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Lynda J

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Posts posted by Lynda J

  1. I don't like open ended permission slips. Know of a troop that got themselves in trouble with one once. Mom and dad were going to be out of town the weekend of a camping trip. Kid was told he could not go and was to stay with an aunt.

    Kid showed up for the trip with his gear. Didn't tell aunt where he was going. When he didn't come home after school that Friday she called parents. They got in touch with SM.

    Kid was in trouble but they were also upset with SM because they hadn't signed a permission slip for him to go.

     

    We give the boys permission slips the meeting day before the trip. Then we also have blank copies that can be signed when they are dropped off.

     

     

  2. When our troop takes part in an event that gives out a temporary patch, it that patch does not come with a buttom loop on it I take the patches home and sew a loop on them. THis way they can be hung over the button on the right pocket and changed as the boys want. I made Kevin a hanger to store his temp patches on. I sewed buttons on a strip of ribbon. He hangs the patches he isn't wearing on that. They don't get lost or damaged and it is easy to store them.

  3. Sorry there is no such thing as a "perfect or ideal" troop.

    You can have the best troop you can have with the boys you have. But remember that this is the BOYS troop. But it will change from year to year with who is in your troop leadership positions. One of our best trainers always starts his SM training with a question. "What does the lable above the pocket on the uniform say? BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA. He then reminds the class that it does not say ADULT SCOUTS OF AMERICA." Boys are going to make mistakes and we should let them. My dad was very wise and he always said that kids learn more from their failures than they do from their successes. When a boy fails at something if he has the right adult support he can take that failure and learn what went wrong and how to correct it.

    So trying to plan an ideal troop is IMHO setting yourself up for failure. Helping your boys plan the best troop they can have it giving them the chance to learn how to become leaders.

  4. I have been an ASM for 4 years now. When we moved up I ask the SM. "What to you need me to do?" We worked out what he needed help with. Now it is simply we both take care of things. Do I always agree with him. No. We work those issues out. We do agree on one thing and that we are both in this for what is best for the boys. He is a great SM. The boys love and respect him.

    We work well together. He is happy to have someone that can take over leadership when he has to be working. I enjoy doing it.

  5. I hate the idea of being selective. Like some kids aren't good enough.

    I have one young man in my troop that I guess a troop that wanted to be selective wouldn't want.

     

    In third grade he was in Kevin's class. Their teacher came to me and ask if there was any way I could get him in Scouts because he needed something positive in his life. Took me over a month to run him mother down to sign the forms. She is a drug addict. Grandparents are too. Father is in prison for 25 yrs. One night in 5th grade he rang my door bell at midnight. Seems their electricity had been turned off and he didn't know where anyone was. He had been sitting there ever since he got home from school with no lights and alone. They have never had a phone. Our community is small and I know most of the officers with the PD. I called them and told them where he was. CPS has been called several times. But they don't consider him "at risk" So I will do what ever it takes to keep him is Scouting. Because of any boy in our troop he is the one that needs it the most. So if one of the membership requirements to join our troop was a parent be active he wouldn't qualify and to be honest I don't want his mother anywhere around. And I agree. I doubt that BSA has a policy of selective membership.

    I have found with some troops that when a boy comes a couple of times and doesn't return the troop program simply isn't for him. Sometimes they are to structured and sometimes not structured enough. I have also discovered over the years that many times it isn't the boy but the parents. Troops give boys so much more freedom especially in the planning and there are parents that aren't ready to let their boys grow up.(This message has been edited by Lynda J)

  6. I directed our districts day camp 4 years. This is something that drove me crazy. The second year two weeks before camp we had 138 boys registered. By the first day of camp we were at 179.. I had to order more supplies for crafts.

     

    And regretfully Council doesn't seem to care.

  7. There are 16 year old twins that recently pulled a 6 year old out of the Trinity River. He had fallen off a rock bridge and his mother couldn't swim. THey were working on their cycling merit badge on the trail that runs next to the river. By the time they got him out the paramedics were there. THey checked him out ask the Scouts some questions, got their names and their parents names. At that point the boys got back on their bikes and completed their trek. They are being recommended for the Natinal Life Saving Award by our Council.

  8. I found this while looking for ideas for a vesper service and thought everyone would enjoy it.

     

     

    THE VOLUNTEER

    by Julie Clary

     

    Qualifications:

     

    Must be able to spend countless hours in training

    ....without pay

    Must be able to make split-second decissions

    ....when ever help is needed

    Must be sensitive to needs of others

    ....warmth and caring are daily requirements

    Must be able to cry and laugh at the same time

    Must be proficient in giving and getting compliments

    Must be willing to lend a hand

    ....whenever and wherever

    Must be able to functin with little sleep

    ....for days on end

    Must accept love and caring

    ....as payment in full

    If you can give your time and dedication

    Your heart and your hadns and more

    ....and more

    ....and more

    Apply imperson at Camp Friendship. EOE

     

    (Must pass Hug screening)

     

     

    I lovet This

  9. My dad worked for a furniture store and he brought home stove, dryer, and refig boxes. You can do a lot with those boxes. We also had a farm and hay forts are the greatest. I can remember mother standing us in the back yard and hosing us off with the hose before she would even consider letting us in her bathtub. I can remember getting up at daylight and getting on my horse and leaving with the dog and a sack lunch. I would get back at dark. One summer dad complained about having to put shoes on the horse every month. But we sure did have a lot of fun. Now there is no way I would let a kid ride out on a horse alone.

     

    But I agree KIDS NEED THE OUT OF DOORS.

  10. No one will ever fill his shoes but you can step next to them and continue the journey.

     

    I lost my dad several years ago he was involved in everything I did. THen 10 years later lost mother. She was involved in Girl Scouts. In fact graduated her last troop from high school just after she turned 70. I know I can never fill their shoes but hopefully I will do them proud by staying on the same road.

  11. "my youngest, who is a second class scout decided to volunteer five weeks of his summer vacation to be a CIT at Camp Onteora."

     

    I just went back and reread this post. And I have a couple of questions about the above statement.

     

    Our Council requires all CIT's to be a minimum of 14 and 1st Class. Junior staff must be 15 and Life or higher and Junior Leadership Training. Every scout camp I have dealt with for the past 35+ years has had basically the same requirements. So I am wondering how a boy who has been in scouts "since he was little is still only 2nd Class. I also know that boys can't to long term summer camp until they have crossed over into a troop. So I have guess that your council has different rules for CIT.

     

     

     

  12. Kevin will be doing Staff Training at camp this coming summer. He will be there 6 weeks. I plan on going up when I take him, once during and when I pick him up. And believe me I won't expect the camp staff to operate the last day of camp on MY schedule. I also will sign in when I get there and sign in when I leave. I will also be more than willing to help where I can when I go to visit. And show my training cards. One other thing. I also accept the fact that when a Scout goes and acts as Staff. They have responsibilites to the campers. If Kevin has to do things the last day of camp as part of checking the campers out that is part of the job he signed up for. And he will complete those responsibilities.

  13. You have to remember why you are there, It is for FUN. We don't try to control their every move. Main rule Buddy system and check in before you go off roaming. And in tents and quite before 11. That's about it.

     

    OUr boys have had a ball at the last three summer camps. Those are the ones I know about since I have gone with them.

     

  14. I may be putting my foot in it but I have a few questions.

     

    1) when you called about the time you wanted to pick your son up did you call your son or the camp director? If you called your son I have a problem with that. I have directed our day camp 4 years. Any parent that wanted to pick their child up at a time other than the normal dismissal time had to go through me, not their child.

     

    2) I have 400 boys in camp and I am suppose to drop everything and make sure one boy gets to the admin area at a certain time. It might be nice if that COULD have happened but I am dealing with 400 other boys.

     

    As far as not having gotten the acknowlegdment for your sons time served. You picked him up on the 28th and it is now the 31st and you haven't gotten the information. Think about it for a second. You are talking about records kept on 3200 boys over the span of the summer.

    Two of the boys that went to camp with us they messed up their badge data. They said they would correct it and mail it to us. We went to camp June 18-24. I got it last week. And felt lucky it didn't take longer.

     

    I would never have tried to drive to camp and think I was picking up my son at 8:15 and set an appointment to be somewhere else in less than 2 hours. Any time I have picked one of my kids up from camp it always takes at least 2 hrs. Sorry scout camp simply doesn't run on a rigid schedule.

     

     

  15. Yes troop and crew members can be ask to leave.

    OUr troop had to do it. When the person is causing more trouble than it is fair for the other members to have to deal with. If the member is placing others scouts in danger either physically or morally.

     

    I am a big one for giving second chances to kids. But sorry these aren't kids. These girls are adults.

    I think you probably need to think twice abouthtem. I also would be interested in what happen to the ASM that the girl spent the night in his tent. You better believe he would never go on another camping trip my by group.

     

  16. Our troop went to Slippery Falls Scout Ranch in Tishomingo Ok, this summer. Iwill have to say that the food was good for camp food. One thing that really impressed me was they had a great salad bar at lunch and dinner. Ham, black olives, the works. The only day I didn't eat what they served was the meatloaf day and sorry I don't eat meatloaf.

  17. As long as you have people in an open discussion that have different opinions about things there are going to be times when any discussion can get heated. I know I for one sure wouldn't want to live in a society where everyone agreed about everything. Sure would get boring.

    I agree though when things get mean natured it isn't good. Especially since there may very well be times when there are young Scouts looking in.

    So we sure do need to make sure anything we "say" is something we would say in front of our scouts.

  18. When Kevin was in Cubs we went family camping every winter. Normally the first weekend of Nov.

    One outing it got down to 22. But everyone had the proper clothing.

    Sock liners can be purchased an any military surplus store for about $2.00. I then put on wool socks. My winter boots are 1/2 size larger than my summer boots. This gives me extra room for extra socks. If I can keep my feet, hands and head warm the rest of me will make do. I also keep those little hand warmer packets in my car at all times when my boys are out in the winter. I buy them by the case.

    Years ago when I had two GS troops one was highschool age. THey wanted to camp every year the week between Christmas and New YEars. One year it sleeted us in. 6" of ice came down in about a 2hr period. We were at one of the primative camp sites. And this was long before cell phones. I managed to get out on my CB and they got work to parents. We had to spend an extra 4 days. One important thing about winter camping it the food you cook. High protein. Heavier foods that give more energy. We were lucky on that trip because we always take more food than we really need. The girls had a ball but that was because they had the proper equipment.

  19. Our troop only requires belt up. Partly because of the cost of the pants but also because the boys don't like them. They are great for meetings, flag ceremonies, banquets and the such but when they let a designer design the pants several they became a LOOK and simply aren't practical. Can't put anything much in the "cargo pockets". I can manage to put my knife in the pocket but then when I sit down it pokes me in the bend of my hip. They simply need to come out with a pant that is actually outdoor friendly.

    Kevin has full uniform. I have an agreement with one of our resale shops that anytime she gets BSA uniforms in she calls me. His last pair of pants cost me $3.00 and looked like they had never been worn. I just picked up two pair of Cub pants for $2.50 each one pair hasn't even had the hem turned up.

  20. I may be a hard nose but unless a scout contacts me before he starts working on the badge I won't sign off. I won't sign off on a badge that is complete when he calls me. This does not mean that I don't accept things he has done before he started the badge. But I want to go over the book with him. I give him a worksheet and come sites for which ever badge it is. I counsel all the nature related badges plus Auto Mechanics, Home Repair and Painting. But we need to sit down and talk before everything is done and I need to approve what was done before.

  21. I just discussed this issue with Kevin and his opinion from a Life, almost Eagle, Scouts point of view is that both boys should have to appear before the PLC. That both should be diciplined but to different degrees. With the Scout who pulled the knife having a much harder punishment.

     

    This is from the point of view of a 13 year old.

     

    We use student courts in schools. Let the boys deal with this with the support and help of the adults.

     

    In my years of teaching I learned very fast that kids can be much harder of each other that the adults would have been on them.

  22. You said the other boy had been out of control all day and had been unruley and disrespectful to the other boy and adults. Is he ADHD? Could that explain his behaviour.

     

    By the way. I have lived with ADHD. Had a foster daughter for 2 years that was ADHD. My brother is also ADHD. So I do understand. As for not hearing anyone use the excuse of ADHD for bad behaviour.

    Had one mother tell me point blank that we couldn't correct her son because he was ADHD and simply didn't go by other peoples rules. He ended up nearly killing a kid with a bat because he got mad.

    It can be colored any way you want. This boy still pulled a weapon on another boy.

  23. I worked with ADD kids back in the early 70's.

    When it was just beginning to be studied. Had one mother would tell people, in front of her daughter. "YOu have to understand Becky has a problem with behaviour and you simply have to make allowances." One day I told her that Becky had two problems One names Barbara and one named Robert. I never had any problem with this child. Only time she was a behaviour problem was when her mother or dad were around. ADHD kids can be a real challange to work with. But to give them an out for bad behaviour as "Oh his ADHD is why he acts this way" simply isn't fair to the kid.

     

    I do agree that the other boy involved should be punished also. But the act of pulling a knife of another boy is really scarry. Just like pulling a gun on someone. They are both considered weapons.

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