qwazse

Just so you know, in general I have seen very few troops that excel at nighttime insertions. Younger scouts are not particularly good at following patrol leader's direction in the dark. If this troop is new to the boy-led approach, older boys can be resentful of the responsibility foisted on them. As a result everyone is less attentive to everyone else's needs. Keep an open mind. For some families, this may still be the troop for them.

I gave this to the ASPL and said "You may want to read this at some point in the meeting." After looking it over, the poor boy (a soft-hearted fellow) was mortified because he thought it was an E-mail I received about our troop! (Why he would thing this when we haven't had an entire den of Webelos on a weekend with us for years, is beyond me.) He was quite relieved when I explained it was about someone else far away in internet land. One very important sign of proper training, IMHO, is if the SPL and other older boys take time to introduce themselves to the parents and check in on them on a regular basis.

I'm sorry. If it's any consolation, I'll have my boys read this as a cautionary tale for when they invite Webelos to camp with them. On the flip side, you have a good idea of how that troop operates. I hope you and your boys will take up those invites and be able to make a fair comparison.

Hey DJ13, I'm a WHCS alumnus living north of you pretty close to the "seat of power" (a.k.a. Flag Plaza). Nice to know that boys are still crossing over in Central Greene! If you're talking about the Beascout.org site you should have access to change that via your MyScouting account. I did it once upon a time but forget how. However, you may have to contact your DE. Or call the folks at Flag Plaza (412-471-2927). They got people who are pretty good with the IT, given the Byzantine monstrosity they are having to work with.

BBF, Webelos is perfect for 8, 9, or 10 year-olds. Treating an11 year old like he should still be in a Webelos program needs is insulting. Treating a 14 year old like that is degrading. Myself, I don't use the term "Webelos III." I just promise a boy that I will never treat him like he's a girl scout. And, GS mom's, when I do that I am not insulting your troop (if they are camping - under canvas or less - every month out of the year).

This falls under the category of "nobody knows your boys like you do." There is absolutely no reason on paper that this should be an issue if they are first class scouts (the concept, not the patch). But, if you have a boy who hasn't grown out of that firebug stage, or a boy who seems to weaponize every sharp he holds, an adult may need to at least drop in on them (maybe with warm drinks and pizza) at random intervals. If someone is blowing smoke for seemingly no reason, you may need to ask them what experience they are basing this on, and be prepared to explain how these boys are different.

E441, depends on the troop. Like Stosh mentioned, his troop operates in the field pretty much independent of the SPL/ASPL. Our troop is like that too most months. (This term, the SPL has disabilities that limit his participation, so the ASPL is "the guy" for outdoor activities.) Other troops, if the ASPL is absent -- especially if the SPL does not arrange for someone to fill in for the SPL, things start to fall apart. Like BD, the issue is more one of Loyalty. And this applies to every first class scout. How are you showing your loyalty to the troop? My SM and I ask that of every scout in the troop. We really don't care about the patch you have on your sleeve.

Hanukkah, eh? How about a fire-starting kit? Candle lantern? Head lamp? What would be best depends on your child's personality. Plus there's a lot of cub-scout things to do before March. So, don't forget things like fixings for a pinewood derby kit, or whatever else may be on your pack's agenda. Another neat gift: parachord and a knot guide.

Hey, I managed multinational multicenter clinical trials outta my cube! :0

That may be so for TM. Other races allow teens with parental consent. Our local orienteering club had one (a rogain) that my more senior scouts were welcome to try. Problem is, those typically have a participation limit, so you don't want to take up a spot that some proper enthusiast could fill. It should really be reserved for select scouts.

Several friends ran Pittsburgh's Tough Mudder. One lady at church came to me for some orienteering pointers because one part of the course had a compass component. Adventure racing is attractive to a couple of my venturers. The time-commitment is the big issue.

Correspondence (letter, phone, or in-person): E.g., to/from scouters like who mist roundtable and need a rechartering packet. To potential corporate donors regarding how to support scouting in their neighborhood. To unit FOS coordinators making sure they have what they need. To potential chartered organizations to ask if they are interested in starting a unit. To youth who may have never heard about the programs available to them through scouting. Or they should be meeting with adults/youth who volunteer for any of the above. Really and truly, DE's job is to be meeting. It's only a matter of whom.

No problem wearing field uniform in public. So if I'm on my way to a school event from a meeting I don't bother changing out of it. But when I was a kid, I lost a few uniforms (one was shredded mercilessly for the win of a round of British Bulldog first night of Troop Leadership Training week, one was from theft at Jambo -- I think for our lodge patch), since then ... I rarely wear it on unit trips and hikes. Never wore it rock-climbing or backpacking. November through April it's under layers of clothing so never saw the point. Never on service projects. Always on camporees, etc ... (I make sure I don't have minimal bling to discourage sticky fingers.) If I manage to pick up some suitable pants and shirts for $10 a set, I might consider wearing them on outings. Otherwise I'm saving my dimes for one of them dress uniforms (i.e. the adult "Class A" if you were to parallel military forms).

TT, by administration, I mean leading PL's in establishing program. For example, in the troop I grew up in, SPL lead campfires. It was just part of the unwritten job description. In Sons' troop, the SPL finds out if the boy needs to be MoC for communications MB, or appoints a really charismatic scout, gets a rough outline ahead of time, and let's the campfire run itself. SPL chills (this summer, that meant sitting back and playing his guitar for background). ASPL (who was Son #2 at camp this year) did not need to do much but be a member of his patrol until SPL had to leave a day early). The past two summers both SPL/ASPL had already racked up enough POR hours for their next rank. So their was no "lording" advancement over them. SM told them what needed to be done. They made it happen ... cheerfully. This fall there was a breakdown because of commitments to sports and academics, so Son #2 suggested the troop elect two boys who've never held the position and will turn 18 early next year. They did. Again, neither boy needs the position for the next rank, yet SM and I have every reason to expect the best of them.

You can start creeping on South FL council here http://www.sfcbsa.org/Portals/0/Admin/Images/District%20Boundaries,%20partial%20BUC.jpg. P18A, I suggest you look into joining your council's camping committee. You might discover that some of these facilities are only considered council properties as long as they are maintained for the scouts. They can't be consolidated because the land can't be sold without the entire proceeds reverting to the estate of the donor.

The most important First Class requirement is missing: The First Class Journey. Therefore the BSA's outdoor requirements are designed to get Cub Scout survivors to Eagle without ever walking into the woods with packs on their backs. For a while, Hillcourt's Patrol Leader Training got Patrols out into the woods without adult helicopters, but in 1972 Wood Badge replaced it with Troop Method training called "Leadership Development." Therefore the BSA's leadership skills requirements are designed to get Cub Scout survivors to Eagle without ever walking into the woods with a Patrol at their backs. I think the vision of 1st class journeys as full-on backpacking trips is mistaken. Many of the drawings depicting this sort of thing involve open farmland.

There's no such thing as standard issue pants. Venturers can get their pants from anywhere. Myself, I'm a big fan of Land's End traditional fit grey.

No limit. You should wear as many as you are fluent in and can be helpful as an on-the-spot translator. You never know when someone might be looking for that one strip to help them with communication. The downside: a polyglot may not have room for a Jamboree patch, but what's more important: being and advertizement for an expensive convention? Or, signalling that you are prepared to serve if called upon?

Hold that line Bbf! And don't let the Mrs. and Junior talk to my wife. While Son #2 and I were getting ready for summer camp a couple of years ago, the day before Father's day, she puts Daughter on the line who says "Daddy, why can't we have a puppy?" Two years later, she's away at school, and I got 90 pounds of canine jumping on me at 06:30 sharp ready to be fed. Worse part, I offer to take it hiking and camping with me and everyone pitches a fit! (Bears n'at ...) Would have been a perfect weekend for it. Then while I'm away, she leaves a bag of chocolate candy on a counter and between the foil and the toxins spends the next day massaging his gut fearing he's a gonner. At least with me the worst thing he would have gotten into was a chipmunk (and from experience with other dogs, don't seem to bind the gut at all). Clearly the wrong people are taking this merit badge. >:

Good question. This hinges around another question, which Stosh hinted at: is your SPL/ASPL an instructor or an administrator? Ours are mainly administrators. Which means attendance at meetings is most important because that's when they make sure our plans for the weekend are reasonable, based on their experience. Then, they can delegate responsibilities to other scouts. Now, if your troop really needs an instructor in the field, and your ASPL is the guy, then you're gonna be hurting until he can take off work to be at camp. Regardless, accountability is what I look for in these situations. Who was it that said "Hey, Roy, can you assist the SPL for this weekend?" If it was the ASPL a meeting or two in advance,u I'd chalk it up to successful delegation. If it was the SM Saturday morning, I'd have a problem.

The most important First Class requirement is missing: The First Class Journey. Therefore the BSA's outdoor requirements are designed to get Cub Scout survivors to Eagle without ever walking into the woods with packs on their backs. For a while, Hillcourt's Patrol Leader Training got Patrols out into the woods without adult helicopters, but in 1972 Wood Badge replaced it with Troop Method training called "Leadership Development." Therefore the BSA's leadership skills requirements are designed to get Cub Scout survivors to Eagle without ever walking into the woods with a Patrol at their backs. FC#4. Make a round trip alone (or with another scout) to a point at least seven miles away (fourteen miles in all), going on foot or rowing boat, and write a satisfactory account of the trip and things observed. FC#10. Describe fully from observation ten species of trees or plants, including poison ivy, by their bark, leaves, flowers, fruit, or scent; or six species of wild birds by their plumage, notes, tracks, or habits; or six species of native wild animals by their form, color, call, tracks, or habits; find the North Star, and name and describe at least three constellations of stars. They weren't talking about playing Zelda here.

Although all the drama would make good theater. That's a lot of busy people to try to get in one room. SM and boy should be sufficient for whatever upkicking is needed. Remember that this whole thing started because a boy wanted to bypass interaction with the SM.

BD, something still isn't adding up. Boy says he used his cat, MBC says he was shown pics of boy and dog. Mom would have a lot of Moxie trying to pull one over on the MBC .. and then, expecting the boy to keep his story straight ... Is she blonde by any chance? I'd still tow the line that your signature isn't on the card, and it is therefore null and void. (No need for dramatic shredding ceremony.) It would be unfair to the other boys if you'd let this one slide.

I don't like people having their "Plan B" when I think my youth have thought of everything. But I remind myself that that's just me. The other silk purses ... 1. You get an idea of the adults who really do love to tent camp, or at least are interested on how your boys operate from soup-to-nuts. 2. You might get a sense of cubs who are prone to homesickness. It may mean your SPL or Guide will have to escort a boy to his parent's cabin, (or go fetch the parent), but by starting that relationship early might take the edge off summer camp. 3. You might "check out", pay a visit to the parent's cabin, and explain your interpretation of "boy led." 4. These parents might be the late-night card game type. Keeping them at a distance from camp may help calm things down. I hope this will work out for you.

I told my youth this week that discipline regarding fire management, first aid skills, and orienteering are the first step toward high adventure. I know they can haul bodies and packs anywhere, but when they stop for a break, their attention to detail needs to be flawless. Arguing with me or SM that a fire is out even though their hands feel the warmth does not instill confidence.