Nike

Our troop sends a crew to Philmont just about every year. Their prep hikes are explicitly Philmont prep hikes and only those going or alternates can participate. The rest of the troop activities are open to everyone. Maybe what Lisabob's troop needs are explicit trek training hikes where everyone agrees on the objective and also some more relaxed exploring trips.

One danger is that H1N1 will go underground this summer and re-emerge with a renewed virulence in the fall. That was the Spanish flu pattern. However, we also have a jump on creating a vaccine as well as a veritable plethora of anti-virals and anti-biotics for the secondary infections.

Can you stand the Dad-Webelos Leader? Is it just his wife and daughter?

Whatever hat you choose, please take it off inside. I have boys come to BORs with their troop baseball cap on and absolutely no idea they should take it off. I'm still looking for my iconic headgear.

Your kid read the HB????

The Powerpoint Rangers are in charge.

That pig would probably have many merry mid-night adventures. Oh the places he'd go, or be led to and left. Not to mention he'd probably get dressed up about once a day in someone's uni. With only one pig, he'd end up more of a mascot/pet than bacon.

Remember the buddy system!!

Why does Merlyn keep coming back? Does he have a Don Quixote complex or just enjoy the soundtrack.

My son will be there Week 1, June 7-13. Will post when he gets home.

Wow, does this kid sleep? You did the best thing of all by showing him that MBs are way more involved than belt loops. He probably thought he coud knock these out with a few hours on the internet. My husband, a 1987 vintage Eagle, told me there used to be skill awards that went on the belt. Whatever happened to those?

I think the confusion comes about due to the Scout Activity shirt, the red polo currently on clearance. As for the Class A, B, etc., as many know that is a military uniform designation and usage seems to imply that BSA is violating the non-militaristic clause of the charter. I prefer the designations: uniform, uniform with sash, activity uniform (troop T with Scout pants/shorts), and grubby (old Scout T with pants/shorts your parents don't mind never seeing in one peice again.)

I think the committee needs to handle this and establish adult/scout ratio's, in line with Philmont crews, or disband this experiment completely. As the ASM for this group, I would also be asking the boys to write down their opinion of how the weekend went, not in order to yank Mr. X and Ms. Y's chains, but to present the boys perceptions to the committee in general and the SM/ASM group in particular. The SM is in charge of the program, and this facet is spiralling downhall quickly. He needs to step in and be the big dog. Lastly, it may really be worth it to see if there is anyone else interested in estblishing a Venturing Crew in your area.

I get so frustrated with "Write a report." I believe that the vast majority of MB req's should be hands on activities, demonstrations, etc. The only writing should be in the form of observations.

Lisabob, Perhaps you'vve told us, but what is the Committee's stance on all these extra adults?

If an SM has a problem with a boy showing Scout Spirit, then why wouldn't he have some sort of sit down with Scout and probably parents letting everyone know why he was hesitant to sign off on a project? That approval, is for most people, the big green light on Eagle. Maybe in mdsummer's case, the SM truly can't stand confrontations and was just hoping everything would get better. I don't know, but the more I read about htis troop, the more hinky things seem. But, maybe we're all a little eccentric.

The only thing I'd do is promise to remind Pack parents that FOS is still on-going and they can see Bob the DE after the meeting if they would like to contribute.

I think the only reason Scout uniforms, of all ages and sizes, fall apart is because they are badly made with nasty, cheap fabric. Quality fabric appropriate to the activity plus good seaming which anticipates stress go a long way toward making any garment last longer.

I've encountered these parents and believe they are suffering from as narcissism and extreme shallowness. Their children are no more than mirrors for themselves and are never meant to grow up, though inevitably they do. When you bring up that camp may be in thier children's best interests, they completely deny that anyone can have any more valid opinion than their own. These people have no concept that the world doesn't revolve around them. And yes, you will be seeing more of these families as the uber-narcissists we've raised the past 20 years finally get around to having kids and pay too much attention to how they are perceived as parents rather than how they are succeeding as parents. They simply don't buy in to planned obsolescence. (Can you tell some have really ticked me off?)

Hasn't your son moved on to a troop? If so, so what that the kids have different colored hats and neckers? Leave it to us Tiger parents to complain.

My son was not elected on his first nomination, whereas every other kid in his patrol on the ballot was. He was severely disappointed asking why people didn't think he was as good a Scout as Bob, Billy, and Jim. But, we used the experience to point out to him that just showing up and doing stuff then sitting in teh corner with a book wasn't enough. He needed to actually *talk* to people so that they knew he *did* like them, care about them, and want to be a friend, in and out of Scouts. I didn't advise him to schmooze, but to get out there and interact with the other boys. These things always feel like popularity contest and in some sense they are, even when they aren't supposed to be.

We're chartered by UMC as well and our COR is a Scouter who is also a member of the "vestry?".

If the CC is taking his mom off life support this weekend, is he really going to have the time and energy to soothe the SM? I'm thinking he has a lot of other stuff on his mind. BTW, how's the search for a new troop for son #2 going?

So do you have any inside scoop on the City trying to negotiate a settlement?

Propose to add an olive green and a Cub blue kilt to the official BSA uniform. WBers can wear the plaid. Just don't get rid of the official skirt.