scoutldr

OK, I'll go first: Which one do you find the hardest to live by? Reverent - especially this week. I find myself questioning my faith a lot lately. So I should keep the 33 VT families in my prayers? Why would God bless them now, when He failed to bless them and protect them on Monday? 'Splain that to me so I can explain it to an 11 year old. Which one do you find the hardest to explain to a new Scout? Reverent - because if a Scout has not had a religious upbringing, they're not going to have a clue what I'm talking about. And that's a lot more common than when I was a scout. Do you feel one is more important than the others? Trustworthy - because if I can't trust you, none of the others matter and I'd rather not be around you.

Could be finances. Price of gas here is $2.79 - $3.05 per gallon (and I know that's relatively low compared to other areas). It costs my wife and I $10 a day just to get to work and back, not to mention other trips around town.(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

I've seen the patch on eBay, but I wasn't aware it was a current award.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07108/778891-84.stm More details on Eagle Scout Kevin Sterne, from Troop 1313, Eighty-Four, PA

One of my favorite people was Harry "Give 'em hell, Harry" Truman. He said, "I don't give people hell...I just tell them the truth and they think it's hell!"

Just got a newsletter from our COuncil...cost of 2007 Philmont contingent will be (conservatively) $1300-$1600. Cost in 2006 was $1425. "We will to fly into Albuquerque, visit the Atomic Museum, Sandia Peak, white water the Rio Grande, and bunk at the Marriott for two nights before checking into Philmont for a 10 day 80+ mile trek through the New Mexico high country."

The buddy can be anyone. Similar to a SM conference, the encounter should take place in plain view of another person, but they don't necessarily need to participate. It's usually more fun if two scouts work together on a badge, but it's not required. I've even heard it said that it's acceptable for the MBC's spouse to be the "third person", however I would not recommend it. The bottom line is "no one on one contact".

All of my scouts are now accounted for...Tommy lived on the 4th floor of West AJ...the same floor where the shootings occured. All three are on their way home for a long weekend. I sent them all an e-mail offering the love and support of their Troop... A Pastor interviewed early on admonished people not to blame God for this tragedy...that "God does not plan for people to be murdered". I'm having a real hard time with this...if God is omniscient and omnipotent, why does He just stand by and watch...

"Finally, what happens if a scout moves from my hometown to yours. He's a Life Scout with 28 MBs, but almost all of the counselors fail your council's rules. Do they approve his Eagle? It seems unfair to the boys who grew up there if they do, but unfair to him if they don't." If a scout moves into my area, I will ask for his transfer sheet (or book)...if his SM has attested to the fact that he has "earned" 28 MB, who am I to question it? "I hope that people don't expect the Scoutmaster to be a robot, teaching the same-ol' Tenderfoot-to-First-Class stuff year after year. What happened to having some FUN and CAREER-BROADENING with my own son, a Life Scout? Why can't I have the latitude to teach him as many Merit Badges as I feel like?" No, we don't expect SMs to be teaching the "same-ol' Tenderfoot to First Class stuff"...that's the job of the SPL and PLs. The SM's job is to train junior leaders how to lead. Some seem to be losing sight of the fact that the MB program is not designed just to teach a subject. It is to teach the scout much more: Initiative: Hey, I still need Citizenship in the Nation! I'd better ask Mr. SM for the Counsellor list so I can get busy, because I'll be 18 in 6 months! Overcoming shyness: Mr. Counsellor, this is Tommy Scout from Troop 1. May I meet with you at your convenience to work on Citizenship in the Nation merit badge? Thanks, that would be great!...Yes, I'll be sure to bring a buddy! Adult Association: Wow, Dad, did you know that Mr. Counsellor is a professor at Towne State and he knows the Governor! He's going to run for State Senator next fall and asked me what I thought about the proposed teen driving laws! Are these objectives fulfilled when a scout "earns" merit badges from "Jimmy's dad" who fills out a form and is all of a sudden an "expert" (either by vocation or avocation?) in 73 different subjects (even if only 7 at a time)? Does the scout get exposed to the "passion" that a professional has for his life's work? Or is the objective just to get them to Eagle by the most efficient and comfortable means possible?

When I was a DL, I taught my 8 year olds how to shave. You blow up a balloon, smear it with shaving cream and then "shave" it with a razor. The one who can shave all the cream off the balloon without it popping, wins. We did this at a ScoutORama and the cubbies loved it.

IMHO, the "swimmers test" is seldom administered the way it is designed. I have seen too many instances where the scout is passed if he can manage to thrash his way to the end of the pool regardless of "comfort" or technique. Swimming is not like hiking or cycling where the goal is to just go from point A to point B any way you can. If they are "not that comfortable in the water" then they are Beginners...not Swimmers.

Three of "my" scouts are at Tech. One lives in the dorm (West AJ)mentioned and he and another are engineering majors (Norris Hall). Another is in the Corps of Cadets, who have their own dorm. We've only heard from two of the three so far. Not wanting to bother the stressed out families, I can only pray and hope all is well. A student was quoted as the shooter wearing a "Boy Scout-type outfit"...not sure what that means, but I sure wish they had not used those words.

Now you know how we in Virginia feel about going to Philmont! So I guess we're even. Not many can afford that price tag, either, not to mention the 3 week time commitment for adults who have to work for a living!

Camp Dark Hollow goes on the auction block Modern Girl Scouts want modern amenities, the Virginia Skyline Council says. By Cody Lowe The Roanoke Times Today's Girl Scouts want an outdoor experience, but they'd like to have it with hot showers, flushing toilets and modern kitchens. That was the conclusion of the board of directors for the Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council in 2004, when it decided it was time to sell off the three most primitive of the five camps it owned. Monday at noon, the last of those three -- the 400-acre Camp Dark Hollow on Virginia 311 at Hanging Rock -- will be sold at auction. "Things continue to change in Scouting," said Jen Ward, director of marketing and communications for the Roanoke County-based council. "There's been a decline in use of the camps," she said, and Girl Scouting nationwide has been working "to develop programs for girls that they want to do, so they'll stay in Girl Scouting and not be seeking opportunities in other places." Dark Hollow, purchased in the early 1950s for $12,000, has always been a relatively primitive camp. There are two wells on the property to serve the bunkhouses and kitchen. Electricity is available in some buildings. But the outhouses, lack of showers and absence of a large flat outdoor spot for sports and other activities were a drawback. There is a stream on the property, but not large enough to be used for aquatic activities. There are still girls who are interested in primitive camping experiences, Ward said, and in traditional activities such as archery. But there's also a demand for other types of activities that today's Girl Scouts' moms probably never thought of, such as crime scene investigation. The council hopes to replace Dark Hollow with a smaller, more convenient camp somewhere near Roanoke. It is looking for about 20 acres, with 5 acres or so open and flat for sports and other activities, and with access to water such as a lake, pond or river. "Preferably, there would also be existing infrastructure there -- water, electricity, flush toilets and showers," Ward said. "We want hiking and primitive camping to be available, as well as progressive camping." In fact, such sites technically aren't even called "camps" by the Scouts anymore. "We call them 'program centers,' but we still give them camp names," Ward said. They are home to a variety of programs, she said -- science, technical programs, computers -- as well as outdoors activities and sports. Much of the Dark Hollow property is steep and rocky and most of it is still wild. Woltz & Associates, which is handling the auction, believes that is a great selling point. "Its potential use is limited only by the imagination of the bidders," said Jonna McGraw, who's handling the sale. The Web site describing the property received 40,000 hits its first week online, she said. Prospective buyers have talked to her about continuing to use the site as a camp or retreat center, as a hunting camp, or even as a "family compound." The property has been subdivided into five tracts, which range from 26 to 274 acres. "We tried to divide it in a way to appeal to most people. There are smaller tracts for a single-family buyer, and a larger tract with more wilderness area for outdoor sports, recreation, hunting," McGraw said. The property is zoned for agriculture use, so any proposal to create additional subdivisions or more intense development would require rezoning by the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors. No one is making a guess on the total revenue the property may bring, but McGraw said she hoped it would be higher than the tax assessment, which last year was $776,000. Subdividing the site into five tracts, which will be sold singly or in whatever combination brings the highest bid, can help generate a higher sale price, she said. There is no minimum bid on any parcel. The sites will all be served by the current access road running through parcel 1, where most of the buildings and other improvements are located. All of the sites have been tested and approved for septic sites, McGraw said. Such a site so close to the interstate is rare, McGraw said. "There are beautiful old trees, wildlife, wildflowers; it's pretty neat." And, she said, "The good thing about the sale is that the money will go to buy a new camp." The Skyline Council spent some of the money from the sale of Camp Shawnee in Southside Virginia and Camp Massawomee in the northern Shenandoah Valley on improvements to the remaining two operating camps, Ward said. Camp Sacajawea near Lynchburg and Camp Sugar Hollow near Crozet serve the two other major population centers in the council's service area. The decision to sell Dark Hollow was a tough one, Ward said. "The board decided that we needed to move forward ... and that it would not work for what we needed." The board sought feedback from the 11,500 girls it serves. "We have to listen to the girls," Ward said. "If we don't, we're doing them a complete disservice. "Girls will always have new interests. We're trying to keep up with them."

Welcome, tuxz0r! As we say, grab a cuppa joe and pull up a log. You're background sounds similar to mine and several others here. Couldn't wait to have boys of my own so I could put the uniform back on and dive back in! That was 22 years ago...boys have aged out, but I haven't!

Bigfoot is a member of the troop in which I serve...age 12, size 14!

Here are more details: http://www.boyslife.org/home/728/scouts-capture-bigfoot/

Not having used to be a "critter", I realize I have no "cred" and probably don't know what I'm talking about. But I have to wonder why this discussion continues, when the answer has been established? If you've earned a knot, you can wear it. Or knot. Your choice.

We had a cuss jar at one time...our ASM who sailed for 30 years as a merchant mariner and served in the Army before that would liberally use the f-word and s-word and even the n-word. Of course, his son was no better, because that's what he heard at home. When we got to summer camp, he would just throw a $20 bill in the jar and say, "There, I'm covered for the week!" We don't use the cuss jar any more. A teacher once told me that cussing just showed ignorance and a lack of education and vocabulary.

I think that 'guidance' was not meant to apply to knots, which in another part of the IG clearly shows that multiple rows of knots are appropriate. It is meant to apply to things like QU awards, which I have seen lined up all the way down the sleeve. Only the QU award for the current year is meant to be worn. I have seen a Scouter in our district who wears not only the Eagle rank badge on the pocket, but also the medals for Eagle, Religious Award and Scouters training award...ALL the time. That's clearly ridiculous, but I don't feel I have the right to tell him my thoughts ... no more so than I would go up to someone at work and tell them that I feel their choice of clothing looked ridiculous (much as I would like to)... Another example are those scouts and scouters who continue to wear their Jambo CSP and unit numbers long after the event is over, not to mention multiple Jambo patches above the right pocket. We also have a council scouter who likes to wear the dark green Venturing shirt, along with 4 rows of those special knots with the dark green background (not official). He was in a Crew as a youth, but now is registered with a troop and holds a Council committee position. When I am attending a troop or OA event, I wear my red loops. When I am representing the District on an EBOR, I wear silver loops. That's what is meant by "current status", IMHO.

Unfortunately, it's the culture today. Kids hear 4 letter words and worse from a very young age on TV, in their music, in the movies, at home and in school. To them, it's nothing.

Thanks, Ed. That's useful information!

First of all, thanks for the reference! I think BSA should do this with ALL their pubs. But the first thing I looked for was a copyright notice, and sure enough, it's on the last page (back cover). Has the BSA finally given permission to Scouters to reproduce their publications and pass them around? Is this considered "fair use"...someone on the forums once stated that we had permission to do this as long as we use the materials to further the movement and don't profit from it. (I'm not a lawyer...I'm just asking the question) (edited for typos)(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

How to prevent burnout? Focus on the job you signed up to do...if you are a DL, then don't worry about a nonfunctional CC. It's not your job to pick up the slack. Focus on den meetings and your group of boys. It's up to the CO and COR to decide if the CC is "pulling their weight" or not, and to replace them when necessary. Most cub scouting happens in the Den...where the rubber meets the road.

Most BSA memorabilia is illustrated in "A Guide to US Scouting Collectibles" by George Cuhaj. The book is available on eBay, and sometimes in Barnes/Noble stores.