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Probably the only thing my grandparents rued about immigrating was the havoc that they perceived the sexual revolution wreaked on their children. I've since talked to Syrians who lingered in country, and know the old folks' rant was pots calling kettles black. I'm just saying, keep in mind that he sees how "our" girls are abused, coerced into pseudo-consensual promiscuity, and trafficked in this country and wants that crappola to stop, and work from common ground that you both want the best for your kids. You just are pretty convinced that fiddling with dress codes doesn't even touch the margin of the problem.

As someone whose family endured countless "welcome to America" speeches, then watch those families devolve into debauchery ... just requesting you go easy on the guy.

I don't know how you guys teach classes, but we bring good snacks, and plenty of tea and coffee. Folks can reload or call for a break any time. (Helpful hint: when possible, choose the venue next to the dutch oven class!)

You know, some of this boils down to proper COR training ... convincing them that they actually are responsible to approve leadership who deliver that program, and failure to do so reflects on the CO, not the unit. Being the youngest kid in the family I grew up hearing criticism (good and bad) of other units. Never was a unit # mentioned, it was always "the troop at ___ church" or the "pack out of ___ hall". That still holds to this day. On occasion, a leader's name would be mentioned, but usually ... it's the CO.

Probably some kid in a rush to school, remembered it was in the glove compartment from the weekend camping, didn't want to get suspended, so he chucked it hoping that some kind soul would turn it in for him to claim at the end of the day.

I sat in on Pitt's freshman engineering seminars. Student teams research a future invention they have been thinking about (possibly since high school), and research its current feasibility, including energy efficiency, health and safety, and sustainability. One team presented a self-sustaining bio-fueled autonomous pond-scrubber bot. (Think water flea scaled-up to have ping-pong ball feet.) Quite impressive. If kids across the country come through on 1/10 of these designs, the future will be awesome. Son #2 and his buddy pitched invisibility cloaking. Don't expect to see a full-scale prototype any time soon.

Check with your DE. Sometimes council awards these at a coordinated meeting. Anyway, if it is a unit CoR that kind of decision is up to your SPL.

Well ... that and showing him a snow drift with the tracks of the boys coming in the night before, of the lead boys fresh tracks going out, and a bear's paw on top of them. That boy's been moving ever since!

Came on a trail as a guy completing an extended hike in Filas for the first time was coming off. He said he definitely felt lighter on his feet, but had to walk more gingerly than he would have in boots. That particular trail wasn't very rocky, but I got the impression that he'd continue wearing them in future hikes.

Instead of the cash, I would have asked if he could come visit the troop while setting up camp. It would be nice to have a hand pounding those steaks pounded into rocky ground.

Looks like you have a difficult family situation to sort through. But, a severely disabled person can participate as a scout. Get your DE to help you sort some of this out.

.... You must be in Hell. An espresso pot is my go-to https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moka_pot What's nice about beans ground for stove top espresso, is that they pack tightly in a ziplock.

FWIW, one of our scouts was permanently suspended after being verbally and physically assaulted by an abusive team-mate during summer practice. I was dumbfounded ... Simply because this scout hardly needed anything besides his size to handle such individuals, But he drew a pen knife in an attempt to avoid the fight. But he brought it on school property ... In court, the aggressor was brought up on charges, and the scout was exonerated. The boy's grown up to be a fine young man ... Trump supporter. Dare I say unintended consequences?

For weekend activities, we assign the slower group the shorter route.

I have a pair of sandals as per your second link. (My crew president nick-named them "Man-dles",) They are basically my camp-relaxing/stream-crossing gear which my rated carabiner holds to my pack -- along with my tin cup -- when it's not holding a hammock. I do like them for fishing/swimming/kayaking in rocky areas. They don't leave smudges on boat hulls. They are passable walking shoes at our camp (which bans open toed shoes except in the showers) if you are going to the aquatics area and the slag/gravel hasn't worn off the path. Otherwise, they will snap your ankle in a second, allow creepers to snag your feet, and grind to shreds against central PA's highland granite. So if your son is doing the weight conditioning of a ballet dancer, flagellating his hide to build up callous, and you are happy to chuck those buggers after 30 miles of rocks and bogs, go right ahead.

One time for a college Sunday School class I attended, our teacher had different parishioners come in speak on various aspects of their careers and their spiritual walk. One county judge held a very interesting discussion about the focus of his career being the balance of justice and equity. I think his exposition of those two terms carried me through a lot of life. Zero-tolerance may provide a form of justice, but for it to be humane, it must provide equitable solutions. When a principle treats a role-model like a thug for the presence of a safely stowed tool, he/she has abdicated a responsibility to act equitably. Now, that abdication (even to a school board) may have come as a condition for the job, but then we must ask: is a job where one is barred from being equitable worth having?

Yep. Still have a collection of bumper stickers with the "Scouting USA" trade name. I trimmed them down to use for geocache swag. If Venturing becomes extremely successful (numerically), attitudes may change. Here's my reasoning: I'd estimate about 10% of venturing youth (especially females) have been snubbed by boy scouts because they can't: Wear an AoL knot. Earn merit badges. Be elected into O/A. Earn an award with the words "Star", "Life", or "Eagle" in its name. For most youth, this means nothing. But for that 10%, they (and some of their Boy Scout allies) either currently Envy Boy Scout awards and advancement in more-or-less closed circles. Belittle Boy Scout awards and advancement by more-or-less boasting about the rarefied air of Ranger, Trust, Quest, and Summit (erstwhile Silver) awards. Quietly go about amassing skills and certifications without giving one rip about awards in either program. This year's 10% of venturers amounts to 19,000 youth by current numbers -- hardly enough to disturb Boy Scout tradition unless they wind up being the folks who come back in 10 years to bring their kids up through the program. Their narrative may be compelling in some future context. That's a dark horse IMHO. However, if Venturing somehow amasses large numbers (say nearing a million), that 10% becomes 100,000 youth across the nation -- one for each current chartered organization -- some of whom may articulate their boots-on-the-ground stories, confront the primacy of male mystique, and ask "why?" to their CORs.

@@tyke, the short answer: one study does not a meta-analysis make. The co-ed programs that offer anything close to this have not soared on this side of the pond. Folks here look at the loss of traction that Scouts Canada had when it went co-ed as a counter-point to the brilliant work of the UK and other countries. That said, I was talking to a scouter this weekend whose troop alternates in attending camporees with scouts across the border, and he was very impressed with how the patrols with Canadian girls performed. (Proviso: I was at a Venturing summit this weekend, so dissenting opinions would be hard to find.) Actually, BSA attempted to brand itself as Scouting USA in the late 70s. (Perhaps it was to give a nod to the female Sea Scouts and Explorers and a feeble attempt to prepare for things to come?) That "experiment" did nothing to halt the annual 2% membership declines. Seems that even the parents of prospective female explorers and sea scouts (as well as parents of boys) trusted "Boy Scouts" as a trade mark better than any brand without sex-specificity.

One of my crew is a competitive racer (first go-carts, lately stock cars). I can understand the complexities of any club underwriting such an activity. The training required far exceeds the time most scouts and scouters would ever invest in their respective programs. I have yet to make it to one of his races. (There aren't that many because he struggles to afford the vehicle and maintenance.) Thought visiting a race day would make a great crew activity, but he's been shy about blowing his own horn and letting us know when he'd be on the track.

For what it's worth, most guys and girls who give me plans for camping independently have already accumulated any requisite camping nights for their programs.

Specifically when geocaching, I've needed map/compass in narrow valleys (which block/reflect satellite signals) and for letterbox hybrids (which often have the coordinates to a starting point from which you follow headings to the cache). But I've loved using just map and compass in searching for many caches. So, it's not just about safety. It adds to the fun of the game.

We have one park that's an hour north of town. The tracks are pretty tame. They had a slick track for a while that adults could race. That was fun. Hard on your back the taller you got. Don't know that helmets would help that. Frankly, I think multipurpose helmets could be part of an active crew's uniform if the activities included sking, climbing, and go-cats. They'd probably pay for themselves after ten events.

Have you read the Geocaching MB pamphlet? Usually there is a description of what the boy should learn to do/show for each requirement. I think the First Class land navigation requirement is a good way to do this. Not necessarily for a five mile hike, but around the 'block enough to know that the boy has a base to build on.

Blatant disregard for the scout law, or unwillingness to live up to the oath are our general triggers. In terms of going off into the woods (or any daytime -- even most night time -- activities) without SMs permission, well that pretty much goes against western PA culture. The best I'd say to a kid: "Glad you took some initiative, hope you taught your friends some of the stuff we taught you. Next time you're doing more of the same, run it by me. I might be able to help with your plan." Representing the troop, the CO, or the BSA has never been a consideration for me.

Have that adult tell you the name of the person who told them this and the source he/she referenced. Until otherwise informed via updated documentation, your quote trumps heresay. Our training used to make clear that Venturing was distinctive in a number of ways including three of interest to youth: girls, guns, and go karts. Our crew did this on several occasions. Not sure if they'll want to do it again as the helmet requirement adds complexity and cost. I swore on the guidelines sheet www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34416_insert_web.pdf there a row for go-karts. If I find it on an old copy, I'll let you know.