msnowman

Just looked at scoutstuff.org/uniforms and insignia/shirts. The pale yellow Female Cub Scout leader blouse is still listed as available ($34.99-$39.99 for long sleeve, $32.99-$34.99 for short sleeve). To go with them, Female Cub Scout leaders can still get the ladies navy blue uniform shorts or pants (to be worn ONLY with the yellow blouse.

Just thought I'd share my morning research.

Michelle

I did this ceremony at my last ever Pack Bridging over in June. I used Acetone nail polish remover. First ingrediant is acetone, second is water. It had a lovely blue color to match my cover story of "magic water from a spring hidden deep with in Camp Roosevelt". I practiced for about 2 weeks to get it "just right". And it was great, the boys and parents all loved it. If anybody is interested in more specifics to do it yourself, feel free to PM me.

When Nephew did CitC this spring, his MBC had a list of suggested movies. His choice? Braveheart. He liked it so well that he watched it 3 times before his meeting to discuss it w/ his MBC.

Because of an incident involving Nephew and a Council attitude of "guilty until proven innocent" I have resigned from both the Pack and the Troop that I serve. This isn't about that.

I want to thank all of the people here who have helped me provide a better program for those I serve. I appreciate your time and comments (even when I didn't agree with them).

Michelle

I have to agree with the others - Blue and Gold is Cub Scouting's birthday and (ideally) should be held around February. We went as late as March one year and it just felt...off.

It is a reality that maybe not every boy will make rank by Blue and Gold. And That's. O. K. If they are having a good time and "Doing their best" then that's the really important part. We have 2 dens who made rank in February, in time for Blue and Gold. WooHo! Fabulous for them! However, we also have 2 dens who will be receiving their rank Saturday at our Bridging Over campfire. WooHoo! Great for them too. They'll get their beads first, their rank next, followed by their arrow points. Then, they will get to come back up a little later and graduate to their next rank and get their new neckerchiefs.

When boys make rank may vary by unit, but Blue and Gold really should be held at least near to the birthday it is intended to celebrate.

YMMV

YiS

Michelle

Venividi - sounds like Nephew's at CoH. The troop doubled in size with winter Crossovers, and 2 weeks before the CoH was a rain-soaked camporee....and almost no Scout bothered with raingear. So - SM used one of the older boys as his "model" and outfitted him in 1 - make shift raingear (socks for mittens, grocery bags on his feet in place of boots, etc, you get the picture). Then he re-outfitted the boy in the correct gear (the point being how much more fun you can have if you have the right gear and aren't wet, cold and miserable. The new boys laughed and pointed saying "oh, yea, I did that", etc. The parents got a chance to see how important the right gear can be. It was great!

That kind of stuff is perfect for a CoH.

Michelle

We may be the oddballs, but our Pack & Troop host a luncheon at the church immediate following the Scout Sunday service. This is when the FOS presenters come in and do their thing. Most families show up for Scout Sunday and stay for the luncheon. Plus there is the added bonus of having an audience from outside of Scouting that they wouldn't be getting at a Pack Meetings or CoH. On the plus side for the FoS presenters is the bonus of making just 1 trip to our little town, instead of two trips on widely seperate days (especially important with gas prices as high as they are).

This coincides with the initial push to sign up for camp, so parents see the video about how great our Council is and how worthwhile camp is (and all the other things FoS funds).

We've made our goals for each of the last 3 years, so it can't be all bad. Plus, attendence at B&G and CoH's have gone back up because parents/grandparents know that the "begging for money" is already done.

YMMV

YiS

Michelle

My biggest pet peeve for a CoH is the "PBS Pledge Drive", AKA FoS. I realize that it is important for Council and District, but since they have little-to-no interest in our unit until it is time for FoS I'm not very excited to see them at a CoH. (The same peeve holds true for Cub Scout B&G).

Otherwise - I hate seeing/hearing SM lectures about "his" adventures. You want to excite the new scouts about things they can do? Let the brimming with enthusiasm 15 yo Life Scout tell them how fabulous Jambo was and how excited he is to be going back in 2 years.

It will be interesting to see what peeves others about CoHs.

YiS

Michelle

I'm on the side of not at a CoH. IMHO that's just not the right place for this. If you want to address it, use a Troop meeting w/ the suggested speakers. Add in a survivor of driver stupidity if there is one.

Lisabob - did you hug Youngerbob and tell him that if he had been there you woulda killed him yourself?

Michelle

(Never mind - I wasn't answering the question that was answered....ah, at least its Friday).

YiS

Michelle(This message has been edited by msnowman)

Ahhhh, helicopter parents (because its true, they are not gender specific)....one of the reasons why I recommend to the parents of our Webelos IIs that they stay away for the first few camping trips.

In my opinion (based on personal observances and experience), the helicopter parenting strategy comes from one main place - worrying about how their parenting looks to others. Whether its a mom worried about her son eating undercooked hamburger or a dad belittling his son because everybody else got the bowline. Everything their child does is taken as a reflection on their ability as a parent.

That was actually my biggest concern...I took Nephew's behavior as a reflection on my ability as a parent...if he misbehaved I was a bad parent. If he was a little slow to get that knot then I must have failed to work with him. So - I stayed away. Nephew survived, indeed he thrived. I got to hear from others how pleasant Nephew is, how good he is w/ younger Scouts, how funny he can be. I also heard that he and Johnny got in trouble for leaving their pocketknives here or not doing XYZ when they were supposed to. I learned that he is a good kid but that nobody's child is perfect and they aren't expected to be.

In the end, unless the helicopter parent comes to realize that everything isn't about them you can't get them thru it. They have to have faith in their child but also in their own parenting skills.

YiS

Michelle

Cub Scouts is a different world from Boy Scouts. And even w/in the Cub Scout program Tigers is different still - it requires 100% parent participation - 1 Tiger Cub + 1 adult = 1 Tiger Team - No parent, no Tiger.

When I explain Ages and Stages to parents I tell them that it meant to wean them off their sons as much as it is meant to wean their sons off of them. Some parents do well, while others don't. As long as Family Involvement is one of the Methods of Cub Scouting you have to be able to utilize the good and try to minimize the bad.

The world our children are growing up in is vastly different than the world we grew up in. It is (imho) far less safe, yet our children are growing up faster and losing their innocence younger. The trick, as I see it, is to give your child the tools to keep him/her self safe in the world they are inheriting. Sometimes parents need to learn what those tools are, how to get them to their children and then to trust their children to use the tools they have been given. Scouts is a safe setting for that learning (for both parties) to take place in.

YiS

Michelle(This message has been edited by msnowman)

Lisabob - are you sure we aren't talking about the same boys? LOL

Oh, and for the record - my boy thinks the pants look good but hates the "queer" pockets on the shirt.

This was decided while out to dinner...wearing his current issue switchbacks (willingly even).

YiS

Michelle

"The beret is one of the least practical pieces of headgear ever devised, perhaps equalling the similarly iconic and useless garrison cap.

It is, however, infinitely cooler than the garrison cap, and the BSA ball cap - cooler in the elitist sense, not temperature. "

Its funny you should say that. A 15 yo Life Scout in Nephew's Troop was looking at the new Scout uniform and hat and said "I wish they'd bring back that flat one like I got on Ebay".

He's not a very....fashionista Boy...he just likes the garrison cap better.

YiS

Michelle

"People with a Y chromosome should not wear anything called a "hoodie" anymore than they'd wear "panties." Hooded sweatshirts are okay. Hoodies, nope. "

Geez - I don't wanna be the one to break it to Nephew and his "homies" that they need to rename their "hoodies". If its reasonably clean and not vulgar I don't care if they call it georgie or a freddie, let alone hoodie.

YMMV

YiS

Michelle

If talking about general, registered adults, you can't blanket and say "more adults than youth = bad". Sometimes it happens, especially in small troops. At its low, Nephew's troop was 4 registered youth and 8 registered adults - SM, 2 ASMs, CC, 2 committee members from the families of currently registered Scouts and 2 committee members from "the outgoing regime" which helped w/ continuity and BORs. Now the troop as doubled in size, added 3 more committee members from the new Scout families and an old family was "allowed to retire" (lol). Its a tough situation because you stress to the families that a Boy with an active parent tends to stay in Scouts longer and gets more out of Scouts...yet we worry about having too many adults involved.

On the other hand, if you are talking about how many adults on an outing/trip are too many, then I believe that it depends on the strength/weakness/personality of the adults involved. Our CC is a lovely person, but tries to baby the boys too much, especially 1st year scouts. She's not the best one to go an a camping trip. Generally, its our SM and 1 of the ASMs on the trip, though it has happened that it has been just the ASMs, or an ASM and (Scoutmaster trained) ACM from the Pack.

Too many adults when it interfers with the Boys leading and learning from their mistakes.

YiS

Michelle

Ahh, the power of the internet. I got this pdf, forwarded it to Nephew's SM, who in turn shared it w/ the Council Store....who didn't know about it...nor did the Scout Executive....its like being in on a big secret.

YiS

Michelle

Way back when Nephew was a Tiger the book was still the large Orange book, not the nifty bound one they have now (he was the last class of Tigers under that program). However, as soon as he moved on the Wolf I bought him the blue & gold book cover. He used it for 3 1/2 years and it did an admirable job protecting his book even at camp. Of course coil bound wasn't an option thru his Cub Scout days.

Now if a parent asks which book I suggest the regular book for Tiger, Wolf & Bear but highly recommend the coil bound for Webelos. They use it for almost 2 full years (helps justify the extra 6 bucks) and it will stay open to whatever they are working on. Overall we haven't had a problem with the books (any of the books) staying in 1 piece....now if they came w/ a lo-jack option so you can find them when they wander away....

YiS

Michelle

Pack or Den event or not Webelos II can still earn credit for advancement IF the Webelos II Den Leader accepts it. The WDL signs off on completed achievements, not the parent (except w/ WDL approval). So if WDL says it counts, then it counts.

YiS

Michelle

Dad needs Hockey goalie equipment to help him "kick the boy back in to play". I say this in a most light hearted way as it is how I have described the parents job at the troop level to freshly crossed over boys. "If your son comes to you for help, you kick him back into play and send him to his PL. If that doesn't work, send him back to his SPL. If that doesn't work, try the Troop Guide. If that doesn't work, its the SM/ASM. Basically, anybody but you." Oversimplified yes, but it gets the message across.

When Nephew bridged over, I knew I would be this dad (well, except I'm not a guy). So, I intentionally stayed away from camping trips, summer camp, camporees, etc. It worked for us. He and I have a great relationship and he knew he could come to me and I'd try to help. Fine for a guardian/child relationship - but not so great for Boy Scouts or even the bigger world at large. I'm still a work in progress (being a compulsive "fixer"), but I do try.

Sometimes a pleasant "bringing this to your attention" is all that is needed for dad to be comfortable with just being the goalie. I knew Nephew would be fine learning that he could 1 - probably do it himself, 2 - the other boys would help him if he asked for help and 3 - other adults do care about his well being and he can ask them for help if other venues fail. Maybe dad needs a button that reminds him and his son both "Did you ask your PL?"

Good luck - it sounds like his heart is in the right place...he just needs to kick junior back into play.

YiS

Michelle

For each of the last two years I have made a DVD of pictures from our Pack activities. Its what I (CM) give to each of the families as a thank you for their participation. It runs about 1/2 hour long and I break it up into chapters based on the activity.

Anyway - some of the songs I have used in ours include "My Best Friend" by Queen, "Unwritten" from Natasha Bedingfield (or something like that), "Push it to the Limit" from Corbin Bleu, the theme from "The Courtship of Eddie's Father", "What time is it?" from High School Musical (2 I think) and a bunch of others. Sometimes I play the songs a half dozen times to make sure there is absolutely nothing objectionable about it - especially songs that are currently popular on the radio. One favorite is a song from Rent "Seasons of Love". "Time of your Life" by Greenday is also well liked - but make sure you listen to the version you want to use (for language).

Hope this helps

YiS

Michelle

Any valid, reasonable points Nessmuk may have kinda get lost in the condescenion of his words. Without tone of voice, body language and facial expression words are everything....and his were unkind, unfriendly and inconsiderate at the least (3 points of Scout law)

Asking questions is how we learn and move from being a green leader to a lifelong Scouter. When your question is met with such derisivness there is a certain "why bother" that can set in.

IMHO

YiS

Michelle

Ed - I agree with you - not very uniform uniforming. Even if the boy opts for the Green and Tan, he can still choose to wear the blue belt because the sports/academic beltloops won't fit on the green. I don't care which one they go with, but I do wish there was "just one".

But, then again, National didn't ask me. LOL

YiS

Michelle

evmori - you weren't being argumentative, but I thought it might be helpful to give you the actually verbage on uniform choice.

Webelos Handbook - 2006 printing, Page 29 (coil bound version) - "As a Webelos Scout, you may choose between two uniforms. One is the blue uniform you wore as a Cub Scout. The other is the uniform you can take with you into Boy Scouting-the tan Boy Scout shirt and olive green trousers. You and your family choose which uniform you'll wear."

(yes, my Webelos book is in the car...almost all the time).

I hope this helps clarify.

YiS

Michelle

Cub Scouts not being allowed to cook outside would make Wolf Rank requirement 8e - "With an adult, help to plan, prepare, and cook an outdoor meal." very had to complete.

Perhaps the G2SS is referencing Non-adult supervised outdoor cooking? If not, then BSA needs to revisit either the Wolf Rank requirement or the G2SS needs to be tweaked for clarity on this point. At our council's Resident Camp Wolf/Bear/Webelos boys all cook outside (campsite cooking on Wedenesday evening is a highlight). One of the camp activities for Wolves and Bears is called "Akela's Kitchen" which is also about outdoor cooking.

That said - toasting marshmellows hardly seems like cooking, so I wouldn't see why a Cub Scout couldn't toast marshmellows.

YiS

Michelle