Basementdweller

I was under the impression that the uniform was the great equalizer. At Brown Sea rich and poor boys alike wore the same uniform, making them equals. I have seen the same thing with adults at scouting events.

Probably the best scout I have met todate has been a guy with a district patch, troop number and that was about it. In talking with him he was an eagle and did just about everything in scouting and didn't feel the need to advertise it.

I went home and took all of my decorations off my shirt. He is the guy I aspire to be.

Look outside your district or council for training. My home district is very weak on training so I just went to another district to get the training I needed. There is more than one way to skin a cat.

As a young man my father was too busy to be much of an influence in my life. Lucky for me I had an uncle and a neighbor who went camping with me, including several father son camp outs. Of course the world is a different place now. I slept in tents with each of them.

Call me names. BUT, is it worth the risk to take cubs on a camp out with out his parent? So what is the appropriate ratio????? 2 scouts to 1 adult???? There are boys who would have no problems and there are others I would not trust them as far as I could throw them. The problem is you cannot just select boys to go.....everyone has to be allowed to go.

The "troublemakers" are the ones who will go for sure, they are always the first dropped off at meetings and the last to be picked up. Don't lecture me, we are low dollar babysitters for their parents. Opps I am ranting. Maybe a bit frustrated.

I just took Baloo training and the instructor said no boy ever sleeps in a tent alone.

The problem with on line forums is anonymity. You can say anything with little fear of embarrassment, retribution or any sort of punishment. Every forum has a personality of it's own. There are personalities here that have some history of interacting, in my brief period here I have read some postings that border on personal attacks. Kind of ashame.

There are self proclaimed experts. It is internet advice, treat it as such.

A parting thought.

I have been wrong many times before and I will be wrong may times in the future. The only thing you can do it try to do better.

We did a non-native species weed clean up at a local park. We went for a hike after and picked up trash along the way.

Check with your city park, TV and newspaper and state parks as they either know whats going on or have a project scheduled.

You played a bit of a role in the problem. They already have a list of electives in the book, right? If you had not sent the list home this situation would not have happened. You merely made it easier for them.

It is a no win

So your talking a family camp out? Because cubs and tigers do not camp except on family camp outs.

I don't think BSA is anti camping, It is all about youth protection. Cub camping is family camping, every cub is required to have responsible adult with them. Did all the Dads stay? It was all Dads and boys right? If it wasn't and everyone was sharing the same sleeping quarters that is another bag of worms.

To me it makes no difference if they are in the woods or the CO basement.

Too big a risk. It just takes one accusation to ruin everything. Follow the guidelines and file the permits and you are protected.

Btw our scout troop has an electronic camp out in our CO's building. Notice I said our Troop. They play video games all night and what B horror films. What fun! It has gotten popular to the point we are planning to invite another troop over for the fun.

Being Baloo trained you know that den camping is limited to weeblos. Calling it a camp in does nothing to change that.

http://www.scouting.org/CubScouts/Activities/Adults/camping.aspx

Respect

I do not automatically respect anyone in a scouting uniform. Since my return I have met alot of scouting folks some with many knots and do dads, and others with none, and others with none who I suspect probably have a bunch.

IMHO scouting has more people as members who may warrant immediate respect, but it should not be automatic based on something as trivial as colored square knots.

I met an elder member this weekend who had absolutely nothing on his uniform other than council patch troop number. He earned my respect thru his knowledge, confidence and respect he showed the members of our training group. By far the best person I have met in scouting since my return.

The "woods" especially on the east coast and mid west have changed since I was a kid, early 70's. Where I grew up we never saw bears, now they are common. I am told that my father saw a cougar in one of the back pastures one morning just after new years. Yikes.

Over xmas while visiting my parents house I was taking my son to see my old tree house in the woods. As we got ready my father handed me his hand gun and said just take it with you. A 70 year old farmer packing a hand gun on his own farm whats up with that. He said that most of the barn cats are gone. they had 30 or so at one point and they are down to about 5. Coyotes eating them.

We are not the very top of the food chain any more. Especially if your alone.

It is sometimes better to remain anonymous when asking questions regarding politics or things going bad in the pack or troop. Better to get answers here than start a fight here.

If I want to network, I will do it at round table, camps or other local events.

I have SA and have lived with it for bout 10 years now. I use a cpap machine nightly and to be real honest if I do not use it I will be a mess. Grumpy and confused is an understatement.

I camp with the boys and use several deep cycle battery's for week long camping with no power. The batterys weigh in the neighborhood of 40 pounds each and that is with a GoodKnight 420G which would easily fit in a backpack and is 12 volt powered. It only weighs 1.7 pounds, but the battery pack for 7 hours is 8 pounds. With a deep cycle battery I can get three nights with this particular cpap machine.

There are other options to fix SA, just depends on what type he has. Surgery and dental appliances may help, he just needs to talk with his doctor.

I camp a bunch with my machine just ask, I will try to help.

Boy have times changed. The fathers who accompanied us on the boy scout trips of my youth drank , smoked cigars and played cards late into the night.

I don't remember anyone saying anything. It was no big deal.

Good example. I don't know, but again this was small town american and everyone was friends and no one had an agenda. We were just glad that our Dad's came along.

BSA related, I was under the impression that Blackfoot was a national thing, I guess not.

What other training leadership training would be on par or superior to Wood Badge for BSA application?

With all of the bashing of wood badge I was hoping to find out what the alternative is.

There is a lot of bickering about advanced Leadership training. I missed out on Blackfoot this year, I am attending next year for sure. If Wood Badge isn't it then what else is out there? I have 4 years before my son is old enough for Boy Scouts, I would like to be in a position to be of value to his troop when he is ready.

Let the Debate begin?

I have had this conversation many times. The American consumer is too blame. You are standing at the auto parts counter needing brakes. You are given a choice American made pads and rotors or the 1/3 the price chinese version. A moral dilemma for sure.

Another question is there a Boy Scout program in China?

The cubs really enjoyed the Charles in Space program and the really neat patch. Is there any other programs like it?

While on the subject, at the maple syrup festival I noticed cubs from other packs had patches for some sort of a shooting program on their brag vest, Any guess as to what the program is? More importantly where can I get the literature for our group to prepare. I understand that shooting sports can only be participated at a scout camp range. But beginning prep is always good.

Thanks for all of your responses. Excellent ideas.

Horizon you bring up a valid point. The merit badges I earned at summer camp were the typical canoeing, rowing, wilderness survival, orienteering along those lines. I probably wouldn't or couldn't have earned them any other way. In those days they didn't offer merit badge weekends or if they did we were not privy to the information.

To sum extent you are correct, The merit badges earned at camp took much less effort.

I stand corrected........Spring project, The other leaders called it an easter project. I like the pot and seed thing and the egg roll. Thanks a ton. Fantastic ideas. So what sort of markers did you use to decorate the pots? Multicolored sharpies? or paint pens? Plus this will help with completing a tiger elective.

Some trivia for you

How far is it from Key West Florida to Anchorage Alaska?

5148 miles.

How far is it from New York to LA?

2776 miles

hmmmm, Come on just having a little fun

I was a 17 year old eagle scout in 1980. I did it because I wanted it. Not because my friends were doing it, or it was easy. The Eagle factory's do cheapen the accomplishment of those that have walked before them. IMHO a scout should not earn the eagle by merely showing up to the meeting, which is exactly what the Factory's do. I am sure they have canned projects and all the forms are filled out and the scout is coached on how to answer questions at his board of review. How does this develop character?

I came from a small troop who had NO in troop merit badge councilors. I earned all of my badges by attending summer camps and making appointments with Council merit badge councilors. I spent 6 months trying to figure out a project. I submited it several times with it getting returned.

No coaching for the board of review,

Again my 2 cents, Are these Eagle factorys doing anything wrong? No, But I believe it is against the spirit of what an Eagle is. The Eagle is not merely a checklist.

Looking for Ideas on a better Cub easter project. Lets just say all of the research I have done has left me less than inspired. Popsicle stick baskets, pompom chicks, foam eggs. Any tiger cub friendly ideas?

Good advice all.

We have been handing out patches and the pack/den meeting for events we have attended. Attendance at events has picked up including the two weeblos coming. The expressions of the boys who didn't go is kinda sad. We also email pictures to the entire pack of the event.

Poison words would certainly poison the experience for sure.

Far as why the I didn't ask why? I was not given an opportunity once he spoke the CM quickly moved on. An avoidance technique I imagine.

Well I imagine the Tigers will just have fun doing our thing and invite the others along.