orennoah

Sounds like he needs some more time to become a true Eagle. Just because he has the merit badges and the project, he's not entitled to the Eagle rank. He needs to become an Eagle first. - Oren

I, too, would like this information. A number of the Scouts in "my" troop have expressed an interest in just this sort of historical camping method. - Oren

This isn't right. National has compounded negligence and stupidity with dishonor. They should be ashamed. My suggestion is that you use google to get the mailing addresses of each BSA council office (and, if available, the names of the Scout Executives). I would then write each of them a letter, explaining the problem (and National's actions/inactions, if you so desire), enclosing a photo of the affected Cubs and asking for their assistance in locating and returning the cars. Heck, I would even send a cc of each letter to National. Don't let them sweep this under the rug. The Cubs deserve so much more! - Oren

CajunCody: No. "They" won't call and try to verify your info. Take a DEEP breath, hold it and slowly exhale. The medical person will only call your doctor if s/he needs additional information because of some medical problem you present with during the course. Fear not. Wood Badge is a great experience and you are right to be excited about it, but there is nothing you should feel anxious about. You'll meet great people, work very hard and learn tons. Enjoy it. Oh. Great signature line! - Oren "I used to be a Bear . . . ." WE3-41-03 QM WE3-41-05

GopherJudy: A "polyathalon" is a relay race where after each leg of the race, a Scout must do a task (e.g., tie a certain knot, shoot an arrow, swim a lap, etc.). This one had at least 17 different tasks, including the runs between each station and could be done by any number of Scouts, between one and 17. At all depended upon how the SPL (real or "silverhaired") wanted to approach the problem. - Oren

Cindyt888 wrote: "We're getting picked up at the airport for transportation to AP Hill. We asked about showing up in civvies vs uniform. We were told we could wear what we wanted, but it would be easier to identify us if we were in uniform." That settles it for me. My flight schedule was changed and now I have less than 30 minutes before the last bus leaves. So, it'll be Class A for me. - Oren

For my part, I advise to contact the Council Executive of that troop's home Council. You really can't do anything more than that and doing anything less, I get the feeling, will leave you with a sense of undone justice. I'd also like to point out that I, too, have noticed a direct correlation between poor uniforming and poor behavior. Both, I beleive, stem from a lack of pride in the unit, in Scouting and in oneself. - Oren

I, too, am just back from Summer Camp. Boy. Did I see a whole lot of silver-haired "SPLs" running their troops! There they were, on Friday's Polyathalon, assigning individual Scouts to specific roles and giving detailed instructions. I made it a point to confine myself (and my ASM) to the porch of the lodge near the start/finish. I'd given my SPL all the information from the Camp Staff (why they give the details to the SMs and not to the SPL, I'll never know) and given him the choice of either having winning as our goal or having everyone, including our newest Scouts, involved be our goal. He, and the rest of the Troop, did me proud. - Oren

It seems to me that PETA is being counterproductive in this. If they really wanted to promote their stated goal of eliminating the use of animals for food, they should REQUIRE all of us carnivores to slaughter our own meat, at least once. After generations of us having been removed from the process and seeing meat only in attractive packages in the local megamart, I dare say that many more of us would become vegetarians. For myself, I wouldn't enjoy doing the slaughtering but I fully realize that I indirectly employ others to do it for me and I treat meat with the respect that it deserves. - Oren

Great that the website is making it into the 21st Century. That footlocker sure looked cool, but the it had two bad numbers, the price AND the weight. For the price and weight, it should have come with Sherpas. - Oren

Another way of looking at this: I instruct the other adults in my Troop that they should not think of it as "Youth Protection," but as "Adult Protection." Forinstance, one should always avoid one on one, out of sight, situations with youth, not because you feel you might be tempted to abuse, but to protect yourself from any false accusations of abuse. With our YPT rules, you would have a heck of a time explaining why you got yourself into such a situation and convince anyone it was not for an evil purpose. Here, you will not have anyone accuse you of any sort of improper act or failure to take proper action if you do what the Guide to Safe Scouting tells you to do. No one can hold you liable for reporting what it tells you to report. However, what are you going to do if the accused groper gropes someone else and you didn't report the first incident? You could be in a world of hurt. The accusation of "cover up" would come really easily and, again, you would have a very hard time explaining why you deviated from your Youth Protection Training and the GTSS. Sorry to sound harsh, but this is serious, nasty stuff and being guided by good intentions is absolutely no protection for you. Treat is as Adult Protection and you will be fine and the youth will be properly served. - Oren

How true. Us adult leaders need to be ever mindful of not overstepping our bounds and making sure that the boys are running the Troop. It's an atitude that must come from the SM, though. An minor example from my Troop's meeting tonight: A new Scout brought his packed backpack to the meeting to have his Patrol Leader check it out to see that he was bringing the right things (and none of the wrong things) to Summer Camp in three days. (I never looked in it. I merely complimented the Scout on his fine choice in backpacks.) After the meeting, I saw his father (not a registered Scouter) with the pack on his shoulder. I asked him, with great enthusiasm, if he was coming with us to Summer Camp. He said "no." So, I told him to drop the pack right then and there. At first, he thought I was joking. I assured him that I wasn't. He dropped the pack and I explained that each Scout was responsible for his own gear. When the Scout got it home, Dad could do whatever he wanted with it. But on Scout trips, he was expected to carry and care for his own stuff. In writing, the above sounds like a confrontation. It wasn't. It was all good natured and a learning moment for that Dad. Smiles all around and a lesson learned and the Troop's boy-led culture passed on. - Oren

This topic raises a sore spot with me. We had one Scout who had some very serious needs. However, his parents studiously avoided letting any of us know. After determining that the Scout's actions were so far out of the rather wide range of "normal," we had to confront the father, who had become an ASM, before he would let us in on the Scout's medical diagnosis. (Asperger's Syndrome.) We sure could have been much, much more effective in helping this Scout and in helping the rest of our Scouts, if the parents would have let us know the score from the beginning. Not to mention, having provided what turned out to be much greater than normal supervision on a snow camping trip. (It was getting dark and he hadn't built his shelter or kept track of his gear.) I understand that they may have been a bit reluctant to "label" their son, but his behavior labeled him right away. The only problem is that was the wrong label. We're just volunteers, after all. - Oren

A local church in our area sets up a portable skate park in their parking lot. It's a HUGE draw. They even grill hot dogs and have drinks for the kids. All gratis. - Oren

This will be fodder for my Scoutmaster's Minute tomorrow night. We can rejoice in the good news that this particular Scout was found alive and basically OK. However, there's no such good news for the Scout "lost" in the same area last year or the Scout whose body was just found this week after his attempt to get "big air" on a whale watching trip exceeded his anticipations. I am going to go over the fact that Scout safety is all based upon Scouts' own discipline. If that Scout on the whale watching trip had obeyed the adult leaders (not to mention have used common sense), he would be alive. If both of the Utah Scouts had used the buddy system, neither would have made any headlines anywhere. Us adults can only do so much. That is, if the boys want to have any fun. We could always shackle them with so much supervision and restrictions that they would never learn anything about themselves or the outdoors. I'm going to ask them how many of them have heard about a Boy Scout being lost in the woods. I'm betting most of them will say that they have. Then, I'll ask them if they have every heard of two Boy Scouts being lost. I'm sure they haven't. The buddy system works. (OK. I know someone out there will google the news archives and find SOME mention of two Scouts being lost. Remember, never let the facts screw up a good story.) - Oren

I really feel for you, as you're clearly the "loyalist" in a "rebel" troop. Do what's best for your son, as this troop appears to have no intention of letting you do what's best for the troop. However, DO NOT pass up Wood Badge. That training is unlike any BSA training you have done to date and will give you personal skills and confidence that you can use in all aspects of your life, not just Scouting. With that training and with the support of your fellow Wood Badgers (and you will have that support after the training), you'll be in a better position to implement whatever decision you make vis-a-vis this troop. Good luck. - Oren

Quite true. In my mind, if you're busy doing Scouting, you don't have time to write or read any by-laws. However, if you're too busy doing other things to have enough time to devote a chunk of it to Scouting, you certainly don't have time to write or read any by-laws. - Oren

This is very scary. It sounds like this troop needs a complete change in adult leadership. If the Committee Chair, the Chartered Org. Rep and the Scoutmaster are content with planning the program, planning the meetings, arranging the merit badges and letting the boys off the hook of any leadership responsibility, what - pray tell - can you do in the way of the actual BSA program? For me, I wouldn't have anything to do with this troop, unless the leadership committed to a thorough change. How are you going to do things the BSA way (the way you appear to want to do them and know that they should be done), while nothing else in the troop works that way? It's a whole package. You can't be working completely out of synch with the rest of this obviously dysfunctional troop. As Eamonn so aply put it, RUN!! (And be sure to take your son with you.) - Oren - Oren

We pack a bottle of Woolite and scrounge up a clean plastic garbage can. If the camp is particularly dirty (read dusty), we'll have two "laundry nights," one on Wednesday and one on Friday, right before we go home. All the Class A stuff gets dumped in the Woolite and water-filled garbage can and the Scouts have a great time taking turns being the "agitator." Using hoses, we rinse them all off (and some Scouts, as well) and hang on rope rigged between trees. Everyone seems to have a good time. Boys playing with water, and all that. - Oren

Eamonn: Um. Er. You may want to rephrase your above analogy. I don't think that you meant what you typed. Could start an interesting thread, though. - Oren

Rather than repeating training (other then YPT and the others that have "expiration dates"), adult leaders should be encouraged to staff training. Being on the "other side" will do more for one's own mastery of the material than going through the training again and it will be more helpful to Scouting in general. - Oren "I used to be a Bear . . . . WE3-41-03 Quartermaster WE5-41-05

I second Bob White's suggest and write to point out that you're in a bit of a spot, seeing that it was your son who had the problem. To many, rightly or wrongly, too much intervention from you right now will look like favoritism. You are correct that something is wrong. A bit of pre-BOR tension is a healthy thing, but "let 'em sweat" is clearly the wrong attitude and, unless there is some highly unusual circumstance, two hours is way too long for any troop BOR. - Oren SM and Dad, but not at the same time.

I'll be on housing staff at Mahone. - Oren

ScoutmasterRon: You didn't invite ME!?!? :-) Sounds like a great ticket item AND meal. - Oren "I used to be a BEAR!"

My Troop was asked to do the opening flag ceremony for the area Rotary District Convention a couple of weeks ago. This was quite an honor, considering that we aren't sponsored by the Rotary Club hosting the convention (or any other Rotary Club, for that matter.) I'm told that our Scouts did a fine job. Regrettably, I was attending a Wood Badge Staff Development session that day and couldn't see it myself. - Oren