scoutldr

My troop is back from its OOC experience: PRO: Private showers and flush toilets in every site A/C dining hall with real chairs (not wooden benches) Food service contracted out - excellent in quality and quantity New pool - 3x the size of ours Enthusiastic staff Camp is new (first year), so everything is state of the art "Leaders Retreat" - A/C lounge with sat TV and WiFi (no, I didn't partake!) Good cellphone reception Professionally built climbing tower CON/Neutral: Heat/humidity/bugs - same geog area as our camp Distance - waterfront about a mile from campsites Good cellphone reception (most scouts have one now :-( Rear flap of my tent was literally 4 feet from rifle range boundary tape - very noisy during the day-interfered with naps Most troops present were OOC MB program - lukewarm (almost "Mill" status) On the plus side, our lily-white uppermiddle class troop was placed in a site with an all-black troop from a neighboring city. The scouts immediately meshed together and became fast friends ... and the adults did too! What a great bunch of guys! I love it when you can put color aside and just work for the common goal of training fine young men.

Your "present status" is that of "Jamboree alumnus". Wear it with pride.

So I guess I don't be understandin' da logic here, eh? The Insignia Guide tells us where the patch should be worn, if earned. Why would moving it to a different position indicate "humility"? If ya want humility, then just wear a plain shirt with nothing on it....or don't go to Jamborees. And what the heck is a "popinjay" anyway, eh?

One of the most frustrating things for a parent is to take their boy to "Join Night", fill out an app and sign a check, and then wait for the phone call. Make sure that the parents understand up front that their participation is part of the program...no new den leaders, no new dens.

Congratulations! If you don't already have them, I remind my scouts that several MB have probably been mostly completed without them realizing it, if they are somewhat active in school...Scholarship, Reading, Music (Band), Sports, etc. Sit down with the requirements book (or www.meritbadge.com) and see where you are! Others: Basketry, Computers, Collecting, Cooking, etc. Good luck.

Thanks, meamemg. That sounds reasonable. (I can't believe I said "there" instead of "their"...I am so embarrassed!)

The only thing "inappropriate" is to wear the uniform incorrectly. The Insignia Guide determines what is correct.

At least two. There is no one-on-one contact allowed between adults and light bulbs.

However it happened, I think it's great. Remember, the rules were different in the 1940's. Adults were allowed to work on and achieve Eagle Scout, with no age limit. It wasn't unti l952 that the age limit of 18 was instituted. POR and service project were added in 1965. Source: http://www.troop97.net/bsaeagle.htm(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

Interesting rule about no OOC ordeals. We live in a military town, and frequently, a scout or scouter will be called out, then they get transferred out of the area prior to the ordeal. If they move OOC prior to the ordeal, is there election nullified?

Yes. You will need a letter from your Lodge Chief and Lodge Advisor requesting the courtesy of conducting the callout and ordeal for you. Contact your lodge advisor for more details.

Not to my knowledge. There is a time limit for JSP and Jambo troop numbers....which most seem to ignore.

This issue illustrates a problem with multiple failure points. In my district, the District Adv Chair issues a monthly report of advancement by troop. Troops that do not submit an advancement report for more than a month are "red flagged", and the Unit Commissioner is notified to follow up. No troop should be allowed to go more than 2-3 months without a visit. If the problem is widespread, the Training Chair should also be notified so that training sessions can target this issue. If the problem is recordkeeping at Council, then the district Chair should be having a discussion with the DE and SE.

The most common comment I hear is about the weather. Our council camp is near the coast where a typical July day can be 97 degrees, and a dew point of 75 (think AP Hill). A troop can drive 3 hours and be in the mountains where the daytime temp is 80, nights in the upper 50s and the mosquitoes and ticks are nonexistent. Lying in the bunk at midnight when the temp is still 90 with sweat and DEET pouring off you is not pleasant. We can't compete with that. On the other hand, when I encounter OOC troops at our camp, I make a point of "interviewing" them. They think our camp is wonderful. Go figure.

You stole my rant from the WB thread! Here at work we are now into "Lean Six Sigma". The problem with these are they are never in place long enough to show results. When we get a new boss, we are off on another new fad. The other problem is that these are "methods" (like BSA)...not end products. Too often, I see these programs take on a life of their own, and people create jobs and think up things for you to do that take you away from doing your real job. Just like in the BSA, we need LESS admin overhead...not more. There is nothing wrong with having "key performance indicators" to show that what you are doing is successful. But they need to be measures of "outcomes", not "activity".

What size does your husband wear?

"In fact such tactics may well drive people further away from your camp (who needs that behavior!)." For the first time in our 15 year history, the troop I serve went OOC. We should have done it sooner. The boys were thrilled to see new sights, but it is sad for me to turn away from the camp I helped build and first attended as a Tenderfoot in 1966. But I refuse to be bullied by a "professional". We shouldn't let sentiment get in the way of providing a quality program to our units.

The CC serves at the pleasure of the Chartering Organization. Only they (COR) can remove him/her...(except of course unless their BSA membership is revoked for cause by the Scout Executive.) Sounds like another example of untrained leaders abusing power (or assuming power they don't have).

This is AMERICA!!! I have a RIGHT to look like a moron!

This was one of the very issues that caused me to step away from District committee membership...my last assignment was Camping Chair. Our SE would publicly berate our committee because we "were not ensuring that troops supported our Council camp". My attitude was, "if we have butts in cots, who cares what council they're from...besides, you surcharge out of council troops, so you should be glad they are there." Most troops in our COuncil rotate summer camps...there are about 6 within a 4-5 hour drive of our area. Most like the mountain areas because the weather is cooler and the mosquitoes are more tolerable. Just like any business, if a camp wants to attract customers, they have to offer something better and/or cheaper....or maybe just different.

We have one old gentleman in a neighboring troop who still proudly wears his green uniform resplendent with his original 1937 Jamboree patch which he earned as a 14 year old! Jambo registered participants/staff can wear the appropriate patch ABOVE the right shirt pocket (not on the pocket). If you went to more than one Jambo, choose the one you like best, but only wear one. Those who merely visited a Jambo are not eligible to wear the patch.

Congratulations, Grunc!

Are the expectations made clear when people run for office, i.e., that they now have an additional monthly meeting to attend? If so, and they are not fulfilling that part of their "cheerful service", then I would let the Chapter Advisors know, so perhaps a little "advising" can take place. In my experience, the OA needs to be revamped and revitalized. We generally have less than 20% of members who are truly "active" in the OA. Most complete the Ordeal, sew on the flap, and you never see them again. So when it comes time for chapter elections, the same 10-20 scouts are in the candidate pool, because they are the ones who bother to show up.

Welcome to the forums, Ma! You don't state what your role in the Pack is, so I assume you are a parent and not a registered leader (not that that's a bad thing)... To answer your last question first, the CC and CM are selected and approved by the Charterering Organization (CO). If there are volunteers for the position, the committee can suggest them, but the ultimate decision is the CO's. The first thing in your post that stands out to me is "we were switched to a different pack". That, to me, should not have happened and is the root of your displeasure. You and your son selected a Pack to join, based on criteria that were important to you. That's the way it should work. No one has the authority to decide you belong in a different Pack against your wishes. My suggestion at this point...unless you are willing to pony up and become a trained, registered leader and try to change things from within (a process that may well take your entire Cubbing career!), you should just go back to the Pack where you thought you could be happy. If your son is the only Wolf, then so be it...they need to deal with it and make it work. As the dad of sons who are now 29 and 25, I can tell you that your son is only a Cub for a blink of an eye (it seems like yesterday!)...don't waste the time being unhappy. There are no "do overs"... Good luck...and forgive me if I made incorrect assumptions.

Just a minor detail...the SM does not decide how troop funds are spent. That's a Troop Committee function. If the PLC has presented their plan to the Committee and they have agreed to support it, the SM then has two choices...go on the trip or stay home.