qwazse

I've heard that it's pretty standard GSUSA operating procedure. Not having ever need to deal with them, I've never bothered. Honestly, it depends on the type of camping. If you are in place for a week and working with fresh meat and locally harvested produce, bleach is a good idea. (Washing fruit in bleach before peeling is standard practice for travelers in the tropics.) Wipes are fine for a day and if you don't want to worry about a wet cloth molding up your pack, but they add a lot to the garbage in a large group after a couple of days. Hot water. Soap. Clean rinse (maybe wit

Bead collecting is an adult instinct as old as stacking cairns at stream crossings. From time to time we let the kids in on it.

You know, there are folks who just can't stand it when something wonderful is happening. The kids having gobs of fun is not sufficient evidence that you're doing something right. The pull out reams of quotes from some adult oriented guide in an attempt to shame you for not operating by the book. Non leaders sit on their hands, period. They don't suggest. They listen to what's needed to be done and they support it. They offer time talents and cold hard cash where needed at the leader's approval. They stop doing what the leaders disapprove of. How complicated is this? PS I kno

Hate to say it, but if my council didn't make me, I probably would not have ... Did it make me drive better? Don't know. Did it give me a rough outline to review with drivers before every trip? Yep. Could any of my adults have avoided accidents given the training? Maybe. Could all that have prevented our troop's one fatality? I sincerly doubt it. That one was completely out of our hands. By the way guys. When you get a moment, check your brakes.

We have had the opposite luck with transfers. Even if we were a little more strict with MB acquisition, they stuck with us. Let's face it, if you join us, you're drinking our koolaide! Likewise for the parents. They were good people and greatful that we accepted their boys. We got real leaders from each of them. Now, one or two of those boys parted ways once he or his friend made Eagle, but none asked us to cut corners. Or, if they did, they accepted our "well, no" cheerfully. That's not to say some of those boys weren't anything but trouble. We do try to touch base with

Our council requiires Risk Zone training. It addresses those specific personal habits topics plus (this one that I've seen many adults ignore) no car caravans!

As the temps drop around here, we find a buddy has helped protect a lad from hypothermia. So, 2 minimum is what we promote. We're fine with 6 in a tent, although sleep deprivation can be an issue like 2nd class mentioned. Our youth bring their own tents. That comes in handy if they want to go camping with their family or friends. (For example, son #1 and his girlfriend used our family gear to take 8 friends from their fellowship camping this weekend.). Over the years, we've kept a variety of tents from 1 to 6 man in the garage. Of course that strategy only works if one in three f

It sounds like your 3 oldest should move up to JASM, that will give them the free time to found a crew with their girlfriends! More importantly, it will give them the authority to guide the new PLs. Your basically training them to fill your present position. With any luck, one of them will have time to help ASM in the future. On the other hand, if your older boys have had their fill of intense leadership positions, they may want to go back to being "just this guy in a patrol." If they are willing to be good followers, that's OK. If one of your high school boys wants to have a crack

You raise a good question, sail. Should board of reviews in the venturing program different in any way from BS BORs? I would suspect Quartermaster would necessarily be different because the nature of the award is very specific. Silver is a nebulous entity. Not sure a BOR could be tested. Never gave it much thought because my crew is not there. Also, let's face it, we all come off as having a law unto ourselves sometimes. But any of you who have crews that awarded Silvers, what guidance have you given your committee?

Maybe that's as good a reason as any to encourage a target date for eagle of age 14 or 15. The probability of a boy having every scout skill, symbol meaning, and point of history in his head at the time of BOR is higher. Fact is, a 17 year old boy who forgot WT Boyce's name and knot or two, but is working on understanding his religion and his sense of moral obligation will get a pass from us. (At least at the SMC. We read the riot act and warn him to study chapter 1 of the BSHB before he meets the board.) A twelve year old, on the other hand, we might ask if he wants a do-over, mayb

Out of state? We don't even transport in state! On the flip side, there's no shortage of dead ash trees.

No BD! Don't ask! You know what will happen. The GTA seems to give units pretty wide lattitude, so actually I think most troops are indeed "by the book". Most boys are by the book. In fact I'm usually trying to get them to chill and not make requirements seem harder than they actually are. If something is confusing, I give my DAC a call. He'll research, and give me a call back. His answers have proven to be solid and when there was a conflict, the calls to national came down in his favor. So I'm taking what lattitude is evident at face value and running with it.

[laughing out loud] I've had parents say nearly just that about me!

Truth be told, I never read the AG. Most of what I know about comes from: 1. Going to roundtables and taking my DAC at his word. 2. The posts on this forum. It's amazing how far you can limp along on the plain English of the BSHB and the Eagle application!

Don't think Romans were into face paint. Took my daughter to a Steelers v. Seahawks game when she was 4. It was all I could to dress casual for a game. Football being near religion in these parts, I was raised to wear suit and tie for Game day. We were told never to dress like a player unless you were willing to play like one. Times change. We were also told to keep the good looking women in the stands with us. Don't parade them around the sidelines. But I think that was just a Pittsburgh thing to explain why we don't have cheerleaders.

Some folks seem to just want to keep the BS in the BSA! LB, no offense, but you sound like an DE used to reporting paper membership to meet the pay-grade. Just as I would never hesitate to confer an elevated rank because of an adult error in record-keeping, I would never encourage an SM to confer an inappropriate rank simply because folks managing the roster were not honest with themselves about purging it annually. The requirement is "show scout spirit." Those of us who did band + youth groups year 'round, or who had a son who lettered in 5 varsity sports + girlfriend + advanc

Ya know, it's the closest relationships that are generate the coldest glares. Learn from it as best you can. Make love not war! Ask for your most independent person to be UC of this particular unit. You'll want the CM to have someone who she can be frank with, and who can give guidance to both of you. Not merely be a voice over the Internet.(This message has been edited by Qwazse)

How are you punishing a youth by giving them proper recognition of their abilities? IMHO, SP and his SM were finally according this boy his proper rank. That is not a punishment. Making the boy do push-ups for every end-around his parents pulled ... that would be punishment.

COR may replace the CC or any adult leader, but that won't solve your current problem. As concerned parents, the CC and CM may still promote their agenda -- no patch required. Are the boys setting the schedule for the troop, or are you adults doing that? (I mean, it's awesome if the PLC decided that they want to cover a different Eagle required MB every two weeks, but it's rare that boys will do that. It doesn't leave much room for shooting, fishing, or wilderness survival!) Whatever, you have parents who want a different program than what your troop offers. Giving them a chance to

Our council does a haunted trail. Maybe something of the sort would suit your pack and be well within the reach of your den.

Beaver had managed to convict GClose about getting too involved in addressing a boy's advancement issues. Issues that seem to be reveal subtle character flaws in an otherwise fine young man. Beaver's contended that much of that dialog should have been referred to the SM. Now a few months ago I might have nodded my head in agreement, but at the last Eagle CoH that I attended, 5 mentor pins were handed out. The boy had a reason for each. One went to an MC. His reason: "There'd be times that I felt that I could ignore my mom, but Mr. ___ I was scared of him. When he told me something,

Tell me the scout slogan. What was yours today? All the best for you and the boys!

One step (I think it's a big one): make sure your 18 y.o.s register to vote. "it's time for you to start running my country."

If only I had a dollar for every hour an adult leader spent agonizing .... G&C, I could give you a list of other things to spend loosing sleep about, but I reckon the Mrs. already has one for you. I love your "let's make it happen" attitude, but that implies that both parties hold up their end of the bargain. The boy has until his 18th birthday to show he's holding up his end. SM Chris, let him know you will be happy to hold his eSMC on the night of his third activity. If he wants to push it through without signatures, I'm sure he can take it up with your district AC. For

Call BS on the BS and let the chips fall where they may.