sctmom

I recently got a Girl Scout handbook from 1923. It is very interesting to read the requirements. Some have change A LOT and some have changed very little. One section in the book talks about health. It has recommendations of how a girl should take care of herself -- eating right, excercise, daily bathroom habits, etc. It is recommended that they be sure to take a bath at least twice a week and wash their hair at least once every 4 weeks.

I know in the past our pack has had Tigers camping at pack overnighters, dens camping on their own (including the Tiger den), swimming with NO mention of Safe Swim Defense or following of any of the rules in G2SS. Read the headlines sometimes and you will see those 1 in a million chances do happen, and they happen to people like you and me. Read Bob White's message under Training. Our council is not even offering Baloo training. I will be at Basic Training in a few weeks and plan on asking about that. (no, I did NOT just volunteer to teach it!)

Let me point out another section of this book -- First aid. When on a campout do you know where the first aid kit is? Does your unit have one? Do you have it at events like fundraisers (yard sales, car washes, etc.)? Cookouts? Day Outings? Also, do you have a copy of the Class I medical forms with you at all times? Do you know how to contact the family if the boy is knocked out cold at a meeting?

Yep, got the monthly themes. We don't have 4 den meetings a month, so it is hard to do everything that is in the program helps in one month. If I can figure out what the boys like, then I can make sure we cover the best activities for that theme. The main thing is I want the boys to start making choices and I want them to have fun. Most compliant children will do whatever you tell them to. But let's face it, most boys in Scouts are not always the most compliant. We have them there to channel that energy they have. They aren't going to stay if they are cutting and pasting. Most boys seem to want to use the pocketknife, build or at least see a fire, and move around a lot. I had one mother say that a few years ago when her son was in 3rd grade and Cub Scouts, the boys always had their books in their hands throughout the meetings. This mother was supposed to be checking the books for advancements, but they boys needed them. I haven't figured out what they were doing or how they didn't have a riot on their hands.

I picked up a copy of this yesterday at the Scout store. It is the 2002 print edition. Did a little bedtime reading last night---oh my, it was scary. By that I mean that it was scary of all the violations I have seen by packs and troops in the last few years! Yikes! I did notice that it is VERY clear what is a guideline and what is a RULE or POLICY. The rules and policies are in bold print. Everything else is guidelines. I know our pack has ignored the rules about Aquatics Safety and Camping a few times. And it only takes ONE time for there to be an accident and a big problem.

Bob, I think you are right. I keep going in circles on that I guess and I keep ending up at the same place. I'm going to be a Bear Den Leader. I hope to convince and train some of the parents to take over for the Webelos program. If I end up as a Webelos leader again or if I train someone else to do it, I want to do the best job possible. With this Bear den (3rd graders) I am going to implement the plan of having a denner. I'm going to give them some choices of what they want to do in meetings. I think that will get them started down the road to independence and keep them interested. The denner and den chief are not something pushed in our pack. I thought I would start by giving the boys a short list of activities and have them vote on which to do first. Activities like hiking, outdoor cooking, sports & physical fitness, woodcraft, wildlife, and art.

(This message has been edited by sctmom)

NJ, Even as a mom I'm with you about the Pedro patrol. I also wondered about the Pinetree Patrol. I had one scout tell me he was once in the Moose patrol. The boys would stand up with a can of hair mousse and say "we're smooth" and run their hand across the top of their head.

Den Chiefs are impossible to come by around here. If you follow the Webelos plan as laid out by BSA, Webelos do not choose what badges they work on. Then in Boy Scouts they are to pick merit badges to work on. Maybe a lot of the problem is more on the troop side as we have discussed over and over. What I have seen in packs and troops around here is that one day the adults are in completely in charge and making the decisions. Then the next day (Boy Scouts) the adults don't want to see you and are yelling at you to get out of their area.

Right now we are taking an official one month break. During that time we are putting our ducks in a row to present to the Scoutmaster and CC what he thinks is not fun and some of the many suggestions I have found on this board of what IS fun. I mentioned something about a Webelos campout we went to a year ago and his eyes lit up and he perked up with "Oh, that was FUN. Remember we when we did....." The Pack we came from is not associated with the Troop. The pack has a informal association with another troop, that we didn't like last year. They have since changed adult leadership. I think while I'm helping the pack, my son will see some of the boys from that troop (the ones with brothers still in cubs). We will be able to find out if they are having fun and his interest may come back. He's only 11, so it's not the end of the world for him to take break. Honestly, it's not the end of the world if he never goes back.

Having been on both sides of the crossover bridge, I am not convinced that the Webelos program is doing what it should. 1. The Webelos Activity badges are taught in den meetings. That is so different than the way troop should work. 2. A boy can earn his Arrow of Light without having ever camped (he can just go on a day hike and there are lots of definitions for "day hike"). 3. Meetings are still run completely by adults. Decisions are still made by adults. What do you think?

Found the answer -- the new books have a red cover. New Academics loops and pins Astronomy Collecting Geology Language and Culture Map and Compass (yippee!!!) New Sports loops and pins Flag Football Snow Ski & board sports Ice Skating and Roller Skating are now 2 unique loops Our Council shop and the National Scout Shop has the books and all the loops & pins in stock. The New Retail Catalog still shows the old yellow covered book. The book is still $5.95

Thanks for the suggestions. I will look for the cookie sheets at Costco. May also keep my eye out for them at yard sales, those cookie sheets with lots of "character" built up on them. Since the cardboard box oven only needed 6 to 10 charcoal briquettes, I put them in a disposable pie plate.

Does the New Academic & Sports booklet have a red cover? My 1999 version has a yellow cover. At the Council shop I saw them with red covers. I asked what was different, the lady didn't know and they didn't have a sample one open.

Our council is asking $20. I think you get the book on CD. Just heard they have dropped the price to $10. Must not have many signed up, maybe because information is not on the website. Neighboring council has theirs coming up in November. It is $15, you get a book and a patch. If you register 6 or more people at one time you pay only $12 per person. You attend 5 classes during the day.

I enjoy my dutch oven. My son will try almost any kind of food that has been cooked outside, especially if cooked in some "odd" way. He may not like it, but he will try it and not go into a fit if it doesn't taste good. Now I need some sort of metal thing to put on the ground when a fire pit is not allowed. I wonder if a flat grill will work, just no legs. The cardboard box oven also taught another lesson - foil conducts heat. My son went to lift the oven off the coals with NO oven mitts. Yikes. No burns, just a lesson.

I've wondered the same thing for a long time. I prefer to shop online even when I can drive to a store. I live in a major metropolitan area. Because of traffic, it takes 30 minutes to get to anywhere. The scout stores do not always have everything. I went to the Council store this past week and found out they do not carry women's uniform pants. They would order them for me. The National Scout Store near me sees no need in stocking small size green belts, spend the extra on the large size and cut it. I don't have to show proof of being registered or having my son registered when I go into the Scout stores and buy uniforms, books, etc. At the National Scout Shop I can even buy Cub Scout badges and awards with no proof that I told the council. BSA should at least sell the uniform parts, handbooks and leader's books online.

Yaworski, That's what we thought too! But we seem to have more fun away from the troop. My son now wants to improve upon the oven by adding a door, not just sitting it over the coals. It's so cool to watch kids think like that.

My son and I made a cardboard box oven this weekend. Once the rain stopped, we gave it a try. Worked very well. We learned something very important -- smoke flavored chocolate chip cookies have an unique flavor.

Here is what I found in the latest G2SS: "Cub Scout Standards Gun-shooting sports are not an approved part of the Cub Scout program except at a council-approved Cub Scout day camp, Cub Scout resident camp, or Cub Scout family camp. At camp, Cub Scouts may have an opportunity to take part in a BB-gun (rifle) safety and marksmanship program under the direction of a certified BB-gun range officer. Cub Scouts are not permitted to use any other type of handgun or firearm." The question becomes "what is a certified BB-gun range officer"? Who certifies you? The council? Cwood, NO Cub Scout ever NEEDS a BB gun. The only BB gun shooting done in Cub Scouting is at Council/Ditrict events and you cannot take your own BB gun. The council or district will provide the trained personnel and the guns. Have fun on your campout and let us know how it goes. Our council has one every year near Halloween that is so popular they know have it over 2 weekends and a separate Saturday for Tigers Only.

Thought of something else. The best lantern I have is a Coleman Kid's lantern. It uses 4 D size batteries and a flashlight bulb. Is small and durable. It has a dimmer switch on it. If your son is uneasy about sleeping in the dark of the tent, then you can dim the light. Once he is asleep, you can turn it off. Some of the large battery operated lanterns by Coleman have a night light. Next time I go to invest in a large lantern, I will get one of those. You can buy the Coleman Kid's lanterns at Wal Mart and Sports Authority. Probably other places too. Not very expensive. Also, easy for the kids to carry.

Just steer clear of the BB gun shooting. I don't know about the training of the people in our district and council, but I do know they ARE very careful. Each boy must have an adult with him when he shoots. Everyone must wear eye goggles. It's actually not very much fun each time we have tried it because the BB guns were so cheap they kept jamming and breaking. Also, there was no way to get a good, accurate shot. Cwood, Since your son is a Tiger, if he has a special blanket, pillow or stuffed animal, take it along. I promise he will not be the only Tiger there with a snuggly. At that age, they aren't ashamed of it. Also, take some wet wipes. They come in handy. Tigers are soooooo cute. Take a lot of pictures. Start him a scrapbook of Scouting. Include the handout from this campout, maybe some notes about what he liked the best, etc. Oh, more food... Pop-tarts Pastries Fruit Nuts

Most importantly a good attitude and a smile! Pillow Air mattress or pad (battery operated pump for the air mattress) Waterproof ground cloth or tarp Poncho or raincoat Warm jacket (you never know) Clothing (an extra set for the kid and extra shoes) Lawn chair Toilet Paper (be prepared) Soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, etc. Towel Water bottle Flashlight, extra batteries Camera Folding table if you have one (some places don't have picnic tables) Ziploc bags Sunscreen & bug spray Do you have cooking gear? That will determine what you take to eat. Also, how old is your cub? Bring things he can help cook -- like precooked sausage for breakfast. Try to team up with another mom & son or the whole den to do cooking. No sense in everyone carrying ALL the cooking gear. Graham crackers, chocolate & marshmallows for s'mores Milk Drinks -- cokes and/or juice or kool-aid (watch that the plastic straw covers don't end up on the ground) Muffins Banana bread Pre cooked Bacon Bread Sandwich fixings for lunch Hotdogs & buns Cookies Paper plates, napkins Plastic forks, knifes & spoons Don't forget any medications or vitamins you or your son take daily. If you are sleeping in your own tent (some camps have canvas tents on platforms) be sure to put the groundcloth under your tent. Make sure that non of the groundcloth is showing outside of the tent. If it is, then water will run on the groundcloth and puddle under your tent. This is NOT what you want. How to carry? Just use what ever duffle bags and overnight bags you have. Also, big plastic buckets are good -- the type that clothes detergent and cat litter come in. You can store stuff in them and use them as a place to sit.

I talked to the cubmaster of the pack we came from and he lost a lot of core people this past few months (crossovers, family obligations, moves, etc.). I have decided to go back to cubs. Get to have fun with kids for an hour a week and then send them home to someone else! I also get to spread the good news and cheer of Cub Scouting to all the other parents (convincing them to volunteer). See, you too can have a van full of craft supplies, rope, and game equipment. You too can know how to make 5 different kinds of bird feeders and 101 things to do with bottle caps and paper towel rolls. You can also find yourself pondering every piece of trash thinking "hmmmm...I bet we could use that, better not throw it away". I think also that one day my son will see that I am doing this not out of parental obligation but because it's the right thing to do. Some people have told me that the best lessons they had in volunteering was from watching their parents volunteer. Volunteering was just another part of their lives, it was the Thing to do. So now I need to put the Boy Scout Oath in the back of my brain and pull out the Cub Scout promise again. On my honor, oops, not that, I promise to do my best........

Bravo to NJ and Ed!!! Thanks for the reminder NJ.