Scoutfish

Silly, your sopposed to feed a cold - starve a blob! LOL! Sorry , couldn't help it. Must have been a glitch. My blob lost weight and actually turned into a person again.

Not sure how simple your simple tools are, but something we did once: Cut out the AoL design on a piece of luan/plywood veneer. Then cut out a slightly larger rectangle of the same wood for a background. Use clear sanding sealer on the Aol , but stain the background. Put them together. Takes only about 45 miunts to do this.

Just google "arrow of light clip art". http://clipart.usscouts.org/library/BSA_Cub_Scouts/arrow_of_light_insignia/ Print it out.

Call me ignorant, but I have to ask: What about the original cover for Little Mermaid?

Lonnie Butts expanded ( somewhat - embelish at your whim!). * THis was told sitting right next to a 9 acre lake.* Lonnie Butts was a boy scout who went to Camp Whatchagonnacallit. Lonnie Butts was a scout who could not swim. He always avoided any and all swimming activities or events that required a swimming merit badge. So one year, he gets tired of missing so manty fun activities with his fellow scouts. He takes the swimming lessons. He has trouble and it's really hard for him, but by the next to the last day of camp, he earns his Beginner card. Well, the next day is the last day of camop, and hois last day to earn his swimmers' badge/card, chip( whatever you call it). So that night, after the campfire and after everybody goes back to their tents and cabins, Lonnie sneaks out to the lake to get extra practice. He is in his swim trunks and carrying a towel. At this point, you explain how the tag board system works. Lonnie hangs his name tag on the "Scouts in the water" board, hangs his towel over the gate at the end of the dock, climbs over and runs down the dock and dives in. He hits the bottom because it's to shallow and immediately breaks his neck. Now, had Lonnie foloowed the rules: 1) He'd be in his tent. 2) aside from that, He'd have his camp buddy/ swim buddy at all times , who could have talked him out of swimming at night.. 3) and who could have pulled Lonnie from the water and gotten help. But since Lonnie ignored the Buddy system, he broke his neck, was paralyzed and ended up drowning.. The next moring, nobody thought anything of an empty bunk. A few noticed he was missing from breakfast, but the news traveled fast once his towel and nametag were found! Now, that was many, many years ago, but sometimes, when scouts are at camp and ...being the boys they are - and they sneak around at night .....sometimes...strange things happen. Rumour has it that every now and then, a scout sees a ghostly figure of a boy walking down to the lake's edge and carrying a towel....and just as he nears the gate...he dissapears! ( at this point, somebody tossed a big rock in the water!)

Well, your council's flyer is definantly better. Better explanation and what to expect. Ours is just a (photo) copy ( I mean that in every sense of the word) of the actual application flyer they mail out. You have to pretty much already know what it is. I have 3 flyers ......so far. (This message has been edited by scoutfish)

The thing about camping...with some people..is they focus on the little stuff too much and not the bigger picture: "What? Sleep in a thin fabric dome in the middle of nowhere without heat/AC ?" But let that first group go. The boys will talk about all the fun they had, the adults will admit - that while not perfect - it wa still fun, and next year, more boys will be dying to go and parents will be willing to try it for the boys sake. The next year, they will brag too.

"Scouting does not build character. But it does offer those with good character to exercise it." WELL SAID!

JFL49, I only meant that I will wait until I take other courses before taking Wood Badge. I get the impression that WB helps you organize, utilize and perform better at all those courses you have taken...but you have to take them to be better at using them. Make sense?

Although the name might be different depending on area nd story teller...I love the story of Lonnie Butts. The scout who couldn't swim. More about the buddy system than anything else, but a great ghost story! Our ACM told it at a pack campout next to a big lake right before a 2 mile night hike. 2 days later, my son was googling Lonnie Butts on the internet! LOL!(This message has been edited by scoutfish)

Yeah...What Lisa said! I did meantop add ( but forgot) soundslike you still pulled it off and was sucessful as far as all the students were concerned. That alone is a great accomplishment: You overcame obsticles and adversary and still completed your class.

" I don't really think that Scouting made me any more moral than I am otherwise. That's not to say that I'm immoral. It's just that I can't really point to anything in Scouting that made me that way. Yes, I'm trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, etc. But I probably would have been most of those things anyway. " Yeah, you are right. But there's a bit more to it than that too. I say thank you, yes sir, no ma'am, please. I do not steal, and I respect all people until they do something to lose that respect. I am not predjudiced, nor racist or bigoted. I didn't join cub scouts or boy scouts as a kid. but here I am. Why? Because my mom and dad raised me this way. Scouting will not make an unmoralistic kid develo morals. It will not make a bad kid a good kid. But it helps steera nd develpo them. HELPS being the key word. Ayt some pooint, the parents or some other influential adult had to be ebhind that effort. Know what I mean? Kids will grow up based on how the environment, society and family treat them and give example for them to follow. Scouting just presents another choice for them to take. In your case, my case and many others...scouting didn't necessarily decide it for us, but settled or enforced the choice we made on our own. Thing is, there are some kids who are right on the line. They could go either way...to the dark sside or the good side of the force. Scouting will not make them good kids, but may be enough...just enough to tip the scale towards the good side! Now take a that kid who's dad skipped out on him at 3 years old. The male leaders at Cub Scouts may be the only father figure they can relate to. Years later, that young teen boy scout may have a "guy question" that mom can't answer. Again, the SM could be the one who fills that roll. Could even be that alot of good kids are naturally attracted to scouting, and the "on the line" kids will follow by example. So, I suppose that: "think a lot of Scouters overrate Scouting in terms of turning boys into good men".... is true if people just think the program itself does it. It won't. But with active participation by family and by leadership....it may hold somewhat true most of the time.

I have one thought that may save time, supplies and effort: When I took BALOO, there was a cooking demo. But the food used in the demo WAS OUR LUNCH! We watched and participated in cooking our own lunch. The benefit to this is; 1) If my food tastes bad - it's my fault. 2) When I clean up my plate, I am cleaning up my part of the demo. That's less work for you. 3) There is that much less food to carry to camp. 4) You are not cooking/setting up for a class AND lunch. One is the other. Half the work right off the bat. 5)Have the students help clean up. It's okay to say that the demo is not over until everybody cleans up. Basically, during the cooking part of my BALOO class, the cooking instructor just had stuff set out on the counter. We had to get outr stuff out of the containers (or trays) and assemble our "tents" . We put our food in the fire and we talked about various cooking ideas, tips, suggestions while the food ewas cooking. The instructor put away unused food at this time while students cleaned up the counter. When the food was done, one of the fire building instructors coolected the pre marked tents and called out thenames on them. We ate our food while the instructor talked about food relate stuff. All trash went into the trash cans/recycle cans. When we were done eating...everything was all clean and finished. The instructor may have had to wash a knife or two...but that was all.

gotta run, Things are not always as they seem in here. Kinda hard to get what somebody really means when you can't hear the tone of their voice. Most of the time, what appears to be a rude or "snarky" comment - isn't. Now, I know that it's supposed to be some sort of online rule that all caps means yelling...but I use sall caps as a way to place stress or emphasis on what I am saying, not yelling. Personally, I think the yelling things is stupid. Yeling, whispering, talking loudly or regularly? WTH? I'm not talking at all. You are not listening. I'm typing, you are reading. Anyways, sometimes we are being sarcastic, but in a humorous fun way. SOmetimes we are saying something ...but knowing how we meanit to sound , so we assume others do to. But it doesn't always work. UYou can't hear that smile or humor. Anyways, hang sheets or tarps to make bedrooms. I know some folks who will set their tents up inside to creat bedrooms. Never did it myself, but I can see where it will work with the newer tents that have graphite poles that fit into corner pockets - no stakes needed to keep tent erected. Not the most appealing idea to me, but have heard people do it.

"Should we demand more or less?" We don't DEMAND anything ! We might demand that adult leadership meets a certain set of training or criteria, but that's when we draw the final line! Scouting is supposed to be a fun activity that just also happens to teach the boys some good morals, how to take care of themselves and be responcible for themselves too. Teach them respect for themselves, others, God ,and country. But we need to knock our ego's down a a couple levels...maybe a bunch more. We are not in a position to demand anything. Otrher than for safety reasons that is. Scouting is a program that is supposed to offer an alternative to just ekeing through life. It's a chance to get out and learn skills that shape our boys in a FUN manner. In a way that is exciting,adventurous, fufilling,and makes them want to come back. It is our job to ensure that all that happens. Scouting is not school. People are not required to attend. Scouting is more like producing movies: WE had better get off our butts and make a good movie with a good story line and make sure it's exciting enough to make the boys want to see the sequel. WE are selling our product to them. WE are wanting thier "buisness". It's not the other way around. Just like the free market, you better come up with some great, exciting, eye catching thing or you lose customers. THe only difference between us and movie producers is that we don't make a 7 or 8 figure salary...nor do we hand pick and choose our movie starts up front. So,it's pretty much the boys who are the ones who are in a position to make demands. Granted, a scout who holdsa POR should have an expectation of fufilling the duties related to that POR, but beyond that, the only demands in BSA should be the ones we set on ourselves.

Yep! Taken Safe Swim Defense and Safety Afloat. Also taken: Weather Hazards Trek Safety Climb on safety Physical Wellness I am thinking ,that for the moast part, "most" activities that involve water, climbing, etc...will be at a council camp or other similar type function with Council/distric appointed staff on hand to handle it. Weather Hazards should be taken by ALL leadership if you ask me.

Now,let me start out by saying : I am asking your OPINION! Not facts, but OPINION. I am NOT asking what BSA's minimum is, but what you'd like top see as a minimum amout of training to be a leader. The very first training I took was BALOO. I was planning on being a Webelos den leaders and this class actualy was offered before leader specific. Then I signed up for leader's essentials which changed into the online "This is Scouting" before it took plaace. Saved me some gas money . Then I took my leader position specific training for Webelos Den Leader . A month or two later, that also became an online class. Then our CM decided to step down after 6 1/2 years. Burnt out. BAD! So I called the SE and asked about a CM class. Said I'd even pay for it if I could get oine fast. He told me that the online was just as good ( depending on instructor /student mindset) . Granted, online Cub Master isn't a very hard course, but then again, how do you teach somebody how to think,lead or have enthusiasm in what they do? You can't! You either have it or you don't! So, after taking all the CM stuff and even having a friendly "see what you know quiz" from a neighboring CM and the SE ( at my request), I decided that as Cub Master, I ought to have some training...even the very basic...for all the ranks below me. So I took the online training for Tiger, Wolf, and Bear too. Honestly, I probably learned more as a very active parent in my sons' den and as an ADL for my son'r Bear den. But I get it, this training is really geared to the non experienced beginner than somebody who has already worked their way up through the system. Last year, I contemplated taking Wood Badge. Had 3 or 4 Wood Badgers teaching tha BALOO class I took. One feller made it sound so freeaking fun, that I decided right then and there to take it. But time under my belt has made me reconsider. That and reading posts in this site. I'm thinking that: If Wood Badge is the Top Dog and end all of all training, then I should fill in tee spacebetween before that. I really want to take IOLS. Sure, I don't really need it as a Cub Master, but it could be beneficial to assiting the Webelos Scoutsand the Webelos den leaders. And then there is ...well, not sure what they call it now..WEBLET? OWLT? Not sure. BVut would like to take that too. So, I guess it is my opinion, that the CM and ACM should have training to cover all ranks of Cub Scouts that they are Cub Master too. Might have to step in for a DL or ADL is somebody gets sick or can't make it. Ought to have an idea about what makes that rank tick when making a decision about that rank. So. What do you see as a mimimum that should be met for a top leader or just an adult leader in general?

Now,I say this while myself never having been a scout or even worked on the Boy Scout level. Basically, I don't have the familiarity of the workings like you do. I don't really see the boy in that particular case as losing an Eagle Award as having lost it or it being taken away. He really didn't earn it to start with. The award was almost a "I'll give you this if you keep hush , hush about what's going on. The SM didn't do his part right even if all the other peole involved did. That boy having eagle wasn't so much as something earned as it was a bribe.

I agree:if it was earned legitimately, it cannot be taken away. Eagle is earned based on what? A perticulare set of requirements that have been met, actions performed,attitude and, a set of "achievemnts"? Right? One you meet that and complete that, you earn Eagle right? So it's a done deal. Now,a scout may do something stupid, idiotic or even "unEaglelike", but he still met the requirements to earn Eagle. It's diferent witha driver's license.which is a priveledge that is earned with the stipulation that certain actions will involve it being revoked. Same with totin chip, whittlin chip , etc. You know that you have agree to meet certain standards to carry that card , and that it can be revoked.

WElcome back! Pretty much what Moose said: Scouting is just like computers, tv'sand cars/trucks. Things have changed, advanced ( and hopefully for the most part) improved. We are no longer your carbeurated , leaded gasoline , 3 speed on the column scouting. We are now the electronic control, multiport fuel injected,computer controled 6 speed auto scouting.

"Is not receiving an award "Punishment"? " WEll, simply put.....no! But only if we are talking about an award. I guess the way I see it is like this: An award is something you get to recognize something you were doing, gonna do, or did anyway, without expectation of getting anything or any recognition for doing it. But that's the key thing here , no? W are talking awards, not rank, not badges, not cash or prizes. I guess I see the relationship to getting awards based on my own experiences: I used to be a fire fighter. I recieved firefighter of the year award several times. I didn't set ot, plan or count on getting it. I didn't set my goal or work in a way to get it. I just did my firefighting duties in the way I felt a fireman should. I did them to the best of my ability. I am now currently a garage door installer. Matter of fact, I am a senior field supervisor/quality control/ trainer for my company. I go to jobs that require extra special care or neatness that the other employees may not quite handle. Basically, I go to houses that the homeowners are not just extra picky, but anally out of control picky. People who couldn't intall a garage door to save thier lives..but can point out anything they "know without a doubt" ( and without experience or training) that is wrong. Yeah...."those" customers! Now, I don't necessarrily go the extra mile so much as install these doors in the same way I'd do them at my own house. I just do it right and do it the best way I can - both whuile being clean and neat about it. Now, here's the point I'm getting at: I do not expect tips for doing my job. Alot of the other employess get put out or a bit miffed if they do not only get a tip..but a nice tip. My feelings are this: The customer does not owe me anyting for doing what I am already getting paid to do. I appreciate it if the do, but they don't owe it to me nor is it expected. But when they do..It is an award. IT's a bonus or special recognition for something I was gonna do or did anyways. That's how I see awards in scouting. Now, I do expect getting payed my regular salary, including extra compensation for extra work such as working overtimes, during holidays or having to drop what I'm doing and coming back when I'm already on vacation. I do not expect Christmas or year end bonuses. I enjoy them greatly, and I appreciate them, but do not expect them. But let me clarify: Earning rank, advancement, beltloops, activity pins, or completeing requirements is not awards. They something you get for something you do. They have set goals and expectations. There is a certain thing you have to do, and it is something you seek, plan , or obtain. Reaching rank is a goal that you set out for at the beggining. So, to answer the original question: Not recieving an award is not punishment, but could be considered a pretty crappy attitude on those who are in the position to hand them out, if they choose to ignore one individual while going overboard with another in the same circumstances.(This message has been edited by scoutfish)

pamom, Gonna tell you something my ACM told me after my first pack meeting as a new CM: Although you don't remember, you've failed many times in your life. Guess what happened the first time you tried to stand? Do you think you caught the first ball thrown to you? How about your first time on a bicycle? First time you tried to tie your shoes? This is called a learning experience. We aren't experts the first time we try something. We have to fail a bit and get better as we develop skills. You know who Babe Ruth is? One of the greatest baseball players ever, Had over 700 hits and home runs. Did you know he struck out 1,330 times? If he had quit or given up baseball because he struck out alot, where would he have been? What would the history of baseball be like? Don't worry about screwing up when you try new things. Worry more about the stuff you would miss ouyt on if you didn't try! It' gets easier every time we do it." I thought I bombed my first pack meeting. But as he pointed out...it was my first one. I was better my second one. Got applause from the crowd. Third? Don't know yet, I'll tell you after it happens! (This message has been edited by scoutfish)

As a former Bear ADL, I can tell you that 17 is way too many. We had 24 boys. We had 5 ADLs, and it was still too much. We always had to split them into 3 groups to even get things done. Matter of fact, records of achievemnts and advancement were a joke. Either incom-plete, behind or just missing,. My son waited forever for a few beltloops, yet was awarded his Bear badge 3 times. We ( ADL's) wanted to split, but the DL and his wife (committe) kept getting bent out of shape about it and getting offended somehow. When I stood up at the leaders meeting and said I planned on being a WEbelos den leader this year, she went nuts. Well, that's another story for another time. Poiint being, BSA reccommends only 8 to 9 boys per den. With Webelos, they reccommend 6 to 8 boys in a den. this is only a RECCOMMENDATION--- not a rule. So 3 dens wouldn't be out of the question, but two is great if you and trhe other DL can handle it and feel comfoprtable. Also, there is no limit to the number of assitant denleaders a den can have. Incidentally, after I became CubMaster this year, I led and brought up to a vote among the leadership That no den "should" have over 14 boys or less that 4 boys. If trhere are 14 or more boys in a den, the leaders shouls do everything possible to create another den. If there are less that 4 boys in a den, we should consider merging with another den.

Background: Used to be that our pack had a dysfunctional committee with a capital "D". The previous leadership all crossed out and left our last Cm as the only experienced person in leadership. So... Our Cm acted as CC, Treasurer, Publicity Chair, and Advancement chair. for 6 years. The ACM acted as the ACM AND as Cm ( in the ringmaster. emcee role) during pack meetings and pack campouts, PWD and B&G. I just accepted the CM position in June. Now I am learning to be what the CM is supposed to really do , instead of what our CM did. So, maybe not the answer you wanted, but i thought about buying our ACM some blue tights , a cape and an "S" patch for his shirt!

My son has a mild nut allergy. He is allergic, no doubt about it, but we got off easy: If he eats something with any kind of nuts in it. he doesn't pass out, develop hives or have trouble breathing. He gets kinda quiet - to the point you notice even if you don't know why - and in almost 2 minutes...he will vomit! You can almost set your watch by it. But once he vomits, he is fine. Other than a vomit smell and mortal embarassment on his part. Now, this is from any kind o nut and wether raw , cooked or even a minor ingredient. Incidentally, he is not diagnosed as an asthmatic, but is considered "asthma prone". Meaning if he gets the same cold you or I do, he is more likely to go into pulmonary distress faster than you or I. He also used to have eczema really bad, but is slowly outgrowing it.We still have to put a band-aid over the nickel or brass button or snap on the inside of his pants. He is also alergic to dander and fur. Not irritated, but allergic. His eyes swell up and his chest tightens and sometimes leads to the congestion that is "asthma prone" but not actually asthma. Yes, that does make sense..trust me. Now, I only mentioned those other things because ...in my son's case at least..it is related to the nut allergy. So if you have a scout who is allergic to nuts and you take all the necessary precations - it could still be a total waste if that scout ends up sleeping in the same tent as the scout who's mom has 20 cats, a big ole furry Chow or works in a seafood restaurant. If it's in the scouts house, it can and WILL get onto the scout and everything he touches. Now, my son can wrestle with kids who eats peanuts, but confine them in a close space for a long time...such as sleeping in a tent during the night..can have effects too. Now, I am still in the pack and not the troop settimng, but we ask ( repeatedly) our parents to keep and eye out, to notify us and to make sure the scout himself is aware in case we happen to miss something! Afterall, stuff happens sometimes!