Pack212Scouter

We have had some issues similar to this before. It occured when the track was set up in an area flooded by IR and UV light (yes, even inside a big top tent). High levels of this lighting can throw off some sensors and sometimes even fail to register. A highly reflective car in these conditions may have to occlude the sensor more than a dark matte car before the sensor will tigger. One of the companies, Judge timers, has a timer gate sensor option to use in these conditions.(This message has been edited by pack212scouter)

GrandPrix Race Manager is the way to go. We have used it for many many years. The benefits over elimination are many, but most notably... Fairness by all Cubs running on all lanes. All Cubs get the same number of heats, no matter how fast their car. The fastest average car is always found, no matter who they race. (In the case of elimination, it is possible to get winners, especially in the 3rd and 4th place range, that are not the fastest).

As was discussed in the post above, a 10 year old Scout would be pretty rare. The rewording didn't really change things too much. I guess it would apply to young boys who skipped a grade more than anything else. I don't believe 10 1/2 was ever a rule. It was a common misinterpretation of "six months after turning 10 or completing fourth grade". Many people miss that last half, and hence the 10 1/2 month idea. The only way a boy can join at 10 is...if 5th grade is completed or AOL is completed. In the case of grade requirement, the youngest a child can start kindergarden here is

We've used online payment with Paypal on the Pack side for about 5 years now and the Troop side for about a year. It makes collecting dues and fees much easier, as people can just go online and pay. The only drawback on the Troop side is that they have to close it before the Monday before the campout so that funds can be available to give to the grubmasters.

In our Pack, it has been a natural evolution I guess. Blue & Gold became a graduation banquete at the end of the year. It was a symbol that the boys could now work on their next rank. Of course it was always presented as you are now a Wolf...now a Bear, etc. It was never treated as the end of a rank, but the beginning of the adventure of a new one. It is the end of the regualar meeting year because as was said in one post....baseball. After April, our attendance, both in Scouts and Leaders dropped off by at least 50%. So now we end it at the end of April and concentrate on providing

I think there may be some confusion here. There is an outdoor activity award and a summertime activity pin. The outdoor activity award has additional requirements that are rank varied. The first time earned is a packet flap patch, after that, wolf track pins may be added. The Summertime activity pin requires nothing more that the boy participating in a Pack event at least once in each of the three summer months. These pins are worn throught the same pocket flap and are colored by the rank they are received in. In the case of our Pack, only siblings join at the end of the School y

Our B&G eventually moved to April and became a graduation ceremony at the end of the Cub year. The reason for this is that Parents and Leaders did not want another big event that was nothing more than a birthday party.

You have two issues there. First off is AOL. If they have earned it (although from the Troop visit side, they may not have), then just schedule a date, preferably a meeting night, and give them their AOL ceremony. If the boys have earned it, then they deserve it. Another thing that we do at our B&G is have a representative from each old W2 Den come and "retire" their Den/Patrol flag, right before the new W1's are presented with their new Den/Patrol flag. Makes for a nice transition ceremony that the rest of the Pack sees. As for Crossover/Bridgeover, that is another thing alt

The limit is what the unit wants. BSA like giving out ribbons. Ribbons for Quality unit...ribbons for attending camp...ribbons for tieing your shoes... Our unit has only be around 20 years and the flag was getting ridiculous. A couple of years ago it was decided that we would only put on it ribbons that we truely "earned", such as quality unit. It looks alot better without 100 ribbons on it!

A few years back we had a boy in our Pack who's parents were part of a very nasty divorce. As it turned out, it was so bad that he had a court appointed attourney to represent his interests. Anyway, the short of the story is that he very much wanted to participate in Scouts, but his parents were using it as leverage against one another. The court appointed attourney actually wound up getting a judge to rule that the parents had to allow his participation in Scouts.

That's a rough situation. I suppose you could look at paying for facility use as part of your Pack "paying it's way", even though the CO has a responsibility to provide a meeting area. However a much more important situation is what situation your CO is in. Is your CO in danger of financial collapse? IF this is the case, you want to know. The last thing that you want to happen in so show up for a meeting next November with a closed sign on the door. I may be mistaken in this, but if the CO wants to unburden themselves of the Pack, I believe that they can voluntarily give up the unit numb

Come on people. The whole point of the guidline, at least originally, was to make you think about whether this individual should be doing a particular event. Some people below the guidelines shouldn't, while some over them can. Use some common sense and best judegement like Scouting has done for 100 years. It is a tool, like any other. One of the tennents of Scouting is physical fitness; getting these boys out, active and showing them that it can be fun. To get them off video games, and tv, and doing something active. If we restrict it to only the fit boys, then there is a whole world o

We have one of the larger AHG presences in the country in our Council, so we are a little unique, but here is what is done here... On a unit level... --- Our CO's AHG unit participates with the Cub Scout Pack in Spring Campout --- They participate with both the Pack and the Troop in Scouting for Food, Scout Sunday, some service projects --- They may be allowed to participate in our Spring Camp Card fundraiser...that is being decided. On a Council level... --- They attend University of Scouting and have a course there on "What is AHG, and how does the relationship with BSA wo

It is worth noting that BSA says that those are "guidelines", but that care should be taken with those individuals. The Health form itself even says that Philmonth 'may' consider someone up to 20# over the guidelines. The guide is NOT a BSA rule.

My daughter has been involved with AHG for 7 years now. It was started because GSUSA national became such a radically liberal group, dropping the faith requirements, coworking with planned parenthood, openly accepting and even recruiting alternative lifestyles. That said, AHG is not BSA and does not pretend to be. It is a Christian based organization and will never be more. BSA has an agreement with them, because they hold to BSA tennants (much like a Christian based BSA unit does). Because of the Christian faith foundation, it would not be a good unit for another faith. With all that sa

Ok...5'6" and 210# is not exactly fit. Fit enough for moderate activities, yes, but I would question, or at least keep a very close watch on someone like that on a hike such as this. Philmont would never allow him to go out to the best of my knowledge. For instance, I am 5'6" and 195. I am reasonably fit, but definitely a good 10-15# overweight; and hardly a specimin of muscle. It's hard to tell from pictures, but my guess is that this young lad was a every bit of 210#, if not more.

Sadly, I see that leadership requirement for patrol outings still on the horizon. It is the unnatural evolution of our society. Where once children ran around all day without supervision, playing with bb guns and lawn darts; we now have children that parents feel must be under constant protection and school systems outlawing the game of tag as too dangerous. It is a sad comment on our society that we are raising a generation of boys who develop into one of two things. Either wimps, unable to understand what a male is, or a young man who does not know or understand how to control himself.

As others have said, you have to be careful about judging other's situations. It's hard to tell without delving deeply into their finances. Some will take advantage of you, and some who need it will refuse to ask. In our Pack, we maintain a Scholarship fund...have a specific annual fundraiser event to replenish it (the local mall gives us one of their fountain cleanouts and the Scouts spent an evening cleaning, sorting, and rolling). All that is required is an expression of need for a Scholarship and it is given. As long as they fundraise and volunteer, then we will continue to help a

That's a tough one, but it sounds like your COR is trying to run the program his way and not either how it needs to run or how the CO would want it run. In the case of our Pack, dues covers recharter, Boys Life, estimated awards and Pack costs to the end of the School year. They bridge over before the end of the school year, but because Webelos pins cost alot more than beads, it evens out. None of their dues goes to the Troop because Pack dues are set to cover costs and no more. The boys get their AOL certificate and patch. If their family wants a plaque, they pay for that. If any mo

We do one of three things.... If they are a transfer from another Webelos program, then into a Webelos 2 Den. If we get at least 4 or 5, then we create a new Webelos 2 Den that works towards the same goals. If we just get 1 or 2, then they go into a Webelos 1 Den, since they are all working towards Webelos Badge. We then have them work on the extra AOL requirements with the Webelos 2's when they do them. About a month before bridgeover, if they are eligible, we move them in with the Webelos 2 Den to become familiar with those boys before bridging.

Rockford, Maybe we should teach that instead of policing food. They should be taught these things, not that XYZ is bad for them.

We have a very large Pack and this is true. That said, after 5 years in the Pack, 2 as DL, 1 as ACM and 2 as CM, I have discovered a few things. In most cases, unless it is something truely unique (such as how we go overboard for our Bobcat ceremony with drums, indian dress, etc.), the parents care more about how the bling is presented than the boys. Most of the boys couldn't care less "how" they get their awards as long as they get them and hove fun at the meeting. They really don't want to sit through 40 cases of "Joe Green worked hard to get bla, bla, bla." Because of this fact, we hav

We need to stop being the food police and teach them how to make appropriate choices. What most children and adults are not taught is that what you can eat is entirely dependent on your physical activity and your genetic predisposition. If you have a history of cholesteral and high blood preasure, then your should not eat high in saturated fats and salt....but this does not mean that someone from a familily without such issues and who burns 4,000-5,000 calories in a day should not. People need to be instructed on how to make appropriate decisions, not have them policed for them.

Our pack is a uniform pack, so the necker thing might not work for us (for the boys, since the Cub Scout neckers are the official wear necker). Adult leaders are expected to be in uniform to lead by example and the boys are also. If they can't afford a uniform, we get them one from our uniform closet. As for recognition, we make sure that all leaders that are deserving of knots are awarded said knots at our awards banquet, along with a certificate. We are trying something new this year; we budgeted a little out of popcorn sales to do an overnight lock-in, just for leaders and their son

I don't believe that there are any hard and fast rules about the low temperature, other than you should use good experience and common sense. I know that the Alaska Council for instance has 100, 200 & 300 below awards for the total number of degrees below freezing that you camped out in one season (and at least one night has to be in some form of natural shelter). Once again, it is common sense and regional. While it may be nothing for a Fairbanks Scout to camp at zero, it would be huge for a Los Angeles Scout. The difference is that for most Scouts and adult leaders; personal gear, pr