MomToEli

Does anyone have a link to information (dates/locations) on National Camp School for 2011? We are wanting to get the info out to the people we are hiring as early as possible this year ...

YP confidentiality never becomes irrelevant. Just because the parents have been talking to you about it and if the boy is talking about it does not open the door for you to talk about it. This is NOT fair game for the EBOR. You need to figure out if you concern for the quality of his character is borne out of this situation (which is how it sounds) and whether or not it is borne out of your loyalty to his step-father (which is also how it sounds). I think the statement that you've made a couple of times that concerns me the most is that you have heard details "through back channels".

Hitler and white power? Your troop has issues far deeper than whether or not parents want to tag along. I'd say run, don't walk, as far away from that as you can and take your prized possession with you. I can't imagine any chartered organization wanting that kind of exposure, either. If you are close enough to commute you can come hang out with us

After reading this thread I am very grateful to be in the Council I am in. Seriously. That said, there is a whole lot of bad blood between our District and our Council. Best as I can tell it comes about because neither side really feels like the other side bothers to hear *their* side. It rather reminds me of how people in "the office" and IT don't seem to talk the same language. If you are lucky you have a "bilingual speaker" at the help desk! Anyway, it takes a long time and some serious moderating to get over some of the humps, but we ARE making progress! Being the one who tends to be "bili

Hi Everyone! I'm starting to pull together our program for our Council's Webelos Summer Camp. There are 4 campsites that will hold about 35 people - probably 20 of them boys - during each session (we have several). We like to have some sort of competition between the camps. Two years ago each campsite was given masking tape, markers, a couple of straws, a couple of sheets of construction paper and a raw egg. They had to use natural materials and build a carrier for the egg and we had an egg drop competition from the top of our Fort (two story). The egg that held up the best "won" (

" What are the Cubs going to look forward to if they allready have three (3) plus years Resident Camping under thier belt when they become WEBELOS? (Tiger/Wolf/Bear)" Interesting thought, this. I'd like to take a stab at this, as a parent of a boy who has attended camp at all those ranks and will attend this summer as a first year boy scout, and also as the person responsible for writing the program last year and this, as well as attending all 6-1/2 weeks this coming year as Program Director. First, each rank offers a longer camp experience. Tigers is one night, Cub Scouts is two, We

We have just crossed in to our Troop. Our situation may offer a solution, even though it is a bit different. My son is the first new boy in our Troop in over 2 years. We also have 5 other Webelos committed to crossing over into the Troop in February. The vast majority of our veteran boys will be attending Philmont this year. Our younger boys can NOT go, first because of age, and second because they've not had the opportunity to raise the funds necessary. Solution? Our Scoutmaster, along with my husband and any other adult leader who wants to, will be taking our new boys, even if it is onl

This winter will be the first of many for my just-crossed-over Boy Scout, and we are planning his first Klondike and Winter Survival School (two consecutive winter camping weekends ...). I have bought him a set of UA - compression type. Now I'm second guessing myself. Are those TOO close fitting? Should I exchange them for looser fit?

Curious as to how the next campout went ...

A smaller day pack - never used the bladder in the camel back and didn't need the weight. A smaller flashlight - the huge Maglight was heavy and difficult to hold in my mouth while my hands were busy! A better light for my tent - the little LED lantern that was five bucks at Wally World didn't put out enough light in all the right places to do me much good. A lighter back pack - too much gear. Learned that Be Prepared could be done in lighter weight versions. More Febreeze The new Scout pants - the pockets in the old ones are not gear friendly. A piece of rope to loop over the bea

Ok, guys ... even though I am a "girl" and obviously have never been a Scout myself (thus, no practical experience) I hope you are willing to entertain my thoughts on this. Let me put out there first that I truly adore BSA and what it stands for. Our youth today, boys in particular, need to be taught the values embraced by the BSA and that all seems to be getting lost in our society. If we do NOT raise them with these values I personally think there is major trouble for us just around the corner. I have held the positions of Den Leader, Webelos Leader, Pack Committee Member, just now

I just finished up the first weekend of the course. What a great experience! Not to be confused with a totally smooth experience. There are four of us on our patrol that are what I would call strong personalities. You know - vocal, decisive, doers. A couple of those are highly educated. Two are more quiet types. Not to say they aren't doers, but just different types of doers. One describes himself as a helper and seems very timid at the idea of being in charge of anything. You have to ask him his thoughts. That sort. Very nice man, but you have to draw out a smile from him. The other is a

I love the idea of a monthly slide. You could have it be your gathering activity or your craft segment. Just keep them simple. PVC pipe works really well, in my experience. Of course, the adults use the glue gun. I still run that appliance with my Webelos.

Webelos (1 & 2, as there is no distinction published anywhere) are being allowed at our Spring Camporee but they are *required* to have an parent or adult guardian with them, just as with Webelos overnight camping.

We have had a couple of instances where another parent will take responsibility for another boy. We've not had any problems, but it has been the exception. Like one or two boys out of 30-40 boys. Remember that under no circumstances can a boy sleep in the tent of any adult other than his parent or guardian. No matter what. Sick - storms - scared - whatever. And no adult can enter that child's tent without two deep leadership. Or the shower. Or the outhouse. No.Matter.What. Even at resident camp. So, be sure to take extra tents that you can put two or three boys in for the night.

We've been having similar discussions about Webs1 and Webs2. As for Bears at the Webelos Woods event I would say it would depend on if it involves overnight camping and if it is a Council or District sponsored event. I would certainly entertain them being there during the day, but not sure I'd let them camp. Interesting topic since I just took on the District Activities Chair responsibilities and this one falls in my lap! Your ideas help me think through it all.

As a Webelos2 leader who is breaking out of the box this year, I'd like to take a shot at this one. Traditionally our Pack has combined AOL and crossing over at the B&G - we have one of those 3-4 hour ordeals, and I agree, they are WAY too long. We find ourselves this year with TWO Webs2 dens - about 16-17 boys all together. That will make for a VERY long B&G ... I want my boys to have an outdoor AOL ceremony. We are going to do it at the Fall Campout, which we hold in September. I've invited the OA dancers to perform. I really don't think the CC is too hot on the idea, but t

I can tell you what our DE said when a similar situation reared it's ugly head here ... Note the differences: Dad's issue is drug related crimes. Turns out, so is Mom's. Robbery, IMO, is a much more personal crime - as in there is a clear infraction against another person or persons. We ended up declaring that they were not welcome in our den (dh is is LE - and at the time the issue first came up, was even on a narcotics task force). The DE said we were within our rights to refuse participation in our den, but we could not exclude them from the pack if there was another den willing

How do you all go about teaching your Cub Scouts (I have Bears) the principles of LNT? I took my little guys on a hike this past weekend and the kids aren't the only ones who need to learn this ... And how do you teach adults that it is NOT okay to climb up on top of Indian Burial Mounds ... ?

Tonight I get to field this whole uniform "issue", along with who knows what else (say a little prayer that I''ll keep my composure, if you would be so kind). So, I''ve been giving this a whole lot of thought. I think the question I want to put to the crowd is: where do you draw the line? We get our boys involved in Cub/Boy Scouts, we find things that we don''t care for, so we start to change Scouts? Today, it''s a couple of kids that insist on not wearing their uniforms - btw, I had a den meeting Monday night - only two of ten did NOT wear their shirts - one wore a shirt from this summer

Wow. I think I''m going to hug my little Bear Cubs next time I see them. They do NOT act like this and never have. We had 11 of them. We also homeschool our only, so I understand a lot of where you are coming from. The very first thing I would do is call a meeting with all parents and cubs. I would have someone else there from the Pack - CC or CM or just someone who has been around awhile. I would talk clearly about what is expected in the way of behavior at meetings. I would also require a parent to attend all meetings for at least the first half of the year. I did that with my pare

I''m not upset with anyone here. The situation upsets me because there are other people IRL who won''t let the fact that this family has been transfered to another den be enough. Our goal was never to get the kid expelled from scouts. But I have grown weary of having to defend ourselves for making a decision that pertains to our family and den - and in that decision, the council has backed us completely. I''m weary of someone else''s choices being thrust upon me as if they were and are helpless and somehow I should accomodate that. I don''t cotton to such bs well. If this whole mess hadn''t be

In an ideal world, I''d like to see the kiddos decide that they want to be in uniform because they take pride in doing so. So far, there is a total disconnect with that. That same lack of pride and respect can be seen often during the presentation of the colors. There is lots of fidgeting and talking during the Pledge. Since I''ve been known to make the kids in my den re-do the Pledge if they do so in that manner at Den Meetings, maybe that''s why the comment was made by a parent that sometimes I''m too "military". Hmmm. Oh, well. Anyway, sorry for the little hijack there. I''ll be

Thank you all for your responses. Eammon, sounding like judge and jury is exactly what I don''t want to be perceived as doing, which is why I am attempting to work through this here. Some of you do seem to be missing the point that we are not talking about their past, their youth, or even a while ago. We are talking about ongoing, present behavior. It doesn''t have to be today, sitting in the parking lot before a meeting to be present. And I don''t need to be the judge and jury. They''ve already been convicted. But thanks to a very liberal court system, we have a revolving door for crimin

Well, you are talking to a mom whose little Bear Cub simply was going to DIE if I did not buy him the new Cub Switchbacks, so I''m talking to you this evening $25 lighter. And now that he has them, he has to wear them. I suspect I should have gotten him socks, too ... I would LOVE to see us in full uniform. Of course, I''m a girl whose a sucker for a guy in uniform anyway But, the jeans as suitable pants decision was made by the Committee long before we came on the scene. Part of the reason I''m having a problem at the Den level is because we simply don''t take uniforms seriously at the