SSScout

JSN = Join Scouting Nights. Here abouts, we reserve some night at the school, do Cub Scouty things (PWDerby, etc. ) and sign folks up.

Wife complains to me when I do not "dress warm" when it starts getting cold. I know from my personal experience that when the summer is over and the winter is a comin', I need to turn up my personal thermostat. I will dress up later, when it does get cold. Body does produce more heat easier in winter than summer. Then too, come summer again, I go without cover so my internal thermostat dials down. I am less hungry,eat less, burn fewer calories. Last two Klondike Derbies were in late January, here in Murlin, we had wheelie sleds rather than sliding sleds.

Scooterdog: Welcome to the forums! You will get many a good idea here. There are a few of us here from Murlin, I'm in White Oak District. Some thoughts: Congrats on taking on CM. You will have nothing but fun, but do not try to do everything yourself. USE that committee. Ask for help, do not wait for volunteers. They will come, but not when you may need them. You and the CChair should TALK, be mucho sympatico, nicht wahr? *Good you have your Unitcomish. This must mean you already know the DE and DCommish. Put them on speed dial. * Look to the District and Council Training Calendar, get everybody trained. YP, everything else. EVERYBODY can take the CM training, couldn't hurt. DE can arrange a custom /for you/ all at once training, if that seems good. * Make a list of Pack activities, possible dates/months and pass it out to the parents . Ask each of them to take on ONE activity to shepherd . *Den Leaders: Train'em. Work together, but separate Dens. Put'em on "BALLOO'S BUGLE". Foster Den Pride with flag banners, stickers, special woggles for rewards for good behavior, neat cheers, funny skits, whatever. * Get everybody (somebody!) to RoundTable. I know you have a good one out there. Use it... See you on the trail....

Half of all science is the naming of stuff, so we can talk about it. I had a friend in Scouts (you out there, Henry?) who half jokingly explained to anyone who would listen that all plant science could (and should) be divided into "big green plants and small green plants". Sycamore trees and moss were aberrations of this lexicon. Mad Science helps kids get into science. The "Galloping Gertie" CONSOL Energy bridge at The Summit can teach about sympathetic resonance. One could learn about resonance by watching the Tacoma Narrows bridge shake itself to pieces https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-zczJXSxnw , or the Millenial Bridge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obWZ61zcDsU in London throw people about, but what better way to teach about such phenomena than to live it at the National Jamboree? Wish someone had caught a video of CONSOL rockin' that first day in 2013 as 8,000 Scouts tried to cross the CONSOL bridge to the Central Area from Camps A and B... Can we teach Scouting in the lab? Some of it, but certainly not all of it. IMNSHO, I think Scouting is meant to be 6/8 "outing" .

Money issues are always a concern, but compared to other activities, Scouting can easily be seen as a bargain. Sports? Buy the uniform, equipment, traveling teams, injuries, it can add up. Music, band? A good trombone can cost $800. A Stratocaster? Hey.... Zildjian cymbals? Look'em up. The Troop can ask around for "Campership' help. Your local service clubs (Kiwanis, Lions, Rotary, American Legion, etc. ) are often eager to help. When we were in a low ebb financially, an anonymous donor (!) decided Scoutson should be the Troops' Trek Guide to Philmont before he aged out. We (he!) are "paying it forward". As to "boy led"... People (kids especially) learn by one of three means: Instruction, Example, or Practice. >>Instruction...History has to be Instruction. Someone who lived that time passes on what happened to those who come later. Books, word of mouth, video... >> Example... Kids will definitely learn from watching older people. Right from wrong, how to boil water, how one treats others. Hold the door open for the person behind you? Pick up that piece of trash? Your example, or that of the SPL.... Has it worked for them? It should work for me. This includes sympathy and concern for others' welfare, not just how to prevent blisters. >> Practice....Trying things out. How does one learn to walk except to do it? When Scoutson was about 13, he came to us and proudly announced to good wife and me "I just did my laundry!" GW and I looked at each other and smiled. I said, " Wonderful! How much soap did you use?" Scoutson replied, "Soap?" He is now a strapping young man of 22. When he was 16, he got a summer job with a local farmer. He is now the manager of the operation, at 22. He schedules work, assigns men to duties, plants and harvests, sees to repairs of equipment. His clothes get filthy, and he gets them clean. The bruises he got stumbling over obstacles are now callouses that cushion his efforts (how's that for metaphor?). Your Scouts are no different. Adults can teach, and some of your Scouts will claim expertise in a skill. Knots and ropes? Fire safety and building? Cooking? Let the new "experts" proudly pass on their knowledge to the younger Scouts. Trust? Encouragement? If your adults DEMONSTRATE these , what do you think the result will be in your Scouts? How do you build a fire? How do you safely cut firewood? If that lashing is not done right, tight and neat, what WILL happen to your Pioneering project? If the skills are not PRACTICED, how is one to become expert at them? If I ever need the help, if I have the choice, I would much rather have someone who has PRACTICED his CPR help me than one who only READ about it. But then, someone who has READ or BEEN LECTURED about CPR might be better than a "OhmygodhelpwhatdoIdohelphelp" type of person.... Read the motto under Eagle 94-A1 entries. See you on the trail...

Straw campaign hat? Isn't that the Park Ranger hat?

The usual story: Fresh out of out of state college, Loves Scouting, sees a chance to get paid to advance the Scout Movement. Signs on with our District, (previous DE is promoted to "Senior DE" at a struggling neighboring District after just over one year with us), we like him, does a good job, even did some FoS presentations. And now, after 3 months(!) is resigning, but is choosing to be our volunteer Pop Corn Kernel because he "likes the way we operate". I understand he already has a good job lined up already (two weeks notice). Ho hum....

RoundTable, eh? I'm the Bscout RTCommish. Filling the year RTs is a challenge, but some months are "defined" already. November has to have Rechartering included. December is "Holiday Party" and award time, picture show. May is "Program Launch , Midway exhibits. June is the last "Offishul" RT, so along with the regular announcement stuff, I invite a Troop to do some Camp Cooking Demo. Our usual meeting site has a nice "back yard", so if the Host Scout Troop doesn't want to do it, another Troop can easily step in. We have had one Troop offer to do the year end, and it was GOOD! "Walk around Tacos", look it up online. We always invite the Cub RT to attend our cook out and the Cub folks enjoy it. Give'em ideas, I hope. If you have to "Change Venue" to accommodate the RT Cook out, just make sure you have a good email list for notification, (another issue entirely).

"Grand Canyon Council"! I have been to your namesake site! Truly you have a spectacular neighborhood! And welcome to the forums. Some of these discussions do get pretty deep :-)

""...how much.... your pack should weigh." When Scoutson crossed over to an active Troop, I told him I would buy him anything he wished in the way of equipment . He chose (!) a five D cell Maglite, super bright, super cool. He carried it ONCE on a back pack trip. After that, he borrowed dad's 2 AA cell light. The Maglite later went in his pickup for work.

Awwww, preserved overly salted fatty prepared meat product (bologna). Everyone knows the basis of all knowledge is Mathematics, hence the proper acronymic mnemonic is MAST Math, Arts, Science, Technology (includes Engineering. The APPLIED ARTS, which come from applying the Math, Science in an Artistic way) "Form Follows Function" Buckminster Fuller, Robert Loewy, Henry Dreyfuss, et al....

Pie Irons. "Mountain Pies". Like these: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Pie-Iron-Set/26128070 Mine are probably 75 years old already. Butter/grease each inside, Slice of bread on each side, "stuff" inside, close'm up, over the coals for maybe 10 minutes, crispy yum.

Gee, I thought I put in a suggestion, but it wasn't here when I checked in today. Here goes again.... The GSUSA website store has some "general" patches that can be adapted to special activities. Look into those. Also, if you step into your local BSA Scout Shop, you will find a plethora of general patches, mostly in the Cub area, such as fishing, boating, hiking, other topics. I don't imagine your Daisies would object to having a little fleur de Lis in the corner of their patch. And you've got the Patrol patches, lots of animal silhouettes to adapt to your purpose. And Qwasze has a fine idea with the blank Patrol patch. Art? Cut off a small paint brush and hot glue it on a safety pin.... At the Nat Jam, a group of us commemorated a particularly hot afternoon gathering by taking the ice cream Dixie Cup lids and punching holes in them, tie a loop of string, to them, and presto! we have an pocket award that will start a conversation and remind ourselves of a good time.

""New Improved Cooking Merit Badge"": 1) Trap, kill, butcher, cook and eat a rabbit, or other mammal of your choice over a wood fire. Add vegetables (in season) as available. Season to taste. Serve to your Counselor. With prior Counselor approval , fish or shellfish may be substituted. Don't forget beverages (fruit juice, milk, coffee, tea, iced or hot). 2) Provide proof to your MB Counselor that you survived the above process. 3) Cook a breakfast for your family or friends , a group of at least 5 (including yourself), on a home stove (electric or gas as available). Include items OTHER than only oatmeal or Cream of Wheat or toast or pasta, such as bacon, beef, eggs, pancakes, Johnny Cake, sausage, hash, home fries, omelets, hush puppies, pan fried trout, oven scratch biscuits , corn pone, or cream chip beef. Include fresh fruit on your table, and other condiments as appropriate (maple syrup, salt and pepper, garlic powder, Rosemary, Paprika, etc.). Again, do not forget the beverages. 4) Provide to your Counselor testimonials from the group in #3 attesting to the fact they survived the meal. 5) After #1 and #3 above, the previous activities, Clean up and put away all utensils and clean up all cooking and prep areas such that your grandmother would approve. Acquire her signature on an affidavit attesting to such. If a personal grandmother is not available, anyone's grandmother may be substituted for this requirement.

Welcome to our eCrackerbarrel, Thrifty. No time like the present, huh? Back in my day, and in some present days, the Scouts plan their camping trips before hand, "notify the parents" (need for transportation, registration, gear check, pack up, etc.) , and on the day of departure, it goes something like this: Meet at the "church" at 7am (6am??), load up, disperse scouts to their rides, head out. Stop at the Safeway and do the Patrol shopping, pack up , divide the load amongst the Scouts, and head on out to the camp ground/trail head. The money has already been collected by the Patrol Treasurer or Grubmaster, and THAT is the budget. Need more ? put something back, buy something cheaper. No big coolers, just stuff you can carry. Powdered milk, powdered "Tang" etc. Eggs will keep, meat is wrapped up. Fresh veggies (carrots, onions, potatoes) are roots that need no refrigeration ever, Lots of freeze dried stuff available in the ordinary big grocery store, just look for it. It works. As for the PLC, your Scouts have to be convinced BY THE ADULT'S ACTIONS AND WORDS (emphasis intended) that they really CAN make those decisions and plans. Every time the adults "insist" and then "impose", they are showing their hypocrisy in their dealings with the Scouts. How will the Scouts react? By "sitting around, waiting for the meeting to end." This can be avoided by: (1) giving the Scouts the training they deserve. The In-Troop Leadership Training known as http://www.scouting.org/filestore/training/pdf/ILST%20FINALS%202011%20-%20Item%20Number%20511-016.pdf can help. Read thru this and imagine what the Scouts will come to expect as a result. The adult leaders need to read and buy into this, too. And or.... 2) Send some of the Scouts (any Scout can attend)to the NAYLE in your area. Some Councils do this annually, some more often, check with your Council. Or go to one of the National courses, like at the Summit, or Philmont. see http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/BoyScouts/Resources/NAYLE.aspx No Scout ewho attends a well run NAYLE will ever be satisfied with a "Webelos 3" Troop . And... 3) By the Adults, (SM, ASMs, CCh, ,,,,) all consistently and constantly asking, "well, what do YOU want to do?" and "Go ask your Patrol Leader", and "did you ask the SPL?" 4) Insist, when questions come up, "is this consistent with your Scout Law? Your Scout Promise"? Note I said YOUR not THE, there is a difference in that reference. The one is PERSONAL, the other is not. Make it personal to the Scout. 'Course now, this is only my personal observation and suggestion. You won't find it in any BSA offishul stuff. But does it make sense? Does it help with your situation? See you on the trail....

Better outdoors, but can work indoors: "Steal the Bacon, Low Fat" If you remember the "usual" Steal the Bacon (two lines, call out numbers, numbers somehow rassle for the 'bacon' and bring it back to their line), you will recognize this. **Count off into two even groups, line up opposite each other on two lines about twenty yards or so apart. Adjust for age, skill, etc. Place the "Bacon" in the middle , equally between the lines. This can be a cap, or sweater or a soccer ball, for instance. **Declare the rules so as to minimize injuries, for instance if a ball, "Soccer rules! Feet only! No hands!" The goal is to bring the Bacon back across YOUR line to gain a point. Now, how do you do that? **As The "Caller" , I will make a statement. If that statement is true for YOU, then you come out and "Steal the Bacon!" If it is NOT true for you, stay where you are! You will have your turn, I promise! Now, STAY BEHIND THAT LINE, unless the statement applies to YOU! "On My Honor", now, I do not know anything about you or your families, so it's up to YOU to be honest about these things! ** The "Leader" or "Coach" or "Caller" must be creative and observant . Give an example: "Now, don't move, but raise your hand if you had Orange Juice for breakfast! OKAY! If we were playing, you Scouts would have come out after that Bacon! Again, don't move, but raise your hand if your dad wears glasses! Right! Any questions? Okay, this time we play! Listen carefully! I am wearing BLACK SOX!" (watch them lift up their pants!) **Some samples: My mom wears glasses, we own a red car, I had oatmeal for breakfast, I have a cartoon character on my shirt, I have a fish/cat/dog/snake/rabbit/guinea pig for a pet. I was born in November/December/April... I have a younger sister, I have visited New York/Canada/Mexico, I have ridden in a canoe, someone in my family serves in the military, Last week, I went to the dentist, had a haircut, went to a movie, real theater. I have a Boy Scout/Girl Scout for a sibling. ** I am wearing stripes. I have LETTERS on my shirt. Last night, we had hamburgers/fish/black beans for dinner. ** Be creative ... I like raw oysters, I am wearing a belt, my mom was NOT born in the USA, I was born in Virginia, My dad has a beard, my mom has a beard (OOPS!), my birthday is an even number,,,,,,,, Have fun......

"Always wid' da negative waves, Moriarty...." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncbEucjsNFU

Possibilities: 1) Time the trip so the bus is traveling during the night. Scouts sack out on board during the trip. Save the daytime for sight seeing and activities. 1A) Wash up? Check franchise restaurants. F'instance, Cracker Barrel is very Scout Friendly. You may not get a shower, but hands and face and teeth brushing. 1B) Same idea, find the train that goes your way... AMTRAK discounts for youth groups. 2) Associated churches , military bases, Scout camps along the way. Call and ask. Internet stuff. Whom do you know? 3) Friends and relatives along the way. My Quaker Camp regularly walks the route of RELee retreating from Gettysburg, and often stays along the way in basements and backyards of various Friends. One acquaintance is a retired safari organizer , and his stories and wall decorations (!) are worth any discomfort. 4) Hostels International. Not too many around the USA, but if they are on the way, inexpensive accommodations. A bunk, roof, showers, shared kitchen, shared common room, shared chores to upkeep the premises. See https://www.hiusa.org/ 5) It is an adventure, yes? Save the expensive stuff for mom and dad to provide, I say. See YOU on the trail...

In CS, the Adults plan, lead, provide ideas and opportunities, food, cooking, supplies, shelter, transportation, payment of bills, guidance, health and safety. In Boy Scouts, the adults are SUPPOSED to step back and let the boys do just about all of the above, save the health and safety. Step in and say "stay away from that cliff, unless you take the Climb On training!" Mistakes are learned from, not necessarily prevented. Oh, and bills paid... Venture Scouts, adults "advise " and make sure about safety. 18 year old should have a job. Webelos (keep the S) Scouts are by modern definition a transition. Back in my Scout days, I went from Lion Cub to Webelos to Boy Scout (blue shirt to khaki) without much transition. Nowadays, it is meant to be an eeeeeasing into Boy Scouting. I guess the pros are afraid of scaring the poor lil' Webs. So the requirement is to "Show that you are an active leader by planning an activity without your den leader's help."" All the WDL need do is make sure nobody gets burned/tripped up/drowns/poisoned. Anything else the Web Cub can plan is, to my mind, Okay. One of my favorite memories is of a newly promoted Senior Patrol Leader being encouraged to "take command" of the Troop at a planning session. He was obviously waiting for the SM to say "we will do THIS" . The SPL finally had his "AHA!" moment and sputtered," you mean I can decide that?", to which the SM replied "Duh....."

This is strictly District sponsored. Just Eagle Required, the promo sez. No canoeing or archery.... I will follow up eventually, and see how it goes, er, went.

Mythbusters duct tape canoe... http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters/videos/duct-tape-boat/

Well here's a new one , for me at least.... Local District is sponsoring a "Eagle Required Partial Merit Badge Completion Day" . There will be MBCounselors available for all Eagle required MBs to help the Scout finish the partials , specifically mentioned "from summer camp" . Contact info available to talk about finishing prerequisites....

Well, it certainly is not "required" by any BSA reg, but it does make a nice occasion. It should be remembered that the presentation of the goodies need not be too fancy. The celebration/recognition is up to the Scout and his family. A regular Troop CoH is sufficient. Say the Eagle Promise , congratulate the Scout and eat the cookies. It is kind of sad when the Scout won't allow any recognition. He earned it, he should be congratulated for it. Humility? Embarrassment? Disgust that he finally accomplished what his parents required of him? Got the Eagle, let me get my license now....Different reasons, I guess. I have seen the family try for a nice ceremony only to have the Scout begrudgingly go thru the motions and then never be seen at a Scout event again.

Cubmaster 35: Welcome to the forums. Looks like you got your wish in asking for advice (that IS what you wanted, yes?). Doesn't mean you would agree with the advice, just that you would get it. Name calling? I didn't see/read any initially, only supposition and possibilities, given what you shared. Tit for tat? Not very Christian in my faith. Return love for hate. In our case, follow the Scout Law and Promise, even here. Allow, if he will, the pastor of the CO to "do the right thing", but do not back him into a corner where he will continue to do the "wrong thing". Keep yourself on the higher moral ground. Do not return his bad behavior with worse . My general advice: 1) Remember the Scout Law, the Scout Promise, and while you're at it, The Golden Rule. 2) Document everything. Record witnesses to conversations. Save emails, print'em out. Keep a diary of phone conversations, etc. 3) Talk to the others in your old Pack leadership. Keep the conversation going. Invest in a new coffee maker. 4) Definitely talk to your DE, your District Commissioner, and ask about forming a new Pack with your existing folks. Your bridges have already been burned, move on. In most Cub Packs I have known, most of the "gear" is privately owned but "loaned" to the Cubs. Flags, Pinewood Derby Track, maybe Packs , but the other stuff is Mr. Jones', or Mrs. Smith's. 5) Take a deep breath and drop your own pretense at having all the answers. You do not. Your friends from the Pack have some, you have some, the pastor has some (even if you don't really know or like his version). The DE and DC have some. Listen more than you speak. 6) We each of us dig our own hole to climb out of. If I understand the inferences you gave about the pastor, he may be digging his own hole deeper. He may (MAY) have been transferred from another church to give him another chance (ummmm, that sounds familiar.). 7) The truth will out. Be patient. Be not vengeful. 8) To quote again the wisdom of Bob The Tomato, "It's for the kids". Keep that up front, and you won't be half wrong. I was once denied a staff position for the Jamboree , this after having previously served succesfully at the Jamboree, many years of fruitful training, documented leadership and awards. It took me three months of polite, persistent, logical, email, phone call, personal visits, letters from my associates to find out the truth of the matter. It was ultimately worth it. But if I had yelled and screamed about how unfair and poorly treated I felt, I would not have succeeded . And, I feel, the BSA was the better for my efforts. See you on the trail...

Brings up something mentioned at the last RT. Popcorn sales. Unit sells popcorn ("Hey, it's not over priced, this is a DONATION to Scouting, with a THANK YOU gift in return."). About 1/3 goes to pay for the Popcorn (Trails End), 1/3 to the unit (divvy up as a Scout Account? and Unit? Pay for Philmont?) and 1/3 to the Council. Okay, if the Unit sells "holiday trees" or sells spaghetti suppers, they decide who keeps what (wholesale the trees to Oregon or NC, grocery supplier gives discount). Any units on the receiving end of this website VOLUNTARILY donate a third to their Council? In the mean time, it almost makes sense, what the original poster said. Almost. Most Units that I know already collect some dues and then include the Handbook(s), neckers, hats, insignia, "bling", camp prepayments (credit!), and ceremonial regalia (candles, flags, banners, sign outside the CO). We all pay taxes. These taxes are used (one hopes) to pay for lots of things us citizens need and like. Roads, schools, dams, parks, zoos, military protection.... I may never get to see Zion Park in person, but I like to think my taxes have preserved it. Are our membership fees and FOS and popcorn going to preserve Camp Wizbang so it won't get sold to a developer because the SE needs a pay bump and no one thought to "promote Scouting" other wise? Are only us locals showing Scouting to be the program for certain nephews ( hello UncleP ) by which to grow into men ? It is nice to get a paycheck for what one does. we have a local community museum. It was started by an auctioneer who realized he was selling off the history of the area everytime he cleared out an old farm or settled the estate of a family who no longer lived within 5 miles of the grandparents home. It started with a collection in the National Bank's basement. This museum grew and became popular. School groups came. Exhibits of the "old ways" were created and one wall was dedicated to a local baseball legend. They named the road in front of the museum after his family, which donated the land for the construction of the new building. Volunteers worked tirelessly. Now, it has five paid staff, the original founders are almost all gone. One half of the "town" gallery has been cleared for a sculpture gallery, wine and beer gardens are more frequent than special exhibits on "old time things". The dedicated wall to the ball player is taken down, in favor of a big poster extolling the next pottery demonstration. Is BSA Scouting taking this same course? Is the Program taking backseat to the necessity of paying wages? Hey, is this de ja vu all over again? Increase the National membership fee, maybe. Include all that other stuff, no, that's the Council trying to take a piece of the Units pie.....