SSScout

I think you have described your situation sufficiently. Choices: 1) Jump ship. Take yourself and the other families to another Troop. Let the SM and sons do whatever they wish. It is not your concern to "save" a Scout troop at the expense of your boys' Scouting career. Now, this is only a posibility if there is another Troop within a reasonable distance . 2)Recruit many more Scouts and families to your Troop. This will change the dynamics and perhaps make it easier to find the gumption to do the necessary conferencing and discussion with the COR and IH (the same person?). If the SM will not step down "for the good of the Troop" on the COR and IH's counsel, then he can only be removed by the COR and IH, as the Troop is "owned" by the CO. The TCommittee can request and recommend, but the IH and COR do the removing. Make sure you reeeaally want to do this. The bad feelings will be a long time going away. 3) Insist that your SM show his training certs (he did take the SM specific and IOLS training, yes?) and /or insist he GET TRAINED. This may have the desired "aha!" effect, but I doubt it. If he hasn't and refuses or keeeps putting it off, well, there's another reason for your IH and COR to consider removing him. While you're at it, go take the training yourself. Like chicken soup, "it couldn't hoit". You might need it later (!). 4) Pursue the plan you were dancing around in your previous posts. If the man is an unapologetic, not there when you need him, lets chaos reign rather than deal with it, finds another to blame for the problems rather than accept responsibilty himself kind of guy,,, then, yeah, you probably want to do something. I would favor #1 above. Good luck and remember, like Bob the Tomato says, "It's for the kids".

Ettiquette... Recently attended a ECoH. Nicely done, Boy's older brother, also an Eagle, was the MC. Dad, a SM, did the ceremonial stuff. Cousin played music, older Eagle did history of the Troop, all very appropriate and respectfully done. But... They had a professional photographer who was EVERYWHERE, snapping pictures. I didn't really mind him, he did well to not be too intrusive, using a long lens to be in the back of things, mostly. Until the pastor was asked to give the benediction. The Scout and his family were up front with the pastor and when he raised his hands over the family to ask God's blessings on them, the photog ran right up in front, stood 3 feet away and snapped at least a half dozen FLASH pictures , all the while the pastor was inviting God's attention to our situation. I was so aggrieved that at the punch and cookies afterward, I took the photog aside and politely (note the term) told him how dissapointed I was in his lack of decorum. He assured me that it was a once in a lifetime event, and the family would appreciate the pictures later. I suggested that the event was perhaps more important than the pictures and I thought he had greatly detracted from it in that final situation. He apologized for that. I hope I had an affect on his future behavior.I was surprised the pastor didn't mention it himself.

36" even better. The shorty ones in my home Troop are about 24" on a side. I think the boy can grow into them, better than an adult look out of proportion in one. Once a year, at a CoH, as an ASM in the Troop, I have a display of the woggles I have made/collected, and some of the neckerchiefs I have collected. Then, at a later CoH, I sponsor a woggle/slide making contest. I speak about the history and purpose of the neckerchief (both practical and symbolic). I display the necker I wore as a Scout, in the same Troop, and compare it with the one they wear now. I ask them if they see any difference between the one they wear now (it's blue and white) and my old one (it is red). Always, a younger Scout will say "yours is ALOT bigger", not mentioning the color first. I think, perhaps, the Troop will consider a change to a larger, more useful necker.

1) The Troop must decide/agree to wear a BIG necker, an ORIGINAL size, 30" on the side necker, not the teeny ODLR style pretty necker. Can be square, or triangular, but BIG. 2) Wear it OVER, as the big type really doesn't fit under. 3) Make some slides, woggles,soggles... take pride in your craftsmanship. Make all the Patrols' have the same type for their Patrol. 4) Read thru "101 uses for the neckerchief": http://www.3gp.org.uk/101neck/101neck.htm and Get Busy. AND http://www.chiefneckerchief.com/scoutneckerchief.htm

"Reverence to God and reverence for one's neighbour and reverence for oneself as a servant of God, is the basis of every form of religion. The method of expression of reverence to God varies with every sect and denomination. What sect or denomination a boy belongs to depends, as a rule, on his parents' wishes. It is they who decide. It is our business to respect their wishes and to second their efforts to inculcate reverence, whatever form of religion the boy professes." Robert Baden-Powell, Aids to Scoutmastership "The Humble, Meek, Merciful, Just, Pious and Devout Souls, are everywhere of one Religion; and when Death has taken off the Mask, they will know one another, tho' the divers Liveries they wear here make them Strangers." William Penn (1644-1718) Quotes, from Some Fruits of Solitude 1682 I would suggest, again, that the purpose of religion is very similar among the many faiths. It is the mechanism that sets them apart. If we concentrate on the former and work around the latter, the "Scout's Own " is not an impossible activity to organize. I would also suggest that it is not our place (as Akelas & Scouters) to LEAD discussions about "comparative religions". The boys are very capable of that; tent/cabin mates, late campfire sessions, trail hikes, cliff sitting all make such almost inevitable. Let it happen. Mom and dad (or the home pastor/rabbi/priest) will deal with the inevitable questions, as they should. We should encourage such mind/soul searching, but not try to control or direct it.

All good ideas. If you are a Scout leader(obviously, you are, and an involved COR, at that!) you might consider the "Duty to God" program from PRAY http://www.praypub.org/dutytogod.htm , the organization that administers many of the Scout religious awards, from all faiths. I know a Scouter who used the PRAY patch presentation program as one of his Wood Badge tickets to good effect. Also, if your Scoutmaster and Crew Advisor suggests to their Scouts that a grace before meals and a meditative period during the day is not a bad idea, that will go a long way to reminding the boys/girls about the promise we ask them to make about doing some duties. Scoutmaster minute about miracles vs coincidences? And remember, it is not so much trying "not to offend" as "being respectful" (Scout Law) and "tolerant". see http://www.religioustolerance.org

My friend Mike knows that lots of military vets work with Scouting, so I said I would give this wide distribution. If you are in the Maryland/DC/Virginia area..... Not so much for Scouts, as perhaps their mom/dad/big bro/big sis? VETERANS BENEFITS INFORMATION FAIR Saturday, 21 May 2011, 10am to 2pm A chance to check out all the possible benefits a US military veteran has available to them. Representatives from Federal and State Departments of Veteran Affairs, and other Veteran Service Organizations will be present to inform and help veterans of ALL services obtain the benefits they are entitled to. Help with elegibility requirements, application fulfilment, filling out forms, it will all be here. >>Sponsored and organized by the BPOE Elks Lodge #15 and the Disabled American Veterans, Rockville Chapter 12. >> Check out **employment**education**disability compensation**health and nutrition**all federal and state veterans programs** >> FREE to all currently serving, separated and retired Veterans, Families and Concerned Friends >>Location: BPOE Elks Lodge 15, # 5 Taft Court, Rockville MD 20850 (((Off Gude Drive, near Southlawn Dr.))) >>Contact Mike Higgs, President, DAV, Lodge 12:: 301.520.9399 ((Mike's a good friend of mine)) Pass on as you see fit, thank you! YiS

Cub Camping::: **BALOO trained adults **Check Couincil and District calenders for ""Official"" camping opportunities:: CSDC, Son and One. (also call Parent Son Camp, Cub and Pard), Twilight Camp, Cub Resident Camp, Led Hikes, Camporees (which often Cubs are invited to day visit with their parent/Den/Pack Leader), Cub Olympics, etc. etc. ** Looking for >new< ground to >break

Scoutmom1068: Welcome back.... No, the charging of a fee to recoup your expenses does not make it a fundRAISER. You are, afterall, LOWERING your funds, yes? I am interested in your arrangements for your "camp in". Are you "in" somewhere, or in your CO's back yard, or actually out in the woods? I have heard of a Cub Pack that had a "Camp In" where they set up their tents and everything in the church social hall and arranged all the halls and other rooms as places to go /see and do. They were building up to their first time "out in the woods" in the state park later that year. It was done very creatively and everyone had a great time and they learned how to do things. All the Cubs had appropriate camp chores (allbeit indoors!) and the inexperienced adults had their angst assuaged. Remember, KiS MiF !!

""No fact is more firmly established than that lying is a necessity of our circumstances, -- the deduction that it is then a Virtue goes without saying. No virtue can reach its highest usefulness without careful and diligent cultivation, -- therefore, it goes without saying, that this one ought to be taught in the public schools -- at the fireside -- even in the newspapers. What chance has the ignorant, uncultivated liar against the educated expert? What chance have I against Mr. Per ---- against a lawyer? Judicious lying is what the world needs. I sometimes think it were even better and safer not to lie at all than to lie injudiciously. An awkward, unscientific lie is often as ineffectual as the truth. "" ==Mark Twain, address to the Historical and Antiquarian Club of Hartford Conn.== http://grammar.about.com/od/60essays/a/lyingessay.htm 33Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 34But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: 35Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. 36Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. 37But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. Math 5:33>>

All the previous talk about what one CANNOT take on your camping/hiking/canoeing trip made me want to hear about things your old sainted Scoutmaster usta tell you you HAD to take with you. Things like... Always make sure you buy double ended rope, as the mono ended rope is inherently defective and will cause you no end of trouble. Look for the flat bottom tent, as these have proven easier to set up than any other kind. You know, things like that...

"One of the least common things nowadays is common sense". "Aye, thems more like guidelines, actually..." Basically, there are some things a Scout should do his/her best to always do, some things a Scout should absolutely NEVER do, some things a Scout should AVOID doing, except if he/she needs to do it, and some things that a Scout should ask a wiser Scout his opinion of before deciding on doing. Have I got that right?

Archimedes be praised: stay the same... Now, Packsaddle, bear in mind, the three choices I gave were from my dim memory from the late 1960's. Secretary of State, Mayor of Indianopolis, and the communist insurgents (or whatchamaycallums. They changed their name thru the decade).

Et tu, Provectum Aquila?

Yes, language does evolve. It seems to be becoming more mushy and imprecise. The passed on information appears to be more an assumed thing: the other person just will KNOW what I mean... ya know? Let's consider some current useage "adjustments". Sometimes one can figure out how the useage changed, what led to the change, sometimes you just shake your head in disbelief: LIKE... as in " said" or "tell", or "seems to be" GUY... as in "any human being", or "friend", or "people" BAD... as in "good" or "admirable" or "enjoyable" usw

Oh, latin... No PLC, Centurions... No Troops, Legions.... The Patrols might be temed maniples, but I don't know for sure if that would be the appropriate subdivision. A century was a hundred or so men, a maniple a subdivision of the century, if memory serves.

Pugil sticks: Boys wear football helmets, and shoulder pads. Five foot long, 1 1/2 inch diameter poles. Stick ends need to be well padded (foam rubber, heavy plastic bags, duct tape), like six inches thick, and covering both ends (kayak paddle style) of the 5 foot long pole down a foot or so. Make the pole padding tough, it will take a beating! Lots of internet references.

Flintstones, meet the Flintstones, They're a modern stoneage family. From the, town of Bedrock, They're a page right out of history. Let's ride, with the family down the street, Through the courtesy of Fred's two feet. When you're, with the Flintstones, Have a yabba dabba doo time, A dabba doo time, You'll have a gay old time! "When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in a rather scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less." "The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things." "The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master - that's all." Through the Looking Glass.

Eventually, all pertubations of human variation are exhibited. I would counsel you approach this parent privately and ask politely and sympathetically whether or not they can read, if there is a problem with the computer screen, if they would like some confidential help with the training? Be careful and explain you have no desire to embarrass them, that you want them to be able to assist in the Scout program and there are ways to fulfill the requirement that they take the training. Possibilities have been offered: 1) In person, you watch a DVD and answer some discussion questions in person , either alone with the trainer, or in a small group ( I have led such a group. The DVD is very good) 2) Someone, in private, helps to read the computer screen to them, helps them answer the questions and choices as they direct, much like a vision impaired person casts their vote with the assistance of a election judge (or two!). 3) Check with the Training Chair of your District or DE. They may have other possibilities. Another possibility, but not a nice one. They do not want to take the training because of what they fear it might make them reveal about themself TO themself...

Find someone with a good sized block and tackle, a four fall with at least 3/4 " rope would be good, and hold a tug o' war between Scouts and Adults. First, do a single rope type. Then, use the Block and Tackle. Have fun with leetle Scouts pulling Big Scouters... Hold a Whitlin' Chip class, you can find curriculum on this site, or elsewhere in internetland. Make sure your Scouts leading the class emphasize "tool,not toy" and then they sign a small certifying slip that the Cub can hand to his Cubmaster for the award of the WC badge. Lots of soap bars and soap chips left over! Look up the Temple of Hanoi Ring puzzle, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_Hanoi , only make it human size, with posts sunk in the ground and tires of suitable sizes. Maybe only four tires? A Scavenger Hunt over the whole camp. They obtain it when they check in, and take it with them as they hike thru the activities. KisMif

I have mentioned this in a previous post. A local Troop has the trash consession at our county fair. For the whole week, they work helping with the recycling efforts and trash collecting AND traffic direction. The fair officials pay them the going rate, evidently. Obviously, they do not consider this a "service project". Not a huge Troop, but they make their whole years budget there, so I am told. The only thing they are not allowed to do is drive the pickup vehicles.

When you reach Harpers Ferry at the confluence of the Shennandoah and Potomac, ask for directions to the Sandy Hook MD Hostel, on the C&O canal. Good comfortable place to take a shower, change your socks and rest up awhile. (you did obtain a Hosteling Membership, didn't you? several along the AT!) see http://www.hiusa.org And of course the Appalachian Trail Conservancy has a visitors' center at Harper's Ferry , too: http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.mqLTIYOwGlF/b.4805591/k.9727/Visitor_Centers.htm Good walking!

The parent thread led me to remember my time at college. I was an out-of-state student at a mid west Big Ten school in Indiana, in engineering (to start with, at least). Freshman requirement was a class named "Speech 101". This was meant to help nascent engineers to improve their presentations, oratory, how to prove or back up arguments, communication skills. Among other things, we developed debate skills and research in fields other than the technical stuff. Our teacher was a communications major, and also "out-of-state". He regularly tried to get us to talk about "current events", and early in the semester gave a survey of the three classes he taught. He observed that the Out-of-state students were predictably much more knowledgeable about "current events". The "in-staters" were less so, but knew about the local basketball tournament. He ended up playing an informal game he called "Stump the Hoosier". At the start of the friday class, he would put three names or items from the news on the blackboard and everyone had to define or describe who or what they were in a short sentence or phrase. If the majority of the class ( which was much more than 50% Hoosier (Indianan), correctly ID'ed the items, we ALL got an A for the day, if not, we earned what we earned... Didn't happen very often. The extra A, I mean. Frinstance: Kissinger, Lugar, Viet Minh... How would that go over today, in your local school?

Your Den Chief has done an excellent job. He has nothing to be dissapointed in. If the Webelos Leader did his/her job, the boys toured more than one Troop before deciding on which to join. There may be any of several reasons why they chos Troop A and not Troop B, none of which the DCh has any say in. I would take him aside and make him realize the wonderful job he has done, and how grateful the CubMaster and Webelos Den Leader are. If the requirements are met (sounds like a shoo in to me), by all means, his Scoutmaster and CubMaster should award him the DCh award. It should be awarded at the Troop's CoH, being a Boy Scout award, and as an encouragement to other Scouts to consider Den Chiefing.(This message has been edited by SSScout)

Chuck Berry;;;; NO MONEY DOWN (bada badabadum...) As I was motivatin' Back in town, I saw a Cadillac sign Sayin' "No Money Down"! So I eased on my brakes, And I pulled in the drive; Gunned my motor twice, Then I walked inside. Dealer came to me Said "Trade in your Ford! And I'll put you in a car That'll eat up the road. Just tell me what you want And then sign that line And I'll have it brought 'round to you In a hour's time". I'm gonna get me a car And I'll be headed on down the road. Then I won't have to worry About that broken - down, ragged Ford "Well Mister I want a yellow convertible, Four - door de Ville, With a Continental spare, And a wide chrome wheel. I want power steering, And power brakes, I want a powerful motor, With a jet off - take. I want air condition, I want automatic heat, And I want a full Murphy bed In my back seat. I want short - wave radio, I want TV and a phone! You know I gotta talk to my baby When I'm ridin' alone". Yes I'm gonna get that car And I'm gonna head on down the road. Yeah, then I won't have to worry About that broken - down, ragged Ford "I want four carburetors, And two straight exhausts, I'm burnin' aviation fuel No matter what the cost. I want railroad air horns, And a military spot, And I want a five - year guarantee On everything I got. I want ten - dollar deductible, I want a twenty dollar note. I want thirty thousand liability" That's all she wrote! Well, I got me a car And I'm headed on down the road ((No money down!!)) And I don't have to worry 'Bout that broken - down, ragged Ford.....