SMT224

The Scouts in our Troop are disgusted by this stupid behavior. And then the lying to top it off. Do they really think anyone will buy such BS? This story is all over the news, just as we start our fund raiser! It's time for them to man-up and admit they did wrong and will face the consequences.

Does anyone know what Troop they are from? I'd really like to write them a letter.

On a winter camping trip, setting up camp at 4F, in the dark, whilst it's snowing and a bit windy, is anyone really thinking about sex? Seriously? They may be thinking about God, but not whether they like boys or girls. The most important things really do matter when life is on a knife edge. Survival at quite low temperatures shows us down the most important things. I really do try to make every camping trip - regardless of the time of year - so intense and so focused on Scoutcraft and campcraft that no one has anytime to even think of such things.

Do you have a sponsor? Get that taken care of now, as well as all the paperwork needed to bring the Troop into existence. Work with the sponsor to find a space you can meet in and the best time to have your meetings.

Once the foundation is in place, get the word out. Let the Scouts you know, as well as your contacts in the Cub Packs, know that they now have an option to attend a Troop in their own town. Some may be delighted, other may want to stay where they are. Most of your Scouts may end up coming from the Cub Packs.

Once you have a group of Scouts, set up Patrols and a Patrol Leader Council. Work with them to decide what they want to do. Maybe start out with a hike in March, then in April or May progress to a monthly camping trip. Go to summer camp. Have fun! The advancement will come. A rank a year is just fine -- don't worry about pushing them any faster.

Let us know what happens.

This is really silly -- they just lower it in a cage! I thought they really tossed it!

But I think this one is worse...

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/13/us/vermont-college-euthanizes-one-ox-spares-another.html

http://www.cattlenetwork.com/cattle-news/Commentary-The-oxen-goeth-179370001.html?ref=001

A sad day for Scouting...

http://www.kellyclarkattorney.com/files/

Here's what I'd tell him:

"Big deal, so what, who cares?

I don't want to know, and neither does anyone else. Why in the world do you even need to make such an announcement?

We have better things to do in Scouting than bring up issues like sex or politics! Get off your high horse, you're really not that important!

Shut up and go build a fire without any matches! Go out and identify all the trees around camp. Lash a tripod to hold up the wash station. Identify that bird up there. Teach those younger Scouts how to tie the rescue knot with one hand. You're the Patrol cook, so get dinner going.

Seriously."

Still, the Bacon Explosion is tempting... and what better way to actually manifest a shortage?

I've seen similar things happen with our local sports teams. Scout can barely pay our annual $30 registration fee, and cannot go to summer camp unless the Troop provides a campership. But football, baseball, or soccer fees and uniform costs that are easily 2 or 3 times summer camp costs are taken care of without a problem. Not that I have a problem with sports -- I believe in a well rounded teenage boy. But I know that these same parents wouldn't even think of not paying the required sports fees in full and on time.

Had a similar situation as Basementdweller at round table several years ago with regard to summer camp. They had a large white board at the front of the room with all the individual units listed. One by one we had to come forward and write where we were going for summer camp. Those that were going to our council camp were given a prize, applauded, and given nods of approval by District officials. Those, such as myself, that put down an out of council camp were treated to a stoney silence and looks of disbelief by District officials. It was very uncomfortable. I was embarrassed and felt like a heretic. This was yet another event that made me feel like going it alone. Plus our FOS contribution was quite minimal, and we don't sell popcorn. Why should the District have anything to do with us?

Here's a tasty & healthy recipe that you might want to make sooner than later...

http://www.bbqaddicts.com/blog/recipes/bacon-explosion/

Bacon really is one of my favorite spices, especially with beef stew! I think I'll survive the alleged shortage, as I don't need large quantities, but it is a critical ingredient.

After writing the rather bleak message above, I thought I'd check the District website and print out the calendar for our upcoming 2013 planning session. No calendar. Last time the web site was updated was April.

Oh well. Alone again, naturally.

During my first 10 years of being an SM, I drank the Kool-Aid and was very active in our District. Never missed a round table, participated and staffed many District events, and went University of Scouting year after year.

I think my burn out and current low involvement can be traced to three name and border changes to our District over 12 years. Our large District was cut into thirds just after I got involved. Then these were bisected again into 7 smaller Districts a few years later, then after four years we merged into one even bigger District. At no time was I contacted to see what I thought of a proposed change, it just was announced at round table, effective immediately. There was never a reason or rational given -- it just happened. This let me know how I low on the totem pole I really was.

Each change significantly impacted District events, and made it hard to plan with our Troop calender, so we attended fewer and fewer events as time went on and yet another change occurred. The final blow was changing the round table night to that of our Troop meeting. We struggled to send a Committee Member, but coverage has been inconsistent. Most events and District information are only relayed at round table, so we began to miss out on more and more District happenings. We are so far out of the loop now, that we don't even try to coordinate our calendar.

So in answer to your query, we go it alone save for mandatory training and Eagle advancement.

In our Troop, less than a third of the Scouts have a parent either on the committee or as a Scoutmaster.

I do not see that the other two thirds suffer or are less successful in Scouting because their parents are not an official BSA registered leader in the Troop. Having an active participatory parent is helpful, but not always a guarantee of success. I've seen many Scouts of "drop-n-go" parents make it to Eagle just fine.

Bottom line: If a parent is not a leader, for what ever reason, the Scout can still participate and excel in Scouting! It happens!

The gay leader issue focuses on what the parent can or cannot do -- forgetting about the Scout! The assumption by all seems to be that if the gay parent cannot be a leader, then their son cannot be in Scouting. This is not true. Again, if they don't become a leader, so what? Most parents are not leaders! Is it that their feelings are hurt because their son wants to be in a club they can't join? Or that it doesn't reflect their values in absolutely every shape and form? Goodness! Get over it! Stop being so sensitive!

Alas, the point of my post was neither to have a tantrum nor to accuse an offended Cub Mom of something she didn't do. It was to point out that it's not about her, but about her son. And should she be offended by being told that folks like her can't be a leader? Yes! And of course it'd understandable that she would feel like taking her marbles and going home. But how does that help her son? To pull him away from his friends, so he can sit at home or in front of the TV while they have all the fun? Sorry, but there are all kinds of things in this world that offend, but sometimes we just need to get over it and think about who Scouting is really for - not the offended Cub Mom, but her son.

CalicoPenn, as far as I'm concerned, I do not want to know what someone does in their home, in their bedroom, in their very own bed! It's not only none of my business, it's nobodies business! Who they love is their very own business as well. I do not need or want to know.

I concur, "Its not the end of the world if there are gay leaders!" And things will likely change to this effect.

But right now, here and now, the rule of BSA is that gays cannot be leaders. The point of my rant is that that doesn't have to exclude the sons of gay parents her and now. Yes, we may all want to change things by and by, but now is what we have to deal with.

And for all those who vehemently oppose the current, especially those with sons who could be Scouts, are, in my most humble opinion, selfish. Selfish because they are not thinking of their sons, who are only Scout age for a very short period of time, but their own perspective on the issue. And yes, selfish because they are tossing the baby out with the bathwater just because they cannot be a leader. While I agree that being a leader whilst your son is in Scouting can be an important part of his Scouting, not being a leader is not a reason to not let your son be a Scout!

There are plenty of non-leader parents whose sons do just fine in Scouting, have fun, and advance to Eagle. I know. I've seen 'em. So, yes, I do find it selfish for a gay parent to say to his or her son, "If I can't be a leader, then no Scouting for you."

There are a lot of things that are despicable in this world, as much as we would like change, we still need to deal with the here and now. And while adults may want the the reality of Scouting to be different, it is still an outstanding program to transform boys into men. Why deny a boy from all the benefits of Scouting just because his mom or dad cannot be a leader?

If is wasn't denied them, they probably wouldn't want to be a leader anyway! But since it's not allowed, they want it all the more! If they were required to be a leader, no doubt they'd be complaining about that.

My point is that it's not about the adults, leaders or not. It's about the Scout. It's about our sons. It's about now, not when the world is perfect.

Im getting really tired of this whole "gay & the Scouts" issue being caged as some kind of a monumental civil rights issue. When it comes right down to it, its a bunch of selfish adults who are throwing a temper tantrum because they cant be a leader! So I have a very simple message for these folks:

Guess what? Its not about you! Its about your son! So what if you cant be an official Scout Leader! Big deal! Who cares? Get over it!! You can still be an active parent! Your son can still be a Boy Scout and experience all Scouting has to offer. And you can be there to help him do it! The bottom line is that Scouting is about your son experiencing the outdoors with his friends, learning to be a leader through failure in a safe environment, and becoming a self reliant man through a program that can be found nowhere else!! Stop being a baby and grow up! Its not about you! Sacrifice a bit of your all mighty pride and think about your son and what he really needs to become a real man! Its not the end of the world if youre not a leader! Stop whining and think about someone else besides yourself! You had a kid, now deal with it! Take care of him & put his needs first! Scouting is about him, not you!

Two Scout families who had moved to another town ~20 miles away stayed with our Troop despite several Troops in the towns they moved to. The had to drive though rush hour traffic both ways, yet continued to attend on a regular basis and participate in activities and camping trips.

Recently, after his parents divorced, a Scout decided not to move to a beach town with his mom, but instead stay with his dad (how is barely supportive of Scouting) so he could stay with our Troop. There's a Troop in the town his mom moved to, but he did not want to leave our Troop.

When my daughter, and several daughters of other Scout Leaders were in the Girl Scouts, I became the Troop Camping Adviser, and was a registered Girl Scout Leader. The girls were all very jealous of their Boy Scout brothers and wanted to go camping just like the Boy Scouts. So we did go camping 4 times a year, although our winter camping trip was in a cabin, it wasn't camping to me, but since they had to use the outhouse, it fully qualified for them! Especially on one trip at -9F!!

We took the girls to the same camping places we took the Boy Scouts to, and they loved it. Girls like to play with fire and knives just as much as boys do! And they love to cook and sit around the fire after a nice long hike and stare into the embers.

But, as others have said, ask the girls! Our girls were stoked to camp, and thoroughly enjoyed the outings. Girls in fourth grade may like to start out with a gentle late spring or early fall camping trip along with an encampment with lots of other girls their age. Start them slow -- they have plenty of time to enjoy the great outdoors! Our Troop lasted until all the girls had graduated from high school and went off to college.

Camping is sleeping outside.

When we go winter camping, we will sometimes rent a cabin at a Boy Scout camp for cooking and safety sake, but all Scouts and most leaders (save for 1 or 2 fire tenders) sleep out side in tents. We have used Adirondacks too, and at 4F, it qualifies as sleeping outside as far as I'm concerned.

But sleeping inside a cabin is not camping.

A rank a year works just fine.

Why rush it?

Scouting is more than advancement!

I was vexed by this when I became Scoutmaster as well. I was a bit overwhelmed with all those Scouts and wondering what to do with them week after week. At that time, our outings were sporadic, no PLC existed, and there was no activity schedule.

I instituted a PLC and a monthly outing on the second weekend of each and every month through out the year. These two changes, although they took several years to really become part of the Troop culture, have made all the difference in what we do as a Troop.

The monthly activities drive what we do in our Troop meetings. Out of the four monthly meetings, three are almost entirely devoted to the outing. We spend the majority of the two meetings before a camping trip focused on food and equipment preparations, and then meeting after a camping trip looking at pictures and discussing what went right and wrong and how to do better next time. Then we have one meeting a month to work on skills and advancement. We do a lot of camping and have very good participation on most trips.

The PLC has made a big difference because it has really empowered the Scouts, and let them know that it is their Troop and they make the decisions. It has baffled many a Committee member when I let them know I cannot make any decision on an activity or service project until I meet with the PLC to discuss. For example, when we had a significant problem with cell phone usage a meetings and camping trips, I did not yell at the Scouts or impose a rule. Instead I brought it up to the PLC, let them develop a rule and then implement it. The problem was gone in a few weeks, 'cause the Scouts were the enforcers, and no one wanted to step out of line!

Good Luck, and know that it will take a while to make any change, but it's worth it!

We are very active in the summer, and use the time kids are off from school to take extended camping trips. We usually extended our June camping by a day, coming back Monday afternoon. In August we have a six day five day camping trip, leaving Friday morning and returning Wednesday afternoon. This year we established a base camp on the weekend and then did a three day backpacking trip, returning to camp on Tuesday before heading home on Wednesday.

I can't imagine not camping in the summer, 'cause this really is the time to get out and stay out long enough to really do some camping!

I appreciate the advice, and will look carefully at the Sawyer Squeeze -- it looks good! I think the Scouts would like it, as they are always squeezing the other Sawyer anyway! It also sounds like we need to do more to pre-filter as well, so I'm going to work on modifying the big Katadyn base camp bag with a cloth or coffee filter to get the big particulate out before it goes to the Sawyer. I reckon that will be far cheaper than buying the $50 replacement filter!!

Well, this was our second year taking an extended 6-day August backpacking trip in the wilds of West Virginia, and I'm compelled to report that both our Katadyn Base Camp Water Filter and Sawyer Water Filter slowed considerably due to some rather turbid water. I was able to do a field-level back flush with the Sawyer, and keep it going at a slow but acceptable rate, but the Katadyn clogged to the point it was non-usable. Once were were back to running water, I was able to properly back flush the Sawyer filter, and it now runs at a good rate.

We're now we are faced with a decision - do we purchase a $50 replacement filter for the Katadyn system (which we purchased last year for $80) that will last a year or so, or purchase another Sawyer filter for ~$80??

Yes, we do need two filters. We will be doing a another backpacking hike on the AT in October, so we need to make a decision either way.

What do you think?

Are there any other filters we should consider?

Thanks!