Lynda J

Welcome to the family. Hope this group gives you great information on being a great COR.

Hay Fred. How is the heat in your area. Our in Ft. WOrth it HOT. It was cooler at camp than it is in town. THink I will go back to camp.

PLC is formed from

SPL

ASPL

PL

APL

SM (only as advisor)

PLC meets and takes ideas from the PL, APS, and SM. The PLC them makes the decission as to which ideas they want to go forward with. They must make a plan as to what is required to put these ideas into action. How to fund them. What will be needed as far as transportation or materials.

They then go back to their patrols and give the patrols the plan. The PL them decides with his patrol who will take charge of the different parts of the plan.

The SM is there to make sure the plan is safe and does not violate any BSA policies. He is an advisor. If he is lucky his boys will trust him enough to make him a major part of the planning. But remember BSA stands for Boy Scouts of America

Not Adult Scouts of America.

I am of the opinion that in many cases kids do need a second chance. Do we hold something against them for the rest of their lives.

I don't think so. Has this boy been in any trouble since the first incident?

One of my very best friends got in trouble about 15 years ago. Spent some time in jail. She got out, got counseling and turned her life around. She is one of the greatest people I know. She can't be a scoutleader because of her criminal history but I would trust her with my life or the life of my child in a heart beat.

Kids will sometimes do dumb things. But it doesn't mean they are bad kids.

If we are going to hold boys to a standard of

NEVER making a bad judgement call. Then we must hold ourselves to that same standard. We must never break a speading law. Never park in a handicap parking spot for 5 minutes to "just run in". Never taste the grapes to see if they are sweet before we buy them.

If this kid has worked hard and has been doing his best to live by the Scout Laws. Give him a chance.

The appeal is the route to go.

I am in a heavely LDS district. The one thing that has always bothered me it the "calling"

The being told by the Bishop that you will be a scout leader for 2 years. Many times these leaders don't even have boys in scouting. So there isn't that emotional connection with the boys, it is simply their next "job". IMHO the ideal situtation is when the leader starts with the boys early on and stays with them through out their scouting life. I was blessed in that my parents started my GS troop in 2nd grade with 17 girls. Those same 17 girls graduated from high school together with my parents still as their leaders. Mother graduated her last troop of girls from high school at age 70. But there was always that emotional committement.

Currently our District Advancement is LDS. He has no kids and knows he will serve in this position for 2 years. He is a nice guy but isn't doing a great job. For one he doesn't really understand the program. And there isn't that connection with scouting that makes it a part of your heart and soul. This is just another assigned job.

Just as his patrol elected him they can also remove him from office. It shouldn't be the adults.

I do have one problem. Our PLC are set on the calendar that each boys gets. So not only does the PL know when the PLC meeting is but every other boys in the troop. We expect the APL be there along with the PL, SPL, ASPL, Scrib, OA rep.

If the boys are that unhappy with this PL then they need to handle it. NOT THE LEADERS.

Last year we had a SPL that did nothing. WHen it came time for OA elections, he was not elected. He was hurt and came to me to find out why. I suggested that he look at the type of leadership he had shown an SPL. And did he think that it was the quality leadership that the boys deserved. He agreed that he hadn't done a good job. At the next meeting he appoligized to the troop. I suspect he will run for SPL at the next elections and he may be elected. We will wait and see.

Yes the SM is responsible. If I am taking kids cold weather camping, and believe me I have. I make sure they are packed properly. THis includes warm clothing, how to dress in layers. How to take a 45 degree sleeping bag and turn it into a 0 degree bag. There is no reason for kids camping at camporee to get frostbite. No not all this comes in training. You can't teach common sense. And if this leader had boys get frostbite it is a lack of common sense on that leaders part. I camped with my GS troop once in 6" of ice. It dropped to 11 degrees. We were iced in and spend 4 extra days camping. Guess what no one girl suffered any problems. They all had proper clothing and gear. And guess what, it was in North Texas. So not an area that normally drops that cold. Or has that much ice.

Training teaches you policies, and rules. Common sense you have to furnish on your own.

When boy cross over into our troop one of the first things they get is a Camping Merit Badge Blue Card. They are going to be camping with the troop so it might as well count. THere are 3 adults in the troop that counsel Camping.

As far as taking the SM's work at camp. I think that happens a lot more that we as leaders would like.

On #9b. Our new scouts to a first year camper program. During that program they do an overnight as their group. They hike to an area that is about 3 miles from the actual camp and spend the night under the stars. They don't take tents. Just bedrolls,flashlight, water bottle, and their personal first aid kit. Our boys had a ball this year. Seems a racoon came into their camp for a visit. One boy had taken fruit role ups. He lost them to Rickie Racoon.

It isn't the boys. It's the adults. Many younger adults have gotten lazy. Sorry to say that. I am 58 soon to be 59. I camp as often as my boys want to camp. We hike and do lots of outdoor things.

I grew up doing this. I don't hear from boys that they don't want to camp. I hear from adults that it is "to much work". I hear from boys in other troops that they are tired of not camping. They want to but the leaders don't want to. If you don't want to camp then why in the heck are you in scouting. Like someone said "75% of scouting is outing". Give me the out of doors any time.

I hear the same thing from Girl Scouts. Leaders that don't want to camp and then wonder why girls are joining Venturing programs. The GS troop I grew up in camped every month. It didn't matter how cold or hot it was. Once a month my parents took the time to take us camping. We loaded the truck on Thrusday night. Left for camp on Friday as soon as school was out. Camp back just before dark on Sunday. We were lucky in that my dad had a boss that thought working with kids was just as important as making bank loans. IT was great.

It wasn't at our camp either. I have two boys that have two cups every morning. If they don't they are so wired you can't deal with them.

And I agree with the soda machines. I know that Councils make money off them. But sure would be nice if they limited the number of sodas they could buy.

I know that you can have your BSA uniform made. But when I was working with Girl Scouts we could buy a uniform kit. It included a pattern, fabric, buttons, and all necessary patches that came on the uniform. It took me about three hours to make my uniform. And it fit to a tee. BSA does not offer that. I would love to make my and Kevin's uniform.

Our PLC made the decission two years ago that the only thing that could come to camp that required a battery was aflashlight. It was their decission.

Prompted by summer camp where another troop brought radios, and such. Stayed up late and made so much noise that our SPL finally went to the camp director and complained.

We just got back from camp. To my knowledge no one brought portable devices. They probably wouldn't have had time to use them anyway. They had a ball. between the blob, swimming, badge work, bike riding and hiking. I always take a large box with all kinds of nature books. The boys spent lots of time looking at them. Even the boys from another troop that we shared our camp with were at our pravillion looking at the books.

Sorry if you don't plan a good OUTDOOR program then there is time for game boys and such. If you have a good OUTDOOR program they don't need them/

I agree with ED. If you can't spend a week without your gameboy or game cube you have more problems than you realize.

The boys I have trouble with regarding camo are the boys whose parents are either currently military or have been in the military. Have one dad that I don't think he has anything to wear but camo. We have had a problem with him. He will almost always send his son to any scout event in his scout shirt and a pair of camo pants and camo socks. It finally took the boys getting mad because they got marked off on uniform inspection several times because of it to get him to wear his uniform. It was kinda funny. We were going on a camporee and one of the boys looked him straight in the face and old him point blank "if you show up in your camo shorts I don't want you to go. If you aren't there we won't get counted off. If you wear your camo we will." It was the last time he wore them to a scout event.

I have heard this "you can't get it signed off until all the other boys have completed it" so many times before it makes me see red.

Heard it more when I was working in Cubs.

Each boy should be working at his own pace. I an the ASM over the new patrols for our troop. This year we ended up with 4 newboys. I worked with them on their skills and when a boy was able to sucessfully complet a skill I signed off his book. Didn't matter if anyone else in the group had completed it or not. I will always be available for any boy in our troop that wants to be tested on skills.

We have a boy in our troop like this. I honestly think he a very high functioning autistic. He has no social skills. None of the other boys want to tent with him. He also falls, wanders off from camp and gets lost. Last campout he was the patrol cook. He fixed his french toast and walked away and ate. The other boys were so mad. They refuse to put him on the duty roster again for cook and the sad thing is that his mother doesn't see any of it. He is smart but can't do half of what the other kids do. One of the other boys is autistic and is in treatment and on medication. He manages very well. As long as he takes his meds. Of the meds it is like looking at two peas in a pod.

This year he was eligable to do high adventure but since they were going to be living on ponton boats we were all scared about the safety. He in a 3 years scout and still hasn't completed Tenderfoot (and it isn't because we haven't tried) and the policy in out troop is that to do high adventure you have to be 1st Class or above.

This year at school one of the teacher ask her if they had ever had him tested. She blew a gasket.

Is taking him our of our school district and putting him in another. Said the teachers are all against him. It is sad.

One thing I have done for years is camperships in a persons name. I do one each year in NoArk Girl Scout Council in my parents name. But this year Idid one in our council. Our district advancement chair passed away suddenly. The family didn't want flowers. I gave a campership in his name.

His wife was very pleased. Scouting was his life.

I have 5 boys who have done Space Exploration at Merit Badge College. In all cases the counselor is the one that set the objective requirement.

Be aware that when you move to Boy Scouts the boys MUST have a merit badge counselor in order to work on badges.

Had a mother came into our meeting Monday night and handed the SM a stack of papers where her son had "earned merit badges" he has been in about 2 months and had three badges. Well guess what. He had never ask for or received a Blue Card.

She said she didn't know he had to have one before starting a badge. The SM reminded her of her parents packet she had received when her son crossed over. In it is lays out exactly what is needed to work on badges. And to be honest knowing this mom I have doubts that her son did much of the work himself. I had already told the SM about her and like he said. "In this troop the parents DO NOT DO THE WORK".

I had never known where mother got this but knew that it was important enough for her to frame it and hang it by the door. It is wonderful to know where it came from and reading the entire story makes it even more powerful.

Had a boy in our Web den that had a mouth on him like a sewer. After we moved up into the troop even with many talks about language it didn't help

At a Camporee he told one of the other leaders to F off. That was the last straw. It had gotten to the point that other parents told us that if he was going on any activity that their son would not be going. Hardest thing I ever had to do was remove this boy from the troop. But a very wise Scouter (65 years as a registered adult scout) ask me this. "How much better program would you be able to give the other 18 boys if you weren't having to spend so much time dealing with problems with this one boy?" I had to admit a lot. At a point the good of the many outweighs the one.

I am a firm believer that foul language is the sign of a lazy mind.

My mother had this framed and hanging on her wall for years. My copy was destroyed during the 2000 tornado that Ft. Worth had.

A customer that also works with kids just brought me a copy and I wanted to share it with you.

A HUNDRED YEARS FROM NOW

.....IT WILL NOT MATTER WHAT MY BANK ACCOUNT WAS

.....THE SORT OF HOUSE I LIVED IN

.....OR THE KIND OF CAR I DROVE

BUT THE WORLD MAY BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE I WAS IMPORTANT IN THE LIFE OF EVEN JUST ONE CHILD.

When I was a Web 1 leader had a boy transfer into our den from a den in Kansas. We were going on a camping trip with the troop. Themother was really uneasy about her son going. She point blank ask me it we drank on camping trips. I told her under so condition did any adult going camping with drink while we were responsible for kids. She told me that the pack she had been in made the boys go to their tents at 9:00 and lights out was at 10:00 and at 10 the ice chest with the beer came out. Believe me I like a good drink once in a while myself. But if I ever caught an adult drinking at a camping trip or on BSA property I would contact the camp ranger, and the council. At depending on the conditions might even call the police on the adults. Have no patients with adults taking chances like that when they are responsible for kids. Can you imagine calling a parent to tell them their child was injured and your were to drunk to drive them to the hospital.

NOT THIS OLD BROAD.

I agree that we are all insane. Have to be to survive in this crazy world.

I am registered as ASM for the troop. I am also on the District Advancement Committee, a Unit Commissioner, and a Merit Badge Counselor. For each and everyone of these positions I have to fill out a new registration form. Not real sure why, it can be a hassel at times and would probable same trees if they would cut these forms down to one. But for now that is the policy in our council and I will abide by it.

We have a policy on items that can not be brought to camp.

If it requires a batters it better be a flashlight.

No cell phones, electronic games,

I know some people say boys should be able to bring phones in case of emergencies. Well guess what. 99% of the kids I see with cell phones are playing games on them.

The adults all have phones and if a parent needs to reach their son all they have to do is call one of us.

No food. There is a really good reason for this.

Food in a tent attracts ants and other critters.

Sodas. Sodas do not replace lost moisture from the body. They are full of sugar and will in some cases actually make you dehydrate faster. We take lots of bottled water and Gaterade.

Knives must be approved by the SM before camp.

Open toed shoes. No need to invite stubbed toes.

Playing cards can be brought as can small board games.

On one camping trip one of the boys came up to me after we had set up and handed me a cell phone. He put it in him backpack he had forgotten he couldn't bring it and he didn't want to get in trouble. I put it in my car and locked it up.

Thumper. We call the coal fence a Cajun Microwave. My boys love doing it. I have full instruction on making one if anyone wants it. Easy to make and easy to store in your camp trailer.

They did a rosted chicken stuffed with spiced peaches at one camp trip. Took 5 house and boy was it good.

They also did stuffing in the bottom of the fence and let the drippings drop into it.

I remember camping as a GS and my Dad would slow cook things in a pit lined with hay or straw. I don't remember exactly but will look in some of the camp books I still have that were my parents. I know he did baked beans in it.