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 you how how to motivate without being "the big boss", if you know how to deal with dozens of different personality traits, if you remember what it was like to be the "fat kid, short kid, stupid kid, slow kid, nerdy kid", and so on, and can lift all the youth in your Troop above that...

Then don't go to Wood Badge. You'll waste time and money.

But even if you only learn how to motivate that one kid you really wish you could reach, then it's worth your time, money, and personal committment to go.

Plus, it was a lot of fun, and you'll build friendships that last a long time.

Stan Riddle

Old Hickory Council

SR-290 (and a good ol' antelope too!)

When my den crossed over in 99, I ordered hand made arrows, from a company I found in the back over Scouter, I think. It was a great token, not too expensive, and I suspect they all still have that arrow hanging in their room. I know my son does.

I have used knot relays, where each Patrol is timed on how many knots they can tie correctly. I really don't hope for them to remember EVERY knot ( I never could as a Scout ), but the 15 or so that are used on a regular basis.

Like anything else, repitition and fun.

No way! One ounce of water won't kill anyone, used in this matter. This is an excellent campfire skit, but probably not the best when a bunch of adults are around. You have to remember that adults aren't the intended audience - it's all about the boys. Scouting, like everything else tehse days, can get too PC if we're not careful.

I had nine little Webelos. They are now Star and First Class. Eight of the nine are in National Junior Honor Society. All are in church regularly. They still think I'm cool, even my own son!

But as big a "recharger" as that is, let me tell you one more.

A couple of years ago at summer camp, there was a first timer there from another Troop with a learning disability. He saw me tying a monkey fist, and asked if I would show him how. After about an hour or so, he was tying his own, as good as I've seen. A couple of days later, he came up to me, and asked if I was the one who showed him how. I responded "Yes", and he told me, quite proudly, "I'm the only one in my Troop who knows how!"

Moments like that cancel out ALL of the aggravation that goes with the job. That's when the Scoutmaster receives his pay

HEY, what's wrong with a polyester leisure suit? And my big multicolored bow tie? Oh yea, and my black patent leather high heeled "disco" shoes? They were both groovy, and far out!

Let this kid look back in shame someday for his hair - just like we all look back! His kids will have a ball over it!

A "knee mail" has been sent from Yadkin Co. NC.

Bob, my contention is simply this - tobacco is a pretty broad based word used in our society for a number of things.

Does the plant teach character? Probably not to most, but it did to me. I worked in tobacco fields, warehouses, and now, in a factory. You will learn character in the middle of summer in a tobacco field!

Does the tobacco company teacher character? Ours doesn't so much teach it, as they do recognize individuals in the company, such as those in Scouting, by their support of it.

Do the workers in tobacco teach character? I believe we do. We're just factory workers - who are Sunday School teachers, Scoutmasters, coaches, and so on, just like everyone else..

Can smokers teach character? My parents did. My Scoutmaster did. And I'll put their wisdom and teaching up against anyone on this message board.

So, can "tobacco" teach character? Yes.

Does smoking teach character? No

Can smokers teach character? Yes, I believe they can.(This message has been edited by Stan Riddle)

OK Bob, I can give you some.

In the area where I live ( Piedmont NC ), tobacco farming and manufacturing has fed and clothed thousands over the years. Camp Raven Knob is surrounded by tobacco farms. The company I work for ( a tobacco comapny ) has given untold dollars in support of Scouting. They have probably purchased 10% of the Troop trailers in our Council. In my Troop alone, they have given us over $2000 in grants for camping equipment and canoes, with no strings attached. I know of at least 30 good adult leaders who are employed here, and their Scouting activites are fully supported by the company.

They don't support youth using tobacco. They don't hand out cigarettes at Summer Camp.

Have I seen smokers at Scouting events? Sure, in adult areas, or out by themselves. Have Scouts seen them smoke? Probably so. I'll agree it's not the best example to set in front of young people.

Neither is vulgarity, which I've heard. Or obesity. Or laziness. Or stealing. Or anger. Or rudeness. And so on.

I realize tobacco has become the whipping boy for our country at the present, but you won't convince me that tobacco is the great evil most of the country thinks it is.

I'm with Ed on this one. If they boy is going to worship service, then you don't have much to stand on. We all have a much bigger boss than BSA to answer to! But if he's leaving to get out of work, that's a different issue.

We had one boy who was leaving early for religous reasons. I spoke with him, and his parents, and assured them that we would have a religous service on Sunday mornings ( non -denominational, ecumenical, or whatever the PC police want to call it ). This did help to get him to stay on Sunday mornings. When we camp nearby, we try to break camp in time for the boys to get to their own places of worship, but if it's some distance from home, we assure the parents that a religous service will be held.

KS, I was a volunteer firefighter several years ago. We had a call to go to an old abandoned building which caught fire. It had a front porch which was concrete. As we were attacking the fire from the front door, I had a chunk of concrete hit my face shield. It had blown up from this slab. Thankfully, the shield stopped it.