scoutldr

I'll give you that one, twocub. Don't make no sense to me either. Could be that in your state, when the child is in school he is the school's responsibility (in loco parentis). Perhaps that's why they make you check him out (transferring responsibility temporarily). Again...if you don't like it, write your state legislator, but dont' beat up the school personnel...they are pretty far down in the food chain when it comes to rules like that.

Our council does charge to use council camps...a buck a head per night. If a unit sells popcorn, they get free training. If someone registers for training and is a no-show, the unit allegedly gets billed. The biggest gripe I hear about popcorn is that it is over-priced. My unit would rather sell 1,000 candy bars at a buck a piece, than try to sell a thousand bucks worth of popcorn. A lot of people will just throw a dollar at you and tell you to keep the candy. I know that some cub packs generate tens of thousands of dollars for their treasuries every year and we always hear about them at roundtable, but as the diet adds say in the fine print, "results not typical"...especially for Troops. Any leader who has been to New Leader Essentials should know what District and Council do for them. Unfortunately, a lot of old-timers out there (pros and vols alike) still feel that the only reason Council exists is to tell them why they can't do something.

Don't blame the schools or the nurses. THey just have to follow the laws that your state enacted in response to law-suit happy parents. If my wife violates that law, she is subject to a $10,000 fine and loss of her RN license. SHe's not going to take that risk because your kid has a runny nose.

If you collect enough, you could endow a campership in her name.

My wife is a school nurse. Even SHE cannot give aspirin, tylenol, etc, without a written Dr's order. Parental permission is not sufficient. Children may NOT be in possession of any medications, prescription or not, at any time while at school or on the bus. The parent must bring the med to school in the original bottle, or have a written order.

I believe those date from the mid-late 70s when there was an effort to make badges more "colorful"...you might try Ebay.

Ahhhh...statistics. One thing remember from Econ 101 is that the general public thinks 4.5% unemployment is unacceptable. In reality, 4.5% is considered "full employment" and is used as the baseline (or was in 1974). That's because there are always that many people out there who are just not interested in working, or are taking time off to make babies, etc. So the question should be, "Of the scouts who are genuinely interested in earning Eagle, what percentage are successful." There are many ways to interpret the statistic...is it that Eagle is such a challenging thing, or is it that by the time you filter out those who are not interested in advancement, those who join and drop out, or those who are there only because their parents make them, only 4.5% are left? It's like saying "Only X% of females over the age of 16 have drivers' licenses." But of the ones who actually go to DMV and apply, probably 99% are successful. That's the true measure of difficulty. I have asked the question before...4.5% make Eagle...but what's the standard denominator? 4.5% of Bobcats? Tenderfeet? Life Scouts? All those who register at least once? My opinion....if a Life Scout earns 21 MB, wears a POR badge for 6 months, and completes an approved Service Project, he will make Eagle 99% of the time. Nothing else matters at that point, unless he "avows" being gay or atheist during the BOR, and even that may not a deal-breaker depending on who's sitting on the Board. I would like to thank everyone for a good discussion. It's thought provoking, helpful, and civil. See...we can do it if we try!

Keep watching Ebay... Also www.alibris.com is a web site specializing in rare or out of print books...they tend to be pricey, though.

A good source for conducting BOR is "Guide for Conducting Boards of Review" at www.scoutmaster.org

Could it be that they choose not to "join" an organization if they can't agree with it's politics?

How about a new rule...when everyone agrees, we can quit arguing?

I'll take that as a compliment, Bob. I didn't suggest it would be easy. Perhaps an ecumenical committee of religious leaders could put their heads together and come up with a proposal that would allow consensus (meaning they don't necessarily agree with everything, but they can live with it and support it). The requirements don't need to be objective and quantifiable..there are lots of MB requirements that say merely, "discuss with your counselor" or "write a report", or "find a community (religious) leader and interview them". As I said, halfway through the Eagle Board is not the time for the scout to start thinking about this. How would we make sure MBCs are qualified? Same way we do now.

Immediately recruit a large staff!!!! My understanding is that there is a "Roundtable Program" guide with month by month ideas based on the themes...

The first lady made it sound as if wearing a complete uniform was a quaint tradition that almost no one follows! Sadly, her observation is more true than not. It would be a great customer service if National Supply Service would have web-enabled ordering with shipping direct to the customer. The web site will let you generate a "shopping cart" but when it's time to check-out, you are told to print your list and take it to your nearest Scout Shop. Unfortunately, our Council actively discourages buying from the catalog 800 number, because then they don't get their "cut". They want all special orders to be placed via the Council Scout Shop.

Here's an idea...since too many BOR and Scoutmasters do not seem to grasp the idea of "duty to God" and the ones that do are reticent to enforce it...a new "Eagle Required" merit badge called "Religious Life" or "Duty to God". Requirement 1 would be "Earn the religious award for your Faith" OR do the following: The optional requirements would be for those who choose not to participate in organized religion, which we all agree is not a BSA requirement. But they would have to seek out a qualified counselor to demonstrate that they understand "duty to God" and are practicing it in whatever form the BSA deems adequate. Then side-stepping the issue and rubberstamping Eagle apps would not be an option.

My council camp: All meds turned into health lodge, except epi-pens and inhalers. Spare inhaler required and must be kept at health lodge. No meds allowed without an original Rx bottle or doctor's order (for non-Rx meds). Same applies to adults, but most ignore it. On check in, I was interrogated by a 14 year old female CIT on my meds "what's THAT for?"...turns out Monday morning she was working the Scoutcraft area. From now on, I keep my own meds.

Eammon said, "that he was shocked at the number of Scouts who use the bathroom and leave without washing their hands." I work at a medical facility. It is even more shocking to see medical personnel not washing after toileting. While "holding the cleanest part of your body" may not be the biggest concern, the fecal-oral route is a widespread cause of gastro-intestinal illness from E-coli contamination and more serious diseases such as Hepatitis A. One of our recent Lt. Governors contracted adult polio from changing his son's diaper, who had just had a polio vaccination. I, for one, do not want my food or utensils handled by waiters who never wash their hands. Besides, it's just gross.(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

In 1966, we had the metal spring cots with 6 inch mattresses. When I returned to camp in 1984, the same cots were there, sans mattresses. Now we have Army-style cots, some wood frame/canvas and some aluminum frame/nylon. I supplement that with a foam pad and sleeping bag, but usually sleep on top with a sheet. A mosquito net over the whole thing is imperative.

So...were they directed to hand over their Scout badges and sent home? That's my point. Don't waste my time with lip-service. Everyone sees it for what it is...especially the boys.

Analogous to laser-tag, this event does not follow the Guide to Safe Scouting and does not qualify as a Scouting or Troop event, if it is run as you described. However, if a group of nine (or more) families decide to get together and do this, it's still a free country. I would require the following: - Planning of the event may NOT be done by the PLC or discussed during a Troop meeting - It should not appear on the troop calendar - A council tour permit will NOT be requested - All parents will be notified that this is NOT a Troop function - The troop will not handle any money or forms - Troop equipment will not be used In other words, you can SAY it's not a troop event, but then you have to make sure that it's not even perceived as a troop event. What you do means more than what you say.

I am registered as a Troop CC, a District Committee member, and a MBC, and have been registered continuously as an adult since 1985. I had to fill out three new application forms this year. If they consequently did three separate background checks, that is terribly inefficient and unnecessarily expensive. It is also the responsibility of the District Advancement Committee to approve all MBC applications, which means they should be verifying that they are qualified to serve as experts in their chosen MB. MBCs are registered at the District level; it is not a Unit position as is commonly believed.(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

"for the places that don't rent out cots?"... Interesting...in the Council in which I am permitted to serve, camp costs $165 a week...if we had to pay extra for a place to sleep, there would be a major revolution!

The only problem we've had with cell phones is with the older guys calling girlfriends constantly. It really is distracting to the program. We categorize them as electronic devices...if I see them in use, they get confiscated and returned when we get home. Since I have to use "vacation" time for camp, my phone stays in the car, too. My employer will just have to get by until I get back to work Monday morning.

I can explain and give examples of say, for instance, Communism, without believing in it or living it in my daily life. I believe the requirement is to "live" the Scout Oath and Law, not just memorize it and be able to explain it and give examples of it. I agree with a previous poster...the Troop Committee and SM did the lad a disservice and put the BOR in a bad position by sending forward a Scout candidate for the rank of Eagle who obviously had no religious training nor convictions and could produce no references in that regard. Once the BOR begins is not the time for the Eagle Candidate to start wondering and deciding if he believes in God or not, only when coached by the Board members. We're not doing our jobs, folks. That was the point of my original post.

Thanks for answering ScoutNut...I wasn't quick enough. See if you can attend camp as a "Provisional Camper"...and individual scout who attends without his home troop. Our troop has had one or two "Provisionals" the past couple of years and they were a joy. They really wanted to be there, so they were no trouble, and our boys got to meet someone new. The lesson was that all scouts are Brothers and you should be able to hook up with any troop and have fun. Just go a different week ... should be no problem.