sctmom

If the scouts are given lots of opportunities to practice their new skills, I would think that eventually he will learn them if he didnt' the first time around. I would be concentrating on this not happening again with other scouts and that his merit badges don't get signed off this way.

ASM1, check again. The CO approves the SM and ASM applications. The Mormons do not allow females to lead the BSA groups.

ASM1, Tell your wife that I will meet her in Texas!

I'm in the south (Georgia) and most troops here do allow moms to camp and be leaders. There is one troop near me that has a website saying "fathers or other male role models are encouraged to camp with the troop". I will not set foot in their door. No, it is not a BSA policy. I really don't know what to tell you since it sounds like you looked at every troop in the area and asked why. I think it is a bunch of hooey. Some boys don't have dads around or dad is not interested in camping. As long as the woman is following the same rules that the men have to, what is the big deal?

Sounds like it time for a Kamikaze volunteer!

OGE, I don't think of it as dodge, but if I'm making a charitable contribution, I feel I should get the small deduction. It's not WHY I do Scouting. If anything is in the "gray" area, I avoid it. The deduction may be so small that it's not worth keeping up with.

Scout Parent, where in the Cub Scout Leader book does it talk about this? I can't find it. Which publication date are you looking at also?

"I was amazed at how as a toddler she started using "cute" as a tool to try to get me to do what she wanted." I was shocked when my son as a toddler could pick out the best looking young woman in a public place and start flirting! He could do this before he could walk. If he could not find a good looking 20-something woman, he would zero in on an older "grandparents" looking couple. I agree males and females are different in many ways. Some from the moment we are born, some from society's expectations. The few times when I was a child that my mother had to spend the night away from home, we didn't have grandma come take care of us. My father took care of us. He cooked, did the laundry, and made us get ready for school. I was amazed to find out about men that can't even fix a sandwich for themselves. There are still young men today who have mommy come take care of them when the wife is in the hospital having a baby. Well, those wives already HAVE a baby-- a big one. One of the biggest parts of being a role model is being yourself. I don't try to pretend I'm a man and can do "manly" things when I'm around the boys. I also try not to go to soft on them and remember they are boys. I'm sure there are some things I don't pick up on as being a serious issue for boys or can't completely understand. One is about height. I'm 5'2". I have always been short. As a female that is okay if not preferred. I know that being the shortest boy in the class is different. I am guilty of forgetting that.

I don't have the Insignia Guide, but I did download the official uniform inspection sheet from the BSA official website. For female leaders, it does say to wear temporary patches ABOVE the right pocket!!!! I'm as surprised as Webelosmom. Guess I just had never read it that close. I sometimes wear the temporary patches that have a loop, so you can just put it on your pocket button. Well, how can I put this....It is a bit uncomfortable and awkward to wear. You may have noticed our "shirt pocket areas" are built different.

Maybe the problem I have is unique to single moms with boys. My son tends to think of himself as my equal and partner if I don't have some activities that are only for myself. I have to try to have some adult things that I go do without it, so he knows he is not the center of the universe and not my partner. Our current problem is that he seems to think that I enjoy scouts so much he can manipulate me by pitching a fit at a scout meeting. He must think I will continue to worry over him being involved. Last night was the final straw in that game. Game over.

If memory serves me right, this is in the Scoutmaster Handbook. It even has the first month's meetings planned out for you and the boys.

Webelosmom said "rectangle tiger patch" which means the "tiger strip" to me. The new tiger patch is square or diamond shaped.

Maybe they are thinking of the National Camping Award that a unit can earn. "The National Camping Award is granted to Boy Scout troops and Varsity Scout teams for attaining, on either an annual or a cumulative basis, or both, the required number of days and nights of camping. The ribbon that is awarded recognizes significant achievement in annual camp outs and/or cumulative camp outs over a period of years. The ribbon is designed to be displayed with the troop flag." "To earn the annual National Camping Award, a unit must have reached one of these levels of camping achievement: Ten days and nights of camping -Unit Award"

After more thought, Rooster comments on a female being more compassionate if a boy is sick. This is where I think a man can really come through as a positive role model. What a great chance to show that man can handle those "mom" things. That a man doesn't have to be dependent on their mom or wife when they are hungry or sick. A great time to show the boys they can be tough AND compassionate.

Rooster, just picking on you. You are right about where you live being a factor. While I give my son certain freedoms in our neighborhood, I do not like him having the same freedom at the apartment complex where his father lives. Also, there are some boys I would not allow out of my sight. Some boys also get more foolish in groups than alone. As other pointed out, some adults would be more of a hinderance than help. I don't swim, so to have me as a supervising adult near water is not a good idea.

A lot of Cub Scout leaders are starting to recommend this at the Cub Scout level. Then the boys and parents are used to the idea when they go to Boy Scouts. The proof of advancement is not as critical in Cubs but it makes a nice keepsake. I have the cubs get a regular 3-ring binder. The best are the ones you can slip a piece of paper in the front cover. I give the boys stickers and let them decorate the front.

When my son was a Tiger, the den rotated among the families' homes. For some of us that was a hassle. I do not have a home that is child proof for the toddlers that came along. Also, I had to worry about cleaning up the whole house before the den meeting. Our pack now has all den meetings on the same night at the local church. The church is not our charter organization, but they let us use the Sunday School roms. I just heard someone the other day say that you can have a room that is TOO big for the group. If the room is too big, like a cafeteria, the kids will automatically run around the room. Talk to your cubmaster about other places to meet. If you have the room at home, go for that. Some people who have a neighborhood clubhouse, have found those handy.

I recently bought my first pair of uniform pants. They aren't too bad. The "cargo" pockets aren't very useful. The material seems pretty durable. The fit seems okay. Yes, I had to get a size bigger than I normally wear, but better loose than tight. My son has been wearing his pants a lot lately. The knees didn't hold up good when he took a tumble off the skateboard, but neither did the skin on his knee.

You mean there were already 2 adults with them, but somebody thought ALL adults should go?

Wash those clorox bottles very good! Way back when I was in kindergarten, they showed us how to make a bird feeder out of a clorox bottle. Being a kid who loved to make stuff, I dug a clorox bottle out of the trash, was cutting it with the big sharp scissors when my mother found me. Oh, they forgot to tell me to rinse the bottle. Clorox was dripping on my bright red Ked's, the only pair I owned. I don't remember my mother going beserk, just explaining to ask next time.

Rooster, I also wish that the boys would feel comfortable talking to one of the men about being homesick or whatever. In Girl Scouts the girls would probably go to the men for "manly" things, like "I can't open this jar. Please kill this spider." When I am around the boys, I try to remember they are boys, not girls. Society has different expectations for them than it had for me at that age. Right or wrong, society expects different things of boys than of girls. At a campout with the troop, one boy had hurt his arm earlier in the day. His parents were on the campout. That night he was looking for his mom to help him change clothes because his arm hurt. I refused to go look for her and told him that it was NOT cool for mom to help with this, just take his time and do the best he could. The dad later laughed, the mom was not happy with me and went to help him.

I also was thinking what Rooster said about Bob White and the position of leadership. At least I'm not the only confused person out here in computer land today.

Sooner or later you have to let children, especially teenagers, out of your sight. Most of the kids that age probably go home to an empty house every afternoon. That is just as dangerous as a group of trained scouts taking a 2 mile hike. I like Bob's way of letting them have a little bit of freedom. With the long range walkie-talkies getting so cheap (bought one for less than $10.00 the other day), we can use the technology to give everyone some peace of mind. Rooster, you sound more like the Mother Hen than the Rooster.. It all depends on the boys and the situation. There are some places, situations and some boys where adult supervision is required.

Oh, my son can use the phone book and I have NOT taught him how to use directory assistance or any of those other chargeable things with the phone company. He does know how to dial long distance to call his grandparents.

I was at a Cub Scout Pow Wow this weekend and was amazed to see a few people with their position patch on the wrong sleeve. I'm not one to get picky about how many inches from the shoulder, but I doubled check to make sure I at least have things on the right sleeve.