little dove

Well we still have to wait to meet with the offenders. They did not show up for the last day of the festival for work and clean up and did not show for the very next meeting. She thinks she is punishing us by doing this. The father is there but not there, another story. She takes pride in telling us how her kids tell her to f*** off (excuse me for that) and laughs about it. She had her son show me a new trick at our pancake fundraiser. Watch the bird appear from under the napkin, so he covers his hand and you can guess what kind of bird appeared. I said that was inappropriate, he did it 2 more times without his mom and I told him I had better not see that again, period. Like I had said she was told to leave Girl Scouts for her and her daughters behavior and also told to leave another Scout troop because of her and her son. There are many issues and more than I think we can fix or help with. At first I thought differently being the optimist. This boy is only 11 years old, what will he do at 16. Like my Dad said when I would bring home stray animals and cry over the ones I didn't, "You can't save them all". Thank you everyone again for your seasoned advice and your time to answer. Will let you know when all is said and done.

little dove

Have started new thread from my last reply, little dove on 8-5-02. "New Trouble in Troop w/ Picky Eater" is the new thread. Seems I went off subject and do apologize. Still new to the boards. So that will be continued on that thread. Thanks.

little dove

New news on picky eater. Went on another outing, baseball game (scout night thing). After the game they got to campout on the outfield and they showed a movie for the scouts. This boy kept disappearing and running off with his friends (scouts at another troop). He even refused to come back until the adults went to get him. My son had found a small toad, one scout and picky eater came over, the scout asked if he could see it, my son went over to unroll his sleeping bag and heard the two boys yelling. When he walked up and saw the picky eater had been throwing the toad against the wall until it exploded and said "I hate toads". The first scout said that picky eater had thrown it against the wall about 5 times. We had our festival that same weekend, me and another mother ran it Friday night so the boys could go to the game. 3 days we had garbage detail (we get paid from the town), me and the mother did it Friday (I believe that I never ask of someone what I would not or have not done myself)and the boys were to do it Saturday and Sunday. Saturday night picky's mother decided to show up and her part was to walk around, get something to eat, take her son to see the sights and complain. Garbage detail time came, 3 boys went (one was the SPL) after about 15 min., the SPL came back and said he couldn't find picky eater, I'm thinking the worst. So we started a search. He's with his friends and mom at the outer most corner of the festival and I came up and said that he needed to be doing his job like the other boys. Mom and him started walking away without a word, I repeated myself, still walking, I said it again. She turned and screamed at me that they had heard me and he had a right to visit with his friends and to back off. I said,yes he can visit with friends, but he does not have the right to disappear with out a word and panic everyone. After that he still didn't do his job, I helped the boys. I am tired of trying to deal with it. I have tried to talk to her nicely but it gets out of hand sometimes. She is foul mouthed and threatens you with voilence, she will later say she was just joking about taking you out and pounding the %"&** out of you. She was told to leave the GSA and was told to leave another troop for these very same things. She complains loud enough for people to over hear but not to their face. We just started our troop and did a couple of pancake breaksfast fundraisers with our charter fire dept. to get all of us aquainted, her remarks were heard and the fire chief came to us about it. So now they don't want to do anything with us again. How do you have someone not be in your troop anymore without them bad mouthing you or going to the council and say we are discriminating against them? Do you report it to someone? Are there papers to fill out? Do you tell them to leave and not come back? Have never had this problem and I am at a loss. If anyone knows, please let me know soon. Thank you eveyone for all your great input and concern. It's scouters like you that make all the bad worth going through and of course the boys that make your chest swell and bring a tear to your eye as you watch them grow and transform and know that you were part of it.

little dove

New news on picky eater. Went on another outing, baseball game (scout night thing). After the game they got to campout on the outfield and they showed a movie for the scouts. This boy kept disappearing and running off with his friends (scouts at another troop). He even refused to come back until the adults went to get him. My son had found a small toad, one scout and picky eater came over, the scout asked if he could see it, my son went over to unroll his sleeping bag and heard the two boys yelling. When he walked up and saw the picky eater had been throwing the toad against the wall until it exploded and said "I hate toads". The first scout said that picky eater had thrown it against the wall about 5 times. We had our festival that same weekend, me and another mother ran it Friday night so the boys could go to the game. 3 days we had garbage detail (we get paid from the town), me and the mother did it Friday (I believe that I never ask of someone what I would not or have not done myself)and the boys were to do it Saturday and Sunday. Saturday night picky's mother decided to show up and her part was to walk around, get something to eat, take her son to see the sights and complain. Garbage detail time came, 3 boys went (one was the SPL) after about 15 min., the SPL came back and said he couldn't find picky eater, I'm thinking the worst. So we started a search. He's with his friends and mom at the outer most corner of the festival and I came up and said that he needed to be doing his job like the other boys. Mom and him started walking away without a word, I repeated myself, still walking, I said it again. She turned and screamed at me that they had heard me and he had a right to visit with his friends and to back off. I said,yes he can visit with friends, but he does not have the right to disappear with out a word and panic everyone. After that he still didn't do his job, I helped the boys. I am tired of trying to deal with it. I have tried to talk to her nicely but it gets out of hand sometimes. She is foul mouthed and threatens you with voilence, she will later say she was just joking about taking you out and pounding the %"&** out of you. She was told to leave the GSA and was told to leave another troop for these very same things. She complains loud enough for people to over hear but not to their face. We just started our troop and did a couple of pancake breaksfast fundraisers with our charter fire dept. to get all of us aquainted, her remarks were heard and the fire chief came to us about it. So now they don't want to do anything with us again. How do you have someone not be in your troop anymore without them bad mouthing you or going to the council and say we are discriminating against them? Do you report it to someone? Are there papers to fill out? Do you tell them to leave and not come back? Have never had this problem and I am at a loss. If anyone knows, please let me know soon. Thank you eveyone for all your great input and concern. It's scouters like you that make all the bad worth going through and of course the boys that make your chest swell and bring a tear to your eye as you watch them grow and transform and know that you were part of it.

little dove

Thanks everyone. I have been pushing to be in the publics eye. On Memorial Day we hooked up with the local VFW to be in the parade and ceremonies they performed. They were estatic about it. They said they had been trying for years to get Boy Scouts involved. Our two towns have cordinated the ceremonies to have one after the other, our school band plays in both. Our old SM wouldn't allow the troop to be in the second towns(ours)ceremony. Same with the local festivals, only one was allowed. He could have his car in the seconds car show but the troop was not allowed to do anything there. I thought this was rather rude since half the troop at the time was from that town. We will be in our towns festival this year with games for the kids (something they have never had), everyone gets a prize. They were so happy to have a troop they gave us an entire corner and gave us permission to setup camp and the boys could spend the weekend. They will let us even put up some pioneering projects. So on the corner we will have our camp, a get to know us info booth, vegetables from a parents garden to sell, the boys made wood knick knack shelves to sell also, our 3 games, we will get paid to run and the bounce room and paid to empty the garbage cans, they supply gloves and bags. So we will be in the publics eye all weekend and be getting paid to do it. We also will be in the parade. We are also working on having a haunted house for holloween. Have to stop, getting long winded.

little dove

Thank you everyone on your time and replies. On another note. WAHOO!!!! My son passed his Eagle board of review!!!! (dancing in the background)

little dove :-)

Thank you everyone on your time and replies. On another note. WAHOO!!!! My son passed his Eagle board of review!!!! (dancing in the background)

little dove :-)

I need ideas on how to recruit boys other than from the local cub pack. In my other posts, you know we started a new troop because of poor leaders. Anyway at crossover time, 8 crossed, 3 of them didn't continue to boy scouts, 1 came to our troop and 4 went to the other troop. We have 6 boys now but would like more, if possible. I have to arrange with the school for a scout night there in Sept. Our council doesn't do it here, but they will give you supplies to do it yourself. Is it okay to contact private schools or church schools ? How far can you go in a district or would that be stepping on toes? I found info on how to have an Open House and a few other ideas. Does anyone have anything that they have had success with?

Thanks,

little dove

Here are couple of good sites. The first has pics of over 70 pioneering projects. Gates, gadgets, etc.,etc. All downloadable, free. Also a book on cd "Fun with Rope & Spars", 165 pages, don't know how much. www.hurricanedistrict.org/pioneering.htm .

The next has the above and how to build primative shelters and other things. www.scoutingresources.org.uk/pioneering_shelters.html

I hope this helps, our boys have already built several of the projects and loved it.

little dove

Reply to ASM7. It was alot of work for me, since I was basically doing all of it myself. Where are the other parents? Busy, gone, not my job. Getting parents to help is like getting teeth from a chicken. But then I remember the boys. Both the SM & ASM took and passed, Safety Afloat, Safe Swim Defense & CPR, among other things. Our Summer Camp fees went up, $190.00 a boy for the week. We had 7 boys, 3 adults. I spent $150.00 for food for the week. That included 2 turkeys to deep fry and fixins for Parent's Night dinner. Didn't buy ice, froze milk jugs ahead of time and replaced what they took. Kits for merit badges, got ideas from the ones at Scout shop and bought from craft stores or clearence bins. The boys paid less than $4.00 ea for all of it. Just prearrannged the Archery Shop and Blacksmith ahead of time. Bought the MB books and printed what MB worksheets they needed ahead so they would be prepared. The SM and ASM's helped. There is more but I already am making this too long. Email me if you would like any more info on it. Thanks to everyone for their replies and help.

little dove

Thank you for your replies. At first I thought food allergies, but the first time the boys made their own menu and shopping list, she was right over there. Like they wanted Mac & Cheese, she said no, it has to be Kraft, not the one with the powder but the one with the cheese in the can (to give an example). We have told her and him that he eats what everybody else eats or he goes without. We have made it so that the boys do not have pay for anything but we do have to adhere to a very tight budget. Our last troop we were always digging in our pockets, even with over $2,000 in funds. Anyway, we will try some of the ideas that you have given. What do you tell them if they refuse to listen? As stated above it falls on deaf ears. At times I really wonder why she has him in scouts. He's a picky eater, he has allergies (sinus), he has migraines (all she says). No medicines, no doctor's notes. So he can't do this and don't make him do that, watch that he doesn't get too tired, he can't be in the sun for very long. She's at every meeting and campout to make sure her boy is not being made to do too much. Sorry, now I'm whining. It just gets hair pulling sometimes. Especially when the boy says "I'm gonna tell my mom" or "your mean" if you make him help with camp duties. All the other boys follow the patrol method and do all the things they are suppose to. They just roll their eyes at him for his antics. Yesterday at clean up time, he had a headache until swimming was mentioned, then he went and changed and sat. We then said that only the boys who did their share could go, "but I have a headache". We replied, boys with headaches won't swim either. Funny, headache disappeared and he did his share of duties. As for the summer camp, it has turned out rather well. The gentleman even had a real working blacksmith's shop and the boys all went for their metalwork MB. A local Sport shop / archery range invited us up and the boys all learned how to make everything for archery and got some archery shooting in. My son who refused to set foot in a pond to swim, tried it and liked it and would be the first one begging to go swimming and swam every single day. My poor husband and son are whipped, they spent 9 days on JLT staff, they came home, changed, repacked and left for summer camp. We will be having a summer camp reflection meeting after the 4th and many things will be dicussed and changed.

little dove

Hi,

Does the book have it's own title? I found the first book (paperback at amazon.com) but it does not say anything about having a song book with it. Let me know.

little dove

Hello,

If you look at top of the site and see "Edit your Profile" that is where you change any of your information. Pick what you want to change. Fill in your new info, click continue and the same window will pop up but your info has been changed. To change anthing else, click the "Edit your Profile" again, etc, etc. Just changed some of my info a few minutes ago. Hope this helps.

little dove

Hello,

Go to www.worldscouting.org. They have all the countries listed. Also WOSM is listed and many others. Hope this helps and good luck on your trip.

little dove

Hi,

I don't know if you are looking for Scout camps or just any camp, so here is info on both. With the Scout camps listed, if they are too far maybe they, the council, can help you with something closer.

Scout camps go to: www.scoutcamp.org/database/index.html, click on PA, the two close to where you want are, Green Lane, PA & Ft. Washington, PA. They have websites of their own.

Non Scout camps go to: http://camping.about.com/bla2zndx.htm

This web site, www.about.com, is a very good site, type what you want in the search and find just about anything.

For any Scouters out there I have found birdhouse plans, bat house plans, a whole lot of nature info, camping info and much, much more.

Hope this helps and good luck, my son was in a marching band too :-)

little dove

Hi Everyone,

Have a new problem. Our new troop is 7 mos. old and am just learning. We have a boy with a mother that just won't let go. We are having our "Summer Camp" at a gentleman's property. He has over 400 acres, stocked pond, llamas, a variety of animals. Our fundraising didn't go as well as expected, so we opted for this (free, except for food). We have 2 MB counslors camping with us, basketry, leatherwork, archery and 7 more MB's. Anyway, the problem. She tells us her son is a picky eater and won't eat anything on our planned menu, turkeys, hamburgs, hot dogs, chips, eggs, bacon, sausage, etc. It's a very good menu. So she has been coming by everyday and bringing her son fast food. Like today it was Subway. Which he eats in front of the other boys, grinning. When it's time to clean up, the boy says I didn't eat your food so I don't have to do any work. Yet later on, he'll help himself to the chips, cookies, fruit, etc. This is the same woman that had a fit when at a campout, the boys were told by a another mother that camped with them that none of the boys would be allowed to drink sodas, while she sat there drinking one. This was wrong, I know. The 1st mother said if you bring something, you better bring enough for everyone. You don't tell them they can't drink sodas while your drinking one. Well, now it's a different story for her son, he can eat fast food in front of everyone (hand delivered no less). The boys are kind of resentful of having this rubbed in their faces by him. Don't really know how to deal with this problem or what to say to her. At first it wasn't too bad but now it's going to far and getting worse. I need help from some of you seasoned leaders.

little dove.

Thank you for your replies. As far a getting another leader to fill out the paperwork, you need that, the witness's have to fill out their part (they stayed with the old troop), the parents of the little girl to fill out their part(the old SM & CC), the leader and CC (again the old SM & CC). I wish it was easier. My son has taken comfort in that knowing what he did was the right thing and takes pride in that. He knows he doesn't need a piece of paper to tell him that. He's just very disappointed in the actions of the adults involved. He has moved on. He has turned in his Eagle papers and is now an ASM in our troop. I'm so very proud of him.

Thanks again,

little dove

The last troop we were at the SM and CC were married with a son in the troop. If you offened them or went against them (or so they thought), your son would bear the sly punisments they would deal out. Like forget him at a court of honor, lose their partial MB's from summer camp, etc. The main thing I want to bring up is my son was at their house for a troop meeting and waxing of the troop trailer. They have a large pond out back, the boys went out there and the SM's little girl (3 yrs old)followed them onto the dock. Needless to say she fell in and my son was the only one who thought fast enough to pull her out and save her. The CC announced to everyone at the next meeting that she was filling out the paperwork for the Heroism Award because of what my son had done. Time went on and it's been 2 years now and we can not get anyone to help us get the paperwork from her. At the committee meetings I would bring it up everytime, she was so busy and was working on it. We went to our council head, he would see about it, he transfered. We went to the new council head, he said there was nothing he could do, he's moved on. Called National and they said I had to go through my Council. Went to the Charter Rep., he didn't want to make waves. This is just a few of the many things that went on. We left after 3 yrs and started our own troop. The old one was never a boy led troop and everything was decided by the two of them, even if the committee voted otherwise they would do things to make them not happen. That's another discussion. How or what can I do to help my son, he has been very bitter about the whole thing. Is there a procedure that you need to go through or a chain of command? It's not because it's my son, it could be anyone's. Be mad at me, but don't take it out on my child. Thanks for listening.

Hi,

This is little dove of the "Bad Example in Scoutmaster". I wish to Thank everyone who replied, you're input was appreciated. My husband and I came up with something a little different. After our Court of Honor we wrote an anonymous letter to the Pastor (Our Chater) and our Council, and said we didn't appreciate that the Scoutmaster smelled and acted drunk (he did). That he was a extremely poor example to the boys and that he was a lawsuit waiting to happen. That if something happened to one of the boys while under his care he would probably be sued and the Church with it. She (the Pastor) had a meeting with him the following Sunday and he showed up at the Tuesday meeting stone cold sober and not very happy. I guess you have to threaten the pocket book in order for someone to care. It's sad but true. We don't know how long it will last but we've got the ball rolling. Everyone (adults) know of it (drinking)but we could'nt get any of them to stand behind us. I told them I did'nt think they thought so little of their son's welfare. You would'nt leave your child with a drunk sitter. Our popularity is hanging on by a thread but I don't care my son is more precious to me than anything. We heard of another troop that may have to close up shop because of many reasons and they are looking for volunteers, etc. If this does'nt work out we will be heading to the other troop. Thanks to everyone.

Little Dove & Big Bear

I belong to a troop with a Scoutmaster who comes to the Troop meetings smelling very strongly of alcohol. The boys all notice it. The Scoutmaster forgets what ever is told him. He forgets to do the things he should do. He has awards and patches from Jan.2000 he still has not awarded to the boys, because he says the paperwork is time consuming and complicated. My son has been in this troop almost 2 yrs and he just got his 1st merit badges this past summer camp. The Scoutmaster is a merit badge counsler. He drinks at camp outs, not in front of the boys but he makes excuses to leave for awhile and comes back smelling 90 proof. He comes to committee meetings that way too.I joined the committee to try and get things changed but his wife is the committe chairperson. My husband became Assistant Scoutmaster, took training, passed Wood Badge to try and get things changed. The question is what do you do. The last woman that went to the higher ups was outsed fromthe committee. She went to the Council, Charter Rep., the Charter. They took the side of the Scoutmaster. The Charter said they would pull out if the Scoutmaster was let go (their friends). What to do? We really don't want to go to another troop because it would be a bit of a drive. When he's not drinking he is a rather likeable guy.