Reasonable Rascal

Thanks for the advice guys. ES2010 yours was particularly helpful. I am back from the campout now and the matter is done, Here is what happened: The PL flaked the campout, as well as the last 2 week's meetings. Sick one week and school science fair the next. The APL was told he was in charge, a position he is not familiar with yet. The SPL brought his own food (MREs) and made a minor production of them. Needless to say they automatically outshine whatever the patrol is cooking because they are "awesome." Besides cooking (new, untried menu items) the boys worked on Fire

My understanding of the patrol method is that the PL is the leader for patrol events, and the SPL coordinates and directs the troop as a whole. I was told by one of the boys that the SPL already has plans to teach some skills at this event. The problem is the patrol had decided for themselves when they planned this what the focus was to be, and it wasn't what the SPL decided *he* was going to do. I have no problem with the SPL teaching the PL's the methods of office, or evaluating them, etc. I *do* have a problem with an SPL who decides he doesn't have to listen to adults, or take directi

I learned tonight that our SPL managed to wrangle an 'invite' to a patrol campout this week-end. I was not present when it occurred and the PL in fact had a science fair tonight so he wasn't there. I believe what *might* have happened is he talked the APL into inviting him as the parents involved are friends. I learned of this when the SPL's dad informed me he was available to drive because his son had been invited to go. While I honestly could have used another vehicle to haul the gear I already had another adult meeting us at the camping site so that wasn't an issue. We would just have

My troop has visited there a couple of times - we are about 4 hours away. As far as camping look up the TenX Forest Service campground, just a few miles south of the park itself. Much cheaper than actually camping in the park, not as crowded, very comfortable area. Within the park itself you will find shuttle buses that take you between different points. Break your troop into small groups because there is no way you can get a dozen or more people in one group on a bus due to the heavy use of same. Take your own food and picnic because the prices in the park are outrageous even for wa

I should have updated my post, especially because I was in error. It was just over a month from the time I actually sent in the order (oops) until they arrived. We pinned them on the boys last Thursday. RR

From a long-time Paramedic: you will know very quickly whether direct pressure is going to work or not. Very quickly. Even more to the point if a limb is semi- or completely amputated a tourniquet is ALWAYS appropriate. For a stab would you should have time to figure it out, or note that the wound is in a location for which a tourniquet is totally impractical (torso, etc). I recall a situation in the mid-80's that involved a broken beer bottle applied to the upper arm (family dispute). Brachial artery et al severed and blood literally puddling in the guys lap. Tourniquet applied as

Kudu, while normally I take in with interest your POV you are trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear with this one. RR

"We have a lone scout that left our troop. If you remember the mom who was going to get her eagle and the boy hates the outdoors, went to resident camp and mom and dad came and picked him up and they stayed at a motel instead of at camp. DE called SM and asked what the deal was.....Mom is going to get her eagle.....He is now a lone scout....In a year he made star and will be an eagle at 15....... " Would someone mind explaining to me how this lad can possibly earn his Camping MB? last I knew it was a requirement for Eagle. RR

Two camps within 2 hours if you really stretch that two hours. The farthest one is past Las Vegas to the west, the closest one the better part of an hour away and only accessible on a seasonal basis as the road is not maintained per se and certainly isn't plowed come winter. We use the closer camp for a unit outing once a year, otherwise summer camp is always a 5+ hour drive. RR

75 years with the same unit? Outstanding! RR

Have a Scouter with my Troop who now is working on his 62nd year. Yes, that is sixty-two. I don't think he's hit 75 years of age yet. He missed a few years while he was in the service, otherwise ever since he was a kid he's been in. National had to verify his records to get him a 60 year pin. Literally took months from the time we submitted to Council before they got word back that he had been verified. RR

Try Lowes for 2' dia. tree stakes, 6 feet long and pointed on one end. I had the boys sand them down because they tend to shed splinters otherwise, but they are rough enough to hold the rope and to allow semi-scale model towers and such. They learn lashing basics on the 6' models and then can move up from there. RR

It happens and has been happening for decades. Back around "91 I was named SM for a troop that was carried on the books but which hadn't been active for several years. Lo and behold though it had youth "members" for whom in every instance their mailing address was 'General Delivery.' It was a small town but not THAT small. We did build the troop up for a couple of years but the actions of an adult affiliated with the troop (using the troop treasury to enhance their lifestyle a bit vis' a vis postage and mileage reimbursements that the DE purportedly said were reasonable, allowable and cus

"At the Jamboree in 73? Moraine state park the big nites entertainment was Danny Thomas!" Actually it was Bob Hope. Danny Thomas was at Jamboree East in Pennsylvania. I was at Jamboree West. :-) RR

Twocubdad is correct, drowning resuscitation was poorly understood until the 60's. I was taught the Sylvester method when I first joined Boy Scouts (no first aid training in Cubs). From Wikipedia: In the 19th century, Doctor H. R. Silvester described a method (The Silvester Method) of artificial respiration in which the patient is laid on their back, and their arms are raised above their head to aid inhalation and then pressed against their chest to aid exhalation.[69] The procedure is repeated sixteen times per minute. This type of artificial respiration is occasionally seen in fil

I've been encouraging my patrols to plan individual events but so far have only succeeded in getting the New Scout patrol (very relative term there) to do so once last Oct. We did have 5 adults including a mom whose son was crossing over that week-end (she's also the Troop CC). The boys hiked up while 3 of the adults drove the gear up. We did tent and cook separately though it wasn't Kudu's 300 feet apart; that's because the boys chose their campsite without regard to the distance but more for the terrain. The Webelo stayed with mom since he didn't officially join the troop until the next day.

I am likewise interested (hint, hint). I'm a graduate of the old JLITC program at Philmont's Rayado, circa 1971. RR

A very merry and blessed Christmas to all and best wishes for a wonderful New Year. RR

Just an update to this thread: our troop has been waiting for some 2 months now to receive our order, and we have not heard a peep. One wonders if they have gone back into their previous mode. RR

Eamonn, I can't say how much I envy - yes, that is the correct word: envy - you the joy of still hearing from former Scouts years later. I have had only one boy other than my son ever thank me, and I always thought that I didn't accomplish that much with that troop at that time (90's, my first troop as SM back in Iowa). Our troop's "relic" just left, a 60+ year Scouting veteran. He's going to run this week's meeting while Mrs. Scoutmaster and I go visit my former Scoutmaster (my Dad) and my First Aid MB counselor (Mom, an RN back when) for a couple of days. They are semi-snowbirds,

There are the International Scouting Museum and the Atomic Testing Museum, both in Vegas. http://www.worldscoutingmuseum.org/ http://www.atomictestingmuseum.org/index.asp Both should interest Scouts and parents alike. RR

Had a boy last year that the committee suspended for a month because of ongoing behavior issues that included bloodying a nose and other physical altercations. He also never returned, and our retention of new Scouts has never been higher. One boy - especially when he is older (14) can have either a very detrimental or positive effect on the troop as a whole. The boy had been Green Barred twice before it got to that point. His suspension was not a snap decision. We are talking well over a year of attempts to salvage him. He has since become acquainted with the juvenile justice system.

I used Scoutlander to build ours, and have had no problem whatsoever with people finding it. Since creating it back in February this year we have had over 1,300 unique hits. I average about 2 email inquiries per month from parents seeking a home for their boys. Usually - not always - they are Cub age, but I also hand out business cards with the web site addy and direct people there for recruiting purposes. It works. I gave one out on Saturday to a mom, she looked over the site with her son, they came the following Thursday, and returned with a completed app, etc on Friday. We publish the

Currently sitting in the Las Vegas Area Council but I hale from Mid-America originally. I was a youth there back in the day, served as Scoutmaster of a couple small troops in the extreme border area of Mid-Am and later relocated to the Mid-Iowa Council before coming here. RR

As someone who was a Scout when the BSA introduced the collar-less uniform shirt in the "70's I have to say I much prefer the current collared style. RR