scoutldr

Sorry to see anyone leave in frustration over a forum. I remember the days when Ed Mori and Bob White used to duke it out. It could get bloody...and embarrassing when you realized that there are hundreds of "lurkers" (youth and adults) getting their impression of Scouting from the comments here. BD, thank you for toiling in the trenches, where the rubber meets the road. That's where Scouting takes place, after all. Not here, Not in Irving, Not at the Council office full of overpaid Executives. You may never know the impact that you made on impressionable young men, but if you have saved just one, it was worth it. Scout on, brother.

Personally, I never notice what "section" I am reading. I just click on "new posts since my last visit". Matters not to me if it is in I&P or something else. People who are unhappy with the forum should have seen it 5-6 years ago. A few of us who are still around know what I mean. It could get downright nasty. Scout on!

The parents in the troops that I served were never a bother, in fact they were very supportive. That being said, I get that things have changed for the worse in the past 20 years. In this case, I would meet with the parent the first time and hear her concerns. Then I would "educate" her in the methods of Scouting and explain that advancement is the Scout's responsibility, not mine, not hers. When he meets the standard, he will be signed off. Period. There are no "gimmes", except maybe at MB fairs or summer camp. I have heard the horror stories of how these "helicopter moms" will even call their "child's" college professor and complain about this and that. The professors usually refuse to talk to them...and rightly so. Parents need to cut the umbilical cords. They are not doing them any favors.

Bump. The deadline is nigh...

How challenging can it be with 30 secret service agents within arm's length? This is nothing more than another narcissistic publicity stunt.

It wouldn't have happened to my parents because there was no such thing as "summer homework". When you got off the bus that last day, you were "free" until the day after Labor Day, unless you had "failed"' (yes they actually used that word) and had to go to summer school, which was the ultimate embarrassment. If you didn't make it up in summer school, you did not "pass" and repeated the grade. Only the "dumb" kids had to repeat grades and our parents admonished us that, unless we made the grade, we would be doomed to a life of ditch-digging or being a garbage man. And you know what...just had my 30th high school reunion. My parents were right. Those who were screw-ups in school are still screw-ups. I'm not impressed with these advanced programs like IB and AP courses or the handle "gifted". I just wish high schools would concentrate on teaching them to read and write standard English grammar and how to balance a checkbook before teaching them about International Relations. As an employer, I don't care how many AP classes you had, if you can't write a coherent report.

This was from the old lodge next door to mine...now called Wahunsenakah http://www.kecoughtan.com/463flaps.html

I have been ELCA all my life. I'm pretty sure what their policy will be, since they are ordaining gay clergy. At least one of those Lutheran "spln-off" groups was in protest to the ELCA's policy on homosexuality.

Welcome, Ian. Some of your "mates" are already at the campfire here. Just curious...in the US, we are all mostly volunteers with "day jobs", except for the "professional staff" who run the business of the local Councils. Are you considered a volunteer or a professional Scouter? What is your vocation?

But actually EARNING the badge is so hard...can't we just GIVE it to them?

I used to discourage scouts from signing up for MB that, at best, would result in a "partial" unless significant work was required pre- or post-camp. My experience is most partials go unfinished unless Eagle-required.

I always enjoy Eamonn's musings. Brings back my own memories. Going "out of council" to camp seems to be de rigeur now. Troops in my council seem to have 3 or 4 camps in their rotation, and scouts only get to our "home camp" once or twice in their scouting careers. Of course, our camp is on the coast and is pretty "steamy" weather wise, with the obligatory crop of ticks, chiggers and skeeters as big as buzzards. I remember nights as I lay in my rack and the temp was still over 90 at midnight in mid-July. The camps in the mountains seem to be more popular, but are a 5-6 hour drive from here.

http://www.today.com/parents/entitled-kids-these-parenting-tips-can-change-behavior-t32201#parents/entitled-kids-these-parenting-tips-can-change-behavior-t32201

Exposure to UV rays from the sun is just as much a fatal cancer hazard as is smoking. We ban smoking, don't we? Most people don't use sunscreen properly anyway, so it's a moot point. You need to be applying darn near half a bottle every time you put it on, which should be about every hour, depending on activity.

Adults can combine all of their years into one "Blue" star. That's what I have done. Will soon need to buy a 40.

Anyone else view this as a YP violation that needs to be discussed with the SE? I would also make sure that the boy's parents know what happened and let them consider their options. In some jurisdictions, this would be considered child abuse.

I would be sure to file this away for his Star BOR...if there is one.

Decades ago, when I started a Cub Pack, one of the parents I approached to be a Den Leader, replied, "I couldn't possibly do that, I WORK full time." Others thought that "Cubmaster" was my chosen profession and I worked for the Council. During one angry phone call about something I've forgotten about, a mom asked to speak to my "supervisor" so I put my wife on the phone. I don't blame them...they are ignorant of how Scouting operates. Like the others above, Scouting was something I did in my "spare time" while maintaining a full time career (including travel), actively serving on the Church Council and my professional association and raising two boys. At least a week of my annual vacation time was spent at Summer Camp, plus evening meetings for troop, OA, District Committee, and training functions. Volunteering is best when it is, well, voluntary. That way, you know the volunteer is doing it because they really want to and believe in the mission. Most LDS leaders I've met and/or trained were fine people and did the best they could, just like the rest of us.

I wonder if he had had the mandatory annual BSA physical for "old guys"? Perhaps would have made no difference. A coworker dropped dead of a heart attack last year after working out at the Y. He was a marathon runner and worked out every day. Already had his retirement papers in, but didn't make it. I will be 61 this year. With my BMI and family history, I figure I'm on borrowed time. My sincere condolences to the family.

Maybe it's just me...but I find the "entitlement attitude" of SOME special needs parents offensive. If a parent had showed up at one of my unit's meetings and said "my son has special needs and I'm here to "train" you so that he has a successful experience", I would have found that a tad off-putting. Now don't get me wrong...I have worked many years at scout camp and my MOST rewarding experience was working with a "special needs" troop in aquatics. I worked with a Down's Syndrome scout (adult, actually) and by the end of the week had him all the way in the water in the shallow end and getting his face wet. I was complimented later on what a HUGE accomplishment that was for him and how he talked of nothing else when he got home. My point is, as I stated before...some Scouters have the patience and temperament...some don't. We are all "volunteers" and mostly just parents with no special training who want the best for ALL the boys. Good luck in your quest.

Don't forget the business model of the BSA is a "franchise". All Scouting is local. The only purpose of National is to create program materials and license you to use them. If you decide you really don't need to use the materials, then you have things like "Trail Life" popping up.

Mafeking, Trafalgar, Waterloo, Bulge...I would bet a paycheck that the typical US scout would have NO idea what you are talking about.

Please keep in mind that not all volunteers have the training, temperament, or desire to be part of the "therapy" for kids with disabilities. That doesn't make them bad people.

http://www.meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Scouter_Awards

I gave up a week's vacation for YEARS to take my troop to summer camp. But at least they didn't charge us the registration fee. Most of us adults worked our butts off doing camp maintenance or staffing the aquatics areas. I once visited another Council office during a business trip and got to chatting with one of the office staff. She said that, not only did she have to pay the fees to work at Jambo, but her SE was charging her 10 days' vacation time for being out of the office. I thought that was pretty crappy. BSA is not a family-friendly employer, in my opinion.