scoutldr

Like VentureSCout said, go to the national OA website, then click on the "JUMPSTART" box at the bottom. This is info for new members.

I am aware of the EO and of service-specific instructions as well. I pushed the issue up to the appropriate Pentagon office and was told "that policy does not apply to civilians." I am the only Scouter at my command that I am aware of, so I get no support locally. Funny, we are the ones who take the lads camping and keep the units alive when Dad or Mom are deployed...using our precious vacation time in the process. Just my little way of supporting the troops some of whom are my neighbors. I know they appreciate it, and I am happy to do it.

Correct, FOG. I am FLSA "Exempt"...no overtime. But like a good Scout, I consider it "duty to country" and "cheerful service". Even when I have to give up my weekend in airports and still have to be at work Mon morning. The travel regs say "time in travel status is not considered hours of work and is not compensated." So if they want me to go to WB or Philmont, summer camp gets cancelled. I have to choose what's more important to the boys. Cancel Christmas? Wait, I'll ask my wife.(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

I am a Federal government employee. Being a senior manager, I can take off just about any time I need to, but anything greater than 59 minutes is charged to annual leave. That's the law. Gotta make sure the taxpayers get their money's worth! I take two vacations a year...Christmas and Summer Camp.

At the risk of waking Merlyn, yes active duty military can be granted "no-cost TDY" orders for scouting activities, meaning they can attend without charge to leave. As a civilian who supervises military personnel, I have to use my vacation time for camp. Back in the 60's our camp staff consisted of many military folks. A Marine LCPL ran the rifle range and taught us how to get a tight group from any position. Mess cooks ran the kitchen and a Hospital Corpsman manned the health lodge. Don't see much of that anymore.

Our district did a 1:3 split a little over a year ago. The biggest problem is in staffing the district infrastructure, which in my opinion should be in place prior to the split. The number of units and adult scouters remained relatively the same, however now you need 3 of everything, DEs, District Commissioners, district chairmen, etc. Somehow all of the experienced training staff ended up in one district, so as the new Training chair, I had to start from scratch. One of the other new districts still has no training staff, so they are all coming to my courses. A year and a half later, I a

I think where most people will have issues is with the "retesting". That is not the purpose of a BOR or SMC. The ideal is to ensure that the requirement is not signed off until it is learned and demonstrated. Then reinforcement of the knowledge is obtained through teaching it to others. Remember, Scouting is "fun with a purpose". It's about the journey, not the destination. The Scout Oath and Law are how you live, not what you recite mindlessly at a Troop mtg.

I agree with our new friend from Malta in another post. We need to get a life and channel all this energy into things that matter. Next time someone asks me for a Kleenex, I will say, "No, sorry, you'll have to ask someone else, all I have is a Scott Facial Tissue." But now that I know that Field uniforms are officially only for meetings and ceremonies, I won't have to constantly remind them that "Class A's are required for dinner" at summer camp. Heck, we won't even take our uniforms with us.

I visited last May during a business trip to Dallas. My favorite was the exhibit hall of original Rockwell and Csatari paintings. I was in heaven, seeing my old Boys' Life covers in their original versions! The museum itself was kind of a disappointment, but I guess their main target audience is the 11-12 year old. Just about every cub scout has raced a pinewood derby car, so I'm not sure they need to take up valuable space with a track. I know they have a lot of memorabilia in storage, and I wish they would have more of that on display for the adult memorabilia/antique enthusiast. I did

EagleWB: The quote was from the link that Bob posted right above me. From the OA national web site. SL

FOG: That explains the brand new Eagle medals for sale on eBay. I also thought those were controlled distribution and had to be ordered from National. If not, they should be.

The SM should check. He signs the card authorizing the Scout to begin work on the badge and one of the questions at that point should be "are you using a registered counsellor". If the scout brings a blue card back to the SM without an approved counsellor's name on it, it is rejected and not submitted to Council. This is a Youth Protection issue. Anyone performing volunteer work under the auspices of the BSA needs to be registered and trained.

Living in this country grants us certain liberties that even the BSA can't take away. Down here, south of the Mason-Dixon line, I dare anyone from Irving to come tell us we can't wear "hunting apparel"...whatever that is.

In the US, we encourage proper uniforming for all Scout activities. The BSA uniform does not include camouflage. If they are not in uniform, they can wear whatever they want, as long as it does not reflect poorly on the BSA, the Troop, or the Chartering Organization. Examples would be T-shirts which depict images of tobacco, alcohol, drugs, racism, weapons, profanity or sexual connotations. Welcome to the forum! Our international brothers and sisters in Scouting are always welcomed around the campfire!(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

I agree, Bob. But if the only thing holding this back is BSA Policy, aren't they adults? It sounds like "The Order" (i.e., the youth) have no objections.

I think OWL was asking what we thought, not what the rules are. But since you pointed out the source, it sounds like BSA is calling the shots, and if BSA changes its stance, then the OA is open to the idea: "The Order of the Arrow is a program for Boy Scouts and Varsity Scouts between the ages of 11 - 18. If that Boy Scout policy changes, the Order would readily welcome venturers into the Brotherhood of Cheerful Service." It sounds like while they may be a "separate organization", they don't do anything without BSA approval. Rules can be changed...with the right justification.

I vote with you. But the membership requirements should be the same. Is the Outdoor Bronze analogous to earning First Class? Crews that don't go camping would not elect any members. After all, the OA is the "Society of Scout Honor Campers", and in my opinion, you can't be an honor camper if you don't have proficiency in Scoutcraft.

You're busy this morning, OWL! Thanks for the scout-related threads...what a concept! I like my GI issue poncho. It's heavy enough to withstand camping, and is not "single use" like those cellophane things you buy at the Dollar Store (which most of my scouts seem to bring, if anything). It's like carrying around a little tent with you...I can sit in my chair and drape it around me. It's baggy enough I can wear whatever I need to under it to stay warm, and it fits over my backpack. It's also good in the summer since the air freely circulates under it. On the downside, it's too bulky

Eagerly awaiting to hear how it turned out. You guys are saints for putting up with this for so long. I agree with KS...the negotiations are over. This has gone far beyond the point of "youthful energy." I would sit the parents down and tell them in no uncertain terms how it is going to be, and they are out of warnings. We operate by the Scout Oath and law, period. If their child needs medication or psychotherapy in order to fit in, that's not my problem, and if the program needs adjusting to accomdate them, there are "special needs units" for this in most Councils. We are not psychologi

The adults in the troop in which I serve provide transportation to and from camp, then pitch in where needed to assist the camp staff (my specialty is aquatics, BSA Lifeguard, etc), take adult leader training that is offered, or if they are skilled in a trade, report to the Ranger to see what needs doing. Some think that the week is for lounging around, reading, and drinking coffee, which I think makes for a long week and does nothing to benefit the program. Making sure the boys are not goofing off is the SPL's job. We do make a point to visit each program area during the week just to

It is a local policy. My council will not sell one without a report. Of course, we do have a chronic problem with units getting their paperwork in. One unit had held registration forms for 6 months and didn't turn them in until recharter time.

I had to do that once and they made me submit an advacement report and the notation "Duplicate" was made next to the rank. Or, just buy them on e-Bay.

This link (flow chart) shows that the camping requirement for adults can be waived by the SE and Lodge advisor. Not sure if this is a valid interpretation of the rules...caveat emptor. http://www.shout.net/~stumpy/election/E01.PDF

Yes, this is an example of how a scout can suffer if the adults are not properly trained or do not take their jobs seriously. One good suggestion is that as soon as a scout makes Life, give him a copy of his Troopmaster record (or whatever the troop is using) and let him go to Council and ask the registrar to bounce that record against the Scoutnet record. If they don't match, he needs to find out why and start actions to rectify. If he waits until he's 17 and a half, it may be too late. One thing I agree with here...it's not the current SM's problem. This is a problem that the scout need

Stars are gone and the speed is back! Life is good!