ScoutParent

A parent or guardian was required to accompany each scout to winter camp. There was lots of down time for tag, playing in the snow, climbing the hill by the cabin, etc. Breakfast and dinner were cooked by a "camp cook" and lunches were prepared by the boys under parental supervision.

We also had a summer camping trip that was a family trip as a pack. Each family was responsible for their own tent, food etc.

The other type of camping we did was a lock-in at a local hands on science center. There they worked on engineering and another one I can't recall this moment.

We earned Leatherman and Geologist during one weekend camp out. The BSA camp we went to had a demonstration/participation for the whittling chip at another. We went on hikes, cooked on fires the kids built themselves, cooked on buddy burners, had campfire fun at night, it was a great time! The simplest things please boys of cub scout age so easily it's truly a pleasure always.

Some of my son's favorite camp fire foods--Banana Boats--slice into banana 3/4 way through--put peanut butter, chocolate chips and mini marshmallows (optional), wrap in aluminum foil, place in coals for approximately 3-5 minutes. Mountain Pies---using camp fire sandwich maker, butter bread liberally, add cherry pie filling--cook until steam starts to escape--check until nicely browned. He suggests not using the latch hold it together tightly instead. I liked the baked apples alot--core apple, add brown sugar, cinnamon and dab of butter, wrap in foil, cook in coals approximately 15 minutes.

You've mentioned that he has more fun doing things without the troop than with. Are any of his friend in the neighborhood in scouts? Perhaps he could invite a couple of them to attend with him when he returns.

Can't believe I forgot this part, they would be very disappointed in me--they won the firestarting competition when they went on a camp out with the BS Troop! I didn't go with them (the troop preferred all dads which was ok with me). They were sooooo proud. Of course, so was I.

The transition went well for my group. We were actually gaining members as 2nd year Webelos. The way we did it in our Pack was each year the 1st and 2nd year Webelos went Winter Camping. If there was room we invited the younger boys, going in order of rank if more signed up than we had spaces for. The 2nd year Webelos leaders planned the weekend for the 1st year Webelos. When it was our turn to plan, I got the ideas from the boys and then presented them at the committee meeting. They planned all the meals and I simply conveyed that information as well. I also encouraged them to plan the meetings for us and they planned their own parties too. We took turns with who was in charge throughout the year so they all had a chance to practice. They took it all very seriously and would just smile away when I explained that more would be expected out of them in BS and we were preparing for that. We did the majority of the work in our meetings but each year there were some that I listed as the family's responsiblity to work with their child on in order to earn. It seemed to work well for us. The boys loved Pack Mtgs and the opportunity to get at the mike and tell what they did throughout the month (We divided it and they each covered a topic from Tigers on), to showcase their crafts they had made or skills they had learned, 50% of my original den are now Life Scout with time enough to make Eagle if that is their goal.

In our area we have The Gleaning Project, this is an organized effort to make sure all available fruits and vegetables go to good use. So if there is an apple orchard nearby the gleaners go out and pick what is left after the machine pickers go through, same for potato fields, etc., then the food is donated to food banks, shelters, soup kitchens, etc. Great way for scouts to help their community. Has anyone been involved in anything like this?

Might be the ideal way to increase your son's interest in scouting again--Den Chief!

"The first five positions are essential for quality troop operation. Fill those positions first. There is no maximum limit to the number of troop committee members. The minimum number is three adults ages 21 or older."

I personally like when people outside of the troop are involved in the committee as well as parents from the troop.

Once you get going you'll get an idea of the standing subcommittees you'll want to have and can fill more committee positions as needed.

Thinking of your favorite SM of all times, what one trait stands out in your mind?

"The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds, and the pessimist fears this is true."

- James Branch Cabell

Did he enjoy the patrol activities that you were planning before?

From the other thread I can see that there are many opinions on how events are portrayed later...Here's your chance...choose a world event that occurred within your lifetime and write a short synopsis of it without looking at any other posts first(On your honor).

Are you thinking of starting a new troop or is this instead of attending the troop meetings with the founding sm?

Sctmom and Sager Scout, please take this information in the spirit that it is intended; to advocate the best for your children...From Hoagie's website:

"ADHD and Gifted. Many gifted children are being mis-diagnosed as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The gifted child's characteristics of intensity, sensitivity, impatience, and high motor activity can easily be mistaken for ADHD. Some gifted children surely do suffer from ADHD, and thus have a dual diagnosis of gifted and ADHD; but in my opinion, most are not. Few health care professionals give sufficient attention to the words about ADHD in DSM-IV(1994) that say "...inconsistent with developmental level...." The gifted child's developmental level is different (asynchronous) when compared to other children, and health care professionals need to ask whether the child's inattentiveness or impulsivity behaviors occur only in some situations but not in others (e.g., at school but not at home; at church, but not at scouts, etc.). If the problem behaviors are situational only, the child is likely not suffering from ADHD.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Gifted. Even as preschoolers, gifted children love to organize people and things into complex frameworks, and get quite upset when others don't follow their rules or don't understand their schema. Many gifted first graders are seen as perfectionistic and "bossy" because they try to organize the other children, and sometimes even try to organize their family or the teacher. As they grow up, they continue to search intensely for the "rules of life" and for consistency. Their intellectualizing, sense of urgency, perfectionism, idealism, and intolerance for mistakes may be misunderstood to be signs of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder or Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder. In some sense, however, giftedness is a dual diagnosis with Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder since intellectualization may be assumed to underlie many of the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for this disorder."

Schools do not offer this information because often they simply do not have it themselves. You can request the school do an iq test to determine if they have been overlooked as gifted. Don't be misled by the fact that they may struggle with a couple subjects while being excellent in others; giftedness and ld go hand in hand.

"It was the belief of Lord Robert Baden Powell that no person can be complete without a firm belief system of some sort, of their choosing. It also is the stated policy of the BSA that atheists aren't welcome, a policy that I firmly stand behind. I have dealt with many kids like him, they're disturbed, and a holistic approach to this situation should be taken.

You can treat the mind and psyche of a person,

but unless their soul is also bandaged up in the process than it will all come to naught.

Believe me, I do accept that psychiatry works to some degree in some instances, but you're not addressing the problem at hand: a spiritual blackhole.

I also agree with suspension until they can shape up, but I still urge little dove and their Troop to take another look at the situation."

(This message has been edited by Venturer2002)

Sure sounds like someone who is toying with the dark side to me. Further I looked, to no avail, for where Venturer2002 said he was 18 or an asm. What he did say was he was born in the mid 80's and in his profile he lists den chief and junior asm as his currrent positions in scouting. Just wanted to make sure this scout wasn't misrepresented here.

Sctmom, I did not advocate "getting rid" of the boy with the "strange problem". What I said was there are ramifications here that go further than the boy has a disability. Aggression and autism go hand in hand. Inability to relate. Reacting violently in strange or new circumstances. What I asked was how will this boy's behavior impact the other boys in the troop. I also asked why the family would want the boy in a troop with a sm that didn't feel equipped to handle his needs. Not having a child with this type of disability, I can only hypothesize that I would want my child in the company of a group that was trained, able and willing to deal with my child's type of condition.

"So I should pull my son out of Scouts because sometimes he has a problem? Or I should put him in a troop that includes boys that are so severly handicapped they will never live on their own?"

Sctmom, if we're talking about your son, the answer is no don't pull him out of scouts. From what you've told us he has no propensity to aggression towards others. As far as the second statement--autistic children are not expected to live on their own as adults; even highly functioning ones. This information is on most all of the autism sites I looked at. Most will live with constant supervision. So you are asking this troop to do what you find repugnant for your child.

(This message has been edited by ScoutParent)

Let's not forget that this autistic boy got in a physical altercation with another scout while at camp. And certainly let's not forget that the mother made inappropriate comments in front of other scouts after the sm told her that her son could not participate in the troop.

ASM7, I looked at the previous thread you were referring to. As a service project, you shouldn't ask for donations for your troop, that is correct. As a fundraiser, to put a container for people to drop money into is okay. The fact that it is a fundraiser and not a service project is the important difference. When the troops in this area do service projects,(i.e. setting up and maintaining an ice skating rink in the local park, setting up and tearing down community fair, setting up fences at a local festival, posting signs on drains in town to not pollute) they do not get paid. They are offering a service to the community for which the payment is a job well done for other people.

I have to agree that the incident involving OGE's son was taken in the spirit it was meant while the incident with the boy on the camp out was taken as a felony issue. Both insinuated physical harm to the other boy if taken literally. While many were eager to rid the boy scouts of "a predatory, sexual offender who posed a threat to others" no one thought anything of what OGE's son said. Now I ask you how could we on this board be so sure of the tone used by the other boy (the humper) or his intentions as to call for the revocation of his membership and smile and joke on the other incident? I also ask you why we should apply the rules literally only when we choose to?

I for one am tired of the incessant attacks to yaworski's character all the while cloaking yourselves in some cape of moral standing on a mountain top. Yaworski is entitled to his opinions and he is entitled to express his opinions on this board. I challenge each of you to reread his posts and tell me how any intelligent person can come to the conclusion that yaworski lacks character. I don't always agree with his choice of words but he makes many good points and the fact that they are not in agreement with everyone else should not be used as a basis to attack him. I think the problem is that you lack the ability to discern when he is serious and when he is being cynical to make his point...or maybe it's just that he disagrees with your opinions.

How about a fireman's hat, police hat, and scout hat in the foreground with candles around them. They are all engaged in service to their communities and are all heroes in the way they conduct themselves. Offer a prayer for all those who have suffered because of 9-11 and a celebration of our youth and future leaders by handing out the awards. Before closing explain how important it is to our country and to our fellow man to follow the principles of scouting to continue to improve the world we live in.

I had a boy with serious psychiatric problems in my cub scout den...did I have trouble dealing with him...no. In fact he and my son got along very well. What I did find though was that the boy's parents depending on my son as a companion for their son. Is their anything wrong with this occasionally, not at all that's what friends do but they were becoming more and more demanding of my son's time and his patience. Is this fair to my son--no. Now in reference to this autistic boy, which boys do you put in the tent with him? What reaction can you expect from him when canoeing if he becomes stressed? What impact does that have on the other scouts? I find it interesting how different the reaction is to this disease from the reaction to the scout who manifested signs of another disease, mental illness. This boy sounds like he could be a potential threat to the other scouts. If his mother was so concerned about him being able to cope and knew that it would be difficult in new or different situations, why didn't she take the time to take him on tour of the summer camp a week or two before she sent him off? This is not simply a physical disability, it has other ramifications. Who of us would want to be held liable if this boy had a sudden "lock up"?

Several options were offered to this family such as place him in a special needs troop or start a new troop. Why would anyone want their child with special needs to be in a troop with a SM who didn't feel he could handle it? Sounds like putting the child in a situation where he will not be comfortable, welcome or happy.

we used to have a hot dog stand outside of lowe's once a year when our son was in cub scouts. the parents and scouts both enjoyed that one!

Are there other troops in your area? I would suggest having your son visit some of the other troops.