rlculver415

I have been thinking on this since it was first posted. I also say it must be Trustworthy. On this one point hangs all the Law and the Scout Oath. Of what value is the rest of the Law without a Scout being trustworthy? How can a Scout say "On my honor..." with any credibility if he lacks honor/integrity because he is untrustworthy? By this I am speaking of a lifestyle characterized by habitual untrustworthiness. If a person is hypocritcal in his dealings with others, a chronic liar, sees no wrong in cheating (at whatever), etc., that person is not trustworthy. I have raised my kids

The appropriate reference in the Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures is found on pages 26-27, "Group Instruction of Merit Badges". 1. Allows for the group instruction of merit badges when the subject is appropriate to a mass presentation, or special facilities and experts make this method more practical. 2. Allows MB instructors to present the HIGHLIGHTS of a merit badge subject in unit meetings, with perhaps a skill the Scouts can try. This is to spark interest in the subject. Nowhere does this section indicate that MBs should be taught at unit meetings, just dangl

What kind of vegetarians are these Scouts? If they are lacto-ovo, that will expand the menu possibilities considerably. Also, how fanatic are they about their diet? Are they willing to pick out the meat, or will they eat nothing that has had any meat in it?

Do not use/teach a swimming rescue! This is not recommended for boys this age. Acceptable rescue techniques include throwing line-flotation device-whatever floats; reaching with a hand-stick or pole-human chain; using a canoe or rowboat. There are variations on these. A swimming rescue runs too high a risk that the rescuer will also be drowned by the panicking victim.

I also agree with the above. When a group MB is taught, on those rare occasions, if a boy doesn't want to do the work then he doesn't get credit for it nor does he earn the badge. Quite simple.

We have similar rules down here - exceot for the locked bathrooms. We were told that bookbags were not allowed in classrooms because they can hide weapons, alcohol and other such undesirables. It was a school board decision, however, not the principal's. Hats are not allowed, drink bottles are questionable. Halls must be empty until 10 minutes before the start of school. Etc., etc., etc. Apparently all decisions made by the school board and therefore supported by the Student Advisory and Enhancement Council, the PTO and the administration. Someone quoted Ben Franklin on another thread -

In the interests of consistency, weekly meetings work best. Our Tigers used to meet twice a month plus the Pack meeting, now they also meet weekly. For them, it's only an hour a week. For leaders it's more than that, but it's worth it. Things get done, the program runs more smoothly, the boys progress better. Just to throw a spanner in the works: Do you realize that your den does not have to meet on the same day as the Pack meeting occurs? This is especially true for dens that meet in homes. A den can meet weekly (say Tuesdays), with a Pack meeting on the designated night (Monday).

I also have a great recipe using balogna...

Spam, yum! Best thing Uncle Sam ever inflicted on the populace. I like my mama's recipe best (duh!) - kind of like Spam Stroganoff: Fry up some sliced potatoes and onions, then the Spam cut in strips Add Cream of Mushroom soup Add a dollop of sour cream and a splash of milk (if necessary) S & P to taste Soup and milk can be powdered, then you only add water. Hit Wendy's for the small packets of sour cream and freeze. It makes a super camp dinner for about 4, maybe more. Husband says his favorite is to dip Spam in beaten egg and fry. Then scramble the eggs.

ASM7 has it. BOR is not a time of retesting, but it is a time for questions. He listed some good ones. Others might include: "Tell us about your experience with (name a skill,whatever)?", "What did you learn by doing -----?", "How could you use what you learned...?" As with any printed material, taking a portion of a passage out of context is a serious mistake. It always leads to misinterpretation. #1 must be viewed in light of the rest.

My, my! Where have these moms been? I do recall when I was a Girl Scout occasionally hearing firm discussions among the troop membership. When I led my troop, I gave one as well. Why, their GS troop must be utopian! Yes, indeed, we girls can make our point when another scout lets down the troop. These moms need to know that whatever the program, it's all about youth leadership and teamwork! Their boys are letting down the team, and their mothers are supporting them in this endeavor.

As a parent of a son who enjoys the MBUs, and as a MB counselor myself, I also have my doubts about the quality of this program. Since my son does enjoy going to these, I make sure he fills out the worksheet for these badges that meritbadge.com offers. This way, I know he's done the work. In our area, MBs offered are ones that have very few approved counselors, if any. There is a high rate of partials given on these merit badges. To get a partial with little hope of finishing it, unless it's offered at the next MBU - how fair is that?

Great thread! Absolutely, boys have to make choices in their commitments. Scouts need to feel needed, as well as wanted, if we expect them to choose scouting as their main commitment. Choosing athletic and scholastic teams are options available to most youth. They are almost always good programs. Unfortunately, they're often run by coaches that think their program is the only one a kid needs, and they make it real difficult for said kid to be involved in anything else. As sctmom mentioned, band is a class with a grade. This grade includes a lot of afterschool practice, footbal

We have Unit Eagle BORs. 1) District Advancement approves the proposed Eagle project. 2) Our unit Eagle BORs consist of: 1 rep from District AC, 3 committee members, and 1 or 2 representatives invited by the Eagle candidate. It is a good working arrangement. The last board I sat on the boy's chosen rep shed some light on how he serves outside of scouting. Very helpful.

I know I've seen this somewhere on the forum, but I can't find it: Who is a "voting member" of the troop committee? I realize that a consensus is the best way to go with decision-making, but occasionally we vote. At our last committee meeting, which I did not attend, there was a firm discussion on whether the SAs had a vote or not. I told the Treasurer I'd consult my panel of experts. I'd like to be able to resolve this by next meeting, with y'all's cooperation. (I don't have the TC Guidebook yet, and I'll bet the info is in there.)

Sadly, the parents often think you are doing all this effort for your boy, and theirs get to benefit also when they are there. "Well, of course your son got that award - he's the leader's son, after all." Actually, Wallace has the right idea. Webelos should be responsible by now to be in attendance and on time. They don't need phone reminders for normal meetings. A phone tree is a good way to remind them of special events. Start expecting more responsible behavior from them, and they usually rise to the challenge, including motivating someone to bring them. If boys do not attend

Our troop is usually good about starting on time. What really bugs me is the well-intentioned people who are letting the late-comers in during the opening ceremonies. I find it distracting, and think it detracts from the ceremony. I have often wished that they'd be made to wait until the end.

I love to sing! The problem is I really stand out when I do, and I am kind of shy in front of strangers. Everyone else could set off seismographers with their deep voices - I sing soprano (and therefore usually harmony). It's either get over it and sing, or blush and hide.

I agree that this thread has turned in such a way it really belongs in "Issues and Politics". Nevertheless, I just can't resist another comment. I AM a stay-at-home mother. I bake the cookies, keep the house, do things the working moms can't do because they don't have the time. I don't mind, I like doing this and I like helping out the working moms. Fellas, there are many reasons women work - and enjoyment/relief from boredom is a minor consideration usually. What I really found objectionable is found in Webelosmom's 2nd post: 1. "Relief at not having to participate." - So g

When I first signed up as a den leader, I was informed by the Cubmaster that all leaders were expected to attend training, given the dates available, and asked which one(s) I'd be able to attend. I attended. It was a matter of Pack policy. Perhaps suggestions are not needed, just a policy change? She'd probably go if it was presented as Pack policy.

Ed - I'll check into it, but understand the policy was the camp's not the counselor's. It's worth the investigation, though.

The thing about the summer camp re-do is that most summer camps - at least the ones I know of personally - do not accept partially finished merit badges. The reason I was given is that the staff have no idea if or how well the scout actually did the work. The summer camps will send home a partial for the scout to finish at his own pace with a local MB counselor.

I do believe we Southerners have been insulted by the folks over in those Texas troops! 'Tain't no such thing as "you DO have to remember that you're in the South." That seems to be a regional bias on their part, and not a very complimentary one. Here in Florida we have many female leaders in all levels of Boy Scouting. We camp, we head up summer camps even! I am very involved in my son's troop. I sincerely hope that you can find ways to be involved, too, besides baking. MB counselor is a good way to start, and I pray they use you as such. Look for other ways to be of assistance. It s

Why does he have to be done in Feb.? I realize that is the traditional crossover for 2nd-year Webelos, but as far as I know it isn't written in stone. He should have until the end of the school year to finish as much as he can. This is what our Pack did. Three years ago when the rest of the boys crossed over, there was still one boy not ready. The den leader and the boy moved in with the 1st-year den and continued to work on his AOL. In May, he crossed over with a fine ceremony just for him. As has already been stated, it's better to allow the boy to set his own goals (and to mo

I have seen a multiple Eagle COH. All three boys earned their rank at the same time, and are best buds. It was a natural result. Most of the time troops don't have so many Eagle at once. Our current troop has a similar situation, and our committee has been discussing the same topic. Usually the troop puts on the COH, including all awards and refreshments. I hear we do a bang-up job, though I've not been to one yet. I agree with Yaworski, ask the Scouts what their wishes are. I'd bet they'll go for a joint COH. If the parents of the other scout still insist on separate ceremoni