rlculver415

Every year at annual planning in August the boys begin discussing where they want to go to summer camp. They pick 3 for the PLC to research, and the decision is finalized by October. In the four years since my son has been a scout, the boys have never been to our Council's camp (although it often make the top 3 - as #3). The reasons they prefer to go out of council are that they want to explore other areas of the state or nearby states, all their OA activities and service are at the Council camp, other places offer merit badges and activities they'd like to try, and it's just too familiar.

Our troop has an annual Christmas potluck dinner, which is always eagerly anticipated. The boy leaders do a special program, as well as the usual awards given. It's very nice. Several people are tagged to prepare turkey their way at the troop's expense. Everyone else is assigned a side dish or dessert to bring. Last June, we decided to have a cookout as part of that COH since it's often the least attended (it's hot, buggy, and the summer camp awards are not in yet). The troop provided the meat and again everyone else brought side dishes and desserts. We had way more people that we'd

Our troop usually camps one weekend every month, sometimes excepting Summer Camp month - about 27 to 30 days each year.

We have our first Eagle who has earned a palm. The question is: Where on the uniform does he wear it? We can find no picture or instruction on this. Thanks!

What is right is not always popular, what is popular is not always right. - source unknown

Eisley's advice is similar to what I was going to say, but I'll say it anyway. Back when I was a Webelos den leader, there were 3 leaders and 2 dens (I was the solo). We 3 got together, pooled our strengths, reviewed our outside resources and came up with a plan that really worked. (Frequently we met as one group, but not always.) We taught our boys based on our combined strengths. I did organization/administrative stuff - I'm a detail person. Another was good at games/recreation - she taught the AOL stuff from that perspective. You get the idea. We discovered one parent who is an

I see no serious problem with including family camping as part of the MB. There will always be parents who will try to take advantage of any part of the advancement portion. But as someone previously said, youth are basically honest and if the counselor will interview them he/she should be able to determine if they really did as they were supposed to and guide them to do better if the experience was unsuccessful. Our counselors do allow family camping, do interview the boys concerning what was done there, just as they do concerning troop campouts. While we have several Camping MB couns

I was so intent on getting the name of our trailer that I forgot to find out its size. We recently bought a larger trailer - a Horton Hauler (makes me think of Dr. Seuss!). Our insurance is not very expensive, and covers the driver and his vehicle when the trailer's being towed. Our SM stores it on his property, but there are several of us with enough acreage to keep it without offending neighbors. We also modified it with shelves and such to suit us. I have not noticed that possessing a trailer has altered the way the troop camps, nor have we had any thefts or vandalism. Perhaps we ar

Current monofilament thread (nylon thread) is thinner, therefore more flexible - not quite like sewing with fishing line anymore. Being thinner, it does tend to stretch if you pull the stitches too tight. It also doesn't melt at easily as before, as long as you don't use a super hot iron. Well, that would also melt the poly/cotton fabric of uniform shirts also (and who needs to iron a sash?). Actually, it is my preferred thread for patches and hemming. I do a ton of sewing and alterations for scouts, band, etc., and am a dab hand at fine hand sewing but not real skilled with machine sew

Greetings, fellow Floridian, and welcome! The above advice is all excellent. It may be useful to write down your thoughts before you speak to anyone to make sure you cover all concerns you have, and that the words you use are as tactful as possible. It also means you'll have paper handy to take any notes from your meeting(s). As for training... If your troop does not provide training, there are always options. Check with your district and council for their JLT programs. If they don't have such training (and that would surprise me), go to another council's program. Enlist you

I am so left, I always come 'round right! Left-handedness doesn't run through my family - it gallops. All my children are truly ambidextrous. I blame my right-handed husband for mixing them up. Seriously, I do almost everything left-handed. I did finally manage to learn to knit and crochet right-handed since it was easier than reversing the stitches my friend was showing me. (I am rather proud of this.)

Our troop also gives all the money from popcorn sales to the scouts' accounts. Scouts who make the effort to sell get the cash from both Show-and-Sell (equal division of profit for all who participated on a given day) and the Take Orders. We have a couple/few boys who pay for their own summer camp every year (and one who never pays out-of-pocket for anything). Our troop has other sources of income that are just sufficient to cover any needs of the troop. Awards and such are covered by the dues. As the fundraising guru these past few years, I am often surprised by who is motivated to e

The problem with the smaller merit badge sash is that the small scout eventually grows, then all the lovely badges must be transferred to the larger sash. This is what my son and I are in the process of doing now. We agreed to place them 3 across, which is what we've done from the beginning. This time, however, he decided to place all the Eagle-required badges at the top (leaving a space for the last as-yet-unearned one) and in alphabetical order. Yeah, we're probably one of those obsessive-compulsive families. The same alphabetzation goes for the elective badges. I've been saying

So, how does the scout feel about his "accomplishments"? Does he really think he has earned his badge and ranks? I'll bet he doesn't. Maybe a conference with the SM and troop guide will help the boy see where he might have short-changed himself. He may even offer to work to correct the situation first. Getting him on board for remediation is a big advantage for his ultimate success. We have a scout in our troop, now an Eagle, who has pushy parents. Very nice guy, cooperative, willing to work within the parameters of scouting. His parents are not - still. Parents are up in arms bec

LauraT7 -- I didn't see anyone address your concern about earning the Camping MB. The requirements do not say the campouts must be with a troop. The only specific thing mentioned is the one about summer camp. There are also 2 specific jobs that they must do on campouts (their choice). My son got credit for family camping as well as troop camping when he worked on this. So this badge can be earned with little or no troop camping. Of course, I have to wonder how much family camping these guys are doing if they don't like camping as a troop...

Personally, I think the entire leadership in this boy's troop need to take YP, boys and adults alike. Not one of them thought of this lad and his dilemma. How very self-centered! I'd also like to know why his SM (or whoever the leader was) couldn't get a buddy and make sure he was there to give the lad a ride home. What's a 50-minute drive round trip? As a new scout leader back when, I was so enamoured of the ideal of two-deep leadership that I incorporated it into my church's Sunday School educational policy - even had windows installed in every door so no-one was ever in private wit

BTW, I am not accusing your church of unethical behavior. In re-reading the above, I can see where some might take it as that. What I mean is to be sure there is no latitude for such to occur. Written agreements/policies can prevent a world of misunderstandings. Also, do review them annually, to include any additional clauses to cover unexpected circumstances. I hope I'm being clear. (?)

I am disturbed by what I've been reading. I understand and accept that the CO owns the pack/troop. No question - cut and dried. But be very sure to get procedures and policies outlined in writing before combining funds. A legal document. What bothers me is really an ethics question due to an unpleasant experience. My parents headed up an outside organization that their church sponsored. Not a scout one, but bear with me. The church sponsor asked them to become part of their budget, which they agreed to do. Now the church had a line item in their budget already for this organization

My son was inspired to attend our council's JLTC by the glowing reports of his SPL from when he went two summers ago. He and another boy from our troop left at 4:00 am today in order to get there by check-in at 8. Not being a morning person, he was barely awake and hoping this was the last time he'd be required to be up at that hour (lol). I can't wait till next weekend to hear how it all went!

Since we are just idly thinking... On the subject of formality, perhaps the difference lies in how each of us were raised. (I shudder to make sweeping generalizations about such a conglomerate population.) I was raised rather formally. My parents were to be addressed as Ma'am and Sir, all members of the military were known by their rank, all clerics and educators by their titles. I still tend to address people formally, and when others give me permission to use their names I'll usually fall back on the old Southern stand-by: Mr. (first name) or Ms. (first name). I dislike it when st

Thank you - very informative. Don't know why it didn't work earlier.

I had trouble with the link, so now I speak in ignorance. That's OK, though, I seem to reside there. I had always thought that while the color is gold, the metal is brass. (My dad always used Brasso to clean his gold-colored insignia.) Bronze being a brass and tin mix, that makes sense to me. The ascending order would then be Bronze (mix), brass, silver - silver being the most valuable metal represented. Gold was too valuable to use for rank insignia, but makes a great award for outstanding service or achievement.

Keeping a minimum attendance requirement is adding to the requirements for rank advancement, pure and simple. It is not allowed. That said, in my son's troop most of the troop committee attends most of the meetings and activities. Because of that, we know who is there and who is not, and why not. If we don't know why not, we ask. If the boy is frequently absent, someone contacts him to see if there is a problem or need we're unaware of. While we don't expect a certain percentage of attendance at meetings, attendance and participation reflect on Scout Spirit and on demonstration of le

Bob White --- While I can't answer for Acco40, I do know of a summer camp that does not use blue cards - a very bad thing, in my opinion. Not all troops attending a camp are from the local council, after all. Our adult leaders literally had to corral the MB counselors from leaving camp until they issued blue cards to our boys. Unfortunately, the Fishing counselor got away early and a few boys had to redo most of that badge. (Our local MB counselor gave them credit for one requirement only.) Rumor from the local council members up there was that since the council didn't use blue ca

It is easy to understand why you are so frustrated with how your son's troop functions. Certainly there are areas where they should endeavor to follow BSA policies better (and set aside personalities). However, I strongly advise you (and your son, also?) not to give up on scouting because of that. There are other troops, other avenues of service that may be a better fit for you. Also, as I have repeatedly said to our scouts, Eagle is not the end of the scouting experience, but really a springboard to other fascinating scouting venues. Don't quit now!