Lynda J

Our troop policy is if you want to go camping with the troop you have to be registered and take YPT.

We are going out of Council to camp this year. About a 4 hr drive. Friday night is Family Night. Two parents want to come. They plan on bringing their own tent and will spend Friday night. Both are registered and both YPT trained.

It is simply to risky any more to let an adult that isn't registered to go on overnights.

We are lucky. All but one of our boys parents are registered. And there is no way on earth his parents would pass even the lowest background check. Mom has been in and out of jail ever since he has been in scouts (5 years). Just had a meth fire at her house. He was on a weekend outing with the troop.

One thing our SM makes very clear when Webs move up into the troop. Parents are welcome to come camping. But it is up to the boys to do the work. Parents can watch but boys do the work.

Had one dad that got really upset because SM told him 3 times he was not to set his sons tent up for him. Dad wouldn't listen. THey came to one camping trip and two meetings. He simply would not allow his son to do things. The first meeting we worked on knots. Dad tied every know for the kid. Talked to the DL and that was how he had done in Webs. Dad did everything for the kid.

It is sad but our troop stresses that they have to do the requirements. It is the only way they will learn.

I can understand a spouse losting their benifits upon remarring But not the child Even with Social Security benifits if the spouse remarries they lost their own benifits. But the children aren't penalized. Same with military. Spouse lose theirs upon remarring. Kids is still the child of the person who died. Now if they are legally adopted by the new spouse. Then they should lost the benifits. But the child that lost a parent should not be penalized twice.

So the childs benifits are taken away. Parent and new spouse divorce. Kids does not get child support from steparent. So now kid has lost all benifits.

The way Gulf was set up. If she did not remarry, her son got income, full medical, and college funds if she did not remarry. Little hard to take all that away from your child.

Our council does the same thing. If you make Quality Unit your rank patches are free.

Been doing this as long as I have been in the unit.

I know of one very good example of not getting married. Had a guy worked for me for a short period of time. He left and went to work for Gulf.

a week before his son was born he was killed at the station he work at. When the baby was born his wife was told that she and her son would receive benifits from Gulf for as long as she did not remarry. If she remarried both lost benifits.

She was 26 years old. She has been living with a very nice guy for about 15 years now. They won't marry until her son turns 21. At which time his survivor benifits from his father stop. At that point they plan on getting married. Do I think it is right that they aren't married. Yes. Do I think that the way Gulf has things set up is right.

NO. Why should her remarring cause her son to lose the death benifits from his father.

I don't know why this couple has never married. But they are one of the most stable couples I know in their relationship with each other and their kids. And their kids are some of the most respectful kids I know. To other adults and to their parents. They were together a couple of years before they had kids. Whether their kids know they aren't married. I don't know it isn't something that is discussed. What is discussed it what they expect from their kids. Both kids are A/B honor students in their schools. Both are very active in community projects.

Most times each patrol cooks their own food. This included the adult patrol. But this year it has been tough. We have been under a burn ban almost since November. So most cooking has had to be done on coleman stoves. So most of the time we have split the adults and had them eat with patrols.

I think it depends on the situtation. I know of a couple in another unit that have been together 15 years. Have 2 kids but have never married. No one really knows they aren't married. I only found out by accident. I see nothing wrong with them sleeping in the same tent. Just like our SM and his wife sleep in the same tent.

I do see a problem if the parent bring casuel boyfriend or girlfirend on a camping trip and sleep together. Then next time wants to bring someone else. That is a NO NO for me.

This is one of the reasone we have a troop policy that if you go camping with us you get trained and are registered.

(This message has been edited by Lynda J)

Looks to me like this Scout Master and CO are opening themselves up to a major lawsuit.

I forgot. One way to identify poision snakes is to look at its head. Rattlers, Copperheads, and Moccasins all have heads that will look much like an arrowhead. Very triangular with almost pouches

just behind the eyes. The only other poisionous snake in the USA with out this is the Coral that they don't go that far north.

I have a plastic tub that the boys refer to as the book box. It if full of Field Books of all sorts, story books, Song books. I hit the Half/priced book stores and pick them up. They go everywhere with us. They are all in a container and the boys have access to them. There isn't a camping trip we have been on that they didn't get them out.

The only time I heard of a blank badge was when I was working with Girl Scouts. They had one that was named "My Badge".

It shocked me when Composite Material was announced. With all the great badge ideas out there

one on making plywood and such The word I got was that some big plywood company covered all the cost of getting the badge off the ground.

When my boys started Webs, I went down and bought a Boy Scout Handbook. THis way I could plan my program around what they needed to know when they moved into the troop. I focused on Tenderfoot requirements. I also would sit down with the boys and they would look thought the book. This also gave them an idea of what would be expected of them and what they could look forward to.

I grew up in North Arkansas and my dad and I canoed most of those rivers. I worked with Girl Scouts in the Ouachita River area. I don't know of any of those rivers I would attempt to canoe or float after major rain.

Snacking can depend on when you are meeting.

If a den is meeting right after school many times the boys are hungry. THey need a good snack. I would do fruit, but never cookies, cupcakes and the such. If they are meeting after 6:00 NO SNACK

since they will probably be going home to eat dinner.

Our troop does not snack except for COH.

There is enough to get done in the limited time we have for troop meeting without having to deal with food.

I do not agree with all BSA policies. But when I registered as an adult I agree to follow those policies. I will do that. Hopefully at some time in the future some of the policies I do not agree with will change. Much like blacks sitting in the back of the bus and having different water fountains has changed.

I still think this is one of the best programs to teach boys leadership skills.

One of the saddest thing I saw in Scouting was last year when the Webs didn't cross over until mid May. The boys that crossed over never got the chance to be part of the troop before it was time to go to summer camp. Two boy had real problems, they felt like outsiders. The year before the Webs crossed over late Jan. By summer camp they had already camped with the troop 4 times and felt they were truly a part of the troop, had their patrol set up and knew what was expected out of them.

But it also depends on how well the Web leaders have prepared them to move up to Boy Scouts.

I LOVE training. Take everyone I can. Have done Essentials three times. AND LEARNED SOMETHING NEW EVERY TIME. I love staffing,

My wonderfully wise Gran use to say.

" The day you don't learn something is the day you die". I plan on just keep learning.

It is funny that you state if you found a lesson play on swimming your son could do better as a swimmer. Why not simply let your son have a good time.

As far as repeatedly teaching a program.

I have been in some form of Scouting for close to 55 years. My mother had a GS troop before I was old enough to be in. She graduated her last troop two months after she turned 70. At no time did she expect the program to give to her. It was always what she gave to the program. I had my first GS troop at 22, (my daughter was 1 at the time) directed my first GS day camp at 25, At 50 I ended up with a 4 year old foster son. When he went into 1st grade I put him in Tigers. He is now Life, working on his Eagle. Now at 59 I love working with these boys. Yes I want them to advance but I also want it to be fun.

I had one father that seems like you. He has a list of what his son is going achieve next. It's a time table. When we moved up into the Troop he couldn't handle that he couldn't control everything his son was doing. He quit comeing to meetings. His son came out of his shell and is a wonderful Scout.

Let your son be a kid. And that isn't about how many soccer games he plays and wins or how many time he does this or that. It isn't about being the best at everything he does. It is about doing the best he can do. That may not be prefection. Sometimes it's about laying in the grass and watching it grow.

This program isn't a race. It is a journey. A journey that is full of fun and learning and teaching skills. I repeat many of the things I do with my boys. I don't remember teaching my kids to talk the first time. Seems like I spent a couple of years getting them to talk well enough to understand them. My own kids are now 38 & 34.

We had a boy lose his book. We went back to our Advancement records. You know the ones you turn in to the Council Office. We looked up when he did his verious BOR. It had badges he had earned.

Everything. If it shows when he received a Rank then it is pretty certain that the Rank Requirements will have been completed prior to the BOR. We went back and went over each Rank with him. Ask him questions regarding each requirement.

And signed off in his book. Then put a letter with his Advancement records.

WHat do you all think has been happening to all the Boy Scouts in the storm areas who lost all their records. You simply have to work it out.

I don't know where the idea that his leadership skills would not begin being taught until he was 14.

Kevin will be 13 Sunday. So far he has been Patrol Leader twice. Is OA Troop Rep. Den Chief for a Web II Den. He has Jr. Staffer a Adult Leader Outdoor training. Has been ask back and was ask Thursday night if he would be interested in helping train Den Chiefs. He is working on his Eagle and in only two badges short of having all his required badges. So how do you figure his leadership skills have not been being taught.

If you SON is having in Scouting. And you are not bad mouthing the program to him. I would suggest that you step down and let him be a Scout and you back away. I have worked in some way with either Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts for close to 40 years. And 90% of the time when I hear these types of comments from a parent it is because the parent wants more from the program that the boys want.

So if you want to teach your some responsibility how about also teaching him to do his best. Or is it easier to teach him to quit when things aren't going the way he wants then to go.

I started teaching leadership skills to my boys when they were in Wolves. By the time they were Web II they were pretty much acting as a troop patrol. When we moved into the Troop they stepped in and took responsibilities within the troop.

Like I said. Leadership skills don't magically begin being taught at 14. They start at 7-8

Because BSA does not condone the act of pointing any type of gun at another person and firing. Doesn't matter it is in sport or fun. Simply that they do not approve of physically pointing a gun at another person.

I push Kevin to a certain extent. Do I force him to do things. NO. He earned Life in December. Got his Eagle Packet, talked to the SM about what he wanted to do for his project. He has talked about getting started on his project the other day. I reminded him that until he has approval from the group he is working with and approval from the District Advancement committee he can't do anything. Well this weekend he was sick. Spent all day Sat. in bed. When I got up Sunday morning I heard something, I went in the check on him. He was sitting at his desk working on the paper work on Eagle. He now has it written up and wants to call about presenting his idea to the group he had talked to this Saturday. I will there to take him out there.

I think we need to push our kids a little. But they also need to be enjoying what they are doing.

It looks like Kevin will finish his Eagle by Sept.or Oct. He will be 13 by then. I would prefer he had waited until about 14-15. But he wants it now. He wants to earn as many Palms as he can. Then be an AJSM. He will make a good one.

This is something I found in my mothers writtings after she passed away in 93. I haven't ever been able to trace it anyone so my guess is that she wrote it.

The Parting HOur"

There's something in the Parting Hour

Will chill the warmest heart

Yet kindred, conrads, lovers, friends

Are destined all to part.

But this I've seen, and many a pang

Has pressed it to my mind...

The one who goes is happier

Than those he leaves behind.

God wills it so, and so it is

The pilgrims on their way

Though weak and worn, more cheerful

Than all the rest who stay.

And when you part, as part you will,

O, take it not unkind,

If he who goes is happier

Than you he leaves behind.

I don't know all the details. But let me relate what happened with one of my boys in Cubs.

Dad was an Eagle Scout. Son like Cubs but by Webs was wanting to quit. Dad was always there always pushing, always talking about all the stuff he had done when he was a Scout. When I talked to the boy about his wanting to quit I ask him why.

His comment was "I can't compete with all the stuff my dad did and I don't want to dissapoint him."

So make sure that your enthusiasm for having been a Scout isn't making your son feel like he has to compete with the kind of Scout your were.

By the way. Dad backed off a lot with all the stories about what he did as a Scout, stopped pushing alot and the boy is still in Scouting. Working on Star(This message has been edited by Lynda J)

nldscout. The CO Owns the charter for the units. THis means that they own the units. About 3 years ago there was a unit in our Council that lost everything. THeir CO filed bankruptcy and all assets were siezed by the bank. This included troop equiptment that was stored at the facility.

They took the bank account also. The bank account is probably listed with the CO's name first and then the troops.

My Car, My music. The reason for this is that I don't want loud banging music when I am driving.

I am a big Jazz freek. Like country. But for the most part my CDs and radio are on Jazz.

Boys fusses at first but now know who is in charge inside the car. ME.