Lynda J

Were the cars used at table displays on the tables where people were eating or were they displayed on a seperate tabel? Was the breakfast done with outside servers that cleared the tables? If they were used on the tables and there were outside servers it could be that in clearing up after the cars were tossed out with the trash. I certainly hope that is not the case. If could also be that in clearing tables that they were put in boxes. It would be hard for someone to simply walk out with 24 Pine Wood Derby cars without someone seeing.

The sad thing is even though we teach a Scout is Trustworthy. It isn't always the case. Our camp requires that all foot lockers taken to camp have locks on them and that is you are not in camp you keep your locker locked.

Had a boy at a camporee take Kevins camp stool that was one of his prizes for Popcorn. It had his name and troop # all over it.

When we found it the boys said he had found it on the trail. I ask him if he had found it and it had a name on it why didn't he simply give it the people at the lodge so it could be returned. He just looked at me.

I think on everything except YPT, Safety Afloat, Safe Swim it should be required that you retake the training every 5 years. I love training. Have done Essentials and Specific twice. Outdoor Skills three times. I have also staffed for Outdoor Skills and will be staffing again this fall. I learn something new from each and every training I take. Simply because you are being exposed to different people and trainers. Those people have different ways of doing things and different ideal.

We are lucky We have 19 boys and 15 are going to camp. Seven to High Adventure and 8 to camp. The 4 who aren't going, two are going to College for Kids, one is going to his fathers for the month of June, and one is in summer school because of grades.

What are some of the reasons that so many of your boys aren't going to camp? Most troops in our district have about 80% of their boys go to camp.

I agree with Seattle. InsaneScouter isn't a name that lends much confidence or trust. And if you are asking for donations then that is one thing you really need. People to feel that they are dealing with a group that is stable and can be trusted.

Several years ago I was talking with a customer who works with troubled kids. I commented that I had been lucky to have good kids. She laughed and said luck had nothing to do with is. That by setting a good example and being involved with them and making sure that the lines of communication were always open I had made sure I would have good kids. That may have been very true 15-18 years ago when my kids were younger. I sometimes wonder if that is as true now. And that scares me.

My dad use to say. "If you keep a kid busy enough with postive things they won't have time to get into trouble". I do think that is true now and will always be true.

I would be tempted to ask this father what other areas he is willing to set such a very low standard for his son and other boys in the troop.

I am sorry. If this guy was a parent in my troop he would not attend any scouting event, including troop meetings using that type of language.

Don't get me wrong. I can cuss with the best of them. Grew up around rodeos and horse shows. But around my boys I expect more of myself.

That type of language to me is a symptom of a lazy mind.

Kevin is PL right now. We have elections in August. I ask him if he wanted to run for SPL and he said no. Not yet. But he wants to be Historian. He thinks it would be fun to learn the 48 year history of our troop. Fine with me. This is his ballgame.

I will admit I do fudge on the uniform. I have a hard time expecting a single mother with 3-4 kids to go and spend $38.00 on a pair of pants her son will wear once a week. I would prefer to have him at the meeting in his shirt and a pair of clean jeans. Of course having a uniform isn't even a requirement to be a scout.

Our troop does elections every 6 months. If a boy is elected to a position a second time that is fine. He is elected by the troop. We do have a policy that they can not serve in the same position more than two terms in a row. This simply open it up to letting other boys have a chance.

I think that is boys start calling leaders on what the rules should be and expect the leaders to follow the rules it might set a higher standard for the leaders to follow.

One thing we need to remember is that it isn't always what they can do for us but also what we can do for them. We offer to do Flag Ceremonies for them. We help maintain the ground around our meeting place. We offer to help with fund raisers they have. As units we have to give back to them.

Kevin gets 12 hours of TV and vidio games a week. He can use that 12 hours any way he wants to. But it is seldom that I let him go over. Funny thing is that seldom does he ever use his full 12 hours.

We just do so much. We read, do board games, work in the yard. And on weekends there is so much to do.

I remember growing up my dad would fuss in the summer because he had to put shoes on my horse every month. I would get on him at day break and get back at dark. Dad would fuss but always said it was the best $15.00 a month he spent.

Suspending a scout is one of the hardest things a leader ever has to do. I know. I had to do it to a boys that came up in my Web group. But he left me little choice.

One old time scouter that I talked to about it ask me this.

"if you weren't having to spend so much time dealing with this ONE boy how much better a program could you give the 17 other boys in the troop?" I had to admit a lot. I spent at least half of each meeting or outing trying to deal with his aggression.

It saddened me and made me feel like a failure (we are supposed to save them all aren't we)to have to let him go, but our troop is running so much better and smoother.

I could sleep through the house falling down around me at home. But on camping trips I sleep so light that I know when any boy gets out of his tent and which direction he walks. Last camping trip we had a coyote come into camp about 2 a.m. Everyone was asleep. I eased open my tent and stepped out. The second it saw me it ran. But I heard it walk into camp.

I agree that it does not specify that the project can not total 6 hours or that you have to have more than one project. But that the SM does have to approve it. I think what a SM is trying to do is have the boys try different things. On that side Kevin worked in the school library after school. He did his 6 hours and stayed on for the rest of the year. But he can't use working at the library for any other service hours. He needs to do something else.

In our troop all registered adults are part of the Wise Ole Owls Patrol. This included the SM, all the ASMs, and any adult that is going on the camping trip. When our new boys move up their parents are invited to attend the first camping trip they go on as a BS. The SM makes it VERY clear that they will tent with the adult patrol. They will cook with the adult patrol. And that they will not be involved in activities of the boys patrols unless invited by the Patrol Leader.

It works. We are there if the boys need help or advice. We do sit around the campfire at night together. But the boys do everything as a patrol and the adults stay with theirs.

My Kevin ask if I was going to go next summer to High Adventure. I told him NO. Because I think it is important that he begins to grow outside the box where I am there. I will stay in base camp with the boys that can't go on the High Adventure trip.

My very wise Dad use to say

"A great leader is someone who leads from the shadows, that manages to get things done without blowing his own horn or anyone realizing he was doing it."

I have knows good leaders that were not good people and I have known Great people that were not good leaders.

I would have a big problem with a SM telling a boy that he could not do a certain merit badge at summer camp or at a merit badge workshop. It is the boys decission which badge to work on. Our camp offers Swimming, Emergency Preparedness. Environmental Science, Hiking, Lifesaving, First Aid as required badges. Then several of the nature based ones as non required. But to refuse to allow a boy to work on one of the required badges is simply wrong.

I love e-mail. I have a cousin in Washington State. We use to exchange Christmas and birthday cards. Little else. We now e-mail at least once a month. Sometimes more than that. It might be just one line but we know much more about each other now than we did before.

I have set on a BOR for an Eagle Scout that was 14.

Do I think a Scout should target 14 to complet Eagle. NO. Kevin wants to complet Eagle by 16. He said this gives him 2 years to earn Palms.

I personally think 16 is a great age to earn Eagle.The boy is then old enough to be a JASM. Be a role model for the younger boys.

I agree that age does not make a mature boy. I have some that are 12 that are more mature than the 16 year olds. But IMHO 16 is a perfect age to complete Eagle.

Had a young man who started with my Web 1 den that was a hand full. I have worked with kids all of my adult life (40 years) and this boy had more rage inside him than any other child I have ever dealt with.After we moved up into the troop it finally got so bad that I started making him sign a discipline reports. There would be two adults sit down with him and make him write down what had happened, then he would sign it and the adults would sign it. When he cussed and told another mother to go and F--- Off. We were at Camporee and the SM wasn't there. I am ASM and the other mother is the CC. We had problems with parents telling us their sons were not to be buddies with his boy. He made threats against other boys. Finally the SM, myself and the Committee and our COR got together and the decission was made that he could not stay in the troop. He was actually putting other boys in danger. I had already talked to his mother many times about anger management for him. Her comment was that they made them put him in it at school but after a month she couldn't tell any difference so she took him out. Sad thing is that the kid really isn't a bad kid, just abused and neglected. This year at school he was supsended and placed in an alternative school because he punched a teacher. As part of his school probation he was required to attend anger management classes and his mother was required to get counseling. Though Kevin doesn't see him any more because of the suspension I have heard that he is doing much better. ONe of his neighbours told me that she will now allow him to come to her house.

But years ago when I first started working with kids my parents (who spend their entire lives working with kids) told me to always put things in writting and have the kid sign it. If the kid won't sign it then call the parent and have a meeting with the child and the parent, then have the parent sign the disciplinary report.

So far it has always worked for me. Well except for this one kid.

Most of the time when the kid has to sign the report that is the end of the problems.(This message has been edited by Lynda J)

Kevin was tapped out at 11 and did his Ordeal on his 12th birthday. He thought it was one of the greatest birthday presents he could have gotten.

So far he has been on 2 service projects.

I don't think age has much to do with a scouts ability to fufill his OA committement. It has more to do with his desire and feeling of committment and responsibility.

Our lodge has been struggling with poor attendance with many of the older boys. There is a new batch of younger boys in and so far none of new, younger boys have missed a lodge meeting. So I honestly thing that many times the younger boys show more motivation and interest than the older ones.

Like the current shirt. But the pants leave some to be desired. Kevin has one pair of BSA shorts that have like cargo pockets of the side. He loves them. That is the only addition I would make to anything. As Scouts and Scouters we have to carry things. The pockets on the current pants and shorts aren't big enough to be worth anything.

The only other thing is on the womens shirts. They need to make the bust area a little fuller.

To get them to fit well through the shoulders they are a little tight through the chest. If it fits through the chest they are a little big in the shoulders.

I may have to grow older but they darn sure can't make me grow up.

I remember from MANY years ago when most of our clothes came back from camp so nasty that mother wouldn't put it in the washer. So we hit the resale shops this past weekend. I bought 4 pair of shorts and 7 tee shirts. None were more than $1.99 on the short and $1.59 on the shirts. THis way if they don't make it back no big deal. If it comes back so muddy I don't want it in my machine same no big deal. Remember if the boys are working on Swimming and any of the water sports they will spend most of their time in their swim suits. I also send about 4 plain white tee shirts (cheapest Ican find) to wear to water

sports.

OUr troop uses heavy plastic foot locker for our boys. They store their clothes and gear in them and they can be locked. We recommend that they pack their clothes and books in zip lock bags. They also interlock and stack in the back of our trailer perfectly. Will hold 24 with all our other troop gear in it. Plus if it does rain

I also found two pair of BSA pants. One fits Kevin now and the other is a size larger. $3.99 a pair plus two pair of BSA shorts at $2.99. I don't ever find shirts though.

Our troop also has a recommended two term limit. But we also accept that this is a Boy Run troop. If after two terms a boy wished to and his peers want to elect him to the same position we will not stop it from happening. It hasn't.

Most of the time boys realize that others need to hold PORs. We have twice had a boy serve two terms. One was a PL one was an SPL. Both had done such good jobs that the boys wanted them again.

Our current Librarian is great. He knows exactly who has each merit badge work book, when it was checked out. And when the scout turns in his blue card to the SM he wants the book back. He also took it upon himself this year to check when the work books were updated. He marked each one that was outdated.

Our Chaplin Aid is responsible for the closing of each meeting. He is also responsible for making sure we have some sort of service on Sunday morning when we are camping. He shows great leadership and responsibility.

Yes these PORs are much easier positions. But it doesn't mean that they are not positions that require responsibility. I honestly believe that just like with our own children. We get from them what we expect and what examply we set.