scoutldr

"Until now we have gotten along well" I think that says it. You should still get along well. The SM admitted his mistake, and he just plain forgot. You can't change that. He's probably embarrassed and hesitant to call. This is a good reminder that we are all human, we all make mistakes, and we all need to forgive those who hurt us unintentionally. A SCout is Kind. My advice is to return to Scouting and put it behind you. Plan a good ECOH and have a blast. Congratulations.

Once again, we dug up this horse corpse and are kicking it around to maker sure it's really dead! I thought we agreed a while ago that what a SCouter chooses to wear is a personal decision, as long as it was earned and in accordance with the insignia guide? If it's too over the top (like my UC example a couple of weeks ago), I just write the guy off as a nut case and get on with my life. In most cases, MYOB.

Regarding Pack organization, my information, like me, is old. I stand corrected. I think Jeffrey has it...

I agree with Barry...technically, the ACMs and DLs do not attend Pack committee meetings...because they are not members of the Committee. The CM attends as their representative, but technically he is not on the committee, either. The CM and CC both report to the COR, equally. At least that's the way it was last time I was trained. In my way of thinking the CM is analogous to the SPL and the DLs are the patrol leaders. Program should be planned by that group and presented to the committee for approval. Then the committee goes to work to finance it, recruit new members, monitor and process advancements, etc. That could be part of the problem...too many people at the Committee meetings mucking up the works. The other thing you might want to consider is the husband/wife CM/CC team thing.(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

I think the control point is the annual adult reapplication and background check. If he is not an immediate threat and hasn't been convicted (in other words, he's still innocent), then it's nobody's business. He should answer the questions truthfully when he re=registers and let the system do its job. We had a similar situation, and someone reported it to COuncil...the DE asked me about it and all I said was "well, there were no charges pressed." The DE said, "thanks, that's all I need to know."

Just remember that a Professional's goals are not the same as the volunteers. The DE will be rated by his supervisor primarily on money and membership (and new units). It's also his job to ensure that there are volunteers in place who can develop and deliver the program. I wouldn't expect the DE to spend a lot of time camping and hiking, or planning program...that's not his job.

My mom always said, "Don't do that, you'll put someone's eye out." Seems to me if that were true, there'd be a lot of 50-something one-eyed Boomers walking around today.

In our council, District Dinner time is approaching. I think that would be a good venue to honor your DE with a special award...maybe a James E West fellowship. Depending on his personality, a "roast" can be fun.

I thank God that I live in a country where I can hear ALL ideas. Not just the ones that make me comfortable. It's sort of comforting too, to hear all sides. As my office-mate used to tell me..."without them, we'd just be average."

To really look good, the poly/wool shirt should be word with the poly/wool trousers. They are more "dressy" and look like dress slacks. $60 bucks. JMHO

This is unfortunately what happens when Troops are not serious about recordkeeping. I would call your Council office and talk to the Registrar. Explain your dilemma and ask for an appointment to come down and research your records. Hopefully they have everything recorded in ScoutNet. If your troop did not submit advancement records to Council, then you have a problem. Good Luck.

Pack, I think your problem is, it's the "Great Master of all Scouts"...not "Scoutmaster", most of whom are mere mortals.

Bloomberg...hmmm. Rich. Jew. Businessman. Philanthropist. Eagle Scout. NY-ness. Maybe. But I think he's too far behind the curve, and hasn't got the momentum.

What scares me is that most voters will vote not on the issues, but on intangibles or on "what will he/she give me". My 75 yo MIL just stated that she would vote for Edwards because he's "pretty". Others will vote for Hillary because she's a woman or because she will provide the most govt handouts. Others will vote for Obama because they like Oprah. My impression: McCain: Most qualified to handle today's issues, but maybe too hawkish. Obama: Too inexperienced ... not ready for the No 1 job. Hillary: No track record of accomplishments...Bill will probably be the shadow President if he can keep his pants zipped. Huckabee: Capable, but not sure we want a cleric as head of state. Paul: Not very "presidential", but I agree with his Libertarian ideas. But now is not the time. Romney: Stuffed shirt...too plastic. He's done. Giuliani: Done. The others never had a fighting chance and just wasted our time.

Kinda explains why the rest of the world hates us, as we sit here heatedly discussing proper patch placement.

The official BSA policy is the "Decaration of Religious Principle" available on every application form. I would have the COR or CC send her a letter, stating that troop activities will not be altered to accomodate one family and if that doesn't agree with her, attach a list of other troops in the area. Same as if she were LDS...she is more than welcome to come pick up her kid on Sat night, but the whole troop will not be forced to adhere to LDS policy. It's usually not productive to argue with the "defiantly ignorant". Just send a letter and make it clear that's the final answer.(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

I noticed most floats are corporate-sponsored. Marriott Corp and Edy's Ice Cream come to mind. Maybe something to honor Steve Fossett? (I got my Eagletter today) An all-Scout marching band would be awesome! Take some talented high school band members who are also scouts...I would contribute!

Some of the things we have done: Pot of chili with fixins...sour cream, shredded cheddar, sliced jalapenos Pot of chicken noodle soup made from scratch Grilled brats and teriyaki chicken skewers

Maybe Merlyn was sent to us for a reason...

No, I'm not kidding.

For District and Coucil recognition dinners, we are encouraged to wear "full dress". Those are the only occasions that I wear them for. We once had a Unit Commissioner show up to present our charter and do a uniform inspection. He looked like a North Korean General, complete with every award, medal, badge, that he had ever earned since age 8...even wore his merit badge and OA sashes. We showed him the door.

Bienvenue, Florian! Yes, most of us are American, but we have some Australians, a German, and a transplanted Englishman among us. It's always good to hear about Scouting in other countries. Hopefully you will stay awhile and join us around our virtual campfire.

The first thing that jumped out at me were silver loops on a unit level scouter. (Or, if you like, unit numbers and position patch on a District level scouter). There's lots more on the cover and throughout the issue, but I'll let others have some fun.

GW said, "BSA claims that boys who make first class in one year are more likely to stay in Scouting. I have a feeling that their data and analysis is horribly skewed." I think the real story is that the data showed that most boys who dropped out were not yet FC. Therefore, the solution from Irving was to spoonfeed them FC as soon as possible, ignoring all the other variables. Now we're scratching our heads, "I don't know why he got bored and quit...he got FC by the time he was 12, and all he had left to get Eagle were troop-taught merit badges." Advancement should be a by-product of the program, not vice versa. Just because boys are advancing and you're cranking out Eagles doesn't mean you have a good program.

I've been around a long time and have never seen a youth BOR. BOR is the job of the Troop Committee, and is a chance for the committee adults to do a QA check on the SM's program. It also serves the method of Adult Association.