SR540Beaver

Polar bear isn't a BSA or council program. It's just a patch you can purchase to recognize cold weather campers under your unit's own rules. Each unit does their own thing around here. The basic rule of thumb is that it has to get cold enough for unprotected (bucket, bottle, etc.) water in camp to freeze overnight.

John, A scout is trustworthy. All the election team can do is explain the voting process to the adult leaders, SPL and scouts in a troop concerning the elligibilty of a candadate and what guidelines they should use in making their votes. They monitor to make sure there is no talking and wheeling dealing going on. Beyond that, we accept the votes on their honor to be trustworthy. Do some people game the system or abuse it? Sure. My current VC of Ceremonies was dying to get in OA for three years. He was either not put on the ballot by the SM or he was overlooked for the more "popular

Methinks you just like to nitpick and argue as a sport. I've attempted to explain it from a variety of angles, but it is obvious that your mind is closed to anything but your personal feelings on the subject. If not, I can not help you with your reading comprehension issues. I've had far more people understand and agree with what I've said than the one person who takes exception to what I've said. I think I said it earlier, we will just have to agree to disagree.

emb021, Our Lodge Adviser often points out when talking to adults, "while there are some of us with a position patch that says adviser on it, all adults in OA are advisers."

John, I stand by what I said earlier. If there is a double standard in OA, then there is a double standard in all BSA programs. Whether it be Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Venturing, etc., we are not participants in the youth program. We may do program elements right beside them and backpack or camp or go to Jambo, but we are there for a totally different reason than the youth are and we should all understand that. OA is asking no more of an adult than a troop is. I can't tell you how many times I've seen new parents counseled in a troop that they can't camp in the patrol, they can't cook

In the three troops I've been associated with as well as many of the other troops I'm familar with, they do an easy breakfast and pack up sunday morning. Most try to be back home between noon to 2:00 at the very latest.

SP, Is there a double standard in your troop? Are you in a patrol? Do you run for office? Do you plan the campouts or the menus? Do you vote in the PLC? Do you set up your tent in a patrol's campsite? Do you do merit badges, Scoutmaster conferences or BOR's? What are you planning on doing for your Eagle project? Or as an adult, do you support and facilitate all of those things for the boys......while getting to participate and enjoy campouts along side them. Is there a double standard or are you getting to have it both ways? The OA is no different than a troop. Boy

SP, Of course you can have it both ways. Other than being a 1st Class scout, the same qualifications for a boy applies to an adult. The main difference is that a boy is elected by his peers and an adult is nominated by the committee. But the same qualities are sought. Just like in a troop, adults are their to support, mentor and lead by example. Do we adults have fun on troop campouts? Heck yeah! But our purpose in the troop is totally different from the boy's purpose in the troop. And so is it in OA. Even though adults are selected for the purpose of supporting, mentoring and le

Just google "powered by vbulletin". That's how I got these examples. It is probably the most popular forum software in use. It is highly configurable in the way it looks and what features you can turn on. In short, you can set it up to have avatar pictures, signatures, post pictures and videos, quote function for the post you are responding to, a thanks button for post you like, a positive/negative rep system, private messages, etc. Just depends on the person running the board and what features they want to use and how much server space they have. http://www.usmessageboard.com/ h

Eammon: "I very much doubt if the Republicans will challenge it. As to do so would add fuel to the President saying that he is doing something about jobs and unemployment while they are doing their best to stop it from happening." The press isn't doing their job to report the truth of the matter. I've copied this from a friends post on a political forum I frequent. I apologize for the length, but the length tells the story of what the Republicans have tried to do for jobs and the economy to only be obstructed by the Democrats. Have Congressional Republicans Done Anything to H

For a little perspective on the hypocritical nature of this issue. http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/banking-financial-institutions/202335-reids-backs-obama-for-ignoring-pro-forma-sessions-he-once-pushed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who previously held pro forma sessions to block recess appointments by President George W. Bush, said Wednesday he supported President Obama's decision to ignore those sessions to push through one of his key nominees. "I support President Obama's decision," he said in a statement. "The White House announced Wednesday that Obam

That's OK SP, we're used to most OA members choosing to be inactive for a variety of reasons. That's why we like to inform Troops during the election process of what they are looking for in the way of youth and adult candidates. Full disclosure. We want the troops to take the process seriously. There are in each troop, those adults who struggle to have time to assist with the troop. There are those people who only have time for the troop and dedicate themselves to it. There are those people with more time on their hands who desire to help beyond their troop. People who want to serve on

Just like the others, I thank Terry for making this site available. Evidently some of you folks do not inhabit any other boards on the interwebs. Moving to vbulletin software is a wonderful thing. That is what many, many forums use and when set up properly, it is a wonderful thing. I'm glad Terry has decided to make the move. I think everyone will be pleased when it happens. I know I will.

Actually, Harry Reid used the "pro forma sessions" to keep from being in recess to block recess appointments by Bush. Funny how NOW it is a different story isn't it? Some folks respect the process, some don't and some use it strictly to their advantage.

SP, All you had to say was apology not accepted. Since we are being honest with each other, I would appreciate it if you would quit putting words in my mouth. While you are welcome to your own interpretation, it is incorrect in regard to my comments. I think I've done an ample job of explaining things here and it isn't what you think you heard. The other posters seem to get it and understand. We just need to agree to disagree.

SP, from one volunteer to another, I've simply been stating the case for one of the hats I wear in scouting. I'm sorry your lodge has left a bad taste in your mouth. I seem to have offended you. Nothing I said was intended as an offense. I apologize if it was taken that way.

Indeed he is. Just like here, Terry doesn't post much on facebook. Sending him a message on facebook would probably stand a better chance of him reading it than posting on our Scouter dot Com facebook page. Perhaps a private message and a post on our page would be in order. I'm not linked to him on LinkedIn to the best of my recollection, but I'm willing to bet he is a member there as well.

Posted in wrong thread.(This message has been edited by sr540beaver)

You can try him on facebook. His name is Terry Howerton.

Oh my, if Kudu were dead, he'd be spinning in his grave!

SP, I saw your post last night, but didn't have time to respond. I see others have pretty much said what I wanted to say. I liken your situation to that one person who gets a lemon of a vehicle when everyone else loves the same vehicle. No matter what anyone says about how great of a vehicle it is, your personal experience is different. Looking at the big picture, it's a great vehicle over all, but your particular one is not. I'm fine with a troop not nominating an adult each year. I'm not fine with a troop not having at least one adult who is in OA. That being said, we do our

Now, all of that being said......do I as CA want unit adult Arrowmen involved? Absolutely. I'm one person with one vehicle. I can't transport 30 or 40 candidates to an Ordeal by myself. Hopefully their parents will. But since an adult is nominated and not elected and they are nominated on the basis of what resources they bring to the table, there is a hope that they will support and encourage their candidates by attending Ordeals and providing transportation. We spell out in detail the difference between an adult nomination and a youth election, but most troops still nominate adults as a

Twocub, Your situation is not the norm. It could be your council or lodge that is doing the choke hold or it might be state laws. I don't know. I know from having attended the NYLT Course Director's Conference recently, that things we can do in Oklahoma are forbidden by Texas state law. Off the top of my head, I don't recall what the issue was, just that both sides were amazed at the difference. You won't find any such requirements as you describe in any of the OA national literature or rules. Of course, two deep leadership applies in every case, but having troops responsible for th

Twocub, The only "committment" an SM really has is to say yes to letting an election team come do an election and provide a list of elligible candidates. If you use TroopMaster, you can push a button and produce a list without any effort. The election will take about 10 minutes away from the troop meeting once a year and a few more minutes while the ballots are counted. But he can have another adult take part in the ballot count if he wants to assign it to someone else. Beyond that, yes, we would like them to pass on information in the way of announcements or emails to their troop mem

The OP didn't say exactly where the pack was camping. I've been a Campmaster and I know our Camp Rangers and Camp Directors. I can't speak for the professionals in the council office, but I know what the Campmasters, Rangers and Directors would do. I've seen it happen with fireworks and a registered adult who didn't think the rules applied to him after being warned not to shoot them off in camp. He was escorted off of the property. It's been a few years back that it happened, but the mere mention of his name causes our Ranger for that camp to cuss like a sailor.