Basementdweller

I know of a troop that has a 13 year old SPL.

We lost most of our older boys. We have a couple very inexperienced PL's. Not doing a very good job, buy hey they are new. The adults leaders have discussed borrowing a SPL and ASPL from another troop that meets on a different night. Not recruiting away from the other troop but having them help train our PL.

What do you think?

You misinterpret my point. We GIVE the boys so many patches and awards that they have become meaningless.

My son has two brag vests full of patches. One is in his memory chest. He enjoys looking at them, but he does not have a single sleep in a tent patch or cooking for self patch. His vest is filled with marksman patches, resident and day camp patches, district and council event patches, trail hike patches and his pride and joy his 2 100 mile hike patches.

I routinely approach the cubs in our pack and ask them what the patches mean or how they earned them. An amazingly small number know exactly what the patch is for or what they did to earn it.

I enjoyed the video... I wish our council or district would put something like that together.

Well if the CM didn't take a look at the boys sleeping gear before dark he deserve to lose him.

I think we all agree that the quality of All scouting programs varies widely.

Had the young man attended our Packs outing, his bag would have been evaluated as inadequate and we would have put his bag inside one of the spares we brought for just this type of thing. We also have spare sleeping pads.

So you have a new troubled youth in a 6 boy patrol.

How will he impact the patrol? Patrol Leader?

How will he impact the troop?

Is it worth it to the troop or Patrol?

Because you are a Scout does not mean your a door mat.

I only call'm the way I read'm them and have you noticed EL has yet to respond.

If your gonna quote the rules make sure you know them.

Scoutfish I thought your post was pretty funny.

I understand the need for latitude and varied interpretations in the GSS. As noted what is acceptable in Florida isn't in Alaska, same goes for Urban vs Rural Scouting. Rich Vs Poor Scouting.

G2ss gotta love it.

I love the this taken from GSS "Avoid large sheath knives. They are heavy and awkward to carry, and unnecessary for most camp chores except for cleaning fish." What the heck does it mean exactly??????

Why not....sheath knives are prohibited. They are heavy and awkward to carry, and unnecessary for most camp chores except for cleaning fish.

Clean concise and to the point. Not much room for interpretation.

The previous synthetic swithback scout pants were fantastic, Just bought 4 pair on clearance.

Quick drying light weight convert to shorts, whats not to like??????

Eamon......it wasn't necessarily meant to be kind

"Hmmm....has anyone in your pack completed BALOO training? didn't anyone know that cubs don't tent camp below 40 deg. F? Anyone know how to watch the weather for the forecasted temperatures?"

How should a person take a post like that? I know turn the other cheek, nahhhhh

Just trying to give him pause to think before he posts next time.

(This message has been edited by a staff member.)

Nmap is no big deal. It is just a random scan, Just relax. this one of the reasons I consider norton a waste.

More importantly. Does your computer hook directly to your cable or DSL modem? If it does you should invest in a router, when properly set up it eliminates a lot of these false alarms.

For the record It was a COUNCIL function. We had a tour permit and beyond that point every boy was under the guidance of a parental unit. It was cold but not terrible, We had extra gear and double bagged the young men and parents with inadequate sleeping gear.

Gotta love internet experts.

The hiking patch getting awarded at the Troop Court of Honor was fantastic. None of the boy scouts in the troop have earned it. The Troop isn't that motivated for out door activities and the SM was hoping to use this to help motivating them.

Elyrialeader's quote for accuracy and truth

"Hmmm....has anyone in your pack completed BALOO training? didn't anyone know that cubs don't tent camp below 40 deg. F? Anyone know how to watch the weather for the forecasted temperatures?"

I am Baloo Trained and have now participated as an instructor. I call another scouting urban legend and ask ElyriaLeader to prove his Statement. Please provide a link to a source either directly at Scouting.org or your council's web site.

I look forward to your response and if I am incorrect and their is documentation I apologize.

Trying to help straighten out misinformed scouters one at a time

(This message has been edited by Basementdweller)

Well,

Had a Pack Camp out end of October.

Sleep in a tent

It dropped below freezing

Boy participated in Halloween District event.

They cooked breakfast sunday.

The CM Awarded them the District camp patch, Sleeping in a Tent patch, Polar Bear Patch for freezing weather, and a Cooking patch.

Too much for one outing. Why not just award the District camp patch and let that be it? No need for the rest.....It isn't about the money.

But we had a blast at the event, it was cold and I think the boys learned an appreciation of a big campfire.

Here is a funny, Our den has been hiking monthly the last three years. We invite the rest of the Pack but usually it is the den leader, his son, a scout, my son and me. The boys just hiked two hundred miles. There is a 100 mile patch and 500 mile patch and local trail patches the boys earned. The CM refuses to allow these to be awarded at the Pack meeting, Because "the other boys don't have the opportunity to earn them."

Ok, fine, The SM from our CO Troop gets wind of it and invites the Cubs to his Troops Court of Honor and awards the boys in front of the troop. Pretty cool if you ask me. He was using the Cubs trying to motivate his troop, He told my son he can't wait for him to cross over. Put a huge smile on his face.

I would be careful with ozone

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/ozonegen.html

Will damage a lot of stuff.

we us an ozonator to sterilize our Reverse Osmosis water loop and tank where I work.

I would hesitate to use it on a tent or backpack.

Inviting is that by email or phone.

How about showing up to a Weeb or Pack meeting?

I will bet some big money that the invite goes no further than the DL or CM. You need to get around the road block. Most boys love camping and the outdoors. But remember the age specific guidelines on the outings.

We have Weeb leaders that have no interest in camping and the outdoors. We take them, CM and ACM and go with the troop.

A little research the @#$%& have not sold it yet and have reduced the price.

http://tiny.cc/1EP5T

They sold my boyhood scout camp last year $1.4 million to a condo developer. Sad but it happens. My parents and I both donated to save the camp. The council refused and sold it....

A story circulating in the community is that a Brother to one of the council board members bought it.

I hope you have better luck than we did, but life goes on.

Our pack is in a large urban area, most of the boys are from broken homes. Single mom's, grandparents raising them. No or disinterested Fathers. Most of the mom's who are den leaders work and just won't deal with the young men and sibs at the meeting.

I set the example by disciplining my own at the meeting. Both of my have had their noses in the wall in front of the Pack and den for poor behavior. Several other parents have followed suit, I support them when the chose to discipline for poor behavior.

Another thing that helps is to make sure the den leaders are not addressed by their first names by the boys. Mr. Lane, Mrs. Brown, Miss Jones. shows authority, much like a school teacher. That made an amazing difference.

The problems you describe are common. I would have a parent meeting, let them know the expectations. I have had some success with it.

Blake

We grew up in a different world. I was running the woods with a bb gun at 7.....and grandpa's hog gun at 9. I had a sheath buck knife at 10 skinned many a wild critter with it. Black handled and razor sharp, still puts a smile on my face to this day.

But I was a country kid, I took that knife to school a bunch of times by accident in the pocket of my jacket. I hunted and trapped, bought my volkswagen beetle with money from coon and muskrat pelts.

But again, I had a father, multiple uncles and two Grandfathers educating me, sometimes with a leather belt. I had years of knife training from multiple instructors (male family members), Not one or two sessions with an untrained volunteer. MOST of the whittle chip training programs are really inadequate. Carving a bar of soap with a plastic knife for half an hour does not train a young man to handle a pocket knife let alone a heavy lock blade.

In all of the knife training I have witnessed The trainer was more worried about how the soap fish looked as opposed to how the result was achieved.

opps, rant off.

I would trust my son with any of the knives I own, I won't trust most of the boys in his den with a butter knife.

Discipline......

All of the positive re-enforcement things mentioned in the previous post help. Another thing that helps is a quality program that the boys are interested in. Fast paced, active, fun remember the boys have sat in school all day.

If you have a specific problem, get the CM involved and have a conference with the offending youth and his parents. Interestingly enough, some of our rudest young men are the ones with parents present at the meeting.

Chai......

Your gonna recommend a 8 year old carry a knife like that???????? Way to big.

I am going to respectfully disagree. That knife is way to much for an 8 or 9 year old. Most young men in scouting are either in urban or suburban settings and that knife will cause problems.

I have a number of Gerber and Buck knives all very nice. But I carry my original scout knife when in uniform. Setting an example for the boys to follow.

I would caution a den leader on recommending a knife. It isn't like recommending a sleeping bag or canteen.

My Bear son carry's a standard issue cub scout knife. Nothing fancy. When he gets older he can purchase what he likes. It isn't like a knife is $1000.

Holy toledo guys

BOR are not pass fail. He didn't fail anything, they simply are saying he needs a little more work.

The BOR reasoning seems sound to me. I wonder what else is going on. If he was in the POR why did he only function only once or twice in six months.......what else is going on?

how about a link directly to the Official website

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/BoyScouts/Resources/Conservation%20Good%20Turn.aspx

It says you can do it as den.

Ditch the cot you will be warmer. At least 10 people who have some experience told you to do it. Add one more.....

When on the ground you can toss a blanket over you and it makes a big difference.

To be real honest I think your wearing way too much into the bag. I am a single layer of long johns and hat with cord to tie under the chin. Remember you have to warm the air in the bag before you will be warm. too many layers no warm bag. I stick my cloths for the coming day in a stuff sack and use that for a pillow.

Gloves in a sleeping bag. I have done it but it was a windy -12. then they were just the liners.

I am gonna have to disagree with the wool socks, my experience with my kids is that the socks fit relatively tight and restrict blood flow. They recommend camp booties or loose fitting socks.

You can get a really reasonable 15-20 degree bag at wally world. I would do that instead of struggling with all that clothing.(This message has been edited by Basementdweller)