T2Eagle

Some may see this as heresy but we have essentailly stopped using den numbers. This is primarily because the dens tend to become consolidated over the years, from three dens of Tigers down to one den of each set of Webelos. And we would then have to decide which number to use --- and frankly most parents wouldn't bother changing them any way. At Pack level events the boys tend to be grouped, by us and by themselves, by age, so it's "Tigers line up here, Bears over there." When we do need to identify a specific den we use the leader's name "Mr. Smith's den over here." The only reason I can see for numbers is as an identifier of a particular subset of the cubs. An assigned den number doesn't really have the loyalty building effect of a patrol name the boys choose for themselves, and our method is more intuitive and easier for 6, 7, and 8 year olds to understand. Heresy maybe, but it works for us.

Our troop is interested in taking a ski trip to Boyne MI; does anyone have any tips for cabin camping near there. Scenic Trails website gives the impression Camp Greilick is usually booked so I don't have a lot of hope for camping there. Does anyone know of any other possibilities in the Northern Lower Peninsula.

If an 18 year old Venturer goes camping with the Troop what's his status? Is he an adult? A scout? Who can or cannot he tent with? We have a scout who is about to turn 18 and would like to stay involved with the troop, but he is a very young 18, only a Junior in high school and we're not really sure he has what it takes to be an ASM. Our CO has a Venture Crew Chartererd, it's currently in the process of being reinvigorated by some of our committee members but currently it exists only on paper. If this young man registers as a Venturer where do we place him if he goes camping with us? If I have the date right he is actually going to age out in the middle of a camping weekend.

I want to give a present to a Scout who is earning his Eagle. He is heading to Philmont next year and I want to get him something for the trek. I'm trying to think of something that would be either an addition to, or a nice upgrade above, the basic equipment everyone would bring. Any ideas?

Regarding enough room for everyone, if you pass the capacity for the cabins you can probably put the Webelos and/or some of the adults out in tents. Most camps don't mind if you pitch a few tents right outside the cabin. For the Webelos you need to decide how "winterish" the camping is, but adults are always fair game. I personally would almost always rather sleep in a tent rather than in a cabin full of people, and the Webelos can use the opportunity to complete an Outdoorsman.

Whoever handles advancement paperwork in your council office can also download copies of the forms and easily e-mail them to you. They can search by Membership number and also by name. One of my son's had a transposed number on it, but we were still able to retrieve it.

Cabela's has the Hooligan 4 on sale for $80. We are currently looking at these. We were at a huge Camporee over the weekend at Put-In-Bay Ohio and checked out a lot of tents. A scout near us had the three man version and said he loved it. I was concerned about how hot it would be in the summer, but he said he used his through summer camp with no problems. Generally I don't like Coleman quality, we adults had a big Coleman that just wouldn't stand up to the wind last weekend, but I have been doing the research and these are the only tents in their price range with the full fly and vestibule. It's always a conundrum to decide what tradeoff to make between price and quality. I think we'll probably only get about 3 years out of these but they are only 1/3 to 1/2 the price of an equivalent Kelty or Alps. If you beleieve the market is efficient than the relative price reflects the relative quality and in the long run the economics of them should be equivalent. For myself earlier this year I made the opposite decision and bought a very good but very expensive family tent from REI, I expect it to last me 10+ years, but I'm not a 12 year old scout. Scouts are hard on tents, even well meaning and well disciplined scouts, and accidents are going to happen no matter how well you train them or they train themselves. If the Colemans last three years that will probably cover the peak camping years for most of our scouts. They'll have raised the money for them, they'll get the most use out of them, and they'll wear them out.

Both my wife and I have explained to our kids that neither of us would ever submit any significant professional written piece without having someone else proofread and edit it. When you are looking at your own composition there comes a point where you no longer can spot the errors, you see what you think it says not neccesarily what's there. Give him your suggested edits and let him decide what to do with them.

Of course not all sweatshirts, turtle necks, and mock turtles are cotton. National supply has (or had I can't find it right now) a green technical fabric mock-turtle base layer that matched the Centennial uniform, I have that and a similar type navy-blue mock-turtle that I wear with my Cub uniform. We're not talking really cold weather but rather Fall type, 40s -- 50s. A shirt isn't enough but a jacket is too much. And we northern scouters aren't the only folks with this sartorial taste -- think of football or even playoff baseball players -- and they do it for the same reason, you want the identifying uniform to be your outermost layer but you need at least one additional full layer for comfort.

I'm with Calico and Beavah, being charitable is never the wrong answer. I also think a little adjustment in the verbiage will shed some light. You wrote about paying "her fees," but their not her fees they're the fees a 7 and an 8 year old boy. And if they're not paid that's who is not going to get the benefit of scouting.

The biggest glitch of course is the boy and his blue form.

Here is my favorite story from summer camp. I think it will take a while to top it. MONDAY NIGHT: Billy: Can I call my mom? ASM: No ,weve found thats the worst thing you can do if youre homesick Billy: (Tears, sniffling, etc.) I really miss my Mom ASM and Billy have discussion about how its OK to be homesick, everyone is to some extent or another, mom would want him to have a good time at camp, etc. TUESDAY NIGHT: Billy: (Tears, sniffling), Can I go home when my mom comes tomorrow? ASM: No Billy: Why not? ASM: Because scout camp lasts for the week, no one goes home before then. ASM and Billy have discussion about its OK to feel this way, hes worried about mom, moms certainly worried about him, need to focus on the good things going on: merit badges and activities tomorrow, then see mom, then merit badges and activities Thursday, then its downhill from there. WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Mom comes for parent night, gives same answers as ASM. THURSDAY NIGHT: Billy: (Tears, etc.) I just want to go home. ASM: Hang in there Billy, think how much you will have accomplished by tomorrow." FRIDAY NIGHT: Leaving the ampitheater after final campfire. Billy: Boy, it feels like we just got here yesterday, I cant wait to come back next year. ASM: (resisting urge to throttle him) Me too Billy. Me too.

Does anyone know how the record keeping for merit badges worked at Jamboree? By the time my son got off the bus he was missing one full and two partial blue slips. He believes there is some sort of central computer repository of these records. Does anyone know how whether this is so?

Both this flow chart and a similar description in Scoutsource list Leader Specific (by position) as a basic training requirement. Is there a position specific training for Committtee members? The online Troop Committee Challenge is listed as advanced or supplemental training.

Yes, hydrate! A fellow scouter recently brought out his USMC NCO manual and showed the boys how similar it was to our handbook and the things we're trying to get them to take on as their responsibility. One of the directives dealt with peronal hygiene: it stated that personal hygiene was critical to operational efficiency and therefore underwear and socks must be changed at least twice weekly. His Mrs. Scouter saw that and penciled in "daily."

Bucks County Council, Camp Ockanickon, now you're talking kewl. Always home, if not always where I live.

NJCubScouter, The YPT online module does include state specific rules for reporting abuse and a Council specific letter from your SE about how to contact him/her. I retook the online version a few weeks ago and it was painless and only took 1/2 an hour. It might be worth your going through it to see it. Our CO is a Catholic Church and so we all have to do a Diocesan specific YPT every several years. The first time is live and the renewal can be done online. I started the online renewal the other day and it said it would take 90 minutes.

If you look deeper into the $19.95 Switchbacks it's more a "clearance" item then anything else. There are limited sizes available. If they come in your size buy them.

The ACP&P Manual says a BOR should be held after all the requirements have been met. But it also says "The review should be held at a convenient time and location." I don't think three months later meets the test of convenient. Certainly it would not be seen that way by a 13 or 14 year old. So if these are really your only choices you are going to be in violation of the ACP&P either way. Since that's the situation, you should be in violation on behalf of the scout: use common sense and hold the review. This kind of legalistic parsing of the rules, including the argument I just provided, shouldn't be the guiding principles of the program. Again from ACP&P: "The review has three purposes: To make sure the "work" has been learned and completed.(emphasis added) To see how good an experience the Scout is having in his unit. To encourage the Scout to advance to the next rank." None of these purposes will be contravened by holding the review a couple dozen hours early, but the last two could be by making the Scout wait three more months. As to what's the rush, most likely this Scout set himself the goal of earning Star in the minimum amount of time, he's done everything he can to achieve that goal, that's a noble thing that should be encouraged not discouraged. The scout has learned, he's been tested, now review him and recognize him.

On Part C of the Annual medical Form there is a part where the parent is to list who can and cannot transport a scout to and from an activity. I have always interpreted this as being who can drop off, and more importantly who cannot pick up a scout from say camp or a meeting. If for instance you had an ugly custody fight and needed to say your ex was not allowed to pick up your son. Some others have interpreted it to mean who can drive a scout to say a camping trip. If it means this then we have to have parents say "any adult designated by the Scoutmaster" --- which would make the question meaningless --- or we have to list every parent that might ever drive to a campout. We do of course verify all the necessary insurance and other qualifications for folks driving to campouts. This question is just about the form. Can someone shed light on how to interpret and use this passage? Thanks,

I'm curious about the medical form part of this. My understanding is that "all BSA unit members" are required to have the medical forms, A&C yearly, B for something like you describe. But that doesn't mean that everyone going on the trip has to have those. If you're not a unit member, you're for instance a parent just going on this trip, you don't need to have the forms to qualify for a tour permit or for it to be a scouting trip. Was it that some scouts didn't have the required forms, or that some of the adults going didn't want to complete the forms?

NC Scouter, Dick's has underarmour underwear for boys. I'm sure other big retailers and sporting goods stores would carry it. This is the only youth size wicking underwear I can find. Neither REI nor LLBean seem to carry the wicking stuff this small, and I haven't yet found another manufacturer with these sizes. If anyone knows of one please post. Underarmour does make quality merchandise, but you pay a premium for the quality and then pay another premium for the name. http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3581286

Granted, no one would know anything if this person didnt say anything --- unless they found out some other way. I am very much against the idea that we background check every parent or everyone we come in contact with. But now one scouter does know something, but not enough to know everythings OK. Domestic Violence is usually a descriptive term not the name of the actual crime committed. The actual offense might be assault, or battery, or assault with a deadly weapon, or assault with intent to maim, or criminal sexual conduct, etc. Did he beat up his wife, or his kid? Did he plead to one in order to get other charges dropped? Im not advocating that the whole Pack be told whats going on; Im not advocating that he not be allowed to participate in scouting with his son. Im saying this isnt a decision that should be one persons, and this is something that needs a lot more facts before its decided its OK. Which other crimes would we say well he only got probation, he did his time let bygones be bygones? Hes a good guy let him be an active dad? Drug dealing? Bank robbery? Auto theft?

Just to be clear, there can be no defamation here. A criminal conviction is a public record, whether it's violence, sexual predation, or bank robbing. We are all entitled to find out about it and have the right to publish it in almost any way we want. You have a problem, someone who is spending time with your scouts has told you he has a criminal record and does not want to undergo a background check. Maybe he "only" beat up his wife, or maybe he beat up a kid, or maybe something even worse, you don't know. You shouldn't make the decision that it's OK for him to be around, you should bring this to your COR and your scouting professionals. Let them make the call. At a minimum you should at least try to do a determined internet search so you can get the facts. The information is out there and it's not a secret.

We have 10 new crossovers and need at least one new patrol box. (Whether we'll need two is a topic for another thread). Our current boxes are pretty classic, built with one piece of plywood, 2 x 2 legs, and open on one side only. Surfing around the web there are a couple of other designs out there and I was wondering what experience people have had with them and how they made their choices.