prairie

3 Nigerians will post tryin to get prople to send them money orders for lightbulbs hidden away by the widow of some ambasader.

11 New menbers will use the thread to advertise lifestyle drugs they have for sale.

2 knuckelheads will post links that take you to pronn sites.

7 members will state they are leaving and will never come back.

15 will complain when others are banned for breaking forum rules.

and one guy's reply nobody else can figure out what he ment.

Scout uniforms end up listed in both the uniforms catagory and under colectables, ocasionally other places too.

I have found searchin for Scout items on ebay more dificult than most any other item, mostly from sellers not doing a good job describing their items.

I wear a Project Soar 1971 patch on my right pocket.

Must not have been, no reports of anybody being shot. ;-)

I just donn't get traveling to some backcountry area and hauling all the baggage of urban life with you.

Every year George Orwell looks to be a smarter man than the year before, not sure if things are changing or just my view of them.

I think I have learned more by "evesdropping" in on others threads than from the replys I have gotten myself. It has been a real education for me here the last ten months and helped me avoid the tunnel vision of how Scouting is done in my neck of the woods. So a big thank you to those who take the time to share what they have learned!

Lead by example.

Thankyou to all who replied with great info!

I forgot to mention it but I think my council awards a very cold weather camping patch to adults if they are on the same campout where the boys earn it. I earned it twice as a boy but will hold off wearing it till earned as an adult as well.

No, not the little knot ones, ones like the Mile Swim or 50 Miler or Lifeguard. Last week I saw an adult awarded a Mile Swim patch, the distance wouldn't be hard for me but all those turns would! So which ones can I work for without the Uniform Police knocking on my door some morning?

Thank You

Woulda thought you should be the Count of Belt Loops.

Much faster for me and the "Todays Active Topics" is faster and doesn't time out like it used to.

Thank You

Whoops, forgot about the under/over collar issue, my bad.

To me wearing the necker under the collar looks as bad as not tucking in the shirt. I hope I'm never asked to wear one that way,

I'dd wear the necktie first.

That said I keep my opionions to myself around the boys unless asked.

I would wear one of those collarless shirts today, if I could find one to fit me, all have been too small so far.

For summer wear a silk necker will be some what cooler than cotton, now that national has shown they can go hi-tech with the Switchbacks how bout a neckerchief that is cool to wear? Just a thought.

BTW: The Wiki entry for neckers could use some work.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neckerchief

(This message has been edited by prairie)

I feel any Scouter who works directly with the boys should wear the uniform to the best of their ability.

It lets even the newist Scout know you are supposed to be there, that you have had a commitment to the Troop, the boys, Scouting and yourself.

By wearing the uniform you show the older scouts it is not something to be outgrown.

(I had more but seem to have writers block now)

Lead by example

What Eagle69 wrote agreed with my experance in the 1970s.

Whats changed? Call instead of tap, 8pm instead of after 10pm, horse is led instead of ridden, skeeters are just as blood thirsty now as before.

Almost seems the event was moved up for the convenince of the visiting parrents and would be the one thing that could be changed back.

We never knew if we were elected till tapped, toting your sleeping gear back to your campsite was a long walk. Ordeal was done next day rubbernecking campers were discouraged, most labors were in less used areas of the camp as well.

Gunny:

If they are solid color almost nobody will squack unless worn to formal ocasions, and maybe not then. First campfire at summer camp this year one troop showed up with monochrome camo activity shirts and others had on various camo pants/shorts. But at the OA callout one troop even wore matching neckerchiefs the right way!(did my heart good) I did notice, sloppy dressed scouters had sloppy dressed scouts.

Lead by example

If I hear a hint they won't be making the BSA switchbacks in the light weight fabric I will go out and buy several pairs. As cool as most shorts , no danger of sunburn on what ever they cover and bug proof. Brush busters they are not, as a replacement for the older BSA shorts they rock!

PS: up to 95% of the time a pair of field pants made from this fabric but without the leg or boot zippers would work as well or better, for me.

Several thoughts.

Is a large geographic area of your town without a troop?

If all the COs are religious might a service club CO attract boys put off about joining a church troop?

Is it time to split the megatroop?

The point I'dd hope to make OldGreyEagle is the mentor should be avaiable, a UC would do just fine.

Only thought I had would be to make several visits to the troop, with only one you might see only a very good or very bad night. If it were me one of those visits would be unanounced, not polite but a great way to avoid a dog and pony show.

Eamonn touched on something I thought of earlier in the thread though I think of it by another name. All new Scoutmasters and especialy young ones should have mentors avaiable to them, steady people who don't have the energy, chrisma, leadership skills or time to be a SM. One of the things a good Rocking Chair patrol can bring to the troop.

As others have said be happy if your CO signs the paperwork, provides meeting space and equipment storage but otherwise leaves the troop alone. Our new CO provides signitures and so far funds for new troop and US flags, the first co from 40+ years ago still provides meeting space but we lost our equipment storage priviliges with them when a new pastor decided it wasn't right. Now the SM is stuck with storage dutys, luckly he has space but its not handy for the troop.

Recently had pancakes where red soda was used instead of milk, insides didn't want to cook and the outsides burnt, odd artifical flavor too. No ill effects but not plesant. I won't be eating pink pancakes again any time soon.

We have a generation of kids whose parrents didn't have freedom to play in their neighborhoods and are terrified something might happen to their childern. So all "play" is orginized. Unfortunatly Scouting looks like yet another controled enviroment with not much to offer a kid who has been on airplanes and fancy vacations, multipule sports teams and had their very own taxi service to all their activites.

Scouting provided a chance for boys who never got to go anywhere or do much but work, where it fits now I don't know.

And why it's usually a bad idea.

http://www.starcamping.com/the-day-the-bear-at-my-sleeping-bag/#more-45

Link is to a story of eating jerky in a new expensive sleeping bag, and what a bear did to that bag and the rest of the camping gear the next day.

Kinda what I was affraid of, but what the combined wisdom here indicates, take what is wrong about a summer camp that pushes earning many MBs and stuff it into a weekend, now you have MBUniversity.