scoutldr

Not knowing the terms of the lease, if the city evicts the scouts, do they have to reimburse the council for the fair market value of the building?

Ok, so the art museum is pretty good. And there was my nice young black friend who emerged out of the rain, quickly sized us up as lost tourists and turned us around and led us by the hand to the restaurant we were seeking. I felt like W.D. Boyce for a minute...until he gratefully accepted the dollar tip I offered.

The bottom line is how bad do you need this guy? Are his SM skills worth the committee and ASM's being "embarrassed"? This is probably a simple decision...no camper, no SM. Your choice. It's unfortunate that he has put the TC in this position...but he has.

Dizzy makes some good points. I have also scaled back...although it was for my own mental health. Perhaps I am morbid, but when I think that I lost my dad and mom at ages 69 and 70, respectively, and I am 53...I do the math. Life is too short to spend it doing things that vex the soul. I have decided that I will retire as soon as possible ... perhaps in 3 years. THen I will do what I want to do...no clue what that is yet, but I will not waste more time working for people who really don't care if I show up or not. I am working purely for the paycheck...and that's when it's time to quit. I have given up District activities...for much the same reason. We volunteers are just viewed as "tools" to achieve the Pros' critical goals. It's not for the boys...it's for their paychecks. When my parents were getting on in years and got ill, I gave up many opportunities to move and progress in my career....I also wanted my boys to know their grandparents...which I never did. I don't regret anything. Time with family is precious...don't waste a minute of it...driving 4 hours to an Area Meeting and back is time better spent. Do what your heart tells you, and don't second-guess it.

As it happens, I sit here in downtown Philadelphia writing this from a hotel next to City Hall. As I walk to my conference tomorrow morning, I may fling an un-Scoutlike gesture towards the Mayor's office. I had decided this afternoon that when I get home, I will fire off a letter to the Mayor and the Conference Organizers outlining the many negative observations since I got here Friday afternoon, and urging the organizers to scratch the "City of Brotherly Love" from their list of potential venues. This is one more point I will add to the letter. Although I was born in OGE's neighborhood a little north of here, and lived here in Navy housing as a 3 year old, this is undoubtedly one of the dirtiest, nastiest cities I have ever visited. We rode the subway to see the Phillies beat the Giants last night, and (in the City Hall station, no less) had to step over homeless people and piles of feces and puddles of urine. The station looked like it had not been cleaned since 1928. The cab drivers are crooked ("sorry I don't have change for a 20" and "no credit cards, cash only"), and we don't venture out after dark. And yes, I've been to many big cities...this one is about 40 years behind the others. To anyone planning a vacation here...don't bother. This city is old, filthy and dangerous. (Edited for typos)(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

I'm too enhanced as it is...

"Revoke her e-mail privileges?" I wasn't aware that e-mail was a privilege granted by the Troop Committee. You could threaten to sue her for libel, however.

Thanks for posting this, which is not widely advertised. Apparently it's a BSA product being piloted by two councils, and other councils can be added if they find a sponsor.

What you're looking for is called a "Deadman anchor". Campmor sells one for around 10 bucks, but it sounds like you can make one, as OGE says. The trick is to bury them deep enough into the wet sand so they won't pull out. They are also used for snow. See also: http://www.paddling.net/sameboat/archives/sameboat215.html

It's not you, Lisa. I have the same problem. I take a separate tarp to throw over my tent if it rains. The "new" nylon tents (as opposed to the canvas tents of my youth) that you get at the department store are mostly crap. I haven't taken the plunge yet, (and at this point in my life, I may not) but I hear the $250 tents are better. I did try treating my tent with spray waterproofing and seam sealer...didn't help a bit. If the forecast calls for rain, I also pack a green garbage bag to slip the foot of my sleeping bag into...if it touches the tent, the water will wick right through.

Frequently, when scouters write in with issues, the answer is, "Contact your Unit Commissioner". Previous threads have lamented that the Commissioner Service is broken. In the unit I am privileged to serve, the SM and CC are both Eagles, with a combined service star total of over 60 years. After being chartered for 15 years as a Troop, we were finally appointed a Unit Commissioner. She is a nice enough person, and doesn't interfere, however the sum total of her experience in scouting is a few years as a Den Leader. I can see where some long term scouters may take issue with someone who doesn't know a Merit Badge from a Wood Badge coming in to "assess the health of your unit" and give you advice on how to make it better. On the other hand, I agree with Eamonn that joining the Commissioner coffee klatsch should not be a reward for retired Scoutmasters. So how competent is your UC? Do you even have a UC? Does your UC actually help when you have an issue that needs wise counsel?

Someone did blow up the WTC...they were Saudis. So why did we invade Iraq? I am much conflicted about this whole issue. A secretary in my office is black and a Muslim. I have learned much about the Islamic faith from this lady. She is one of the most kindest, gentlest souls I know. She is also dying of metastatic breast cancer. I have never seen anyone with so much strength and faith. She has gone through about 5 rounds of radiation and chemo, has lost half her body weight, and still comes to work every day. But I digress... I am of the mind that there are good Muslims and bad Muslims (ie., "Islamofascists"). Those people are not to be reasoned with and they will not cease their fanaticism until the last "Infidel" is dead or converted. They do not hold allegiance to any country...only to Allah, whom they believe will reward them for their efforts. Life, even their own, means nothing to them. The only way to fight an enemy like this is to kill them before they kill us...if you can figure out which ones they are. I don't think they'll be wearing Scout uniforms, so that narrows it down some.

t158 = Just my opinion...if the troop leadership AND Camp Director were ok with it, then it's nobody else's business, as long as the Web is not disruptive. I think the Web should have attended as a guest, not as a Scout. As I stated before, nothing he did at camp can count toward Boy Scout advancement if he is not registered in a TRoop at the time.

They're not "bending" the rules...it's a pretty clean break.

Wrong T-shirt???

Looks like you're out of options. 1. Give all the parents a map and tell them it's their responsibility to get Junior to camp. 2. Cancel the trip and go to your local council camp.

Ross Perot for BSA President!!!!

I have to agree with the others who are voting "NO". Sorry if it's unfair, because I don't know the young female, however one has to wonder WHY in the world a 22 year old single mom would WANT to be around young boys so much. My YP alarms would be going off.

1971 - Explorer in a Post sponsored by a VFD/Rescue Squad, specializing in fire, rescue, first aid, etc. We were asked by our high school PE teachers to give a demonstration, using our moulage kit (rubber wounds). So our Advisor takes the day off, and brings our 1959 Cadillac ambulance. The demos are going well, until I (15 years old) try to lower the stokes stretcher with the "patient" still lying on it. I (a Red Cross Advanced First Aid Instructor) reach in and release the lever and the stretcher drops to the ground, the mechanism slicing my hand open in the process. Dripping with blood, the students get a real live demo of "direct pressure" and off we go in the ambulance with red lights and everything. It was great, and at 53, I still have the scar!

Actually I'm being realistic. There probably was a day when summer camp staff worked for free (30's, 40's maybe? I'm not that old.), because they loved scouting, loved the chance to be in the "country" during the summer, and they had nothing else to do. They didn't need to generate $300 a week to support their cars and electronic toys. Those that had to get actual jobs, did so in order to help feed their families (my Dad was one of those). Unfortunately, those days don't exist any more, and if we didn't pay camp staffers a salary (meager as it is), there would not be a summer camp. But if it's gotten to the point that a scout can't donate a few hours to teach younger scouts how to tie knots, without expecting remuneration, that's sad indeed and our program is doomed.

It also won't count for OA eligibility. I remind the scouts of that when they want to go home early (on family night) from summer camp. "I guess you'll get your long term camp somewhere else?" Most just shrug and say "I don't care...my Playstation misses me."

There's already a Scouting job for the 22 year old new college grad with no life experience. It's called "District Executive"...

Not enough information. I personally would not choose a 22 year old female to be an SM. Too distracting to the 17 year old boys.

"Yah, so what do we all think of BSA summer camp, where boys with limited experience are hired as counselors and paid to teach skills to younger boys?" I think that we're talking apples and oranges. Summer camp counseling is a job, not a unit fundraiser. And the pay sucks, considering the hours they put in. "And what do we feel about DE's, who are paid to provide services to adult leaders (and to kids in direct service units)? " Ditto about the pay. It's the SE's who are making 4 times the salary of a DE that gives me heartburn. Ours doesn't do anything for the units, except publicly insult the volunteers and berate those who choose to go out of council for camp. "How about paying $ for training (or $$ for Woodbadge)?" Getting the "Trained" strip should be free, since "every scout deserves a trained leader" and we are told we're pond scum if we're not. Most people I know can't afford WB (in terms of both time and bucks). Maybe we could do without the custom shirts, caps, notebooks, coffee mugs, yada, yada, yada, and make it more accessible to the masses.

Wow...Camp Woodruff sounds like the Hilton! Ours has traditional gang showers for men and youth (separate), and a third section was added for women with individual stalls. My boys tell me that the showers in the High School gym are now used for storage. No showers required after PE.