Sentinel947

Basement: to me it's a gray area, because all I know is what the OP has told me. I can't possibly know every bit of this scenario. There are two positions here, one where the Lad stays, and one where he gets the boot. Again. The Parents, Scoutmaster, and Committee need to make that determination. Not just for the Scout, but the entire Troop. Threats and Violence are serious matters. Certainly this Scout#3 could be a dangerous individual. He could be a real danger to other kids. Without his history, without any sort of context or information about him, I'm not ready to jump on the k

I've got no experience in the matter. When I was a Scout (14-15) another Scout from a different troop threatened me with a knife at Summer Camp. I just laughed at him, and told him there was no way he was going to be able to hurt me with such a small knife. He looked at me kind of dumbfounded and put his little knife away. I'm on the fence with this one. I'm going to cautiously point out that a Scout threatening with a knife isn't the same as an attack, isn't the same as the usage or attempted usage of the knife, in my completely inexperienced opinion. More information on the situation m

Lets not stereotype so blatantly here please. Whether or not a child is resistant to trying something new isn't based on ADD/ADHD.

5 gold rings!

Eagle92, Emphasis or shouting, your point has been made. What I meant was that I don't have that kind of influence. I have soft influence. The kind where when the SPL is struggling, he asks my opinion. When the Life Scout is thinking about his Eagle project he comes and asks me. I think when I've seen my Troop in alot of these discussions. I've seen alot of Beavahs points and Fred's points be extremely valid. In my troop due to the flux in patrol members. (Since they can and sometimes do switch patrols, and new members are brought inmass every 6 months) I can't pin us down as being

I have not been to Woodbadge. Someone care to explain the hubub with the game of life?

"5) Usually da adults recruit boys for the TG / ASPL for younger division / JASM / Instructor roles. They try to make those jobs high prestige, with adult-like perks (eat with adults, special recognitions, etc.) " I was following you up until there. I don't think I've ever even heard of that before. Perhaps you have? I'd find that shocking. Not shocking in a good way mind you.

The age based patrols aren't as workable for younger Scouts. As far as my experience, they don't end very well. As Boys get older, basically forming Venture Patrols, it works. But it's a hard thing to operate with younger boys. If you assign an older boy to lead em, then it's a mixed age patrol then.

"I think that mentoring scouts in meal planning, in selection of destinations, and in patrol structure is within the purview of the ScoutMaster, as part of helping to achieve the aims of scouting." I wish I could have been that succinct with my words. "So in my mind, I see little difference between guiding scouts to select meals that need to be cooked and guiding scouts in structuring patrols." That's certainly valid. As Beavah said, it all depends on goals and expectations. I liked your analogy of cheerios and poptarts. It made me laugh because We had a patrol when I wa

Not sure what it would cost, but there is the possibility of maybe flying into Buffalo, New York and then driving to Toronto? Best of luck, Sentinel947

"If a patrol wanted to order pizza on every campout, or eat only poptarts and cheerios for every meal because the didn't like to cook, would you let them? If you didn't let them, would that be an indication that the troop is not boy led?" If a patrol wanted to order pizza on a campout, that's certainly not Scouting. Or camping really. I don't think myself or the Adult leaders shooting that down is not being Boy led. With regards to Poptarts and cheerios. Sure. Why not let em try it? They'll find out really quick when other patrols are eating dutch oven meals that poptarts and cheeri

I think I've been talking past myself for a while here. Falling victim to my own observation. Taking things too personally on this forum. I apologize Eagledad. I think I specifically said in a different post in this thread that your troop seems boy led to me. Anywhere else where I might be implying otherwise is not true. "I notice you seem very offended with my opinion of dying patrols, but does it not make sense why you feel dying patrols are normal and I wouldnt sense aged based patrols have to die when the same group reaches age, while mixed age patrols are constantly being f

Eamonn:

Fair enough. His observations are accurate. I see some of his observations in my own troop sometime. I think Fred's post is rather interesting as well.

I think your observations are spot on there Eamonn.

I think the biggest issue on this forum is that people take the expression of a different opinion as an attack on their model. Everything on this forum has to be "I'm right", "my troop does it right." Eagledad: If a Troop has mixed age patrols, and the Boys themselves, or the PLC makes that decision, than it would be boy led. If you, being an adult, are making the decision, I think I would be more than implying that isn't Boy leadership. Correct or no? Through my time in Scouts, I was in a mixed age patrol (besides my first year in the NSP). I was in the Cavalry Patrol. Still have th

Beavah, Fred, and I have been having a back and forth in a different thread. My question is, how long do patrols in YOUR troop last (not the ideal, Norman Rockwellized version). My troop has 5 patrols. about 45-50 active members. In my troop, most of the patrols stay constant, but probably one or two patrols a year folds. Part of it is that Scouts leave the troop or have an athletic season. Integrating the new Scouts (We use a NSP) also adds to a bit of shuffling. Our PLC has decided that patrols are allowed to add or drop members every Troop election. My opinion ba

Beavah. I can if you'd like, However, I think we do have a "full throated patrol method". I just think that if a patrol folds every once in a while, it's not a big deal. The Troops give Scouts the chance to switch patrols if they'd like to. I think we're arguing for roughly the same ideal. But lets go ahead and get this new discussion going. I'm snowed in the house for the evening.

Beavah, you keep stealing all my points! Darn it! =P I concur with what Beavahs been saying. Sentinel947

I've been considering WB, it's kind of out of my financial ability this year. I went to NYLT 5 years ago. I don't know what your troop is like Beavah. I think my post was written for brevity, and you don't understand my whole position on it. My Troop, (the one I grew up in, and the one I currently volunteer with) has had between 45-60 kids for as long as I can remember. We have plenty of patrols that stay together for years. My patrol was called the "Cavalry" patrol. I was in it from my second year till I aged out, except for when I was Senior Patrol Leader. However, in a tro

two turtle doves.....

I'm gonna come bat for Freds team here. When I was a Scout, I joined in 2005 and aged out in 2011, My troop had the first year Scouts in patrols led by the Troop Guides. Not sure how close to the BSA guidelines that is. After our first year we were free to join whatever patrol we wanted to. I had a buddy who was year older, and instantly jumped into a patrol that was with mostly older guys. I was 12, they were 13-14. From there I made more friends, most of whom were younger than I was. After my second year, the patrol I was in always had kids ranging from 12-17. It just kinda

thanks Fred for correcting me. What you posted is exactly what I meant. I hope reviving a thread after 4 days isn't necroposting... Sentinel947

"Pack, finely crafted ideals...but what will you do if you run across the thug who doesn't care what you think of him? Or your view of the world? He's up to no good, pulls his gun on you. Or a knife. Or attacks you. " If I come across a thug and he attacks me, I'm giving him anything he asks for, and if he wants to kill me, I doubt I can draw my weapon before he decides to do so. I live on a College Campus in a really rough neighborhood. I don't really fear getting mugged or just attacked out of the blue. I don't go out early in the morning, I try to travel in groups, and I keep sit

Our Troop has a small handful of kids with mental disability. Whether diagnosed or not. I was diagnosed with ADD, and I'm not sure how "different" I really was from any of my peers. Sometimes it's interesting to see "normal" boys acting worse than boys with confirmed diagnosed mental disorders..... I think it comes down to whether or not they are violent. Violence has no place in the Boy Scouts at any time ever. Kids will be kids, but if someone is getting beaten up ( which I thought I read in another post) they need to be removed. It's a safety issue. If the Adult leaders don'