Spiney Norman

John-in-KC

We tried the wall chart a couple of years ago. It didn't work too well for us. Firstly, with 30+ scouts someone spent half the meeting updating the chart. Secondly, we are not allowed to have anything permanent at our meeting place which didn't bode well for the condition of the chart.

We do have an old pocket PC though. Perhaps I'll just have to get TM Traveler and do it that way. Or just depend on the SM who always seems to know just exactly where each scout is in his advancement. I honestly do not know how he remembers it all.

However, I would still prefer the Skill Awards being resurrected. It is a tangible item the scout could use to track his own progress rather than just some sigs in a book or card. They work especially well for new crossovers that are used to some sort of constant recognition. Otherwise the scout has nothing he can hold in his hands until he starts earning MBs.

Ken

Since we only need to cut and paste how about these:

One for the classist:

Beware of the leader, who strikes the war drum in order to transfer the citizens into patriotic glow, patriotism is indeed a double-sided sword. It makes the blood so boldly, like it constricts the intellect. And if the striking of the war drum reached a fiebrige height and the blood is cooking and hating, and the intellect is dismissed, the leader doesn't need to reject the citizens rights. The citizens, cought by anxiety and blinded through patriotism, will subordinate all their rights to the leader and this even with happy courage. Why do I know that? I know it, because this is, what I did. And I am Gajus Julius Csar.

Gaius Julius Caesar

A couple for the enlightened republican:

All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.

Thomas Jefferson

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

Thomas Jefferson

One for the lefty star trek types:

When any government, or any church for that matter, undertakes to say to its subjects, This you may not read, this you must not see, this you are forbidden to know, the end result is tyranny and oppression no matter how holy the motives.

Robert A. Heinlein

Perhaps youre a federalist:

If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.

James Madison

Theres lots more and while I dont let these dead guys do my thinking for me it sure is fun to stand on their shoulders.

Ken

"They were a relic from the disastrous "Improved Scouting" program."

I was a scout during this "disatrous" period and I liked the skill awards. My patrol would work on these at patrol meetings directed by our PL who was a Star scout at the time. Think about it... Here was curriculum for boys to teach other boys the important skills they would need to earn their next rank. It was a great feeling to receive these at Troop meetings and be recognized on my first steps along the long trail.

Today as Advancment chair I would appreciate a concrete way to track a boy's advancment towards FC (Perhaps now we would need an anti-bullying Skill Award ).

Oh and did mention once we earned and received five or more skill awards our belt became a lethal weapon.....

Ken

Nice Job. I especially liked the scary part in the middle where the scouts visit the MBC. Funny! Nice door bell too.

This would be a good video to show our scouts. Humor can be better at getting a point across than hearing and adult blah! blah! blah! blah! blah!

I was looking at some my older posts and thought this one could use an update. It has been more than three years since the troop reinstituted BOR's for all ranks.

Since that time our troop has grown, soon to be 39 scouts, and BOR's are now SOP. We hold them every forth week of the month. The truly amazing thing is that committe members are disappointed when they are not selected for that month's boards. Our troop's eagle coach always checks with me the week before so he can be present for any Life scout BORs.

The scouts have also realised how important the interviews are as well. When a reminder for an upcoming COR is announced I am usually inundated with requests from the scouts for a BOR.

The real fun happens at Summer Camp. We are lucky enough to have enough MCs attend camp that we can and do convene BORs at camp. In fact most of my free time is spent scheduling the SM for conferences as well as MCs for BORs. It got to the point where I had to write out a schedule and post it on the outside of the caibo. The only downside to this has been that since I took on this project I became an ASM and can no longer participate on these boards

So, I just wanted to thank you all again for the advice and encouragment.

Our Lodge requires permission slips for all overnight outings just like a unit would require. I don't see how they would be exempt from any of the regs applying to units.

I would certainly call the adult advisors to task on this. I certainly agree with you and wouldn't send my son.

OMG these guys are from my council: Des Plaines Valley in Illinois. I never knew they had a sense of humor.

I have often been accused of not knowing the time of day. I guess this is one of those times.

24 hours and counting.........

Michelle, You did the right thing.

As Advancment Chair I have had this experience in our troop more than once. Usually, if someone declines to sit on a BOR I already know the reason why. I do not quibble but move on and ask someone else.

For any rank beyond First Class I choose the board a bit more carefully. I try to ask both sympathetic and not so sympathetic adults. Depending on the boy I will even seat the troop curmudgeon (is that an official position?) just to keep the scout honest.

That being said, we are very lucky to have so much adult participation that I can do this. A few years ago when I took over this position BOR's were far and few between. Since that time I have had adults express their disappointment at not being asked to sit on BOR's.

Ken

"Here in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia:

* Virginia country-cured ham (different from sugar-cured)

* Virginia peanuts, esp. Virginia Diner brand

* Biscuits and sausage gravy with chow-chow

* Tenderloin and gravy

* Red-eye gravy and grits

* Country fried steak with white gravy

* Turkey with dressing (we don't stuff)

* Deep-fried turkey

* Fried chicken

* Green beans with chopped onion

* Black eyed peas

* Oyster stew with crackers (the oyster shell is the state shell)

* Brunswick stew, made in a cast-iron kettle by churches in the fall and sold by the jar; from Brunswick County, Virginia (no matter what Brunswick, Georgia claims); you can get it store-bought under the Mrs. Fearnow's brand

* Pinto beans, with ketchup and chow-chow

* Tomatoes, esp. Amish heirloom varieties

* Cornbread

* Spoonbread

* Corn pudding

* Virginia apples

* Apple butter

* Apple dumplings

* Apple cider

* Apple pie, deep dish with cheddar cheese

* Pumpkin pie

* Kettle corn, made in cast iron kettles- a revived recipe from the 1700s

* Funnel cake

* Lime pickles

* German pickles

* Iced tea

* Milk (state beverage)"

Ed,

Do you normally eat this all at one sitting or could you consume this meal over the course of a month or two?

Ken

Not meaning to highjack this thread but I happen to know that Eagle90 puts ketchup on his hot dogs!

In Chicago this actually a punishable offense!

Ken

OK, I'll bite.

I had to ask myself what do I really miss after being away from Chicago for a while...

The answer came to me immediately. The "Italian Beef' Sandwhich. For those of you who may be uninitiated in this local delicacy here is a link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Beef

These things are pure heaven to me. I've gotta go now my cardiologist is calling.

Ken

mea culpa! Until the BSA came out with the switchbacks I would substitute look-a-like shorts for the official BSA issue. Up until three years ago I did not own any "real" BSA pants either. It took our Troop's big 50th anniversary shindig to get me to purchase and wear them.

Since I bought my switchbacks I have not had to resort to the imitations once.

As for the shirt I wear the class "A" with only BSA approved patches for an adult. We do have some other adult leaders who wear our "Old Goat Patrol" patch. As for the neckercheif I wear it for all formal events, atop the collar, such as Family Night or Courts of Honor. Heck I even break out my campaign hat for those occasions!

It would be unfair of me to dress one way but expect the scouts to dress another.

How about inflatable Backpacking pillows?

I also hear that the same can be done with the bladder in the ubiquitous "box-o-adultbeverage"

Early in the spring our troop had two meetings of the PLC to decide on where to go for HA this year. The SM compiled a list of where the troop had gone in previous years and I brought along some other suggestions which I knew would not be on the list. The PLC was also informed prior to the meeting to bring along suggestions of their own.

After discussing the issues the boys took a vote and by a slim margin voted for renting a houseboat on Kentucky Lake for a week. The troop had spent a week there once before but only because their whitewater rafting trip in Arkansas was cancelled due to flooding on the river there. I wasn't very happy about the outcome as I thought their decision was more of a vacation choice.

At the second meeting one of our troop's recently aged out Eagle scouts attended. He had been a den chief to many of the boys when they were Webelos and garnered their respect. He did more to encourage the boys to push themselves than any of the adults could. The boys finally settled on whitewater rafting in WV on the New River much to the adults relief.

I would like to think that what happened was indeed boy led, but also adult directed.

Ken

PS Next year's HA trip is a fait accompli as we were lucky enough to win a spot at Sea Base for the second time in three years. We have been trying for almost ten years to get even one spot.

Might I add...

3 to spin off new threads on the superiority of candles and oil lamps.

I remenber the skill awards from my days as a Scout. If memory serves me correctly, and if I'm wrong I'm sure someone will correct me, certain skill awards were required to earn your rank advancement. They were a great activity to work on during PATROL meetings. From my position now as Avancement Chair it certainly would make it easier to track a scout's advancement through First Class.

On a side note, once you had 5 or 6 skill awards on a belt it made a fantastically lethal weapon to swing about.

Two words...........

Cheerful Service!

In a word, NO.

This just seems wrong. After all a scout is... Helpfull. Isn't part of being a scout helping other scouts learn these skills whether or not they are feom the same unit. I know quite a few Scouters who, had they charged for this service, could have retired a long long time ago.

I'm sure this unit could find another way of fundraising. Not to mention that I'm sure their council wouldn't approve this as a unit findraiser.

Ken

Our troop pays for attending adults on "normal" campouts. The exceptions being indoor winter camp or other special campouts. The Illini jamboree is one example, the cost of $45.00 includes tickets to the U of I football game. I really should save my gas receipts but I'm not in this for the tax deduction.

Let me second Dale's comments.

It was a great week. As advancement chair I spent most of Monday and Tuesday scheduling our Scoutmaster Dale's time to do SM conferences. We had a lot of boys that were only one or two requirements away from rank advancement and they were able to finish them up rather quickly once we got to camp. The other adults were put to work conducting BORs in the boy's free time. You know there is always one and sure enough we held our last SM conference and bBOR minutes before the closing campfire.

As always Lefeber provides great food, cooked patrol method!, great programs and a great setting. I especially liked how they ordered the perfect weather for our troop's stay.

Yes, I even got to golf three days in a row, once with MB class.

I'll usually let the boys listen to whatever thay want. Most of the time I enjoy it. I've even gone out and bought my own 'System of a Down' cd's after hearing it on the way to a campout.

Funny thing is a lot of the music they listen to now has roots in the 80's when I grew up. They'll play some new ska band and think it is so new. Next campout I'll just bring along some of my own ska cd's.

Don't get me wrong I like almost all music. From Tchaikovsky to The Clash, to Miles Davis to Flat and Skrugs. Just don't play me none of that fake country music made after 1980.

OK, You win.

You have to trust someone, sometime.

When I say adults sometimes retest the scouts I should have said ASMs or the SM perform this function. We too have had Dad's sign off for their own son. I will NOT do this and my boy knows it. I am always very dubious of any rquirement signed off by a parent and encourage the scout to have someone else test him for this. In the past we have had some scouts earn several MBs that their parent was the counselor for. Raising an eyebrow and encouraging the parent to send their son out into the world to earn their chops is about all you can do.