rkfrance

You might also try adding a few moth balls to the mix. If you place moth balls under the cot and around the tent, they will help to keep the spiders and other crawlies out. (Don't know if the racoons will eat them though).

I can do without those certain people, I'll go for almost any ice cream as long as it's not lite (diet).

The only thing I would see as being a possible issue would be if they were paid staff. If they're volunteering, no problem.

3 will never happen because the BSA wouldn't expose itself to the incredible loss of registered Scouts and Leaders. They cannot force the LDS program to change either. The best they could hope for is to have these Leaders actually respond to the program that they have now, as any Unit, District, or Council would if there were issues, and follow the program.

I also keep seeing a pattern of high adventure activities for many boys under 14. Is it a matter of the territory? Or is it a matter of careless adults who've "always done it that way"?

I have found various trainings online. I know you can take Fast Start for each area (Cubs, Boy Scouts, Venturing, etc). I have done my YPT online. I have also found Safe Swim Defense & Safety Afloat online http://www.scouting.org/pubs/aquatics/index2.html . You get (or at least used to) a card for YPT online.

Do any of the other trainings give some sort of documentation to prove that you took them?

Has anyone taken the Safe Swim & Safety Afloat and does this qualify as adequate training? Our District trainer has said she really prefers this version vs. the video version we get from our Council.

Getting back to the first post.

Have a meeting with the parents? Tell them what you have observed. They may confirm your suspicions or completely deny them.

Confirm - set into motion a plan of action agreeable to the parents, the leaders, and the boy. Get information such as diagnosis, medical documentation, iep, medications and how they are taken, conditions that may cause reaction and ways to deal with or avoid them, behavior expectations, teachers/school input, aides.

Establish expectations from the parents, leaders, and the boy. Then, how are WE (the collective; parents, (all) leaders, the boy, and his peers) going to handle this?

Deal with barriers up front. They include but are not limited to:

1. Prejudice

2. Ignorance

3. Fear

4. Insensitivity

5. Bigotry

6. Stereotyping

7. Misconception

8. Discrimination

9. Dislike

10. Invisibility

11. Insecurity

12. Discomfort

13. Condescension

14. Intolerance

Work together.

Approach them in confidence. Be empathetic toward their situation. Utilize the buddy system and designate an adult to be there to help if necessary. Maintain as much privacy as possible, while keeping those involved "completely" in the loop. IT WILL BE A TREMENDOUS CHALLENGE. Every boy deserves the best opportunity we can give them.

If they deny the problem and insist "it is none of your business", then as was stated in another post, let them know of unit behavior policies and their consequences.

I wear multiple hats. Sometimes more. Sometimes less. I always try to do my best for each and every hat I wear.

The biggest problem with people wearing multiple hats is that we don't live in perfect. There are enough people that want to use us as a babysitting service but have no idea what commitment means unless it has something to do with making sure "I'm home in time to watch ER, American Idol, Survivor,...."

I want the best program possible for my sons and for all the youth who are able to take advantage of Scouting. I'll do whatever I can and make the best of it.

You can point fingers at almost any occupation, group, etc. and find many people that MUST multitask out of necessity. Some do it better than others. The key is knowing what the priorities are and being able to maximize your effectiveness in everything you do. Sure there will be screw ups and let downs. But I'd rather screw up trying and give a kid an opportunity to participate than to tell that same kid "Sorry, no one wanted to help out so you're out of luck."

You left out all the fun of getting poison ivy or chiggers and scratching for days. Or how about the killer sunburn you got from being out all day with only a pair of shorts on.

There was also swimming in the creek, pond, or lake. Did you know there were snapping turtles in there that could take off your hand or foot? Or even that the water could make you sick because of bacteria and parasites?

We would invent games. Stay outside playing all night and sleep the next day. (Some people still do that but in a different context). We looked for Bigfoot and UFO's.

How bout in the winter? We had a couple of big blizzards when I was young. We had snow drifts 15-20' high that we would sled off of or dig into to build forts. We had knit mittens that got soaking wet and frozen. When you took them off, you put them on the radiator. When I think about it, that smell sticks in my head, yuck. How about snowball fights?

We went out for recess any weather except rain or maybe extreme cold and I mean below 0.

Now for most kids, there playground is a blacktop. No grass, no trees. But a really nice area to shoot some hoops. They don't go out if there's snow, because there might be ice, someone could fall.

I'm all for technology, but there is a trade-off. We use it, sometimes too much. You end up losing the outside world.

We sleep in tents in the backyard now? Strangely enough, our biggest concerns are the same at home as they would be at Scout camp; skunks, mosquitos, racoons, and even coyotes. We try to take at least one family outdoor activity each week. My kids don't mind. Yeah, they like to watch TV or play on the computer, but they also know how to ride a bike. How many people will be able to say that question in 20 years?

SP

Keep us posted. It sounds on the surface like a great idea. The part of the unit agreeing to it is where I scratch my head. What if the SM wants it but the CC doesn't?

All units have issues, some bigger than others. Even more when there is no UC. But to have four UC's dropped in their laps....

Chris,

I can create a graphic for you. What is the info you would like on your flag? Pack number, organization, city? My email is scoutnuts@aol.com .

Rob

Morality might be relative, but I thought we were here to instill those principles by setting the standard, not living down to something less than what would be expected in the Scout Oath and Law.

Tasteless jokes have no place in this forum or in Scouting. Take your humor home and don't come back.

Great ideas Laurie. Treating the COR and CO like they are part of the team. It's an often overlooked concept.

We try to meet with our COR/IH once a month just to keep them informed. It helps that relationship alot.

Start by asking. Oh! Did I say that? Ha ha ha ha.

I was asked (and sort of offered). I am/was the Cubmaster for a newer unit. We put together a solid bench. The ACM is stepping up while I transition to my new responsibilities. I understand the need.

I hadn't considered being a commissioner before. I had planned on moving into the troop as ASM or some other function while staying on as Cubmaster. But the demanding need is there. There are good commissioners and not so good commissioners.

I know a lot of units in our area would not be able to do what we're about to do. The team isn't there, or it's been there so long, that's all they want to do (I can't remember which of Newton's Laws it is, an object at rest wants to stay at rest).

Expect that people want to help and GO looking for them. Look at it like an employer, who's the best person for the job? You find a candidate that already has a job, they may not be (and possibly aren't) looking. But to build or improve your team, you try to recruit that person. It doesn't always work, but the more you practice and refine, the better you will become. Trying once or twice will not cut it. As with most things, it's a numbers game. Recruit everywhere you go.

I would not go to the Eagles or Life Scouts as a source. Keeping them around is a great idea. I think they would work better on a unit or district committee, rather than as a commissioner. I don't believe these Scouts have the experiences necessary (to be commissioner) and earning respect from the units they serve would be a constant battle taking away from their purpose. Even with my experience, I know I'm getting in deep.

An important aspect to keep in mind is maintaining positive reenforcement with these kids. Any child with a disability becomes an easy target for harassment or worse from other kids or even leaders and parents. Educating the ignorant is more frustrating than working with the kids that have a legitimate issue.