NealOnWheels

I recently took a flight and as we approached the destination gate I heard something along the lines of "We know you have many choices when choosing carriers and thank you for choosing XXX airlines"

The same is true of Scout camps.  If the camp cannot at least make an attempt to correct the situation they should not be surprised if that unit does not return next year.

The Charter Organization is responsible for selection.  They often use the committee to make a selection.  But ultimately the Charter Organization must approve the selection.

Could it be....

https://prabook.com/web/jonathan_chambers.teller/3528560

My first campout as a Scoutmaster I had a scout taken to the hospital by helicopter.  So yes - every campout since I had a lot of anxiety.  But it did put a lot of focus on safety and risk assessment.

A few years ago our troop our made a backpacking trek through nearby Grand Tetons.  This was the most beautiful trek I have ever been on.  We met someone from Australia backpacking solo.  He was in the US for a couple months and was traveling all over going to where he thought were the best backpacking locations.  He only had a few days left and was torn between visiting Yellowstone and Wind River before heading home.  He considered the Wind River the best backpacking the lower 48 had to offer but Yellowstone had thermal features that are rare and he might not otherwise have a chance to see.  Ever since then I wanted to go to Wind River.  I was so jealous of the guy.

Our troop always rolls our own.  Great adventures at a fraction of the cost of HA bases.

We have gone to Shenandoah National Park and Smokey Mountains National Park.  Both are practically in your back yard.

Shenandoah not so much wilderness.  The Appalachian Trail runs very near the main road.  You always here car traffic.  We took some side trails down the mountains and saw plenty of water falls and swimming holes.  But the side trails had heavy hiker traffic.

Smokey Mountains is huge you can find plenty of trails and if you are a few miles from any road you may only see a few other hikers in a day.  Campsites have bear bag hanging systems which is one less worry after a long day hiking.  If you get off the Appalachian Trail the trails run along streams where water is plentiful.  Water sources are always something to take seriously when in the wilderness.

I always wanted to try Daniel Boone National Forest  There are a lot of natural bridges and waterfalls.  Looks very nice.

Anther place I want to try is Dolly Sods.  I have heard it is a very beautiful place.

1 hour ago, HelpfulTracks said:

That is not even an option for most as the SOL expansion laws are for civil laws only. The SCOTUS has held that retroactive SOL laws were unconstitutional for criminal laws. 

But it can help in the future.  The sooner this can happen the better.

I have already heard one family a year ago say if we have to wear masks in Cub Scouts they would not participate.  I can only imagine what a vaccine requirement would do.

1 hour ago, ThenNow said:

I got a Saturday night hypothetical for youz guys. You’re a member of the LC Cone of Silence Brigade. You’re tasked with going through your share of a couple hundred Proofs of Claim. In your reading, you discover terrible things, credibly alleged, about a guy you go to church with or see at the bar or is a part of your hunting club. He abused more than one boy, you find. The SoL had run on all the claims. What do you do? How do you feel? How do you find yourself around him? Hm?

As a mandated reporter I would send these Proofs of Claims to law enforcement.  I don't know all the nuances of statue of limitation law.  Let law enforcement sort that out.

I would also make sure the individual is placed in the IVF.

Then my relationship with the individual will be forever changed.  I think, like you, I would want to avoid all interaction with him.  The only abuser I knew was arrested and never left jail before his conviction which made avoidance easy.  I remember feeling very disappointed in him.  I question myself today about whether I should have been aware enough of what was going on.  I am not sure what I would do if I encountered the person.

There should not be any issues.  You will pay only one registration fee.

Just don't stretch yourself out so thin you can't do either position well.

Talk to your troop.  Ask them if he is still on the roster.  If so great.  If not ask them to re-register him.  And make arrangements to make your payment.  Should not be a problem.

The council advancement committee is responsible for maintaining the council's merit badge list.  Start with them.  Perhaps you have a district representative?

Another option: Scoutmasters are supposed to have access to the list.  Ask a Scoutmaster.  They could tell you which ones you are approved to counsel.

When you say "letter of reflection" do you mean "statement of your ambitions and life purpose"?

If so then yes it is required before the Scoutmaster and Committee Chair sign.  It is part of Requirement #6.  By signing the Scoutmaster and Committee Chair are certifying that requirements 1 - 6 are complete.

Ok, here is how I would analyze this:

Does it fall under prohibited flying activities:

• Hang gilder - NO
• Ultralight - NO
• Experimental aircraft - NO if properly rated
• Non-tethered hot-air balloon - NO
• Search and rescue - NO

Does it fall under the exceptions:

• Commercial aircraft - NO
• Flying - YES but see Flying Plan Checklist
• Tethered hot-air balloon - NO

So it looks like  it is a PERMITTED activity provided I jump through all the hoops in the Flying Plan Checklist which among its many requirements includes an appropriate Airworthiness Certificate.

I predict the next revision of the Guide to Safe Scouting will explicity prohibit gliders.  

23 hours ago, Eagledad said:

So, you believe the conservative churches would be the ones leaving the United Methodist. That is interesting because, as you say, it's the international conservative churches that are preventing the the proposed changes. Seems like it would be the other way around. 

I have several friends in the conference, so I really should ask them. I just haven't wanted to bother them about it yet.

Barry

Yah I know what you mean but that is how the proposal reads.  I can imagine that it gets shot down in May's vote with the conservative faction asking "why should we leave?"

It is a proposal that may or may not be enacted at a vote in May.

The proposal allows the creation of a "Traditional Methodist" denomination to be split off of the current "United Methodist" denomination.  Individual conferences and/or local churches can elect to go the Traditional Methodist direction.  If they don't act they remain United Methodist.  If they have a vote they can switch to Traditional Methodist.

I am thinking many of the overseas conferences would go the Traditional Methodist route as the are generally much more conservative than the US part of the church.  Across the US I am thinking you will see individual local churches going both ways.  I can see turmoil at the local level as each church makes their decision.  There will be members that jump from one congregation to another over these decisions.  Or leave to different churches altogether to avoid the controversy.

In my own congregation there is a mix of conservative and liberal viewpoints many of them very strong.  I see this a bad situation brewing.  Hopefully I am wrong.

As far as Scouting goes?  I don't see much of an impact.  I know of no local Methodist church that has a negative relationship with Scouting even with the membership changes.  I would expect the same support from both denominations.

The advancement chair is correct.

Someone writing a letter of recommendation will be more open about a scout if they know the scout will not read it.  For the purpose of the requirement we want to have both the positive and negative.  Otherwise it becomes a mere box checking. 

"$500,000 for burial service"

Seems a tad bit high.

"leaving the boys to go on an unreasonably dangerous hike without any supervision" 

This is exactly why we can't have patrol activities without adult supervision.

See the latest Guide To Safe Scouting. 

https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34416.pdf

Look on page 85 for the section "Service Project Planning Guidelines".  "Look closely at page 88 for Health/Sanitation Considerations".  It seems to me it states participants should provide health forms available (I would think part A & B would be appropriate).

1 hour ago, HelpfulTracks said:

Ahhh, the ubiquitous records fire. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard our council or lodge lost their records in a fire. 

Apparently a whole lot of councils and lodges should have their firem’n chit taken away.

My council lost most of their records to a flood.  Because of that my online record shows I took Scoutmaster training in 1910.  

6 hours ago, mrkstvns said:

Spray on mosquito repellant before you leave your tent in the morning

Exit the tent first then apply.  Not a good idea to get repellents on the tent fabric.  Especially DEET which will attack the nylon. 

Might be "soft" but still larger than a tennis ball.

According to the Guide to Safe Scouting the pavilion was not a suitable safe building.

"Safe Building—one that is fully enclosed with a roof, walls, and floor, and has plumbing or wiring."

As far as I can tell the Guide to Safe Scouting only mentions the recommendations of the National Weather Service.  It does not say it is a requirement of scout units.  But I would not want to take chances with scouts.

The Hazardous Weather Training would be something good to review as well.