scoutldr

Your last post is confusing to me. If you don't want the UC, why would she be invited to your Pack Meeting/beading? Just because an e-mail was sent doesn't mean that communication has taken place.

I would tell the Dist Commish that you want someone else. A UC should be someone who is "detached" and has no emotional or historical "baggage" that they bring to the job. Sometimes the UC has to mediate disputes and they truly need to be a "disinterested third party". You'd be better off with no one.

Actually the troop leadership is getting tired. The three of us formed this troop 15 years ago, and our own sons aged out 10 years ago. Getting new parents to step up to the plate has been frustrating. I purposely have backed away from camping (due to health reasons and to give others an opportunity to serve!) and as a result, have had to cancel some outings due to lack of 2 deep leadership. Seems like when it comes to spending a weekend in the woods, everyone has better things to do. The SM has made it known he would like to step down, but there is no one interested in taking over. So when the day comes, we will give ample notice to our UC (yes, we finally have one after 15 years!), and then quit showing up. We will not desert the current group of scouts, but we're not real interested in "competing" for new ones, either. I have formed four units over the past 35 years, and three of them are still chartered, so it's not an easy decision to let one fold. But we can't do it all forever. And our CO is in "name only"...they don't care one way or the other.

Near as I can tell, it was 1930. See http://www.geocities.com/~pack215/hist-scouting1930.html

Well, our CO is a 501c3. And if the troop is "owned" by the CO, and they own all troop equipment and funds, then in effect, it's a donation to the CO, right? Besides, if I ever get audited (hasn't happened yet), it's between me and the IRS. I'll take the risk. Even if the deduction is denied, it won't kill me.

Congrats, gwd. This is one of the most rewarding duties I have in scouting. Advice? Normally, there is (or should be) time for only 2-3 questions per Board member. Try to put the scout at ease and have a conversation with him. Ask open-ended questions that the scout has to think about...that he can't answer with a "yes", "no" or a grunt. Remember that the requirements have been met...there should be no surprises at this stage of the game. Enjoy!

Thanks for the slam-dunk, Brent. Appreciate your helpful comments. For the record, this was the first time in memory that such a list has been distributed. I had not decided how we were going to respond to it. I was just interested in others' experience. It does no good for me to call 15 Webelos who live at the other end of the district, 15 miles away. I don't have time to be playing phone tag with answering machines every night. Been there. I like Randy's district's "Webelos Transition Coordinator"...great idea!

To an outsider witnessing a BSA activity, such as a troop meeting, OA ceremony, Wood Badge training, Roundtable, etc, they might come away with the idea that Scouting IS a religion. There are analogies any where we turn. We even have our own Creed and list of "Commandments" (Oath and Law). To some youth, Scouting is the only exposure to religion that they will experience.

To an outsider witnessing a BSA activity, such as a troop meeting, OA ceremony, Wood Badge training, Roundtable, etc, they might come away with the idea that Scouting IS a religion. There are analogies any where we turn. We even have our own Creed and list of "Commandments" (Oath and Law). To some youth, Scouting is the only exposure to religion that they will experience.

Just got a printout in the mail from the DE, with a list of all TAW in the District (based on age and grade level). We (troop unit leaders) were admonished to call each one on the list and ensure that they cross over to a troop. What struck me was that there are only 71 names on the list, coming from 21 packs in the district. There are 17 troops in the district, ranging in size from 70 scouts to 6. The largest group of Webs comes from the largest Pack, sponsored by an evangelical church, which is a pretty closed community (only members of the church belong to the scout units, with few exceptions), and one could assume that those Webs will automatically join their own troop, which is now the largest in the District. A coworker used to be active in those units, and they don't participate in popcorn, FOS or most other district/council activities, although they do make an annual token cash conribution to Council. Because they have good numbers, the District leaves them alone. That's neither here nor there, however. My question is, how does that compare to your experience? We have not had any new Webs join our happy little troop in 2 years. It's my observation that there simply are not that many Cubs out there looking for a troop, and there are too many troops to feed, many of which have less than 10 members registered. There are 6 troops within a 3 mile radius of my house. Maybe this has always been the case, and I am just now seeing the numbers?

"She informs me that nearly all the projects seem to not belong to the Scout and when Dad isn't there with his list and his ideas the Scouts have little or no idea what is going on." Sadly, this is the trend I am seeing as well. A co-worker's son recently received (I won't say "earned") the Eagle. I spent 6 months listening to her trials and tribulations as SHE dealt with all the details of getting the project completed. I would gently try to ask, "so, tell me again why YOU are doing this?", to which I just got, "well he is so busy with sports and school, SOMEONE has to make all these calls for him!" Now she is so proud of HIS accomplishment, and I just have to roll my eyes.

SW, it's found several pages back, like p.6 or 7. Only those making >$50K are listed. In my council, that's two people, and the SE makes double what the other one (Assistant SE) does. I find it curious that the compensation listed DEcreased from 2004-2005, and the contribution to pension fund dropped from around $13,000 to less than $500. Consequently, I don't trust those numbers any more than I do the membership numbers. Or maybe it does reflect performance, but I doubt it. We are having our troop FOS presentation next week. I have been a consistent high dollar (relatively) pledger for many years, but this year, I think I'll write a check for $25 just to get my name off the call-back list. My big dollars will go to the Troop. To the IRS, it's all the same. Not to sound petty, but my council offers special collectable CSPs and coffee mug every year for a certain level of donation, and I haven't gotten one for a couple of years. It just doesn't seem important to anyone, in spite of numerous reminders. I am an avid patch collector, so that leaves a sour taste in my mouth. If they can't even do that right, how do I know they are spending my money wisely?(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

"1701- USS Enterprise, NCC-1701 (cool if you were lived in Enterprise, Alabama)" I had never heard of Enterprise, AL prior to this thread. Now they're in the news the same week. Please don't mention my town ... Thoughts and prayers to the people of Enterprise...

If we have to buy a tag from BSA to make up the BSA's profit, then what incentive do I have to make my own uniform? If it's going to end up costing me the same, I'll just let the 12 year old in Bangladesh get his 38 cents a day for making them.

Cub Resident Camp!

OGE, no Bradbury fans here, apparently. A high-tech crew would be 1984. A high adventure crew specializing in winter survival could be Crew -32. We had a Post 911...emergency services. When I got back to Scouting with my sons, we joined Pack 66. The Pack split and we formed Pack 99. Split again and formed Pack 991. Then we formed Troop 99.

Well there's at least one advantage to single man tents...there's at least an outside chance that they'll change into dry underwear before going to bed...

"We used to have an absolutely wonderful scouter who had all kinds of breathing snoring issues...Everyone would wait to see where he would pitch his tent and then try to park as far from him as possible...then at night most of us alternated between wondering when the "Kodiak bear fight" would end ....or during numerous silences wondering if he would take another breath....(breathe steve breathe!)" This is a classic description of sleep apnea, a serious condition that can result in stroke or sudden death in the middle of the night. Not something that you want a bunch of 12 year olds to wake up to! I was diagnosed and now sleep with a CPAP machine, which limits my camping activity to areas in reach of an electrical outlet. I also wear ear plugs to drown out those who are too macho to sleep with a machine. I once spent a miserable night sitting in front of the fire listening to the cacophony echoing through the woods. Our troop is small, and everyone supplies their own equipment. Scouts arrange their own tenting buddies and if they choose to sleep alone, they are allowed. We have a 14 year old who is 6 foot 4, weighs close to 300 and has size 14 feet. He gets to sleep alone! I can see the issues with a mega-troop and space limitations, but for most troops, it's not an issue. Rowdiness is handled appropriately. Some people just like to make rules where no problem exists!

Sorry ... double post again.(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

Where does it say that kids must be entertained and "have fun" every waking moment? I think that's the problem...today's kids (and parents) think that if they are not having fun and thoroughly "psyched" about an activity, it's a waste of time. Every BOR, I ask the question, "what would you do to make the troop better?". Answers are "more camping", "more games", "no MB homework", and "less boring meetings". I tell them that the guy who can fix that for them is in the mirror...go talk to him. Activities won't happen unless they plan it. And that sometimes means sitting down around a table and talking about the boring details. Preparing them for life? YOu betcha. If all parents want is entertainment, then let them sit home with their Xbox.

The "district has no commissioners", yet the DE gets a promotion? What am I missing here?

I know some youth and adults who are registered with units only so they can participate in OA. Never see them at unit meetings or activities.

This is wrong on so many levels...what are these people thinking? If the Lodge Advisor doesn't straighten this out, have a chat with your Scout Executive, who also wears the hat of "Supreme Chief of the Fire" in the OA Lodge. If this is the only way that the Chapter can get attendance at meetings, then there is something seriously wrong with the youth leadership and program.

The easiest way to avoid these situations is to avoid making rules that don't make sense. Who cares when the car was made? Do you also disqualify cars that are purchased on eBay? I was a CM and DL for 6 years. THere were many instances when a Cub would bring his book in with all kinds of things signed off by "Akela"...the Cub had no idea he had done all those things. It's not our job to second guess the motives of parents in such matters. All we can do is make it clear to the scout and parents what the expectations are and then trust that they understand. I had a wake up call two weeks ago...and I'm realizing that some things in life just aren't worth worrying about. This would be one of them.

I don't actually "log in" either. Just getting the page to appear is near impossible. This time took me 5 tries. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining (well, I guess I am). I dearly appreciate this free resource. If it's a money issue, let us know ... we can do an on-line fundraiser...I for one would be willing to contribute towards a new gweebo disk or whatever. Since I won't be stroking a check to FOS this year...(This message has been edited by scoutldr)