shortridge

He is either seriously troubled or just a spoiled brat. How best to proceed depends on which one of those it is. Personally, if I were the father of a teenager who acted like that, I would be embarassed to be seen in public with such a kid. The fact that the father accompanies him but is apparently unable to deal with it indicates to me that there's something more there hidden under the surface that he and the mother know about, but don't want to talk about. Maybe he has some mental health or developmental issues that they're ashamed to discuss or don't want to be made public. Perhaps they simply have spoiled him all his life and don't know how to discipline or set limits. Beavah outlined your options well. I'd start with a sit-down, just you and the parents, and ask them why they think this behavior is happening. If they stonewall you, ask why they think a teenager should be allowed to act like a toddler. Because that's exactly what they're saying by their inaction if they allow this kid to persist without seeking help. If that doesn't get you anywhere, since the dad's on every campout, the surefire solution is easy. On your next campout, make sure you have two-deep leadership plus one. As soon as this teenager starts acting like a toddler, you send him home in the company of his father. Immediately. No ifs, ands or buts. No time to pack up his gear and throw another tantrum - his pals can do that for him and send it home after the campout. Make it automatic. There is no place for that type of behavior from a Scout. End of story. That will get his attention. No second-chances, no confining-to-quarters, no time-outs. You act like a Scout - or you go home. As SM, you also need to think about the affect this mess is having on everyone else. I guarantee you that if you're feeling a sense of dread, the Scouts in your troop are feeling it, too. A 14-year-old Scout should be a leader in his patrol and troop, not a liability. The other Scouts will breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy themselves a lot more when someone stands up to this kid. He's two years away from driving a car! What happens if he gets PO'd and throws a tantrum behind the wheel?

There's really no difference between a silent auction and a live auction, except the former doesn't require the services of someone who cantalkreallyfastlikethis. If a silent auction is gambling, then why not a live auction, evmori? I don't quite understand what you're getting at. ScoutNut is right. I also suggest that if silent auctions weren't OK, then National wouldn't have included mention of one in a writeup on best marketing practices by councils ... www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Marketing/Methods/9annual/mc-01.aspx

Call your local council camp director and explain that you're looking for local nature experts. Ask if he/she knows of any youth summer camp staffers still in the area who might be interested in helping out. Ask your camp director for copies of his nature/ecology staff's MB lesson plans from the summer. They should have plenty of activities listed that you can adapt. Contact your local nature society and ask for a guest presenter. Then explain to the recalcitrant cooking fellow that you have a group of X Scouters who have signed up for IOLS training and are expecting a good quality program. They are in need of his expertise, and this is the only time they could do it. Explain to him that their units will not suffer from their absences. Try to play to his vanity and get him back on board. Then if he's still being a jerk, inform him that his services are no longer needed as a trainer. He's just let down a group of people *who are seeking training* for an incredibly petty reason. That's his job, as a trainer - to train people!

Did he specifically ask you for feedback on the writing? If so, I'd circle the problem spots and hand it back to him, not explaining in detail how to change it. Leave that up to the Scout. If not, I'd say "Hey, I noticed a couple of items in there that might be problematic, from a grammar or comprehension standpoint - a few places where it might be difficult for someone not familiar with the project to understand something. You might want to give it another look-see or get another set of eyes on it." Just keep it vague and leave it up to the Scout.

http://www.scouting.org/training/trainingupdates.aspx The big takeaway seems to be that mandatory training has been delayed until 2012, but it continues in the 20 pilot councils. Or is that old news?

OUI is usually Operating Under the Influence, similar or same as DUI - Driving Under the Influence. So custodial parents or guardians don't get a background check, while grandparents - non-custodial parents - adult brothers or sisters - aunts & uncles - family friends all do? That makes absolutely no sense.

Dan Beard's American Boys Handy book is an awesome resource - lots of simple fun stuff, plus the plans for homemade boats will get your Scouts salivating. The houseboat was a favorite daydream of mine as a kid. I have a Fieldbook (copyright 1948) with a lot of great stuff in it. BP's original Scouting for Boys is a superb book, too. A copy of Troop Activities (No. 3501, copyright 1962) has a ton of patrol activities and outing ideas. And the 1950 Handbook for Patrol Leaders should be required reading for any leader, adult or youth, in today's version of the program.

sawdustr: If we were indeed only allowed to teach what was in official BSA publications, then hundreds of advanced skills would never be taught. Just as one example: Forget the bow drill (fire by friction) and magnifying-glass methods of firestating (dismissed in the Wilderness Survival MBP as "legendary but not always practical"). Indeed, BSA acknowledges that its publications aren't the be-all, end-all of wilderness education. Each MPB contains a list of resources, groups and other publications in the back for additional information, and the Venturing Ranger Handbook is chock-full of other resources. Indeed, the Ranger program itself is based not around a single handbook, but the idea of learning from specialty expert consultants - who probably aren't teaching from the BSH or Fieldbook. I don't ever recall seeing the "one-handed bowline" included in any BSA book, but it sure was taught at my troop and camp.(This message has been edited by shortridge)

As for ManyHats dad - Why is the dad signing the boy up, and putting his info on the boys application if he does not live with his son? Where is the mom, or who ever is the boy's guardian, and whom he lives with? Since it is the non-custodial parent signing this boy up, I would ask for some kind of permission slip from custodial parent, giving approval for the boy to register, and the dad to be his Tiger Partner. Concur with what ManyHats said. An address is not an indicator of being a "custodial parent." My ex-wife and I have joint 50-50 custody of our daughter - called co-parenting. Her mom's address might be on the registration form for ballet classes; mine might be on the form for Girl Scouts. But we're both her parents. Do you require a permission slip from parents when a non-parent signs up as their son's adult partner?

Pita pizzas. Delicious. Don't have to cut 'em upen - just glop the sauce on the pitas, throw on some cheese, plop on some pepperoni, and voila!

Perhaps they were in a plane crash and didn't have a first-aid kit, but did have a bottle of Jack that miraculously survived in someone's well-padded carry-on. It could certainly happen. I wouldn't make it the focus of the lesson, but it still might be useful to mention. I was really happy to see the endorsement of potato-chip firestarters, personally. That's really fun to demonstrate. Though I don't know ANYONE who's ever snuck a quarter-can of Pringles into their pack ...

I always ask my boys: after they're married and have kids of their own and their little 6 year-old comes up and asks, "Daddy, can we go to Disney World?" and you have to say no because you don't know how to read maps, plan meals, provide shelter, pack appropriately, budget costs and coordinate with the Mrs. etc. because you've never had to do it before. It's going to be a sad day for you (and your little one). I love this!

I also wanted to mention that I got my first "real job" because of Scouting. I'd spent the summer of my 14th birthday working as a CIT at summer camp, and in the fall applied for a cashier's position at the local pharmacy. Turns out the manager's son was a Cub Scout and both remembered me from camp that summer - including the times when I filled in running the trading post, holding off hordes of candy bar-crazed kids. I got the job.

Definitely not with regard to college admissions. Colleges and universities are looking for well-rounded people with leadership and other experience, whether they come by that through church groups, Scouting or the FFA. Some of those activities and affiliations do reveal information about the applicant - religion, ethnic background, sexual orientation, etc. That's just the way it works. You can't have a completely blind application system.

Why just two den meetings a month? Except during holiday times, etc., we always had three - one a week, with the pack meeting on the fourth week.

Your DE should be giving you more hands-on, specific advice other than that it's "easy." A huge part of the DE's job is to help start new units. Play hardball. Tell him or her that if you don't get some more support and clear answers, the pack will fold because of a lack of assistance from the council, and he or she won't get that new-unit credit. You may need to incorporate and file as a nonprofit organization. Rules and laws vary from state to state ... your DE and professional council staff are really the best resource. If the DE can't give you any more advice, call your council office and ask for the field director or director of field service, the next person up the rung.

It's one thing to say "Oooh, let's have a theme because dinosaurs are neat!" It's yet another to actually put the themed programming in place to make it actually work. Doing real themes takes a lot of effort and planning. It's more than just an outdoor skills instructor saying "OK, we're going to tie, uh, caveman knots that you could, uh, use to tie up your dinosaur!" If someone has some concrete ideas, let 'em flow. But don't force it or think you have to do a "theme" every time. From my years on Cub resident camp staff, I recall stumbling over the theme concept quite a few times. It's difficult work to match achievements and electives to such categories as Pirates, Knights, Outer Space and Wild West. But when it clicked, it really clicked - and it was tons of fun! We dressed up in costumes, created elaborate program areas (cut-up cardboard boxes, old worn-out canvas tarps, old pieces of plywood and fencing, plenty of rope and lots of spraypaint can make pretty much anything) and opened up plenty of books on the topic to brainstorm. Most importantly, we threw out the playbook (and handbooks), and didn't try to force the square advancement peg into the round fun-for-fun's-sake program hole. That's what you have the luxury of doing with your pack camping. But since your fees are so low, it doesn't look like you have much built in there for resources and program costs. Better keep a firm eye on this DL and anyone involved in the planning and make sure they don't blow out the pack budget trying to create a life-sized paper-maiche Blackbeard!

I don't know how it's calculated, but national TAY for 2014 is projected to be 30,208,084. That's inclusive of Tigers through Venturers, and it's up 2.4 percent from 2009. Source: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/media/ES_Population_Estimates.pdf The document also breaks it down by region. Lots of demographic data for the numbers-crunchers among us. The national TAY numbers in a nutshell for 2014 (compared to 2009): Tigers: 2.2 million, up 4.6 percent Cubs: 4.4 million, up 4.7 percent Webelos: 4.5 million, up 4.9 percent Total Cub-Scout Age: 11.1 million, up 4.8 percent Boy Scouts: 6.5 million, up 5.1 percent Venturers: 12.4 million, down .9 percent According to the 2008 annual report, there were 2.8 million registered traditional Scouts (Tigers through Venturers). Applying that figure to the 30-odd million TAY in 2014, I come up with the very, very rough figure that Scouting serves 9.4 percent of total available youth across the U.S. Less than one in 10.

The domicile of the corporation is the District of Columbia. Funny! I didn't know that D.C. had annexed Texas.

From the Congressional Research service, 2005: - Problems have arisen because of a group's federal charter. "The awarding of a charter to an already existent fraternal or patriotic organization is purely honorific. Unlike other congressional charters, a Title 36 corporation charter does not create a body corporate where one did not previously exist. Yet, when a charter is awarded to such an entity, many members of the public perceive this action as an expression of congressional support for all of the groups activities. Thus, for example, when the congressionally chartered American Gold Star Mothers refused to admit to membership a non-U.S. citizen, some individuals and members of the media called upon Congress to intervene and rectify this situation. Approximately 100 Title 36 corporations exist, which raises the potential for more requests for congressional intervention in these groups activities." - We're not all that special. "Some of the more well-known ones include the American Legion, Big Brothers-Big Sisters of America, Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of the United States of America, National Academy of Sciences, United Service Organizations, Inc. (commonly referred to as the U.S.O.), and Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States." http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RS22230_20050825.pdf Wikipedia also states that Congress stopped issuing charters in 1992 because of the confusion.

At college, in my morning biology class waiting for the professor to arrive. A few of the students were talking about a plane that had hit the WTC, but we all thought it was just a small plane. After a few minutes, the department secretary came in and told us what had happened and that classes were canceled for the day. I went back to the student union where folks were huddled around large TVs. After a collegewide meeting in the chapel and an address from the president and several counselors, I met with my coworkers on the college newspaper staff and we planned out the week's issue. One of our concerns was a possible anti-Islamic backlash. We had no students from Afghanistan that year, but the college has a substantial number of students from India and Pakistan, with quite a few Muslims among them. Thankfully, nothing like that occurred. Today I'm with my daughter, who was born three years after the attacks. We haven't discussed 9/11 yet, and I'm not even sure how to broach the subject. We're planning a simple day of swimming and picnicking.

Also: My local camp has a wheelchair-accessible camping area set up behind one of the program lodges. It consists of several paved pathways stretching out from a central paved area, with room for a platform tent at the end of each. That might be an option as well. Now is not just the time to start thinking - now is the time to start talking with your local professional staff about options and alternatives. Don't wait until the spring. If the SM's physician agrees that he can attend summer camp, and the SM wants to, then go for it gung-ho. This is someone whose skills and experiences have proven valuable to countless Scouts, and who is simply asking for some accomodation to continue his work on behalf of youth. He'd also be an excellent example of someone who succeeds in the face of great personal challenges and adversity. If the camp doesn't already own a Gator or similar type of small vehicle that it could put to the SM's use, you might try renting one from an equipment rental place for the week. Maybe approach a John Deere dealer and explain the situation and ask for a loaner?

It sounds like you're not just talking about a hypothetical situation. How would such a Scoutmaster manage to go camping year-round, not just at summer camp? Does his troop just go to car-camping parking-lot-edge sites? Does the troop not go hiking or backpacking? Many, many parts of Scouting are physical, and require certain abilities. Not everyone is able to do it all because of certain medical or physical conditions. That's just a fact of life. That said, staff members at my summer camp use electric Gator utility vehicles for carrying equipment around, delivering coffee to campsites, etc. I imagine something similar could be used in this type of situation. I've only seen them in flatland country, though, not on hills or such. The Scoutmaster who can walk, just no very far, might consider renting a Segway. (I've never used one, but they look like fun toys!)

I'm still reading The Scouting Party, by Scott and Murphy, but one of the things that caught my eye early on was the discussion of the federal charter issue. It's clear that the charter was not recognition for high-minded principles, but rather for business. Some items & excerpts: - The charter appears to have been a move to cement the BSA's position as the premier Scouting organization over William Randolph Hearst's American Boy Scouts organization. "A federal charter would provide ironclad protection against competition." - The first effort to get a charter, in 1910, failed. "Boyce's bill [for a federal charter] soon thereafter died a quiet death. The committee's members had indicated concern about seting a precedent. Were Congress to give the Boy Scouts a federal charter, countless other organizations would demand the same recognition." - Also from the 1910 attempt: "Committee members expressed perplexity as to why Congress should grant the Boy Scouts of America a federal charter when it could just as well organize in each of the forty-six states."

So if they don't have Star recorded, that means they don't have Life recorded either, right? I'd send in photocopies of his Handbook pages, with everything signed off, as well.