scoutldr

I picked up a vintage (maybe 40s?) BSA campaign hat at an estate sale for about $20. It's a size 7, so not even close to fitting me. It hangs on the hat rack in the living room with my wife's grandfathers straw boater from the 20's. @Quasze: size 13??? Really??? I'm impressed!

Stosh...I would have replied, "but my mama taught me to be polite...unlike yours."

With a head size something north of a Size 8 and still sporting a full, thick head of hair (eat your hearts out), I don't wear hats much. Hoods or stocking caps are about all I can get to fit without doing a custom order.

I am posting this at 1412, EST.

Welcome to the campfire, aj! Like LeCastor said, do what you think looks best ... some things arent' worth fretting about!

Once again, instead of being able to vote FOR someone I strongly believe in, I had to vote AGAINST a party's policies I vehemently disagree with. The system is broken.

"federal bird sanctuary" and "private island"...are you sure this is legal?

Forgot to add....dens consisted of all age levels, so you could have wolves, bears and lions all in the same den. Badges and arrow points were completed at home with parents, not in the den. Den meetings were once a week, right after school at the Den Mother's house. Few moms were working back then.

Yes, blw2, I have my Lion badge from when I was in Cubs in the early 60's. We entered as 8 year olds and received the Bobcat pin after learning the promise, law, motto, etc. The first "rank" was Wolf, then Bear then Lion, each with arrow points. Then you moved to a Webelos den where you earned Arrow of Light. Crossed over to BS when age 11. Everything was based on age back then, not grade level.

I don't know how many people are in your council, but in ours, it was not uncommon to have 400+ attend a District Camporee. U of Scouting typically would attract 150-200 adults. If some classes had low turnouts, that gives you a message for next year. Sounds like there is a general apathy in your Council and if they canceled due to lack of interest, there would NEVER be an event held. The solution is in planning a good program...if you build it, they will come. But one crappy unplanned event is enough to turn people away and they will never be back. You have to make it worth their while to give up their time. If not, they've got things to do at home. During my stint as training chair, I would have regularly scheduled courses and decided to do evening sessions when all other districts were doing weekends. I always had standing room only, and most of them were from other districts (which didn't help my training metrics any!).

Is your committee using the Unit budget plan? If not, start. You need to know at the beginning of the year what the Pack expenses will be (including awards and each outing/event) and identify where the funds will come from. If fundraisers are not successful, you will need to charge annual dues. There is no free lunch, especially when it comes to the BSA. Parents will understand this if you keep it simple. If the money doesn't come in, something's gotta go.

Sounds like a SM Minute to me. Your point is well taken, and I think is lost on today's generation of Scouts and parents, who view it as a resume bullet for college. The goal is not advancement. The goal is not to get all the merit badges. The goal is to develop character, and you can't do that with 12 year old Eagles. As a semi-retired Scouter, I still sit and smile when I read on Facebook what my "former" scouts are doing with their lives. Two brothers are serving in the Army and Air Force. One is a senior at the Naval Academy and his brother is in the Va Tech Corps of Cadets. One became a welding foreman at the shipyard and just announced his intent to join the Navy. Another is in NYC trying to break into a Broadway career. My own sons have made me proud and just let me know that Grandchild 3# is in the oven. #2 should be born tomorrow. It is a fortunate man indeed who can look back on his 60 years on the planet and know he can go to his grave (hopefully not too soon!) having made a positive difference in the lives he has touched. I do realize that it wasn't all because of me, but I was part of the "village"...a life well-lived. To my fellow Scouters...don't give up. You ARE making a difference and the rewards will be great.

Which is alarming, since I use this screen name and password for other things.

Actually, I just checked again, and it appears that OUR accounts are being hijacked to post spam. The latest two are allegedly from "koolaidman", who is a legitimate member, I think.

Perhaps it's time to reiterate the IRS and BSA policies on Scout Accounts, which is "NO".

Sometimes you just need to have a discussion with the scouts and their parents and remind them what Scouting is. It's like gun-haters joining the NRA. Why would you do that?

Spam, spam, spam, spam. Actually, what I had assumed (yes, I know what that means), that there was some sort of vetting process for new members. I don't think you can post spam (or anything else), if you are not granted an account by someone, right? I mean, if they can drop a few buzzwords, like WEBELOS, or WOOD BADGE, or the council they are registered in, that would be good enough. I mean, we even let Merlin in. I have no objection to China...if they are Scouters.

What can we do about the proliferation of spam on the forum? Is there some sort of screening of new accounts?

I long for the good old days when all we had to worry about was heterosexual noncustodial parents with restraining orders.

Scouter.com also has a Facebook page by which you can get a message to the admins.

Camping involves heat, sweat, bugs and dirt. Not many of today's youth nor their parents are interested in being uncomfortable. And I would remind LeCastor's troop that Merit Badges are supposed to be an individual effort (with a buddy), not spoon fed at troop meetings by the parents..

It's always been my understanding that a DE's job is 3-fold. More money, more youth and more units. In that order. Everything else program-related is supposed to be done by volunteers. Unfortunately, many District volunteer positions go vacant or are filled with "good old boys" with WB beads who like to attend events with a coffee mug hanging from their belt. We always had a "District Chairman" to run the district meetings, but the DE would hand him his agenda as he walked in the door, and not much happened between meetings.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/20/us/girl-scouts-debate-their-place-in-a-changing-world.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=HpHeadline&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

Has everyone been "Trained" ?

The problem with threads like this is that everyone thinks they MUST mean someone else. Time for me to take a break. Not sure if I'll be back. Happy (insert politically ccorect greeting of your choice here). And good Scouting to all.