer; I apologize. Many of the boys may have done the items in Scout and Tenderfoot, but they do not count until they do them as registered Boy Scouts. This makes it far easier to do those items again to earn the ranks fairly quickly. In Cubs, what they do does not count for Boy Scouts--sorry about my sloppy wording.

Scout is considered a rank in the troop and at council (here, that is). The badge is a restricted item that requires an advancement form. Those boys who bridge using the new Webelos book will have met many of the Tenderfoot requirements. Many using the now old book will too. I think it's an easy mistake to make and wouldn't worry about it.(This message has been edited by Laurie)

1) Do you maintain your council website by yourself or as part of a web team? I designed and maintain the website on my own. 2) If part of a web team, how is the team organize and how does it meet? N/A 3) What have you found to be the favorite sections of your Council web site from the average users point of view? Unit web site: Our fact sheet has guided 3 families in the area to Cubs, not necessarily to our pack though. The scrapbook is popular, and the calendar is useful to leaders and those families that use the computer. 4) Are there are any thing you wish y

It was my first time emceeing the pack meeting as CM, which we now call pack performances, and it was truly fun! I gave a big build up to all the awards the Cubs had earned, and they could see the table with all sorts of stuff on it. Then I called out each name after getting a cheer of Cubs Rock going and handed each boy a rock. Lots of fanfare, you know, telling boy "you rock!" They tried so hard to look happy, but some were confused. Then a rock bottom fell off and awards fell into one boy's lap. He was still confused because he didn't know what the Quality Unit patch was. But this go

Bob wrote: I do feel that if he really has questions he should be offered the BSA side in a positive setting. (Like sending him to the Principal's oops I mean, Council Exec's Office.)

We have officially begun our GTFA projects for 2004. We are currently working on promoting an American Red Cross blood drive. The boys and I, all in uniform, headed out to local business armed with posters announcing the drive. It is being planned by a woman in the business association of the town our CO is in. She planned; we offered leg work and promotions and any other "busy work" she could use. As we were driving home from one shopping area, one of the boys asked, "do we get something for this?" I have told them about GTFA, and they will serve without a patch, but actually doing the

Interestingly enough, I find that many of the people that I know locally in Scouting seem to be unaware of the issues even though our council was in the news awhile back. They either don't care or don't pay much attention to news. Those that are aware of the issues like to put them aside (especially those fielding calls about them) to just enjoy some program or non-political chats. As for the grandfather, I can understand the disappointment. I'd have thought he'd welcome an opportunity to brag about his grandson--what a perfect opportunity to do so

Thanks guys! Adrianvs, I am learning a lot about spiders; it is amazing how many are considered rare or just remain unidentified as they haven't been seen before. Pack, it's too late for this one to be sent anywhere, but you can bet I'm going to keep a jar handy in case I run across one again (my curiosity is piqued now). And Uncleguinea, a little fun is always welcomed, especially as the week is wrapping up By the way, I have to confess, I think of guinea pigs when I see your name--any special meaning to it? To all, this mystery remains unsolved, but I sure did learn a lot and apprec

Thanks for the links Venture Eamonn, usually I get along with spiders just fine, but this gave me the creeps. Ok, we identified one: husband saw the banded garden spider. This is not anything like what I described to him. What I saw most closely resembles a tarantula or one of the jumping spiders I looked at on-line. And now I am itching like crazy after searching photo upon photo for this thing! How I wish I'd taken a photo--darn, didn't think to do that.

I found one about an inch in diameter total, dark brown, hairy, with light tan stripes around its legs. This was in the house. Today my husband found one in the yard--it's wooded--and it was easily 2 to 2 1/2" diameter, same coloring/marking/hairy. Any idea what this might be? I've looked at enature.com and in our field guide, but without success. We live in the Mid-atlantic, PA to be exact. I figured Scouts/Scouters might be able to help with this one