RememberSchiff

Here is the official response

http://scouting.org/filestore/pdf/QAHearstmemoedited1-27-09.pdf

pages 10,11,24,25,26,27 address executive salaries

By any comparison, say the smaller executive salaries of a larger youth organizations with growing membership or the President of the U.S., our National execs are overpaid.

I did not like the spinning in this response, but most of all I am skeptical of the repeated statement (4x) that the BSA is the nation's largest youth organization. I believe both the Boys & Girls Club and 4-H are larger.

A Scout is Trustworthy.

I'm old school and offer a contrary opinion. None.

Scouter leaders should have YP, Safe Swim Defense, (come on, those are online, how easy is that) leader training, and First Aid BEFORE taking their unit to summer camp.

At Summer camp, spend time outside with your scouts. Share their successes, see their smiles, console their losses, bandage their boo-boos, take photos, laugh, swat mosquitoes. Be there with your scouts. If that's not what you want, if you want training courses at summer camp - don't go to summer camp. You can yak with adults or look at flip charts, at Round Tables, Pack Committee, District training, etc. but don't lose out on scout summer camp.

I would not miss one of my scouts taking his swim test or shooting or even artsy-fartsy at Handicraft. Sorry Scout Executive, but I can't make your fireside chat. I will be at a real campfire enjoying smores made by my scouts.

my 2c

Not the patrol method, just a playground selection of teams without much leadership.

Your scouts were shortchanged on this phony-Klondike, see if you can guide them to correcting this while winter is still here. The Roses and Thorns is a perfect opportunity to get them thinking about doing their own, Klondike the right way with sleds, etc. in the next two or three weeks. Maybe invite another troop.

In the future, shop around and consider events from other Districts and maybe other councils. If other Districts are running better events, consider attending an out-of-district event instead or plan your own.

My 2c, good luck

I think it would help recruiting and "peace of mind" if the details were clearly stated in writing on the joining application. Currently, there is no mention of this on the application and worse, the required joining Class 1 medical gives many the impression that medical insurance is required. Also, give parents a copy of the scout supplemental insurance policy that applies to their son during scouting activities.

In my council's training classes, I have been told that a family need not have health insurance coverage to be a participating BSA member, but I have yet to see that written anywhere, so this reply may not be worth much.

The procedure explained in class was that in the event of injury during a scout activity, contact Council which then gives parents a HSR form to submit. HSR is Health Service Risk

http://www.healthspecialrisk.com/

is an insurance underwriter in Texas, here is a link to the forms at their website

http://www.healthspecialrisk.com/claim-forms.htm

On their "Generic" Claim form, Part II Other Insurance Statement answer NO. Submit form. As I understand, the family is responsible for the $300 deductible.

Last summer, we had two scouts and one adult without health insurance (and so stated on their Class 3) attend a week of Boy Scout camp. No activity restrictions were imposed. No accidents, all returned home healthy so no claim forms were submitted.

I would like to read a written policy statement about this too.

my 1c

Triangular bandages are commonly 37"x37"x52" or 40"x40"x56", so for a neckerchief to function as a triangular bandage, a larger size seems reasonable. As a scout in the 60's, my troop has a 32" square neckerchief which was adequate for bandaging scouts among other uses.

I found this link regarding Canadian neckers

http://scoutdocs.ca/Documents/Making_a_Necker.php

scroll to bottom and you will see their three "proper sizes" for neckers.

This is stated awkwardly on page 2 of the NEW Local Tour Permit which has editable fields. I believe you can also submit online through your MyScouting account.

http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34426.pdf

You likely completed an older version.

I do not recall reading an official announcement.

IMO the Local Tour Permit still needs a major rewrite.

Here's what I found

www.scoutingalaska.org/uploads/ScoutExecChallenge.pdf

How did I find this? Used a methodical internet search as opposed to a shotgun of keywords...and luck.

1. You read the article and know that he, Audun Mikkelson, is the Scout Executive of the Great Alaska Council

2. Google for Great Alaska Council

http://www.scoutingalaska.org/

3. On its homepage, click Search and enter the word Challenge

4. Select Scout Executive's Challenge webpage

5. This page has some info but scroll to bottom and click

download Flyer and Tracking Sheet and you have above link

Too funny.

Will RIT work on 100% nylon fabric? You may have more luck using an "acid dye" on supplex nylon fabric in that there should be less color washout in subsequent machine washings.

Check Jacquard acid dyes. Their website has a forum for asking questions.

Here's their color chart

http://www.jacquardproducts.com/products/dyes/aciddye/colors.php

Anyway my 2c, good luck.

Our pack and troop has rang, proudly in uniform and with Council knowledge, for Salvation Army for as long as I can remember. No complaints, just community gratitude.

Wanna complain, then we are just scouts singing and ringing a bell. We start at Thanksgiving on thru Dec 23, no matter the weather. We neither collect money nor touch the kettle. People just put money in the kettle and a Salvation Army rep picks it up.

This is what scouts do - we help other people.

Merry Christmas, Peace on Earth and Goodwill.

The winner: Professor Randy Pausch for his "Last Lecture"

http://tinyurl.com/55ukt2

Thank you for the inspiration you provided to your students and the world. You will be missed.

The larger font, an editable pdf, and getting ONE form are big improvements.

I would prefer a one page, double-sided form with critical information appearing first for ER admission. You need parent/guardian and family physician upfront, not buried. I have seen too many "Who to contact" to be uninformed neighbors. Photocopy of insurance card should be on side 1.

Instructions in how to fill out this form, weight charts, council photo permission, "grade completed" is clutter in a medical emergency.

Learning disorders needs a separate section with room for more detail.

My 2c

I found this from Sept, 2004

http://www.scoutingmagazine.org/issues/0409/d-news.html

scroll down near bottom:

"BOY SCOUT AGE CLARIFICATION

The BSA National Executive Board has amended the rules and regulations to clarify that no boy may join Boy Scouting until he reaches the age of 10.

Previously, the requirement stated that to be a Boy Scout a boy must have completed the fifth grade or be age 11 or have earned the Arrow of Light Award.

The new requirement says he must have completed the fifth grade and be at least 10 years old or be age 11 or have earned the Arrow of Light Award and be at least 10 years old.

The new clarification became effective May 15, 2004."

You are not obligated to take over another leader's den.

If the sudden "added scouts" to your den is your main complaint, be aware as a volunteer den leader, you set the size of the den that you can handle.

When "she" suddenly left, her ADL should have stepped up. If that did not happen, the CM should have convened a den parent meeting and recruited a new DL.

Yes, we are here for the scouts but we can set our limits. Family first. Keep it simple, make it fun applies to us adult volunteers too.(This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

Our council camps have no such requirements.

We have been through uniform transitions before, I can't remember a camp or scout activity requiring the "latest" uniform. Some of us wore uniform shirts with collars, some had V-necks, and we all looked scout.

So this seems a change in thinking or values, more marketing-sense driven than classic scout-sense driven. A scout is (or was) thrifty.

Maybe the City of Philadelphia will lease the building to a non-discriminatory youth group, like the Philadelphia Boy & Girls Club, for $1/yr.

When you see "other references" on a job application, college application, or Eagle application, do your chances a favor and think that other (adult) references is implied. Teachers, coaches, merit badge counselors, neighbors, and adult scout leaders. You have associated with adults as part of a Scout program method, so this should not be a problem. Good luck.

Liz, our unit also presents ranks badges, et al, at the next COH which are held more of less quarterly. We do this to teach scouts patience (we don't subscribe to the need for immediate "gimme" recognition), to give all plenty of time to adjust schedules (we have good attendance and participation at COH), and to give our Advancement Chairman time (less stress) to do his job. It has worked well for us.

Immediate recognition is relatively new in scouting. My unit did not do it in the 60's - we waited until the next COH. Looking at my old scout handbook sixth edition, Nov, 1959. Regarding earning first class page 229.

(after the board of review) ..."Soon after, at a troop court of honor, your Scoutmaster presents your First Class badge to you in front of your friends."

So a scout waited sometimes a couple of weeks, sometimes a couple months...worth the wait. Also as Cub Scouts we typically waited that long to receive our awards at the next pack meeting.

Like you said, this approach may not work well for other units but it works well for us. Some of us wait until Dec 25, for Christmas, some of us don't.

Sounds familiar - no supervision, no discipline - "Boys will be boys"... Look at other troops or Venture crews since you said the older scouts are frustrated, or consider starting a new unit.

Stacked deck. Your chances of fixing the problem from within the unit are slim and will only add to your frustration.

Good luck

Excuse the obvious question. Is your full name often misspelled or abbreviated? Have you seen a list of ALL who received training and you were definitely not on it?

Usually in cases of "lost" records, many people are affected and you have not said this of your council. I am wondering if your information was electronically misfiled.

I relate, for many years, my council listed me as Troop Committee and not ASM. Finally was fixed.

The units that I have served, have accepted donations with gratitude and without any drama. Often a donations jar is in place at the entrance for the spaghetti dinners. No complaints from Council execs who attended.

Not asking for "scout discount" is just foolish, a scout is thrifty. Our council website lists businesses that offer scout discounts to scouts who are in uniform or show their BSA ID card. Eastern Mountain Sports offers a 20% "scout discount" to scouts twice a year.

A scoutmaster can suggest a merit badge counselor but a scout can go to any merit badge counselor in any council that he wants. An example of this is summer camp or merit badge university, the SM signs the blue card without knowing who the merit badge counselors will be.

In my council, I have noticed an increased number of scouts who transfer to other units (some are Eagle factories, most are not) just to earn their Eagle. This information is not tracked on the Eagle application and is rarely stated at an EBOR. Something is wrong here, a scout should not need to transfer out of his unit to become Eagle, but none of the aforementioned police seem interested.

Personally, I would like to see the Eagle application require a troop membership history. 'We see just a year ago you transferred to Troop 2. What prompted that move after 5 years with Troop 1?' 'Sir, I would not have been able to earn my Eagle at my old troop because...' The commissioners or Eagle Board then has a talk with those scoutmasters to find out what the problem is.

Where was your class advertised? Did they text scouts or post on the council website frequented just by adults?

Ditto what Ed said - Scouts have to contact me. Scouts need to develop the initiative to contact mb counselors. In doing so, they develop communication skills and self-confidence needed later.

Mostly, I too find parents care more about advancement than scouts, but we cannot allow them to micromanage their son's Boy Scout advancement as they likely did in Cub Scouts.

Good luck with your class. Thanks for being a mb counselor. We seem to have a shortage.

(This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

From the lapels, sleeves,and pocket flaps, it looks like a replica of a WW2 US Army Officer jacket though not the Ike jacket. Zoom the image and you'll see the buttons have an Eagle on them. My guess anyway.