baden

Welcome Reverend. You will find this to be a jolly group. The forum has never let me down. Anytime I have posted a question or asked for input on a problem I have received sage counsel from the members. You didn't specify what your current position is. Are you working with a Troop? SM, ASM, COR?

I can't tell you. I used to be a fanatical duck hunter. I absolutely obsessed about it. Started in grade school and chased ducks and pheasants up into my fifties. Went deer hunting once, shot a deer and never went again. I just didn't enjoy it. Took my son duck hunting when he was 3 and pheasnt hunting when he was 5 and he is still a devoted hunter. He can't understand what happened to me. I went a couple of times last year and will probably go out over Christmas sometime when my son comes home, but I frankly don't care if I ever kill a duck or pheasant again and I don't know why. I still like

So, in other words, the "Standards" of the Troop are more critical than involving the boys in a campout? I don't see what could be so mysterious about snow camping that a 1st Class Scout that has had the training couldn't teach it. As for more urgent matters deserving time and attention, what? Maybe the boys will luck out and you won't have any snow and everyone can participate.

I don;t pretend to understand these "turf wars". I guess it is good the committee is involved to this extent, but if the boys get the training, why would they even think about holding them back?

And the #1 reason is- (drum roll) THE TRAINING CHAIRMAN WILL GET OFF YOUR BACK!!!

Years ago our local Pack would cross over in late April/early May. We always go to Camp in July and always took all the new guys with us. As long as you get a campout or two under their belts it'll work. Some years I would hold a special campout for the New Scout patrol to get them shaped up for camp. Remember, B-P took 20 boys (I think it was 20} to Brownsea and it was the first campout for all of them.

Back in the day there was a two year waiting period to attend WB. You had to be registered for two years, but I think you could take Scoutmaster Fund. the week before you went to WB. I didn;t see the point then and like the new system. Getting to the point though, WB is both a means and an end. For the better Leaders, it is most definitely a means. I think the time spent in WB on Aims & Methods really expands on what is taught in the Basic courses. Sometimes you see a lightbulb turn on in the room and it is fun. For the less stellar Leader WB starts out as an end. It is emphasiz

You should not be the Unit Commissioner for your own unit. This is a case of a DE getting a name in a slot. Happens all the time. Most professionals are under pressure to fill District rosters and Commissioner roles. It often doesn't matter what is being provided for Unit service as long as the ratios on paper look good. Your DE should not be recruiting Commissioners. In an ideal world your District Commissioner should be doing this. This is probably the primary role of the DC. I pulled a 4 year hitch as District Commissioner in the '90's. I spent a lot of time recruiting. I have no

Welcome Anthea. Sit around our electronic campfire and enjoy. I see you user name is tomtoad. Is this a reference to the song of the same name. Years ago I was staffing a Cub Leader tng. event and we sang Tom the Toad. I got to laughing so hard I fell down.

I receive most of my info from the District by e-mail. I do not like getting a lot of phone calls. I can read and respond to e-mail in my own time. I do check e-mail daily and respond in a timely fashion. Of course my kids are grown and gone. Perhaps your people can't get to their computers because the kids are always on it. We used to have that problem. I frankly don't know what to say to people that don't respond. Chances are they wouldn't perform much differently if you could reach them by phone. Our Roundtable has a post office in which all handouts are "mailed" to each Troop to save time

Overall I think the stories about big prices being paid for Scout patches are largely a myth. I recall a couple of years ago seeing a 1924 World Jamboree patch being sold on e-bay for around $2,000. As I recall it was one of a numbered patch, something like 1 of 24. I heard a lot of stories a few years ago about lodge flaps from our lodge bringingover $100. Our lodge (kit-ke-hak-o-kut #97) is made up of 3 former lodges and supposedly the original flaps from the orig. lodges were highly prized. I never actually talked to anyone who paid a lot or sold one for a lot of money. Our Lodge trading p

Thanks le Voyageur!! This is exactly what I was looking for. The forum again proves to be an invaluable resource.

Welcome Hawk. I hope you find this forum useful. Are you involved in OA?

I'm seeking knowledge from the group. Does anyone have a set of plans to construct a canoe trailer? I'd like to build one to haul 6 canoes with storage space for paddles and PFD's Thanks!

Here is an idea for the group. Last week a casual acquaintance of mine called me and asked if I was still involved in Scouting. I said yes and he asked me if I wanted some car racing trophies for the PWD. He is an avid stock car racer at the local track and wanted to clean out some old trophies. I went over and picked them up and delivered them to the Cubmaster. About 30 trophies some of them about 3 feet tall. Our CM is delighted and is going to remove the engraved plaques and replace them. The local Pack spent about $75.00 on trophies last year and figure the donated lot will run them for ap

I agree with Eagledad. The Council has the ability to set the agenda. I have served as District Commissioner and District Training Chairman in the past. Many good Scouters are not sought out for these positions as they are viewed as hostile to the Council. I don't view them as hostile, they just have a different agenda. Years ago I was chairing a District Commissioners meeting that was visited by our Scout Exec. and Council Commissioner. I was surprised and pleased to see them. They told us to continue with our regular meeting as they were just visiting. We plunged ahead and had what I thought

I haven't quit and have no intent to. However, I attended our District's "Program Preview" (Fall kickoff} in August and left shaking my head. Camping? Barely mentioned. Training? Ditto. Advancement? Ditto-ditto. One and a half hours of Sign-up for Scouting, Popcorn sales, re-charter, and FOS. Anyguesses who set the agenda? I endured it, but watched some first-timers sit through it and wondered what they were thinking. All this stuff is important, but at times I think it is the be all end all of Scouting today. I will stay with my unit, but am burning out on the constant demands from Council fo

I am so grateful to Scouting for what it has done for my son. When he was 11 he was a chubby, slow, clumsy little kid with glasses. Good student, loved to read, and was totally wrapped up in Civil War history. Nerd. Geek. A very quiet boy. Through Scouting he gained confidence in his physical abilities and gained leadership skills. At 18 he was an Eagle Scout and was voted Outstanding Lineman on his High School football team. Became President of his fraternity in college and was voted one of the 4 Outstanding graduates of his graduating class at his University. He is now in his last year of La

You are correct. It is the plan for the CO to be hands on and involved in the operation of the Unit. In the real world this is often not the case. Sometimes the Unit Leaders are defensive and wish to keep the CO and the UC in the dark so that they can operate as they please. Sometimes the CO, more particularly the COR do not wish to be bothered with any problems and like to think everything is OK. It is the responsibility of the DE to maintain contact with the CO. It is the responsibility of the UC to maintain contact with the Unit. If both of these responsibilities are met, problem

I just returned from our Troop campout and have been chuckling all day. Last night, after dinner I did a Scoutmaster conference with a Scout for Tenderfoot. We talked a while about his Board of Review, 2nd Class requirements, his plans for the future, etc. The usual. I was trying to wrap up and asked him if he had any questions for me. He said "Yeah. How long are you going to be Scoutmaster?" I said I had no plans to quit, why? His response was "If you go, I go Dude". Absolutely cracked me up.

I have attended 3 National Jamborees and been to Philmont 4 times. My son went to 1 National Jamboree and has been to Philmont 2 times as a youth and twice on Staff. I think the biggest benefit is the appreciation a Scout develops for the scope of Scouting. You can tell the boys that Scouting is an international movement, but Scouting alongside 40,000 fellow Scouts from 50 states and dozens of foreign countries is an experience that cannot be duplicated at a district camporee.

Eamonn- Sorry to hear that you have been down in the dumps about the forum. I bear some blame for your attitude. I tend to skip past a lot of the negative and leave the heavy lifting for you and some others to handle. I do value your opinions and have learned much from reading your posts. I choose to not be drug into some of the hair-splitting and sometimes rancorous discussions. They do have value and clarify the thinking of many of the participants, but I often think that some posters are speaking to an agenda that is not relevant to me. I hope you will continue to post to the foru

I remember Elizabeth with the pink cowboy hat. I talked to her in line at the mess tent, sat behind her at the Saturday night performance of 12 cubed and saw her all over the Mahone Staff area. What a nice girl. She's 3-4 years younger than my daughters and a real delight. You should be proud.

This was my 3rd Jamboree. I was 1ASM in 97 and Postal Staff in 01 and 05. I don't envy Troop ldrs. It is very stressful to herd 36 boys. Actually my experience was that Jambo was a break after touring for 4 days. 99% of staff lived in un airconditioned tents or barracks and ate in a mess hall or tent. Food was OK, much improved from 01, but not great. I plan to do it again in 2010. The people you work with make it worthwhile.

Everyone will have their favorites and mine is the Conservation area. The LNT presentation in 2001 was very well done. Hope he has a great time. Baden Jambo Post Office type 2001 & 2005