Basementdweller

I have been on the receiving end of the wood badge elite status thing and have a negative image of it and the program.

Blake You missed my point completely. The cost of membership is participation. Blake nice job making yourself and your program superior line by line. I feel sad for you and the lack of connection between yourself, the youth and adults you serve. Your program maybe perfect, ours is far from it. Inexperienced poor youth from the near inner city. We make do. All come from almost exclusively single parent families, grandparent, mom or dad has to stay home with the siblings or work, we do not have enough volunteers, probably never will. Not an excuse or complaint just the way

I am one of the Good Old Boys. I am one of the Good Old Boys who make sure your scout is advancing. I am one of the Good Old Boys that makes sure the wet troop gear is dried I am one of the Good Old Boys who takes the patrol to the grocery store to buy their grub. I am one of the Good Old Boys who brings extra sleeping bags, rain coat, coat, long underwear for the scout who is unprepared. I am one of the Good Old Boys who has a loaf of bread and PB&J just in case the Patrol meal doesn't turn out. I am one of the Good Old Boys who responds to the cry in the nig

Did you read in the previous the previous post $300 doesn't get you what I would hope "This doesn't include food and lodging for overnighters, it doesn't cover den dues, day camp, resident camp, or any big outings. " I wonder what is going on for sure. For $300 we could sent them to day camp, resident camp, books, neckerchiefs and full uniforms and all outings. That is a crazy amount of money.

At the Tiger, Wolf and bear level Akela can be the Parent, Den leader or any other adult. In Webelos that nonsense stops. Akela is the Den leader, Parents don't sign off requirements. A scout is trust worthy. Let them get the rank advancement.

Wow Never heard that first definition of Thunder. Scoutfish did you take your severe weather training yet?

Scoutfish, It is still a violation of YP policy. You are never to transport a scout not your own solo. There is no trumping policy. Even with permission, what if the young man said something happened. Youth protection has absolutely nothing to do with permission, custody or anything else. Asm as stated you made the best choice possible in a sticky situation.

Bear dad, In re-reading your post I have a few questions for you to think about. You mentioned the families are struggling???? What level are they struggling, new cars, latest smart phones, lots of boats, cars and hobbies. Or putting cloths and shoes on the kids. I have had Struggling parents come by the house to fill out Campership applications in their Excursion and with her freshly manicured nails she answers a phone call on her Droid. Believe it or not the Campership committee approved her son. Do they complain at the expense or just not sign their scout up?

That is why you need to come up with a Per scout cost to deliver your program. There was a thread last week on this subject. From this figure you can set Den Dues, popcorn sales expectations or other methods of getting this cost covered. The base cost for Scouting is $15 buck? Absolutely everything else is an extra. You don't need a uniform, you don't need belt loops, books, camp outs, pinewood derbys, day camps or resident camps. Why hold of belt loops?? Why not come up with your own less expensive way to recognize the accomplishment? Wall chart? Plaque made by a handy d

Small packs are often under the control of a Monarch/Dictator. Husband/CM/CC/Web DL and Wife Treasurer/Secretary/Bear DL, CM brother is ACM/CM/Wolf DL Sister in law den leader/CM/Tiger DL. He does as he please rules or not. Seen it that too. Saw cubs shooting 22's at a private hunting camp, Mentioned to the CM that it wasn't permited, he responded with this isn't a cub camp out but a family camp out where we happen to be working on Cub scout requirements. So you are correct that there are good and bad Pack large and small.

Nice, so the cost of your program is $300 per year. $220 plus 30% of $310. The boys I serve could not afford that. So do you refer them to a less expensive Pack???? Sad. that's all I have to say

Why do you need a ceremony???? Wouldn't the boys enjoy some cake or cookies and time together instead of being stuck in a ceremony. I was an air force child moving as my fathers post changed and I sat thru a few goodbye ceremonies and will say that I would have rathered been allowed to be with my friends and played one last time. Ask the young man what he would like.

Look where you are pitching it. Pitch it down wind of a smaller more wind resistant dome tent. Double stake and do not pitch it under a tree. I would probably add some additional tie down ropes. double them up. Stake at angles. Your cheap wire stakes that came with the tent are less than worthless in high wind. You need something more substantial. I like Mil issue stakes but it is a little late for that, some of the big yellow plastic ones from wally world may work. Make sure you get the long ones, you have wind and wet, they will pull out. Plastic Ground Cloth al

Last weekend we camped with the Pack in a torrential down pour and for brief periods high winds. It was no big deal, But camping in the rain is a lot less fun than in the dry. I really enjoy waking up in the middle of the night an listening to the rain on the tent. A little liquid sun shine makes you appreciate the real stuff even more. Everyone in the Troop tents were dry. Everyone in the nylon mansions and the Ozark trail tents were very wet. The ones that were the issue did not have full fly coverage. Or mom left the tarp sticking out to put their shoes on, y

That is a lot of money for a cub pack of 20 to have. Superior money management or bleeding the boys. With that said, I would ask the committee if there is long term plans for the cash. I would let the other parents know what is afoot. Ideally the Pack ledger should net zero for the year, the way I see it anyhow. If there is a surplus then your charging too much for the program.

I thought the point of the new program was all of the advancement was to do all of the advancement in the den meeting. I agree that they are Methods, But would you like to lose a young man over Cost of the program, book, or uniform. I would like to keep the cost of the program low and not inflate the cost by adding it to program cost. I have not seen the new program so I cannot make a decision on "required". I will say that it is a nice touch to include it in the program and saves a parent the trip to scout shop for this gear. But the flip side is adds to the program

Basic budget Registration $35 Awards $30 PWD $15 LDR TRNING $5 Pack/Den Fee $20 crafts, costumes, snacks Total of $105 Sooooo, why do you buy the boys books and neckerchiefs???? These are optional items. A boy does not need a book, neckerchief or uniform.

Our large neighboring pack owns their own BB guns, archery equipment, Canoes and camping gear. Yes canoes and they use them on the river. It is impossible to compete with them and we lose boys to them because of it. then you get questions from parents as to why we cannot do the before mentioned events, how do you answer, "well we are following the rules". Sure their program offers more activities but they are violating bsa's guidelines. DE refuses/cannot to do hing about it.

do you own your own BB guns and Archery equipment????

What about campership from the council?? If the boy is truly in need I have asked for help from the Church. I arrive in uniform and at the appointed time I do my sales pitch to the congregation. I ALWAYS have enough donations to get the boys to camp after asking the church members. I always follow up with a flyer with picture and stories from the boys and a thank you to the church. I have a problem with helping the boys out. Especially cub level, parents tend to get a sense of entitlement. The boys need understand where the money comes from and have an appreciation for th

All of the walgreens and CVS phamacys in our area have minute clinics that will do camp physicals for $35

LDS have their own week at summer camp, there own district and council events. They don't mingle with us common folk. Ghost unit is a great analogy. They are just another scout unit and should be treated no different than any other scout unit. Bacchus, I believe your just Trolling at this point.

How sad! 50 miles is a big deal??? Someone needs to work on their program. Outdoor section could use some work. My son and I do that on weekend hikes in a month. The Webelo son is pretty close to crossing the 1000 mile mark. He has worn out, not out grown 3 sets of hiking boots. We are going to backpack the Shenandoah national park in June over about a 10 day period, roughly of course. that is about 100 miles.

LT You state they cannot start working on the new rank until the old one is complete. Not true, the youth or parent can chose not to complete that rank. But the essence of your statement is correct, they cannot work on multiple ranks at the same time. As a matter of fact our council is making a big push to recruit the boys graduating from kindergarten this month. Westcoast Every single unit I have been involved with advance their boys at the end of the school year. let me put it to you this way. Your son has been a wolf all year, earned the rank and electives. Wou

Scoutfish, I am going to bet you would be very surprised at the amount of skeletons in the closets of the people you know. It is absolutely none of our business what any of these parents did in the past. Now if they want to become a volunteer, well that is a different story. What I can do is follow BSA guidelines. Now in all honestly, you have never, ever done anything in your past that is not embarrassing, humiliating or even remotely criminal.