SSScout

What they said...... Paperwork and assignments should be done in the weeks prior. The CSDC staff should be (on the first day) concentrating on the poor folks that haven't kept up with the prior announcements/requirements/rosters/applications.... Tshirts and Water bottles and Caps and such should already be bundled and ready to hand out to the DenWalkers for their Dens to receive. Angst should be reserved to the CDirector for the Last Minute Participants who show up with check and downloaded application in hand who were told by the Council Secretary that it would be "all right" to just "Show Up" at camp waaaaaay past the SIgn Up DeadLine..... Assembly and Flag Up should happen "ON TIME" , handled by the Scout Camp Staff (rehearsed and ready) Remember the Cub Scout Mantra "KisMif, KiSMif, KiSMiF" (Keep it simple, Make it fun)

Yep, FRaising appears to work properly. Now.

New info..... http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2015/05/28/2017-national-jamboree-registration-now-open-for-staff-and-attendees/#more-40025 Yes and no, maybe so, money and such...

Is it too early to start a SUB FORUM on this? Health and circumstances allowing, I will be there ( I hope)(maybe) (if I can afford it). Will there be a discount if I use my own (2013 ) Jamboree duffle?

Now when I click "fundraising", the response is "You are not allowed to view that page." Doesn't seem to be any "Fundraising" pages.... Not even "Stolen Popcorn Money". Ummmmm?

The Troop of my yoooth designed it's own Necker and patch. It was drawn by the Scouts, and translated into the patch by a local embroidery shop. Ask the kids what THEY want. Even Cubs (Webelos??) can produce really neat , evocative designs. Give them some parameters (should include the Cub Scout diamond, etc. ) and turn'em loose. Somebody in your Pack is computer literate , and can scan the design into a page to send around, etc. Have fun with it!

Good ideas/experience form all above. ECoH: Home Troop provides Eagle patch, pin/medal, special necker if desired, mom&dad pins, and Mentor pins (if the Scout would like). If a special party is desired, that is up to the Scout and family. Otherwise, as has been said, a normal, Troop CoH with a special ECoH tied on the end. Both have been done. Eagle project? Special accounting, separate from the Troop. Excess goes to the beneficiary, without question. Camp Scholarship? Hardship case? Again, a separate case, but it needs to be more out in the open than merely being told "write the check". Treasurers report every Committee meeting , in the mean time. "A Scout is Trustworthy.... Thrifty....Courteous...." etc. I would also bring this up to the next Unit Committee meeting for discussion.

The sexuality of a Scout, adult or youth, is not BSA's concern. The highly esteemed Youth Protection Training is affective for leaders (or Scouts) of any persuasion. The YPT , if enforced, requires a certain morality of overt behavior that has nothing to do with how the included person(s) behave in private. And I don't think we have established a "Sexuality Merit Badge". The fact of human sexuality should be discussed, but not , to my mind, in a Scout meeting. The argument/example given by NJCubmaster about his brother is instructive. "Living in sin" can be many things (to many people). If LDS can do Scouting, and Cambodian Buddhists can do Scouting, and Volunteer Firemen can do Scouting, and Sikhs can do Scouting, and American Legions can do Scouting, each with their own attached modifications, (I have had to disabuse folks many times of the idea that Scouting is a "Christian" organization), I fail to see how BSA can "offishully" declare that only X,Y,Z people can be Scouts? Anybody got any extra stones?

*sigh* "The work is done by whoever shows up" A Scout District is a way for like minded folks (Scouters) to organize for the greater good. Like a Labor Union. If the worker sees "the Union " as the office over there, and not as himself and his buddies, then "the Union" is not doing it's job. The Scout (BSA) vision of the District, like many things in Scouting, is often not fulfilled. It is up to the members (Scouters) to make it work. Roundtable? It can be a reading of somnolent memoes, or a gathering of friends who come to discuss with a podiatrist about shoes and socks and blister prevention. It can be a reason to get out of the house, or a reason to learn about new camping venues and techniques. Camporee? It can be a place to meet other Scouts from waaaay over there, or just another place to park the Troop trailer and veg around a charcoal grill. That is the difference between a Camporee themed after the Civil War or one themed about the Survivor TV show and one that just says "come and camp HERE." Your Troop can always do the latter. The idea is that a larger camp CAN offer more stuff to do ( climbing wall? Corps of Engineers? Pioneering in the extreme?) Takes planning and cooperation and phone calls (if not emails and tweets). Council? In BSA parlance, that is the franchise holder, them and the CO. They have money responsibility, own camps, charter COs, licenses CSDCs, etc. Done well and correctly, everybody has a role, everybody supports THE SCOUT in his (her?) journey with the Scout Promise and Law. Now, I gotta go cut the grass at my Yearly Meeting Office. See y'all later.

Not an Eagle story, but similar, so I will share... In my college career, I thought I'd be an engineer. Went to my counselor to sign up for my next semester classes, and for an elective, said I'd like to take a class in Art. He suggested some "History of" and "appreciation of" and I said, no, I'd like a studio class, maybe charcoal, pencil, black and white. He said those were not available to Science or Engineer majors, only Appreciation and History and such... I sighed and signed up a "Discussion on the Fire and Water of the 19th century". First class: Lecture room of ,oh, maybe 200 kids. Prof comes in , passes out the syllabus (no text book, research!), and asks, "who of you are science, math or engineering majors?" About half the hands went up . Prof says, "Alright. Put your name on a piece of paper, with your student ID number, the letter C, and leave it on the desk up here when you leave today, and we don't need to see each other ever again." And he began his lecture and showing examples of art. Next time, the hall had about 75 students, me among them. One of my more memorable classes.

As to the "mission" and "policy" of the BSA, why is it not "officially" (I have yet to see this) based on the Scout Promise and Scout Law? "Transperancy" = Trustworthy "Local Option" = Loyal (to ones faith) and so forth.... The bureaucratese that is often inherent in a large org such as BSA often comes from folks wanting to "make their mark", not so much clarify or define things. What is a simpler guide than these long established and tested guidelines? What better way to judge one's behavior or business? I know from my own experience and hearing the stories of others, both here and elsewhere, that the biggest problem with some of our professional Scouters is a lack of adherence to those four promises and 12 "suggestions". I wanted to hear Mr. Gates make more mention of Irving's ultimate "customer', the boy, but he did mention the Dens and Packs and Troops and their volunteer leaders.

" He went to WOULD Badge, not WON'T Badge. He named his twin daughters BADEN and POWELL.... The Big Dipper points to HIM, He is.... The Most Interesting Scouter.... "I do not always go camping, but when I do, I bring along some Scouts....." "Stay Scouty, my friend...."

Oh, there's always time for Scouting. Here's the mathematical proof: https://www.dropbox.com/s/47yw1m1mk985a8t/scoutsnotimefor.docx?dl=0

"On behalf of the Qunfjhtimffk Construction Company, I would like to thank the Mmmvvery State Construction Board for the awarding of our contract for the construction of the Omygod reservoir river dam. I am happy to address this meeting of the Board. I would like to ask, what is the least we can do to complete the dam? "

They can get as specific as they can, experience and knowledge allowing. A sparrow can be a chipping, swamp, white crown , or just a "sparrow". Around here, a squirrel can be a black or grey or flying (much smaller and really hard to see, they are mostly nocturnal), or a "squirrel". But sometimes the ID can be the learning experience. A "black bird" can be a crow or redwing blackbird or raven (really big). When I do CSDC Nature pavilion, (yeah, not BScouts but still...) I have the Cubs just sit and LISTEN. Even in the mid afternoon, they can often hear a half dozen different birds, a chipmunk squeak, a dog, other boys (?), and other things. The background "noise" can be "stuff" to ID.... And they are often surprised that , yes, they can ID a bird by it's call. Yes, a worm is a "wild animal".

Document, document, document. Get others to listen to your story, find out if they saw the same conversation you saw. Do you really know who your friends are? Seek the SE's meeting, say you mistook his initial invitation for something else. He may well not know what is going on around him and would benefit from a truth teller. What do you really have to lose? To whom is your reputation important? As has been said, you are a volunteer, (t)he(y) can't fire you, but they can get other Scout professionals to make it harder for you to volunteer. "A Scout is loyal" but to whom? To the fellow that signs THEIR paycheck. If the SE in question has provided the Council with reason to believe the Council would be better off without him, it will take a groundswell of CORs voting on it to happen. Possible? yes, the corporate legalese makes it possible. Probable? Ummmmmmmmm , mebbe not. Good Scouting to you, none the less. If this is just a slip of the tongue in public of that which would better have been said in private, the deed is done, and as has been said, might be best to move on.

I seem to remember my "Bomb Hole" question was answered, but where are the other responses?

Howzabout a new motto for Scout Leaders, Tiger thru Eagle:: (Dang, how did I get this font? Didn't click on anything, I don't think) "Get'em Out, Get'em Dirty, Get'em interested".

Bad wolf: Herebouts, we call that the "soccer syndrome", as in drop the kid off, let the coach do his thing to make him/her a strong, skillful, fairplaying (at all cost) youngster; then come back in 2 hours. Convincing them of the idea that if they don't have a connection with their boy/girl by the time they are 13, they won't have a connection when they turn 18 is hard. Convincing them that even the couch potatoe dad can have a role in Scouting is equally hard. It gets easier if the Troop/crew is "Boy Led" and has an adventurous program. The boy/girl will convince the dad. Or become aware of the problem and YOU will become aware of those family dynamics, unfortunately.

"The work is done by whoever shows up".. Thank you, Eamonn, for showing up. See you on the trail...

click.

A new program, inviting young folks from around the world to come meet together. "This global initiative aims to develop a network of young people who will deliver grassroot activities and become agents of change for a better environment of co-existence and harmony among people of different religions and cultures." You do not need to be a Scout to apply and attend. Scholarship is available. Pass it on... http://scout.org/node/70261

""Look at the photos that Cambridgeskip posted. You see that the neckerchiefs are worn loosely, and they are secured by either a woggle, what looks like a band tie of some kind, or just a knot. Much more practical. "" Friendship Knot , very widely used in Europe: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friendship_knot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lpSWxSTuVY

When our District was denied our usual Camporee site, our DChair got creative and contacted the local Piscataway Museum, and arranged for our Camporee to be held on their grounds. It was 3 times the usual travel time, but proved to be a memorable time. http://www.piscatawayindians.com/ As it happens, their museum is presently in dire financial straits, and would welcome any support.

Thruout the world, Scout world that is, the NECKER is the defining piece of Scout clothing. Altho I have never been to a World Jamboree (coming here in 2019!), all the info I have and the pictures I have seen indicate that even if a Scout Troop can't afford a uniform shirt (much less pants or shorts), they will wear the necker. It will have pins and patches on it. It means "Scout" to the rest of the community, in their service and hikes and comings and goings. The bigger point here, especially in this thread, should be why don't American Scouts like the neckerchief? It is , uniformly, the one item I hear about that a boy doesn't want to wear , EVER. National has even made it "optional" to the Troop to decide! Now, this is not the same everywhere. I see some Troops that love their special, custom to them, necker. Take pride in them, even. But if the uni is one of the "methods", what is it, outside of the "dork" factor, that makes it hard for a boy to want to be SEEN as a SCOUT?