robvio

Umm, no Jet. Didn't say it was MS's fault at all. Just hate not being able to use Safari or Firefox for advancement on the BSA page. Thanks for playing though.

Doesn't change the way I feel about Microsoft when a bug in the system can render mysocuting page useless when it comes to an upgrade in the product.

Don't know that the problem exists between keyboard and chair, but thanks for the lousy help on your part. At least I can count on you for helpful and cheerful service! yea! go you.

I despise the powerhouse of Microsoft, and why it is that BSA's MyScouting page doesnt work properly with Firefox or Safari (which I prefer) is a wonder to me.

I get the 403 error with IE 8, and of courde, the advancement section needs to be done with IE and nothing else.

Anyone know a way around it or have a link for me to downgrade back to IE 7 for Vista?

arrrrgggg!

Help! Where do you get one? Do you have to order it through council? Can it be made second hand or by the boys like the Patrol flag? HELP!!!

Message sent.

Thank you all so much for the suggestions.

I would love to go into full detail about how I fill about our summer camp, but I think it would sound bitter and unprofessional of me having only been to one facility. While I give McKee a thumbs up for a lot of things, they are lacking severely in so many other areas. It cant be all good all the time, right?

All I ask for is a decent cot or frame with matress (many here are frame amd matress), good dining facility (McKee's is outstanding) although this year with the rise in food cost, the boys got slighted very badly, and a well designed and executed merit badge program (which is a bad system here outside of aquatics) and a camp with a good COPE program for any older boy who wants it.

I think I could spin a whole other thread about this.

I am currently looking into planning to attend an out of council for our troop.

While Camp McKee in Kentucky is a good summer camp, we want to broaden our horizons and let our boys interact with others from another state. Some of the camps I have seen also offer diferent merit badge programs and such.

I'd like to keep it within a four hour drive, but may extend that time frame only not by much.

Anybody with feedback would be appreciated about any of the camps in the states that surround Kentucky would be appreciated.

This may be a little long winded. (or typed)

My troop is facing problems with getting 2 deep leadership to be present at every meeting and whats worse is that I am not fully qualified to be the scoutmaster. I have the love, but not all the knowledge.

So the idea is to start meeting with another well established troop until I am better trained and until I can get some quality and quantity of help we need. Is this a terrible idea? Is involing our troop with another just a terrible thing? Arent we supposed to be helpful? I just dont know.

To give a history, my other leader is the former scout with all the know how and he has been less than reliable when it comes to showing up. I was supposed to the the ASM but have taken the reins as SM to keep the troop active. Its been hard to find interested help much less trained interested help.

So if you guys were in this situation what would you do?

I have thought about being less active with meetings and schedluing them for every other week, but my boys would rather want to meet twice a week the way it is. Unfortunately, that wont happen and cant without more than the help I have.

I had thought about disbanding, but I care too much and the boys seem to like it where they are. Its a plus to have happy boys but they arent getting the quality scout education they deserve with out more help.

I have kids that are very open to this idea and some very reluctant and I understand both arguements. But with out the 2 adults, we would be force to send boys elsewhere anyway.

I am scared that some of our boys will stay with the other troop, but at least we can keep boys in scouting which is the ultimate goal anyway.

I just sucks when boys are looking for older boys to feed off of and being a new troop our oldest boy is 12.

Sigh....

Gosh...

Let me first just offer an apology, I really didnt mean for a spirited debate to happen, but I am kind of glad it did. I really wanted feedback from both sides.

Also let me state, that I have been in serious debates about the old Wood Badge class versus the 21st Century Wood Badge within my own district. If the selling points are correct, then the old Wood badge just sounds better though I dont know if it really is better.

What worries me is that I have been told that the course wasnt 175 dollars worth and now the price has been raised to 250. That poses a debate in my mind from those who will also tell you its invaluable to your troop but fail to tell me what exactly I would be able to do within my troop and just go as far as to say that Wood Badge is only worth what "you want to get out of it."

To me (and I mean no insults or offense) if all I can expect to get to get out of it is proper useage of scouting principles to my troop ,like patrol methodology or general leadership principles, I'll spend 5 bucks and checkout Baden Powell and Hillcourt books at my local library and then maybe take a strong approach on how to plan properly and reread the Art of War to help my leadership skills (maybe a bad example but it was an inspiration to my overall work management skill). :/

As you can see, I have no desire to spend 250 bucks and travel expenses on a course that I can basically home study without earning a cool neckerchief, a neat slide, and some beads without knowing that its a great way to spend the money and be absolutely sure it will improve my troop. I dont want to feel the least bit like my council wouldnt use the money and hire the absolute best instructors instead of getting some people who volunteer that as a ticket item and cant teach their way out of a paper sack. I've been to enough of those and was disappointed even when the were at no cost to me.

(that last paragraph can be a whole new topic that I may start someday and really make some people mad...yikes!)(This message has been edited by robvio)

I guess this may be the dumbest question asked in a very long time, but if I am asked to spend the 250 dollars and pay for travel expenses on top of that, I do want to know to what benefit it will be to the troop and not my personal gain.

Elaborations and experiences would be appreciated.

I must admit this is a topic that hits close to home.

I live in an area that scouting has a solid foundation on the Cub level and and what I would consider a poor tranfer to the Boy Scout level. And yes, I do believe it to be somewhat of an image problem.

We as scouts can help rectify some of that.

As scouts we are somewhat invisible to the public. The Girl Scouts have a cookie sale that puts them in the forefront every year. Make your scout troop as visible at functions as possible. Get out to high school football games and help with concessions. Do the same at little league games. Civic events like Walk America and Relay for Life need groups to help hand out water. It works as a service project and gets exposure to moms and dads who have children that probably havent considered putting their kids in Scouting.

Beyond that, make time to get to know the editor of the local newspaper and see if they might help you by running a weekly article that scouts from your local community can help write. Boys want and seek the advice of other boys. Make sure you let others know of summer camps, high adventure outings, and services that the BSA provide to the public.

But to go back to the uniform. Give them a speech about the pride in the uniform. Make sure they know about famous people in our history that have been in the BSA uniform. I think boys will then understand that the uniform is a symbol of something greater and not just some old "dorky" thing they "have" to wear to a meeting. Its up to us as leaders to keep them informed.

IMO, If an adult cant wear the uniform and not let a snicker from kids bother them, then I believe that the adult is somewhat embarassed to wear it to begin with.

I have gone over the website and find the FAQ section a bit scattered with information.

I am a new SM and I need answers to the easy questions.

I do know that Scouts need to obtain the days camped requirement along with the rank of First Class scout. Then one has to live by and exemplify the scout oath and law. So my question is, who votes on which scouts go through the OA tap out to become ordeal members? How many from a troop can be tapped out in a single year or at a summer camp per unit? When a scout is selected on the unit level who do you contact or do you have to contact before unit selection?

What kind of requirements does an adult leader need to obtain before being selected? What is the process?

I am sure these are questions that have been asked a bazillion times, but answers are appreciated.

I have to come up with something for our troop neckerchief.

Here is where my problem lies.

Most of the screen printers here in town use the material (guessing its cotton, who knows) that is basically a bandana. My problem with the material is that it tends to be small and bunches up terribly under the collar. I think thats about as tacky as a badly wrinkled uniform.

So does anyone know a good fabric for a neckerchief? One of the boys has their offical Webelos neckercheif and its big enough and wears nice enough, but if I recall the one listed on the ScoutStuff site (geen in color) is listed for a female leader. Anyone in the know??

Help of any kind or experience would be appreciated.

Lisabob,

My current unit is new, and I have a couple of kids crossing over from webelos and need new unit numerals. Yes, the parents did iron them on and yes I do agree that sewing is the better option.

But, removal of ironed on patches will leave the mark. Nothing can be done for that.

But should one steam the back side of the ironed on patch for removal? Does that work? Or just regular re-ironing to heat the patch work?

I need to know what is the best way to remove old council patches, unit numerals and rank badges. I am sure the iron on adhesive is a pain and it will leave spots.

Your best ways appreciated.

My excitement is starting to overwhelm me and I just had to put my info out there!

I am in the start up process of reviving Boy Scouting in Burnside KY. There has not been an active Troop in the town for a couple of years and I have volunteered as a SM and have 2 men signed in as ASMs as well! The Troop Committee has been formed and now its time to start getting boys and parents interested!

For explanation as to why I am excited, I include the following link.

(I hope the link works)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnside,_Kentucky

Read the second paragraph under the history.

Say a few prayers that the future of Scouting in the Troop meets what my vision has in store!

Note: I do understand that its a debatable Birthplace of Boy Scouts. Let me have my 15 minutes!

I was wondering. I have 2 guys willing to assist. Is that allowed? Is it according to the size of the troop?

Thanks.

-Rob

Guys, I realized after long hard looks, I posted this thread in the wrong forum. I apologize.

But thank you to all for the advice.

Thank you so much for all the links, info and kind words.

BTW Sue, I am not forming a new troop just priming myself to take charge of an exsisting one. Its dear to me because it was the same troop that I was in as a kid and I want to see that it gets a facelift and helps produce some fine young scouts that will be proud of the organization itself.

This may be the wrong place to ask, but if the ball starts rolling and we do the work on restoring the old meeting place this troop is supposed to meet, is it possible to link pictures here for public viewing or does one have to provide links to the pictures elsewhere?

This may be one of those threads that get started that some of you will cringe to read. Bare with me.

I have decided to volunteer my services to become a Scoutmaster in my area. I got in touch with the local leadership to dicuss my options and there is one area open that needs help desperately. I have agreed to do my best to give solid direction and lay a foundation worthy of the Boy Scout cause.

I was a Cub Scout but the lady in charge was just a "babysitter" and we played on the playground alot. Webelos were the same with the same leader and our troop diminished to little of noone. My Boy Scout troop was Scoutmastered by a man who's son was in it, but chose to just be a supervisor while we played amongst ourselves. I never in a little over a year even made the rank of Tenderfoot.

Have I gotten myself in over my head. I dont think so. My learning curve will b slightly skewed to readjust to what I know and to learn many a new skill.

I am going to come here alot for help and any advice on what I should do from the get go to increase my knowledge base will be greatly appreciated. Any training you can recommend will be appreciated.

I will be giving you an update on where I will be once I am actually approved by the council. I am excited about the location and will soon fill everyone in!

Gentlemen..a little prayer and thought will be welcomed and thanked!

-Rob