orennoah

As a Scoutmaster who just sat through my first Eagle BOR, for an excellent young candidate - I wish to add, this really saddens me. That the adult leaders, from the Dad-"Scoutmaster" through the District and/or Council level Scouters, would allow this to happen does a great injustice to all Eagles. My hopefully-not-naive view is that Eagles are very special people, to whom we all owe a great deal of respect. Being an Eagle means so much, it should not be attainable through cheating, favoritism or internal politics. For shame. - Oren

I agree. Wear it right or not at all. The Scoutmaster should discuss the issue with the PLC and have the senior Scouts enforce it. - Oren

I advise extreme caution in allowing "Scout accounts" to be used to purchase personal gear. If you are concerned about obtaining or maintaining a tax-exempt, charitable status, such use may jeopardize it. Expenses of Scout membership and activities (e.g. dues, camping fees, uniforms, etc.) should not present any problems. However, using Troop funds to buy someone their sleeping bag or backpack is another story. While the uniform only has a Scout function, camping gear can be used for Scout and personal purposes. No one would object to the Troop purchasing camping gear for the Troo

For backpacking, we like to first re-hydrate each Scout's favorite omelet innards, including dried onion, spinach, tomato, peppers, etc. Then, in go the eggs (either fresh or rehydrated)and the bag goes into the pot of boiling water. After the eggs begin to set, we like to shred and add a string cheese, and then finish off in the pot. They can be eaten out of the bag or dumped onto a flour tortilla for a breakfast burrito. Use the hot water for K.P., pack out the baggies and you're on the trail.

nldscout: You raise a valid point, as the nature of the offense may not preclude this parent's involvement in Scouting. My point is that it's not OUR decision to make. It's the Council Scout Executive's. - Oren

I stand by my advice. I guarantee that the Council Scout Executive ("CSE") would want to know if a Registered Sex Offender was attending pack and den meetings. If the CSE believes that there is no need for anything to be done, that's the CSE's decision. If the CSE wants to do anything from ensuring certain safeguards to banning participation, that's the CSE's decision. What we don't need is everyone (BUT the CSE) putting their "two cents in" as opinions are being solicited and the potential for "self help" or additional gossipping rises. Further, should something go wrong and

I'll be blunt. Go straight to your Council Executive. Do NOT go through your Cubmaster, your Committee Chair, your Chartered Organization Rep, your District Executive, or anyone else. Do NOT discuss it with anyone else. The Council Executive, the big cheese professional for the Council, is the only one with the responsibility for making such decisions. Go straight to the top and without delay. Good luck.

Scoutldr: VERY well put. The biggest thing in learning to function as a Scout on a Scout outing is taking personal responsibility. Having one's mother scout out food for oneself, is a HUGE step in the opposite direction. That mother would be sent home if she ever did that on one of my trips. I would never allow it, even if we were camping in the McDonald's parking lot.

My two cents: After what I saw of the National staff at the Jamboree, I would not put too much credence in what they think, say or do. Also, as you are a volunteer, I suggest that in the future when you are accosted by the Uniform Police, you ask that any fines for your violation(s) be withheld from your BSA paycheck. -Oren

Welcome fellow Bear! I'll think of you the next time I rip into a carcass of some other critter. - Oren WE3-41-03 BEAR WE3-41-05 QM

Within reason, you can make your ticket items, your goals, as big or as small as you wish them to be. Remember, it's going to be YOUR ticket, not anyone else's. So, please don't choose from a list of what other people have done. Look around your unit and think of what great things YOUR unit could achieve in the future. Then, see if YOU could do something that would help bring that about. You will have plenty of time to figure out your ticket items, so my best advise is to sign up for Wood Badge and have a great time learning about Scouting, yourself and the wonderful volunteers yo

"Why stay when there appears to be so little return on the investment?" As a Scoutmaster, please believe me that a Scout gets the MOST out of the program those first two years. Not even their own parents can believe the changes that take place right after Webelos graduation. You have already identified leadership as an important part of our program. It's something that other youth programs don't offer, at least not to the same level as Boy Scouts. Does the team captain call the plays? Design the plays? Run the practices? No. Learning leadership, most definitely, does not

Eagledad: Don't be hurt when anyone calls your troop, "Barry's Troop." Take it as a compliment and open acknowledgement that, even though it's a boy led troop, YOU are the one responsible for it. Of course, us SMs must share our vision and share the vision of the BSA with our other adult leaders and, especially, with the youth leaders. A Boy Scout troop is very much a team. However, we should guard against losing sight of the fact that the SM is the one charged with making sure everything (and everybody) is working as it should. Hang in there! Your fellow Scoutmaster

I, too, am unclear on what you mean by "Troop handbook." However, you might wish to take a lot of one of my ticket items, a manual for our "adult patrol," known as the "Grumps." It's at http://www.scouttroop14.org/PDFs/grumpmanual.PDF. - Oren WE3-41-03 Bear WE3-41-05 QM

I guess the question says a lot about the questioner. One of the best SMs in my District is female and I have learned quite a bit from her, especially after I became a SM myself. I've know her for a few years now, but it never occurred to me to wonder why she'd want to be a SM. Why would any of us want to be SM? It's time-consuming, physically challenging, emotionally challenging, financially challenging and generally a pain in the @ss. Of course, it's also the best job in Scouting. Working with the Scouts is just so damn much fun! Now, if we could avoid working with anxiety

Oldsm: I know the real definition of "classical" music. In fact, I have some of that on my iPod. I've also got reggae (Marley, Tosh et al) and old r&b (a la Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, B.B. King) and other miscellaneous stuff. The idea is to mix it up (and preserve my prejudices, as I'm the one driving and safety dictates that you don't tee off the driver with country or rap! :-) ). I just put it on shuffle-play and let it go. (O.K. I will skip a few non-Scout appropriate songs, e.g. Frank Zappa's "Dynamo Hum") - Oren

Even though I'm nearing 50, I still listen to the music my Scout do, and enjoy much of it. On trips, my Scoutmaster iPod gets plugged in and we listen to whole range of music, from classical (Led Zep, Floyd, Tull, Beatles, etc.) to current metal to alternative to the weird (Norwegian Viking Metal anyone?). No country and no rap. Can't stand 'em. We have a running "game," whereby pointless points are awarded the first first to say the artist/group when a new song comes on. So, to be competitive, we all have to know music from multiple generations. I always find it highly amusi

OK. You talked me into it. I just ordered a bugle from http://www.scoutbugle.com/BAA.htm and will present it at the next Court of Honor. I'll keep you all posted. - Oren

What would the "Venturing Advisor" staff member do during the course? - Oren

The MOST important thing, is to make sure that the pack properly fits. This is especially true with young Scouts, as they tend to carry the heaviest packs - in proportion to body weight and strength. However, as they are also growing the fastest, they're the hardest ones to fit a pack to. My recommendation is to take him to a quality backpacking-oriented store, such as REI or EMS, and have him try on packs and get help from a knowledgeable sales person. My personal favorite pack for young Scouts is, alas, no longer imported into North America. It's the Jack Wolfskin Tracker, an in

I agree with all of the above. Wood Badge is exactly the type of training and experience that will help you make your Troop "become organized, focused and successful." On top of that, it's the most fun you'll ever have in Scouting (except for some of those absolute precious moments working with the Scouts, themselves, such watching a boy become a young man before your eyes when he overcomes a major obstacle). My Wood Badge experience and training come in handy all the time, both in Scouting and in my "day job." As for helping my Troop, my ticket alone (a) gave it a website, (b

Interesting thread. I have a Scout that would like to be a bugler, but the Troop has neither a history of having a bugler or, more-importantly, a bugle. What should I be looking for and where should I be looking to acquire a bugle for the Troop? - Oren Scoutmaster

I, too, used a Camp Trails all through my Scouting career in the late 60's through early 70's. I LOVED that pack and took it many, many places. That said, however, do yourself a favor and buy a modern pack. The advances in backpack design, including both external and internal frame, are so impressive that you'd be doing yourself a major disservice in merely replacing the bag. - Oren

We use Dana Design Nuk Tuk tents. They're 8 x 8 and are big enough for three regular Scouts or four "wee-ones." - Oren

The Scoutmaster before me bemoaned the hassles of the two Scouts per tents system, with rampant complaining about who go to tent with whom. So, he went with 4 man tents. The weight per Scout is low and many of the Scouts opt to forgo the tents in favor of bivies. We have no complaints about going 4 per tent. - Oren