SSScout

Absotively, we only talk about things that everyone agrees with, so don't expect much acrimoniousity here. Right, Pack?

Hello, NeverAnEagle, are you still out there? Any improvement?

My mom was a Cmpfire Girl, 1920's. I have some very interesting old photos of her and her girl chums in indian teepees and various regalia. Massachusetts and Maine campouts. Surprisingly, I can't remember her ever speaking about it, but she (and dad) was very supportive of my Scout career, Den mom and all.

Just arrived here. 2 Samuel 12 comes to mind. "You are the man". Perhaps if you can come up with an example for the B/E to chew on .... "Hey, Pete. I have a problem, maybe you can help me with. " And here you explain to him about a young Scout that has a problem in making rank. Could an Eagle like him help? What might he sugggest? Maybe looking at the SLaw and SOath might help. Duty to others? Friendly? Courteous? Helpful? Is an Eagle obligated to return his good fortune to others? How could we / he help in this? I would not point out his hypocracy (would he know the word?), being an Eagle Scout but behaving in this way. ,,, but sort of lead him into a corner he has to find his way out of. Does this help?

Didn't Coleman come out with a propane fired microwave camp oven last year? Or was that the fifty feet of shoreline my son borrowed from the nextdoor campsite when he went off to the camporee....

I pretty much agree with what's been said. In a small Troop, you might only have one active, organized Patrol (up to 8 or ten boys, max.). If that is the case, then they have "A" Patrol Leader, elected by the boys. He should choose an Assistant Patrol Leader, with the SM's approval would be good. The SM might counsel the boys alittle about what makes for a good leader, but not try to sway them in their choice. When the Troop gets big enough to have two or more Patrols, (four , or six to eight boys each), then the Troop needs to have an election to elect a Senior Patrol Leader (see above comments), he chooses an Assistant SPL, and they're off to the races (or Camporee!). In a Big Troop, the SPL, ASPL, and other boy Leaders are "usually" not considered to be in their home Patrol but in a "Green Bar " Patrol. They organize and facilitate (run?) the Patrols in the Troop. Some Troops just consider them as temporarily out of their home Patrol. "it depends". Part of the learning process in Scouts includes finding out what happens when one chooses poor leaders (however judged) and what happens when one is elected a leader, but has no experience in being one. Mr. Scoutmaster, how do you like your tea, with honey or milk?

The idea of "advancing" at the February B&G stems from the wrongly held idea that the bigger the event the better. The B&G should be a fun , celebration about Scouting. Show pics/movies about the years adventures. Have each Den make a skit and LAUGH at it, whether you can hear the Tigers say their lines or not. Eat home made spaghetti, and cake. Let your Commisssioner (if you have one) come and give a pep talk about Scouting and compliment the boys on their uniforms. Let an "old timer" come and reminisce alittle about his time in the Pack (by this I mean a BOY SCOUT working on his Communication Merit Badge). As has been said, the Cubs advance at the end of the year, regardless of their EARNING (!!) their badge. The badge (Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Web1, Web2) is awarded when it is completed, at the next Pack Meeting. Webelos to Boy Scout Crossover should be a Special Event (bring in the OA) and the Pack should NOT "give up" with the B&G . The Pack year runs from September to September. The parents who say" well, we're done.." in April or May are cheating their sons of the wealth of adventure and knowledge available to Cubs thru the rest of the year. Beside the "normal" Den/family trips, and activities, here's what I suggest makes for a successful and well appreciated Cub Scout Pack calendar: February: B&G banquet (see above) March: More awards, more skits, more plans: Cub Scout Day Camp? Webelos Overnight camp?... April: MAYBE Webelos crossover. If you have to, make it a special night, away from the "usual" Pack Meeting. Webs should have their Troops picked out, and maybe even transfer membership. Troops (if they have their act together) will already have the nascent Scouts signed up and reservations made for summer camp. May: More awards, badges awarded. Look to the Council Cub Theme (attended Roundtable?) Go to the park, have a "buddy" Hike with your local Troop, this is the young Cubs, not just the Webs. Wolves are capable of 3 miles of easy walk. June: A last Pack Picnic. Make a show of the boys "Moving Up". Webs may or may not be present. Hotdogs, horse shoes, frisbees, get ready for the Summer Program: a hike or museum visit a month, doesn't matter if folks are "on vacation", schedule it, give'm the opportunity Earn the Summer Activity Award. Pack Tradition, as has been said, changes with the parents and their memories of Packs past (might not even be this one). And remind your parents, their son is only 7 (or 8, or 9, or 10....) once. Again, repeat the Cub Scout Mantra with me: Kismif, Kismif, Kismif....

Maybe put'em back isn't such a bad idea.... we are doing wonderful things with epoxy these days.

What they said. Teach the safe use of the tool, play the "what if" game, make each boy responsible for his actions, plan ahead:::: What If..... Limbing a downed trunk: Stand on the OPPOSITE side of the trunk, swing axe to cut from the down to the up of the tree into the limb. Keepahold of the handle, don't work when you are too tired.

A few years back, our council sponsored a rock throwing range. Specific sized rocks (which had to be collected after each round), Targets, safety lines, RSO to call the signals, and all. Only did it one year, never heard of it again. Very popular,

"The work is done by whoever shows up". The above commentors have covered the ground pretty well. I , too, am curious what is your COrganization? CC and CM usually buttonhole/call/inveigle folks to take on a specific activity or task. In a small pack, the BSA rules ("aye, they be guidelines, really"), are curved if not bent , and whoever shows up will be the "committee" double duty not unusual. Thanks for all you do , and the kids will (eventually!) appreciate your "showing up!"

"How God must laugh..." more like shake his head in resignation. Nice picture of BP. I wonder who died; see the black arm band?

DF: Don't be sorry. I somehow missed this thread the first time 'round. As in many things religious, we often have more things in common than not. Us Quakers (and I do not speak for all of us, just those that agree with me) traditionally hold to five main testimonies, Biblically based ( I'll not go into all the particulars) historically, but some would deny that. Jesus instructed us to not swear at all, but simply let your yea be yea and your nay be nay. We therefore are advised to avoid all "judicial "oaths, but promising to do something "on our honor " is certainly OK..Idolitry is a no-no. Saying one thing and doing another is not desirable. So most Friends avoid saying the PoA. No harm in reciting and being knowledgable about it, just not in "saying" it officially. I also have read parts of Mein Kampf and Das Kapital, but doesn't mean I agree with them. I have never had anyone challenge me when I step back and stay silent when others salute and say what they think is appropriate. I am in agreement with BP when he says a boy's family's faith is up to the parents, and it is up to us Scouters to second their efforts.

Okay, Cash Bar and Open Bar are two different things in my dictionary, but never mind that. It was billed as a "Scout" event, Scout youth were in attendance and by good sense, BSA policy and public decorum, the event should have been non-alcoholic. At our Quaker Meeting, we receive many requests to use our Meeting House and Community House for private parties (retirement parties, weddings, receptions, etc.) and when they hear our policy of no alcohol AT ALL, the askers often back off, no matter how picturesque or inepensive it might be. Too bad, so sad.

GO to the local store and buy two , three, maybe four "trifold" display boards. Buy a roll of double stick carpet tape. Take ALL the ribbons off the pole. Clean them carefully. Take off the strings. Iron them FACE DOWN with a cool iron. Sort them out into "Boys Life",, "Quality Unit", "Camporee", "Webelos Weekend" etc. etc. Order them by date. Collect them and stick them on the trifold display boards with the double stick tape. . Label them as seems appropriate (?who was Cubmaster then? Anyone remember something neat about that time?) Display as desired. Rejoice at the Unit's longevity.

Just heard back from my friend, seems that since the merging of two (or more?) smaller Districts into one large one, the distances involved for one CSDC in the new District led folks to decide it is easier to plan many weekend events, one or two a month, to cover all the usual activities. So instead of one 5-day camp, with really early and late hours (to accomodate drop off, get to work, pickup and go home), they are spreading things out over several weekend saturdays with a couple of Son and One overnights. Makes sense now....

Just heard from a Scout friend out in Indiana that her Council has canceled all CSDCamps this summer. Ours are still in full throttle planning stage. Any others out there canceled? Going ahead?

Eagle in 1963. No "project", but we had to give evidence of "service to the community". I can see the project notebook as a guide for boys that have had no chance to plan something (I built birdhouses and critter pens and put up shelves and such ) and build it . It is a "paint by the numbers" kind of thing (do they still sell those things?) for someone who has not "painted" before. I favor the project, think the idea is fine, helps get the Scout out of his comfort zone. I have complaint with the Scout and his leader that wait until age 17 10/12s and try to find something to do RIGHT NOW. Blood drive, book collection, puppet show at the orphanage, super one time park cleanup, I have seen /heard of alot of last minute projects that could have , in good conscience, been denied but were okayed out of a charitable notion, I guess. "Too large inscope" fora Eagle Project? Only if it doesn't succed can one make that judgement. "Too small " for an Eagle project? Very often, but it depends on the Scout, doesn't it?

I second Cambridge's observation. Allowance has to be made for previous activity and such. That is one reason for the usual design of the classic Camporee campfire program: Welcome (ceremonial lighting, introductions, fun skit), songs, cheers, skits, laughs, awards (few and short!!) if any, more skits, songs jokes, then a ghost story or indian tale, something more somber (flag retirement? or ash lore), then "Scout vespers" or sing taps. Walk home and secure camp, quiet time enforced. Younger boys to tent, older venturers quiet around the dying embers, rule is no more wood. You let the fire die, but someone has to be there to watch. Astronomy class? Reveille is the same for all, no exceptions. If you are tired, how can we learn from this? Does your camp have a night watch? Old timers that keep watch for ... ? Who knows what?

Lots of possibilities. Every month, I favor collecting all the bling for ONE boy, line up ONE Den, and award each boy in that Den, thus: ( CM does all this) "OKAY! We have all the Bears up here , now. Mr. Slovakosky, you're the Den Leader, and you have been busy since last month! Let's see, now.... Jake, you have three arrow points, the chess belt loop, the Frisbee belt loop and the Summer Activity Award. (hand him the envelope and shake his hand) Way to go! Bill, you 've got the Summer Activity Award, the Frisbee Belt Loop, the Map and Compass Belt loop, and two Arrow Points (hand him the envelope, shake his hand) How 'bout that!" >>Do this for all the Bears, then lead everyone in a cheer! Same etc. for all the other Dens. Big cheer for everyone at the end. This is easier and quicker that trying to do each award for each boy seperately. Bigger to-do in April-May: **Bridging for the Webelos (don't forget you may have two classes of Webs: Those going into a BScout Troop, AND those merely graduating out of Cubs or moving away, or undecided about which Troop. Be sure to include both groups somehow in the recognition. They all deserve it. ** Moving on to the next rank/Den for the rest of the boys.... Make a recognition of this too, with some pomp and circumstance. KiS MiF

Choose ONE prime position with a home unit (? CC with Pack?) and pay registration with that unit. When you register as another position (ASM, Den Leader, Merit Badge Counselor, etc. ), check "multiple registration", list your Scout ID number (ALWAYS use the exact same version of your name) and smile and wave as you go by.... Oh, and keep your YPTraining up to date.

If it was an "open bar", to me that indicates that the organizers of the event paid for the drinks. Was this an "official" Scout celebration? or a privately organized (SM retirement party done by his family?) sort of thing. If the former, I would feel the necessity of politely, diplomatically , reminding the organizing party of the above named policy. Uniformed Scout youth were in attendance, and , it seems, were expected. If it was the latter case, perhaps it was only poor taste and not a violation with "prior intent"; but still, if it LOOKS like a Scout event and people ACT like it's a Scout event and folks come to it EXPECTING it to be a Scout event, then it IS a Scout event and should have been treated as such.

In my home Troop, there are "guidelines" for meals, (no soda pop, no "poptart" type stuff, etc.) but other than that, the Patrols are encouraged to cook "adventurously". ASMs and SM can and do veto poor Patrol food plans, but adults cook and eat with adults. Taste tests may happen cross cultural exchange and all between Patrols, but adults with adults and Scouts with Scouts.

Well, I was just watching Dirty Jobs, and at the end, Mike Rowe asks folks to email him ideas for new places/jobs to visit and I thought of my friend who inspects ballast tanks on ocean frieghters for the Smithsonian looking for tag-a-long critters and deseases so I went to Discovery Channel http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/dirty-jobs and discovered that (in 2012!) DJ was CANCELED!! WOW! It was a shock. I went to some other pages, and discovered there had been a petition for restarting the show, but it was closed after only 52 signatures! Mike was great at the Nat Jam both years. *sigh* and he didn't get to be Chief Scout, either. I guess it was time to move on.....

Good for a winter's camp: Layer Cake Stew: Need a LARGE, deep skillet, preferably cast iron, with cover/lid. Big knife, cutting board, spatula. Ingredients: Half pound of sliced bacon, Pound of lean ground beef, 1 large onion, two or three large potatoes, two or three carrots, salt&pepper. If you wish, include celery or other veggies. Directions: WASH YOUR HANDS. Soap the OUTSIDE of skillet to make cleanup easier. Cover INSIDE bottom of skillet with bacon, leave no gaps. Crumble up ground beef, cover the bacon, leave no gaps. Salt and pepper. Peel , slice onions 1/4" thick, lay over beef. Wash and scrub potatoes, clean and cut out eyes,bad spots. Do not peel, slice 1/4 thick, lay out and overlap onions. Scub carrots, cut off ends, bad spots. Slice on diagonal (fancy!) 1/4" thick. Cover potatoes with carrots. Place on fire, note it is pretty heavy and will need good support. If there is no steam from under lid in 5 minutes, you need a hotter fire. Leave alone for 30 minutes. At that time, (Heavy and hot! Be careful!). Take off lid and stick potatoes with fork, should be soft. If not, back on fire for another 5 minutes. Take off fire (Heavy and Hot!) . Scoop out with spatula, big spoon. Note lots of good gravy , serve with biscuits and catsup.