SagerScout

thanks, Eamonn, my husband was raised in Pa and would have been delighted to return - but alas, the job I've been offered is out west. My scouting son wanted me to take another position I was offered in Virginia near DC, but the cost of living there just seemed unmanageable... he really was hoping for 4 seasons, but it was not to be. Still hoping that there's an Arizona scouter out there - I've googled it several times and haven't found a unit yet.

We're moving to sort of central Phoenix about Christmas time. Any troop(s) in that area looking for a package deal? For a small fee of a welcoming smile, you get: 1 - One 15-year old Life scout with den chief experience (would like to find a den to serve), OA ordeal completed. 2 - A mom willing to register as an ASM, fully trained in Texas and willing to do additional training as needed. Fat and a little crippled but camps anyway. Good natured and supports a boy-run program. Training experience. 3 - A dad who doesn't care for weekly meetings much but is usually ready for camping duty

I'm not one of the wise and experienced members to which you referred, but as a mom I think it's an easy answer: Call "Shotgun." Tell the SM "How lucky that I'm free tonight since there's not another scout buddy to go with my kid." Then explain your actions to the TCC, and why - "I thought it was important to set an example of YP compliance even though I didn't have any special concerns about Mr. SM...." And explain it to all the less-educated parents as well, in the same way. But don't help your son at the store.

DS - your examples are excellent, and not too unusual. As FOG says, the one young lady might have just not been very bright, in which case school may not have helped in any event, or in a family that did not wish her to be educated in some subjects (sex apparently on the list) - in which case school still might not have helped as many states have parental permission required for sex ed. Rare for me to agree with FOG, but there you are. Although I am fiercely FOR homeschooling and wish to maintain the right of parents to homeschool, I would like to point out that one of my children did 1

DS and NJ - so y'all know, some homeschooled kids are ahead of their same-age public school peers, some are behind, some are even-steven. (Hmm, much like the kids that are still in school...) In public school the grade advancements are based on time-in-grade, for practical purposes. Homeschool parents who use published, graded curricula very often do find that their kids get ahead of their ages. The fact is that there just isn't that much work in a "typical" elementary school year. At home you're not waiting for other kids to catch up - or for the teacher to have time to come help you.

In San Antonio, T302 is chartered to Home Haven Educators.

Here in Texas a fairly high percentage of doctors will NOT see anyone without health insurance, even if you are able and willing to slap cash on the barrelhead. If you do manage to find one that will see you, the cost of the visit for a cash customer averages $100. I know this, as I have paid for several of these for my uninsured grandkids when their parents were either unemployed or underemployed and the kid just could not stay well. Lest you say, oh, but we have PROGRAMS for the unemployed - but did you know that we ration availability for Medicaid and TANF by putting intensive physic

Can't advise based on my own experience as I've never been south of the US. However, if asked my more-traveled dad would chime in loudly for Costa Rica. He likes it very much down there, considers it a lovely place in which his propensity for leaving the hotels and seeking out the locals didn't seem likely to have fatal consequences. He and my mom went several times before her untimely death last year. (Dad's 76 now, going on 45.) What he likes was that every person he met in Costa Rica was unfailingly proud of their country, generous with their time and possessions, and appeared to b

My son and his buddy just came home from the local OA fall fellowship. They had a great time. This was their first "fun" weekend with the OA as both recently completed their Ordeal. But their only complaint was this: both observed that the other OA members seemed to only know vulgar jokes with homosexuals as the butt. I do not have examples as they both declined to repeat them, for which I think I may be grateful. My son's buddy apparently told the other guys to cut it out, as he didn't appreciate jokes like that. He pointed out that he knew some guys (outside scouting) that maybe w

I have the same problem and am hoping someone will pop up with an answer. Right now this difficulty has prevented me from starting our fall troop meetings as I am under a lot of stress and I just don't think I can handle their behavior without losing it myself.

Well, this is timely as all get out. Our troop had been having optional merit badge activities for 30 minutes before the troop meeting started - but it was announced at the last one that these would now be an hour long, as the boys "just won't be getting enough done" with only 30 minutes ... and I'm pretty dang sure it's the SM and his wife that came up with this bright idea. The 30 minutes I didn't really mind as it was sort of "take it or leave it" - and my son "left it" for the most part, then we had a REAL meeeting which was fine with me. We have a very weak SPL just now - didn

Good question, Ed! All I can say is that more than one seemed to need my permission. A friend with 18 years in the classroom explained to me that teachers often find themselves in trouble when parents complain to the principal about their little darlings being failed. So my reassurance was necessary. Sounds insane, but there it is. My husband is a school bus driver. He got into trouble at work because he repeatedly wrote up a youngster on his bus for hitting and spitting on her neighbors - she was a littl'un, first grade I think, and just didn't have good impulse control. Not a bad ki

Thought I'd pop this thread back up to add my son's recent input. He's 19 now, in college, and yesterday he thanked me for NOT "making him do his homework" when he was in middle and high school. he acknowledges that if I had made him do his homework he would probably have had better grades - but he doesn't think he would love learning for the sake of learning, the way he does now. As I've said before, we chose not to medicate his ADD. When his teachers called me to inform me that he was failing, always because of failure to turn in homework, I would thank them for the call and tel

I've not had an autistic child, but I've had a technically "retarded" child in my scout troop for years. (I say technically as her IQ is 72 but you wouldn't know it to meet her at all - she's been mainstreamed her whole life and functions quite well in high school society - helps that she's a knock-out...pray for her and her parents as she's dating now!) I've also heard 4 diagnoses in my own family - OCD, bipolar, schizophrenia, and depression. We're all fine, thanks for asking...half of those diagnoses appear to have been incorrect as life unfolded. Things to try - use whatever works bes

Years ago, I voluntarily stayed home with my toddlers and sent my older son with his Dad, as chasing toddlers in unsafe environments does not make for a relaxing weekend. Tried it a few times and it wasn't fun. Now their Dad stays home with whoever isn't going. Slightly off topic but for those who haven't tried it: IMHO the only effective way to slow down running kids is to inform them up front that running is NOT allowed, and then when you see one run, make him go back to the point he began to run and WALK the distance again. Just telling them to stop running is a temporary fix bu

I'd invite the mom to talk to the other boys about her son and what they can expect from him, and give some tips on how best to be a friend to him. This is assuming that the boy is not able to explain it himself - if he can, that would be even better. It would make sense to me to emphasize that we're all different but some differences show more (since you describe him as fairly severe). Since you're worried about dealing with the mom, I'd sit in on the discussion and try to pay attention, you will probably learn something. The goals for this boy will be similar to the goals for your other b

My son was a "Bobby", not due to ADHD but due to an annoying habit of precise, nitpicking, seems-like-he-knows-it-all habit of correcting other people (Asperger's, anyone?). The fact that he was usually right when he dug in and insisted on winning arguments did not endear him to his troopmates, nor his merit badge counselors, nor sister and brother, nor his public school teachers.... One of his former scoutmaster's handled him really well and gave every evidence of really liking him and enjoying his company, while not allowing him to be disrespectful. My kid would do anything with or fo

In our area you would not need a new troop number - you would simply change to a "multilevel" troop and retain your old number. You only need a new number if there were problems with the old (mom ran off with the cookie money or something).

Hi, everyone, me again. Thanks for your responses on the Reluctant SPL. I've got another question for you: Another boy is up for first class. One of the requirements in his book is not signed off (the one about finding your way without a compass). He has had a SM conference. He has also worked very hard on his swimming this summer but as far as I know has not actually completed the swimmers test in front of anyone - but the SM decided he was a good enough swimmer based on observing him in the poot. The committee questions him and although he knows the sun rises in the east and sets in t

Our meeting tonight was rather poorly run. It was our newly-elected SPL's first meeting since installation. He's been SPL before, so it wasn't lack of experience - he just didn't want to take charge of the meeting. The boys were supposed to be brainstorming ideas of places to go /things to do and he was chiming in non-scout-approved ideas (country dance halls he couldn't get into as a minor anyway). He also complained loudly that he doesn't LIKE camping any more since there as a rainstorm on our last camping trip. His older brother, the prior SPL, tried to get him back on track but no....

Mike F- I'd like to imagine what it is like to be able to do a 10 mile run on ANY eating plan, but as my doc and I are both surprised and happy that I am able to live a normal life again after 5 years of severe CFS/FMS I'll just take your word for it. I do think I might be able to walk 10 miles although it would take most of the day. Considering that in 1996 I needed a scooter to grocery shop I'm content with that for now. Maybe next year. Perhaps you wash out faster on Atkins BECAUSE you are in weight-loss mode? About 2 years of Atkins coincided with my partial recovery, but wh

Well, isn't that bizarre. My experience on Atkins is that after day 3 or 4 I have far more energy and 'staying power" and need far less sleep. Eating almost any carbs other than green vegetables, even the complex and theoretically good ones like 100% whole wheat bread or baked potatoes, makes me very prone to SEVERE fatigue and fogginess. (I had a bit of a problem with this at summer camp, since I didn't want to take the trouble to try to fight the mess hall food plan.) However, since Atkins is such a champion diuretic diet, I could easily imagine that dehydration could be a hidden haza

One NOT to use: Ghost and the Darkness. Features lions boldly going into a work camp and dragging out human prey at night. Another leader told me they foolishly put this one on in the van DVD player on their way to Buffalo Trails in West Texas - and couldn't calm their younger scouts down to sleep for three days....

FOG - something on which we agree! BSA pants are not built like BSA people. Of course, my problem is the exact opposite. The waist comes considerably above my waist. And the cut of the legs is more comfortable for walking backward than forward. I tried putting the pants on backward but the zipper was too hard to reach... Now, I can buy pants that fit quite well at Walmart for less than twenty bucks. The biggest problem is that when they shrink they get too short as my legs appear to be too long for my body. I know it wasn't God's error, so it must be the clothing manufacturers. M

Six adults is about right for 15 girls that age, but only if they all understand the rules and are good sports. You don't need negative thinking or talking people around - I don't care how bad things end up. For rules: In our area, adults do not share tents or cabins with girls, no way, no how, no when. Rules about fire are very strict. Rules about food in cabins are non-negotiable; my daughter's cabin at summer camp had to be evacuated near midnight because girls ate candy in the cabin and it took a couple of hours for a massive ant invasion to become apparent. All you need is a mom