orennoah

I got mine (and a pair for my son) and we both are very pleased, with the fit, the look and the comfort.

Didn't you see "The Graduate?"

One word: HAGGIS!

The BEST, the absolute BEST, time being a Scoutmaster is when you can sit back just watch the Troop run itself, without any obvious further input from you. Of course, they'll ask when they need help and you'll, at times, appropriately make an observation or - if needed - a suggestion. Train 'em and let 'em lead. You'll be amazed at where they go. (Besides. It's the best ever situation. If the Troop screws something up, the boys take the blame. After all, it's a boy-led troop. However, if the Troop really excels, it's to your credit. After all, you're the Scoutmaster! You simply CAN'T lose.) - Oren

Well, Mama Bear. It sure does sound like the CD was doing "her" course, a strange mixture of the old and new courses. She KNOWS she's doing it wrong. She had to go through much training by the region in order be allowed to become the CD. Since she knows that she departed from the syllabus in some major ways, having that word spread around is the LAST thing she wants. Hang in there and simply smile at the "whiny Bears" comments. After all, you were lucky enough to be a Bear. And Bear in a so-so course is still better than a prey critter in a great course! - Oren WE3-41-03 BEAR WE3-41-05 QM

I took over for a very popular Scoutmaster who was leaving town. Though there weren't any HUGE differences between our approaches to troop leadership, there were things that he did that I disagreed with and things that he didn't do that I thought should be done. I discussed my views with him, largely when asked, but allowed him to do what he was doing. (Nothing was a serious as falsifying advancement, dictating youth leadership or making patrols superfluous.) Then, when I became Scoutmaster, I started doing things my way. (E.g., I immediately started doing the Scoutmaster Minute and have kept it up each meeting since.) Of course there was a period of "but [old Scoutmaster) did it that way," especially from the older boys, but after a bit of transition, things were being done more in line with my vision. (A boy-led troop never quite operates as the Scoutmaster would hope. But it gets close enough often enough to make us elated.) It did help that the old Scoutmaster left town shortly thereafter. If there isn't much time left in the current Scoutmaster's tenure, I would advocate simply letting it go. Use that time to develop your own plan on how you will do things as Scoutmaster. Of course, I agree that you should insist that your son actually do the things that are being signed off. Later, you can "back fill" a bit by going over signed-off items when your conducting the Scoutmaster Conferences with the other Scouts. In all, I wish you good luck and extend my best wishes. Being a Scoutmaster isn't easy, but it sure can be rewarding.

Sure. We're FULL of suggestions. However, the important part is that you go through the process of developing a ticket item, rather than adopting someone else's idea for "what to do." Take a look at our unit. (Den/Pack/Troop/Crew/Ship/District/Council, etc.) Is it as diverse as it should be? Does it value or appreciate diversity? What can you do to improve things? What obtacles to diversity exist? After you have evaluated the situation and determined how you want it to change, then we can assist with some of the details of the "what to do."

I didn't get it either. And I AM a lawyer. So, let's that class action going. :-)

Is there a divorce going on? Have lawyers been brought in? If so, then I would suggest that the SM bring this threat to his lawyer's attention, so that the lawyer could take the proper steps to prevent any public scene. (Restraining orders often do prevent serious harm.) Seeing the way that so many people in these situations would do anything to hurt the soon-to-be-ex-spouse, regardless of the injury to their kids or themselves, is why I no longer practice family law. I hated caring more for my clients' kids than my clients &/or the other lawyers' clients. GOOD LUCK!!

I'm so pained when I hear stories like this. (ESPECIALLY, when it's happening to a Bear Patrol!) Taking what ScoutMom111 says at face value (what else could I do?), it is clear that the Course Director is WAY out to lunch. PLEASE don't let this destroy your Wood Badge experience. Also, please know that even Course Directors have bosses. AFTER the course, you may wish to correspond with the Wood Badge coordinator for your Council or Cluster. Another thing you can do right now is to bring in the ASM for Troop Guides and your SPL. MAYBE they can reign in the out of control Course Director. Good Luck!

Spongebob: Welcome to the Greater Bear Patrol! It sounds like you and your fellow Bears are already upholding the great Bear tradition. One piece of advice: Don't get too upset when the prey patrols (that's, in case you didn't notice, ALL of them) get all riled up; it doesn't affect their flavor. But seriously, it sounds like you're getting a lot out of Wood Badge already. It just gets better from here. - Oren WE3-41-03 BEAR WE3-41-05 QM (& Exec. Chef.)

So sad. I can't help but think that the perception of danger is far worse than the danger. Many of us parents are so worked up, that it's harming, rather than protecting our kids.

No.

Not to sound "touchy feely" or anything, but one thing is crystal clear. There is a total lack of "shared vision." To the extent that anyone is working, it's at cross purposes. No parent volunteers to drive 1/2 hour out of town? I doubt that it's because they don't care about their kids. It's more likely that they're fed up with the adult leadership. PLC not planning outings? Sounds like a lack of understanding of the program by the SM and consequent apathy by the boy leadership. Flaky, controlling SM? In addition to the lack of understanding of the program, a lack of leadership ability and, likely, a lack of caring anymore. Solution? Get the adult leadership and the parents together, along with someone outside the Troop who can properly express the aims and methods of Scouting (Unit Commissioner? District volunteer? Former SM?) and get everyone (or at least a significant number) to share the vision of a properly operating troop and commit to assisting to bringing that about. Good luck!!!

With all the "everybody's got one" opinion posting on this site, don't you find it remarkable that EVERYONE agrees that the BOR Chairman is out of line? That should mean something to you and the Scout's mom. BTW, congrats to the Scout, his parents and his troop!!

I found it. This is an email that I sent to parents after a particularly frustration backpack trip. The Pernicious Perils of Parental Packing This is a cautionary tale for parents who wish to pack their son's backpacks and for sons whose parents wish to pack their backpacks. Probably the most important thing a Scout learns upon joining a Troop is personal responsibility. A major portion of this responsibility is to Be Prepared, especially with regard to having the proper personal gear. It is the Scout's responsibility to have what he needs for a trip. Not his parents', not his Scoutmaster's and not his fellow Scouts'. So, what happens when a parent packs the Scout's backpack? A proper and efficient load? A well-trained and happy Scout? No. What happens is that the Scout ends up with way too much stuff. His load is far too heavy and he has a miserable time carrying it all. When, after a Herculean effort, he finally makes it to the campsite, he has no idea where anything is in his pack. So, he has to rummage all through it to find whatever it is he is looking for. To make matters worse, there is so much stuff crammed into his pack, that it spills out everywhere. The result: a "gear explosion." Even a casual observer can spot the tent occupied by a Scout with a parent-packed backpack. There is gear everywhere! Chances are, that gear is getting dirty and/or wet and getting lost, to boot. Within minutes, the Scout is unable to find anything and his frustration grows, as does the frustration of his tentmates and his patrol. In the morning, the situation is worse. Now, the Scout has big problems finding all of his gear and, once that is solved, he can't figure out how to get all that gear back into that backpack. The result is even more frustration for the Scout and frustration for the entire Troop, as we wait for everyone to get their gear together so we can leave the campsite. The simply rule is that every Scout needs to pack his own pack. Both at home and in the field. There is a time honored saying in Scouting. "Never do anything for a boy that he can do himself, for you rob him of an opportunity to learn." This most certainly applies to packing one's backpack. Of course a responsible parent is concerned that their Scout may forget to bring some necessary piece of gear. For the first few trips, it's OK to ask the Scout to go over the suggested packing list with you and have him confirm that he had already packed that item. That helps reinforce the lesson that the Scout needs to pack the necessary gear. But it must be done AFTER the Scout has done his best to pack his own pack. A parent should never do the packing for the Scout. If a disagreement arises between the Scout and a parent about whether a certain piece of gear (usually another change of wardrobe!) needs to be taken, the Scout should be given the benefit of the doubt and the gear should stay home. Usually, the gear won't be missed. If it is, the Scout will know better next time. However, if the parent absolutely insists, the disputed gear should be placed in a bag and brought separately to the gathering place. There, the Troop leaders can advise on whether the Scout should add that gear to his pack. Parents often greatly overestimate the need and desire of their Scout to change frequently into clean clothes on a campout. Heck, many a Scout has gone an entire week hardly any change of wardrobe! If a parent absolutely insists on packing a backpack, there is an easy and mutually beneficial solution. The parent should pack his/her own backpack and join us on the trip as an adult leader! That way, the parent will see how the Troop functions on campouts and can watch, at a distance, their Scout's confidence and abilities grow. If either Scouts or their parents have any questions about this, PLEASE let me know. - Oren Noah Scoutmaster Troop 14 Sebastopol, CA www.scouttroop14.org

I've got to agree with the posts about Moms doing the packing. That's a HUGE problem for younger Scouts and they're the ones with the least body mass and muscle mass to handle it, not to mention the lowest maturity and experience level. After my frustrations with Mommy packing, I wrote and distributed a humorous, but serious, screed entitled "The Pernicious Perils of Parental Packing." When I get home tonight, I'll scrounge a copy and post it. - Oren

I (and the Troop) has the MSR Water Works and wouldn't use anything else. The MSRs aren't as fast as some, but they are completely field servicable. The ones that use replaceable cartridges work really well, but when the filter clogs, you're screwed unless you packed in a replacement cartridge. With the MSRs, it's simply a matter of unscrewing the cartridge and wiping with the included scrubbie, reassembly and you're good to go.

The blame for the scandalously large number of heat cases is NOT with the Scouts or their Scoutmasters, all of whom that I saw were doing a tremendous job. The Scouts were prepared, both mentally and physically. Virtually every one that I saw routinely carried a full hydration pack. The troop-level leadership was up to the task. In fact, were it not for the Scoutmasters, senior Scouts and us lowly staff-peons, who jumped into spontaneous action, without orders "from above," many would have died and the casualty figures would have been MUCH higher. No. The blame is on the National mucky-mucks (easily identified by the fact that they lived in air-conditioned general's quarters or hotels many miles away and drove everywhere in air-conditioned Escalades). THEY were the ones that agreed that the Scouts could be deprived of their hydration packs and failed to provide shade or adequate water during the many hour march to and from the arena. This, even in light of the fact that EVERY Medical Director of EVERY Sub-camp told them to cancel the show.

My picky, narrow-minded view is that a Quality Unit should begin with proper spelling. :-) - Oren

Little Ol' Scoutmaster, me. - Oren

Glad to help. PLEASE, let me know how (or if) this assists your unit. - Oren

Was it my "Grump Patrol Manual?" http://www.scouttroop14.org/PDFs/grumpmanual.PDF - Oren

I'd go for aluminum, but I'm a certified "gear head."

Aquila Calva wrote: "If a scout needs a sleeping bag to go on a scout campout (they are included on almost every equipment list), there is every good reason to allow him to use activity funds to purchase the equipment. If a scout is going to Philmont and needs a pair of hiking boots in order to be correctly outfitted then he should be able to use the activity fund money to purchase the boots." If your troop is trying to maintain public, charitable status (aka "501©(3)"), then I disagree. That is using charitable funds for personal benefit, which can jeopardize the tax status of the Troop / Chartered Organization. HOWEVER, if the Troop allows use of the funds to purchase the gear AND the Scout returns the gear to the Troop for future use when he is done with it, then I do not think there would be a problem. FWIW, I'm an attorney and former tax-specializing CPA. Of course, other professionals may disagree, but why risk being wrong? - Oren