Stan Riddle

We purchsed one this year. Agree w/ other posts for the most part. We have 23 boys, and while we could use a larger trailer, a 5x10 sinlge axle is owrking for us. We tried to pare down what we "needed" from what we "wanted". Another advantage of a lighter trailer is that a smid-sized vehicle can pull it.

Our Troop was in Gettysburg in june. While crossing the parking lot at the museum, an older couple stopped, back up, rolled down their window, and said, "God bless you for working with Scouts." It seemd their son, now an MD, was an Eagle Scout. Kinda got a lump in my throat...

I'm Scoutmaster for a Troop, 2/3 of which is old enough for Venturing. We have discussed both a Venture Crew, and a Venture patrol. I have heard both good and bad comments on each. I realize they are quite different. I also know that Council has a vested interest in starting up a Crew, partially to get an increase in unit count. I need to know your real feelings about Venturing.

Contact York-Adams area Council. Their Scoutcamp is nearbly, I was told. We took the Troop this past Sumer, and camped at McMillan Woods. It was a great trip.

Most used, and useful for me: tautline hitch Most fun: Monkey fist. Thought I'd never learn how to tie that bloomin' thing in Woodbadge. Now, half the things I own have one tied to it!

If the majority of the Exec. Board, volunteers, Council Pres. and Council Commisioner feel as you do, then efforts should be undertaken to remove him. He works for Scouts, and the program, not the other way around. The "old timers" I suspect still have a lot of support and trust from the Council. Many of them probably trained those who are in position now. It has been done before.

I too remember when the berets came out. I was about 11, a little heavy, and hair about to my shoulders. I looked a little like a red-topped mushroom, because I had no idea how to shape one. I'm now older, leaner, grayer, and have a flat top, and recently purchased one off Ebay. I found directions on the internet on how to shape one, and it looks much better on me than it did 30 years ago. I love it in the winter. But other than that, it has no use. It's hot, it doesn't shed water or shield sun... but it DOES look really cool:)

If you're not sure about the number of coals to use, stick a meat thermometer thru the side of the box, and duct tape it to the side. Then, you can preheat your box just like your oven at home. I've got one I've used probably 30 times, and the cardboard is still fine. I used coat hangers for a bottom rack, about three inches off the bottom, and another rack about 6 inches above that. I use an old round cake pan to put the coals in.

Our Troop chose to wear a cap made by a company in Seattle. It is thin nylon, wonderful in Summer, breahtes well, anddoesn't hold water or sweat. They match our uniform shirts (BSA) and are embroidered with our Troop name and town on the side. The Scouts seem to prefer it over the "offical" hat.

I would be much more troubled about why a small child would be sitting behind the counter of a "stop and rob" at night, than whether she actually touched a pack of cigarettes or not.

I have taught our Troop's in house JLT for a few years now. The BSA version is great, but it does have one drawback. We train every 6 months, since that's when we have elections. Occasionally, we had boys going through a second and third time. They already knew the program, so I had to change it a little bit. I know that's straying from the "official" guideline, but I felt it was neccessary to keep it fresh. Adult training helped me quite a bit in coming up with new ideas for JLT. Good luck, Stan Riddle

OWLS was the most fun, Woodbadge was the most informative, but potty was the most beneficial:)

He has now hiked beyond you in the walk of this life, and made it to the top. What a wonderful vantage point he now must have! My heartfelt condelences to you, the family, and the Troop. Stan Riddle

I took WB when still a Webelos leader. I had a good counselor, who helped me craft a ticket that was relevant to crossing over Webelos, helping guide a 1st year Patrol, and so on. On my honor...it's worth taking. KS was exactly right. If you go, don't stress out tickets and stuff. Go, have fun, and try to picture in your mind what's going on from the perspective of a 12 year old.

You what opinions are like...so here's mine. I put Wood Badge on quite a pedistal. I had the old format, so I can't speak to the new one. I've had management skills class, teambuilding, and so on, but none even closely matched WB training. What I got from WB was to see what adult leaders, and the program, looks like from the boys perspective, both the good and bad. I knew camping, and knots, and cooking, and all those other things, but nothing else gave me a better perpsective on how the boys see us. If you can remember clearly what it was like to be a 12 year old Scout, if yo