Tampa Turtle

We will find out one way or another. The employee videos and upper level discussions eventually made their way here. I would think some more disclosures are inevitable as BSA has to move forward with planning and dissemination. It will take a lot of organizational discipline to control the pacing of information because of social media. I think for example in the case of a retro-active approval of girls prior service (ala Ms. Ireland) folks wanting to take credit for that 'victory' will outrace BSA National and, possibly, once again force them to make a PR announcement before prepping the rank

After reading the articles some of the comments seem like it was paraphrased from discourse on Scouter.com. That said I suspect IF there is a 'rambling' email it WILL get out. (I doubt anyone outside this Forum will care that much) The President of the United States cannot stop leaks so why the BSA CSE. I agree that Surbaugh keeps trying to please all people...not possible. It is (predictably) becoming a mess and a preventable one at that.

Ah so dark. Play on band play on. With Scout Sunday around the corner perhaps "Nearer My God to Thee". And I thought the captain stayed.

I will tell Mrs Turtle to save the money and find a Wolf Den (now easily recognizable by the red kerchiefs) to just make one out of paper mache.

The more I think about it the more I like it! How about a tiny one for the mantle holding the ashes of dear old Mr Turtle. (or maybe a little backpack) It can join my wives collection of the ashes of 3 Sheppard's and 5 Cats.

I discussed this with Mrs Turtle and she wished she had one boy stay back a year in scouts so he would be more socially in sync with his contemporaries. So "we don't repeat" is not an iron clad rule...I will eat my words. (crow over a campfire...does this count for cooking MB somewhere?)

We must strive when we disagree not to be disagreeable. (working on that...)

I think that is what is happening in our Troop now; thank you for articulating that.

I'm pretty stupid I am sure I could beta test. 1st someone needs to break it open.* * now @Sentinel947 I accept this as a spin off for a new topic. I think we need the flashing "segue way" signs like I saw on a Monty Python episode.

No one loves the cat herder especially the cats.

I think the thread manipulation (spin offs, close outs, deletions) seem to be getting out of hand. I know things meander off course but now things read more fragmented than before...natural conversations seem to wander off course. I can see Moderator intervention if folks are getting kinda rude but is kinda taking the fun of the forum...you know the whole Campfire metaphor. That is my two cents.

I did not get a survey this time, alas. @Eagle94-A1 it is eerie (or more likely a sign of the times) that we are having similar issues.

All the way up to the time they age out of Boy Scouts any given 'age' or 'grade' group vary in physical, emotional, and mental maturity. Scouts is where those differences can be accommodated easier than in a school environment.

Ah but the down arrow gives the user that little shot of endorphin-vengeance for a split second. Hard to give that up! To follow up on the less satisfying metaphorical super soakers on the Forum does that mean I can go back to singing the 'little teapot song' again?

I looked at a couple areas with known 'rogue' units...I didn't see anything there either. It has never been the perfect tool.

Well it may default to 'Boy' pack until told otherwise.

I love the Patrol Box casket! Sometimes I think that would be the best use of them...but I am sure once my scouts got me fit in there they would later realize they forgot to pack something and ask someone to run to Walmart or somewhere to get another hand or something.

The last thing you want is a Boy Scout parent who has never camped at least once because they will have a lot of misconceptions, fear, and embarrassment of an area they know little. It often influences the boy. I think this is where some Cub Scout packs make a mistake by doing almost no Family camping at all. As a slightly older parent of my peers I found a whole generation of parents who had never really camped at all and were quite skittish about it. We did a lot of 'introductory' cub and parent games (set up a tent, sleeping bag packing competitions, candy fire instruction, packing lis

Thank you, on this morning of merit badge mill melancholy I open my browser to a big bowl of Green Bar Bill awesome. Warms the soul.

If they get held back it is still a blow to their ego, making them 'repeat' a year in Cubs makes no sense.

*sigh* We HAD a robust outdoor program but the youth (influenced by their parents) CHOSE to abandon it. We used to find room for both but after the wheels fall off this year will have to start rebuilding again (...and this was suppose to be a rebuilding year.) Anyway next topic.

@gblotter Of course, I do not look at advancement begrudgingly...but it is the natural byproduct of having fun in the scout program...it is not the object of it. That point has been discussed, ad nauseum, on this forum for years. I have nothing wrong with having adventures and helping the boys organize themselves to get credit for what they do. And I have seen PLC's come and PLC's go, and good SPL's and not so good ones. But the first time I have ever seen this many months of sitting around (actually canceling outdoor activities to sit around). In working with youth led I certainly am willing

Not 'also' but 'instead'. Only one actual camping trip this year...typically we would be on #5, no patrol meeting time or activities, minimal skills. I guess your position is if the boys voted to turn themselves into an Eagle Mill you would be OK with that. And did you note that I mentioned attendance has dropped in half?

@gblotter I have been the rodeo more than once. I am a big big proponent of boy led. But this leadership, heavily influenced by their parents, has abandoned almost all the traditional program and turned over almost every meeting to adults talking and scouts sitting. The boys in charge really just want to fast track advancement. But camping, not so much. I really think it was a coup orchestrated by the parents. Since this changed 1/2 the boys stopped showing up, the oldest left, and merit badge completion has slowed. I do not see any positive results. I do support them at the meetings

Carpentry Merit Badge- (a) "make, with your leaders permission, a casket for your Scoutmaster or other adult leader. Demonstrate how you measured leader and planned dimensions to fit. If appropriate use hand tools to avoid violating Guide to Safe Scouting guidelines." (b) If appropriate if hunting a white whale casket may be nailed and sealed with pitch for emergency flotation device"