shortridge

Pita pizzas are great. But I've never had much luck with putting the stuffings inside the pitas - either the sides were too thin or the sauce and cheese just oozed out into a mess. We usually just loaded everything on top of the flat pita, using it as the "crust," and cooked it on one side.

Blame the graphic designers of the 1930s (or before? not sure). The MB isn't a new design - it's just a revamp of the old. http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Image:Stalking2.JPG

clemlaw hit it on the head. 99.99999 percent of your Webelos are *not* going to own a backpack aside from an inexpensive daypack for school. The den chief's practical presentation should be geared toward that type of carrying capacity, not a full-fledged backpacking expedition. (That's not to say he can't have the "cool" gear off to the side, and casually demonstrate some of the neato stuff in it later, but focus on what the Webelos can carry in their small packs.) An aside on backpacks: I've known some kids to show up at campouts with their gear in black plastic trash bags because they didn't own a real daypack, or their parents didn't want them to take their only one out into the woods because they can't afford to replace it. If you run into that situation, hit the local thrift store. The ones in my area all have used daypacks of all sizes for a couple bucks each. Also, emphasize (especially to parents) the importance of packing clothing in sealed plastic bags inside the pack. Scouts have an automatic rain-attractor built into them - it's true! - so at some point on the campout or hike, their stuff will get wet. Guaranteed. You can demonstrate this very effectively by having two daypacks set up, one with sealed clothes (and other stuff), one with everything just dumped in the pack. Take a garden hose and spray the packs down - then unpack. "Which clothes would you rather wear?"(This message has been edited by shortridge)

Was it this article? http://newsok.com/edmond-church-severs-ties-with-main-lutheran-branch/article/3568429

But for the jacket he wants us all to have red (or no jacket.).. If anyone were to tell me what kind of jacket or coat I was allowed to wear, I'd tell them to shove it. Ridiculous. It's a *coat.* You should be allowed to wear whatever makes you warm enough.

The battery-and-steel-wool system that KC9DDI described also works well using a simple pen spring in place of the steel wool. Just shove a couple of matches into the spring, making sure the heads make good contact with the metal, attach the wires to the ends, and voila! - you've got yourself a magic fire. On an unrelated note, after a couple weeks of summer camp, the main office would almost always mysteriously start to run out of usable pens. The springs were vanishing at quite a rate, and no one was sure why ...

OGE wrote: "4.An adult male leader must be housed with the male participants. An adult female leader must be housed with the female participants. One adult in with the males or females? So if one youth complains, what happended to two deep? Does this destroy that notion?" This should be viewed in light of the G2SS rule on dormitory-style accomodations, which allows male adults and male youth (and same for females) to bunk in a single room *with a minimum of two adults and four youth.* The Venturing policy does not conflict with this, but merely clarifies that men should be bunked in the same area as boys and women should be bunked in the same area as girls. My assumption is that that is to provide some on-site leadership and oversight in, say, a tenting situation. With boys in one site and girls in the next site over, adults are needed on the spot to prevent any sittin' in a tree-type activities. Housing adults in a third, separate site would defeat that purpose. I assume this new item is aimed at reinforcing that. (Also, keep in mind that two-deep leadership has nothing to do with sleeping arrangements. Two-deep is the policy that refers to leadership of an outing or activity, so that if one adult leader is injured or has to leave, there's another adult present as a backup. The rule on two-deep leadership and the ban on one-on-one contact are separate things.) Also, the phrasing of "proper moral standards" seems really clunky and preachy. I thought the Guide to Safe Scouting was supposed to provide safe practices, not moral guidance. Anyone else struck by that?(This message has been edited by shortridge)

Abusers will not follow rules like that. If you're IM'ing a scout, take a minute to give the scout's parent a call to let them know what you're talking over with the boy. Under this hypothetical, if a Scout leader called me up and told me that he or she was going to be IMing my son about an upcoming camping trip, I'd probably have two near-simultaneous reactions: (1) "Well, he's right here, let me hand him the phone"; and (2) "Why isn't his Patrol Leader calling instead of you?" I think all this gnashing of teeth really is making a mountain out of a molehill. It isn't a big deal to copy someone. Nor, would I wager, do many Scouters actually avail themselves of IMing and Facebook to contact a single Scout directly with any frequency. Using a Facebook group to disseminate information, sure. Sending out an email blast to the whole troop, yes. The only two areas where I could really see this getting dicey would be communications between the SM and SPL, and between an OA chapter or lodge officer and his adviser.

The COR represents the CO. The CO owns the unit and is calling the shots - or should be. If the CO wants its person "in control" in both positions, it has that right. Remember that everyone - including the SM and committee members - works for (or on behalf of) the CO. We're all on the same team.

For the most part, my council (DelMarVa) covers a very large, mostly rural area. We're the entire Delmarva Peninsula - a whole state (Delaware) and parts of two others (the Eastern Shores of Maryland and Virginia). It takes about 4 hours to drive from the northern tip to the southern edge, and two hours to drive across it at the widest point. It's about 5,900 square miles. There are 14 counties and eight districts. All districts except one cover multiple counties - the single stand-alone county is the largest county, geographically speaking (takes a little more than an hour to drive from one side to the other). We had 6,163 Cub Scouts, 3,120 Boy Scouts, 586 Venturers, 263 Explorers and about 1,200 LFLers in 2010. We also have 29 professionals, not counting Scout Shop employees. That includes eight DEs, DDs or SrDEs; one Scoutreach executive; one Exploring/Latino Outreach executive; two FDs; one DFS; seven program staff members, including camp directors and rangers; three development and marketing staffers; a finance manager; three customer service staffers; the DE and an administrative assistant. After years of having the council office located in Wilmington, Del., at the very northern edge, it's now moving to Dover, Del., closer to the geographic center. Our two council camps are both located in Maryland - one in the north, one in the south.

"But going to church to JUST fulfill the 12st point of the Scout Law isn't being reverent." Strictly for the sake of argument, why not? If a Scout attends religious services because he benefits from the ethical and moral values they impart, but doesn't necessarily believe in the specific deity being worshipped at those services, why is that bad? If a Buddhist doesn't have to believe in God but can be a Scout, why can't Joe Smith The Non-Buddhist - who doesn't believe in a specific higher power but nevertheless reveres a faith's principles and teachings and follows certain ethical practices - also be a Reverent Scout? Sauce for the goose, etc.

Only if a Scout or Scouter has to be a member of an organized religion. They don't have to.

"We will be with you the whole way. Here's my cell number - if you have a question about anything, call me any time. We're all part of the team working for our kids."

evmori, It may be instructive to crack the dictionary. "Reverence," says Merriam-Webster, is honor or respect felt or shown; a gesture of respect (as a bow); the state of being revered. A Scout who follows Buddhism can revere the teachings and ethical precepts of his tradition, just as one example. That may not be your definition of "God," but it works for the BSA. Or are you suggesting that Irving should ban all followers of Hinduism, Buddhism, Shinto and some types of Wicca from membership - because they cannot be reverent toward "God"?

I don't mean to put words in Trevorum's mouth - but I think the answer is pretty simple. "God" in the BSA's point of view is a generalized, generic term that covers both the monotheistic Western religions (such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam), religions that include multiple deities or spirits (such as Hinduism and Shinto) and belief and practice systems that do not necessarily include belief in a deity or deities (such as Buddhism). Requiring Scouts and Scouters to "believe in God" in the strictest sense of the singular noun would restrict membership only to followers of the monotheistic religions. Which it clearly does not.

"Now, technically, YP does not say that a Leader cannot be alone with ascout" Yes, it does. That's the whole point of the no-1-on-1 contact rule. Two-deep leadership is something entirely different. "No one-on-one contact. One-on-one contact between adults and youth members is not permitted. In situations that require personal conferences, such as a Scoutmasters conference, the meeting is to be conducted in view of other adults and youths."

They're not "crossing over." They're continuing in the program. Give them a firm handshake and an adventure with a Boy Scout troop.

(This is a general statement, and not directed at you, SMT224.) A Scoutmaster, IMHO, or any other adult leader, should not be "challenging" a Scout's statement of belief. Even what is intended as a spirited discussion on matters of faith - particularly between an adult in a position of authority and a young man still forming his view of the world - can very easily turn into perceived persecution which puts a very bad taste in the boy's mouth. As others have said - this is a boy probably not yet 11 years old. What did *you* believe about God at that age? Can you even remember? Perhaps he's just one of these smart, aggressive kids who enjoys arguing for the sake of arguing and poking holes in adults' bubbles. Any way you slice it, this is a topic you should be discussing with the parents, explaining the Declaration of Religious Principle and making sure they understand the implications. After all, as the DRP says, "the home and organization or group with which a member is connected shall give definite attention to religious life." If the boy and his parents say that he is recognizing and fulfilling his "obligation to God," then - I suggest to you politely - butt out. A personal note. I went through an atheist/agnostic/non-believing phase as a teenager. It was in large part an instinctive reaction to what I saw as the narrow-mindedness of some people who professed to be religious. If I had declared my belief openly at that time, I could have gotten the boot from my troop. But it was Scouting that reinvigorated my personal faith, through experiencing the outdoors and taking my turn leading chapel services while on summer camp staff. My beliefs aren't recognizable as falling within any major (or minor) faith tradition - but I can wholeheartedly say that I am Reverent.

There should be no such thing as a long, boring callout. There's a way to do it right, educating the general population about the OA and getting folks interested, without putting them to sleep. None of the callout ceremonies I ever ran or participated in lasted more than a few minutes - in some cases, shorter than the average campfire skit. A brief explanation of the OA, its purpose, some peppy patter and chatter, calling the candidates, and leading them out of the campfire circle to a brief meeting, and your mission is accomplished. For a really large group of candidates (the size of the overall attendee pool really doesn't matter), I'd suggest a modified version of Eagle92's suggestion. Have the ceremony leaders stand on stage and call out the names - not one at a time, but all at once, in a list. Don't wait for each candidate to come to the front before calling the next. Instead, designate an OA member from each troop to stand in the audience escort the candidate to the front the moment his or her name is called. That way you get everyone up to the front very quickly. By positioning the escorts in the audience, you reduce the time it takes for someone to walk down from the stage, into the audience, and back up to the stage. One note: There should really be NO explanation of the symbolism during the call-out ceremony. The teams should all be very aware of the importance of symbolic progression in the inductions process. Don't spoil the mystery.

Youth Protection policies are utterly unrelated to private insurance claims for non-Scouting activities. That said, the prohibition on one-on-one contact is a good general rule to follow, IMHO, if only to cover your own derriere.

Just to point out ... In this situation, there's only a YP violation if another adult transports the Scout without another person present in the vehicle. If the other adult's son is also riding along, as I'd expect if we're talking about Scouts on their way to a meeting, then there's no 1-on-1 contact. All is kosher.

I'd also recommend starting with backpacking gear. If a troop and patrol starts out adventuring light, it's a simple matter to to do "plop" camping with a trailer, big tarps, etc., for a luxurious once-in-a-while campout. But it's REALLY difficult to wean a car-camping troop off of its heavy propane tanks, stoves suitable only for picnic-table use, etc. Generally speaking, however, I'd add: First aid kits - patrol kit in addition to personal supplies Patrol gear repair kit - string, safety pins, thread, needles, thin wire, tent patching kit, seam sealer Candles Patrol flag Large water containers If you really need a shovel (and chances are you don't), I'd suggest a small folding spade instead of a full-length shovel.

Whoops - sorry, I completely misread that. Agree 100 percent with packsaddle. But some of my questions still apply. How does she communicate/meet/interact with teachers at her son's school - all through the telephone? How does she purchase clothing, groceries, do laundry, etc.? If she can purchase the uniform parts, perhaps another parent can sew on patches. As for camping, cross that bridge when you come to it. Your pack is probably not going camping more than once or twice a year (my guess), so by the next campout, hopefully the boy will have found a friend whose dad or mom agrees to take him under their wing. Your CO needs to be contacted and asked for assistance. This is just the type of situation that a good CO can step up to the plate for.

There is an actual manual for Scouting for youth with disabilities that might be helpful: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34059.pdf Some relevant excerpts, bolded for emphasis: "Since most Scout units do not have assistant leaders who have expertise in working with Scouts with disabilities, a parent may be required to attend unit meetings and activities, especially those activities that might require strenuous physical effort or that occur over an extended period of time." and: "The advancement program is flexible. With guidance, most boys can learn and perform the skills. Advancement requirements should not be watered down or eliminated for boys with disabilities. The speed at which requirements are completed and the means of explaining them might need to be adjusted and simplified. It might take longer for a Scout with a disability to earn his awards. The standard for every boy is, Has he done his best? " OK, so that's the official line. For practical, situation-specific advice, I think most people here would need a bit more information. What are the nature of this boy's disabilities? Is he legally blind or have another visual impairment? Does he have other physical challenges that would require accomodations? I can't think of any situation why uniforms and patch placement, two items you cite, would become a problem caused or amplified by any boy's disabilities. Can his mother not order uniform parts online or at the local Scout Shop, or look in the book to see where patches are to be sewn on? Can you explain that some more? If the Scout attends public school, he may have an IEP (individualized educational plan) that may give you some ideas for accomodations. Also: How does his mother handle issues outside of school? Does she have to be with him 24/7, or can he do some things relatively independently? If the latter, why not Scouting?(This message has been edited by shortridge)

BadenP, I think you misread Old-OX's comment. The statement was: "ALL professionals were allowed membership, if needed to carry out the responsibility of their position." In other words, if a DE was appointed lodge staff adviser, as you were, or if their job put them in contact with a lot of OA work (such as camp ranger or resident camp director), they probably should be members of the lodge.