SSScout

*AHEM* Cub pack I commish: http://ww2.gazette.net/stories/02232011/olnenew203303_32537.php I just hand out the awards, I don't do any coaching....

((Cub Pack)) "Okay, Cubs and parents, I'd like to introduce to you Den 5's new Den Chief. Bill Smith, would you come forward?" "Now, Bill here is from Troop 123 and has taken on a new job, and I hope he'll find it a fun one. He will be our Den Chief for the coming months. He's going to help Den 5 with all our activities, helping the boys earn their ranks and such. As a sign of his new position, he wears this shoulder cord. (pin the cord on). There you go, Bill, (shake his hand) looks good on you. Let's give him a round of applause!!" (( rooouuunnnndd of applause)). ((Scout Troop at Regular Court of Honor)) Here, treat it as any other POR with the Troop. Explain what the cord indicates, what the responsibilities are, award the cord, shake his hand. If the Troop has any sort of investiture ceremony for it's leaders (hand on flag pole, give the promise, etc. ) adapt that for the Den Chief. Definitely worth mentioning, but I would not do anything out of the ordinary UNLESS he is being awarded the Den Chief Service Award, which is a little more special (" ooo, very special...") and thus deserving of abit more hoopla.

"Unit Commisserator" (patch: Beer mug crossed with tears) = shoulder to cry on, sympathize with, agree with (no matter what), quafe adult beverages with, remember the "good old days" with. "Unit Scrounger" (patch: red arrow crossed with question mark and exclamation mark) = Able to find equipment or repair parts needed for free or cheap, knows who has what for use at the camporee or CSDC, has a seemingly unlimited amount of 'stuff' in his gsrage/toolshed/basement that is great for CS to build things with.

Trivializing, didn't mean to. Simplistic, perhaps. But still, is not the purpose of the OA to: (1) honor those Scouts that exemplify the virtues of camping and service to their fellow Scouts and (2) encourage the virtue of "cheerful service" to others (not just Scouting, we hope) and (3) let those so honored (thru election by their peers) enjoy the company (par-tay?) of their fellow OAers. Thus (theoretically), by the example observed, encouraging such behavior among other, non-OA Scouts. At least that is what my expectation is. Am I wrong in that? So if I am right in the above, it isn't the PURPOSE they have argument with, only the ceremony, yes? Has OA changed that much? As to the comparison made by various religious professors (def.: one who 'professes' a particular belief or theory) of OA ceremony to a real religion (Mason, pagan, shamanistic, Native American, whatever), I still say 'you shall know them by their fruits'. If there is a spiritual quality to Scouting or OA, it certainly can't be of any particular faith. Can it?

It has been a long time since my Ordeal and Brotherhood. I can not say if the ceremonies that impressed me then are the same as in use today. Scoutson has said, regardless of my encouragement, that he would not accept an OA nomination, because he (1)knows all about serving others already by my and our family and Meetings example, (2) is already too active in Scouts, 4H, Meeting (he is now at 17 a full member of our Maintenance Committee), and school and (3) does not seek extra "bling" on his uniform (his words). That said, I find it hard to understand how any person, religious leader or not, can object to an organization whose goal is the encouragement of selfless service to others. Isn't that what Christ was all about? I do not remember any worship of a diety, per se, in the ceremonies. I could be wrong in that, but I don't remember anyone saying "worship THIS in THIS manner, or else" anywhere in the OA cermonies. I don't remember any directed "please join me in" prayer. I remember some boys in psuedo indian garb, playing indian, invoking some hokey idea to help a Scout realize the benefit, both to him and to others, of "joyful service". Catholic priest doesn't see a Christian basis for OA? Well, "Do unto others" isn't necessarily only a Christian admonition either. It comes up in every faith around the world in some rendition or other. My short stint as a Demolay member was kinda like that. I learned some more history, but I didn't need the ceremony to see the benefit of serving others. I had enough in Scouts, Key Club, OA, Church, my dad's Lions Club (junior member), and such. Maybe we need to make sure the OA is still about camping and service and let it go at that. If you know the priest, recommend he read Seton's ""The Gospel of the Redman". Faith and Chaplaincy forum, anyone? (This message has been edited by SSScout)

All together , now.... WIN ALL YOU CAN!!! Ethics and moral behavior really can't be legislated.

Thank you. I thought so too.

Thank you, Stosh, for the short form! I agree, there is no "official" form of ceremony, only precident and tradition. With Cibs, KiS. With older Scouts, add pomp to it but still, KiS. I recently was asked to help organize a flag presentation at a local Mosque at a 9-11 remembrance. We had many local politicos, veterans and police and firefighters in attendance, and they asked the Scouts to do the flag presentation to open things. I put the word out to the District and garnered a dozen Scouts. I collected a US flag, a State one and a County flag. We met one hour early, parceled out the flags, got'em all in order, assigned a Color guard (yeah, we used that term), a Captain, rehearsed it twice, got our cues set with the MC, then they opened the doors and let everyone in. It went well, very impressive, if I do say so myself. After all the formalities, speeches, songs, blessings, prayers and testimonials, when it came time to retrieve the colors, the US flag came back to formation LAST, then they marched out. The US flag was in the proper position for the march out (2 abreast), but was walked in LAST of the three. After all was done, one of the police in attendance, a BIG fellow, came up to me and thanked me for the Scouts being there, but did I know the US flag really should be FIRST in the formation at all times (he was an exMarine). I said I thought so, but we are amateurs, after all. He said it was all good, none the less. Bugle story: I was asked to do "Call to the Colors" at the first raising of the flag at the dedication of a new Scout camp some years ago. I dutifully praciced and got my lip in shape. They wanted the "long" version (!). When the time came, I put horn to lip and COULD NOT remember the start of the tune. I ended up doing the French "Avec Le Colour", which I had learned as a Scout watching Captain Gallant (Buster Crabb) on TV. No one said a thing to me, one way or another.

Home town Cub Pack (and Troop) work toward Unit Conservation Good Turn Award (sort of a mini Hornaday): http://www.gazette.net/article/20111109/NEWS/711099499/1020/volunteers-pound-the-pavement-in-silver-spring-to-make-county-greener&template=gazette

Can we PLEASEPRETTYPLEASE WITH DUTCH OVEN BROWNIES ON TOP have a seperate "Faith and Chaplaincy" forum???? This ain't Open Discussion. It ain't Program... It ain't Issues and Politics.... It is a seperate topic and needs to be recognized as such. I think. Those in favor say aye? (Wait... I'm a Quaker. We don't vote for such things. We seek unity, God's will, agreement, or as they say in corpspeak, "consensus" ). J-I-KC: How do we contact Scouter Terry?

Watch out for the drawstrings in your jackets. G2SS needs an update. http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12033.html Please, no jokes about throttling CERTAIN Cub Scouts.....

I work as a subteacher. All middle school gym lockerroom showerrooms in out county have become new storage areas. Can't say for the high schools...

OOO - OOO !! They could sell something to raise money for their pet projects... I understand popcorn is a popular idea.... How many cans of chocolate dip p/c for one F37 ?

Oh, yes it is. If you KNOW it's not an emergency, yeah, don't call. But "When in doubt..." and you DON"T know, CALL. My wife wouldn't be my wife except someone called... "It's just a small cut"... no, it wasn't, it was a artery in her arm... At my WB course, one Scouter came to the first aider (a trained EMT) and told her he had an embedded tick in his leg. She called for the local ambulance, he went to the local ER. It was surgically removed. I have no idea if it was Lyme infected, but the FAder thought (doubt? Nope) that it could not wait til he was at home the next day to see his personal physician. He could've been driven by a fellow WBer, but wasn't. The FAder insisted on the ambulance. He returned to the course after a few hours. Aside: How does one miss the feeling of a tick burrowing that deep into one's thigh? I don't know. I'll pay the taxes. This is what government is about, service to citizens....

Been there, unfortunately done that. Is there another mom (friend?) that knows the divorcedScoutmom? Often the devorcedmom doesn't recognize or is unwilling to admit to the =him vs me= dynamic. It unfortunately comes down to the divorced parents REQUIRING that the boy choose between them. How well did you (the SM) connect with the boy? Could you go with or thru the other mom (NOT male!) to the DSmom about your concerns for the boy? It cannot sound like you are trying to take the boy away from the mom. It must be made obvious that , of course she is a good parent, but that the boy must be left to realize for himself the truth of the matter, and he will, eventually. There can be no doubt about that, even tho it take years for it to happen. In the mean time, the boy can gain in his confidence and ability to decide things for himself thru his Scout career, given a chance. But do not write. Call and express your concern about the BOY, not her situation, but the boy's. His buddies miss him. You would like to see him complete xyz. He was a real asset to his Patrol at the Camporee. You enjoy watching him grow and mature, soon he will be the young man, not merely a boy, she must be very proud of him. If you have no contact with the father, I don't quite see the benefit of it. Perhaps if you have his phone number, you might phone and comment to him how well the boy is doing in Scouts, how he has grown and etc., but maybe not. Depends on your comfort level. It is never easy (even with intact families) when the parents won't let go of the boy. Here, it sounds like a mom with regrets, or revenge or loneliness (afraid of being "left", again). Hard to say from out here in email land... Good luck, "do your best", . "Keep your stick on the ice, we're pulling for ya"

Hold your ground, BMD. We know you're in it for the boys, not the pros. Coming thru Murlin anytime ?

So no one near was a Farming Mechanics MBC. Scoutson wishes it. Phone calls gibt nichts. So I become a FMMBC. Put a notice in the District Newsletter, I get lots of calls, some from Scouters ("I have some Scouts in my Troop that want to take your class"), some from Scouts. I tell the Scouters to tell the interested Scouts to call me. About half of those are never heard from again. Of the Scouts that called, all continued. I pick two Saturdays in the future with no District or Council conflicts, and contact every Scout. We meet, and proceed. The significant thing in this , I think, is the fact that the Scouters' Scouts mostly did not continue, but the Scouts that called, did.

Physics. Inclined plane. Friction. Take the buckle and look thru the buckle, at the front and the back plates. If it looks like the distance between them (the inside ) hasn't been stretched or widened, next look at the slots the knurled rod rides in. If they look to be undamaged/worn/stretched (try that needlenose pliers thing mentioned earlier) , then try this: Measure the distance between the side walls (where the rod slots are). Take that measurement to your local family run (not Homedepot) hardware store, (better yet, take the buckle)and ask them to find you a small piece of metal, thicker than flashing, but not too thick. If necessary, you can use flashing, but not aluminum, as it is too smooth. Galvanized steel might work. You want to shim up the buckle inside to make it a thinner slot, thereby giving the belt less room to slip, and the gripper rod, more chance to grip. When you have a piece after some experimentation, GOOP glue may be the thing to hold it in place. Let it dry overnight, trim it neat. Saved belt buckle. I have noticed that the more modern buckles are more prone to this problem than the antique ones. I've done this a couple of times . You're welcome.

OOH! OOOH! Concept!! "Campfire Cuisine" (keep frozen until ready to use) Contains: * 2 - aluminum foil squares, 18" x 18" * 1 - celiphane pack flash frozen 8 oz. ground beef (USDA) * 1 - celiphane pack flash frozen 4 0z. sliced carrots * 1 - ditto pack 6 oz. sliced potatoes * 1 - ditto 4 oz. chopped onions * 1 - packet salt and pepper, plastic knife/fork/spoon * 1 - orange ade mix * 5 - ketchup packets * 2 - mustard packets * 1 - Ready-Up, Light E-Z charcoal grill (pat. pend.) * 1 - Pack Matches (Lucifer brand) Instructions:: well, you get the idea... Oh, wait... I bet the military would like the idea of packaged meals, if they were ready to eat.

A-men to all the previous. The Den ,ideally, meets and does it's thing in somebody's back yard or rec room. They go off together to visit the zoo, or neighborhood model railroad or hike the Civil War battlefield and have a frisbee toss/picnic after. The Dens get together for "the great gathering of the Pack" (I like that phrase) to "celebrate the boys' achievements" of the past month. If the Den leader(s) have problems with the idea of LEADING the Den, then, as has been said, that is as much a problem of innate talent and desire as much as training ang program ideas. If the Pack is meeting so the Dens can meet (more efficient for the parents? Mebbe not...) in the same place and 'eliminate the need for another meeting (groan?)', then that may well short circuit the design and intent of the Den/Pack idea and thereby shortchange the boys of their due. Is Cub Scouting for the benefit of the parent or the boy? My ideal plan: Ms Smith is the Den leader of Wolf Den #3. Den meeting every September Thursday afternoon after school at Ms Smith's rec room or backyard. It has been discussed among the parents,and agreed that the Den meeting goes to another parents home in November, then December, etc. (This is only fair). Ms Smith remains the Den Leader, but the venue can change. Stand in a circle, say the Cub Scout promise, the Law of the Pack, the Pledge of Allegiance, practice flag folding, make a key holder for dad. One thursday, they meet at the Volunteer Fire Dept. and learn about fire safety( Wolf requirement!) Kids like the Firemen's ready room, but they can't meet there everyday! One Saturday, they go down town to visit the zoo, and picnic there. No Den meeting that thursday. Some meetings, they even help each other with their homework. Pack meeting is first friday every month, in the social hall of the church. Dens gather, Bear Den does opening, they've been practicing at their meetings (Wednesday at Mr Kent's gararge, after school), awards are made, maybe a skit or two. Cheers and a song. Announce the Pack campout coming up, (parents have already done email and phonecalls for planning). Mr. Jones has his BALOO training, we're ready. Boys practice tent setting up. Den 4 wins the competition. Webelos Den does closing. Now, all that can change when the parents insist that their plans are what need to be accomodated, ("Soccer Syndrome": Drop the boy off and come back 2 hours later. Maybe the kid has learned something?) so the BSA becomes the Baby Sitters of America. The Den being the preferred Kid's Gang is lost. It is another day at school, not an adventure or something new to set them apart from the usual kid. When i read the title of this thread, I immediately thought, "isn't it usually that we complain when Scout TROOPS are run like Cub PACKS?" Here the discussion is "can the Cub Pack be run like a Scout Troop"? Ummmm... not the ideal to be approached, IMHO.

*sigh* It has come around to leaving the campout to movies huh? I just came back from a Camporee with close to 400 Scouts and Scouters. The hosting Troop had done a credible job with activities and program (I have some small quibbles, but that is for me and the host SM). But the Campfire... In a wide open field, They had stacked cargo pallets 9 feet high, in four (4 ) piles together (got that picture?), so we were faced with a pyre 10' square by almost 10' tall, against which more logs were stacked. When the Scouts were seated (30 feet away, they did think thru the safety. Also had 100+ gallons of water in 5 gallon buckets, and several shovels and piles of dirt), then watched the Scout MC pour a fluid over the front of the pyre. And, at the appointed time, reach in with his adjusted Bic and FROOOSH! We had lift off. The program went quickly thru the usual skits, but no songs, no cheers, no indian legends, no 'ghost' stories, no ash tradition, no Scoutmaster minutes. When the fire had dropped to the low coals level, (still plenty hot) , our brave Scout MC tried to lead the group in Scout Vespers. Didn't work. So we had had a fun time, but IMHO could've been handled better. I think movies have their place, but the center of a campfire program should be a campfire, if at all possible. Maybe not one visible from the Satelite, but a campfire. And I would favor the usual plan of Excitement, Fun, followed by more Meditative stuff, leading up to Closing. I missed that this time. Our Troop has a movie night in early January, when the holidays are past, the Troop meeting needs a break from the usual. We show "Second Hand Lions" or somesuch, popcorn and cider made fresh, and make sure that the whole family is invited, along with school buddies and folks from our CO. Did I hear somebody say "recruiting"?

"Bleed red..." Well , yeah, but I wheely, wheely want to avoid bleeding... I thought I meant laughing.... LAUGHING!!! Or smiling, at least. Universal language. All humans speak the same language immediately after birth. That changes after the first year, thru no fault of the newborn. I once saw a very clever comedian, his schtick was "the universal translator" : Czechoslovakian baby : "Ayagaga bluggggh". Chainese baby: " Ayagagablugggggh". Brazilian Baby: "Ayagagabluggggh", made his point easily.

Tired of all the bad language and vehemance when it comes to the DIFFERENCES among all us human beings? Ummmmm? Well try some new chapeaus on for size....

This is the link/report I found. They mention the boys earning Scout badges, but no uniforms to be seen here. http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/virginia/falls-church-homeowners-treehouse-found-to-be-in-violation-of-fairfax-countys-zoning-laws-101011 Zoning board threatens with demo order,tree house is a REALLY NICE one, the PTB consider it an addition to the main house.

For most folks, a Cub Scout uniform is a Cub Scout uniform. Matters not if the Cub is from Pack XJ or Pack QS. "" So we are about five weeks into popcorn sales in our council and ..."" "Dad! Dad! There's some Cub Scouts selling popcorn to the Sullivans next door!" "So? Didn't I tell you our Pack was selling Popcorn? Did you get out last night like I told you?" "Well, yeah, but no, and... It isn't from our Pack! They ain't from our Pack!" "They aren't? Well, they got some nerve. You get your uniforms own. Hurry up! This wouldn't have happened if you'd got out after dinner like I told you to! You kids never listen. Get going!" "HEY! YOU! " "YOU ARE ENCROACHING ON OUR TERRITORY1 GET OUT OF HERE! "Come on, Earl, Kevin, get your butts out of here and take these order forms with you. Here, don't forget your pencil. Get down to the Franklins and Hernandez houses. They haven't been there yet. See? You missed the first houses in the street. I told you to get out there last week! Now GET!" Maybe I could embellish it and send it off to SCOUTER, wadya think?