oldsm

I learned the on-time lesson very well from a beloved college professor many years ago. I was the accompanist for the concert choir, which was made up of about 60 other students. I was also involved in several other activities that tended to make me sneak into rehearsals just in time. Once, I was 5 minutes late. When I walked in, the conductor/professor was directing the rehearsal from the piano. Instead of stopping and letting me take my place at the piano, he indicated that I should wait until he was finished. It turned out that "finished" meant the end of the rehearsal, about an h

I remember a lot of the old shows from my childhood: My Three Sons, Leave It to Beaver, etc. Wholesome stuff, although some modern-day apologists have to make the families back then seem dysfunctional. We kids weren't allowed to see Bonanza - our parents didn't approve of us seeing anyone shot with a gun or an arrow. I have an antenna on the roof. I get CBS and NBC pretty well, and ABC and PBS sometimes (often to "snowy" to watch). The boys would like cable, but it's too expensive for what you don't get. Packsaddle's comment about Spiro Agnew brought back memories. I went to the same

I've had a few boys wait until they're almost 18 before earning Eagle (in one case, just a few hours shy of the date...sigh). So, if an SPL earns his Eagle and then turns 18, of course he would have to be an ASM as he would no longer be eligible to be either SPL or JASM. Other than that, I agree completely with OGE and Beavah

I believe that IF the people who have used copyrighted materials at their COH's, etc., have actually bought a license to use it (as in paid for a CD, or vinyl, or a download from iTunes, etc.), then using their copy for the COH is allowed under the doctrine of Fair Use. As long as they don't bundle it up and pass it along to other people. Sort of like letting someone listen to your tunes on your iPod, or enjoy listening to music on the stereo in your house. Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer, nor do I play on on any forum or TV show.

I should update what has transpired. I met with the SPL (who was the one who witnessed the exchange). I offered to address the situation or, if he wanted, he could attempt to address it (I liked that idea due to the boy-run aspects and the idea of peer communication). I furthered offered a possible way to handle this along the lines of what Beavah suggested (a couple of "probationary position" options or a "delayed appointment" option). The SPL decided he wanted to try... He gave it his best shot. Unfortunately, the scout quicly rejected the whole idea. The SPL reported back to me (w

In my council, the rule of thumb has been that it's 1/3 each for the product, the council, and the unit. Since council gives us the option of earning an additional 2% by opting out of the prizes, I assume that the prizes or extra commission come out of the council portion. That would mean that our breakdown is 33% product, 32% council, 35% unit (+/- 1% between product and council). Pretty darned good if you ask me!

Of course, if you sell Trails End Popcorn, your council will have taken care of all that paperwork for you. All you have to do is sell and reap your 30%+ profit...

Good questions, Gags. My troop has sold popcorn for longer than I can remember. Some years have been better than others. Historically, we usually have 2-3 boys who will compete with each other for top sales - usually over $1500 each. Some don't do anything. We use popcorn sales as only one of 3 funding methods (outisde of $1/week dues). We also do a Council Hike for Scouting and 6-times-a-year bottle and can drives. Of the popcorn money, all of the profit (35% in our Council -- our troop foregoes the cheap prizes for an extra 2%) goes directly to the troop account of the bo

OK, I understand about whether or not a patrol position "counts" toward rank advancement. What about the patches?

ScoutNut, I should clarify a few points. It's easy to overlook some of the dynamics, especially when creating a long post and trying to relate only the most salient aspects. 1. The PL told his dad when they got home. I'm sure that no one wanted to look like a rat at the meeting with other people around. This boy is also a little on the shy side - not very assertive. His Dad called me the next evening. I think that was reasonable. I queried my own sons over the next 2 days (when I could speak with them indivudally and privately), then called the PL's dad back and told him my findings. We a

No, "Patrol Scribe" is not listed as a position, nor is "Troop Scribe". The requirement just says "Scribe". I've always assumed that "Scribe" IMPLIED "Troop Scribe", but I can't find that in writing. So I wonder, especially when emphasizing the patrol method.

I haven't seen this addressed directly. If it has been, someone please direct to the thread or other source. Otherwise, I'll appreciate responses... Star, Life, and Eagle ranks require 6 months in a position of responsibility. These are well defined in the Star requirements: 5. While a First Class Scout, serve actively for four months in one or more of the following positions of responsibility (or carry out a Scoutmaster-assigned leadership project to help the troop): * Patrol leader, * Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, * Senior Patrol Leader, * Troop Guide, * Order of the Ar

OGE, This is unlikely to be corroborated by additional sources - there are only a few boys in this patrol and some were not even present. I suspect that my boys didn't hear what was said because one was chatting with another patrol mate (go figure!) and the other had been assisting another patrol with something or other. To my way of thinking, waiting for another incident is not a good option. After all, bullies are often very good at hiding their actions, especially when they think that adults are watching. Ed, I believe that there is no way that the SPL and PL are in cahoots with each o

This will be a bit long, so please bear with me. I have been presented with a situation that has many potential resolutions. I'd like advice on what you see as the best course of action. Here's the situation. I have 14-year-old Star scout who has been something of a low-key thorn in the side, and who has now appeared on the bullying horizon. This lad is generally a good kid, quite likeable, who has been troop QM (not very effectively) for the last year. His dad is one of the more active assistant SM's and his mother is on the troop committee. He has a younger brother who is quite the anti

I think that sometimes we succeed. We lean on Scout Spirit at scout functions, and I think most of us know intuitively what we mean. However, "scout spirit" doesn't generally show up on the radar of people outside the scouting program. On the other hand, most people understand "character". Yesterday my eldest son, who at 18 has had his driver license for about 6 months, gently scraped the neighboring car while backing out of his parking space at school. I'm sure he uttered an expletive to himself. He was alone and there were no witnesses. He immediately went into the school office to

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ucac/20061005/cm_ucac/ WHO KNEW CONGRESSMAN FOLEY WAS A CLOSETED DEMOCRAT? Wed Oct 4, 8:03 PM ET At least liberals are finally exhibiting a moral compass about something. I am sure that they'd be equally outraged if Rep. Mark Foley (news, bio, voting record) were a Democrat. The object lesson of Foley's inappropriate e-mails to male pages is that when a Republican congressman is caught in a sex scandal, he immediately resigns and crawls off into a hole in abject embarrassment. Democrats get snippy. Foley didn't claim he was the victim of a "witch-hunt

Welcome to the forums. You will find that there is a tremendous amount of help here. This community exists to aid each other. Learn from others, and don't be hesitant to offer your own perspectives. That's how we all help the forum stay relevant. In response to your question, the easiest online place to obtain official scout uniform parts and materials is from the BSA's National Supply Division. Their website is www.scoutstuff.org. There is a link to uniforms right on the home page that will take you directly to all the things that go into a Webelos uniform Webelos have th

Not sure where I picked this up, but I learned somewhere that you should not pee on a tree (day or night). The reason is that the salts left behind after the urine evaporates or is absorbed by the bark attracts animals (think deer) that then lick and chew on the tree, causing damage to it. Instead of a tree, use a rock. It spatters the urine so there's not as much concentration, and a rock won't be hurt by being licked. Regarding corporal punishment: my daughter recently began teaching in North Carolina. She was shocked to learn that corporal punishment is still permitted (with a witness)

A true friend won't care or notice whether you cleaned at all!

Gonzo, this is not meant to argue. It's just that there's usually more than one side to a story. Precooked food has its place. Think backpacking and Leave No Trace. Where to put all the grease that cooks out of sausage and bacon? It's not healthful to eat, and it's a mess to haul out, no matter how hard you try to stay clean. Precooked also minimizes prep time - too often cooking takes up an inordinate amount of time on an outing. Keep it simple and the outing is more fun for everyone. Snacks for between meals? Absolutely. Every scout should Be Prepared with his own small stash of sn

A couple of years ago we decided to try something different. Instead of doing a weekend camping trip geared to the Webelos, we do a day hike. We're fortunate to have some well-blazed trails in our area with varied terrain (moderate-to-steep slopes, stream crossings, some scrambling), and my troop likes to do backpacking. We take the Webelos on a hike of suitable length, maybe 1-3 miles depending upon the group. The Boy Scouts travel with full backpacks. We ask the Webelos to carry day packs (usually a school backpack). Each person carries their own water, mess kit, rain gear, etc., but we

GKM, what you describe undoubtedly yields an extremely nice result - no visible stitches, no gaps. I'm glad you have the patience to do that - I wish I did. But I don't, so I cheat and use the machine. Thanks for sharing such explicit directions. The transparent thread does tend to break a little if you're not careful, but if you don't try to hurry it works pretty well. For those of you who haven't tried it, transparent thread is sort of like fine fishing line.

So the green tie did exist. The question no one has answered: Can it still be worn? (Without running afoul of the UP?)

Thanks, OGE, for the quick response. Do you know when it was discontinued as an official uniform item? Or if it can still be worn? I think we might be about to get a suggestion that we adult leaders all adopt them...

Does anyone recall a plain dark green necktie as part of the scouter's uniform? One assistant scoutmaster says that BSA once had this for "dress" occasions like Courts of Honor. They are not offered by the Supply Division, so he found one that he says is the same thing. It does make the uniform look much more formal than either a troop neckerchief or a bolo. The only neckties presently available through National are intended for wear with civies, particularly a blue blazer. The only people I've ever seen wearing them are professionals. This isn't a major hot button item. I'm jus