shortridge

Actually, the statement from the NCAC memo is: "... this exciting opportunity has no impact on the 2009 summer camping season at Goshen."

DeanRx wrote: "I've been asked to address smoking with one adult in view of scouts and he outright told me that he didn't feel it was a big deal and would continue to smoke when he felt the need." The issue isn't whether an adult leader smokes. He can smoke when he feels the need; you're not asking him to quit. He just has to do it away from Scouts. I don't think you have to make a scene over it - going a few hundred feet away from the campsite isn't that big a deal. If he's a registered, trained leader, he should know the rules and agree to follow them. If disregards these rules because it's personally inconvenient, what other rules will he discard?

... and the OA folks would generally know those programs not well at all. But consider yourself fortunate that the lodge is playing that role! Good luck and have fun.(This message has been edited by shortridge)

DanKroh wrote: "in talking to him, he didn't seem to know much about scouting" ... "he didn't seem to know much about the OA when I first met him" ... and "after not seeming to know much about Wood Badge when I was going through my course." As devil's advocate, an alternative interpretation could be that he did indeed earn all those things, but didn't want to come across as Mr. Know-It-All or Mr. Topper at first, and thus didn't make a big deal out of it. Having not been present for your conversations, of course, I don't have a clue what actually happened. If he said "Wood Badge? What's that?" and then turned up with the beads a few months later, yeah, I'd be highly suspicious.

Another thought... the OA involvement is GREAT. I'm very pleased the lodge is taking its work in camping promotions seriously. HOWEVER... I would ask to see the script beforehand, just to be on the safe side. Trust me - the Cubs are going to remember what "the Indian guys" promised them, and if it doesn't match their camp experience exactly, they'll be disappointed. Make sure it's in line with the information you have - which it should be, but it's best to be safe than sorry. Just ask for a copy so you don't duplicate information in your presentations and discussions. That won't get anyone's hackles up.

Twocubdad, Does your troop have a piper? Get outta town! That'd be great. I went to a college with a kilted marching band and a very strong piper corps. Hearing those tunes still brings a tear to my eye.

There's never been wiggle room, from my point of view. The inductions guides and such are very explicit.

Hal, < grin > Yeah, I quickly realized that wikipedia figure was wrong, and edited accordingly. My computer was having a hard time loading up the NCAC Web pages (the openrosters system seems to be pretty time-consuming to load), so I went with what I could easily get. If they're going with Goshen SR, it seems to me they probably would have just come out and said that.

- Props and "artifacts" from past years - regatta boats the Cubs made last year, T-shirts, birdfeeders, plenty of photos in a slide show. - Cub camps usually are matched to a theme, so find out your local theme and dress up accordingly! - Some councils have promotional videos made. Get a copy and show it to a selected group of kids as a test group. If they were bored by it, throw it in the trash. A lot of times, those videos try to aim at parents and leaders, and aren't action-oriented enough for the kids.

Hal - I didn't read the release to indicate that the new Jambo site would be at Goshen Scout Reservation, but rather in the area of Goshen, Va. The release also talks about ongoing negotiations about the sites with the states. If a local council property were simply to be handed over to National for a Jambo site, the state wouldn't really play a role, as it'd be an internal BSA thing.(This message has been edited by shortridge)

I like that idea. A bugle would seem to me to be much easier on the ears than a whistle, too. I have never known a unit with a functional bugler, and I'm largely tone-deaf, so this is very interesting.

BobWhite has been silent here since Jan. 6, which seems a bit out of character. Anyone know if he's OK?

If your son sewed on the badges, you wouldn't be destined to do it... < grin > I didn't wear or use a MB sash past First Class. I turned 12, my mother told me it was my responsibility to sew them on, and I promptly began a shoebox file.

ASM915, Crisis creates opportunity, eh? I agree, that's an area ripe for some good programming. Where are you located in Ohio? I used to live in Wooster and work in Elyria (but since have escaped the snow and ice).

Better let the Mobile Area Council know that. Also a whole bunch of other councils and districts around the country that have this information posted on their Web sites... From 2008 Fiscal Policies and Procedures for BSA Units: "Remember, the chartered organization owns the unit, and all funds used by the unit remain the responsibility of the chartered organization so long as the charter issued by the BSA remains in place." http://www.bsamobile.org/forms/taxdeductsummary.pdf

scoutldr wrote: When we have youngsters out in the woods, we have an obligation to be on top of our game. Who knows what emergency will occur in the middle of the night requiring a trip to the ER. If that happens, I want all the adults to have a BAC of ZERO. Period. Exactly. Thanks for succinctly stating what I was thinking.

I don't recall anyone seriously suggesting that an overweight or obese leader be kicked out. I believe that was a sarcastic post from another thread.

Drinking alcohol is the big one for me. It doesn't have any place in Scouting.

Bravo, bravo! And yes, while camps do provide room and board, that's a negligible benefit for people who are "on" 12+ hours a day.

If the main goal is to attract kids, try organizing it as an outreach event rather than a fundraiser. Money, if any is left over, could be split jointly between the pack and any other sponsors.

What exactly is a "proper young lady"?

Kudu, Personally, it was the time that I knew I'd need to put into the Eagle project to make it a good one, and juggling everything else going on. I'd been service vice-chief for my OA lodge, so I knew the meaning of cheerful service and the time and planning that goes into such projects. I wasn't going to do a half-dashed project just to knock off the requirement, and lacked the time to do a really good one. For Environmental Science, I carried a partial around for five years. You guessed it - still outstanding were the observations and the 500-word report. And I'm a guy who spent entire summers sleeping in a tent and working in the outdoors. All those things were doable, but it wasn't important enough to me to do them compared to the other things I was doing in Scouting.

My employer had two rounds of layoffs last year, in August and December, and several good friends were among those who lost their jobs. One fellow has a young baby, less than a year old, and he's scrambling to find work to get medical insurance. Those of us remaining were recently instructed to take five days' furlough during the first quarter, and there are many rumors of layoffs coming in April. Right now, it's more anxiety than anything - the constant wondering and worrying that eats at you daily. That's not as painful as losing a job, but it's difficult in its own way.

The requirements don't mention group size, only that the entire group must fulfill the requirements. So yeah, they can go for it.

scoutldr's description in the thread about Eagle advisers struck a chord with me: "And he aged out as a Life Scout. His decision...not mine." I also aged out at Life, with the Eagle project and Environmental Science standing between me and the finish line. I was an area director at summer camp and serving as a vice-chief with my OA lodge at the time, and enjoying myself far too much to put the pedal to the metal that last spring and summer. A group of friendly Scouters offered to essentially give me a project and mobilize the troop to do the work. I said no thanks. I had gotten what I wanted out of Boy Scouts - adventure, lifelong friends and the ability to lead others - and I was no longer hungry for the Eagle. I still have no regrets. What are your experiences with Scouts aging out at Life by choice? Do they usually return as adults? What reasons do they give for choosing not to pursue Eagle? Do they seem satisfied with their choice later in life, or is there a hint of regret?