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Scoutfish

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Everything posted by Scoutfish

  1. We do not dole out physical punishment as a rule, but there could be exceptions that I think most would agree with: If scouts do not do a good job of policing the campsite, we make them walk the campsite again. Yeah, it's physical, but not close to pushups which as listed above was stricty a physical punishment. I'm not keen on the idea of causing physical exhaustion or pain as a punishment Sure the swim test is pretty demanding, but the scout has the option to not take iot and it wasn't used as discipline. At summercamp last week, one of the moms left a coller full of g
  2. Okay, if you didn't know already, I bought a GI style jungle hammock. Bottom is thick canvas like they use on military tents. Sides are very, very fine mesh for air flow. Top is typical nylon tent material. Good to keep a few drops of rain off, but will let you get wet in a downpour. Besides that, the rain lip is about 3 inches wide, so rain would get you through the mesh sides anyways. Okay, so I used it for a week of summer camp and here's how it went: Sunday night: Slept kinda okay, but nothing great! Would have enjoyed more sleep, but wasn't a zombie when I woke up. Usi
  3. So, as the title says, my pack was just delivered to my door . WEll, about 45 minutes ago actually! Been acting like a 5 year old. Tryin g it on, adjusting it, trying it agin...knowing I will still need to be adjusted once I pack it. It's a medium blue and gray Jansport Carson external frame, weighs 4 lbs, 13oz Capacity of 4,900 cu in. Bought it from Campmor. Ordered it Saturday afternoon, got it WEds afternoon. Not bad at all! Cant wait to get it sweaty and dusty!
  4. There is also the generousity side of it too: Each generation of parents wants to provide a better life and future for their children: How many of you had your own bathroom growing up? How many had your own color tv witha video game conected to it? How many of you had your own pair of $50.00 sunglasses at age 10? How many of you had your own $100 rod/reel combo at age 12? Nah son, You don't need to do chores because we hire a housecleaning service, lawncare technition, we have a pool maintainance man, we hire out any odd things that need to be done around the hous
  5. Is it worth it? WEll, if you ask them tommorrow, maybe, maybe not. But in 3 years til the rest of their lives - absolutely! This is something they will always remember. Plus it is when the Webelos were really boy scouts - even if only in their own minds. They did something they never did as lower ranking cub scouts, but really wanted to. WE just got back from summer camp where we had to ditch our campsite one night due to severe storms popping up. Tightened everything down and went to the dining hall. 30 minutes later, storm slides by us and we go back to buisness -
  6. You could still do a Beaver award. It could be the "Bob Beaver Award" or "Jim Beaver Award" Just don't call it the Scouting Beaver Award or anything that could be implied that it's an offical award from BSA. Our SM will hand out spoecial awards from time to time to scouts and scouters. Usually it is stuff he made himself like a decorated necklace of leather, wood, beads and maybe a feather or something. Every award is unique and individual. Usually, he gives them out during "circle up" after an event.
  7. "No medical? No camp, no refund." ABSOLUTELY! Been told and told and told. WE do tell them as long as they hand us the med form be fore we leave the CO and when we arrive at camp, we can give it to the health director, then it is fine. But if they say they have it and when it comes time to leave the CO - and they don't have it - then No medical? No camp, no refund! But we do tell them they can call the scout office and have the money transfered to a different session of summer camp, a camporee, council program and maybe / possibly for use at the scout s
  8. If the scouts themselves elect to use this policy, then so be it. And it should be reviewed and revoted on every two years to be sure that the new scouts also like this policy. But the committee should not be making this rule.
  9. "The solution is to properly select and monitor the counselors that will do a proper job." So, how do you monitor the counselors? How do you know if they arw doing what tey are supposed to be doing? You can't sit in on every MB session or class. Maybe testing isn't the correct terminology. maybe we call it polling the scout to see that the counselor did his part correctly. And I say did his part because we don't want to punish a counselor when the issue is on the part of a scout.
  10. >>"The AC can compare the listed requirements on the BC that the counselor signed off and compare them to the book. During the BOR, the AC can ask questions that are not testing that can still let the AC know if the scout actually went over this stuff during the MB process."
  11. Well, I found out from talking to our AC guy - who was also at camp with us all week long - that he has his own full MB library . Pretty much, he does his checking up on MB's that come from camps or MB fairs. His position isn't so much one of " Lets see if we can catch a scout who doesn't know his stuff". but rather "Lets make sure the scouts are getting what they are asking for". Sometimes he will ask a question like: What was your favorite MB? Which part of that MB was the best part or hardest? How long did it take? Turns out last year a scout signed up for Citizensh
  12. Overall, the MB counselors and camp staff were great! They did their jobs well. A couple had a rough start on the first day, but we can also chalk that up to being the first sesion of summer camp and that the MB counselors may be doing their first stint as an instructor/ counselor. But really, overall, the staff were full of enthusiasm and every scout in our troop really liked all the staff and counselors they worked with. On Parents night, the scouts invited around 15 counselors and staff to eat at our campsite. Really, it was just this one MB counselor and I am really
  13. We immediately went to the CXamp Director and Program director about this MB counselor. The AC can compare the listed requirements on the BC that the counselor signed off and compare them to the book. During the BOR, the AC can ask questions that are not testing that can still let the AC know if the scout actually went over this stuff during the MB process. And yeah, I know testing isn't allowed. But that' my whole point, maybe it shgould be. Our scout was indeed trustworthy, honest and full of integrety. But like I mentioned, 3 or 4 other scouts weren't. They were read
  14. Just got back from an awesome week of sumer camp. Had a blast watching the NSP develope a closer bond and learn to work together as a patrol. So anyways, after the first full day of camp, one of the second year scouts comes up to me to ask if he could switch one of his merit badge classes. I ask why and he says because they didn't do anything. The scout shoed up for robotics MB class about 5 minutes early. Then all the participating scouts sit around until the MB counselor shows up - 20 minutes late! At this point, the counselor goes into the storage room and fumbles around
  15. n our pack, we lost a handfull of kids due to the economy.Lots of jobs dissappeard overnight. Unemployment is as high as I have ever seen it right now. My company went from 30 full time employees to having about 17. 2 are part time at that. I myself have seen my pay drop by 30% - which is better than watching it drop by 100% 7 years ago, the ads section of the paper was 8 pages long, 4 pages of which were help wanted ads. Those same help wanted ads are now limited to 2 pages. Almost 75 % of the ads require degress or higher requirements. Great if you happen to have tha
  16. Well, I will always bring extra footwear. My boots definantly need to be air out by the end of the day during a normal day, and if I have been hiking, they really, really , need to air out. As far as just two pair of clothes, well, I'l have to make an old fashioned washing machine: 5 gallon bucket with 2" hole in lid, and a toilet ( that isnew, clean) plunger. I don't think having 4 or 5 shirts is necessarily a bad idea, but I also have 5 extra pair of shorts. If I was hiking with this...man oh man ... it would be a long backbreaking hike. Granted, this is basically a week
  17. Yesterday afternoon, we met up at our scout building to load up our trailer for summer camp . I'll call it a learning experience! Up til now, all the packing I did for camping was always for a 3 day/ 2night duration. Set out with what you were wearing and 2 changes of clothes. So going to summer camp, I geared up for setting out in my class A and bringing a change of clothes for each day of summer camp after arrival. two extra pairs of footwear ( sneakers and a pair of shower shoes ) to go along with my hiking boots. Brought one towel for showers and one for swimming. Sha
  18. "Scoutfish the answer is quite simple, a boy scout should already be fully trained on the proper use of a knife and axe by the time he receives his Tenderfoot rank, there is no need for a card as his rank should be the symbol." I agree! being a Boy Scout of the Tenderfot rank should be qualification enough...but that's not how iot really works. Scout has to have the Tot'n Chip.
  19. Baden, I didn't propose anything...so I'm not sure where anything would be a step backwards. But here is the reality: My son earned his whittlin chip a good while back. He uses his knife around the house constantly. He carves, he whittles, he sharopens his pencils with it. He actually has 4 different trypes of piocket knives that he handles very well BUT.... According to Rules, he cannot use that knife until he gets his Tot'n Chip - wich also includes using a saw ( which he knows how to do) and a hatchet ( never had one, but knows how to use full size axe well).
  20. Just saying, It could be the scouts fault completely. He could be like some of the scouts we have had: will argue with a wall and not give up. You say go left, he will go right . Tell them they have 5 minutes to get ready, and he will wait 10 before even starting and then explain why it's everybody else's fault. Could be the case here.. COULD BE his fault too. Miybe one scout decided he was good enough to dive elsewhere and second scout was trying to bring him back. Maybe second scout only followd first scout because of the buddy system and that first scout is just hardheaded and
  21. WEll, not in an official capacity, but back in the day, if a child acuused anybody of molestation, abuse, sexual assault, etc...the family would tell the child to keep it to themselves lest they bring shame on the family name. And heavin forbid you say something about the guy/gal if they were a public figure! I mean, you do not want to embarass your parents in public while the neighbor piddles with your diddle! Come early 80's I think along with the "it's about me and how much money I have" attitude, it was probably worse as the child was somehow guilty and had the full burdon o
  22. Without using a scale, I'd guess around 4 or 5 pounds . Top cover is tent nylon/supplex type material, sides are a micro mesh and bottom is old school military canvas - kinda like the tents were in MASH.
  23. It's like trhis: I want to comment, but I have absolutely no knowledge of what happened because I was not there. But this begs me to ask: Of all the allegation the parnts made, how do they know themselves? Where they also not there when it happened? "The lawsuit alleges that the defendants failed to ensure the boy was properly equipped, dressed and weighted. It states that they provided defective equipment and did not manage, monitor or supervise the boys air supply. When the emergency situation arose, the parties failed to aid and properly rescue Tuvell, the lawsuit alleges.
  24. Yeah, The first one doesn't even seem like it was intended for the scout uniform, but rather an American Legion uniform that would also identify you as a boy scout. The second one probably was intended for wearing on the boy scout uniform, but somebody at the American Legion probably did not realize you just can put whatever you want on the scout uniform. As far as a non uniform jacket? Sure, why not? Maybe on a patch sach ( not MB sash) or any other non uniform scouting jacket/ shirt/hat/ etc..... Thing is, there is no reason for a CO patch as any other CO does no
  25. I don't know about that sewing thing...... I can sew on a patch and I can sew on a button. I can even fix minor places where seams come unraveled, but sewing an entire sleeve for a drawstring? WEll, not saying i can't sew it, but issues of durability come to mind!
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