SSScout

As I channel surf the other night, I hit on "America's Funniest Home Videos", and it occurred to me that the ones they show , and we watch, shake our heads at and laugh at, are the videos in which the perp SURVIVES. We don't see (except on the 11 o'clock news) the videos in which the neck is actualy broken, not merely sprained.

Start with this..... Then go back to the OP link.

My 2 cents: I have never seen the "AL BS" patch and we have several local Troops sponsored by the AL. I agree the round AL patch would be more appropriate as a Necker emblem. Or jacket patch. Not in area above pockets.

In my since retired from job, (transit street supervisory person), I carried alot of gear around with me, both on my person and in my Jeep Cherokee. I found lots of use for my pocket knife(s). I teach Woods Tools at IOLS. I taught Scoutson about knives and axes and saws. He became the Troop Guide/Instructor for such. Last night, we held the last CoH for the year. In setting up the candelabra for the ceremony, the Scouts were trying to wedge the candles into the holes. I suggested carving off a little with your knife. NOT ONE OF THE 28 SCOUTS PRESENT HAD A POCKET BLADE ON THEM. And more than 3/4 were T/C holders. Even the senior Scouts present realized the irony of this. I loaned them mine. Yep, W/C holders should re-prove their skill, easily, and gain new skills by earning T/C.

""They can use the same shirt/ pants right on through boy scouts "" Scoutfish: Oh , I don't think so.... I have an Eagle and he has needed no fewer than 3 more shirts....and they didn't wear out! Buy big! Not just to fit, but to blossom in!

Sounds like you will have the time to get good at your job! Excellent! Yes, welcome to the Forums ("a funny thing happened on the way to the...") Be interested in your Cubs. Speak to them as "Cubs", "boys", "Scouts", "campers", etc. AVOID thd "G" word ((guys!)). Encourage the parents to get involved. Take one aside and ASK 'em to take on a project/activity/task. Make it personal. Learn silly cheers and songs. Don't be afraid to make the Pack Meetings fun: Divide the group into three groups. Instruct each thus: #1, yell "DO!" #2, yell "YOUR!" #3, yell "BEST!" Be the band director and direct them in the cheer, DO - YOUR - BEST! then DOOOOO, YOOOOOOUR, BEEEEEEEST, then DO YOUR DO YOUR DO YOUR BEEEEEST! and so forth.... KiS MiF .

Yes, new position, new application. Make sure you use the EXACT same name you used before. Different ways of naming sometimes confuse the computer and registrar, leading to unnecessary problems. Congradyoulashuns!

Works for me. How do you deal with the address? I was surprised when I discovered some Scouts that did NOT know their home address! We once had a camp director who insisted that (on tuesday, as it happened), no one got dessert at dinner (banana splits!) unless they presented a stamped, addressed envelope for home! Another day, he insisted that campers (it was a small camp) must present themselves with evidence that they had had a recent shower! Damp hair, damp towel, etc.

I do enjoy in-person meetings. I do. I often begrudge the email meetings we all seem to end up with. But I have NEVER heard of a in-person precamp meeting for BSSummer camp. All the camps I have had any contact with include (thank you GKlose) a detailed Leaders' guide and Program guide. Might be 75 pages total, but there they are, policy and suggestions and methods and instructions writ large and ready for any literate adult (or SPL!) to read. If you have a question , why, there's a phone number. Several in fact. And when we arrive at the camp parking lot, there are Scouts in bright neon red STAFF shirts, with clip boards, ready to point the jolly campers to their campsites and medchecks and swim chacks. I like the idea of making a precamp visit (?SM, ASM, SPL?) if you haven't been there in a while (or never been there). I see that as a means to make things easier, for sure. But a 250 plus meeting to "talk things over"? Almost sounds like Cub Scout Day Camp. Just did that last sunday. 100 plus staffers , most never been there, doing that, so the hotdogs and coleslaw were well spent , getting to know each other and walking the site. But Boy Scouts attending the camp? Strange to my mind. Is this a new camp? Are they stil planning and arranging things? Mmmmm, no, didn't really sound like it. Sounded like a camp director/developement director that is not all that confident about things yet.

Ditto comments on Space Derby. Wrap adult fingers with duct tape to help with multiple rubber band windings. Kid fingers too. Call local museums and colleges. You can get many types of exhibits and presenters about space exploration. NASA can sometimes provide a real live (!) astronaut and space gear , given sufficient advance notice. Won't know until you ask. But I vote for the stomp rockets....

"I'm just a Bill, a lil' ole Bill, and I'm all alone on Capitol Hill..."

"I'm just a Bill, a lil' ole Bill, and I'm all alone on Capitol Hill..."

"I'm just a Bill, a lil' ole Bill, and I'm all alone on Capitol Hill..."

Baden, would you agree, then, that the "price of admission" asked of the Scouts in those Troops was more than the value of the program offered?And they voted with their feet? Another thing: I recently availed myself of a discount offer I received in my email. Buy the coupon, receive a service at a substantial reduction in the usual price. This is obviously a means to introduce new folks to the business' service. Nice for everybody. Printed out the coupon, and wow, the fine print on the coupon didn't agree with the original offer. Added expenses...and therefore no real discount. Why bother, then? So. I spent about 20 minutes contacting a human being and asking about this. I will be getting a refund. Does THIS apply to our Scouts? Are they victims of an "expectation" NOT being MET? Should they read the (unwritten) fine print? "Camping and adventure so long as the overweight SM can manage it?"

Favorite "Cathy" comic strip: Cathy is on the office phone to a friend. She is heard saying: "Hi. I want to know if you received the e mail I sent yesterday about the memo I sent you last friday concerning the boss's directive about the meeting we're gonna have tomorrow. (second frame) "Uhuh." (third frame) "Well, can you make it next tuesday?" .

It is often said that boys join (and stay in )Scouts because of the "program". If the Pack/Troop has a good "program", it will attract and keep boys. The "program" is more often described as the outdoors, fun, exciting stuff. Yeah, Cubs get the toned down, less dangerous stuff, but there it is: hiking, camping, canoeing, learning to use sharp pointy things. You go places and do things and learn about things in Scouts that other kids don't have the opportunity to, at least that's the ideal I hear about. So what do we ask them to "pay " for all this pazzazz? I don't mean the money. That's what the PARENTS pay, at least nowaday. I mean what do we ask the BOY to pay? What is the BOY expected to do or pay in exchange? I see the boy being asked to make a promise, or maybe make a series of promises, and then we ask him to KEEP those promises thruout his life. We try to show him that these promises are good things to model a life after, to keep in front of one as an ideal. As Scouters, if we are doing our (highly paid) job, the boy gets an example to follow, some practice at being a citizen in a small community, some practice in being a community leader, some practice in developing projects small and larger, some practice in cooperating with others in accomplishing those projects, and along the way gets some feedback or counseling in how to do it better the next time. He gets a chance to make mistakes and own up to being responsible for those mistakes. Along the way, he builds strength and stamina, does some mildly challeging stuff and has some fun with his buddies. Along the way, he might learn to overcome his fear of the untried and finds out that even if he gets dirty or bruised, he can get clean , pick himself up and be well again. It is the making and keeping of those promises that I see as the price of admission to the show of Scouting. If the boy cannot see the value of his Scout unit's program as equalling or exceeding the effort to keep those promises, he will not stay. Bad language, manipulative behavior, bullying, all argue against keeping those promises. Choosing the football team over Scouts may be in keeping with the promises, depending on the coach's vision, but ultimately the boy must see the promise as being sufficient price to pay for the program offered. The program will not keep him, if he cannot see the worth of keeping the promises. If our efforts in role modeling, in encouraging participation, in reminding the Scout of the promises' meanings, in "being there" are not sufficient to his need, then no matter how fantastic a program there is, the Scout may not stay. On the other hand, if the program is wonderfully challenging and fun, if the Scouts are given full participation and ownership of the program, the promises they make MAY begin to make sense to them and seem like a good thing to remember. But first we REQUIRE that they memorize them. That is the price we require for admission to the program. Is the show worth the price of admission?

In your recruiting, don't forget to mention the perks: No washing, cleaning house, cooking . Watching young men grow and mature. Even your own. Fishing. Boating (off hours). Hiking (if you want). Congenial, like minded adults (alright, in this case, in other campsites). Starry nights (we hope). The comfy cot you borrowed from the other ASM. Campfires , corny skits (go on, you know you'll laugh), songs and cheers. Whippoorwills (depending). Owls (Maybe) Forget the boss for awhile. At the last camp I attended (as an adult!), they even issued a letter on my behalf to my boss(es), extolling my virtues as a community minded person, giving of my time for the betterment of our future leaders and citizens (etc. etc.) and thanking them for allowing the time off from work. Signed by the SE! Nice touch. Do the same for yours.

Oldscout, did you receive my hyperlink PM?

Camp Hale? Nah... Camp Granada....

What is the topic? Unfortunately, the online version has no page numbers.... http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/HealthandSafety/GSS/toc.aspx

"Flaming Arrows" Yep, way back when....Took my Ordeal at Rooz. Looooong knotted rope to hold on to... Stations for the ceremony...

Scoutson joined Troop, went to Summer Camp. Twice. A couple of weekend o/ns. Next, Philmont. Seabase (sleeping on a boat. Could that count?) . Couldn't schedule Northern Tier. Our Yearly Meeting sponsors a summer camp program with highly trained and experienced counselors. 2, 3, or 4 week sessions. Middle School age and younger. Each week has three nights in camp, two nights on the trail, either hiking, canoe/raft. Older teens can opt for a Teen Adventure traveling camp of two weeks, either canoe/backpack or bicycling (200 miles!). Scoutson has done both Teen Adventure camps, and reported that only Philmont approached the physical challenge and personal responsibility inherent in the trips. But he couldn't count any of that for his Camping MB, or 5o Miler, or (?)...

Way back when... Scout had to earn the ranks in order. Earn and be awarded TF, then SC, then FC. And there were time limits between , as I remember, one had to wait three monthe between TF to SC, and three months to FC. AND THEN Scout could work on /earn MBs. I think a case can be made for some of our troubles having started with the idea that Scout can fulfill ANY requirement as soon as he can. Hence my comment about the FAMB being equivalent to the FA requirements for TF,SC,and FC, automatically. In one fell swoop, the boy has fulfilled parts of TF,SC,FC,Star, (and by implication, remember, it is all cumulative) Life and Eagle. If the skill is learned, the knowledge attained, it is checked off for ever and ever, amen. It cannot be questioned again. If the Scout Leaders encourage the EFFICIENT passing of rank requirements, heck, no reason a Scout can't "earn" Eagle by age 14, easy, even without his wanting to. If the Troop sets as a GOAL rank advancement, it will happen. If the Troop sets as a goal SCOUTING (see any number of other threads), the advancement will happen, whether you want it to or not. So maybe the answer (what was the question again?) is the Troop does "games with a purpose": the games being camping, hiking, living out in nature (even for a mere weekend) , the purpose in this case being the retaining of the skills. Knots, lashings, first aid, cooking, fire building and safety, alot of these things are also cumulative and need cooperative activity among/between the Patrols. And along the way, the boy learns about setting goals , working cooperatively, the value of loyalty and being trustworthy. M'lord Beavah, what say you , the title of that spun thread I should begin? (This message has been edited by SSScout)

M'Lords, I do apologize for the multiple posts. I prithee accept that if the Scout has thus passed the First Aid MB and thus the 2nd and 1st (and by right TF! as so noted by my learned collegue), the Scout has jumped that far ahead of his advancement trail. Let us now consider how this Scout can jump ahead still further. I put to you a "nature" merit badge class, so construed as to fulfill the appropriate sections of the 2nd and 1st class badges. And thus too, a "Cooking" MB that leads on to the selfsame requirements in the two ranks. So I have seen a Troop in my pervue thus advance multiple newbie Scouts to First class in less than a year. Spring CoH, the Scout receives Second class, First Class AND a half dozen MBs. Troop does do alot of camping... At the other end of the spectrum, I knew a very active and supportive Scout (served as a very good SPL) who just couldn't get his last two requirements (recruiting? Nature ID?) from FC. At age 16, he was awarded FC, AND Star at the CoH. Never made Eagle, but had a ball in Socuting. Staffed at Heritage four years that I know of.

Just asked Scoutson what he might like for earning/receiving Eagle (CoH next month). He said "Just to happy". I think the letter idea and SM trinket is appropriate, but it should not be "expected" necessarily.And not publicly presented, but privately. Hey, how 'bout a 4wheel drive F150, bright red?