shortridge

This hooey about LNT banning colored tents has got to stop. Here's what LNT actually says: Bright clothing and equipment, such as tents can be seen for long distances are discouraged. Especially in open natural areas, colors such as day-glow yellow are disturbing and contribute to a crowded feeling; choose earth-toned colors (ie. browns and greens) to lessen visual impacts. Think about it. Which would you prefer - to walk around a bend and see a clearing with fluorescent orange and Wal-Mart-tarp-color blue tents? Or a clearing with muted colors? Which would make you feel more like you were in the middle of a parking lot? LNT is all about education: If you can take the less-destructive, less-intrusive, less-harmful option, do it. It's simple. Beavah makes excellent points all around. LNT is a codification of everything that Scouting should be doing already, and what many have been doing for years. It brings together in a very simple format the practices that I first read about under the label "low-impact camping" in my BSH in 1991. It's easy to understand and comprehend. And it certainly isn't run by some sort of cabal of environmental extremists. - A proud LNT Trainer

I think disaffected liberal Democrats will do what disaffected conservative Republicans largely did not do in 2010 - hold their nose and vote for the incumbent. There will be no primary challenge to Obama, because the Democrats will realize that, warts and all, a sitting president is a far better candidate to fend off what they see as the worst of the Tea Party movement. The idea of President Palin, et al, scares the bejeezus out of liberals. They will unite, albeit perhaps grudgingly.

clemlaw ... from "A Fish Called Wanda" ... Archie (John Cleese), being dangled out a window: I'm really really sorry. I apologize unreservedly. Otto (Kevin Kline): You take it back? Archie: I do. I offer a complete and utter retraction. The imputation was totally without basis in fact, and was in no way fair comment, and was motivated purely by malice, and I deeply regret any distress that my comments may have caused you or your family, and I hereby undertake not to repeat any such slander at any time in the future.

But why we are co-eding these kids up in overnight settings is beyond me. Before anyone starts, I know there are separate sleeping arrangements. But why put an alcoholic drink in front of a recovering alcoholic? Why put temptation in front of these children? If you don't think these kids don't think about sex on a constant basis then you must have been locked up in your closed your entire childhood. Let's shut down the public schools and ban teen dating, then. Newsflash: Kids can engage in sexual activity even during the daytime and even when there's no bed, cot or sleeping bag around.

Call your DE immediately and ask for immediate guidance and a meeting. This is part of what he or she gets paid to do. Without the PTA chartering your pack, your pack might not exist. And it doesn't sound like the PTA wants to charter your pack (or maybe it just doesn't understand what its role is). That has a direct impact on your DE's bottom line.

For what it's worth, scouting.org is registered directly to BSA HQ at Irving. By contrast, bsalegal.org is registered to Bork Communication Group ... whose own website, borkgroup.com, seems to be having the same issues and error message. The company handles communication strategies in support of litigation. It's headed by Robert H. Bork Jr. (yes, he's the son of that Bork).

when BSA's rules differ from those of governing associations or recognized authorities for the particular activity. Other than the helmet issue (previously mentioned), what are these out-of-synch rules?

But of course none of this has any relevance to the Scouting program, because none of us ever exceeds the speed limit when driving at, to or from Scouting functions. Right?

Question from a novice ... with any of these e-readers, is there a way to "mark" a page or specific paragraph in a book so you can com back to it later? Like a virtual Post-It or notes in the margins? That strikes me as one of the great advantages of the good ol' print book. Most of my Scouting and outdoors books have Post-Its or little slips of paper protruding from all edges, marking spots I want to come back to. Just wondering if it's possible with the e-readers.

For those of you whose councils offer adult leader training such as IOLS at summer camp - how is that done, logistically? Do the SMs and ASMs separate entirely from their troop for a couple days? Do they get to eat meals and have downtime with their Scouts? Is the training offered in short stints, like a few hours each afternoon, or in whole-day blocks? Who are the trainers - volunteers or paid camp staffers? Just color me curious ... seems like an efficient use of time.

Try reading in Inuktitut, the language spoken by the Inuit peoples of Nunavut, Canada: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inuktitut Save the Cremation of Sam McGee for a dramatic campfire recitation (NOT reading - needs to be memorized through-and-through). It's grand if done properly with the right theatrics and intonations.

They don't serve pop (or soda) at the mess hall because that would interfer with sales at the trading post and vending machines. However, at all the far flung stations (archery, swimming, shotgun, etc.) the vending machines are in prominent display. Water is harder to access - again, it interfers with sales. Never seen nor heard of this phenomenon. Might not be as widespread as you think. At my local camp, there is exactly one vending machine, and it's outside the trading post, where fountain sodas and Snapple are on sale inside. Also candy and other snacks. But in the dining hall, the food is healthy and balanced. At the program areas, we were trained to push water to the point of annoying the heck out of the kids. Water is available easily everywhere - out of drinking fountains at the latrines, in coolers at the program areas, at the dining hall, etc. And we modeled good behavior by downing water and refilling our bottles every chance we got.

And don't forget your local council camps! They build character!

Here's the schedule & details: http://www.ncsbsa.org/resources/ncs/2011%20NCS%20Brochure.pdf

Correct me if I'm wrong ... but my understanding of NCS is that it's nigh-impossible for a lone Scouter to attend. Even if I were to pay my own way to take _____ training, I'd likely get bumped at the last minute by a council camp staffer who takes precedence. NCS is not designed for unit Scouters seeking higher training - it's aimed at council employees who run summer camps. Either that needs to change, or we need an intermediate level of certification for unit Scouters.

My council has the roles clearly deliniated - there's field service, which includes all the DEs, the SrDEs, the FD and the DFS. They're the people in charge of local partnerships, some fundraising, new unit organization, membership, etc. Then there's the program department, which includes a director of support services, three program directors (who are actually the council summer camp directors and run specific program tasks such as jamboree, civic service, etc.) and two camp rangers. I can't see how anyone knowledgeable about council structure could confuse field service and program. DEs and their ilk do not exist to expand Cub camping. They exist to support the units and the district - which is the body that decides whether or not to expand Cub camping. DEs are not super-program people. Now, the question of whether we should be devoting the bulk of our council payroll into non-program positions is a good one. Should the DE's job be restructured? Maybe. But that's another issue entirely.

Ideally, in the perfect world, districts have 80 or so units, with a full professional staff of a district director, senior district executive, and an entrance level district executive. Just how often do the stars and planets align to create this utopia? Seriously ... is that how districts are supposed to be carved out - by numbers of units vs. geography? Or is that just the "ideal" district size, like the ideal patrol size? And how often does one district have that three-level pro staff you describe? I don't think I've ever seen that around these parts.

A few observations on the strategic plan. - "Objective I: Scouting is 'cool' with youth." ... Whenever adults start using the word "cool," kids stop listening. - National has one year to get Scoutnet's training interface upgraded. Good luck with that. - "We have developed and provided to councils an innovative and youth-friendly conservation and environmental education program for use in local summer camps, schools, and individual units. [May 2012]" ... Now this has some potential. I just wonder how it's going to differ from the many EE programs that currently exist from more established conservation organizations and local school districts. - "We have developed and shared with councils an assessment tool to help them understand which elements of their camping programs and facilities do not fully deliver an exciting experience for youth participants. Seventy-five percent of councils are demonstrating positive results from the annual assessment. [December 2012] ... Sounds like there's going to be some sort of national, uniform camp evaluation form. Whoop-dee-do. - "We have established an interactive methodology for the National Key 3 to regularly communicate with local council Key 3s. [June 2011]" ... Sounds like you mean a blog, or e-mail newsletter, or password-protected website. You mean this doesn't exist already? - The focus on positioning BSA as a youth advocacy organization is interesting, but launching a "national multiyear health and wellness campaign" seems like a make-work program for a few highly-paid National staffers, and a diversion from program efforts that actually get kids outside. - "We have provided each council with a template for offering and operating (at the councils discretion) a five-day outdoor health and fitness camp for all youth living within its service area as a means of increasing health and fitness knowledge and participation among young people while showcasing the dynamic and engaging world of Scouting. [December 2012]" ... OK, this is stupid. No kid is going to voluntarily sign up for a week-long "health and fitness camp." A "super-challenging extreme outdoor adventure camp"? Heck, yeah. See the problem? ============== Twocubdad wrote: My priority would be for councils -- and really regions -- to start looking at their council facilities beyond summer camp. Our camps have great facilities which generally go unused 45 or more weekends a year. My king-for-a-day decree would be for councils to staff their camp facilities on weekends year-round. And look for ways to run through the winter. Why doesn't BSA have a "summer" camp with a ski slope? Obviously, money is a big factor. I'm not that stupid. But why doesn't BSA look at it's camp facilities the way an outfitter would. REI will sell me a kayak AND hook me up with an instructor/guide who will teach me to use it and take me on a whitewater trip. I can go in the ORVIS shop down the street, buy all the fly fishing gear I want and hire guide service for this weekend. Why can't a council camp offer BSA-trained instructors -- for a fee -- along with their facilities?" The two obstacles to that are (a) cost and (b) the BSA structure. Think about the guide services you're comparing council camps to. They're paying their people good wages, much better than BSA pays its program or field service professionals. Let's say your local council/REI pays a so-called "professional BSA instructor" $20 an hour to teach canoeing or fishing or climbing or lead some other such outdoor activity. At eight hours a day, 45 days a year, that comes out to about $7,000 a year, about a quarter of the average DE's starting salary. Not going to happen. The money isn't there, unless you start charging on the same level as a fly-fishing guide or ski instructor. Secondly, paying people to staff camps flies in the face of the volunteer-driven BSA model. Many camps have what you describe - they're called campmasters, volunteers who stay at camp on weekends and run the show. But they're not running a full camp program - they're resources for the other volunteer unit leaders, maybe putting on a few hours' worth of specialty instruction in some topic. Why pay people to staff camp when you can have people who pay to staff camp? - is National's rather sensible way of thinking.

But, we need to get past the press' tendency to constantly bash the BSA, or just ignore them. We almost all have had the same comments about why do they mention so and so was a scout, or Eagle Scout as part of a headline or lead-in to a story, but you have a hard time finding anything about the huge contributions of scouting to the communities through troop projects and Eagle projects. Even , when you give them the info, they often do not use it. As a representative of the Fourth Estate, I feel compelled to chime in on this point. First, Scouting generally needs a good, unified PR effort, from the top down. In my experience, local councils and districts don't know how to work the media well - or at least don't spend a lot of time on it. Media relations should be part of the pros' training curriculum, IMHO. It's more than just sending out a press release about popcorn sales every year. As for the criticism of the media's focus on the bad things about Scouting - of course that's going to get better "play" than other subjects. It goes back to the classic definition of what's news - dog biting man isn't news; man biting dog is. An Eagle Scout who robs a bank is news. An Eagle Scout who organizes a flag retirement project is just an Eagle Scout doing what Eagle Scouts are supposed to do. Not news unless it's a really slow day. I could go on and on about how districts, councils, troops, packs, crews and ships could work with the media to get better coverage - practical, not theoretical, stuff. I don't want to clog this thread up, but if anyone's interested in that discussion, spin off a new thread or PM me.

Founder Alfred Harvey was an Eagle Scout. http://www.comicbookdb.com/creator.php?ID=6653 It would be entirely possible to do something similar today - if BSA wanted to fork out bazillions for the licensing fees the megacorporations demand.

Building a crystal diode radio is a Bear elective in the Cub Scout program. RADIO Build a crystal or diode radio. Check with your local craft or hobby shop or the nearest Scout shop that carries a crystal radio kit. It is all right to use a kit. Make and operate a battery powered radio, following the directions with the kit. - http://www.boyscouttrail.com/cub-scouts/bear-scouts.asp

His father also noted that when his son became upset, the BOR wasn't stopped at that point nor was there any effort to get either himself or I to come help his son. The scout was just sent out of the room to wait for the board's decision. I'm confused as to what the father's point was here. How upset was this kid? Breaking down into tears? Getting angry and loud? If neither of those, why would the BOR members have summoned either you or his father to "help"? A Life Scout should be able to stand on his own two feet in front of a board of review without getting rattled, IMHO.

Pains? Those are Character-Building Items!

Simple is always best. Have the SPL or the PL hand over the Scout's new badge of rank, calling them up to the front of the room, giving them a firm handshake and leading the troop in a round of applause. Consider having the honored Scout lead the troop in the closing ceremony or somesuch, depending on your troop's traditions. Recognize each Scout individually - don't turn it into a mass thing, even if you have more than one Scout moving up at a time - and remind the youth leaders to keep it serious. Save the fancy stuff for the COH.

JMBadger, Your example from your parent situation is apples and oranges. Yes, it's easy for a parent to accidentally create a one-on-on situation. But you forget that parents don't automatically know the YP rules. And in Cubs, not all dens or packs require parent attendance (in fact, some don't, calling it a distraction - see below). I'm kind of surprised that you did at the Webelos level, where the boys are supposed to be more independent. Teachers, coaches, principals and athletic trainers get far more one-on-one contact with kids than do MBCs. In Scouting, the buddy system is drilled into the kids' heads. If you're that worried about easy graders being molesters, take your concerns and line of "reasoning" to your local school board. They'll laugh you out of town. ----------- Cub Scout den meetings are intended to be an activity for the individual boys. They are not a family activity, and the presence of parents can be a distraction. However, parental involvement is not forbidden and all meetings should be open to your participation. If you would like to be present at a den meeting, ask the den leader in advance so that the leader can plan a way for you to observe or participate in an unobtrusive manner. - http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/CubScouts/FAQS/program.aspx