SMT224

We have a lot of good Cub memories, but the one all three of my boys seem to remember most and still talk about was the Father & Son cake bake. We made a dozen cupcakes, took the wrappers off, put them in a pile, and covered them with a huge amount of chocolate mixed with vanilla frosting, making it look like a mountain. We then made a indentation at the top and add orange and red frosting flowing out and down the mountain. We added a candy village that was just about to be engulfed by the lava. We made three of these over the years, and they were very popular with the other Cu

We require that Scouts going on an upcoming camping trip attend and participate in a meeting a week before the trip where menu's are crafted, chuck boxes packed, and the Patrol food buyer collects $10-$15 from all going on the trip. We've been a bit lax in allowing Scouts who forgot to bring $$ to still go on the trip and be included in the food and menu preparations. However, recently we have had several Scouts who forgot their food $$ say that they are going and promise to bring their $$ to the next meeting or to the camping trip - and then going AWOL for several weeks - which then makes t

Our Troop is urban with less white kids than other cultures - Hispanic, Black, Filipino, Indian, and more. Irregardless of race, some can pay the $30 registration fee and $275 summer camp fee, and some absolutely cannot. So we all engage in very active fund raising. No Scout is exempt. This gives enough to have a very active program of camping every month with plenty fun and adventure. We are very thrifty, and create our own high-adventure programs and activities. There is no way we will ever be able to attend a BSA High Adventure camp, go to Philmont, or go to a Jamboree. We have discu

I'm looking for a source to purchase powdered drink mix in packets by the case. We have bug juice at all of our camping trips and at summer camp. I'm tired of purchasing the plastic containers of kool-aid or country-time lemonaid at the grocery store. It seems overly expensive and a waste of packaging materials when we dump 2-3 in our cooler every camping trip, and every other day at summer camp. What do other Troops use for bug juice?

I appreciate all the participation in this discussion. It's been a good log on the fire. Thanks!!

Can a Scout use the hours accumulated from a Scout Service project for both rank advancement requirements and school requirements? Scouts in our Troop who attend both public and parochial schools are required to earn a significant # of hours -- 75 for the public and various amounts for the different parochial schools. Is it double dipping if they use the same hours for both?

momof2cubs - I understand what you are saying, and it makes sense from an adult perspective. But my observations on well over 120 camping trips with lot's and lots of Scouts is this: for the boys it's like putting the cart before the horse. These guys love to camp. To do so, they need to learn campcraft skills, outdoors skills and Scout skills. They learn these skills because they want to get a fire going, because they want to eat, because they need shelter, because they want to use an axe, and because they want to get to the top of the mountain. And the younger Scouts learn from

From what I've read so far, this seems like good guidance. However, I just got to jump in here with the misguided 1st in the 1st year BS. My experience over the past 12 years as a Scoutmaster is that a rank a year works just fine. If a Scout make more progress that's just fine, but an obsessive focus on rank advancement cheapens the experience of Scouting IMHO. We have a very active Troop, 30 Scouts now who go camping almost every month of the year. The vast majority of them make it to Eagle. And if they make Tenderfoot during their first year, all is good. Some make it to Second Cl

Drone Operations - while this mb will focus primarily in the virtual world utilizing existing X-Box 360 and PS3 games, high achievers may unknowingly be allowed real life experience. Cryptography - this mb does not now exist, nor has it existed in the past, nor will it ever exist. we o tsl u ptoo olwhou eyXov,hei isodxctwkle tNShgcXHertswhklclee rcsyi cAn.

raisinemright - there is nothing better than a well aged and crunchy peep... but roasted? Never done it! I can't wait! Thanks! Scoutfish - Had a Scout once who figured he'd be real smart and sharpened his stick at both ends so he could be roasting a marshmallow whilst eating the cooked one at the same time. Well, he set the first one on fire, flipped the stick around, and the flaming goo plopped right down on his forearm. What a yell! And it kept on burning! We had a nice little fireside first-aid lesson!

BEGIN RANT When the popular press or the advertising industry wants to show "camping", the inevitable graphic or photo is of a happy family or group of smiling kids sitting around a fire holding marshmallow sticks over a fire. Over a fire. Always over flames. I'm sorry folks, but this is just plain wrong. The only thing that will come from putting a marshmallow over flames is a carbonized lump. Now I know that some kids get a kick out of a flaming marshmallow, and allegedly "like it that way", but all they are doing is eating carbon and melted marshmallow, not a real roasted

We will be on a Troop backpacking trip on the mighty AT. Will honor the fallen in a circle of silent remembrance before we hit the trail to head home early on Sunday morning.

In the last few days there have been several news articles & opinion pieces discussing Perry and Scouting, most touching on his "On My Honor" book... http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/rick-perry-is-no-libertarian/2011/08/30/gIQA6IsbqJ_story.html http://opinion.latimes.com/opinionla/2011/08/2012-campaign-a-uniquely-anti-gay-gop-field.html And an alleged feud between Perry & Romney regarding Boy Scouts... http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2011/08/30/romney_perry_feud_dates_back_to_2002_olympic_games/

Our Troop just returned from a six-day camping / backpacking trip to Seneca Rocks and deep into the wilds of Dolly Sods. I highly recommend both. Seneca Rocks is a great hike/climb, and easily accessible from the beautiful group camping sites at Seneca Shadows (Forest Service campground). The rocks are spectacular and offer excellent views from the top. This was our second foray into Dolly Sods. Last year we explored and traversed the great plains, rocks, and forests of the northern areas. This year we descended into the deep canyons and rock outcrops of the central wilderness,

We have two gravity water filters that we use on a regular basis on Troop backpacking and day hikes: the Katadyn Base Camp Water Filter, and the Sawyer Water Filter System. Each consists of a bag you fill up in a stream with a filter and a tube that goes into a water bottle or pot. We've had the Sawyer system for about a year and like it. The Katadyn is new this year, and works fine but is slower than the Sawyer. Both take time to fill a water bottle and really cannot be hurried. When ever we stop by a stream or set up camp we get both going and just run everyone's water bottles through a

This is a hard issue. What would I do if a woman and her son joined the Troop and she told me she was an active homosexual and would like to be a leader in the troop? Or if a man and his son joined and he told me he was an active homosexual and would like to be a leader in the troop? As much as I may or may not like a particular person, or how valuable they may be as a leader, would I have any choice but to let them know what BSA rules are? As others have said, a parent can still provide significant assistance to a Troop. This to me would be a "work around" that would still allow such

If you want a real strategy game for a mb, then it would have to be GO. Nothing beats the thinking involved or the sheer excitement than a good game of GO. At summer camp or any week-end camping trip, our Scouts play GO and various Fluxx games (Martian, Monty Python, Eco, Zombie) any chance they get.

Great quote! Thanks!! I'll use at this week's Troop meeting.

My experience over and over at summer camp is that any communication with mom exacerbates and prolongs homesickness. Cell phone communications -- either voice or text will keep the first year and sometimes the second year Scout in a state of missing home and mom for the entire week. The communication does not help him get over the hump and stand on his own. Over and over I've watched new Scouts go through the pain of "Moody Monday" & "Terrible Tuesday" only to get over the hump and through enjoy the rest of summer camp on "Wonderful Wednesday", "Terrific Thursday" and "Fantastic F

There's gotta be more to this story... You say these were the wives of the adult leaders at camp? Did they perchance spend the night after that long drive? Maybe it wasn't their sons they were lonely for... As to the Scouts who thought it was a parental visit... well, a wink is as good as a nod to a blind horse.

The summer camp we attend requires the whole enchilada, so after several years of partials, we finally got smart and have the Scouts do as many prerequisites as they can before camp (including the First Aid merit badge the year before). This includes a list of emergency government agencies, a well documented mobilization plan, family plan of escape, photos of their family emergency kit and a signed statement from mom & dad that they had a family meeting to discuss, as well as anything else they can do before camp.

Witnessed a situation at summer camp several years ago -- very hot day, Scout was active and not drinking enough water. He collapsed by the water front, sweating and weak. The medic was summoned, and after a few moments called 911. He and other camp staff worked to cool the kid off and get some water in him. When the ambulance arrived, the EMTs took one look at the kid, then at the lake, picked him up and sat him in the cool lake up to his neck. Once they were satisfied his body temp had lowered to a reasonable level, they transported him to the local hospital where he was re-hydrated via

Thanks for the info!! Good idea on the Pack meeting honor as well as Troop COH. Yes, we'd be happy to have him stay as DC for as long as possible!

We will soon be awarding the "Den Chief Service Award" to a very deserving Scout in our Troop. I understand that once awarded, he will wear both his Webelos Den Chief braid and the service award braid at the same time. However, assuming that at some point he will likely move to different POR, I understand the Den Chief braid comes off, but does the service award braid stay on his uniform for the rest of his time as a Boy Scout? Thanks!

Great discussion!! I concur with most of the lists -- we will definitely be bringing that big bottle of Gold Bond next year!! The Tiki torches are a fund idea as well. But what is really on my list for next year is to get payments and medicals in earlier. This year, we started talking about summer camp in January (including the need for medicals to be turned in no later than late May), requested deposits in February, set a deadline for deposits in March, requested full early-bird payments in April, had a deadline for payments in May, again emphasized the need for medicals asap, and wor