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MaineScouter

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Everything posted by MaineScouter

  1. Okay, I "should" have said, "The SM accepted 6 months as Troop Bugler for Requirement #5 for advancement to Life Scout, even though the scout (his nephew, the CC's son) never bugled for the Troop." (Bugler IS on the list of positions of responsibility) Yet he did not accept 6 months as APL because he felt that particular scout did not display adequate leadership qualities in his position during that time. The scout was not granted a SM conference and was asked to complete 4 more months as APL, attend summer camp and complete 3 weeks as a CIT. Even though an ASM DID sign his handbook as havin
  2. Yeah, they must be two different companies. The one I found is in Caratunk. That's about 4 miles south of The Forks on Rte. 201. It would mean a longer bus ride to the dam, but not much longer. I'm looking forward to seeing their video. Besides the river trip they also have a heated outdoor pool, game room, indoor climbing wall (they run a youth program every night for two hours, only $9 each) and they have a cafeteria available. Camping is $7 each and includes the full use of all their facilities. The day trip is $59, wetsuit/paddle/helmet/guide/lunch and instruction included, minimum
  3. "On the other hand, leadership maturity is not and should not be a limitation working toward rank and advancement. [snip] Training is needed along with a little coaching from some experience adults. " Barry, I sure wish we lived closer to each other. I'd invite you to give my Troop "a little coaching." Your statement about leadership maturity not being a limitation toward rank and advancement... what is that based on? This is similar to what our SM terms "ready" to advance. The quiet, polite, non-assuming boys get advanced quickly with no regard to actual leadership. One quiet 1
  4. Thanks, Saltheart. I just got off the phone with the general manager of Downeast Adventure Bound. They specialize in youth groups. Is this the same company you used? (Downeast in both names) They have separate facilities for youth and adult groups. The youth side of it is non-alcoholic and geared toward kids/families. They also offer help with the Whitewater Merit Badge. He's sending me a video by priority mail so that I can show it at our Scout planning meeting Wed night. Can't ask for more than that! MaineScouter
  5. "As with many New England troops, we head north to Maine, and raft the Kennebec, Penobscot, and Dead rivers with a commercial rafter. The one we use has been catering to Scouts for many years..." Saltheart... can you tell me the name of the rafting company that your Troop uses? Our Scouts are having their year-long planning meeting on Wednesday night. I'd like to suggest that they consider a whitewater rafting trip in the spring this year. I've personally been on three of these trips here in Maine, but I'd like to know which company caters to Scouts best, and why you like them more. Th
  6. Laura, I agree with Eisely. In our Troop, we insist that one leader be responsible for each outing. This is a parent, a committee member or ASM that is going on the outing. He/she is the "tour leader" and is responsible for overseeing the outing from start to finish. We have one committee member that handles "just" the permission slips and tour permits for trips. The treasurer handles any money issues (collection and payment of fees). We have a parent that 9 times out of 10 volunteers to do the food shopping and takes boys with him to help them meet advancement requirements. The Scouts ar
  7. "Now that the requirements are being interpreted to be "open book" . . . who knows what will happen. " What does this mean?
  8. Late last night (early this morning?) I read some of the older threads and especially enjoyed the discussion on the "right" age for a boy to earn Eagle. I had to laugh, our Troop leaders (SM and ASM) feel that 14 is too young for LIFE. That's one of the things going against my son and the other boy trying to make Life. My son was 14 in March, the other boy turned 14 in July. I honestly feel that was the major reason for delaying their SM conferences. He wanted them older. The only 12 yr old I've seen get Life in our Troop is the SM's nephew. Other than my older son, who was 25 days shy
  9. "MaineScouter, I might be missing something, but if your husband is the assistant committee chair in charge of Board of Reviews, why don't you just go to him with your concerns? " You're not missing anything. He knows my concerns, believe me. This is not the first time we've had this "discussion"... or should I say, disagreement. His point of view is that the SM is not doing his job... the boys are coming to the BOR without the skills necessary for advancement. His belief is that they (the BOR members) aren't doing the Scout any favors by advancing him. So they "check" each boy at the
  10. "One thing that is helpful is to get your hand on questions appropriate for board of review. Some troops will assemble examples. [snip] "Mr. Star" should not be asked to do another board and the boy should be given another board asap. An apology would be in order also. " The men on his board DO have a list of appropriate questions for a BOR for each rank. When my husband was CC he printed many off the internet and made them available to all Com members. They didn't bring them or use them. An apology?? Haahaahahaahahaahahahaa Sorry, but you don't know these guys. I'm "lucky" to be ab
  11. "(An example of the "not a good idea" category, in my opinion, would be the CC being the sister of the SM. I almost fell off my chair when I read that they are TWINS -- not that that makes a difference once you know they are brother-sister, but it just makes the whole thing that much crazier. I am half-expecting MaineScouter's next post to involve the circus going through town and an an elephant stepping on the troop trailer...) " No elephants but how about this, our CC's husband is our Council President... and BIL to our SM, of course. Step on one toe around here and you get the attenti
  12. "BRIDGEKEEPER: What... is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow? ARTHUR: What do you mean? An African or European swallow? BRIDGEKEEPER: Huh? I-- I don't know that. Auuuuuuuugh! " LOL, I guess my son should have answered, "Which Star rank, the one from 1911-1924 or the one from 1924 to the present?"
  13. Just so all of you can appreciate how absurd this whole situation is, let me explain a little about our Troop. My dh is the past committee chair, he is now the assistant committee chair in charge of Board of Reviews, what else? It was my DH that started the trend toward "testing" at board of reviews because at the time we had a SM that didn't care if the boys learned anything or not. He didn't follow BSA regulations on anything and would send boys for BOR's that hadn't even completed all of the requirements for the rank. We eventually got him replaced by the current SM. Now get this, the cu
  14. "I wonder if they even know the answer? " My son told me he asked the BOR member that asked the question what the answer was... he man said he couldn't remember, but knew it was something scouts should know!! That's why we were so driven to find the answer... we felt stupid! LOL The symbolism of the 1st Class badge is clear, but none of us in our family had ever heard of the star meaning anything. (Dh and older son are both Eagles.) This has certainly been a learning experience in more ways than one. MaineScouter
  15. "Whoa! Six months to get a Scoutmasters conference?? And this other boy, EIGHT months and counting! That is just wrong. Now, just to make sure, did these boys actually go to the Scoutmaster and say "I need a Scoutmaster conference"? " Yes, they both went to the SM on numerous occasions and asked. They were both told that they "weren't ready" to advance. Both were finally told that they needed to attend Summer Camp in order to "demonstrate their readiness" where they fulfilled the positions of PL and ASPL (they were BOTH positions, each). Both boys also spent several weeks as CIT's at c
  16. The reaction to this question and my son's BOR as made it very clear to me that our adult leaders simply must be made aware of the proper (BSA) way to conduct a BOR. I just got off the phone with our District Executive... who expressed very similar reactions to my story. I am now going to place a call to our Committee Chair and ask that she give some time at our next meeting for our District Advancement Chair to discuss how to do board of review. Luckily, the Adv. Chair lives right here in our town and has a personal interest in our Troop (one son is an Eagle, the other Life). I know he'll
  17. Thank you, everyone, for your insightful, timely and supportive responses to my question. I agree with all of your answers and comments regarding his BOR. You are especially right about not requiring knowledge that isn't part of the rank requirements. I'd completely overlooked that fact. Our Troop does need help with the BOR process. (understatement of the year) Surprisingly, one of the men on my son's BOR just stepped down as our District Training Chairman. You'd think he'd have known better. We'll get through this. My older son achieved his rank of Eagle last September, just days
  18. Barry... thank you SO much! Yes, it's a very strange question to ask a Scout at a BOR. You're not the first person to comment on how "tough" our Troop can be. Heck, it took my son nearly 6 months since completing the Life requirements just to get a SM conference! Another boy just got his SM conference for Life on Wednesday night. He's been waiting since early December! His BOR is in three weeks and he's scared to death. I would be, too! These two boys are both sons of very active Scouters (an ASM, a committee member and a former commmittee chair) in the Troop. I think they are being hel
  19. I'm hoping someone out there can help. My son was asked at his Life board of review to tell what the five points of the star in his Star rank symbolize. He has scoured his handbook, called our local Council and asked every Scouter he knows but no one seems to recall ever being told that those points mean anything! Our Council will contact National, they said, if they can't find the answer. My son did not pass his BOR, pending this information. He has three weeks to find the answer. At that time he has to reappear before the BOR. There must be someone out there that has heard of this
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