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msnowman

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Everything posted by msnowman

  1. I can second or third or fourth the fact that 1 shirt won't last all the way thru Boy Scouts. Nephew's tan shirt as a Webelos was a Men's Small. He just moved out to a Men's XXL "because at least that stays tucked in". YiS Michelle
  2. Wow - I'm chasing fgoodwin all over the place today. He's right - blue versus tan is a family choice and can be made anytime. In our Pack the new Webelos are usually thrilled to leave the blue shirt behind - they want to be The Big Guys, so most of them change shirts before they head off to Resident camp. However, we have had a boy or two stay in blue until he outgrew it. If a parent asks what I would recommend (many do ask) I tell them that "unless it matters to Johnny, I wouldn't change his shirt and his patches until he outgrows his blue shirt". Some boys want the same color shirt as
  3. Our boys liked picking their den emblem - it made them feel important and helped w/ the mental transition from Cubs to Boy Scouts. As fgoodwin says - some groups limit it to second year Webelos, though I'm not sure why. Also - as he did, we limit them to standard patrol patches - otherwise they had free reign. At the first Webelos meeting of the year (for us that is September) the Webelos worked w/ their den chief to pick a den emblem and den name. Then they set about making their den flag (sort of like a Boy Scout Patrol would do) to take with them to Webeloree. At each event the Webelo
  4. When Nephew was looking for service hours this winter it was amazing the number of places that turned him down - including the local library. Apparently the library only wants your money, not your time. I hope you have far better luck at your local library. Ultimately he did some time at a larger library in a neighboring town (in the children's room). He also volunteered for the school's BEAR night (Be Enthusiastic About Reading) that ended up being postponed. He also cleaned dog kennels for the local animal control officer. Now that it is spring there are always parks to be cleaned up,
  5. If RR is that close to BSA, then the boy shouldn't have any problem going up thru the ranks and earning his Eagle the right way. The skills should already be in place, so then he just has his time to put in - just like every other boy. Good for him for earning Royal Rangers highest award - he probably worked very hard for it. If he wants to earn Boy Scouting's highest award he should work equally hard for it. YiS Michelle
  6. Sorry Gold Winger - I was just shooting for a change in mindset....how about "boys THINK a mother will pick up after them"? YiS Michelle(This message has been edited by msnowman)
  7. AFAIK it is First Grade or 7 years old. It seems that (at least around here) most first graders are 6 years old...or turn 7 sometime during the school year. Heck, with my birthday I didn't turn 7 until a week after I started second grade. Age versus grade based would seem to me to be a local choice. We go grade based - probably out of habit, but it does at least seem that with grade based the dens would be a bit more stable, less in and out during the course of a program year. Also, since many Packs run a school year program, grade based seems to fit that style program better than
  8. Welcome gagnier65 to the boards. Our Webelos work with their Den Chief to come up with a short list of things they would like (usually everybody has a favorite). From there they simply use a straightforward vote, with the Den Chief empowered to break ties if the boys ultimately can't settle upon one on their own. "Do you really want to be the Grunting Gophers or would you rather be the Radioactive Dragons of Fate?" Sometimes its a cool name that makes the decision. Oh yea - remember - you aren't a den mother (that name went out a while ago). You are a Den Leader - mothers clean up a
  9. Well, after being unable to find the wool-lite I ran Nephew's sash thru the laundry, in cold, with the rest of his camp clothes. The red didn't run...but fortunately the mud did come out...so his sash is clean, albeit a bit stained. Perhaps that is the compromise for the Clean vs Dirty - Clean, but with well earned stained...no need to leave caked on mud and...aroma ps - he is the one that asked to have his sashed washed, not the laundress. YiS Michelle
  10. Glad I came here before I started laundry from the weekend Camporee. Nephew was on the call out team, so his sash went camping and came home....less than pristine. I'll take it out of the general laundry and do it w/ woolite, in case the red would like to run. Perfect timing Michelle
  11. This post has been very helpful. Nephew is sitting his Life BOR this weekend at camporee and has a few ideas for potential projects. Now I know things I can do to help him towards a successful presentation - Plenty of ink and paper for the printer, load Word onto his computer for his workbook (he uses notepad for school work) and lots of support. This also gives me a heads up to the frustrations and headaches he will probably run in to - at which time I can have asprin and an encouraging word for. Thanks all YiS Michelle
  12. Something I forgot that is hugely popular (though it may be a regional thing) is our Christmas Cookie Walk. Our December activity is usually "show based" - this past year the Webelos I & II put on a "slightly twisted version of Twas the Night Before Christmas". But one of the things we do afterwards is a cookie walk. If you are unfamiliar with a cookie walk it is pretty fun. First you ask each family in the Pack to bake/buy/otherwise provide a couple of dozen cookies (type is unimportant). You give each child a decorated coffee cans (usually wrapped in holiday paper) and a baggi
  13. Meetings are boring, you sure have that right. One thing we've started doing (since I read it on a helpful message board) is to stop calling our Pack Meetings "meetings". If you start thinking of them in a fun way, eventually you will plan them in a fun way. For example - our March Pack meeting was focused on getting the parents to sign their little darlings up for camp. So, on the Pack calendar it became "March Camping Madness" - I set up a "campsite" complete w/ tent, campfire (electric), chairs, camping gear, etc. It got the boys excited and asking questions. They all wanted to see the insi
  14. There are lots of interesting posts here. Lots of different views. Just thought I'd add - the next generation of Uniform Police are coming along nicely. At the Scout show 2 weeks ago Nephew says to me "I can't believe how much bad uniforming there is here....there's a Bear in a tan shirt, a Webelos with red loops. Can i go say something?" Ah, they grow up so fast. YiS Michelle
  15. Wow - that ESLP uniform thread got...lively I guess it what I'll go with. So? When (outside of Den/Pack/Troop meetings) is it okay to wear the uniform? Someone on the ESLP uniform thread asked is it okay to let Cubs wear their uniform to school on the day they have a den meeting. How about on the day someone from the Pack will be going in to visit the classrooms as part of spring or fall recruiting? How about while performing the service hours needed to get from Star to Life? Do they always wear their uniform? Or should it fit the service? Nephew wore his uniform for his servi
  16. Congratulations to your son. He perservered when many may have quit, good for him. YiS Michelle
  17. We're lucky - our Pack meetings are on Sunday afternoons so we don't conflict with most youth sports. During wrestling we have a boy or two miss here or there for a tournament, but routine practices don't effect us much. Sure would hate be a Tuesday evening group - you must get decimated. Best wishes to all of you out there keeping things running even when the boys are elsewhere running bases or laps. YiS Michelle
  18. Fscouter - Nobody has been telling him horror stories. We talked about BORs a bit at our Den meetings so he would have an idea of what was coming up on his Scouting trail. He knows that its mostly a matter of answering questions from adults who care about him and his progress in Scouting (and by extension - life, school, church, etc). Its just that this particular boy is so...shy/nervous/afraid that he can become almost uncommunicative. He knows he isn;t going to get raked over the coals - but you know kids (heck, adults too) can build up the unknown into a frothing monster. Like I said i
  19. pack - you hit it right on the head. I think as he progresses it will become less and less of an issue. In Cubs he went from refusing to get out of his seat for any award to hiding behind mom or dad but at least standing up front to standing beside his Den Chief to quietly get his awards....all big steps in his self-confidence. My original feeling was that a friendly face at Tenderfoot (to get the scary unknown out of the way) would be a better set up for future successes than throwing up on his shoes and quitting because he is afraid of the unknown. Ages and Stages - one of a
  20. Thanks for the replies. This would be his first BOR and we have talked about BORs before, when he was a Web II, so I know he is a little nervous. If asked, I will sit his BOR with a clear conscience and an open mind - just like I would for any other boy. Thanks again. Michelle
  21. Since BORs seem to be the topic d'jour both here and in Nephew's troop, I thought I'd bring my question up. 1 - I'm a committee member for Nephew's troop and as such, I have sat on several BORs from T to Star (my first Life BOR is coming up next month). 2 - I'm also CM and was DL & WDL for 1 of the new scouts in this Troop. 3 - This new Scout is PAINFULLY shy, especially with people he is uncomfortable with...often reverting to mumbling or whispering if he is extremly nervous. I'm reasonably certain I will be asked to sit on this boy's BOR. I'm torn on whether I should or not
  22. So does this mean I could have held Santa Claus liable for the Christmas tree I ran over w/ my Camero? Yes, its true - I ran over a Christmas tree...it was in the middle of the road and its awfully dark at 6:30 in the morning in January in Maine. Michelle
  23. Its a non-issue here - our kids on school vacation this week and since April 25th is Friday I don't foresee them going to school just to not talk. FWIW Michelle
  24. JeffD - I apologize for misunderstanding what she wanted. In that case, IMHO, if she (or anybody) wants to do the fun stuff they have to be willing to do the hard stuff too. Cub Scout camping should be for and about Cub Scout families...which can include leaders w/o current Cub aged boys....but it shouldn't be "general public" camping... Again - I apologize for misunderstanding. YiS Michelle
  25. Our Pack currently has 3 registered and active adults who's boys have been out of the Pack for a number of years. Our current Webelos I leader plans on staying at the Pack level next year when her son moves over to the Troop. Great, wonderful for us...maybe now we can get someone training to the Pack Trainer position, as well has having an experienced Cub Scouter to mentor new leaders/parents as they join the Pack. Why do these people (myself included) stay at the Pack level when their boys are long gone? I can only speak for myself when I say it is just for the boys. That's it, no other
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