rdclements

Not a wash tub, like you would wash clothes in, but the drip/drain pan you put under a washing machine to handle leaks. Go to lowes.com and search "water heater drain pan".

In certain cases, a temp patch on the pocket didn't work for some female scouters. The de la Renta uniforms were not anatomically compatible in some cases. As a result, they moved the temporary patch up above the pocket, like a jamboree patch. Others saw that and copied it, increasing the placement confusion. I don't know if the newer uniform design has the same problem.

In the military, senior officers will sometimes carry an impact award item (like a special coin) to hand out when they encounter someone doing something particularly right. The more personal the item, the better. An idea that I picked up from my old scoutmaster was to collect the grommets after a flag retirement. Tie the grommet to a short leather cord loop. Wrap the loop around a neckerchief and it makes a unique slide. I've made and used these as impact awards for special events staff and such, usually by taking off the loop from my necker and putting it on the guy.

Going back to moostracker's post...isn't an EBOR setting a requirement for uniform wear adding to rank requirements? Seems like that would not be allowed to stand if anyone actually challenged it.

Yep, that's why polar bear requirements are a local thing. Maybe we should make a patch: "I survived Georgia camping in August."

Down here in Georgia, "cold" often means anything below 40F. When I was Program Chair for our district, we suggested that those Polar Bear patches apply to overnighters that went below 32. You can usually get that in the mountains mid November to early March. When my son was in Webelos, we did some winter camping - December/January. The planning made for some good den meetings. Most of the Webelos (and Dads) used 3-season gear and added extra blankets for comfortable tent camping. Hanging out by the fire while the scouts kept warm by running around in the woods - close to a perfe

Hey Fish, In general, I feel that it's great to get more folks involved, as long as everyone understands how each role fits into the big picture. There must be clear understanding by all on who is running the show at any individual moment. In my tenure as ACM and later CM, I had several other leaders who would take the lead and run parts of a pack meeting or even the whole thing. We would usually get together for lunch or something ;-) in the weeks ahead of the activity to get the plan worked out. When it was working well, it helped keep the timing on track and hold back a little

I was at my district's monthly Eagle BOR event last evening. 11 new Eagles, lot's of handshaking, very nice. My informal survey of some top scouts was to ask them if they care what knots their adult volunteers wore: The most common answers were: 1 - "No." 2 - "Huh, what?" 3 - "Oh those things, um, whatever."

You cannot fix this through gathering policy references. Find a unit that does it right. Your son is not getting any younger. If this is truly the hill that you want to die on, get yourself appointed as Charter Org Rep.

I'd never thought twice about troop or crew leaders wearing training award knots from former cub scout leader positions. I guess that there is something to saying that it is not the current status in the movement, so don't wear them. There are high school guys in my units that I've known since they were Tigers. I don't think they care about which knots are on my uniform, one way or the other. I'm on an Eagle BOR tomorrow for a young man I've known for 7 years. My shirt will have 9 knots on it. They represent recognitions that I was honored to receive and I wear them humbly tomorr

I get that you're considering the sexual implication there. It's dependent on the audience and participants. Sometimes when something is too edgy for your comfort level, it's your little voice trying to tell you something. Are there other reasons to divert the skit? A youth pastor friend didn't like skits that used wasted food because there is too much hunger around us. Aerosol creams can stain your clothes; scout uniforms are expensive. I agree with the comment about Shreck humor - some of the guys won't get it. Do the guys doing the skit get the sexual humor? They might not.

I'm not offended by the joke, but consider the message that you send to others when you tell it. You might be in contact with a young person who has been abused and is desperate for a trustworthy adult. By demonstrating insensitivity you close a door for that person. It doesn't matter whether you are actually insensitive or not, by making fun of his or her problem, you have become too risky to be trusted.

Using the liquid fuel units gets a little complicated due to the GTSS requirements for handling and storing liquid fuels. However, the various ones that I've used work great and produce more heat for their weight than the propane and butane types. When it gets too cold for my little SnowPeak giga, I pull out the M1942 gasoline stove that I used when I was a kid. It's still the toughest and hottest thing around.

This is an example of why skits for the campfire should be vetted in advance.

Hey 92, do some asking around and find a skilled high school trumpet player to do some informal training. Since bugling is all done with your chops, your Wolf mostly needs some mentored development time. First chair trumpet in the high school band who is also a scout would be perfect. ARJ: An authentic bugle is a nice touch; just avoid the cheap junk being imported from India and China. A trumpet makes a fine substitute and might be easier to find. -R

Yeah, every year my arms seem to get a little shorter. I also carry a little fold out magnifier in my pack, with the usual multiple uses. There are a couple of REI stores in the Charlotte area - drop by and try out the compasses without your glasses.

If this is an example of how your scoutmaster operates, you've got bigger problems than doing pull ups. Three years?

When I consider whether my children should go on an outing with a group, the sexual orientation of the attending adults is not on my checklist.

Ditto on the mesh bag. WD-40 will eat the adhesive. It makes a big mess but it will wash out.

OK, so reading this thread last week prompted me into a discussion with my local fire marshal. How your unit handles fuels and the related hazards could be a great safety training opportunity. In the quantities used by home owners and scout units, warning labels are usually not required - check with your local officials. Commercial businesses that use a lot of fuel are what the fire pros are primarily concerned about. A 20lb LP cylinder is a typical backyard item around here. Many troop trailers and scout storage buildings likely contain a few 20lb cylinders as well as some smaller bo

I ran my first course last month using the new ARC Wilderness and Remote curriculum. It is well put together and was made to match the new BSA wilderness guidelines. The participants were all BSA adult volunteers with high adventure plans. Getting qualified as an ARC instructor requires a specific process, but it is not difficult. Check your local conditions and see if that is an option for your unit, district, council to add an instructor corps just for the WRFA course.

The Girl Scouts in my area do a lot less outdoor activities than the BSA units and most of what camping they do is in established camps using semi-perm tents and cabins. They also have a more structured training program that they require for adults. Before you can take the girls out to camp, you have to actually take a class in specific skills. However, they also have a test-out option, so if you feel experienced in relevant outdoor skills, you can take a test and have it reviewed. If they agree, you get credit for the training. BSA will continue to add requirements for training. I k

The problem, TN, is that you are proposing to operate a BSA unit without following the BSA program. This forum is filled with discussions about leaders who don't follow the program and the trouble that results. Most of the time, such failures result from ignorance. You are proposing to run a unit in such a way from arrogance. If you want to run a non-BSA style unit in your own little corner of TN, then found your own organization - "Our little corner of Tennessee Psuedoscouts" - rather than try to get leverage out of using the BSA name. If outdoor skills are the thing you're after

My son's soccer team was working at the Christmas tree lot as a team fundraiser. They're supposed to carry the chosen tree out to the customer's vehicle. He had to teach the rest of the team how to do the knots. I guess that's why bungee cords are popular.

The pin shaft is supposed to have a groove in it for the clutch back to grasp. On some of the cheaper pins the groove is a bit shallow to be effective. Check with google to find spare clutch backs. When I was a CM, we kept a tacklebox of the most common insignia, pins, patches, and the stock of custom unit number patches - to cut down on trips to the shop.