scoutldr

I was beginning to get a complex...glad to be back on line. Although I did get reacquainted with those other people in my house.

Bob is correct. We in the Safety profession teach that there is no such thing as an "accident". There are only "unsafe acts" and "unsafe conditions" which pose risk of a "mishap". We do the best we can to mitigate that risk by training, awareness and rules. But there is only so much we can do when someone still insists on making a poor choice.

Not to my knowledge. Which organization presents this award?

I agree...the requirements for the project are in the Eagle Scout Leadership Project Workbook. You may neither add nor subtract from the requirements. Those judging the Project (SM, Troop Committee, District Advancement Committee) should keep in mind that the quality of a project is a function of the qulity of the Leadership demonstrated, not a function of the quality of the product or of the money spent on it.

We recently received a new DE, also. It was traumatic for some, a relief for others. To each his/her own. The guy seems nice enough, and willing to listen to us "graybeards". He is my age (50ish), single, and although an Eagle Scout, has had no other Scouter experience. I think he understands that he needs us and as long as we maintain a good working relationship, we can help him make his goals, which are our goals as well. So far, so good. My advice, give the guy a chance...and don't ask, don't tell.

We have one of the Coleman units. Just a little disappointing. It is terribly slow. Once the coffee is made, you have to turn off the heat. The filter basket kept overflowing with paper filters, so we use either the filter pouch coffee, or a permanent wire mesh filter. It was a novelty at first, but we found that the large blue speckel-ware pot with some coffee pouches thrown in works just as well and is usually quicker.

I agree it's very strange that a child could vanish without a trace. SOmeone in one of the other threads suggested foul play. But if the simplest rules are followed, we can avoid similar situations. Buddy system, hug-a-tree, whistles, ... any one of those would have ensured a happier outcome.

Agree. This is a family matter. It's a real shame when parents use their children as pawns in their petty squabbles. Unfortunately, there's nothing that Scouting can do for this young man, except to make him feel warmly welcome and loved when he does show up.

This was advertised as a council event, no? Is not the Council permitted to impose additional rules? Perhaps they did it just to keep the sheer numbers manageable, and to keep something for the younger scouts to look forward to. Could it be that their motivation had nothing to do with the G2SS?(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

Seems to me the District Finance Chair is the one who should go...

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We had a Troop X. Always broke the rules...SM refused to go to training or Roundtable. Never went to council camp. No popcorn or FOS. Not sure why this unit was in our District, since the CO was in another city....I guess bending the rules is ok, if it means getting a new unit on the books. The SM's son made Eagle last spring. Then the troop folded.(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

Scouts do not compete against each other, so being "one of eight" does not matter. They are selected without regard to the qualifications of the others. If all eight are qualified, all eight can be elected, or it's possible that none will be elected. This is a hard concept to get across to the scouts, and the election teams don't always do a good job of explaining it.

That's not exactly what I intended to convey... Every unit should use the Unit Budget Plan. If you want to have opportunities for scouts to "earn their way", then plan that into the budget. By the way, that's the preferred method...for scouts to earn their way, rather than just asking Mom and Dad to stroke a check whenever they need to go somewhere. The percentage to go into the scout accounts is up to the unit, recognizing that the balance of the troop operating funds will need to be made up somewhere else. You can tell the scouts up front..."if you want to go to summer camp, you need to sell $X worth of popcorn." Now, I have had some parents tell me, "just tell me how much you want and I'll stroke a check as long as we don't have to sell anything." They get tired of being bombarded every fall having to do fund raising for PTA, SCA, Band, French Club, Girl Scouts, etc, etc. Their time is worth more to them.

Aug. 26, 2004 SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Search and rescue crews hope to find a missing 12-year-old Boy Scout in the Uinta Mountains after finding his sock near where he was last seen. Trained personnel today will focus their search on a boulder field and nearby areas where they found the sock belonging to Garrett Bardsley Tuesday. Summit County deputies say the sock was found about a half-mile away from where he was last seen on Friday. Garrett vanished after he went back to camp to change his clothes that got wet while he was fishing with his father. Investigators remain hopeful, but say there's little chance that Garrett is still alive. They say he may have taken shelter from bad weather, where he may have succumbed to the elements. (Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

You can probably figure this out by using the Unit Budget Plan. Figure out what you need to operate the unit, then figure out how much you will receive from various sources. The amount that goes to the Scout's account will depend on how much you can count on from other sources. We manage the Scout's accounts just by keeping track of it in a ledger book. In reality all of the money is in the Troop checking account. Then when summer camp comes around, we tell the scout how much is in his account and what else he needs to come up with, if any.

IF the helipad was already in use, then "painting the H" is routine maintenance. Doesn't qualify.

Because another BSA publication contradicts that. And it is equally clear.

Here's an outta the box thought... We are the BSA...not the BSUSA. Why not export our program to those more frozen brothers who crave it? Let them put the Maple Leaf on the right sleeve instead of the Stars and Stripes and let's go Scouting! It's not like there's a huge language barrier, eh?

Prior to Exploring going co-ed, circa 1971, our Post would often do things with the local Senior Girl Scout troops. Dances, Christmas parties, roller skating, spelunking, etc. When the membership opened up, many of them joined and quickly became officers in the Post. It was a natural transition for them, and since they already knew us, there was no uncertainty. You might try it...

You're "co-ed" but not "truly co-ed"...please ... my imagination is running rampant here.

Bump...just to keep this little guy and his family in our prayers...we need a miracle here.

Second what Eammonn says. Being the SM for a brand new troop of 11 year olds is a full time job. Been there. This is the most important job in Scouting, IMHO, and if the SM has all these other hats to wear, maybe you need a new SM. Smells suspiciously like someone needed to form a new unit desperately.

Well, we'll just have to agree to disagree until someone calls National for an interpretation. Until then, it's just opinions and one is just as correct as the other. When two BSA publications have conflicting information, what is the Scout to do? In most cases, the District Advancement Chair will make a decision and everyone gets on with their lives. In my mind, yes the Scout Handbook is the Scout's reference, until he makes Life, then he is given amplifying information, to wit, the "Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Workbook" which he is supposed to use in planning and fleshing out his project. On page two, it quotes the requirement from the Handbook...omitting the word "any" before "school". It clearly states "no businesses". It has a 2003 copyright date. If I were a DAC, the reference with the latest copyright date would win.

Well said, twocub. WE are the BSA. If I ever felt that, as a volunteer, my suggestions to improve the program were either unwelcomed or ignored, I would walk. Without the volunteers, there would be no BSA and "they" would be unemployed.