SSScout

"Retests"????????

Well, there you go, then. Make application with the Fund Raising Form. Your Troop Fund Raiser is.. (drum roll)... selling trailers!

Sell it a piece at a time. Supporters can buy a tire, a wheel, a rear door, a roof rafter, a tow hitch pin, electrical hook up, left brake light, top right clearance light, etc. Then, the ownership "bill of sale" will then be DONATED to the CO. Presto! A trailer!

""Troop zyx thanks all the good folks that bought this trailer:"" and list them all in sufficiently small type on the side of the trailer.

Much better than popcorn. Longer lasting. Little or no storage problem. Doesn't spoil. Transport is easy, (need a 2" ball).

Eh? Waddya think??

I just thought this belonged in the SM Minute section,

moreso than any other.

The bloodiest single day in the Civil war, if not the entirety of US warfare. Although the battle actually happened in September,

every year, hundreds of folks, many Scouts, place luminaries on the battlefield in the December season; one for each death or casualty. 23,000 candles.

23,000.

The drive thru is about five miles long. Leaves one thinking...

Saturday, 6 December. If you're in the area, come on by.

http://www.nps.gov/anti/planyourvisit/luminary.htm

Along that vein, here's a game I've seen used to good effect:

Prepare a sries of 3x5 cards, one word to a card, listing the "Cub Scout Promise" and "The Law of the Pack". Fold'em each in half, and put them in a big paper bag.

At the start of a meeting, where a Cub usually leads the Pack in the CSP and LotP, CM interupts : "wait a minute,Horatio, I know YOU know the CSP, but I wonder if the parents have been paying attention." Here he brings out the paper sack and walks back to the parents. "I'd like to give the adults a chance. Here, pick a word out of the bag. Good, now arrange yourselves in the proper order for the CSP and the LotP." Keep on encouraging, the boys will lap it up. When the adults are in order, have each of them say their word.

Don't foret to give'm a cheer!

If the number of adults is too few, just pick out more than one card a piece. More fun!

MiF KiS YiS

Oh what a lead in...

Uniforms too expensive? Remember that bare space on the back of the uni shirt? "Don's Pizza supports TroopXYZ"

Back of the Merit Badge Sash? "Acme Plumbing Merits your Business"

I know our Council already names campsites after corporate sponsors... "Camp BigHotel" and "Camp ParkingLotMogul"

Now, I would NEVER suggest selling advertising on the side of a Scout Troop Trailer. But then...

But at the 08jambo, many the area gateway mentioned sponsors, I remember a detroit pizza restaurant especially. A certain green tractor company comes to mind. Is this "selling" or "acknowledgment"?

Perhaps a nicely painted "Jerome's Jumping Beans (for delivery call 777-555-1234) Salutes Boy Scout Troop zxy" on a newly purchased and titled to the CO trailer would be more than appropriate.

Or perhaps "Troop Zyx suggests you patronize the following Scout friendly businesses: (insert Scout friendly businesses here)". If the paint is reflective, that would add to the safety of the trailer, wouldn't it? Does G2SS mention trailer safety?

Certainly, I would NEVER suggest bypassing the Scout Fund Raising Permission Permit Form.

But then, if someone, totally unsolicited (totally) wants to GIVE a trailer to the Troop, well, you can show your gratitude with only so many Dutch Oven Brownies.

Seriously, the divide would seem to be either actively SELLING advertising or simply acknowledging gratitude. I would avoid the former and tastefully pursue the latter.

Dang. Well. I only deleted the two multiples, and the boxes were still there with "sorry" noted therein. What happened to the boxes AND the original?

Well.

I tried to define the need to be proactive and therefore remind our Scouts early in their career about the promise we ask them to make.

It is not sufficient to wait until the week before the EBoR to think about the Scout's 'activity'.

"Tap three times on the submit if you love Scouts (tap,tap,tap)

twice on delete (tap,tap) if the answer is noooo..."

OK...

So now even the boxes are gone. It was there, before I sought to eliminate the mutiple entries.

MODERATORS: What'd I do wrong?

John-in-KC saw it, right John?

Now, there was a style of tent , like the Baker, open at the front, but sides that slanted in to two poles that were beside the front "door", which could be tied out like a porch roof. I think it was called "Camper"?

MODERATORS:

Wierd.... I wrote an answer here timed 11:31:42am, and came back to see it repeated TWO more times (makes three). So I edited, erased the last two, but came back to see the FIRST one also totally gone, so that my Pulitzer winner was no where to be seen. Any chance of retrieving it?

J/KC read it before the erasure, thank you for seeing what I meant.

Y still iS

Every so often Scouts are mentioned indirectly on TV. Ran across a Hank Hill episode and ran it down on the internet. Seems Arlen Texas has a boys group named the Order of the Straight Arrow, wear blue unis and do boy syuff as defined by their adult leaders. In the episode I watched last night, "Straight as an Arrow", Hank wants his son to have the same adventures he had when he was an OotSA. But his leader partner has other ideas, gotta stay safe. Indoor camping, electric fires, clean shoes, don't climb trees,etc.

The show satirices Scouting, but really talks about the middle ground. Hank shows the boys the skills side and then learns that the other man has his heart in the right place, different reasons.

HANK: We of the Order of the Straight Arrow call upon the spirit Wematanye, protector of the sacred ground that brings us cool water to drink and energy-efficient clean-burning propane gas for all our sacred heating and cooking needs. Wematanye says, respect the earth! She's ours, by God, our taxes pay for Her. Also, it says here you gotta love all Her creatures. Let's see...oh, here we go: Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you're gonna recommend us to the spirit in the sky, with liberty and justice for all. Wematanye is with you, and with Texas. Amen

HANK: Remember, the snipe call is this: "Woo loo loo, woo loo loo."

Hank Hill: Order of the Straight Arrow. first aired 2 Feb 1997

Hank Hill: Straight as an Arrow. first aired 30 Nov 2008

Flashlight tag is harder to play than it sounds. Not because of the idea (tag, but you tag with a light beam, not hand), but because it degenerates into merely running around, waving lights. This might not be bad for the CSs (wear'em out before bed?) but it's hard to have an actual game, I think.

Depending on numbers and room, (indoors? outdoors? in dark?)Cubs love 'steal the bacon': Do Not do this on asphalt. Dirt, grass, hard smooth floors okay...Traditional way: count off by twos, form two lines about ten yards or feet (depending) apart. Count off each line in order (1,2,3,4...) from opposite ends. Define the lines so the boys will get back to them (the lines will tend to creep forward toward each other). Leader throws the 'bacon' (hat, towel, old shirt) in the middle , then calls out a number. Those two boys dash out and attempt to 'steal' the 'bacon' and get it back to their line. Point for them. Throw the 'bacon' back in the middle and repeat with a different number. Vary the system by calling more than one number, or "even" or "odd".

**Variance::: "Lo-Fat Steal the Bacon" ::: Set things up as above, but don't count off the lines. Leader then calls out stuff to ID the Scouts. Scouts are "On their Honor" to respond honestly! "Anyone born in January". "Anyone wearing black shoes". "If you have a dad who wears glasses". "If your mom was a Girl Scout". "Anyone born in Virginia". "If you had oatmeal for breakfast". See what happens when you ask "anyone who likes raw oysters"!! Stretch things, but remember these are Cub Scouts!

Sitting 'round the campfire (indoor campfire? be clever..), sing songs, tell ghost stories, make skits. Divide the group into three parts (everyone makes chopping noises:: SSCHHRROP!!! as you divide). Lead this cheer: on your command, in turn, First group yells "DO", Second group yells "YOUR", Third group yells "BEST". Repeat, faster, faster. Then stop and 'wait for it' . Conduct the groups in YOUR order:: your, best, do,do,do, your, best, your, best doooooooo.....

Have fun...(This message has been edited by SSScout)

J/KC: Never said the SM could give the ESC a P/F. This SM conference should occur about when the Scout is a new Star or Life. As I suggested, the idea is to REMIND the Scout of his promise to be Loyal, Trustworthy, etc. and set the internal gears turning. Again, let the Scout define how he has been Trustworthy and Loyal. I admit, the 'oficial' requirement is to have a SM con, but there is no paper directive that says there be only one or when, or how formal. The hallway encounter might be enough.

If the Scout's Scout Spirit is evident in his non-Scout life, so much the better I say. The Eagle Rank award should be not only an indication of the Scout's worth in Scouting, but elsewhere as well.

If he is "active" in Scouting, (paid the dues) well and good. But the Scout leaders in his life need to ask him (and listen to his answer), what that promise he made (OMHIWDMBTDMDTGAMC...) has meant to him. And his answer will be not just in word but in his actions. "Let your lives speak" we say. Does he see the Spromise as important still, if he ever did? This reminder needs to be done not just once, a week before his EBoR, but often, and early on in his Scout career.

It can't just be mouthing the SPromise and Law at every Tmeeting. The goal of Scouting, in so many words, is to see the worth of those words and and to gain the skills and confidence to live the meaning of those words regardless of the reaction of the rest of the world.

Not rarely, because of action or reaction in my job, I've been asked, "were you ever a Scout?" and when I answer yes, they say something like, "yeah, I thought so." I take that as a compliment, not only to me, but to my parents, and my Scout leaders so long ago, who often reminded me of the importance of that promise I made. First because I was asked to, later because I wanted to.

Perhaps that is the idea. We want the boy to WANT to make that promise. Yeah, we want the boy to WANT to make that promise.

Scotteng has the right start. But I would suggest two more things.

The Pioneering Merit Badge book and some 1/4 inch braided cord, usta be called 'Venetion Blind cord'. Encourage neatness in the splices, as it adds to the strength.

YiS

Any teacher (of any subject) has as a goal the imparting of that skill or knowledge that is their specialty. The teacher has to ask : is their success (or failure) a function of their teaching ability and effort or of the student's innate talent (or lack) for the subject.

Then too, if the teacher passes the student without the 'officially' defined testing of the knowledge or skill, then who has failed? The student or the teacher?

I say that often our regrets at being forced by regs to "pass" the ESC comes from not being sufficiently proactive in the years before. Dropping from the roles inactive 'active' Scouts, calling Scouts we haven't seen for awhile to inquire after their desires, SM minutes about activity and loyalty and such, SM conferences (or even hallway encounters) that are more than sign-offs. All ,and more, are necessary for any Scoutleader to feel easy in this requirement.

Yep, "active" is 'officially' defined and 'personally' defined. But Eagle candidates need to be reminded that {first) they've been promising to be 'trustworthy' and 'loyal' for some time. One thing to try is the SM conference and ask how the ESC has been 'loyal' to the Troop, and how has he been 'active'. Let him define it.

(second), the ESC should be reminded that if and when they meet all the OTHER requirements of the Eagle award, they will never stop being an Eagle. It ain't temporary like Tenderfoot.

Encouragement and expectation.

The teaching of ideals is never the same as the succeeding in meeting them. We can teach and encourage. We can reward and punish (directly or subtly) as the ideal is approached or forgotten. We can "example" or we can say "that's good enough".

I would hope that we can agree that the ideal is a fully, properly uniformed Scout, proud of his appearance and his Scout heritage.

And I would hope we can agree that the forgiveness of some problems is appropriate. I have a Scout in our Troop who has parents that are intent on letting him make his own way as much as possible. He has ADDH issues. He can sew, (wish I could say the same about Scout son) but where the patches end up are often a little off course. Blue jeans often appear in the CoH, and neckers get misplaced. But the Troop camps, hikes and goes to a climbing wall center.

The ideal is there. The boys and parents know it. The misaligned patches get corrected (off to the side, privately), new neckers are procured. Clean jeans are better than some other trousers.

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him to fish and you give his wife a free weekend."

Seriously, the biggest problem I've seen is the Scout designing a project that involves others. Not a few I've heard suggested are basically one boy affairs. It has to be pointed out that the project's purpose is not only doing the good turn but demonstrating leadership in it's planning and completion. Hence the need to include "help" in plan.

So his purpose was served. Ho hum.

Oh, bytheway, that's "cue" as in a prompt to act or a reminder, not "queue" as in a waiting line.

A querulous poster but strangely inappropriately verbose. Almost like his/her typos were purposeful.

Oh well, fun while it lasted.

Magnetic North has changed (declination) almost 5 degrees in my area since 1965, from 7deg to almost 12deg east.

It truly is amazing what one can accomplish by internet without ever leaving home or waiting for return mail.

Some notes on trips like this: 1)Buddy system. Each Scout walks with a buddy, doesn't have to be the same each day. Each Scout carries ID, a map of the area , cell phone numbers 2) morning meeting to make sure EVERYONE knows where we are going and how 3) check in times and places. 4) wear the uni. Wear Scout Hats! One can see a Scout hat a long way off, but a boy's head is a boy's head. And be appreciative of the waves and smiles you'll elicit, and the 'favors' you'll be offered. 5) ***Pocket knives should be left behind when you will be visiting museums and the Capitol, etc. The security folks can be very strict about this, Scouts not withstanding. No such restriction on the Metro, but I've had occasion to be the dad who stays outside the site with 15 pocket knives while everyone else goes inside. 6) Save money, pack a lunch and nibble on the mall or outside Udvar-Hazy, etc. Try the Astronaut ice cream (freeze dried!)7) Dress for the weather. Our motto down here is "if you don't like the weather today, just wait". 8) money for souvenirs. All over the place, everywhere you go, street vendors, museum shops, be careful with your cash, it is the Big City...

Y'all come and have fun...

Check out the National Building Museum,(they have Scout programs weekends in the summer) Gallery Place Metro.

College Park Aviation Museum, close to Greenbelt park.

Dunno. I wasn't at that one. But when I was in the P/U AAMB, it was an aerobic experience. Stands full of people or rain, we RAN on, fershur. I think some of that video is "pixilated," the stands are not all that visible in my viewing of it.

Trouble is, I have no access for you to the films of my run ons. can't point and say "see? there I am."

Memories...

Welcome (in advance) to Maryland and DC. Lots of stuff to do. Free museums, the zoo, free concerts, monuments, etc. Contact your Senator or Representative, their office can arrange alot of visits and stuff. Look into visiting the Baltimore Inner Harbor and seeing Fort McHenry and the USS Constellation on your way. Drive to see the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum out in Virginia (seperate from the A&S in downtown DC).

Places to stay...

Camping: about 30 miles NW of DC is Little Bennett Park. Very nice campground, Scout friendly. See::

http://mcparkandplanning.org/Parks/enterprise/park_facilities/little_bennett/little_bennet_campground.shtm

From here, you drive about 10 miles to Shady Grove Metro Station and ride the Metro rail down town. Do not drive into DC if you can avoid it. Parking is hard to find and expensive. Buy Metro tickets in advance. All Day Pass (one per each) is the bargain, effective 9:30a to end of day. Now, parking at SGMetro is also at a premium (read thru the parking rules and opportunities on the Metro site), so it is a tradeoff. The rail fare is determined by the time of day, so some visitors do this: Buy all day pass, so you can get on&off as much as you want, but come to the SGMetro early (7 or 8am), buy a one way ticket to get downtown, use the all day pass. Also, don't forget to buy at least ONE "Smart Card" per car to pay for your Metro Garage. ((it's not really as complcated as it sounds))."Smart Card" can be used to pay Rail Fare, Bus Fare and Garage Fee. If SGMetro garage is full, note on Metro map next few stations (White Flint always has room).

Next choice, Greenbelt Park, on the east side of DC.

http://www.nps.gov/gree/ Small and always crowded. Drive/hike about 3 miles to the nearest Metro station.

Metro maps and tickets: http://www.wmata.com/

Downtown: Join the Hosteling International, and stay at the Hostel in DC. Cheap (relatively), simple accomodations. Walk to almost everything. http://www.hiwashingtondc.org/ Check with them about parking. Use the unit membership to utilize hostels all around the country and world.

Contact the National Capital Area Council 301.530.9360 (Bethesda MD, Wisconsin Ave. at Cedar La.) and inquire about camping on Camp W.B. Snyder. This is in Virginia, near Haymarket. Drive about 15 miles to Metro. Nice camp, swimming pool, Scout activities.

Whoa,,,I guess that gives you something to chew on. Good Luck!

SctDad: Thank you for your service to our boys. Sometimes seems there ain't many of us left.

But the issue isn't about what the Army/navy/CG/Girenes might allow, but what is considered appropriate by the BSA? If a DE is willing to "stand in the gate", well and good.Perhaps in that case there were other problems afoot. But BSA leaders still need to set the example.

I am sorry no one could come up to you and respectfully engage you in conversation about what is appropriate as uniform. Ahead of time, at our CSDC, we announced (via "guidelines" and emails, etc.) What we considered "appropriate" attire both for Staff and Pack Denwalkers. We had previous years where we had to take Scouts (M & F) and adults aside and encourage them to not wear sexy, short shorts, plunging necklines, camo stuff, atheletic type shorts. Don't want the Archery Range Officer distracted from his duties (oops, grey area...). But seriously, the Scout uni was desired, even in it's CSDC variant. Staff should look like Staff not resort visitors. When a Scout Staffer ripped off his Staff Tshirt sleeves (muscle shirt look), we gave him a new one and POINTEDLY said that was NOT his Staff uniform. He agreed, became a model Staffer then on.

YiS

Amethyst: Welcome to the electronic crackerbarrel. Thank you for your service to our boys...

IMHO, your question answers itself. One cannot wear "camo pants with the uniform" because they are not defined as part of the uni.

See:

http://www.scouting.org/cubscouts/uniform/parents.aspx

You will often find BSs and CSs units that for $$ reason choose not to wear uni trousers but choose to allow BSs and CSs to wear (uniformly thruout the unit) 'clean jeans' or some other choice with the uni shirt. They thus refer to the shirt alone as 'THE' uniform. But strictly, it is not. The shirt is only part of the uni.

Camo pants or shorts are often seen as 'military' gear and as such should be avoided. Camo is intended to make the wearer harder to see in certain situations. The uni is intended to help define the Scout.

Is it cool to play soldier? undoubtably, but your boys should be playing Scout, wouldn't you agree?

See also http://www.mninter.net/~blkeagle/camo.htm for a lengthy discussion and references.

Beautiful purple crystal, amethyst. A favorite in my fathers mineral collection.

Please, tell me you wear the uni because you are proud to be a Scout and not because you're afraid of being sued.

The uni should be worn to identify one as a Scout. Traveling, doing service, acting in a Scout activity.

We encourage our Scouts to wear the full uni (full monty? Nah...) at appropriate times, and the Troop Tshirt or Sweat shirt for work projects and camping. Flag ceremony at Camporee, display time, parade, traveling to Jambo, etc. full uni. Digging trail drainage ditch, hiking on the AT, capture the flag, Troop Tshirt.

Yes, we get favors (ice cream!), good comments from adults and some sniggers from other kids. I remind the Scouts that often that snigger belies a jealousy. But often they realize the recognition is a good thing. It is, a good thing, isn't it?