shortridge

Per the Guide to Safe Scouting: "Kayaking activities are limited to Boy Scouts, Varsity Scouts, and Venturers." http://www.scouting.org/sitecore/content/Home/HealthandSafety/GSS/toc.aspx

The AOL was launched in 1972: http://www.sageventure.com/history/cub/

Is it heresy to say that I don't like cooking with dutch ovens?

Picture of a merrowed border: http://www.emblemconcepts.com/wax%20versus%20merrow.htm It's basically what we're all used to with most of our Scouting patches.

It depends on what level of training you want them to have. Fast Start and YP can be done online at any time, even without being registered. If you want every parent to have completed SM Fundamentals or IOLS, that's another issue entirely.

OGE, Doesn't the Scoutmaster have discretion in whom he or she refers Scouts to?

What you guys have going for you is an apparently strong pack with a good program. Just keep doing what you've been doing, offer these new Cubs the best program, training and support you can, and if they choose to leave, that's their prerogative. I do agree the DE should have been upfront about her plans.

The issue of respect aside, the decision of whether to start a new pack or join an existing pack is entirely up to the parents and Cubs. If the DE can convince some parents to start a new unit in their town, that's great. It would be more convenient for them to attend. If the parents and Cubs decide to stick with your pack - perhaps because you have a proven track record and they're new to the program - that's great, too. A DE can't force anyone to do anything, or unilaterally "take kids and start a new pack."

I'm not a liability expert nor an attorney, but I do think that term gets thrown around way too much. IMHO, training would definitely matter in certain cases. For example, if you're not trained as a rangemaster and you run a shooting sports event and something happens, I'd wager BSA wouldn't exactly leap to your defense. Ditto if you're not trained in Safe Swim Defense and something happens during a swim that you're running. Some training is mandatory to conduct certain programs, and without that training, you shouldn't be doing it. The same thing applies if you're running a camp under the auspices of National Standards and you're not properly trained.

I've never seen anything like that, and I wouldn't sign if it was presented to me without more explanation in writing - as either the temporary guardian or the parent/guardian giving authorization.

If there's no issue with the Scout aging out, then this isn't an issue at all. He should put in two more months, at minimum. If he puts up a fight, ask him about his service to the den. What does he think would be best for the boys he worked with in the spring? I'll agree that a good den chief works harder than a good quartermaster, though perhaps I'm biased. That job isn't something you want rotating on a six-month schedule. You want to pick Scouts who will commit to working with a den through the year and over the summer as needed, and ideally stick with the den for a few years. (Remember that the same POR can count for Star, Life and Eagle - you don't have to switch them up - so serving for two years as a den chief would more than satisfy all three rank requirements.) Your troop may also want to strongly consider not holding regular mass "Eagle Courts," which set up artificial deadlines and expectations, as shown by this example. Instead look at scheduling them on a case-by-case basis as the boys earn the rank.

First, I assume we're talking about a Star Scout going for Life or Life Scout going for Eagle. If this is a First Class Scout going for Star, the four month POR requirement has been met by his service as a den chief, and the whole thing is null and void. "The boy and his parents also claim he started off as a quarter master before that but it didn't work out and he was asked to find another position." Forget what they claim - what do the SM and SPL say? Was the boy informed that he was not fulfilling the duties of quartermaster and removed from the position by the SM or SPL, or was the job just not a good fit? It doesn't matter what your advancement chairman says, but what the SM and SPL say. For the den chief length of service period, six months is six months. It's up to your SM how to interpret that. Just because a computer program such as Troopmaster accepts it doesn't make it OK. Looking at this from another perspective, however, will two months make a huge difference in this boy's advancement to Eagle? It's September right now, so the pack and den should be starting up again soon. Can the boy just put in another two months to settle this whole thing? Or, better yet, can he commit to serving the entire school year with the den, giving them a mentor, guide and good role model for the whole program year? (If he's Star going for Life, that would also give him the time in position necessary from Life for Eagle, knocking that off the checklist.)

Certainly, it would be nice for the DE to attend a camporee or other district event. But the program isn't - certainly shouldn't be! - contingent upon his or her being there. Consider that the DE likely had family obligations - or perhaps professional ones, such as schmoozing a prospective donor or attending a council meeting.

If you want cheaper, you're going to get much poorer quality. Most reputable outdoor outfitters sell them for $45-65. I googled "zip-off pants" and found REI hawking them for $55, Cabela's $45, L.L. Bean $60, Eastern Mountain Sports $49 and North Face $65. (I didn't check if the colors matched.) The Centennial Switchbacks sell for $49.99. Not too shabby.

The DE's job is not to help, help, help. It is to increase the number of units, increase the number of Scouts and increase the number of dollars donated. That's what they get graded on. Everything else is gravy. As broken points out, all those problems can't possibly be laid at the feet of one person. How strong is the district committee? What has the camping and activities committee been doing over the last 2-3 years to promote camp attendance? What have different units tried to increase recruitment? I'm also curious - when you mention "no shows," are you talking about the DE not showing up, or something else?

Thanks! That makes a LOT more sense. :-)

I recall reading someplace that visitors can't participate in the midway - they have a very limited slate of options of activities. But I can't find that on the Web site. ### I was wondering, on a related subject, if anyone knew what a "religious resection" was. To wit, from the Jambo homepage: "Daily activities will offer fun, challenge, an opportunity for religious resections ..." ??? Is this a special Jambo thing, or just a really bad typo?

Confused, sorry... what form is this "Family Camp" taking? Is it a pack function? A district event? Lasting a weekend? A week? What program areas do you need certifications for besides BB range, archery and aquatics? Look at current den chiefs - they might be interested in a chance to help with program rather than travel around with their dens. Also look at the ranks of the regular summer camp staff - there might be some high schoolers or college students there who have some free time.

You ride horses, beat horses and ... er, sleep with deceased horses?

As was suggested in another thread, your unit can have a local requirement that all parents attending campouts must be registered leaders. At the very least, if you don't want to go that far, you can require that everyone be YP trained. Anyone can take that course online without being registered, and print out a certificate of completion to show you. You certainly should develop a list of do's and don'ts - no smoking in front of kids, no alcohol, etc. - just so everyone knows the rules of the road.(This message has been edited by shortridge)

Google the term "background check" and you'll find tons of companies that will perform them for you, a private citizen. You don't need permission from anyone to search public records. While I'm not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV, I would imagine that the BSA's permission line is there so that if an applicant is turned down for something that came up during the check, he or she can't claim the BSA went a'snooping.

Anyone can do a public records search, or hire a company to do so, and see what comes up. You could do one on your boss, neighbor, spouse or Scoutmaster. There's nothing preventing you from doing that. What you do with that information is up to you. If you're really concerned, consult an attorney in your jurisdiction - that'll be much more accurate than anything you get here. Law enforcement officers, by virtue of their profession, have access to much more detailed and personal information than would be contained in standard public records. Generally, they're prohibited from searching that information except in the performance of their duties - you can't just start profiling people on a whim.

Skills are important, but boring without any proper practical application. The meetings should be geared toward planning or preparing for an outing or adventure every month - selecting menus, mapping hiking routes, practicing survival-shelter construction. You may find that the Venture Patrol wants to go off on its own, away from the "little kids," or that it can do some independent activities at troop campouts. The activities they choose will guide the skills they learn.

"The SM thought that it was a good idea to visit them and see if all of this bragging was fact." Sounds like the SM views this not as a learn-from-others venture, but as a troop competition. Not a healthy way to go about it.

Do you have a link to that? The official clip art file at http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/Clipart.pdf indicates that those images, and only those images, are authorized for use. I haven't found anything that says someone can just pull a random image off a site and use it.