msnowman

RJScout - The Way of the Webelos is the rank ceremony I wrote for our Pack. I hadn't been able to find anything last year that I liked so I wrote this one. If you are interested PM me and I'll send it along. YiS Michelle

Our Blue & Gold was yesterday. We had expected 80 people, had about 65 show up. That's not bad for a Pack with just 18 boys. We did a Wild West Theme w/ parents bringing potluck dishes based on that idea. As always, our Guys Cake Bake was a big success...the fan favorite award went to the "Buffalo Chip" cake LOL. We had Bull Roping (wooden bull), handed out awards, the Den Chiefs did a Skit, the boys shared stories, etc. We also presented rank to our Tigers (with our Painted Tiger Ceremony) and to our Webelos I's (Way of the Webelos). We were originally going to do an Arrow of Light

Nephew is on his second pair of Switchbacks. He got his first just after they came out (was that really Aug, 06?). They had some pilling but were holding up okay until NYLT. He jabbed a hole in them (stick on a hike) early in the week and kept futzing w/ it until he got home. It has been patched and the pants are still servicable (after all, a Scout is Thrifty). These are now the "camp and crap" pants. I bought him new ones for Christmas which are the current "ceremonial" pants...at least til both pairs head off to summer camp. Yea, I know - that's the adult in me...only wanting to see

Turks heads are very popular here and there is no conflict (here anyway) w/ Woodbadgers as ours are not made out of leather. A turks head from parachute cord looks entirely different than one made from leather. The Troop SM even held a Turks head making class for the youth and any adults who wanted to learn. Maybe you can pick a "Den Color" and make all the slides out of that. Nephew has a variety of turks heads, in a variety of colors. For summer camp he takes a zip lock baggie full of rope slides...then he has a spare for anybody who loses one. YMMV YiS Michelle

Camping at Fort Wilderness? Woohoo, I'll join too. LOL Good luck with the recruiting. You're right, FW might be a nice place to invite new scouts to. As far as B&G goes - if you don't have the resources to put together a potluck supper how about a potluck dessert buffet or ice cream social? Those don't take quite as much planning and $$, especially for a smaller group. YiS Michelle

ccrumpton - take a deep breath and hold it until you want to explode and then let it out in one long exhale. Feel any better now? Its not so long ago that I was in a very similar position - 8 boys in Pack, myself and 2 other adults trying to tread water to keep things going, apathetic (at best) parents. It will get better. I second (and third and fourth) all the suggestions about getting training for you and anybody else you can get there. Does your District have a trainer that they would be willing to send to you? Perhaps you could bring all the parents together and have a training

To those who communicate soley (or at least primarily) by internet based means (email, website, groups, etc) - how do/would you handle a family w/o internet? Strange as it may sound there are still people who, for their own reasons, choose not to have internet, computers, etc. If you send nothing home on paper than it would seem to me that these people would be left out of the group. Don't get me wrong, I love communicating via email - its my prefered method. However, the majority of families in our Pack don't use email on a regular basis (most are still stuck with dial up). Yours in Sco

I don't know any G options that haven't already been given, but for older boys "Braveheart" is the one Nephew watched with his Counselor's approval. YiS Michelle

In our area most units (including ours) are observing Scout Sunday on Sunday, Feb 10th....because whoever set the date for the Klondike Derby decided it would go well on the first weekend in February, so most boys wouldn't be back in time (or in clean condition) for Church. However, next Sunday they will be looking sharp in their uniforms, doing readings, offering, ushers, etc. Then they will help serve luncheon after services. YiS Michelle

Old Grey Eagle says "So, 6-8 year old girls can go away to camp most often by themself and boys, 11 years old cant go to camp with guys they know and adults as well..." Our council runs a week long, Cub Resident Camp for Wolves thru Webelos II. This means those boys who just finished Tigers in June can (and actually do) go to resident camp....without mom or dad....with Pack adults. Its rarely the boys that have a problem being away from home for a week, rather its the parents who get "boy-sick". By the time these guys get to Boy Scout camp they are as familiar with the camp rules/property

Hail and well met! I hope you enjoy your time on this board. Yours in Scouting Michelle

Hopefully you will get some good suggestions here. I wish I had one to share, but, unfortunately I'm not thrilled w/ the Wolf ceremony we used last year, so I'm also looking for a new suggestion. So come all - share with us. (insert big, cheesy grin here). Yours in Scouting Michelle

Our Pack meetings are on the last Sunday of the month from 3pm to about 4pm (we have 18 boys). When there are a lot of awards (like September with our Camp Awards to be handed out) it runs a bit longer. Our PWD this past weekend ran til 5pm. As a general rule we don't adhere tightly to the monthly themes. The individual den leaders are free to use them if they want to. Each den is expected to "do something" each month - even if its just to come up and tell/show us what they did during the past month. Most dens do that as well as a skit or song. Our den chiefs (we are lucky and have 3) us

While you will find nothing in the book to disallow "double dipping" (except for a couple of very specific Webelos/Arrow of Light requirements), I agree with the above posters that most activities should only be counted once. That being said - since this is still Cub Scout level, and making the leap that it is not Webelos - the parents are still, ultimately, the final say. If Johnny's mom says he has done Ach 5E and Elective 3A you pretty much have to accept that. Of course, mom/dad/guardian pencilwhipping or taking the easy way thru rank will make things tougher for their Scout once he

Earlier this month we attended and ECOH for a boy from Nephew's Troop. This boy had earned his Eagle last summer but between staffing camp and starting college he didn't have time for his ECOH. Well, his stepfather (Scouter) organized it for him and it was a wonderful blend of Youth and Adult run. There were a few humorous stories (mostly from peers) and a few "awww" moments (mostly adults). It was all very nicely done. One moment that proved to be special for him was something I was able to help make happen. He attends the same military university that my boss (A Scouter) graduated from

Lisabob - thank you for reminding me that my decision to bridge our sole Webelos II into the troop the day AFTER Chillout is better than the week before. Klondike here isn't the big winter challenge - everybody sleeps in the Academy gym, so that would easy for new guys. However, Chillout requires sleeping in a tent, in Maine, in Febrrrruary. That's something that most new crossovers aren't ready to do. But, the Web I's and II are going out for the day. I say go with option B - let them visit on Saturday. YiS Michelle

Because so many people use the internet to get PWD ideas, and because rules vary some by Council (or District, or Pack) we always hold a PWD meeting where we hand out car kits and Council rules. Our Council does not allow ANY modifications to the wheels AND requires all 4 wheels to be touching. We also can't alter the axle slots or change the wheelbase and must by under 3 inches tall. It is interesting though to see the variations allowed by different Councils on the race. Its a good reminder that Irving sets the base rules, but your actually mileage may vary. YiS Michelle

And sometimes fun is in the eye of the beholder. Last Sunday, for something different, Nephew's troop was going to go sledding. This required a 1 mile hike down an unplowed dirt road to the sledding site. But when they got there sledding was forgotten for a good, ole snowball fight. When they came back two hours later they were cold, wet, red-faced, breathing hard and grinning from ear to ear. Yea, I know - it probably violated the G2SS for aiming projectiles at human beings....but it was done w/ the SM, ASM & CC in attendance. YiS Michelle

Don't call me Shirley. Gosh I love that movie. Bought a copy for Nephew a couple years ago (along w/ Ferris Bueller) so he'd understand the "a brooch, a lovely hat" ref.

Thank you all for offering your views. You all have certainly given me plenty to consider the next time this bridge is placed before me. As Beavah says - this is one of those boys that other adults seem to like well enough, but he gets under my skin. Thus I don't believe I would have been able to be impartial. If it was just a matter of not believing he was living up to the expectations of being a Boy Scout I would have sat on the BOR simply to see those addressed. Again - thank you to everybody who has ventured forth an opinion. I'm sure this subject will come up again. I will be p

I am a registered committee member for Nephew's Troop. As such I have been asked to sit on BORs for different boys and generally enjoy doing so. However, for the second time in a year I have politely declined to sit on a BOR for one specific Scout. At both refusals the CC was, shall we say, irked. I didn't hedge, hem and haw about it. I simply said "No, I'd rather not." When asked why I truthfully answered that I disliked the boy in question and didn't feel it would be appropriate for me to sit on his BOR. I know, I'm supposed to like all the boys simply because they are Boy Scouts.....bu

1Vigil - A boy can make it all the way to bridging over in blue if his family chooses, which means they are still buying a new uniform(plus shoulder loops) when he moves from Cubs to Boy Scouts. Granted, by the time most boys are Web II's they are in Tan/Green, but there still isn't anything that says they have to be (unless I've missed a recent update). The Australian uniforms aren't too bad, though I do agree they look a bit like fast food workers. YiS Michelle

Nephew had suggested a winter, pre-dawn hike for his Troop that was met with (mostly) positive results. The hike was yesterday, with everybody meeting at the trail head at 0445. 1 boy who had been absent for the last 2 months came, while one of the regular boys stayed home. The SM, ASM and Mrs. SM all went. Nephew said it was hard because of the snow but it was great. "I puked all the way up the mountain!" When asked about the sun rise "that was nice too". He's looking forward to doing it again. He left his PSP home for his hike and didn't miss it (much). YiS Michelle

Nephew's Troop meets every Sunday from 1830-2000. Right now they are trying something new, having a PLC in place of a Troop meeting once a month (small enough troop that everybody has a PLC role). They also camp at least once a month, except for December. They do still have an outing planned for December - SPL (Nephew) suggested a pre-dawn hike up a local mountain to watch the sunrise. That's what the Troop is doing just before New Years. YiS Michelle

Its great that he wants to run again - so many SPL's seem to tire of the responsibility just as they gain the experience to see it run smoother. Kudos to you for helping him have a successful first run. YiS Michelle