rlculver415

Also, your troop should have a list (current or otherwise) of MB counselors within the troop. I'd check there also, since this is where most boys begin looking for a counselor.

Amen, Mike. ASM1 - You've done Scouting proud, and taught your son a life-altering lesson. Congratulations on your victory, and good luck in the new troop.

Venturer2002 - I understand what you are saying, and I am aware that sometimes patrols have activities without adults present. That is a great thing about this program, and one I wish was used more often in our troop. The misunderstanding is semantical. I did not mean that adults must always be present, or that they are to tell boys what to do and how. Even if this behavior occurred on a boy-only event, it is still a bad thing and one the scouters ought to correct (in a properly discreet manner). I'd bet it's pretty blatant at troop functions, too, so the adults have an opportuni

I am beginning to wonder where the scouters are whenever the boy leadership does this bossing based on rank. RHIP is not the BSA way! Boy-lead efforts must always be adult supervised. The only "priveleges" I have seen include: 1) Age-based special programs, like learning SCUBA, 2) Rewards given to scouts who go the extra mile in service. This is often a solo effort, 3) The annual Moose Lodge dinner, which our Life and above serve. They get a fine prime rib dinner out of it.

Buster Brown's were around in the sixties also. That was the only brand my mother would buy us. I wore a black pair of Mary Jane's style to school, and red Keds to play in after. As far as today - I bought my son a pair of black dress-style shoes at Kmart for around $10 to wear to Scouts and church. (I also recall the recommendation for dark shoes, sctmom.) If they wear out before he outgrows them, I'll be surprised. Who cares if they're cheap man-made uppers? It looks better than all those funky looking shoes so many wear, in my opinion. We also contend with various beach shoes dow

As a fellow hands-on learner, I've a couple of suggestions that I've used successfully: 1) Once your son gets a bluecard, make a copy of the MB worksheet for that MB off of meritbadge.com. This is something he can usually work on at home, and is something concrete he can refer to when he speaks with his counselor. 2) On occasions where I end up teaching something, I often employ a "round robin" type of method. This works real well with the lower ranks advancements and some MBs like first aid. (and has the bonus of relieving the older scouts from feeling like babysitters.) Set u

#6 goes back to #3 also. Or maybe it's just lack of imagination... "War" Story: We had two 2nd year Webelos dens when my son was a Webelos. The leadership got together and did something rather innovative, I thought. (yes, I'm praising myself here also. Brag, brag, brag...) We drew from our strengths, and combined our program. One leader was good at administration and advancement, another good at outdoor stuff, another good at field trips, etc. So we used those talents and made the 2nd year program the best they ever had. Frequently we combined for weekly meetings. We used parent

I'm with you all the way, Rooster7! I believe that money (& how it is spent) has a lot to do with the lack of real justice. Many folks do not want to have taxes raised to fund prisons, court expenses, etc. Nor does the existing bureaucracy (sp?) want to undergo a much-needed overhaul on how they spend taxpayer funds. So we are stuck with criminals out on the streets that shouldn't be. Also, no-one wants a prison near them, driving down their property values, etc. So let's wrap the lack of funds up in a nice warm blanket called "loving tolerance" and set the wolves out to hunt ou

When 9/11 happened, everyone wore patriotic ribbons as a remembrance. Why not do this for your pack meeting? Have a great color guard opening, perhaps a moment of silence or an appropriate reading. There a many good ones about the effects of that day on all of us. Then go on with the usual. As you say, don't linger over it. That would be maudlin.

It has been my understanding (as the assistant advancement chair) that when a boy reaches Life, those Eagle required badges in g and j that are extra are indeed counted as electives. We tell our boys that when the mandatory badges are earned to not overlook the other three for electives. SagerScout - I have also observed the same as you. We have boys in our troop who already have the bronze palm MBs done while they are still Star. Some just love doing MB work!

Forgot to add that there are several free legal services that address such issues. Two that I recall are the Alliance Defense Fund and the Christian Legal Society. They both have web sites. Must observe that if there weren't that many conflicts between duty to God and duty to country, these services wouldn't exist.

I do have an actual event in the US to offer as an example. In the early 1990's ('93, '94?), a group of high school students were arrested for praying at their school flagpole before the start of school in mid-September. The principal had called the police to do this because he believed that separation of church and state meant no praying by anyone whatsoever. He was in violation of these students' rights, the case was dismissed in court, and the principal was acquainted with students' rights as pertains to religious freedom and student-led functions. Did the students know how the principa

Hang in there, you feel at home in no time. I deliberately backed off going camping with the boys when my son moved up to Boy Scouts. (After having been Cub and Webelos leader) I didn't want him relying on me too much, or (worse) me butting in too often. Since he (& I) has done so well, I am considering doing some of the outdoor stuff again, which I love to do. Consider this your honeymoon period. Be available, participate where you can as I read you are doing. Everything you wish will come your way eventually.

I have been reading this thread with great interest. My brother has a nephew who acts very like this troubled boy: killing small animals for fun, beating on his little sister, etc. The mother is a good person, the dad a tad weird. Anyway, mom takes son to shrink. Shrink advises three things: 1) the whole family goes to church together - failed to do so because dad is an atheist; 2) boy must quit martial arts lessons and join a team sport; 3) boy must join Scouts and actively participate. I can't really say what the family has done about the last two requirements. I found it interes

I just can't resist being nitpicky here. yaworski - wool is a natural fiber, unlike synthetics. supermom - girl scouts have a trefoil, boy scouts have a fleur-de-lis.

Our troop allows personal electronics for long trips only. They are not allowed at meetings, activities, campouts, summer camp, etc. Once they arrive at their destination, the devices are to be put away or be confiscated for the duration of the event.

I have to agree with SagerScout. If a loved one is scared bloodless to be caught with a drug habit, even alcohol, they can hide it successfully. I have a daughter,who in high school, did an excellent job of deception. I'm neither blind, nor stupid, nor untrained and still I didn't know until she told me herself about the drugs and the alcohol.

Also, is their uniform correctly worn? Do they know what the various parts stand for? What special awards have they earned, or are wearing? What MBs do they believe most benefitted them, or will be of most benefit in life? These as well as the above have been asked at our Eagle BORs.

Our troop has done the above with great success, and total accuracy. Our experience has been that reporters that do come to our activities often get their facts screwed up. We do what eisely and frankj have suggested. It works!

Couple of vignettes - 1)Our coucil's summer camp theme this year was "Real Men Don't Need AC". Thanks ArchWahl, been there too every year. 2)My father tells of his first winter campout when he was a Tenderfoot back in the late 30's. His family was too poor for camping equipment, so he put together what he could, improvised the rest, made a bedroll and off he went. His first lesson was bedrolls aren't warm enough for January nights in Indiana. Fortunately, those scouts who had good bags sandwiched the boys who didn't and kept them warm every night. (There were a lot of poor boys

I began camping as a GS when I was in third grade (I was a Junior Scout). It was weekend camping at established scout camps, not wilderness stuff. I heard Brownies also camped out some, but I couldn't join them due to a lack of B troop in my area. While we did crafty stuff at meetings that was certainly not all we did, nor even the bulk of it. Each month we had a theme and did activities that went along with that theme. Usually we had earned a new badge by the end of the month. Now, I can't say what things are like in girl scouting nowadays (this was almost 40 years ago), but I d

I have been trained in Cub Scouting, but am still waiting for the Boy Scout training. It's been over a year, and it keeps getting cancelled. I am a commitee member and a MB counselor. I do try to keep up with the program, though. I have read every manual my son ever brought home - Tiger thru Boy Scout (including the field book and OA member manuals) from cover to cover, several times each. This forum and other websites are also instructive. I don't know how to get hold of other printed material. A Whine - it gets frustrating to have training cancelled so often for the "lesser pos

Oops! I misread OGE's post re- Den Chiefing. Please disregard that part of my comment. Sorry!

While our troop does not count Den Chief for service hours (it is a troop position), it does count CS Day Camp Counseling. They also accept working in Vacation Bible School, band camp assistance, etc., as long as the boy gets prior approval. Our boys really look forward every year to "Work Party Weekend", where they help the local Girl Scouts clean up their camp for summer. Their reward for all their hard work is not only credit hours but a dance put on by the girls. What more could a guy ask for? The OA fellows do camp cleanup for our Council before and after summer camp. (No service hou

I can think of a few examples for NJCubScouter, but not that exist yet in our country. In communist countries, and some other ones, the practice of religion (or certain religions) is outlawed. For generations people in those countries have been imprisoned, beaten and killed for practicing their religion. If such became a reality in the US, I expect to be crowding a jail cell or cemetery somewhere.