scoutldr

Welcome, Gonzo. A well written, post, I might add. The difference for adults may rest (I think) in the fact that a Chapter or Lodge advisor is technically a member of the District or Council Committee, therefore when they are are serving in their advisor capacity, they should wear silver shoulder loops, their OA position patch, sans unit numbers. As was stated, a youth arrowman's first responsibility is to his troop. That being said, I agree that a Lodge or Chapter Chief should be able to wear a position patch. There are unofficial ones available on Ebay, but of course we can't wear them on the uniform. Semper, there can't be much of a market for "Council President", "Chief Scout Executive" or "Lodge Advisor", either, but those are available.(This message has been edited by scoutldr)(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

This just in from our Scout Executive: SUBJECT: Governmental Sponsorship of Traditional BSA Units In 1999 the ACLU sued the federal government to compel the military to cease sponsoring traditional Scouting units. The BSA is not a party to this litigation. The Department of Justice and the Department of Defense agreed to resolve this issue in 2004 by ceasing to sponsor traditional Scouting units. All councils were advised in July 2004 to transfer sponsorship of such units to nongovernmental entities. It was emphasized that this only involved a change of the party signing the unit charter and did not affect access to facilities or other support for the BSA. These transfers are now completed. The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois has recently circulated a letter threatening to initiate new litigation unless the Boy Scouts of America terminates all charter agreements it has entered into with schools and other governmental entities. This threat is the latest round in the ACLUs unceasing campaign against the Boy Scouts of America. Since 1981, the ACLU has participated in at least 14 cases against the Boy Scouts, which if laid end to end, would amount to 89 years worth of litigation to date. There are no legal restrictions on the BSA in terms of what entities it may look to for sponsorship. Just about any group willing to accept the program could sponsor a BSA unit. The issue is whether there are legal restrictions on governmental entities that would affect their ability to sponsor traditional Scouting units. Thus, the ACLU will be suing schools and housing authorities, not the BSA, over the issue of sponsorship. The BSA has enjoyed excellent relationships with schools and governmental entities that have sponsored Scouting units, but these parties should not have to be exposed to the expense and inconvenience of litigation for their support of Scouting. Accordingly, all councils should move immediately to transfer sponsorship of all traditional Scouting units sponsored by governmental entities to nongovernmental entities. As in the case with military units, this action does not affect BSA access to governmental facilities or other traditional support.

They should be able to order it by its publication number, 13-550.

Since Venture Crews decide their own uniforms, isn't this something the Crew could decide?

The closest "nearby town" is Fredericksburg, and there are several hotels there with easy access to I-95. Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown are about 2hrs south of there and Washington DC is about one hour north. Word of advice, stay away from the DC I95 beltway area around rush hour, which starts around 3 pm weekdays. If you want to tour DC, I like to stay in Arlington or Alexandria and ride the Metro (subway) into the District...it's clean, safe and easy and you can buy multi-day passes for unlimited rides. Much easier than trying to drive and park in and around DC. Like I said, rush hour traffic there is legendary. Another word of advice, in the summer, some of the tourist attractions give tickets for specific times, such as the Washington Monument and the Holocaust Museum...you need to go there first and get your tickets (free) and then go see other stuff, otherwise you'll never get in. You might want to contact your Congressman's office ahead of time to see what they have available in the way of tickets (White House, etc). You can't possibly see everything in one trip, so choose carefully.

It's not the DE's job to get involved in unit squabbles. That's what your Unit Commissioner (and District Commissioner) are for. If the Pack is in danger of "folding" your UC should be alerted ASAP. Preventing units from folding should be his/her #1 priority.

First of all, there is no health hazard from microwave towers, unless you climb one and straddle the transducer. Secondly, I doubt that the Girl Scouts are erecting it. THey have probably sold an easement on the camp property for the cell phone company to erect a tower, for which they will get a yearly fee.

I'm sitting here wondering how in the world a DE has the time to be a Scoutmaster. I dont' think that should be allowed, especially in the same Council.

If the young man is Mormon, I don't think he has an option about being a member of that troop. It's pretty much decided for him, as I understand it. Perhaps his school buds are in the other troop. Could get confusing when he gets advancements...which troop gets the "credit" for it?

"Thought processing disorder"...don't all teenagers have that?

Good points, Greg. I know you are angry, but as my former office mate used to tell me..."without them, we'd just be average". The patch is a great idea, and if you have time, I would visit the Council service center and see what they have in stock and buy them myself and pass them out. If the CM doesn't want to, then do it yourself along with the dad who organized it. There are generic SFF patches in the catalog and your council may well have them sitting on the shelf. You also need to recognize the dad who organized it. Perhaps you could pass the hat at the BG banquet for donations to go to the Food Bank "for those who could not join us on SFF day".

Do the scouts ever ask, "if you can play with your radio on campouts, why can't I have a gameboy?" ;-)

Venting noted. Trying to troubleshoot a little here...scouts and parents were notified at last Pack meeting. If your B&G is next week, that means the last Pack meeting was a month ago. Was there any effort to call all the Den Leaders a couple of days before and remind them of their Den's obligation? I have the same frustrations. It seems like people today are ALL in need of a dose of Ritalin and don't remember things from one week to the next. When I was conducting training classes, 30 people would register and then 5 would show up...no call, no nothing. There is no sense of responsibility or commitment...like their kids, they are living life in one hour increments and if something better comes along, they're off in a different direction. Too bad that we can't require service hours for Cubs like we do Boy Scouts. No service, no Bear badge. A novel concept.

With today's high-tech equipment and training, they actually prefer people with degrees. I recently read something put out by the MCPON (Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy) that to be competitive for promotion to E-7, a bachelor's degree is necessary and for E-8 and E-9, most have Masters' degrees. I advised him to go in as an Officer, but his goal was to get MP training and have them pay off his college loans and get out as soon as possible. They kept their promises, but he's hated every minute of it. The good thing is that, with his military training, he'll have no trouble getting hired in his field, unlike my two sons.

I take it Fred Rogers has some connection to your Council? I don't mind the spoof patches, as long as they don't cross the line of Scouting Good Taste or violate copyright or licensing laws (e.g., Bart Simpson), and since the boys and less serious collectors seem to enjoy them. However, I think that official patches (JSP or otherwise) represent all members of a given Council and should have some rules of decorum and symbolism. Patch makers vary in quality, and some will merely reproduce the artwork sent to them. Perhaps your council needs a better artist (a contest, maybe?).

At our camp, the most injuries came from the weekly Staff/Scoutmaster softball game. Softball is now a banned activity, but it sure was fun! Other stuff is pretty minor...bug bites, poison ivy, sunburn, scrapes from the pool deck concrete, etc. Dining hall staff are subject to burns and cuts. Simple rules can prevent a lot of pain...no running in camp, buddy system, sanitation, totin chip enforcement, sunscreen, hydration, limit junk food, thunderstorm safety, adult supervision at aquatics and climbing areas, etc. Review the G2SS for more ideas.

I have always heard that Eagles enter the military as E-3. Got this from another bulletin board: "Almost anything will let you enter the military as an E-3. Two years of college, signing to a longer initial enlistment, attaining Warrant Officer in the Civil Air Patrol...I wasn't aware of the Eagle Scout condition but it wouldn't surprise me." My son's best friend enlisted in the Army and started as an E-4 because he had a 4 year degree and signed a 6 year contract. (Stupid on so many levels, but that's another discussion...5 years later he has a chest full of ribbons, two tours in Iraq, but is still an E-4).

The rules for fundraising are on the application form for a fundraiser that must be submitted for Council approval. In general, a product or service of value must be given in return for the "donation". Outright solicitation of direct donations of cash or goods is against BSA policy...only Council gets to do that. Run your idea past your DE for an interpretation.

Good thought, but it sounds more like the responsibility of your SPL and Troop OA Representative.

You sound almost as "shocked and disgusted" as the last time I saw an Eagle Scout candidate butcher the Scout Oath and Law at the BOR. Unfortunately, Scouting may have unwittingly taken the same path as our schools where graduating is more important than learning. After all, we're not allowed to "retest" at a BOR. It's not about learning...it's about getting the "signoff" in your book.

Most camps have a first year camper program designed to work on requirements from Tenderfoot to First Class...usually a half day with an overnighter included ("outpost hike"). The rest of the time, though, they are with their own troops, especially for meals, flags, evening wide games, troop swims, etc. I, too, am having a hard time with segregating them into a "provisional troop" all their own.

The interruptions don't matter. Based on the above, you can wear: Green 6 Blue 12 (10 and 2) OR: You can combine all years into a Blue 18 (10 and 8)(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

In GS, it's probably the same thing. In Boy Scouts, a "bridging ceremony" means "crossing the bridge" from Cubs to Boy Scouts. Usually a small wooden bridge is built and the cubs leave their den on one side of the bridge and cross over to meet their new Troop on the other side, where they receive their new neckerchief and shoulder loops. There are many scripts available for this in the literature or on Google. It can be very symbolic and impressive if done right. If you need a bridge, contact some of the neighboring Packs and they can probably lend you one until you get one built.

First of all, I agree with the concerns expressed here. I also agree with HIPAA. My council is not so careful about medical forms...check in at summer camp involves lining up in front of a table staffed by the "health officer of the week" who could be a nurse, EMT, E-3 Navy Corpsman, or a retired MD who just came up for the afternoon. Helping him/her are 3-4 staff members who are pressed into service to keep the lines moving. The "health officer" last year, when I got sick, tried to take my temp with an ear thermometer by pointing it down my throat. (WOW, you have a low temp...only 93.4!!!) Imagine a 50 year old leader being interviewed by a 14 year old female CIT about your intimate medical history and medications...in front of 50 other people including your sons and his troop-mates. (Yeah, dad, what ARE those little blue pills for, anyway???) If I have a condition such as brittle diabetes, epilepsy, etc, I should be wearing a Medic-Alert bracelet, and everyone in my troop should be briefed on what to look for. We always teach that in First Aid MB, but how many of us actually wear one, at least when we are out in the woods? Other than that, if my MD says I'm good to go, then that's all you need to know. One thing I would tighten up is to require an annual physical for youth, signed by an MD. Having a form filled out by the parents is not adequate, esp for high adventure stuff. Oh, by the way, if someone has HIV, they are not required to disclose that to anyone, so universal precautions should be used for ANY contact with body fluids. I agree with HIPAA since most all healthcare providers in this area, including hospitals, labs and Dr offices are now owned by the same conglomerate and all records are on the same computer system. If I go to the Dr or hospital, I know at least 6 people in my circle of family, friends and acquaintances who will have immediate access to my records. If I am taken to the ER from summer camp, my complete history will be three mouse-clicks away on the ER computer.

Thanks, Shawnee...what I posted was directly from the KAC web site. Perhaps your information is more current.