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My rule #1: don't ask for a rule, you'll be stuck with it. I think a corolary is: don't be bothered when someone tells you how to raise your kids, pretty soon your kids will be telling you the same. Humans break rules. It's what they do. The fewer you have, the less they'll have to break, stick with the 12 points, be positive, and don't let the details bury you. Oh, and wear fewer hats ... Lowers the probability of leaving one somewhere.

I talked to several scouts and scouters and they did have fun. More importantly, they learned stuff that they could bring back to their units. You should contact your council office regarding some of the logistics. Each council fields its own contingent, and does things a little differently. It is a tent city, and councils used to buy new tents that they then used for their camps. That's all changed and the Summit has its own massive quartermaster with tents. Regardless, the boys don't bring their own tents. Whitewater is on the New River. Not sure the logistics of that or how many boys participated. I describe Jamborees as more like a scouting convention than summer camp. In months leading to the trip, a boy makes friends with boys from across your council. They meet several times to prepare. The council tries to pick some really good scoutmasters for these boys. (Rarely does that include the boys' own SM). So, much of the experience is about working with new leadership and sharing what you've learned to build a team who gets breakfast done, grabs a bag lunch, and tries to get the most out of their day. Most boys who go to Jamboree still want to go to their troop's summer camp that same year, so I encourage them to budget accordingly.

Just wanted to rephrase that last statement a little ... The usage is chosen to delineate regalia that belongs to the khaki or green shirt ... as both the O/A and the Wood-badge are available to venturers. I think this is also why "field" was chosen ... for those rare occasions where a venturer would wear a national uniform, but it wasn't "the uniform". In venturing circles, I have not heard "Class A/B" being used. That was the other thing that baffled us scouts when De La Renta's design rolled out. We all fully expected Explorers to wear the same khaki shirt as ours, only with green epaulets ... one uniform to rule them all! But it never happened. I guess we boys weren't thinking rationally at the time.

As a parent, I cannot relate. Any time my kids got "yelled at" (their terms), I told them to go to the "offending adult", thank them for the discipline, promise they will try to be more respectful the next time, and let them know that as soon as they aren't paying attention to the rules next time to please "yell' or "time out" again as necessary. But I understand that new parents are often learning how to handle these situations. You'll be working together for a long time. Dig deep and figure out how to love one another.

@@fred johnson, I've seen this with adult training as well .... from day we IOLS stood in a circle watching a district volunteer not start a fire with his one match.

Your teacher is what my Linguistics professor would call a descriptivist. Prescriptivists (uncommon in the English speaking world) would have less objective terms for someone who makes such allowances. But their attempts to prescribe language often do seem like a scene from Don Quixote. Class A/B as is commonly used among scout troops is unlikely to go away anytime soon. There's something fun about using military short-hand with boys. But, unlike "field", I have not seen it in any literature. @@CalicoPenn, not "only a single reference" ... but rather two in the Insignia Guide. Not just sashes, but wood badge beads. I only emphasize this because it provides a pattern of context in which the BSA tries to use the term. The premise that we can discount the scouter.com blog is, I think, flawed. In this decade, we saw the venturing awards being fashioned online before our eyes. @@Stosh is poking fun at your attempt to equate "Field" "A" and "Dress". Not having one of those blue blazers, I never gave that much thought. I think it's a little bit of both. I think the usage is intentionally chosen to delineate regalia that belongs exclusively to the tan shirt. However, it also seems to be unnecessary. They could have simply said "strictly for uniform wear" or some such phrase and conveyed the same meaning.

Never sent either son to an MBU ... never had any regrets.

I tend not to worry about what can't be controlled. You can't controll the environment of fear our parents are immersed in. You can just share your vision of the pinnacle scouting experience. I've boiled it down to "Hiking and camping independently with your mates." Needless to say, I wish National would do the same and treat Jambo and HAs as the elite side-shows for the 1-%-ers that they are. But even if they never do, that little one-liner gives parents a sense of what I'm after. Part of the fun of the game is a parent discovering that little Johnny or Jane is up to the task.

Yes, regarding the first time the term in writing, post #2 suggests 1990. And regarding continued use to this day post #33 notes two references (p.56 in addition to your p. 57). You seem to suggest this is not sufficient, which I find odd because BSA Rules and Regulations (X.4.2) references "official uniforms ... as illustrated and correctly described in the handbooks, catalogs, and other official publications of the Boy Scouts of America." Is not the Insignia Guide an official publication? Is that not sufficient to note that the term is allowed in current parlance? Are not the Scouting blogs sufficient to note that the usage continues to be preferred over other terms commonly used for the same thing? Those few sources should not be taken lightly ... even if they don't satisfy the prescriptivists in the room. For the descriptivists ... there's room for speculation ... It seems clear to me that the writers of the guide wanted to identify specific elements (Wood Badge beads and O/A sashes) that are not to be worn on "activity clothes" (or, I believe, implicitly "dress uniforms"). These elements aren't a concern for "newbies" so it is fair to say that BSA intends the term to be used for scouts and scouters who've probably acquired a variety of scouting wear, and might without guidance use such elements out of their place. (Not that any writers here are wont to do that .) The "Class _" terms, on the other hand are not found in any official BSA publication. So, I think its fair to say that for the last 25 years, BSA has officially used "field uniform" sparingly for instructional purposes as opposed to marketing. I have seen no indication that it will cease doing so anytime soon. Nor, with the advent of the blogosphere, do I foresee National desiring to use it in other official publications.

All of them "were used"... even the ones from the past month. The current insignia guide used the term twice in section 3. The common parlance, if not currently sanctioned in a reference common to every scout and scouter, has not been repealed.

Yep, people continue divorcing without cause, fomenting situations where young men never hear their living fathers tell them they are loved ...

This is where, in the right configuration, a crew can be a game-changer. Venturers are youth who should like to be advised. So, the advisor says "who's up for hiking 50 miles? If someone will run point, I'll advise them as they plan it." Your crew should be acting as a leadership corps, of sorts. Every couple of venturers taking on responsibility for a particular activity for the good of the group or scouting in general. But, for that to happen, you have to be open to the notion that "the right stuff" for your particular adventure may be of the opposite sex. And, yes, decisions about doing things with multiple units has to be out of consensus of the youth not convenience for the adult(s).

Oh, there are a lot of times when it is hard to resist typing a negative emoticon. I can be one for minute details. (See the fine-print-parsing discussions on pins and nameplates and neckerchiefs.) Maybe having lost a scout in a fatal traffic accident and a sibling of a venturer to suicide changed my perspective a little. But long before those, I realized that some square pegs can't fit into round holes and there ain't time to shave every edge. So let the square peg do it's squarish thing and go back to the wood pile. If you can find someone with time to work the new program for your newbies ... do it. Otherwise, there are bigger fish to fry.

As a fella who "serves two masters" as @@Stosh wishes to describe it ... some questions to provoke thought: Have you talked to the lead scout whom you are advising in planning this trip? What does he think the minimum qualifications for anyone investing in this adventure should be? What skills should they have demonstrated? What age/fitness requirements? How many conditioning/shakedown weekends? What is the maximum contingent size? Can itineraries be developed for multiple contingents, and will each contingent be responsible for finding/developing its own leadership? Have you encouraged the SPL and Crew President which events should be held in concert and which should be "troop only" and "crew only"? Do your patrols camp 300 feet apart? I.e. does your crew have a good example of working at a physical distance? Do your older boys who are members of both units work out who will be responsible for what unit when? (E.g. if a PL would like to do something as a venturer, does he ask the ASPL to take of the boys in his stead?) Do the youth see the friction? Are they willing to change to work it out? These are key questions. What you think, or what any other scouter thinks, is secondary. FWIW, our scouts are in the process of merging troops and the situation is hardly any different. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Listen to the youth. Respect the ones who are doing the work. Repeat.

Agree with the others that this is not a hill to die on. Encourage the DL to keep the bar raised for all the boys to the best of her ability. Accept that as a CC, you may have to endure a little missing the mark from the volunteers. Advancement is the last of your concerns. Safety and smiles - live for that. See, didn't that just make you fill a bit happier? What you need from the DE is a list of neighboring troops whose SM/SPL's you can call to recommend you a den-chief or two (or maybe 5 given your unit's size). The most seasoned/highly recommend boy goes to your Web II's if at all possible. (If there's a seasoned female venturer out there ... one with, maybe, camp staff experience ... that might work too.) This will do the most to help your boy's crossover into a troop with some skills under their belts.

Just realized the official term, according to the Insignia Guide is "nameplate white letters on black plastic, No.20100; worn by all members, above right pocket, either above BSA strip or above interpreter strip." So the one's available from National that are red (or white with dark lettering) are meant for non-uniform wear? One of my favorite patches as a scout was hand-made by our district commissioner commemorating a first aid meet. I'm quite fond of it. I don't have a problem with it not trading for diddly, and I'll gladly hang it from the right pocket from time-to-time.

The discussion of Eagle mentor/parent pins (and maybe fitting one onto a name tag) got me wondering ... Has anyone considered a fundraiser where the boys produce custom name-tags for a community of scouters or other folks? No idea what all equipment would be needed, but after the capital expense for tools and materials the boys would just need some training. Course, anymore the boys might be able to design it on their game system and post it to a 3-D printer somewhere. But the concept sounds like a nice way to bring in a little cash.

How 'bout embedded on a name tag, which is then pinned/sewn over the top pocket? Detractors: please object before I find my soldering iron!

@@skyfiiire, probably you need to start with some forward thing about space for meetings and storage. In terms of budget, make a plan for one patrol a year of purchases. Most troops, if they expand do so by that much.

Thanks for the reference! About the time $omone a$ked, "Let's make $ure they purcha$e a $hirt and $lack$ with every neckerchief."

I was a scout saving dimes for Jambo when the redesigned uniform appeared. Oh, ODL uni, how thou didst thou "flash"? Let me count the ways: "Khaki" became more than one color: tan shirt + green pants/shorts. Epaulets! And from the start we were all baffled why Explorers weren't also tan, but with green Eps. Collars ... they came back! Those red berets. The quaint red stripe "pretend garter" at the top of your socks. Yes, more colorful council and lodge patches seemed to appear. Interestingly, the majorettes started sewing more sequins on their outfits at about this time. I'll admit that I was quite pleased with it all, but I was one for gaudiness. I think other boys were less enthused. I don't recall if I uniformed any less. Always wore it to school on February 8ths. Never would any of us wear it to service projects, or on weekend trips. It's interesting that the Centennial uniforms constituted muted tones (epaulets that matched pants, socks without the red stripe, single color hat, etc ...).

Call your course SM. (Or talk to your PL ) Explain what happened and let him know you'd like to get your money's worth by still working your ticket. It's not about the beads, really. It's about the opportunity to have someone hold you accountable to the tasks you thought were important to do in the next year and a half. You'd like to see if that "You all can win" mantra is really true. If they blow smoke, talk to another scouter in your district or troop who would be willing to be your informal ticket guide for the next year.

I earlier mentioned its use in an official blog (insomuch as such a thing can truly be official) as of two months ago. The editors of that blog did matriculate around the time of the literature @@Eagle94-A1 references, so they may very well be reflecting their training. A more interesting etymology would be that of Class A, B, etc ... But, the "when" is not as interesting as the "why". The ODL uniform lent itself to parades ... allowing our boys to be as colorful as the majorettes. So I can see how applying the military term for parade dress came in vogue. The application of "field" tends to be an attempt to encourage boys (and their parents) to don the ODL for more than just parades.

Not BSA, but our church manages funds for several ministries in this fashion. There are many advantages ... not the least of which is accountability. It really depends on how they want you to operate. The critical thing to know is if the CO allocates a budget for your troop (i.e., you budget income and expenses yearly or quarterly, submit it, and that's what you work on ... by default there is no carry-over to the next year) or a fund for your troop (i.e., they don't ask for a budget, you just put $ in and request them ... surplus or debt carries over every year). There's advantages to both, but certainly the latter is more conducive to youth leadership.

Technically that's not a unique word. Doesn't count to the total.Now harg/mizzle, definitely count. Developed a fondness for wool sweaters after some of that!