SSScout

Lewis and Clark: "I just got a $200. discount on my canoe insurance!" Columbus: "But my Queen! If you want chow mein, I can get it quicker by sailing WEST to pick it up, than by sailing WEST!!" Jack London, Robert Service, The Yukon Gold Rush,"Snow Dogs": "Mush! Mush!" Go where the spirit leads you! Good possibilities! Crafty stuff as appropriate. Nature trail as led by discovery. KiS MiF YiS

Been there, done that... http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=183742#id_184042

Truly a personal decision. You can go to WB, son can't. Would he want to? You can do WB another time. Is this the time? Can you see it aiding you in your Scouting "career"? Son can go to camp, you can too. Should you? Would it benefit your boy? When you decide on your WB Tickets, your son could concievably help you, might could be depending... Can you help him earn his badges? How so? What's the gut say?

The home Pack did "International" this year. Six Dens: different cuisine from each country: Germany, Japan, Peru, Mexico, China, Italy. Very tasty, flags, decorations. The skits had nothing to do with other nations, just "fishing" and "camping" and a scavenger hunt for "Cub Values".

What Karen said. Talk to your DE or UC. They can have anything you want printed on the front and back of the Cub/Race flyer (times, places, why Cub Scouts, who to contact, phone numbers, emails, etc.) that you might want. Work with them to make them custom to your unit and neighborhood. Ask the school for the rules about sending them home in the student announcement folder or "backpack packet" as they are called around here. Neat eyecatching flyer. Start the conversation at home...

Better to recycle the whole can. I was once the 'daddy with the pickup truck' at my daughters school. The school collected aluminum cans from the start of the school year until Earth Day, crushing and bagging them as we went. On the appointed day, I loaded up and took all to the metal recycler. I seem to remember the number 1.6 tons, about $170. See http://www.snopes.com/business/redeem/pulltabs.asp for Urban Legend discussion. Congratulate your Cubs for their charity and give them a "Good Deed" patch and then give the RMH a cash donation.

GWDSCOUTER: Buttonhole your UC and/or DE and pass on the info about those possible Charter Orgs. If they have some Scouty folks in their flock, let them meet with the DE and UC and, like Mathew Bradey used to say, 'see what developes'.

Collect all the redloops in your District and string them on a rope. And then...

"I promise to DO MY BEST To do my DUTY to GOD And my Country To HELP other people, and To OBEY the LAW of the Pack". What? They didn't cover this in Fast Start? Choices: 1) "Oh, so you're an atheist, huh? well YOU'RE out a here!!!" No, not that one... 2) "Mrs. Jones? I have heard (tell her HOW you heard) that Timmy is/thinks he is/is telling people that/told me that he is an atheist. As a Scout leader, I have to point out that part of Scouting is encouraging the boys in their religious faith. Now we don't really care what faith that is, that's up to you and your family after all, but as Timmy moves on in Scouting, it will become a more important issue. Could we talk about that?" 3) Interpretation: If one believes that their duty to God is to not believe in him/her/it, then by not belonging to a given religion or professing a given belief or even not being able to express your belief/feeling, is THAT doing your duty? 4) Don't get personal. Point out to the boys in the Webelos Den that when they move on into Boy Scouts, they will be asked to make a Promise and asked to abide by a set of Laws. Discuss whether setting some ideals to base one's life on is a (choose one) good thing/not a bad idea/not necessary/. Remind them that the very first of these Laws is to be TRUSTWORTHY. Discuss what 'hypocracy' is. Discuss how human it is to strive for the ideal and not make it. Suggest that if one cannot in good faith (there's that word again) agree to this promise and these Laws, perhaps they shouldn't move on in Scouting, of their own free will, but you'd love to see them try. 5) Show, by one's own example, the life that one's faith leads to, that creates in one's spirit. To get Christian about it, your actions may be the only Bible they read today. 6) Pray for guidance... 7) All the above. Bet you didn't see that coming...

Baltimore. City Industry Museum. Flag House. Fort McHenry. Maryland Science Museum. Waterfront includes National Aquarium, Lightship Chesapeake, USCGC Taney (WW2), USS Torsk, (WW2sub), and USS Constellation (civil war sloop o'war). All within about a 7 mile circuit. Arrange for overnight on one of the ships (recommend the Constellation!) See www.constellation.org They can send you mucho tourist stuff, too. Get apatch! B&O RR Museum , abit further off, but worth the visit. Take the bus...

Possibilities: Goshen Scout Reservation, off I81 in VA, near Goshen VA. Check out http://www.boyscouts-ncac.org/openrosters/ViewOrgPageLink.asp?LinkKey=15974&orgkey=1933 Call National Capital Area Council 301-530-9360 Heritage Scout Reservation, near Uniontown PA. Greater Pittsburgh Council(412) 471-2927 Blue Ridge Scout Reservation, South of Roanoke VA. off I81. Blue Ridge Mountain Council http://www.bsa-brmc.org/ Leave some time for site seeing! Good Scouting to you!

I find it hard to believe that a whole DEN wants to sabotage the B&G. If I understand your situation, you have TWO Webelos 2 Dens, and one family in Den A (say) doesn't "get along" with the Den A leader? Have I got that right? I trust Den B is fine? And the Den B leader wants to have the Webelos (in Den A and Den B?) come to her/his celebration rather than attend the B&G with the family in question? Bizarre. How does this help the boys... If there is time to mend fences, find your UC or DE and see if they have any experience in conflict resolution. It may be too late to try and understand the dynamics that led to this imbroglio, but the techniques and responses presented by others here may be the only thing to do. If the Council Scout Shop does it's thing correctly, as had been said, only the CM or CC or Advancement chair can purchase awards. "I'm sorry you feel that way". Hold the awards until after the B&G and present them at the next Pack meeting to those that "missed" the B&G. I expect that the "Crossover" would be seperate from the AoL at the B&G? It should be... Is it only the parents or do the boys have problems too? Feeding off their Parents attitudes? Keep to the high ground and try not to be pulled into their whirlpool of ill will. YiS

Oh yes. A trunk. Don't try to live out of a backpack and cardboard boxes all summer. Think about a trunk with shelves and little buckets along the side to help organize stuff.

A platform tent, I hope. With cots? Beside the usual camping stuff, (and consider what has been suggested previous): Pillows Folding chair. Two, if you like company. Writing tablets, pens, pencils, envelopes, stamps, addresses. Duct Tape. 1/4" cord, 200' Money for the camp store, for the stuff you forget. Extra Scout (and other kind) Tshirts for trading. Patches, too, if you like. Cool, unique, hat. Sun glasses for waterfront. Skit props. Have fun!

The pride of appearance needs be infused early on. Also, the uniform thing can often be seen as a "power struggle" ("you can't make me"). I once had a Cub Scout in my Pack that participated in most things, but wore his uniform shirt unbuttoned. Entirely unbuttoned. His mom had properly sewn on all the insignia, he wore a necker, but his mom announced to me, the CM, that "buttons made Timmy uncomfortable", therefore he had no other shirts that buttoned. Us other parents thought this was a litttle bizarre, but okay, everyone's different. At one meeting, I knelt down in front of Timmy and said to him, in front of his mom,"gee Timmy, I think you look sharp in your uniform. But I see in your hurry to get to the meeting, you forgot to button up your shirt. I usta have trouble with that, never could get the buttons even, here let me help" and I proceeded to button up his shirt. He stood there and did not protest. Mom said nothing. Timmy came to all meetings after that buttoned and tucked. Now, I don't suggest doing that with a thirteen year old Star Scout. But ya never know.

Basement: It's nice to have such a sympathetic DE, but the UFP is there to clarafy and eliminate any worry. I always think that it's good to have it in writing? If something comes up? Not saying it would, but...? Mom's fudge bars wrapped in Saranwrap... "Mom's Best Fudge Bars" wrapped in an FDA approved cellophane listing ingredients and RDAs... perhaps two different things?

GKlose has a good handle on things. Ever since BP "discovered" Scouting, things have developed in the usual organizational way. There are some things that an individual can't do alone: grow up, learn how to live successfully. So we have families. There are some things that a family can't do alone. So we have schools and police and hospitals and auto garages and farms and factories. There are some things that our towns and communities can't do alone, and so we have our Counties and States and nation. So too do we Scouts have things a Scout might not accomplish by himself. Even the "Lone Scout" is part of a larger group so as to accomplish more, be more. There are things the single Scout can be more successful at, learn more from, make more memories from, in a Patrol. And the Patrol can go further, see farther, learn more with a Troop. So some Troops (and Packs and Crews) get together to do bigger things. Presto! A District! Us adults make opportunities for our kids, and seek to make sure our progeny learn from OUR mistakes (and not have to do the same thing again) and go forward knowing what we know to be true and good; so waaay back when, BSA was created to help keep things organized and set some standards for all to agree to. "Trust me. I'm from National" ;-) Seriously, the hybrid organization of "professional" and "volunteer" that BSA operates with has it's drawbacks and advantages. But it is ultimately up to us volunteers to give our sons and daughters the opportunities. It is for the pros to support us. And vice versa. Now, last night a bunch of us like minded folks sat around a table at the Town Tavern and learned from each other about our individual experiences. Some because we love the ideas of Scouting, some because they also earn their living at it (another thread, perhaps). So historically, if memory serves, a talented volunteer comes up with an idea (Pinewood Derby?), the pros take that idea, codifies it and keeps it alive and "franchises" it. Cub Scout Day Camp anyone?

It is mprtnt to ndrstnd bbrvtns. ftn, thy r nt a prblm bt it tks sm mgntn to ndrstnd thm. Jargon. AoL is not a requirement to join Boy Scouts. But still, crossover when the Troop is ready to receive them. And get them into summer camp and involved. YiS

Each Pack is different, in size, number of Dens, composition, etc. So each Pack can decide what awards to award. Make it fun and worth while so they will want to participate next year. A PWD patch to everyone. A "Divers License" sounds like fun. After Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Web1, Web2 that makes 5 patches! Ribbons , with crossed flags, or car buttons, or such atttached. Sounds like time to get the "brag vest"! See to providing the boys with their red felt vests! Get BIG sizes, they will grow abit in the interim. Search this forum for "vest" patterns, I know we have talked about such things. A Cub can collect a goodly number of patches and ribbons in his career. Give'm a place to show'em off.

I presume you are near Chattanooga... Might be some bucks involved, but Cubs love train rides: Check out the Tennesee Valley Railroad http://www.tvrail.com/ KiS MiF YiS

! Make money! Lower FoS goals! Increase the camp endowments! Rent Lake Merriwether at Goshen to the Coast Guard for ice berg training! In the off season!

Ummmmm.... Possibilities here... Unit promotion... Fundraising... Charter Org relations (do it for the members of the CO for free or for fee) Community relations... I like it! How far to open this? Just the Troop? The attached Cub Pack? The CO? Friends and Family? Notice in the newspaper? Show Disney cartoons? Games? Hotdogs and popcorn? Liability issues (horror)?

Get a hold of the District DE or if you are lucky your assigned Unit Commish. Somewhere along the line there is a District Program Person (Executive, Chair, VP, Campchair, some sort title). He/she would love to come out and make a presentation to your unit about Cub Scout Camping and the various permutations thereby. Family Camping, BALOO Pack camping, Cub Scout Day Camp, Webelos Weekend and Webelos Camp at the Council Camp. Son and One, Troop/Webelos invite, OWL (could be called WELOT)Webelos Den Camping . Yes, your Council may have a promo DVD, but you will benefit from a gung-ho special presentation, if possible. Thank you for being the "go to" person in your Cub Pack. Keep up the better than average work!

Buttons, hooks, velcro... BSkip: No, but I did recently retire from a local guvmnt job ( they made me an offer...) and if you know of anything... Congressional planning? An oxymoron?

jblake: At my Troop summer camp, we had four patrols and our various activity areas spaced out thru about ten acres of woods. The Troop bugler served a real purpose and the Troop leadership insisted in it. Check out the thread "Taking a Poll - Bugling" "http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=213241&p=1"? It totally depends on SOMEONE being willing to bugle and SOMEONE encouraging them and using that resource.