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momof2cubs

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Everything posted by momof2cubs

  1. You know Basement, I am the 1st person to decry the fact that it is actually BSA that is becoming more WASPy by the year, but I am getting quite offended by your continuous derogatory comments of people that live in the burbs. You call us rich, you call us lazy, you call us exclusionary. I could most certainly make the argument that BSA is just as exclusionary as AHG. We don't allow homosexuals, we don't allow atheists, and even though we talk the big talk about scouting being for every boy, the reality is that affording scouting is a difficult proposition. Most councils and districts are
  2. The Little Buddy program was basically a preschooler version of some of the cub scout achievements. There were no awards, the siblings did not belong to BSA, and there was no official recognition. But basically, they had a T-shirt and a hat with Little Buddy on it and the siblings could work on some achievements during the den/pack meetings. It was designed for siblings, not just any preschooler. I only saw it for the year my oldest son was a Tiger, so this would be 2006, and then poof it disappeared. They had the supplies at the Scout shop, so this was a somewhat official program. Maybe
  3. Well loolohman, it looks like it is a done deal. You are right in trying to prevent this kind of thing from happening again by having an established rule. Personally, I think it is outrageous. The money was raised for BSA events. It was sold to people under the auspices of BSA and people assumed it would go to support BSA activities. In simple words, it was stolen in my opinion. Nothing you can do about that particular boy; except I would look at him and his parent LOOOOONG and HARD before allowing them to participate in any kind of future fundraising activities. Just fix the rules
  4. Seattle, do you remember the "Little Buddy" program a few years ago for the little siblings? I wonder what happened to that? It's a shame they are no longer doing it.
  5. A lot of parents that have both sons and daughters want a program they can both attend. And a lot of parents that a son(s) in BSA and a daughter(s) in GSA can tell just how not the same they are and wish their daughter(s)could have something equally as outdoorsy as the scouts. That's why the emphasis is there. But while I have NOTHING ABSOLUTELY against AHG (if I had a daughter, I might even consider having her there), I DO NOT want any kind of "twinning". Only because boy scouting is what it is, and I don't think girls should be part of it. Boys need a place where they can be BOYS and do
  6. Hmmm...I was under the impression the whole thing was set up by geographical lines? That'd be interesting if we could though.
  7. OGE, I am a woman, and even though I complain about a certain disdain towards women volunteers, I think there might be some merit to what BadenP posted. While one one hand, I'd hate to exclude many talented ladies, I DO think it is important for boys to have a strong role model in scouting. I think they are more likely to talk to a male CM and SM about certain issues; specially considering how many boys these days don't have a male role model at home. i just got home form Spring Family Camping. This time around, we had a very small group (17 adults and 19 children). Only 5 ladies the
  8. How much does it cost and do can I drop off. The money doesn't faze a lot of them because we explain all they get out of it. But when it comes to realizing that BSA does not, in fact, stand for Baby Sitters of America, it's a whole different ball game.
  9. Belt loops and pins are an excellent program in Cubbing. The boys love playing the games and receiving the bling. Why not? I encourage all my leaders to intertwine belt loops with advancement and electives. It is not hard to do with many things. Wolf rank has a collection achievement. Why not go a little further and work on the Collection belt loop? Bear rank has a games achievement. Why not make it fun and add the marbles loop, or flag football, or ultimate? My sons have earned many loops and a few pins. They have learned a lot, they have been introduced to new skills, and they had
  10. It isn't needed??? Try telling that to the little wolf that did not receive the baseball loop he earned and was expecting at the pack meeting because his den leader didn't enter it into PM.
  11. Try being a woman and a BSA volunteer. Top that with only having experienced Cubbies and well... They know that of course you didn't do scouts when you were a kid. They kinda accept that you volunteer for Cubbies because it is kinda expected that you will be the one doing arts and crafts with the little ones. Leaving the "man's work" of boy scouting to the real volunteers. And before you tell me I am bitter...well maybe you are right. I don't care. It doesn't stop me from giving it my all to the boys.
  12. SR540: so much LOL at "pearl clutching". I'm so stealing that. I am not sure either why people are so annoyed at an "alliance". We have the PRAY program, we have Duty to God, and we pretty much discriminate against homosexuals and atheists. I am not seeing why AHG are so "wrong" in providing a clearly Christian program. If it is not your thing, fine, but it doesn't make them evil.
  13. As advancement chair I could not live without packmaster. The thought of each den leader using their own spreadsheet and e-mailing to me each month for awards... *shudder* PM keeps all the stuff together, I print out my report each month and off I go to the scout shop. Couldn't be better.
  14. Sure it is easier!! And so what? That doesn't mean I am shrinking my responsibilities! And I have NO idea if it would be my son's choice. I said I would ENCOURAGE him to attend, not MAKE him attend. OGE posted some additional information regarding this particular camp, and it sounds even better to me. It seems that they prepare, give information, counsel, and advice scouts on what it takes to make that final journey in addition to helping them FINISH their academic MBs. As OGE said, it is very clear that there is some pre-work to get done, which no doubt would require me to drive son arou
  15. Well, thank for the stereotype Basement. Just because I see value in spending a week in the summer concentrating on academic type MBs doesn't make a lazy parent nor my son a lazy scout. I have NO idea how long it will take him to make Eagle; or even IF he will. I suspect he doesn't know either. I worked my butt off with both my sons during their cub scout years and SO DID THEY. Whether that will continue once they cross over is up to them, but even after carefully reading the opinion of several people here, I see nothing wrong with this approach. If it is an option around here, I wi
  16. That's right 00Eagle. It is always leaders (and the same few at that) that are stuck cleaning up afterwards. While we try to get our children to behave...we are busy trying to get out of there at 8pm on a weeknight so we can get home and put out children to bed.
  17. Every month. August: Bounce back to Scouting (games, some awards, but mainly sign-ups) September: regular meeting October: Hobo dinner (bobcat face painting, potluck dinner) November: regular meeting December: regular meeting, but heavy on games/holiday themed activities January: PWD February: B&G March: Crossover meeting April: regular meeting May: ice-cream social June and July: eeehhh...we have an official activity, but it is VERY difficult to get people to show up. Summer months people travel A LOT around here. Edit: regular meetings still entail at least 2
  18. This is a pretty big problem in my pack. But the main reason this happens it's because it is ALWAYS the same 5 to 10 kids that are stuck after the meeting is over while their parents are cleaning. Care to guess what the parents are?
  19. I remember the uproar around my pack when that belt loop came out. *Shrug* It' just one belt loop. At the cub scout level, you can control what they do. If you don't like it, don't let them do it. Edit: this isn't a merit badge. It's a belt loop and has been around for two years. Title is wrong.(This message has been edited by momof2cubs)
  20. Well trainerlady, I can truck with that. I never saw the need for ALL those academic merit badges. My guess is most kids take Civics, Geography, and/or Current Events in school. I don't understand why we have to re-hash that. The Family thing is exactly like you said: a fuctional family does this anyways, and a dysfunctional one NEVER will (and I can get behind the fact that it is HIS journey, NOT mine!). I will be ALL over getting rid of all but maybe 1 or 2 academic badges as being required for Eagle and make the rest of them ALL outdoors. In fact, I think it would be great if the MBs
  21. I think you are over reacting. Just because a scout spends a week in an air conditioned classroom doing MBs that are CLEARLY academic in nature, doesn't make him a nerd (not that that is a bad thing), a cupcake, or a powder puff. The same scout could very well spend the next week leading younger boys through a wilderness hike or water rafting or mountain climbing. A scout can become proficient in MANY areas through scouting, and there's NO reason to denigrate a boy that chooses to spend one week indoors working on mandated academic MBs. The scouts *I* know spend plenty of time outside too
  22. One time, in a similar situation, I heard a scouter said: "Up with this BS, I will not put!"-he did not use the letters either He was German, and when you heard it with the accent, it was really funny. Point of this story, the scouter has a point. We are volunteers. We do NOT have to put up with rudeness and sassyness from a CHILD. If his parents won't cooperate with you after you talk to them, I would have a conversation with the CC and the CM and let them know that this must stop.
  23. That's a little harsh Baden, don't you think? Do you actually use words like "cupcakes" and "nerds" when talking to our youth?
  24. Well Lisabob, I really don't see the issue. All those merit badges you listed are very academically based. I don't see what is so wrong with scheduling some kind of camp where the boys have dedicated time and space to complete. What difference does it make if the boy works on them in his room on his own, sitting under a tree sweating bullets with other boys, or in some classroom in the air conditioner? There still are over 10 other MBs that are required for Eagle, and quite a few of those need to be done outside. Personally, I totally would encourage my son to do this one summer if it wer
  25. I honestly do not understand the issue here. Teens these days are ridiculously busy; I don't see a problem with having some kind of retreat where they have the time and space to work on academic type Eagle requirements. As long as they also have opportunities to work on other things that require to go outside, what's the issue? I would have to brush up on the requirements, but I seem to recall several merit badges required for Eagle that would HAVE to be earned outside. (camping? hiking? swimming?)
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