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bbng

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Everything posted by bbng

  1. If you were to ask the Scouts, they do nothing In this troop, they take on the following roles: One asst per patrol as an advisor One asst for the new Scouts Two assts for high adventure (1 for backpacking, 1 for scuba) These are pretty much the standing "roles", but as a Scout prepares for Eagle, there is an asst assigned to him as a mentor. The Scouts all know who to talk to for help with their themes: one asst is strong in first aid, another in orienteering, another in cooking, another is an engineer. The Scouts do ask for help from the assts, though they do find it painf
  2. Kaji, I think my point was missed. Quite a few of the boys were new to Cubs as Webelos, had new blue shirts, and the families purchased a second shirt in tan. That's two shirts in less than a year's time, and one of them never worn or worn only once or twice. It's certainly their choice, but the shirts are pricey to buy 2 so close together without it being necessary to do so, and families should be aware that it's a choice they make.
  3. Webelos do not have to wait until their second year to visit a troop meeting. It's a good idea to introduce them to at least one troop, preferably more if able, so that they can see Scouting in action. The troop my son is in has an open door policy. Anyone is welcome to drop by for a meeting at any time. There are drawbacks to this: a meeting may move to a different location (so just showing up means a meeting would be missed), some meetings may actually be COHs (not a bad thing, but not a meeting either), and not knowing ahead means the troop may not have an activity planned that the v
  4. Blue or tan is a choice for families to make while a Cub is in Webelos. My son remained in his blue shirt through bridging, and that was his choice. He liked having all of his ranks, arrow points, etc. on his uniform. However, the rest of the den, even some new boys who had new blue shirts, purchased tan shirts because one person said it would be nice if they all did (talk about peer pressure!). To me, that was a tremendous waste of money, but if the families were willing to pay, then it's certainly an option to change color even if not necessary.
  5. I'm really sorry to hear of what has happened. May I suggest that your wife take that letter to her doctor, asking him if he can set the record straight on this? It might go a long way to helping her out in the event any questions are asked. I agree with all the others; she should be able to stay in Scouting, and so long as the appropriate people are aware of what's up, there should be no problems. I'm glad she is ok now.
  6. I was teaching my children LNT ideals before knowing what LNT was. Simply put, to me it means being respectful of the property (don't carve trees, pick flowers, wander off the trail, toss trash) and of others using it (have fun outdoors, talk to one another, but don't hike behind someone else being loud). These things are simply good manners and safety anyway. One trail that I enjoy happens to be home to only 6 of a particular wildflower; walking off the trail and stepping on that area would diminish or wipe out that wildflower. That makes the trail less enjoyable. Wandering off the
  7. I'm curious. Is the only change in the handbook the recruiting requirement for First Class? If so, I would just make up a label to insert current books so that the Scouts have the requirement and the appropriate leaders could sign off on it when it's met. As for the MB books, does your troop have a MB library? Ours does, and it's been a help families to know they don't have to purchase them. At some point someone does (troop or Scouts), but just a thought for saving money per family. I do agree though that Scouting is expensive and understand your concern.
  8. Kaji, I've been in that position and the waiting was very frustrating. Fast start trainings are online and give a brief overview of the program and each position. A call to your Unit Commissioner to find out the name of the training chairman might be helpful, and you could then contact the training chairman to see if they'd be willing to either set up training now or bring training to you. One problem in this district is that many ask for training, complain at the dates it's held, but when it is tailored to their needs and brought to them, they tend to not show up! If training in your own
  9. Are you familiar with Pack Helps? The den and pack meetings are all laid out for you; add the people and supplies, and you're meetings are done. I wonder if this would be a help to you in saving time on planning. I echo Semper and wish you success. It seems to me that it would be easy, perhaps even necessary, to put Cubs on hold for a time, but I'm glad to hear you are hanging in there and that as a result of that the boys are having fun. What a blessing to them you are, and in turn to their families, and even to us as we read of the bright spot in hard times.
  10. I would try contacting either a Boy Scout museum or a Norman Rockwell museum for help with this. My parents, when visiting a Norman Rockwell museum, were told that the Scout prints could not be sold as they were owned by the BSA. Therefore, one of these two sources might be best able to help out. What a treasure, regardless of dollar item assigned to the prints, this is!
  11. I'd let it go now as well. More and more, Christmas parties and celebrations have been dubbed holiday parties, and the reasons vary. Enjoy the party!
  12. I'm sorry; I don't how to put a link here that you can just click on. You are right that your comments are offbase due to not being able to view the article (though I agree any one leader doing it all is a set up for burn out). There is a chartered organization and a group of volunteers, but the then-12-year-old Scout had the idea of the Cub Pack being brought to these children. He was instrumental in making it happen, but many others were involved as well.(This message has been edited by bbng)
  13. bbng

    Pack Dues

    I'm torn on this issue. On the one hand, I believe there is a legimate complaint. Den leaders should know about den dues, and they should be informed as to how to collect them and turn them into the treasurer along with how to be reimbursed for supplies. If the pack has only budgeted a certain amount, that needs to be made clear also. It seems that the pack committee didn't do its part in making this happen. On the other hand, to be a leader for years and simply fund the den and then complain about it...well, this is something the den leader should have asked about/complained about lo
  14. Is this because of the den leader/den dues & pack dues issue? I'm not aware of anyone providing letters of resignation, though in my experience, even the most frustrated of leaders tend to give some for a replacement to be found and have made their concerns known well in advance of resigning. This way, supposing those concerns are something the pack as a whole shares, they can be worked on and the pack isn't left scrambling for a new leader.
  15. Hey Unc, it's good to "see" you! Congrats on that first edition. I just did a search and found an illustrated how-to site that also sells kits. You may or may not need the kit, but hopefully this is what you're looking for: http://www.bookbindingfb.com/ Doing a search on archival bookbinding led me to this site, also detailed, and it even explains how you can create everything, including the cover: http://www.cs.uiowa.edu/~jones/book/cover.html
  16. This is an awesome story of how one person, a young person at that, had an idea of how to help others, put it into practice, and has kept it going for 5 years: http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051215/NEWS/512150371/-1/NEWS01
  17. I agree completely with this statement: However I do think it wrong he would use a scouting background for his Declaration of War. Sketches of BSA insignia are used in 3 of 4 corners, and there is no apparerent reason for that in his blog, the declaration, or the write-up of the movie he's selling.(This message has been edited by bbng)
  18. Yes, 6 MBs may still be worn on the long-sleeved shirt. Most Scouts around here only have short-sleeved shirts though, so I've not seen this done. Thanks Semper. It was a good weekend for my son on so many levels. Yes, the troop has COHs 4 times per year in addition to monthly BORs. The only thing in this troop that I've not agreed with is this one area: wearing the sash incorrectly.
  19. My older son is not new to Scouting, but he is new to merit badges, and to make a long story short, he was unable to fully participate in his most recent camping trip (the activities, that is--he went on the trip). He asked an asst SM if he would work with him on the camping MB, something he though he would be able to fairly easily as he loves to camp and rarely misses a trip. He also asked if he could help out any Webelos visiting. He came home so excited and searched out the merit badge book, choosing more to work on. Why? He was so incredibly encouraged to have items signed off on, and
  20. Our troop recently had a rock-climbing afternoon in an indoor gym. Only a few Scouts were interested, and it was learned that many were afraid of climbing. It was surprising to me at least who was. This would not be a good troop meeting night for this particular troop.
  21. Pow Wow costs $20; if registration is late, it costs $25. There are no extra costs; all materials are included as well as lunch, the patch, prizes, and a CD of all course materials. It's worth the cost, though it's hard to get people to attend, and any extra costs would make it harder still particularly as our council has made it a priority to keep training free or very low cost (low cost for supplementals other than Woodbadge which is $150).
  22. I and 2 other CMs (the one before me and the one who came after) all enjoyed signing the cards and chose to do so. The den leaders were split--some wanted to sign the cards asking for DL signature, others said it didn't matter. If I were advancement chair, I'd simply ask what the preference is. Welcome to the forums!
  23. Tents Backpacks Sleeping bags Lanterns, flashlights Knives, whetstones Compass, whistle, fanny packs Camp chairs Long underwear, fleece tops, wool socks Gloves, knit hats Mess kit, cup, eating utensils This year, a dutch oven is wished for as well as a Leatherman tool. Birthdays and Christmas are super times for camping gear. My hope is that as merit badges are worked on, that leather working tools, tools, and other items will be added as interest is shown in specific areas. Oh, and slides and belts, which are often lost, get replaced thanks to Santa. Field guide
  24. I just don't agree with these exceptions. The committee is fair to have expectations, but it is truly ok to re-evaluate the purpose of the policy and see if it's whats' in the best interests of the Scouts.(This message has been edited by bbng)
  25. This particular part of LNT makes an otherwise fine and respectable program, one that I support, practice, and teach to my children, seem silly. It's a good thing that is carried just plain too far. For safety's safe, I deliberately wear clothing or carry a pack that is visible and do the same with my children. When going on outings with Cubs or Daisies, it's so much easier to know where they are when they are in uniform or at least dressed in brighter clothing. In my opinion, keeping kids visible beats hollering for them--now THAT would not be respectful of others!
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