NWScouter

My understanding you only need a certified lifeguard in the canoe, raft and sailboat. Your certification needs to be current.

I like to use REI they have many good tents. Two I would recommend are REI Camp Dome 2 $99 (http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?productId=11780909&storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&langId=-1) and REI Half Dome Plus 2 (http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?productId=47592792&storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&langId=-1) . I hope these links work if not go to www.REI.com and type in the names or go tents. REI has a great return and repair policy. Once I ordered a sleeping bag on line and when I used it , it was too small. They took it right back no

I didnt see it say non-denominational but it is absolutely nonsectarian. Here is the definition: nonsectarian [ nnsek tiree n ] adjective 1. not relating to religious subgroup: not relating to a group or denomination within a wider religion or disputes between such groups 2. not restricted to one denomination: not restricted to members of one religious denomination, but open to all The latest training that I have said that we arent to use non-denominational but inter-faith. Non-denominational has come to mean a particular type of Christian church and also denomination is only used t

When leader says that the youth want to do it, especially in Cub/Webelos program but we cant because the rules ban it, it usually means they the leader want to do it and the Webelos wouldn't me. I honestly believe Webelos Outdoor Leader Training is offer because of the two types of Webelos Leaders. The first that have very little idea how to do the outdoor skills and the other is the ones that need to be reminded that the Webelos arent little versions of Edmund Hillary. High adventure is different for each age level. The G2SS tries to fit the average abilities of the age to activities allowe

Those letters are asked for but are not a requirement. Up here our Council Advancement Committee has determined that a Scout will not be held back from a Eagle BOR if the letters are not returned in a timely manner.

Other trivia bits. You had a silver colored tenderfoot, second class, and first class badge if you were a patrol leader. Also you continued to wear your first class badge even after you earned Star, Life and Eagle. Also if you held a office like scribe, it's badge was on the patch with your rank upto first class. Instead of the tenderfoot badge now on adult position patches there was first class badge. See http://www.sageventure.com/history/early_badges/index.htm

Explorers were moved to the Learning for Life subsidiary of the BSA. They are mostly fire, police and other career type interest groups. In order for the government entities to be involved they have no discriminatory membership requirements. Therefore they arent officially a traditional BSA program. I dont believe that there is advancement program. The high adventure and other interest groups that use to be part of Explorers were renamed Venturing. At the time they did the change they started a new advancement program. It consists of a Bronze, Silver, and Gold awards. They also can ea

OK, I know all scouts would crave a roast or ham. My big fat fingers on a keyboard don't always type right. You are supposed to be able to read my mind and know I meant carve.

Young Indian Jones wore Life becaus Steven Spielberg (sp?) was honoring his dad who made that rank. Steven is an Eagle.

Bob, I was Scouter when New Scout Patrol and First Class Emphasis was introduced to Scouters. I sat in the talks when I was with my troop at Scout Camp. It was introduced as the suggested way of delivering the program of Boy Scouting.. The program was developed to retain new Scouts based on studies based on Troops that had using parts of the new program and polling done to see why some new Scouts leave early. The New Scout Patrol went against everything that was taught in leader training about how to have patrols organized. It came about because some units went against the training. So ther

Cooking merit badge is one I earned in the 60's. It was a Eagle required merit badge. The one thing I remembered about it was that you had to help your mother with a fancy meal. Everything form planning, to cooking, to setting the table and finally to crave a roast or ham. When I got back in to Scouting I was surprised to see it out of the list and the requirements for it had changed.

First Class Emphasis is not First Class come heck or high water. The emphasis is there because it retains boys in the program, just like getting them to camp their first summer. I saw a greater corollary in my term as Scoutmaster with a Scout making it to camp with staying in Scouts. Also a scout that doesnt advance doesnt stay either. The Scoutmaster Handbook states A boy who advances to First Class within his first year in Scouting has a better-than-average chance of eventually becoming an Eagle Scout. p.119 They mention other ways to motivate Scouts on to First Class, new-Scout patrol, b

MK. If I understand what you were look for, I think I can throw some light. One you Scoutmaster was wrong to say that if they know that the boy was UU he couldnt be in scouting. BSA does not ban scouts based on the religious group. They just have to believe in God, gods or a supreme power. Per BSA standards a unit may not make membership requirement of any specific religious character beyond a belief in God. Like make them attend their services or Sunday School. A few years back UUs religious awards requirements did not meet the BSA standards, so those awards can not be worn officially on

No OA is not a numbers game, but where I have a problem is when a Scoutmaster puts a filter on the Scouts eligible for election. It is just like advancement no more, no less. If he meets the requirements and if you would sign Scout Spirit for a rank for him right then, he should be on the ballot. Let the Scouts in the unit decide who should be in. If a Scoutmaster starts adding on requirements where does it end. There was a Scoutmaster I knew that wont put anyone on the ballot unless they were Eagle.

I have over 20 years of siting on church councils. Our council has never asked even a report from our troop but and a big but as the organization that owns the troop we would be responsible for a financial errors. That why we have bonds for our officers. So it maybe that there may a real reason that particular church needs the control (i.e. insurance, bonds). Most congregations I know are very careful in keeping account of funds, be it the roof fund, scholarship fund, youth fund for the national gathering . These fund are usually off the budget, which means they are held in trust for the purpo

When I was Webelos Leader('86), our den went on a father-son overnight. Being the spring in the Great Northwest it poured. So under the bridge at the campground we were skipping stones and sinking twigs. My son had just started to fling a rock when Josh stuck his head in the way. The rock never left my son's hand. Luckily we had a dad for each Webelo and his took him into town. We still had a good time. SMT did the right thing, the Scouts had good time (one at least till he got hit). YPT and GTSS where complied with. Bob White what would you have them done differently. More leaders would

The only reason I can think that there is no assistant position in Tigers is each Tiger is to have a adult partner. Therefore they could be considered 'assistant'. Just a guess. CrewGirl there is no reason when you go off to college that you can't be still active in Scouting/Venturing. Stay connected with your home crew and be active on your breaks. If you can make the time get conected with a crew where you are going to school. Will be a lot better to do on your off time than some of the other activities some of us did in college. Good Luck.(This message has been edited by NWScouter)(T

Wingnut, if you are implying that Eamonn would out if he was a member of your unit for bringing that boy home without a second leader present, I as District Commissioner would say that is wrong answer. The two other options would be 1. Wait at camp with him until his parents or an acceptable leadership came along. He would still be in violation of two deep and in a more dangerous situation than in a car on the highway. 2. To leave the boy there and hope that someone would pick him up with the correct two deep leadership. If anyone doesnt see that as unacceptable needs to revisit the purpose o

Another thing to do is be alert to the behavior of the scouts. For you maybe able to turn them around to positive outcomes. Idle hands can be the devils workshop. If you are a swimmer, qualify, the new scout(s) that is mopping around the campsite may respond to an invite to a swim. As a swimmer you can bring those non-swimmers, beginners out in a rowboat. A trip the archery or rifle range can make a week for young scout. It also can take down a peg a cocky SPL. He thought he could out shoot me. He had the bench rest and I did prone, wasnt even close. I never did get the ice cream bar I won

I remember it a little differant. We used Chinchopper, then the rest were, I believe, appleknocker, chestthumper, breadbasket, benchsitter, Kneeknocker, anklebender and toekicker.

Eamonn, I just read somewhere today that for about twenty years the US Board of Geographic Names around 1890s spelled Pittsburgh without the h. You should fell at home there as it is name after British PM. On the main subject - I know good DE's and I know bad DE's just about in the same ratio as Scouters. The lucky thing is the the good out weigh the bad by a durn long shot.

When I have been on camp staff we would not have allowed a non registered adult to spend the night without being a parent. Your son needs to be registered to be there. Now there has always been a little confusion when a scout ages out. My understanding is that he needs to fill out a adult application but not pay another fee for that year. There is another thought, register him in a crew. I know at Scout Camps when youth turn 18 during the season they must move from youth (under 18) housing to adult (over 18) housing. So YP policy should be followed on the trip to camp. Would anything ha

If you are close to REI in Sandy or Salt Lake they always have free classes for all levels of backpackers. One thing I've learned after 40 years of backpacking good equipment increases the enjoyment and scouts will keep coming back. My dad brought me to REI when I was a young scout. We were getting me a pair of boats, my first real hiking boots. A nice man fit my boots on me. A few weeks later I was down at the store with my patrol when a buddy said "Look there is Jim Whittaker." It was the man who sold me my boots. Besides being the first American up Everest, in the 40's & 50's he was

This thread brought back a most memorable homecoming of a first year scout and his mom. We had been over a Camp Easton on Lake Coeur d Alene. The young scout had earned his finger carving merit badge. His father was along and took him into the town of Coeur d Alene to be stitched up. He had his figure all wrapped up in a big white bandage. I rode back with him and his dad in a 14 passenger van that his dad had borrowed. After crossing the whole state of Washington and getting to half mile from church, smoke poured from the engine. We pulled into a mini-mart parking lot. We called his mo

There has been some good advice given. Retesting has and is the greatest violation in BOR process. It adds to requirements as published no more, no less. It needs to be handled by training. Also there are some great BOR sample questions on this Scouters.Com site and others. Find them and edit them to your situation. I had a great advancement chair in my troop when I was scoutmaster, if he couldnt a person to stop asking inappropriate questions, by golly he didnt get asked to serve again. The same when I served as District Advancement Chair, my Eagle Board Chair would not ask them back.