SSScout

"Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig."

Can anyone say "Chicago Area Council"? I say follow the money. The problem is NEVER too many camps. It is always too few campers. If one works at it, there are always other appropriate uses and therefore sources of income: ecology study centers, school nature centers (our public schools require a 3 night camp for fourth graders), local rec departments (our council does this with some county rec departments), "other" summer camps (computer, athletics), Outdoor Leadership School, BSA training center (wilderness first aid, IOLS, Philmont shakedown), church retreat center, etc., college bio courses, astronomy camp. Camps can often be used to form "green" easements, which have tax advantages. Someone needs to be tasked with the promotion and arrangements. Query: BSA is a not for profit (officially) organization, right? If the camp is owned by BSA (or it's franchisee), does the camp get appraised and taxed like a Locheed-Martin factory? What is the real motivation to sell? Who gets the sales commission? I was once on the board of a local AYH council. A fellow got himself elected to the board, and was soon promoting the idea of selling off the local hostel, which was the only one owned outright by the council (we had several in our area). His argument was that the hostel would be better managed in private hands, as all the others were privately owned. It was located in a downtown area and was worth a good sum as a possible "real" hotel, but had been a low cost hostel for a long time. It was run by a full time manager, who reported to the board, and lots of volunteer help. It always was in the black, We had had no past problems with it, but our new member insisted that with his experience in real estate, it would be wiser to sell it. Our answer was, and do what with the money? What was our purpose, if not to run a low cost accomodation? The majority of the board held it's ground and the new member eventually moved back to Colorado, from whence he had come. We later found out that the corp that had asked about the purchase was "owned" by our new member.

JBlake: Check with your County/State Fair. The demolition derby folks now have several categories(full size, compact, minivan) that now includes TRAILERS. The towing vehicle and trailer buzz round a figure eight and the object is to bash the trailer, not the tow-er. Leads to some fine mayhem. Shredded aluminum, fiberglass and furniture (!) in the air. Perhaps (when your upgrade happens) you can give your long serving camper a "viking funeral" thereby. Our Troop trailer was originally purchased by a graduating Eagle Scout that saved up all his Scout account (from many years of holiday wreath sales) and used the money that way. His name ("thanks to Eagle Scout ...") is in 3" letters on the bottom edge of the side. Sides are lettered with Troop number from so and so MD. And we wear the dirt and tree sap proudly. Most of the Troop gear is in it at any given time, there being no real "Scout Closet" in the church since they started the day school.After about 20 years of use, we just had the axle bearings repacked, new tires installed, a spare mounted on the front, and the wireing and lights repaired for the very first time. Garage only charged for the materials. Free labor to "a fellow Scout", the man said. Scoutstuff is where to go for the Scouty decals.

JBlake: Check with your County/State Fair. The demolition derby folks now have several categories(full size, compact, minivan) that now includes TRAILERS. The towing vehicle and trailer buzz round a figure eight and the object is to bash the trailer, not the tow-er. Leads to some fine mayhem. Shredded aluminum, fiberglass and furniture (!) in the air. Perhaps (when your upgrade happens) you can give your long serving camper a "viking funeral" thereby. Our Troop trailer was originally purchased by a graduating Eagle Scout that saved up all his Scout account (from many years of holiday wreath sales) and used the money that way. His name ("thanks to Eagle Scout ...") is in 3" letters on the bottom edge of the side. Sides are lettered with Troop number from so and so MD. And we wear the dirt and tree sap proudly. Most of the Troop gear is in it at any given time, there being no real "Scout Closet" in the church since they started the day school.After about 20 years of use, we just had the axle bearings repacked, new tires installed, a spare mounted on the front, and the wireing and lights repaired for the very first time. Garage only charged for the materials. Free labor to "a fellow Scout", the man said.

No, B, it isn't quite like that. District events like Camporees are supposed to operate on a Zero Balance basis. At least in our District, the DE's have a slush fund that accepts and doles out the expenses. If the event is flush and makes a "profit", that is held until the next event. If the next Camporee is a little short, the slush makes it up. The fund is at the Council level. Or, the event may buy something that is reusable and an adult will keep it for future use. Everyone knows who has the banners and PWD track to loan out to Packs that don't have one of their own. And , too, the adult leaders buy stuff and keep it for use at the events. Kind of a loan thing. I do CSDC and hold a big bag of knot tying ropes, and the ropes and pulleys for the flag poles, for instance. All this stuff was paid for long ago. If I didn't keep it, it would dissapear into the great maw of the Council basement (no relation). We all know about the FoS and equipment supply issues with the Council folks. That's why the flag pole gear (and the poles!) are in (or strapped to) my storage shed. RT expenses are done the same way. Sometimes the event "profit" can be used to fund special costs. Multiple copies (with advance notice) go to the DE, who does them in the Council office. It is for the boys, after all.(This message has been edited by SSScout)

I got my beads about 4 years ago, and served as WBstaff about two years ago. My course had a very dedicated staff and obviously enjoyed what they were doing. It was a Scout meeting and camping experience, not merely a "seminar". We also learned alot more about management theory than I had known before. Met many good people and saw many different views of Scouting. My Troop guide was very open and available, even tho he lived almost 60 miles away from me. I was fortunate to find that my Work Union would sponsor me, and so the course was very inexpensive for me. My first ticket choices were all nixed because they mostly involved Cub Scouts (I did CSDC every year) and my registration was in Boy Scouts. Your tickets MUST involve the area you are registered in. So I was counseled to become a Unit Commissioner, because THEY can work all Scout areas. So I did. Three of my tickets were very successful, one marginally so, another was completed but ultimately failed thru no fault of my own. My Course Director and TG both praised my efforts, despite the fate of #5. They both attended my Beading, which I had at a Troop CoH. Lots of the Troop leadership had never heard of WB, so the event was useful in an educational way. Alot of the WBStaff of the course I worked in were folks from the course I beaded from. Everyone had the same "get it done" attitude and we all had a good time. I heard nothing but good things from the class, and even tho I was not a TG ( I served as a QMaster), I had some folks call me for advice. Rainman: Make the connections with your Patrol. Don't let folks NOT have fun at it, WB should NOT be deadly serious. Lead cheers, sing silly songs, join in and ask your Patrol to not forget their silly hats. Design a Crossword puzzle for the course newsletter. And get your moneys worth.

MBs during Troop meeting? Not likely. Practice of Skills. Planning of events/camps/hikes/etc. Announce plans. MB posibilities anr announced. Meet after Troop Meeting with Mr. Pachung to learn about the Physical Fitness MB. Call Mr. Caching to ask about his Farm Mechanics MB class on saturday. It is up to the boy to make it happen. Ask the SM for a blue card. Talk to the counselor. Arrange for the fulfilling of requirements. Bring signed card back to SM. MBCounselor is an interested adult that will certify the boy has met the requirements. It is good if the adult is somewhat expert or skillful in the topic, but such is not required. The responsible adult will not counsel Plumbing MB if they don't know much about it (sweating a copper joint, pump pressure, etc.). We do seek out adults in the field (airport manager for Aviation MB) to be available for the interested Scout. But not during the usual Troop meeting hours.

Like BDweller asked: Trailwalker: Is that 8% of your whole unit (Cub Pack? BSTroop?) is quitting because of homosexual policy or religious policy or 8% of those quitting do so because of etc. etc.? I have only been told (by one family) that they dropped from Scouting after they read the fine print on the back of the application about religious belief. I have known others that never joined because of the "Religious Faith Declaration", and the homosexual policy they read about in the papers. Oh well.

"energetic 10 year old" Makes him a Webelos, right? I would say, " Good, we'll turn him into a good Scout. But please, realize that we expect the parent(s) to be involved and supportive. Is this still your email? Can we have your good phone number for our phone tree? And our next hike is 17 september. Can you drive? We're going up to the State Park. And Johnny will need some money for dinner coming home, we'll stop at Daisey's next to the Park entrance. He should wear his Scout Tshirt and dress for the weather. We'll discuss it in our meeting tuesday after school. " Something like that......

Build the Pack by building the Dens. Work with and encourage the Dens to not only earn the ranks, but do stuff . These are the "gangs" the boys should be "hangin'" with. The Go and See should not stop with Tigers. Any dads old Scouts? Ask'em to lead a short hike and show'em the beaver sign or woodpecker nest in the tree. Sit down at a clearing and read'm a Thorton W. Burgess story, or one from Ernest Thompson Seton, that's just the place. Is there a dad or maom with an interesting place of work? I was a Street Supervisor for the Transit Service. Real easy to arrange an upclose tour of the maintenance shop. Big busses, engines, grease, smells, tools, noise, dirty smiling workers, what more does a boy want? Almost any kid would love to show off his mom or dad's work. A whole Cub Pack is often unwieldy for some outings (overnight on the ship or lockins at the museum are real good Pack do's) but the Den is the easy go anywhere group. Couple of cars and off you go. Take the bus or subway or commutter train downtown to the museum, "getting there is half the fun". Bears and Webelos should earn Whittlin Chip. Ask a local Scout Troop to lend you some good instructors (preferably Scout, but an adult will do). Come and do it at the Den meeting. Leave the Pack meeting for awards and BIG fun. And don't say, "that'll never work. It can't be done." Yes it can; make the phone call and say "Cub Scouts" and watch the doors open....(This message has been edited by SSScout)

Well done!

One of the best Pack meetings we ever had, I have to thank my dad for. Understand, now, this is my son's Pack and I am the CM, and my dad has been dead and gone many years. Among his "gear" and tools, I inherited a block and tackle. About 300 feet of 5/8 manila rope and two double pulley blocks. Old, wood sheave blocks. With this set up, properly done, a fifty pound pull can hoist 200 pounds. I've used it many times for pulling trees over and moving rocks and other projects. So we set up a tug of war, and then rig the blocks and have the boys pull the parents on a rug. And then have the boys "run the rope" as sailors would have done. And then have the smallest Tiger out pull three dads. And then we did the tug of peace, where the boys sit down in a circle, the rope is passed around them and tied together, then, cooperatively, they stand up, all leaning back on the rope circle. That, and the Hawaiin luau Blue and Gold we had with an erupting volcanoe (PM for those details!) and Cub Leaders in lava lavas.

* Do You REALLY Want to Please Your Mother? * My Scout Spirit Is Too Good!! * Parents as Merit Badge Counselors * God AND Country, Too? * Sincerity and the Appearance of Innocence * Just why am I trying to please my Football Coach? What's He Ever Done for Me? * How to Choose a Caterer

One of my favorite college memories is going to "Clancy's" on New York Avenue in DC and watching the students from Gallaudet sign to each other while they watched the dancers and wondering what they were saying to each other. Music was so loud, I couldn't talk to or hear my buddy 6" away from me. And no, "pole dance" is not a mazurka.

Washington Post, Sunday Style tabloid, September 2, 2012, Pg.1, "A Place for Women to See and Be Seen" by Delece Smith-Barrow "It's friday evening in DC, and three women arrive at the Stadium Club, a converted warehouse in Northeast. ... The women go inside. "I wasn't expecting it to be this nice," says Rashida Robertson, 33, an Atlanta native who's in the city for graduate school. "Tonight is her first visit to a strip club. To her right and left are clusters of women, outnumbering the men...." "Unlike many strip clubs, - which are narrow, dark and dominated by men - Stadium, with color changing chandeliers lighting up it's 14,000 sq. ft., has become a chic hot spot for young African American women...." The rest of the article is very discriptive of what goes on in the high-class club, interviewing the female entertainers and the patrons, both female and male... Unfortunately, the Wash Post does not post the Sunday Style mag on the web with the rest of the paper's articles, so I cannot link you to it.

All the above is important, but DISH WASHING begins not AFTER the meal, but BEFORE and DURING. Such things as::: *Portion planning to help eliminate leftovers and scraps. Look up "Ort" * Train the cooks to clean as they go. All good chefs do. The cooks should NOT have the attitude that because they cooked, they should not clean. Multiple dirty pots and pans can be made fewer with cook awareness. * Gas stove? Easy. Open wood fire? Don't forget to SOAP the outside of the pots. The black ash will come off much easier. * No one has mentioned the famous "Philmont Human Sump". I often remind folks as they pass thru the cafeteria line, "Take all you want, but eat all you take." * Put the water boil pot on the fire FIRST , not after the meal. The wash water should be cooking , just like the stew. When I camp, I always have a pot of hot water for cocoa, coffee, Cupanoodles, oatmeal, or (shudder) dishwashing. Just depends on the time of day. Always appreciated. *And , yes, folks can get really ill from leftovers, either accidental (poor washing/hygiene) or intentional (no refrigeration for the potatoe salad in the summer). * And a handwashing station! Simple tripod (lashing project!), hanging gallon jug of water on one end of the string, soap in a netbag on the other end, towel hung over the stickend. SOmeone assigned to keep jug full of water. Enforce hand washing, sanitizer ain't enough. Bon appetie.(This message has been edited by SSScout)

Can't argue with success. Wonder how the LDS get along with the SA.

CM is the circus ringmaster. She/he makes the fun happen at the Pack Meetings. If it ain't fun, the Cubs won't want to come.No Cubs, no pack, no Boy Scouts. * Minimum ceremony, but don't leave it out. Flags enter, PoA, CSP, LotP. "GOOD EVENING CUBS!" Save the announcements for LAST. The adults should have them IN WRITING to take home. Don't trust to oral..... * Do some awards, then a cheer or "ROUND OF APPLAUSE".... * Recognize the Dens and what they've done. Encourage bragging rights...Another set of cheers. There are lots of books and internet sites about this. * Feel free to act silly and if it's fun for you, it WILL be fun for the Cubs. If it is a CHORE for you ("oh, geez, it's wednesday night again....") then guess what? * If you have many Dens, let each one, in turn, take charge of the Pack meeting. Do a Skit, make it appropriate to the months theme. * One more SHORT craft, or celebrity presentation? NASA will send an astronaut with stuff to look at, for instance. Be open to suggestion.... * Make it a point for SOMEONE to attend the local Roundtable. A good Cub Roundtable can do wonders for inspiration and ideas. * Don't forget the traditional stuff: PWDerby, Camp outs (get SOMEONE BALOO trained), sleepovers, hikes, Scales and Tails (park service), dirt shifting (conservation projects!), Blue and Gold Banquet, etc.etc. Get a volunteer to wrangle ONE of these. Don't be averse to asking the individual directly. It rarely works to announce "we need a leader to..." but don't leave such announcements out. * Occassionally do an ADULTS only thing. This takes planning, let someone entertain (Scales and Tails?) the Cubs while you (the CM and CChair) regales the parents with plans and ideas and schedules and encouragement. And requests for help (!) * Which underscores the previously mentioned: DO Not Do This Alone. The CChair is (should be) the muscle behind the show. Ours takes care of arranging training, camp reservations and fundraising stuff. That is to say, he asks Tom, Dick and Mary to handle these things. Folks talk about Scouting being Leadership Training for the boys, well guess what, it's Leadership Training for adults, too. * Speaking of Training: Make sure you get yours. Most, if not all , official Cub Leader Training is available online. Avail yourself of it. If you see something listed on your Council website (Cubarama, University of Scouting, Cub Round Up) for "in person", try hard to join in. I've had people say they come to our U of S because the coffee is better than at work. Goodareason as any. * Keeping order: If the DenLeaders will help, you will have an easier time of it. If the boys have a chance to yell and have fun, they will be more likely to sit and listen when you ask. Call them "Cubs", "Scouts". Not "guys" or "kids". Insist they WATCH for the SIGN and make it a game. Time them . You may first have to TELL them about how to respond to the Cub Sign (put YOUR sign up, quiet down and watch), but they will. Don't let yourself yell quiet or hey or even signs up... Train your Den Leaders to do the same thing in their meetings so the consistancy will be reinforcing. The game is the thing. "Okay Cubs, MAKE SOME NOISE!!!" (put sign up, watch clock) "15 seconds, not bad... Let's try it... AGAIN!!" (wait for it, sign up, watch clock) "8 seconds, getting better! Now we're gonna hear from Den 3. Ms Jenkins?" ** Comes time to close the meeting, try to make it worth waiting for. SHORT reminders, (pass out the "silent announcements") and then go into the flag retrival and CubMaster's Minute. Remind the Cubs what fun they've just had, remind them to be kind and good to each other and shake their hand as they leave, or use the "friendship circle" to break the meeting. Show'em how it's done! YiS

I sub teach. Every elementary school room I have been in has a list on the wall of every kids birthday, and when that day comes up, that kid (or kids) are the "special person" or some such. The room mmom and parents make cupcakes for the day. Often, the other kids make "cards" for the bday kid. Cub Scouts: Yes, we have access to records. I would not do this, as a commisher because: There are waaaay too many Cubs to be fair to everyone. And what happens if I forget one? Email is not for broadcast to sorta strangers. I introduce myself to my units, but they are other people's units too. I would let the DenLeaders and Cubmaster do the Bdays. Hey, which is more special: an email or a REAL birthday card you can save and handle and maybe play with and look at in daylight without a battery or plug? I am on good terms with my ex-wife's parents and they send my family bday and anniversary (!) cards. 'Tis sweet to be remembered (see the country western song) by them and some others. If you KNOW the Cub, send the card. Let's see, 44cents postage, a couple bucks for a card and envelope, email is almost free.... Which shows concern and care? A real signature. Someone handled the card. Anyone might have hit "send". Send a card, or don't. Not an email.

THEN: Scouts went camping, hiking, trips to "special" places like national monuments, Scouts asked to go, planned for it. Dad and mom drove. Advancement and ranks were almost automatic, due to the activities of the Troop. Not "required". Eagle was a possibility. Merit Badges were available , if you found the MBC, or a father or schoolteacher who would do the requirements with you. But it was up to the boy. I could play "Morse Code" with my buddies, everyone knew some from First Class. We had trees we could cut down (Troop had use of a fathers property). Axe and pioneering was USED. Troop gateway lashed up at Camporee, flag tower for brag rights. NOW: Scouts will go camping, hiking, make trips to "special" places IF the plan is ready to go. Dad and mom will drive and then some. Advancement and ranks are automatic and expected. You WILL be FIrst Class by first year. Eagle is almost expected. MeritBadges are planned out, and "Eagle Required" is the watch word. Each Troop has a cadre of MBCs that cover all the ER'ed ones. "First Aid is an ER'd MB and it will be offered after the Troop Meeting next month. And, if you earn it, you automatically pass the SC and FC requirements!" No more Morse Code. Ever. No Semiphore, either. Texting and Cell are the "secret language", now. Can't cut down any tree, anywhere, without alot of hassle and permissions and such. Pioneering? Lash a tower? Is it safe? Do we have hardhats? Haven't seen any such anywhere.

Bridging... and I don't mean Webelos... http://www.officialbridgeday.com/about-bridge-day

The Morley Games: underrealized fun.... http://issuu.com/ssfs_comm_news/docs/morley_games

I think Hollywood has missed a chance here.

News Item: " National League of Procrastinators annual convention postponed for third time".

I agree. Scouting should NOT be another school class. Formal 3 ring binders "required"? Not bloody likely. They want to hike and camp, not take notes, although the ones that do (in small, pocket size nbooks) will find some better success, but you won't convince them of that. An Idea: Coach the SPL and Troop Scribe (and SM?) how to do this : Pick up a big pad of newsprint, and an appropriate easel, either floor standing or table standing for it. Use a Sharpie, different colors for each day or purpose. Date the page, and make your schedule/notes on it for all to see. Keep the record like that. Fold it up and rehang it at the next meeting. This way, everyone has the same notes! No arguing about what was decided when.