orennoah

The best ones I've found (and used) for backpacking are Marmot PreCips, both the jacket and the pants. They're waterproof, breathable and - best of all - very light and pack small. Look for season-end closeouts at such places as www.sierratradingpost.com. After all, a Scout is Thrifty.

I'd also add to use your guy-outs! Stake them out taut, so that you have a good, even tension on the outer rain fly. (In fact, I prefer to use two guy lines per guy-out point and set them at a 45 deg. angle, so that the guy-out on the tent is triangulated. Around here, heavy rain is always accompanied with high winds.)

Congrats! Oh. And we Bears don't like it when you other patrols fight and squawk like this. (It toughens up your meat.) - Oren WE3-41-03 BEAR WE3-41-05 QM

Eureka's advice is correct. Once the mildew and whatever nasty microbes are causing your vomit aroma set in, they destroy the waterproof coatings. Washing won't repair the damage and machine washing will accelerate the damage. If these tents were mine, let alone my Troop's, I would toss them and treat their replacements much better. Tents must be bone dry before being put back into storage. They should be hung and allowed fully to dry after each trip. As for cleaning, they should be set up on a grass field and gently washed, by hand, with soap and lots of water. Then, they should be thoroughly dried before storing. Good luck and sorry to confirm the bad news.

Our troop (and I personally) uses Primus Himalaya multifuel stoves. They're not the lightest, but they'll burn either cannisters or just about any liquid fuel. In addition, they have aluminum pumps, not the plastic ones used by MSR. They also do an excellent job of simmering and have stability, both physically and temperature-wise, to use with Outback Ovens. We love them. - Oren

Me!

Funny this is, you see, every year that darned phone at camp seems to be out of order. Not matter what camp we attend. Some day, these camps should get around to fixing them. :-)

Good story, FGoodwin. And to top it off, you were within sight of a major city, San Francisco. Why worry? You're so CLOSE! One other thing that visitors to the San Francisco Bay Area can't grasp is the wildly varying climates, especially in Marin and around the Golden Gate and Mt. Tam. One side of a hill can be warm and sun-swept, but the other side can be cold, foggy and windy. No map will give you that information. Glad you made it out without minor injury or major embarassment. You forgot to mention what happened to your relationship with the girlfriend.

If it were me, I would refuse to play into their "game." Those parents are using their son and their son's Den Leader as battlegrounds. Don't let them include you! I would continue to communicate with all parents and wouldn't change a thing. If they have secrets, they will simply have to learn not to tell me. I'm not going to be subject to their manipulation. - Oren Scoutmaster

Thanks for the endorsement of our Grump Patrol Manual, the "written adult training" in referred to above. It can be found at: http://www.scouttroop14.org/PDFs/grumpmanual.PDF Comments always welcome. - Oren

In our troop, we have a very clear, stated up-front, policy: "No 'Parents' On Outings." We explain right up front that "parents" are not allowed. However, if they wish to come along as extra adult leadership, that is fine. They will be part of the "Grump" Patrol and will be hanging with and assisting the rest of the adult leadership. They will not be hanging with or assisting any of the Scout patrols. So, our answer to the question of whether we allow mothers and fathers on campouts, as parents, is simply no. This is especially true if they see their role "as a Mother or Father for a specific Scout." With one notable exception (which led to the creation of some written adult training setting forth our patrol and adult policies), things have worked well. Neither the adult leadership nor the youth leadership will tolerate an adult, registered or otherwise, interfering in a Scout patrol's operations. One of my proudest moments as Scoutmaster was when a Scout who had been with us for almost a year asked his Patrol Leader how he knew the Scoutmaster. "He's my Dad," was the answer. - Oren

We use the list serve capabilities of our troop website. No advertising, that way.

Pro-Lite 4! Lightweight. Packs small. Mega-comfort and warmth. If you use a bivy and tarp, instead of a tent, you can simply slide the pad into the bivy and no more sliding off problems. - Oren

Trevorum said "Thank you! This will be my next SM minute." Mine, too! - Oren

As their Scoutmaster, I call them "Scouts" when talking about them and "gentlemen" when talking to them. - Oren

I agree that Patrol Leaders should be allowed (if not encouraged) to sign off on advacement steps up through First Class. That's how it's done in my troop. But then again, I'm the Scoutmaster, so they can. :-) I've found that it strenthens the older Scout's authority and sense of responsibility for the functioning of the Troop and the younger Scouts are naturally in awe of the older ones and pay far closer attention to what they're being taught by older Scouts than by us old timers.

Congratulations!! - Oren WE3-41-03 BEAR WE3-41-05 QM

Two words: "Unit cohesion." 'Nuff said. - Oren

Another Bear with beads!! Yeah!!! I raise a glass of bug juice in your honor! Congratulations. - Oren WE3-41-03 Bear WE3-41-05 QM

Your wife should most definately stay in Scouting. More importantly, she should seek legal advice as to how to clear her record. She didn't "go nuts," she had a bad drug interaction. No telling the horrors this misinformation in her record can cause in the future.

Could you explain this "virtual patrol" concept? Thanks.

"Hmmmmm. do I smell Bear bait in the Beaver trap? The other patrols were always jealous because the best patrol always got to eat first." Did someone say "eat?" - Oren WE3-41-03 BEAR We3-41-05 QM

As a Scoutmaster, I would like a Denless Dad like you to (a) take the rest of Scoutmaster training, (b) take Wood Badge, © "divorce" your son - see below - and (d) become an assistant Scoutmaster. Voting on Committee doesn't mean a whole lot, or at least it shouldn't. If there's a serious conflict between the SM and ASMs and the Committee, there's a problem that voting rights just can't solve. After all, the Committee members can vote all they want, but the SM and ASMs can always vote with their feet. They're the ones delivering the program and working with the boys. The Committee is their to support that effort. As for "divorcing" your son, the HUGE difference between Cubs and Scouts is that Scouts are boy-run and no "parent" should be involved. Of course, almost all of us Scouters are, in fact, parents. However, we have gone to great lengths to step out of parent mode when we put on our uniforms. It's not easy, but it's worth it.

In addition to all of the points made above (with which I wholeheartedly agree), Wood Badge is whole lot of fun! Please join us. Oren WE3-41-03 Bear WE3-41-05 QM

I don't see (or feel) any need for ticket secrecy, as each ticket should be based upon what the unit needs and the Scouter's need for a challenge and personal growth. I've seen some ticket items that I could do in my sleep. It wouldn't be a challenge for me and I wouldn't grow. Some of mine might seem that way for someone else. For example, I've never done any work creating a website, so that was a huge challenge for me. If I were a professional web designer, I would not have designated that as a ticket item. (I would have just done it, anyway.) Please use other people's ticket items merely as an indication of the great variety of possible goals. Mine were: - Create a website for the my troop (www.scouttroop14.org) - Prepare and give a presentation on use of GPS in Scout Outings for Round Table - Create a manual for adult leaders going on troop outings - Upon becoming Scoutmaster (which was unexpected!), bring back the Scoutmaster Minute - Upon being asked to QM the next course (which was even MORE unexpected!), plan menus and introductions for participant meals from various countries to show Scouting's diversity, history and future. As you can see, two of my items came about AFTER the course, as the result of unanticipated changes in my Scouting responsibilities. Your ticket is a living thing; it can change with you. - Oren WE3-41-03 Bear WE3-41-05 QM