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So, if the boys dressed in Star Trek uniforms and gave accommodation from the Galactic Federation, would you be less offended? If a native American actor puts on a Bishop's robe to play some part that he finds noble about our culture, should we be offended? I could go over the pros of imitating the good we see in other cultures ..., but let's leave it at this: It's fun. Lighten up.

Here's how we did it (once): A senior ASM was appointed to be our " selection subcommittee". This guy had experience as an SM and we trusted his judgement a lot. He had been on nearly every camp out that year so he had a good idea of how we all operated. Anyone willing to take the position told him. It wasn't a big long interview, we just described our level of availability and maybe suggested anyone else who he should consider. The discussion took less than a minute. He made his recommendation to the committee, the decided on it, and delayed their opinion to the CO. Done.

It would be nice if Bob issued a resolution for an uptic in tour plans submitted for patrol hikes and overnighters.

BD, much of it may be psychological. Certainly some of us grew up being kicked out of the house at noon and not welcome back in until supper time on a Saturday. (Parents just got sick of yelling at you to do chores while all you did was try to watch cartoons on TV.) Sooner or later we would figure out that we could easily get ourselves five miles away from home and back in that time period if we tried. That's not the case anymore with most kids in the country. You need them to experience that walking a mile or two is hardly any imposition on their time or energy before they try anythin

Hope he enjoys the next six months! Adults will rally around a driven youth, even if he transferred in yesterday. At his SMC he'll get a load of advice. probably most significant: start the Personal ** badges ASAP, and decide what he'd like to do for a service project.

Invite some special guests: - Local game commissioner (this is especially useful the month before fishing season) especially one who might be able to teach tracking or suggest a simple service project. - Former scout just back from his tour of duty or boot camp. - An NRA certified instructor for some basic gun safety/maintenance instruction. - How many in your troop are driving age? A mechanic with some basic car care tips might be handy. - Ask your committee if they know any pro athletes who may be willing to visit. (Seriously, this happened at our troop once.) These may pr

Sometimes, mapping out where the cute girls live helps extend those walks. But, no point in telling your boy that. It sounds like if it's your idea, he'll ignore it. My oldest, who was very athletic, was insulted at the suggestion that he could walk a mile to his buddies house instead of pacing the floors writing for us to be ready to haul him there.

Well, to put all my cards on the table, I am listening to how different folks handle this because our SM broached the subject to a few of us ASM's last month in relation to a life scout and his FB page. Keeping this boy may have been one reason that some parents left and spun off a new troop. The kid has improved greatly over the years, but no doubt a few rough edges remain. Anyway, we told the SM we'd back him however he wanted to handle it. Bounced around a few pro's and con's, and suggested he give our district advancement chair a call, just to be sure that whatever we do is con

Sounds like you've got a plan. When he's beyond the "after school" stage, have the boy get a counselor for more ideas for what to prepare for. For example, I've been told that flash floods are a serious issue for some parts of the SW in some seasons. Even, in the hills of PA and WV, we know to make a few phone calls about certain streams if there have been consecutive days of rain or if a large snowpack has begun to thaw. Based on what was last reported to the ranger station, we adjust our hike plan accordingly. Also in terms of hiking buddies: 1. Don't shy away from dumping th

I've never heard of a general prohibition from Christian circles. Old Testemant references indicate that peircing was used indicate voluntary servitude for life. In the Apocolypse, Christ returns with a "King of Kings" tat on his legs.

Solve one problem at a time. Let the SM and scout choose a course of action and give them time to implement it. Then point out to parents that appropriate action was taken and encourage them to support the SPL as best they can. Also tell them that going to the DE over a matter like this hurts the SM deeply, an apology to him on their part would be in order. If their confidence in the SM is really so low that they won't apologize, then you could suggest another troop where they may feel more comfortable. ( Give them the number of the SM who annoyed you most at the last camporee!)

When I was a teen, I read my brother's copy of "Our New Navy", which discouraged tattoos and helped me make up my mind never to get one. I explained to my kids that we are a bunch of unmarked cars! That said, I saw one awesome fleur de lis on a gentleman this summer.

Sorry I blew the DE connection out of proportion. Sounds like this guy was giving you his general opinion when asked. Not butting in on behalf of "concerned parents". In matters like these, a CC should support whatever decision the SM comes to. Sometimes a kid will not respect the SM or his parents and it's time to haul him before the committe so that he gets that dismissal is not far off. That doesn't seem to be the case here. (Lucky you.) Most of the time a CC's job is to rally parents around the SM and support his decisions. The COR's responsibility is to convey the CO's opinion

Our nation has a vast public lands. Most private property is outdoors - not indoors. Cleaning water for (and waste from) 300 million people is no trivial task. Understanding how one person can manage these limited resources is the first step in good citizenship. Walking the trails that Native Americans once walked was my first history lesson of substance. When we enter a wilderness recreation area for some adventure, I remind my youth about how that designation is no trivial matter. In some cases it involved citizens banding together, looking at a land that was ravaged by logging, fire,

Have you seen kids and their school packs lately? They break my back just watching the little gompers carry them two blocks!

"Defacto Troop Encourager" Now that would go well on a sleeve!

Is the DE actually getting involved? Or is he just telling Cross what he would do in a similar situation. It's unfortunate that the DE got involved. Not because the SM will need to change a thing that he's doing, but that in addition, he should respond in writing. Not E-mail. Probably old school typed or handwritten with one copy going to the boy (probably by hand when the SM has to break the news to the kid). I had to do this once. It was very handy in getting aggrieved parents to talk *to* me rather than *around* me. The gist of the SM's message to the DE is that he apprecia

Smaller bodies = lighter clothes, so your son has some advantages to start with. Hiking and marching band are good cross-training sports. If he works on hiking now, band will be easier. Routine drills that are good for "core stabilization": sit-ups, push-ups, deep knee bends, and balance exersizes. Basic stretching is always good. My problem was I didn't want to commit an hour, so if you can, help him choose a 10' - 20' set before he hits the shower. That way he can have something to do daily that won't try his patience. On weekends, 1-2 hour walks with friends is a good idea.

Yep, FB has given us a lot more opportunities to reveal the breadth of a boy's character. The "goal" I've set for our boys is to be bold enough to give each other "12th point" challenges. That means if the boys hear us [adults] cussing, they have the right to call us on it, and we will humbly return the favor if the need arises. That doesn't mean we interrupt each other mid-speech, but we should -- after addressing the speech's content (e.g. get first aid kit) -- point out to the speaker that their language was offensive. And the speaker will apologize and do better the next time he ha

Nar - I don't recall NESA offering anything except to help one stay connected with other Eagles. That said, Eagles are a diverse group. Herding them in any one direction is not easy. And, maybe not the most desirable thing! The one thing that I missed on as a young adult Eagle, was to participate in scouting internationally. I just didn't see how I could make it "fit" into everything else in my life. Now that I have kids, and lots of adult leaders who were not scouts in my unit, coaching them (and learning from them) seems to be the best use of that bird I earned.

Ya SP, I don't see it working as a bludgeon very well. It's better used as a net: "We're all in it for the boys, so what's the best we can do with our time and talents that will guide them to being caring adults?" For some that's get trained. For others that's getting a spiffy uniform. For some it's throwing down some serious cash. For others that's leaving some knots in the drawer! For others it's listening closely to the youth. For others it's explaining the program to the parents and keeping them a distance from the SM! For others it's telling the youth, "Well that's

Ya, jblake, and I'm sure one day there'll be a tourist guide on America that will say that you'll only find Boy Scouts out camping on warm summer days. But, the ones who would listen to angels (or -- if you hew to the more modern mythology of Le V. -- would use them as an excuse to sneak back into town for a little warmth) would be the only one's crazy enough to be camping out on a mid-winters night. The story of God's generosity to the lot of us stinking shepherds is about the best Christianity has to offer for an otherwise bleak season. Make of it what you will. Boy do I miss

m2c - You would be surprised the number of folks who have potential to make $10k purchases of popcorn, but don't. It's hard to judge at a distance if mom and dad were the sole movers and shakers in that deal, or if jr. asked dad if he could sell popcorn. Our kids weren't allowed to solicit at either mine or my wife's office, so we were grateful to the one dad in our den who could and did do something like this. Maybe Mom and Dad were so touched by how much the den did for their boy that making popcorn the corporate gift (instead of the usual gift certificate inside some neutral festive

I miss midnight Christmas Eve service! You knew you were "grown up" when you could go to it! And several churches gathered in one building for a combined service. You could catch up with all your friends who came home from college.

I'm sorry, but unlike "Pistols" and "Muzzle Loading" I don't see "Overnight Patrol Camping" on the list of unauthorized activities. Once again we are confusing youth protection with general health and safety. A well-prepared patrol is no more likely to suffer injury with adults vs. without adults on an overnight. Do you know of a case where there was an injury on a patrol overnight and the insurance did not cover it? Moreover, if liability were an issue, your injury is more likely to occur on the G2SS explicitly approved patrol day-hike, than on a camp-out.