Lynda J

I get a product through my shop that we use inside cars when they get wet and sour. It is put out by Marco. It is an enzyme digester. The hospitals use it for odor control. We had a sleeping bag that got left out of the trampoline that a cat used as a litter box. The smell wouldn't wash out. I finally sealed it in a bad and sprayed this stuff all in there. No more smell. We started using it about 20 years ago whem a customers car was in a flood. The insurance sent it out and had the entire interior cleaned. But when it would get hot the smell was still there It took about 4 treat

Most of our troop uses 8x8 or 9x9 tents. I don't like using tents much larger than this because of the effect on the enviornment. THe larger then tent foot print the more damage is done to the ground. We do 2 boys per tent. I personally use a 9x9 so I have space for my books and such I take on each camping trip. I forgot. I personally use Timbercreek from Academy. They are about 28.00 for a 9x9. After 5 years I just replaced mine. The zipper came apart, We camp about 10 times a year and I use my own tent at summer camp, reseal the seams after every second trip. I love them ten

We sure hate to lose you. But when someone makes their mind up little can stop them but themselves. I enjoy this forum. I haven't been here that long but have been on a Widow support group forum for over 6 years. When it crashed last year I have over 5000 posts. Do I visit it as often as I did 6 years ago. No. But I still go back every week and post one special post. I also figure if I keep posting the new members will see that you can survive and build a different life after the death of a spouse.

I would think that this COR is opening himself and the troop up to legal action. The boy expelled may very well have been slandered. If he is no longer using drugs and this adult implied he is and it caused him to be removed from the troop you all might be in trouble. Kids need second chances. We should give this to them. And esecially kids like this who have been in trouble and straightened their acts up. If this parent is so insensed about this boy having used drugs at one time. I can understand why their son might be having trouble. But I would recommend that your troo

When a boy completes his BOR he is presented by the SPL to the troop as the new _____rank. At the next meeting he is given the patch and at COH the card with a pin to be given to his parent. I have never seen Scouts wear the pin Only parents on a brag ribbon.

You jump in feet first and start swimming. Then you get trained. NO NO it is the other way around. In reality contact your local Council and see which District and Pack you son will be in when he starts Cubs. Contact the leadership of that unit and go from there. But I can't stress training enough. We have a wonderful guy in our District that trying to work in Scouting without training is like trying to push a rope up hill.

Two of mine go back SEVERAL YEARS. In 1964 I was part of the patrol that went to International Round Up in Vermont for Girl Scouts. Met a Scout from Denmark. We wrote for years until her death. Them in in 1963 I went to an exchange camp in Carnation Washington. The most recent is watching my Kevin march off with the OA group after he had been tapped out.

All assets that the Pack or Troop has belonges to the CO. This can cause big problems in cases like this. As was mentioned before. It the City or County comes in and closes down this CO they could also take all unit property. I would make sure that you don't leave any personal property of yours or your boys where you meet. I would also get in touch with your DE or someone from your Council. If you are letting the unit use lanterns or any gear take it home, just to be on the safe side. If you are a troop and have any advancement records stored where you meet take them home. If y

Our last camping trip was the weekend that Dallas got 10" on rain in just over 18 hours. We keep telling parents to not buy tents smaller than 9x9 in their boys want to use cots. Well two of them learned a hard lesson that weekend. They were in 7x7 tents on cots and their sleeping bags touched the side of the tent. Well as we all know the bag acted as a wick and drew the water right in through the sides. We had our meeting last and both parents informed me that they had gone and bought new tents that are 9x9.

72-77 First Grade Teacher. 77-present. Mechanic Auto repair shop owner. And yes I turn wrenches and bust knuckles. Have the grease stains under my fingernails to prove it.

The only think I have issue with is on both Nature and Insect Study merit badges. Where the boys are to collect, mount, and lable 10 -50 insects. I simply don't think it is proper "Leave No Trace" policy to kill the insects. I council both of these badges and it bothers me to have boys kill any living thing simply for the purpose of mounting it. Had one boy bring 10 containers with live insects. Each container was properly labled. He had ever written where he had found them. It was nice to know that he would be able to release them back into the wild.

Love it. I grew up in GS and we camped and cooked. When I was about to get married my dad told my soon to be husband that I could cook anything he wanted to eat, over a campfire, but he wasn't sure I knew how to turn the stove on in the kitchen. He wasn't far from wrong. I expect my boys to cook. I fixed cook books for each patrol. The PLC decided that they would do a new recipe every campout. They do pretty good. One patrol talked about doing salmon this last outing but since we are under almost a total burn ban and can only use propane fed coleman stoves decided to wait until we c

Had a guy call me last week to see if I was interested in some tents. He brought them by. There are 6 7x7 popup tents. Don't know what condition they are in yet but even if only a couple of them are usable it is a plus. I have had customers give me money from time to time. I picked up some lanterns a while back because a cumstomer gave me $40.00 to do something for my troop. We had made a mistake and bought Winsel lanterns. They are junk. And actually had been called back before we bought them. We now have 2 nice new Colemans.

Sorry it took me this long to get back to this thread. But I guess I said it wrong. I don't really make them look in my eyes. But I do try to make them focus on me. It seems to work. The boy on treatment is doing so good. He just make Star. We are so proud on him. He received his rank at our COH when a FOS rep was there. When he was presented his rank patch everyone in the room stood up and cheered. Boys and parents. Of course we cheer every boy at COH. The rep told me later that he hadn't been to a COH in a troop where there was so much parent enthusiam. But our troop has always be

When I counsel a badge I mark and date the requirements as we go along. But if we do the badge as a group and finish it in one of two sessions I make across the back COMPLETE and the date. Then sign the front of the card. Most badges done at merit badge workshops or at camp are done this way in our council.

I use to sit on BOR for the troop I am now ASM for. In the two years of that I can remember one scout not being advanced at his BOR. He came in. Ploped down in the chair, with legs sprolled all over didn't offer to shake hands. His answere were yep, not, I don't know. After it was over all 4 on the board were really upset with him. We called him back in and explained to him why we were not advancing him in rank. He contacted the CC the next week and ask for another BOR. She set it up. He came in. Introduced himself, shook hands. Set upright in the chair. Apologized for how he acted

There is a Judge near Houston that makes boys and girls that have just started getting in trouble to join Boy Scouts of Girl Scouts. They have a choice of that or going to a juvenil facility. There was a hugh outcry in the beginning. But his success rate of kids not repeating offenses is like 85%. And over 50% of the kids stay in the scouting programs after they have served their required time. Like my dad always said. "Give kids good positive activities and keep them good and busy and they don't have time to get in trouble."

If National wants to make this policy then they better inform Councils that they need to remove these drinks from the machines at summer camp. I have a problem with National setting a rule for what my child can eat or drink.(This message has been edited by Lynda J)

I am a Unit Commissioner as well as being ASM. I work with 11 units currently but not with my own unit. It simply isn't a good idea to UC with your own unit or with a Pack that feeds your troop. There may be times you have to step on toes and maybe not make people happy. It is simply to much to ask that you do that within your own unit. One problem with Unit Commissioners it getting anyone to step up and do the job. OUr District has 44 units and we currently have 3 commissioners. I try to contact each unit I have every month. But will have to admit that I can't go visit each one. I

Our troop requires shirts. They can be work with nice jeans. No tears, not dirty, and no camo, wind pants. And it is a cost issue in many cases. Believe me I don't have a single boy in my troop that is wearing $135 shoes. Most are lucky to get Wal-Mart shoes. Have one troop that has three brothers in it. Single mother and dad isn't great about getting child support there. In fact I think he is about $10,000 behind right now and they don't know where he is. So I wouldn't ask her to spend $40.00 on a pair of pants for her sons. BSA does not require a uniform to be in Scouts. The o

One thing we need to be sure to think about. If we make these boys chose between sports and scouts they will probably chose sports. So you have to arange your program so it works with the school sports program. I would prefer to lose a boy for a couple of months than for ever. I have heard of troops that told boys that if they missed more than so many meetings they would be dropped from membership. Many time sports at school received a grade. I will never put a boy in a position of having to make a final choice. We have boys in sports, and band. We haven't lost one to either if over

3 months is 2.5 months to long to have to wait for a BOR. When we have a boy do his SMC on Monday night then the next Monday night is his BOR. All we have to do it let our CC know that we have a boy ready and the next week we have at least 3 adults there. In fact we have even has BOR on the same night that SMC was done. After the BOR the SPL presents the boys to the troop as our new ______. Then the next week he receives the patch for Rank. THen at our next COH he receives the card for Rank. Boys need to be recongised immediately for any advancement.

It is always so nice when parents put their kids best interest before the fact that their marrage didn't work. Have a boy in my troop whose parents work as a team. Dad drops him off at scouts. Mom picks him up. At our last COH they all sat together including the new wife and her kids. I sure do have a lot of respect for those parents.

I would never kick a kid out of my troop for not attending meeting. We have a boy right now that hasn't been to a meeting for at least 6 months. Well guess what Monday night he showed up. I would prefer to keep them on the list than boot them out. You never know when they might decide they want to come back.

Do Scouts in the Venturing program work on Merit Badges like Boy Scouts do? We have a Venturing Crew in our area associated with the Fire Dept. They have contacted us about doing some joint activities. Most of them have never camped so they want to learn camping skills and they will teach our boys fire and rescue skills.