scottteng

A national appeal would not be needed the troop will loose as soon as the scout or parent appeals to district or counsel. The policy on percentage requirements is clear they are forbidden. Our district advancement chair has put that in writing to every troop so they will not have to listen to the scouts and parents who are irate at being held to such a standard. If one wants to be Don Quixote and tilt against the windmill one can, but why not instead look to improving the troop and overall program so kids will come more often even when the blush is off the camping rose.

What rank? Asst. PL is not a troop POR as required for Star and above advancement. Up to First class he should be able to advance normally.

"While a First Class Scout, serve actively for 4 months in one or more of the following positions of responsibility (or carry out a Scoutmaster-assigned leadership project to help the troop):"

The Scout looking to advance without a POR should ask his scoutmaster to assign a project.

Our DE brought his promo pair to roundtable the pants did look good. No boot zippers on the bottom of the legs so they are easy to hem then let out for growing boys the waist was also adjustable with buttons and elastic inside the waistband. Material was heavy canvas like and lots of pockets and loops. I was under the impression that the scout version was made with the lightweight fabric for good reasons we already have the old style pants available if someone wants a heavy fabric.

Same way you would inflate a baloon or a beach ball blow in em.

"4. Demonstrate survival skills by leaping into deep water wearing clothes (shoes, socks, swim trunks, long pants, belt, and long-sleeved shirt). Remove shoes and socks, remove and inflate the shirt, and show that you can float using the shirt for support. Remove and inflate the pants for support. Swim 50 feet using the inflated pants for support, then show how to reinflate the pants while using them for support."

http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php?title=Swimming

not a question just jump in the pool and do it !

Mine are XL 30 inseam the adult sizes are sold by inseam if yours are 4-5 inches long you got the wrong size. See if you can exchange. A good seamstress can probably hem the leg in the center of it and it will look similar to the existing seam where the leg zips to the shorts. All switchbacks should be tried on at scout shop the sizes are not as consistent as one might expect.

I guess the packs around here are throwbacks the kid that sells the mostest gets the biggest price and on down the line. No PC raffles for them. They believe in rewarding performance of course the also rans also get the benefit of the packs budget over the course of a year. We are training them to be good capitalists just like my bosses when I was in the sales game.

Do the ravioli song even adults are amused by it. Then go from there. Don't forget to teach the boys the obnoxious announcements song too, just make sure its the g-rated version.

I have had to bring my daughter to a couple of troop campouts with our previous troop when I was the only second adult available and my ex had work issues she had a blast camping with the boys loved the campfires. Previously she had gone to some cub family camps as well. Thank God our new troop has plenty of leadership as my son has gotten to that age when he prefers dad not be along.

Our troop vs patrol cooking seems to run in inverse relationship to the distance we are traveling for the event. If an on the road meal is needed then troop cooking and menu are indicated. Or if we are going to a scenic or touristy destination where more time is wanted for sight seeing troop cooking is used. All have their assignments. All local outings are patrol menu and patrol cook except for wilderness survival where each boy must plan bring and cook his food.

I don't watch TV have not for many years. I get all my news via the internet so I pick what I read and see. My kids watch Tv however we have a dish with no local stations no networks available so they watch disney, nick, cartoon network etc we also have the dvr so they record and playback skipping commercials. My biggest challenge is the junk my son watches on youtube.

More info needed! here was my first reaction what did those boys do to get dad so upset he was willing to punish himself and them so severely on the weekend. Sounds like they did something worthy of restriction and was then reminded campout this weekend and did this to ruin their fun for the weekend. You'll go but I'm coming and you'll sleep in my tent rather than with your buds to show one and all how immature you are. I know my son would regard this as high punishment and would prefer to not go on the outing. Think about it do you really want kids in your tent or bedroom? Adult punishing themselves for being too quick on the your grounded trigger.

OK

"My son came back a changed scout. It was after this course he dropped a school activity and decided to run for SPL. He came back proud to be a scout, wanting to lead. The NYLT patch he wears is the most important patch on his uniform to him."

Convinced me I will wait the year to send him he will be 13 in September and is already a Star and has all his MB's for life needs his 6 months tenure in his POR. He hates his current POR Troop Quartermaster but it makes him stronger in his weak areas organization and keeping track of things. He talks about SPL and the next day talks about quitting. I chuckled when I saw the homesickness thing my son can not wait to be out on his own and out from under my roof. He has been to a summer camp and a week long winter camp in another council as a provo, stuck in with boys he knew nothing about and done fine. Perhaps it is in the genes I was away at military academy at the age he is now and thoroughly enjoyed it.

http://www.doubleknot.com/openrosters/DocDownload.asp?orgkey=772&id=23455

Link to the BSA Lifeguard requirements for the course our council is running this coming week. This is same course for youth or adults and is a swimsuit patch like snorkeling and kayaking. The boys don't even get a Merit Badge out of it.

I kind of like the idea of rotating PL' for the new scouts. It gives the boys that think some special power attaches to the title a dose of harsh reality."The boys don't listen to me either." When my son was new we had elections every two months but no one that had been PL before was eligible to run. All of the new PL's thought they were the answer and not part of the problem it opened some eyes when it came time for a 6 mos patrol leader none of them really relished the job

I'll build a hypothetical scout: Crossover at 10yrs 6 mos with AOL attends summer camp with troop has fun earns MB's is faithful before and after summer camp with meetings before year is out elected permanent patrol leader of new scout patrol attends summer camp second year as first class tapped out for OA goes thru ordeal. at COH in fall is awarded star and placed in troop POR not just patrol he has just turned twelve the next summer he attends summer camp again third time away from home for a week. Your telling me that this twelve year old will go home from a "the curriculum is educational and at the same time a blast" camping trip due to homesickness? Remember we are talking an in council event at one of our council camps. A Scout with probably 50 camping nights at this point is going to bail. More likely that the course was boring and not worth the time in their mind too much seat time and not enough on hands fun time. This is the norm here in Florida remember they get their permits at 15 and the fumes have them locked up in testosterone mode most of our SPL's are 13 and 14

My only concern is day camp and shooting sports. Wolves typically have a lot more trouble cocking and loading a bb gun and drawing a bow than the older dens. To add Tigers in the mix would be a challenge. Tigers get their chances to shoot at the family camps the district puts on where we have an adult with each one to assist. If the day camp is equipped to keep the boys busy without shooting sports great, but typically we provide almost half of their program .

It would help if they did not restrict the training to scouts at least 13 when beginning class. Most of our junior leaders are therefore not eligible. The older scouts have already done their stints as leaders and do not feel they need further training for something they have already done. They consider themselves old hands at leadership. The cost is also a factor the scouts pay more for NYLT than summer camp but must prepare their own meals and do not earn any merit badges. Last years course in our council was canceled due to lack of participants and I expect this years may be too. The course is also scheduled for the most miserable time of year in this area in the middle of summer (July) when most troops are taking a month off of activities because it is just too hot.

I've not seen a Tiger den at day camp. All our recruiting is done at school nights for scouting in the fall. Tigers would present a challenge in day camp, remember they are to be accompanied by their adult partners at all times. Day camp is usually the first time the new wolves have done anything with just a den leader. I would check with your day camp director before pursuing recruiting a den of tigers for day camp.

http://www.geocities.com/yosemite/rapids/8428/historicalseries.html

When I was a WDL we did a historical hike through downtown of a town near us. A lot of the kids liked it and had a good time but there was one kid who was just totally fascinated by the history and hung on the guide's every word for the entire hike. This was one kid I had almost despaired of reaching he did not like camping type stuff but history turned him on. Above is the Florida historical hike site other states must have something similar.

Our camps pathfinder program has the boys doing specific rank related items which are signed off by their patrol guide in a pamphlet which is sent home from camp they also earn three merit badges First Aid, Swimming and choice of one of the easy craft mb's offered in the free time period. Just First Aid and swimming MB cover rank stuff too. They do cover the stuff but as for the boys retaining it well they don't retain the stuff they learn in troop meetings or campouts much better! See how many of the older scouts can remember how to tie a taut line hitch. It used to be a knot they used every month not any more equipment has changed.

back in the tiger days my son and I went to the local real small newspaper for a tour.

In a sense SM and all adult leaders are responsible for troop equipment making sure it is not left at camp sites, but the quartermaster is a youth position who is directly responsible for equipment. i have not seen a chartering organization that cares much about the troops equipment even though they do technically own it all. What exactly would they do with it? sell it at a yard sale? it is not worth very much in it's used and sometimes abused condition. The troop usually raises the money to buy the equipment. For that matter the money in the troop account also belongs to the chartering organization. The chartering organization has their rep on the committee so they do have their voice in the running of the troop. Financial stuff is left to the committee as well the treasurer has the checkbook, committee approves all expenditures.

Maybe we should do the generic thing and say higher power. Most atheists or agnostics seem to be ok with it and it is not objectionable to the religious.

These two patrols were last years new scout patrols. How full are the other patrols? We always pull star and above out of the patrols to be JLC, their own patrol under the SPL. Now is the time to break up the NSP's and shuffle them into the other patrols. Take the leaders and assign them as guides to this years NSP's, and shuffle the others into your other patrols to make up for attrition. I have seen it suggested to put the scouts in name only in their own patrol so that the active patrols are not short on campouts. You could ask who for switching volunteers also. We will have two new scout patrols this year I hope we are in your predicament this time next year.