SSScout

Amen, friend.

Neutral territory, if necessary, can be found. The Geographic Center of the contiguous USA is near Lebanon Kansas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographic_center_of_the_contiguous_United_States Nice spot for a campout.....

Sounds like a good camp. How many Cubs? Well, the only question I have for you is .... are YOU having fun?

Packsaddle has the idea. The new Cub Pack guidelines are only an outline. You are left with the filling in. Here's what I tried to do each Pack Meeting: Opening, (let each Den take a turn), CM's Agenda (short! Might include a Led Skit)), Den Reports (what did they do in the last weeks?), the Program (craft, guest visitor, game, Den competition, some combination, etc.), CM Minute (final announcements , give the Parents a piece of paper with the upcoming schedule on it, Something To Think About), and Closing (again, let the Dens take turns having this responsibility), cleanup & put away... I almost never had a snack time in the Pack meeting. The "cookout" meeting had food, obviously. Food can mean more clean up and corralling of Cubs. And don't forget to include your Unit Commissioner and DE in your planning and your local Scout Troop. They both will have ideas for Cub presentations and things of interest (Whittlin' Chip? Nothing better than a knowledgeable Den Chief Boy Scout teaching Knife Safety) . Our Unit Commish loves talking about Astronomy and telescopes, he brings stuff to "play" with and this leads to the Astronomy Belt Loop/pin. Definitely check out "Baloo's Bugle" http://usscouts.org/bbugle.asp (Sorry Mr. Kipling, we will miss you), and the old, abandoned BSA publication "Cub Scout Program Helps" http://www.scouting.org/HispanicInitiatives/Resources/ProgramHelps.aspx Good Scouting to you!

And boots?

Stosh: I know not a few adults who appear to be working on their "bulging" MB

Girl Scouts got roots?

If the boy is serious about the musical part of the instrument, he will get into it. I Counsel Bugling MB, and have met a couple of Scouts that can do "double duty": A woodwind and a brass instrument. They see the music better than a "single" duty fellow. That said, he needs to "buzz" more. A lot more. The embouchure for the clarinet will do him no good in a brass mouthpiece. He has to "buzz" and buzz and buzz, to develop those facial muscles mentioned above. And the mention of a quality mouthpiece can not be stressed too much. If he is serious, get him a trumpet Bach12C, it's expensive, in nickel silver, but it makes a world of difference in tone and comfort. The cheap original mouthpiece is , as has been said, trash in comparison. Take the Bach 12C and TIE it on the bugle so it can't fall off. The range of the bugle is limited, a good player can do 5 notes, a competent one can get 6. Treble clef was not my original thing, I started with trombone (bass clef) and learned bugle with the bugle my uncle gave me from his days in Scouts, so it is at least 85 years old at this point, and still sounds good on a parade ground. Get him some Dizzy Gillespie recordings, and let him hear some GOOD "bugling". When the tourist in New York stopped the old man and asked him how to get to Carnegie Hall, his reply was "Practice, practice, PRACTICE!!" So too here. Your Scout can serve as bugler two ways: As has been mentioned, he can do yeoman service with his clarinet, and learn the calls "by ear". And, as he gets his lip, he can switch over. With effort, ( and understanding from the family!) he should get some proficiency in two or three months. The Bugling MB is not that onerous, but it does take effort and practice. I point out that the requirements list 8 (?) calls to play, but it does not say "from memory". It is allowable to read the chart. The memory comes with repetition, yes? And tell him that if he is good at it, he will be in demand for ceremonies at camp, at official Scout things, and he can even earn some money at it. It is entre to many events.... And when he can rip off "First Call" for his Troop to call them to a competition, it will be all worth it. Good Scouting to you!

Anyone recognize this? Unknown Scout badge from perhaps an Asian country?

Coffee cups and photos are all very good and always appreciated. My all time favorite was/is the letter my boss received from the camp director (fellow named Mazucca , or Machucca, I forget). I had filled out a form earlier, and the camp staff sent the letter to my boss at work. The letter thanked my boss for allowing her employee (me ) to accompany the Scouts to the life changing adventure of Scout camp, helping to ensure the good development of the best possible "citizens of tomorrow". He (the director) went on by complimenting my boss on having such an exemplary person in her employ who would be willing to spend his vacation time in such endeavor. Weeks later, I received a memo from the boss acknowledging the camp director's letter. She said she had never before received such a compliment about one of her staff and it would be added to my file and taken into consideration when my next evaluation came up. Keep up the good work, etc. Could you do something similar?

It's only 3 days http://forgirls.girlscouts.org/travel/jamboree-at-the-summit/

If they can do it, why can't we, if necessary ? http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/derna-boy-scouts-step-in-to-help-run-city-after-isis-is-driven-out-of-libyan-stronghold-10344233.html So what is it we do in Scouting, if not Prepare for Emergencies? Do we not train our Scouts to "Be Prepared?" CPR, First Aid, swimming, Life Saving, Map and Compass (get lost?) , staying calm when things get unnatural..... foul weather gear, lightning training, which way to go if you see a tornado, listen before you act ("Scout Sign!"), fire safety, Knife & Ax Safety, health and hygiene, how to cook in extremis, how to "make do" when things ain't right ,,,, Summer camp year before last, they came up one "buddy" tag short on the waterfront. EVERYBODY in camp had to be counted, and report to the dining hall. They were about to start a sweep of the lake when the two boys whose tags stuck together came back from their "buddy hike" around the camp. Phew! Every Scout should play the "what if" game, occasionally. What if the lights go out? What if the road is blocked by high water? What if our neighborhood is threatened by....Zombies? I remember when our Fire Department was fully volunteer ( I was but a Cub). The whole FD was volunteer staffed and financed. Pancake suppers bought the engines. The dispatch was county run, but when the alarm siren went off, people came from every point of the compass. Businesses were immediately closed. Tractors were left in the fields. Garages were left open. Now, the FD is staffed by tax paid professionals AND volunteers . Both are trained to the same standard. But what does that mean to us Scouts? How could we be a resource in an emergency? What skills and abilities do we have that could be of use? There are VCrews that train as Junior EMTs and actually help staff crash wagons. How would a Scout unit get together "in an emergency"? Any one remember Phone Trees? Do they still work? Is there a plan? Would a Scout Troop actually be useful as messengers, traffic directors, food and water handouters, supply keepers, ? Or would your boys view it as a "game" , a thing to get thru and get back to my schmart phone app?

Girl Scout Troop comes forward to testify about mistreatment at Cecil County animal shelter but didn't expect this... http://www.rawstory.com/2015/06/adults-taunt-girl-scouts-with-racist-insults-for-speaking-out-against-animal-abuse-at-maryland-public-meeting/ We're not done yet....

Expect to be challenged in your preconceptions about what Scouting is. Expect to learn some, get reminded some and share your experience some. Expect a couple of "aha!" moments. Expect to laugh and sing some, and find out that it is possible (!) to camp without kids. Bring extra rope, duct tape, a funny hat, aluminum foil, a note book (non electric) and your filled out vision statement. Expect a little rain (not much. Don't you think good weather is boring? ;-) ). Expect to see corny skits, meaningful SMMinutes, and at least one other person's vision for our youth. Expect to have some of your expectations not met. Expect to come away refreshed, confused, energized, recommitted to the Scouting Ideal, and ready to rewrite ALL your tickets because, your Patrol Guide's encouragement not withstanding , none of them are "good enough". but they will be , trust me. Good Scouting to you!

Christineka: Ultimately, from this distance, all I can recommend is go to the boys SM or ASMs and ask them how their Scouts fulfill the requirements as you read them , and it sounds like you have read them correctly. You can even show the Scout Leaders the books etc. and ask 'em about it. 15 nights and an election, officiated by the local OA Chapter, to qualify for the OA. 20 nights for the Camping MB. There they are, in black and white, your local Scout store should have the Camping MB book and also the OA manual. Ask your DE who your local OA chapter advisor is. Better yet, let your Scoutson do it! And you can encourage your boy to continue to be "Trustworthy", and follow the rules. He will appreciate your appreciation! OA boring? Only if the boys allow it. OA is , by definition, boy run. Like Boy Scouts, only more so. Yeah, the adults have to drive and sign the checks, but it should be up to the boys to plan their camps, service projects, and ceremonies to reinforce the ideals and raison d'etre of the BSA and OA. Movie and pizza night? Hike to the caverns? Hang out with the buds? Yep, up to them. OA is, by definition an "honor" to be admitted to, and is, by definition, a service organization . It is not a rank to be earned, or a skill to be mastered. : It is a way to perform Service to the local Troops, to the Camps, to any local worthy institution, and find satisfaction (and fun, believe it or not) from such. If the Scouts in OA don't see it that way, well, there are other problems. Stretching of the requirements? How far does a Scout SM stretch things and why should he/she?

There are "requirements" and requirements. OA cannot be "earned" like First Class. I have not seen the "elected" part of this here. Christineka 's post mentioned boys "doing" OA, but questioning the overnight camping requirement. I would too, given what she mentioned. The SM and ASMs cannot, correctly, pass a boy in his OA requirements. That ,if done right (and we here have heard of incorrect episodes , yes?) , takes time, experience and an earned reputation. A Scout cannot , if done correctly, "go for" OA.

Yep. I have done it engroupe, but then you have to get the DE to "fersure" list the names and such in the Council records so the folks can do their Scout thing . If the Unit keeps it "in house", well, that's ok too. Just keep your records straight and handy.

Perhaps jlglmg2010 is speaking of the Pennsylvania background check requirements (see http://scouter.com/index.php/topic/26945-pennsylvanias-new-comprehensive-background-checks/?hl=pennsylvaniathread). Any way, it is pretty much as friend Bad Wolf (who ain't all that bad in reality) said .

The necker is the ONLY commonality among all Scouts, worldwide...

Let us know if the PM function works. It hasn't in the past.

""He said it worked fine as a do-rag under his bike helmet to soak up any sweat."" "Matching Mountains With the Boy Scout Uniform" by Edward Reimer :: Use #3 of a list of 56 uses on pg.92... Usta not be a style, but a tool.

Well, it has been my experience that in ANY training, a good instructor/trainer will welcome, indeed encourage sharing of experience from the "audience". When I took TTT, everyone was surprised to hear about my wife's success using felt boards. No one had any idea what they were, or how they are used. And with all the hi-tech Powerpoint jazz, the low tech stuff is very good for out in the woods instruction , Newsprint, markers, dry erase boards, felt boards, etc. Go and share your expertise. I would listen.

Talk to the SM and let him deal with it. If he assigned the task, and was satisfied with the result, so be it. Sometimes the bully NEEDS to be given more responsibility and closely mentored in how the responsibility is carried out. Did he do a good job teaching/practicing knots? It might actually be appropriate to make him an Instructor. On the other hand, if the Scout made it sound as if he thought up the assignment, rather than being assigned to do it, well, that also needs to be pointed out to the SM.

Stosh? "Recruit"? You recruit? Hey, we only have to say we have a need and the donut seekers trample each other to take up the responsibility! Yeah, oops, pardon , I have to go water the sheep now to preshrink the wool....

Let me understand this. Scout1 was a grumpy grouch all week. Somehow S1 got to Scout2, telling him to "get out of MY chair!" in front of S2's mom. S2M then got deep into S1's face about his rude behavior to S2, and others. . S2's dad had to vigorously intercede to stop S2M from further violence, verbal or worse. All this occurred in full view of the rest of the Troop, Scouts and adults present. Do I have that all correct? And S2 was to be Tapped for OA, and is a "great Scout" "on his way to Eagle". Certainly, such behavior is never warranted, either between adults or adult to child. On face, this sounds like S2M has more of a problem than this one episode. Any approach to S2M and S2Dad needs to be carefully considered, factual and measured. It should be done in committee, in private, away from the Troop. It should be made clear that such behavior is not Scoutlike and unworthy of Scout parent. "But what about S1?" Not the issue. He was also unscoutlike in his behavior, but he has an excuse, he is a child, and still learning how to be a responsible citizen, led by the Scout Promise and Law, yes? Perhaps some time away from the Troop may be appropriate for S2M, but S2 is still certainly welcome to Scout along with the rest of the Troop. "But what about S1?" S1 is not your problem. YOU are your problem. S1 will be counseled as necessary and appropriate for him. Good luck to you all....