qwazse

On pirates: I just read a quote from a brigand who was arrested by Alexander the Great [to which I can only paraphrase at the moment]: "the only difference between us is I rob using one ship while you do the same with an armada." On what-to-do-with-my-kid: Keep in mind that the SM may have gotten jumped on by the last BOR for sending up scouts who had no clue about insignia, and he was just trying to save the boy the embarrassment that comes with failure in front of a bunch of adults. Not saying the adults' attitude is right, but sometimes that's the dynamic. If your boy's having fu

Well ... references can be a selective list. The advantage of someone from the community, is you can easily use the local grapevine to tap more folks than are on the reference list. But, as Beav pointed out, a really good predator knows how to hide in plain sight. He/she is unlikely to be the bumbling 19 year old who's new to town and looking for some way to make himself useful to the community where he just landed.

I think each year a good program should provide multiple opportunities for a boy to exercise every T-2-1 requirement. In this age of velcro and ratchet straps, I'm never surprised when a boy forgets how to tie a sheep-shank. But, when he can't re-learn it quickly by going to the book, that's a problem. If a boy shows continued ineptitude with knots, I don't want him advancing. Why? Because his patrol can't count on him to pull it together (literally) when they need him to. He is, by definition, not a First Class Scout.

MIB, I'm with you. There are certain hassles with young adult leaders, but the payoff is usually bigger than the grief. I think the apprehension isn't entirely age. Part of it is "stranger danger." Successful troops are tight communities and have built up a pretty stable core of leaders from a narrow set of channels. They look askance at that "foreign influence" and stick to their usual sources for adult leadership so long as they aren't betrayed by them. I suspect if I turned my resume' into Eng and his wife -- absent my 14 year old first class scout-son -- it too might get reje

vol, First, thank you for your cheerful service. You're in for a wild ride. (That includes, among other things, getting niggled until you call it a "Venturing" crew.) I introduced myself to my youth at their inaugural meeting as "the first crew advisor I ever met" and promised that my co-advisor and I would try to correct that (by taking Venturing Leader Specific Training) before they met again. Being humble at the start helped a little. Also, I think it made the kids realize they were starting something new. Time for them will go by so fast, so you don't want to squander any le

One of the boys in our troop has one. He loves it. Still sleeps on the ground though! Enjoy experimenting. As far as packs go, don't get one so big that you'll fill it with stuff that will weigh you down. If you can borrow a friends until you decide which one works best for you, I'd take that route.

When it comes down to it, what makes a Jamboree is the scouts who go there. If meeting people from everywhere is your thing, then this is the place for a young lad to start. At least, that's the core of my Jamboree memories from 30+ years ago. That said, I've never been interested in going back, nor have my kids had much interest. (Although, my daughter enjoyed hosting a local satellite party of the arena show.)

V. There's no such thing as "a" personal 1st aid kit. You should have one stashed in every gear bag you have. One thing I try to leave behind: a hike plan! Don't clear your patrol to go without one!

I like my VLA knot. And did wear the bling on one formal occasion. When I heard it was being phased out, I had my DE get a second knot for my scout uni. It's nice to have something that no other adults are getting. But, a knot or nothing but a handshake ... either way I'm happy it isn't a plaque!

Thanks for the update. Regardless, y'all did right by TT.

Just a thought: OA chapter chiefs and venturing officers should be planning/administering district/council activities. My point, if a youth are promoting the events, they may be more sensitive to expenses, etc ... Certainly we have negotiated for better fees when our VOA cabinet says "that's nice, but too expensive for me and my crew." Also, if a kid is collecting the fee, you might be less frustrated about paying it.

"Trust, but verify. In that order. " No way... "Verify ... decide if you trust the verification ... consider closely monitored events." Yeah sure, like, if the guy's been a collegiate football coach for years, you can trust that verification more than if some young buck's scoutmaster tells you he is worth the bling over his left pocket? We see how well that worked for the kids in Happy Valley. Don't get me wrong, we need to be on our guard, but like Beav explained, the strangers are no more of a threat than the familiars.

If you think it's unfair for leaders to pay for stuff only the youth would use, then you need to factor that into the cost of the event. (E.g. for 20 youth to bring 2 leaders, cost per youth would be 10% more.) Then let your boys decide if it's worth it. I had to "vote with my feet" this summer because another adult and I were charged full price for chaperoning an $40 event. This was a change in policy at council from the previous year. We weren't aware of it in time to adjust our budgets or to find adults who really wanted to get the patch, t-shirt and headlamp that came with the even

LV, if they dole out a knot for wilderness soloing with less than 5 lbs of gear for a week, I hope you wear it. I'd like to pick you out of a crowd and shake your hand.

I honestly have not heard of anyone turning down any young adult solely on the basis of his/her age. No offense to the Mrs., Eng 61, but you all sound a little paranoid. Trust, but verify. In that order. That said, if the SM feels adult:youth ratio is a little top-heavy, he may not feel like taking on another ASM, so signing up newcomers to town doesn't always need to be a given.

TT, just keep in mind that getting rid of the trouble maker doesn't get rid of the trouble. In your case the trouble is a boy who is picking up a negative vibe from his parents and using it as an excuse to "coast." So, as much as it will be a thorn in your side, you're stuck "coaching" this dad to be positive with his son wherever he lands. That includes encouraging the boy to step up and do his best in his current youth-led unit until the day he transfers to another. Waffles are better with butter or syrup.

Being an ASM, I expect to: Pay my own dues. Get trained on my own dime. Maintain certifications in First Aid, CPR, BSA Guard (council lost the paperwork on that one, I can't find the card, so I may be stuck). Maintain a vintage uniform (thus teaching the boys thrifty and clean at the same time). Attend troop meetings. Attend committee meetings as time allows. Inform and apologize when I can't make one. Offer my opinion to the CC only when asked. Communicate with the SM regularly. Support his views. Coach him where he needs it. Fill in for him when he's not available. (To one of

This is one reason why I'm no fan of NSP's. They can easily become NSC (New Scout Cliques). But, even with crossovers fed directly into existing patrols, you can experience these kinds of splits. I am much more in favor of splinter groups starting their own troops rather than giving some other SM a new set of headaches. It gives the adults a chance to learn and grow and discover "no matter where you go, there you are."

Wow. Where have I heard this before? Here's a few suggestions to make sure you avoid that slimy feeling. Let the SM know he might get an "influx". Explain the situation as you understand it, and ask him if you could touch base in a few months to see if he hears something that your troop may need to address. Dismiss boys from POR's based on performance only. If one of these boys has been doing his job, but wants to try out the other troop because his buddy just relocated there, make note of his time served and encourage the new SM to line up a similar position for the lad. Mak

Well, technically (see other threads fretting about internal revenue, etc...), the balance is not the scout's. It's the troop's. You have only allocated certain amounts from fundraisers for the scout to use so that he can be properly equipped for the good of the troop. That said, I agree with E92. It's a big deal. Some boys are embarrassed that they have money at their disposal (or more properly, have stewardship over troop funds) when others do not. Other boys who have less (or none) might feel defeated by those who do. Having online balances that anyone can browse allows for both

That's pre-judging the boy. (Sorry any TG types reading this, I tend to stick with anatomical-at-birth definitions.) It's also not based on world-wide experience of co-ed movements. (Including girls on football teams, etc ...) Most teen pregnancies are a result of associations outside the organization. Of course, most co-ed orgs don't publish their experiences with TG children, but I don't think the risk of unwanted pregnancy among group members is elevated because of them. So, not looking at the FB page, and given the unlikely outcome (here's hoping), I'd say "Yeah, funny."

RW - in my experience, it will only help if you use them as potential conversation starters: "And you could earn this knot if you'd just do ___". They might say "I don't care about your stinkin' knots." But at least you'll have put out what you would like to see from your adults in terms of action. If they're like me, they'd wind up doing what you want, and refuse the knot! I think knots are a nuisance. But, if you're going to recognize me anyway, I'd rather a knot than a plaque or a mug.

83EagleI just assumed the Bad Idea girl was a a venture scout. For future enlightenment, it's "venturer". And, from time to time, one may have dress code issues. I usually pawn those off on my female adult leaders. Maybe I can just have my crew president propose a by-law "No dressing like the models on the Scouter network."

Having had hours of my time wasted by "sweep-under-ther-rug" types, I lean toward calling HQ. Of course having talked with several adults, I have gained some idea of what's acceptable (sharing a bunk-house with another adult and 20 other cubs) and what's not (grooming behavior toward a particular boy), and realize the SE has gained the same common sense. If you think only a BSA reg is violated, call your council SE and ask for advise. If you think a youth was actually harmed, report to the authorities first, then call the SE. Either way, this is not a comfortable situation for an u

RW, pursue what you can for your adults. The worse that can happen is council will say "no" to a particular award, but they may direct you to other ways of recognizing them. Some could care less about awards and knots. The best thing about the one I got was a note my daughter and her friend composed listing the reasons I should be nominated for it! So, SP's suggestion about letting the boys be part of giving the award is really significant.