Mike Long

there is nothing wrong with either kind of scouting experiences. I feel the troop should offer a variety of experiences for ALL the boys in the troop. Exactly right, but the real issue isn't high Adventure it is the very distinct possibility of the boy's troop becoming nothing more a vehicle to accomdate two families at the expense of everyone else. The two trips you described should not have been open to all members of the unit, they should have been high adventure activities IN ADDITION to the normal troop program available to Scouts who qualify for the "extra" trips. If high adve

That being said I (and the boys in our troop) wanna go camping as much as possible.

It is not possible to camp too much but it is possible to lose focus on the aims and methods of Scouting if all you do is concentrate on camping and not on being Boy Scouts who camp. This year: 25 nights available for all troop members (4 nights lost to trips that fell through) 32 if you are in the venture patrol (add 1 week high adventure this year but we usually aim for 2) 42 if you are a venture patrol member and OA (add 4 OA weekends and a section conference) Me: 55 planned (including my personal trips.)

I don't follow you. If he is a Life and has held a POR for 6 months as Life then the requirement for Eagle has been satisfied. All the requirements (other than merit badges) is in his Scout handbook. If it's not written in the BSA handbook it ain't a requirement. Could they have been referring to his Eagle project?

Re-reading I don't see anything specific but the intent is clear. It's one thing to ask someone to leave a troop over a difference of opinion/personal conflict but to then verbally abuse a minor, interfere with creating a new troop and then trying to boot them from scouting on a district and council level indicates that highly negative things were communicated about ASM1 to many other people. I'm not a lawyer but if things are as communicated I don't see how ASM1's reputation isn't being attacked and trashed.

There isn't reasonable arguement against putting the full scout catalog online other than cost. Cost can easily be overcome. Ecommerce engines can be built as secure as you like with as many safeguards as you like. I do it everyday. The BSA has http://www.scoutstuff.org but you can't order online. It's just brochureware, all look and no function. Frankly I don't see why almost everything isn't online.

I hate going the legal route on almost anything. BUT Defamation of Character is worth sueing over.

I see the same things as Yaworski and he's dead on target on all counts. It's the hands on stuff that boys want and it will happen as fast as you can push to make it happen. Here's a suggestion. Offer to run meeting yourself, preferably as soon as possible. Get the SPL and his ASPL (and any other junior leaders you might need too) together and get them to help you teach a skill. Let's say primitive fire building. Bow drill, hand drill and flint and steel. Each one of you take a patrol and work on a method. Later you can have races to see what patrol can do each method fastest

Say, did anyone notice that Greg Shields the BSA national spokesman stated that the Scoutmaster has the final say on who can be a member of a unit? Member removal has been discussed ad nauseum here and elsewhere and the answer that is always presented to me is that it is up to the COR and Chartering Org. as final authority on membership in a unit. I'm guessing it was a gaff but it illustrates the disparate levels of knowledge about the program among members and paid staff.

OGE, very true. My current favorite quote is "What you are doing is so loud that I can't hear what you are saying." FScouter the troop held a baby shower for us and they all pitched in and bought us a baby backpack. One of those hefty Kelty models for backcounty use. ASM7 that is exactly the way we see it, a gift from God. The Scouts were parenting JLT. Laurel is my Woodbadge. Oh yeah, look around the site, my photo is in there. Tiny it's so very good to see you posting again. I was wondering where you were. Mom and baby are home now. Let the wild rumpus start.

I never said ADD didn't exist. I know for a fact it does. However in all the cases that walked through our troop I failed to see anything that constituted a medical condition.

Good for you Sctmom and son! Personally it has been my experience that every single Scout that I have ever seen that I knew was diagnosed as ADD (or any other permutation of those letters) was a perfectly normal boy. Some are more active than others, that's all, and it certainly isn't worthy of all the hubbub and medical classification. Some of us just learn differently. Feel free to disagree but that's my experience, maybe yours are different. Yaworski (as you obviously know) it's just another case of either incompetence or indifference. Seen it before many times as have my par

Thanks everyone. OGE I'm flattered. Stop it, I'm blushing. Once again, Bob sees the big picture. Guess who her first non-family visitor was? My Senior Patrol Leader and his mom, the Troop Treasurer. Scouting IS a family. I now have 1 daughter and 40 sons. Luckily I only have to foot the food bill for the daughter.

1. People hate to be told that they are "doing it wrong." People hate it even more when they ARE doing it wrong and it is pointed out by another. Bob is passionate and persistent about the program and that sometimes is perceived as annoying or rude by some. Bob also is very knowledgeable and some may feel that he is talking down to them when in fact Bob is trying to SHARE his knowledge. Some people hate change and when the scouting program changes from the way it was presented to then as a boy they seem to feel that it is an attack on the scouting experience that they remember so fondly.

UPDATE: Once again please allow me to share my happiness with my brothers and sisters in Scouts. Unto this day a child is born. August 27th, 10:23am. Laurel Rose Long (a girl you silly geese!) delivered by C-section 5lbs 15ozs 19inches long Another brief description and photo. http://www.troop623.com/ Good God am I tired and my wife was the one doing all the work. But wait, there's more.

You're a good man, better than most. Hats off to you and best of luck.

I would like to know how common it is to be a scouter without a youth in the program. In my area it is rare. I used to get funny/suspicious looks when Scouters found out I was actually an adult vounteer and not a youth. In the troop I have been with for the last 8 years I have been the only one until this year when two of our Eagles turned 18. I just want to teach the Scout Oath and Law and provide a better Scouting experience than I had and I think I had a fantastic Scouting experience. Thanks Dad. I've heard most of those and was occasionaly guilty of one of two but we lea

That is correct Eagle90.

Our roundtables are the same as Sctmoms.

My guess would be no.

That's it? Nothing more? Just, "Hello Mr. New SM here. Get out of the troop. Bye"? I fail to see how anyone in the troop could support your removal without some sort of reason. You need to find out what those reasons are.

Please correct me if I didn't notice this but have you sat down one on one with the Scoutmaster and asked him point blank what his problem is with you? Exactly how heated did your post summer camp discussion get? I would think that before this goes any deeper that you and he need to sit down and have a talk.

Either I'm missing the point of FCFY or some of you are. I thought the whole point of FCFY was to build a quality, exciting and fun scout program that gives first year scouts the OPPROTUNITY to EARN first class in one year. No to assure that 100% of them get first class in one year. If they don't make First Class then get to work. Need help with anything?

True.

I'm sorry, this should have been a new thread.