Mike Long

How about "I have this idea I want to run past you." and just tell him what happened and your thoughts. I like feedback but I don't like the "You are doing this wrong" as that is usually very abrasive. Beyond that, just talk to me. In our area Webelos usually crossover in Feb./March, works for us. Also if your boys are joining in June they might not be ready for summer camp. It helps to have a few weekend campouts under your belt to get comfortable with the Troop and how things are done before doing a week long camp.

Congratulations! I've got an Eagle BOR tonight.

Really, the freezer? Why? A quick note on purifiers PUR no longer sells purifiers. They were required to discontinue sales due to people pumping too quickly and the iodine didn't have enough time to work before the carbon filter removed the iodine. So if you are like me and own a PUR Voyager purifier you now need to use the hiker filter elements.

What does any of this have to do with the American Heritage Girls?

Correct me if I'm wrong but you used to wear your first six badges on your right sleeve when the uniform was long sleeved. When you earned more you transferred them to a sash. Nowadays most of us are wearing short sleeved unforms and there really isn't room on the sleeve for six merit badges. As I understand it all merit badges go on the sash regardless of amount.

Thanks Weekender, options are always helpful. Especially in that my daughter is due in September. Interesting, but after looking at their website (Which in my opinion as a web user interface and content specialist is woefully lacking in content.) it still leaves me asking, What do they actually do? What is their structure? It just looks like a club. I would like to see details regarding program features. Is there a form of advancement? What are the goals of the organization? Yes I read the site but what they posted was very vague to me. "Traditional Judeo-Christian Values" can mean anythi

I'm coming up on my 8th Eagle BOR and every single District Advancement Chair that I have met (4) wore a uniform with his Troop numbers on it and the district committee patch. I thought it was odd they wore both but I wasn't offended or anything. I would think that you ought to have a uniform to represent whatever capacity you fill. Troop for Troop, District for District. Silver loops and all. Seeing as that was your first BOR they ought to give you a little slack.

Here's more food for thought. Lots of folks seem to have big problems with paddle adventures for the boys. The big one being not having a qualified Lifeguard. If you are near a military base particularly Navy or Coast Guard. Call the base and find out if they have a unit of rescue divers. If they do, make an open invitation for them to attend your HA paddle trip. Obviously you will need to meet them and evaluate their personality to be sure they will be compatible with Scouting. Make the offer of a free trip and see if you can work with his/her CO about getting TAD (I think that's whatb t

They should have been focuing on grades when they first enrolled in school twelve years ago. Kinda too little, too late if you ask me. I tell my scouts that "Eagle Scout" written on an application may or may not get you anywhere. BUT Being an Eagle Scout by thought, word and deed will get you everywhere. I think that simply telling kids that the presence of Eagle Scout on a resume or application will help them out is a huge disservice to them. What we need to stress is that living the Scout Oath and Law and being a living emodiment of our ideals is what will get them ahead in lif

Man, we read the same thing and get completely different information. It's the quality of the trip. My issue is with HA guided trips where the boys don't learn anything. Many guided trips that I and others I know have been on, the scouts were treated as tourists on a amusement park ride and not active participants. I prefer HA trips guided or not where the boys are treated as active participants and are taught the skills necessary to do the activity. Shoot the rapids. Vs Learn how to shoot the rapids.

Amen.

Just a suggestion. When they get the new flags retire the old ones to a "Wall of Honor" during a Court of Honor. When I was a scout we hung all retired patrol flags on the wall of the scout hut. It looked very cool and helped to foster a sense of history of our troop. Patrols are not disposable, they are not there to simply organize kids into managable groups. They are there to give Scouts a sense of identity and unity within the troop. I try to keep patrols together as much as possible by encouraging the members of each patrol to look out for one another. This includes calling the guys

Ahh cool, thanks le Voyageur. I couldn't find the earlier posting.

I doubt very seriously that Girl Scouting would disappear, however we would put two very strong strong organizations with the same goals at odds that shouldn't be. Historicaly speaking both organization share the same roots, that indicates (to me anyway) that we are brother and sister. Why start a family feud?

Geez, maybe I just need to take a nap. I'm all over the map this morning. Regarding my "magic pill" comment please add. But it's the most best most potent pill we've got and we all should strive to present it accurately and entheusiasticly. (I know I butchered that one.)

Nope not what I meant at all but I think I didn't communicate clearly what I intended to say. I certainly didn't mean to imply that packs were completely to blame for anything but that it is a factor in this equation. Who said we don't need to look at our Troop's presentation of the Scouting program? Anyone that knows me knows I don't believe in blame games, I believe in getting the job done. My point was in that particular case that we went through we could not find anything amiss other than the fact that the packs these guys came from were babysitting services and the boys wer

One more thing.... So we are going to penalize the units that do have a great program by not funneling kids to them because some units don't have a good program? Foolish. Y'all keep throwing coal and I'll keep stoking the furnace.

Marketing is a completely different aspect of the program. Good marketing does nothing to build good troops but good marketing can show everyone involved what a good troop can be like and get guys in the door with the intention of making their troop like the cool one in the ad. As far as retention has anyone even considered the fact that the onus is not completely on the Scout Troop? I think sst3rd would agree. Most cub packs do a horrible job of preparing Cubs to be Scouts. I have interviewed new Scouts who quit and most I see simply want everything to be handed to them as it was in cub

Ya know I just have to say I find it very funny about the hip lingo being passed around on this thread. I actually use these in everyday conversation. My scouts typically pick up my terminology. I do agree that no-one wants to burn kids on Scouting through promoting a bad program the rub is that we don't have a bad program. We have the best program in the world (IMHO), we just need to be better at delivering it across the board. But to strangle marketing because some of us fall down is foolish. Without a steady stream of interested boys Scouting will die by attrition as boys age out.

They burn too hot for the thin aluminum and meltdown. Plus the vapors are much more volatile.(This message has been edited by Mike Long)

As far as I am aware yes adults can wear the dangle. (At least everyone here does) It goes on the right side pocket button.

How we get around the parents doing food shopping for boys thing is that on a meeting night the patrols get their menus approved then the patrols collect the cash from those going and representatives of each patrol are sent to the store on that night with adequate adult supervision to shop. Before they check out the adults check for contraband and ask the all important question "Are you sure you got everything on your list? Did you double check?"

They should only wear their OA sashes to troop meetings if they are to be recognised as OA members. For example conducting an OA unit election or making a presentation like a camping promotion or a pitch for a Camporee that the OA is hosting. Otherwise that's what the lodge flap or OA ribbon dangle is for, recognising OA members.

Addendum: Be sure to show the parents the guide to safe scouting and tell them we have rules to cover how we do what we do. If it is unsafe the GTSS covers it and tell us it is not allowed.

I used to run into this all the time. I now tell all new parents to the troop that we are here to teach your son that he can do anything with proper planning and training. If you think your son can't do something be prepared to be proven wrong because we will do just that. I tell the parents the planning and training that goes into a trip and the quality of adult AND senior scout leadership. I then let them speak to my most vocal supporters, the parents that used to say "My son can't do that" and their sons that did. Usually that will convince most. Lots of times on a trip we will hi