qwazse

Our CO runs the local food pantry. That solves a lot of the problems. Folks have a better sense that they would be shorting their neighbor, not just any Samaritan.

MT What of your 5 tickets depended on Scouting U... I don't see it. Sorry, it was 3. Promote Venturing Leader Specific Training to my crew committee U of S was going to be my primary training outlet for getting my adult leaders. There were other opportunities since then. I did lots of promotion of subsequent trainings, and later co-taught the course for folks from a neighboring crew. But you know how once someone muddles through for a while without something, they feel that it's perfectly OK to keep on doing it? Well ... that's my people. Also if yours is at month 17 you must h

I guess I'm concerned about going forward - is the situation we're in now the lesser of all the possible evils? Is relying on "extended donations" preferable to soliciting the council for funds? Or donating the equipment directly to the council? This boils down to one variable: "How much do your people value control?" If they want stuff, but they don't want personal baggage, and they want zero risk of corporate mis-management, then they have to pay up. If saving some dimes is more important, then they need to eat a little crow.

I have stove-top espresso pots. (9-cup for car camping, and 3-cup for backpacking or smaller groups. Although I really could get by with just a 1 cup most weekends. The plastic Dixie cups make perfect shot glasses!) They clean up relatively quickly and are durable. Dads do pick on me and my 'motor oil', but they usually will use it as a supplement to their runny stuff! Anyway, it's those quirks about yourself that you discover along the way of camping with these youth that are your real prestige!

And it stinks that all of those beautiful Rocky Mountains are 19+ hours away! Not just because Philmont's over there. I have three lovely nieces and a great niece who are so far away! I do think there's a market for some type of western region BSA event. LA, Portland, or Seattle would be a big draw. Maybe if we pull this internet stuff off, we can do a coast-to-coast festival. It might be decades away, but start putting the bugs in our youth's ears. They're the ones who will make it happen if they really care.

The bad choice was people getting their egos wrapped up in the program! Time to ask the donors "Can we return the gear to you? Or, can we recognize your donation of the gear at fair market value?" Yep, you're gonna have to fundraise for the gear if they take it back, but maybe your council has already done just that over the years and has some gear they can loan you! The other option is to clearly understand the conditions under which the owners of the gear will cheerfully loan it. Get those in writing and circulate it to all parties involved. Set a time limit on the policy.

Another pet peeve are screen names that often seem willfully obscure and impenetrable. I don't see the point. Why, you ask? Just beqwazse. Blame me for promoting "MIB," it just seemed like the right thing to do because my kids were huge fans of Men In Black. Even offline, call me nearly anything. Just don't call me late for dinner. But, to anyone out there: If for you my whacky redaction of your screen name is truly offensive, say so and I will try to reform my ways.

You may not have the skill sets to pull it off, but one year our district did a canoe trip camporee. If there was an island in the middle of a river that could accommodate you all, you could set up some wide games.

A CO that expects that will probably also expect the Cub pack to be strongly religious (in a born-again Christian sense) in its emphasis ... That's not a forgone conclusion. Most of these programs get planted because a member of the CO feels that they should be doing something different that what already exists, and he/she scopes out existing programs and finds finds one that would "fill that gap". One group won't impose on the other. AHA's COR Jane wouldn't tell BSA's COR John how to do his ministry. The CO may set minimum standards for both. But, they will probably insist that

Month 17. Just getting my summary ready for my ticket counselor: 1. A venturer school recruiting program using an auto fill script that presenters can complete online. 2. Promote using venturing advancement for senior service projects. 3. Promote Venturing Leader Specific Training to my crew committee. 4. Encourage youth identify locations to meet in their various neighborhoods. 5. Perform a self-assessment. Mine were very dependent on others. For example University of Scouting got cancelled last year! Doing my part didn't necessarily yield in the results I wanted. Lesson lea

I too would look elsewhere for a BSA unit if my unit's CO chartered an AHG group. I would question that the CO's religious policies had turned toward a much more limited, and aggressive, direction, and would be concerned that those polices/views would affect their BSA program. Does your CO have a youth group a Sunday school class that invites non Christians? Maybe you should leave now! If good people are pouring out love to my kids, then they've earned the right to preach religion to them. and if those kids want to race derby cars brothers and sisters together, that's fine by me.

Thanks emb,I've read other material you've written on mission and vision, and I like the distinction between global and local scope. The reason I asked this is that a new advisor invited me and some others to his first open-house/informational meeting, and if asked to speak, rather than going on about my on-the-ground vision of venturing, I'd like to be able to say some thing like "here's how some other youth described this program ...". [insert comments ripped,from this's thread here] So if you have some fodder, I'm at the trough.

Last time I checked..camping, hiking, exploring or knowing what to do in an emergency is not limited to english speaking people. But using a four letter word as an acronym for an inadequate teaching method is! Hopefully the Spanish course will pick a sharper mnemonic that includes "reference".

It's okay to tell people "I'm sorry, I forgot,your name?" I saw the VP schmoozing on our town's parade route yesterday, and he acted fine that everybody new him, and he was letting complete strangers take his picture give him their babies to kiss, etc.... But along those lines, it is also okay to make tough decisions like you are going to trade off one responsibility for another, so if you take on a position, you do so in a way that will do the most good. Turning down a position because under the circumstances, it's the better decision for the boys -- could fall in that category. I

I'll add this to a number of things to be prepared to call "BS" on. But, I have only seen this discussion in these forums. Must be in SW PA one doesn't come between a boy and his knife.

Keep in mind that Christian CO's are tasked with welcoming non-Christians into their community, so they will give support to programs that allow that. So. If AHG comes off as turning away families who,would rather keep church at arms length,the adult leaders might hear from the institutional head.

Naw, what shows the CO that we care enough to go above the minimum is lots of youth filling their building, posters of their exploits each year, the food pantry full when times are tough in the community.

Hammocks. Wipes. Portable camp showers are possible, but set-up is time consuming. BTW, the young women in my crew disdain cabins. Even sailing, they prefer to sleep topside.

Double post(This message has been edited by Qwazse)

Hammocks. Wipes. Portable camp showers are possible, but set-up is time consuming. BTW, the young women in my crew disdain cabins. Even sailing, they prefer to sleep topside.

The SPL doesn't need to be defending tradition to parents. (Bully for him if he can.) He should be helping carry forward thos traditions. The SM should be laying out new ideas, and many of them will come from the parents. I take suggestions from adults constantly, I try to compile them so the officers in my crew can evaluate them and contact the adult about implementing them. For a driven adult I can see how this can come across as stonewalling, but it helps the youth maintain a say in their unit.

Thanks, SR I'm in! Both the troop and the crew would love this! I'll tell them I heard it from you first! (This message has been edited by Qwazse)

Now that you all have beaten this horse from three sides, I'll take a crack from my soapbox ... This is all about an unfounded reliance on EDGE. The SM believes that the only way to learn is I'd someone Explains something. This means Johnny new scout needs someone to do the explaining. In an attempt to be youth led the SM appoints his PLs to be explainers - among other things. Not just explainers of how to hike and camp safely, but how to sew patches! Not patches on tents or rucksacks, or torn jeans (because heaven help us you weren't wearing your uniform that day), but pricey patches on

Then you answered you own question, I think. Change must happen. But, you signing on isn't going to make it happen. Your vote of "no confidence" delivered as courteously as possible is the best chance for this troop to address basic issues first. Hold out for the next troubled unit to come along.

Instead of knots, you should get an app that scrolls them on your iPod, and velcro the iPod above your pocket! Then you could touch the knot and it would tell you what you did to earn it (while playing patriotic music in the background).