nolesrule

Regardless of whether lasertag is safe ... Regardless of an activity's status as unofficial (and I'm of the opinion that once you do the "no, you can't do it, so let's make it unofficial, wink wink" thing you've just made it official) Regardless of all the possible legal mumbo jumbo (and I'm of the opinion that a lawyer would have a decent negligence case against the chartering organization should an injury occur just on the basis of violating the G2SS)... the bottom line is what Eagle732 said... "I wouldn't recommend trying to skirt the rules by going on an unofficial trip

Disney World I've never had a problem with. On the rare occasions I've had need to pull out the park map, I'm able to visually orient it based on "landmarks". Just remember, the Castle is in the middle and everything else fans out from there. But then I've always been good with maps, and I've found GPS advice while driving to be more confusing than anything else. I still end up with turn by turn maps for driving, only because my wife is the navigator 90% of the time we travel and I'm the driver. A little observation goes a long way. If a city has an easy road system, like Manhattan (

double post nm (This message has been edited by nolesrule)

nm(This message has been edited by nolesrule)

When we go on vacation, I bring the compass, my wife brings the Shout wipes. I keep us from getting lost, she keeps the clothes from getting permanent stains. Overcast in Paris, definitely need a compass if you can't see the Eiffel Tower or the Seine. Even the natives carry a pocket sized map book of the city.

Well, the CC told me he has his, and thanked me for mentioning it because he didn't know he could. I have no idea about the others, but all of these Scouter Eagles are proud of their accomplishment and I'd say would likely wear theirs if they have them.(This message has been edited by nolesrule)

"Scouting is a game" Yup. Absolutely true. And like any other game, this one has some rules. On a different note, one troop I serve as their UC will be having their first Eagle COH in years, and I think the SM is the only scouter still around since the last one. I had to remind the CC that he and the other Scouters who earned Eagle (4 in all) could and should where their medals at the ECOH if they can find them.

We need to stop using the terms youth and adults, because that has different meanings in different BSA programs and in life. The relevant terms here are Scout and Scouter. I don't think any medical book has defined either. And I think you misunderstood scoutldr's use of "scouts". I don't think he wasn't referring to 18 year old ASMs. I think he was making a general statement about setting a poor example to scouts when scouters ignore "absurd" BSA policies.

Lesson...always visually "calibrate" your compass before you start using it the first time. Either use it in a familiar place to verify which end of the needle points north, or use the sun to determine east and west to extrapolate north and compare with the compass (just don't try around noon). And if you are in Denver, you don't even need the sun. There's a big wall to your west.

Beavah, those are some interesting numbers, and I can certainly remember when my life was like that. Certainly more toward the begining of scouting career when I was much more active. Course, my mom sewed my patches... please don't hold that against me. For those hyperactive kids in addition to the usual OA weekends, chapter meetings and possibly LEC/LEB meetings, you can also throw in hours/days for a national jamboree (I went in 1989) or NOAC, but that's not typical even for most active scouts due to the limited number of spaces and costs involved. I was in the International Bacca

Sides don't matter. What does matter is what is in the written decision for denials, because that is the limit of the scope of an appeal. In addition, because this started as a dispute over signatures for Scout Spirit and Scoutmaster Conference, the denial of signatures should have included an opportunity for the scout, in conjunction with the adult leaders, to develop a plan of action to "qualify" for those signatures and seen as an opportunity for growth, rather than a "no, you'll never be good enough, bye-bye". This didn't start as an Eagle Board of Review, which once a decision has b

"Whatever definition of active you use, keep in mind the requirement is to be active for six months. That six month period could have been immediately after the Scout earned Life YEARS ago. Under no definition of active is there a requirement that the active participation be in the six months immediately proceeding the Eagle application. " Ain't that the truth. If the opposite were the case I certainly wouldn't have earned Eagle. In the couple years immediately after earning Life, I was very active. ASPL, SPL, went to most campouts, meetings and other events. I was very active through my

"Everyone who sits and hears both sides seems to agree with the SM. If the story is as clear cut as it seem(ed) to be, surely someone would be agreeing with the scout by now. " Not quite, because each level of review has come up with a separate reason/excuse in order to not overrule the SM, which is not the same thing as agreeing with the initial reason for not signing the application. Apparently the district has now used an attendance excuse to not overrule the SM on a Scout Spirit issue. I find that odd. I fail to see how not attending a 90 minute meeting means you are not living t

So, you want to split up a patrol where everyone wants to be the boss (not necessarily the leader) and put them into a pair of new scout patrols. First off, 6-8 is a good size for a patrol, and you are already there. 9+ can work, but it's starting to get too big. Secondly, and more importantly, what makes you think that splitting up the older patrol will solve the problem? You'll be sticking 3 of these older boys in each new scout patrol. Why won't all 3 of the older boys try to become the boss? And what happens when none of the older boys gets elected patrol leader by the 6 younger

Your first point is almost correct. An ACTIVE registered youth (21 and under) must be counted. The OA's definition of "active" is not the same as the recent definitions published by national for rank advancement. Active is defined as someone who participates (even occasionally) in unit activities. Inactive is someone who does not participate, having moved away or dropped out. So if someone goes off to college but is registered as an ASM, they are counted if they participate when they come home. Just being an ASM on paper will not count toward total active registered youth. As for vote tot

Duct tape can be used to create a device to carry your paper currency and plastic cards. http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/gear/5f21/ A similar device can be constructed to carry your federal government-issued identification papers needed for international travel http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/gear/8b3b/

"Part of the annoyance factor of (badly managed) cell phone use is that it is, or at least can be, constant." But isn't that exactly the teaching opportunity? Teach well-managed cellphone use within context. Have the youth develop a plan for use of communications tools at meetings and during activities, and encourage the PLC to enforce it. Seems that an outright ban is just the lazy way of dealing with badly managed cellphone use. The boys learn nothing.

In our meeting, phones rarely ever ring. In the last 4 years I think there were 4 rings, 2 by visiting guests (and they don't pay fines) and 2 by the realtors in our chapter (that opening has changed over time). All 4 rings were realtors phones. It's always the realtors. Anyway, the point is keep the phone off. You'll still get your voice mails and texts, and you can check them at the appropriate time. The same applies to scouts on outings. In the case of scouting, it becomes another learning/teaching opportunity rather than just another in the long list of "thou shalt nots" that adult

"I don't see the need for boys to have cell phones on outings. The adults usually have at least one! And that should suffice." In the case of a need for an emergency call in the wilderness, the more phones the better. Phone/provider combinations all result in varying reception levels. Of course, if everyone has an iPhone on AT&T Wireless, it won't make a difference.

Courtesy is definitely the key and rules on use (but not necessary possession) are acceptable. I run a small business, so I'm in a business networking group. In our weekly meetings, we have a rule that cellphones and pagers must be silenced or turned off. Of course, we have a fine system for funding chapter activities and the fines include $1 for a ringing phone or pager and $5 if you answer it. Those fines include texting. I'm not saying fines are appropriate for scouting. Just mentioning that's how we handle it in the business environment.

"most of use lived through the experience of youth without cell phones " Everyone's an old fogie technology-wise sooner or later. Here's a short list of technology that was not around when the BSA was chartered and is most likely taken for granted by the current generation of Scouters these days: stainless steel modern zipper "cat eye" road reflectors nylon ballpoint pen Teflon freeze-dried coffee (for the tired/lazy Scouter) velcro cake mix I left out all the medical advances, inventions that inspired merit badges and transportation-based technologies (afte

Point of correction... at the beginning of #1 it should read Varsity Scout teams, not "Venture crews". Venturing crews do not hold OA elections.

"Jewishism" The word you're looking for is "Judaism".

District-level nominations can have the camping requirement waived by the Lodge Adviser or the Scout Executive. All other requirements are subjective ("will the person help the OA? kind of stuff"). Meeting the requirements should be a non-issue for any DC.

While there is still the issue of non-divorce reasons for single parent households (prison, work in separate cities, death, etc.), those are a minority. And since 50% of marriages end in divorce (and what percentage of divorces occur after all children have fled the coop?), that means a large chunk of the remaining 50% are still a 2-parent single household. What about "starter marriages" that result in no kids vs. 2nd marriages that result in kids? There are plenty of other variables to account for, but mathematically the percentage of children living under the same single roof as both