stressbaby

Interesting discussion. Has any analysis been done? What sort of numbers are available for analysis? I did a simple 2x2 table using the above-cited 5 LDS scouts among the 8 deaths in BSA. This means that the odds ratio death of LDS scouts is 14.36(!). With more data, obviously, a more detailed analysis could be done, such an analysis would be able to factor in geography and other variables.

My suggestion, SPLT15, is that you consider spending as much time looking for another project as you have defending this (probably unworthy) one.

Got it, thanks!

I just knew this topic had to have been addressed earlier. But I spent an hour messing around with the search function and I could not find my answer. The search refused to limit my search to camping and pulled up irrelevant threads from all of the different forums. After an hour I gave up and posted the question again. I'm in Fulton. Stressbaby.

We have a new scout troop, one year old. Another troop that was folding generously donated their tents to us. They are adequate for all of our needs. Our trouble is that some scouts want to take their own personal tents camping. One scout has a one-man backpacking tent that he wants to use. Two others (both sons of the CC) want to take their own 2-man tents. My position is that if the boys want to use their own tents, then they can go camping with their family or friends outside of scouts. For troop activities, the troop tents should be used. This creates a sense of ownership o

It seems to me that the medical reviews done at our summer camp are a flagrant violation of the new HIPPA regulations (Health Information Privacy and Portability Act). Does anyone know whether Boy Scouts are exempt from HIPPA rules? If not, what steps must be taken to come into compliance with regard to the medical review at summer camp? Stressbaby

I'll make a plug for the Raceview software. We built a new 6 lane track last year and ran the District PWD race with Raceview. We connected a projector and showed the races and results on a screen as we went along. It went fine and we had no problems with the software. Stressbaby

I have to say that IMHO, one of the reasons for the ineffectiveness of OA in our area is the fact that the older scouts are divided, or are dividing their time, between OA and Mic-O-Say. SB

I don't think this requirement is inconsistent with the patrol method but it does create problems on the duty roster for a campout. When one of our boys needs to complete 4e for first class, he brings this up at the patrol meeting when the boys complete the duty roster. If he and an assistant are cook and fire for the entire campout, the rest of the boys are stuck with KP all weekend. So far it hasn't been a problem with our new troop, but I wonder whether it could be and what solutions are out there. Stressbaby

Mic-O-Say is quite popular in our area. Many older boys spend as much time in Mic-O-Say activities as they do in OA. I'm sure someone will subsequently post more information than I will (and probably correct me in the process) but my understanding is that Mic-O-Say developed as an alternative to OA. At some point along the way, in the 70's or 80's if my memory is correct, BSA officially associated with OA to the official exclusion of Mic-O-Say. Mic-O-Say's growth slowed thereafter, leaving it a local or regional program. I am not in Mic-O-Say, but an adult I met at my Brotherhood Honor we

I don't have any problem with air mattresses whatsoever. In our area sleeping on a pad seems to be a macho thing for the adults. The thinking goes, "the boys don't seem to have a problem with pads, so why should the adults?" However, every adult with whom I have discussed this admits to sleeping poorly on a pad on the ground. And once they give up the pad for an air mattress or cot, they enjoy the campouts a lot more. I am fortunate enough not to have a back problem (knock wood) but since going to a cot, I no longer come home from campouts exhausted from lack of sleep. In our are

Thanks, Bob White. I don't have the Advancement Committee P & P manual (I'll be getting one), but I do have the Scoutmaster Handbook, and the wording in Chapter 10, on p. 120, "Step 2" is open to a little interpretation. It states that a leader can check off a scout who has "fully mastered a skill at the level expected." OK, so what level of skill mastery should we expect? More specifically, what techniques do Scouters commonly use to test for mastery of a skill?

What level of mastery of a skill do forum members require before signing a scout off on a requirement? Asked another way, how do members of this forum test and sign off boys on requirements? Must they simply do the task in a group skill instruction session? Must they do the task individually? For an adult? For another scout? Must they demonstrate the skill an hour, a day, a week after the instruction session to be passed?

My son is in Dr. Beado's new troop. He had "advanced" to within Requirement #8 of First Class within 4 months of joining his old troop. Does he know his stuff? Nope. My wife listened to him complete #5 for 2C: Identify or show evidence of 10 kinds of wild animals. How did he do it? At a patrol meeting he was asked to name 10 different animals. Who asked, then checked him off? The Scoutmaster! Needless to say, the new troop will redo lots of these requirements. This raises the question, which I will post in a new thread: What level of mastery of the material is needed to pass a r

KoreaScouter - Court of Honor is held at the Saturday night campfire. Families are invited, but I suspect family attendance will be less than desired (I know it won't be first on my wife's list of things to do on Saturday night!) Eisely - Good question. Scoutnut or Bob White, do you know the terms of a charter?

ScoutParent - This was the founding sm's idea. NJCubScouter - I'm with you and sctmom, I don't see how it can be done without regular meetings. But maybe someone out there knows otherwise.

I'm not the SM, but I've got the Handbook. It says "The weekly meeting is the glue that holds a Scout troop together." Further, it says "Meetings should occur at the same time every week so that boys and their families can schedule efficiently." It doesn't say that a troop must have these meeting, just suggests that they should. It is clear that the Troop is not going by the book. The question is, can the Troop ultimately be successful if it doesn't?

My son is in a Troop that does not hold any regularly scheduled meetings. Instead, they conduct their "business" after service projects, on campouts, etc. My concern is threefold: 1) the boys need some time to prepare for the outdoor tasks presented at the campouts; 2) the boys need more time than the campouts allow in order to practice and complete other, noncamping tasks; 3) the lack of a scheduled meeting time means that a boy cannot show up and take part, but rather has to rely on the phone tree run by the scouts to know when the next activity is. This is a new Troop using a model w

Question: Is there a successful model for a program that does not have any regularly scheduled troop meetings? This model would have patrol and PLC meetings on the campouts or after meeting for other reasons such as service projects.

Thanks for the advice. Scoutnut - I suppose we both know that BSA has no such official critter known as the "founding SM". This was the term used by the SM. I don't know who the COR is but I will find out. KoreaScouter - I also do not know who our unit commissioner is or if we even have one yet. I'll find this out as well. I'm hearing you say that if we try to resolve this issue from within, we should start with the COR and/or the Troop Committee. Past the COR, the Unit or District Commissioner and DE would be the ones to speak with.

The SM says he is trained, including Woodbadge. Sounds like the COR is the person internally to go to first. BTW, we also learned that the New Scout Patrol cannot meet without either the SPL, SM, or Troop Guide. The SPL is SM's older son (13 years old) and the Troop Guide is the SM's younger son (10 years, 10 months old). I guess I missed that page in the Handbook as well. Thanks, folks

My son cross over into a new Troop this year. The Troop was founded in January by a very enthusiastic Scouter with two boys in Scouts and lots of experience. Unfortunately, he is an autocrat and a micromanager. And now I have learned of several instances of un-Scoutmaster-like behaviors. (Example one of about a dozen...the SM told a Scout's PL not to call a Scout back to inform him of meeting and campout dates and times, effectively eliminating him from the Troop without any discussion with the Committee or the Scouts parents.) The SM has told me that while the Committee is responsibl