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Tampa Turtle

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Everything posted by Tampa Turtle

  1. Tampa Turtle
    When it turns into a class every scout meeting the Troop goes downhill fast. My troop seems to cycle into this pattern over and over. Best time we did was trying to pair up some merit badges that helped you had skills (backpacking, canoeing, geo-caching) into future campouts...then it seemed like their was a purpose and not just getting a check off. But you can't do it more often. We had some luck running a few Merit Badges before the meeting and on Saturdays but eventually they bled into the regular meeting. The latest push is by accomplish driven Scouts who feel like playing a game
  2. Tampa Turtle
    My mom made us boys cook just enough to survive and so we wouldn't be so reliant on a girlfriend. I knew enough to make a couple things and survive. When my wife and I were dating she went off to graduate school in a city about 2 hours away. One thanksgiving break she had to stay and wrap up her masters project and couldn't go home so I showed up at her apartment with a basket of groceries and made us a thanksgiving dinner (canned ham, instant mashed potatoes, canned green beans-hey it was the early eighties). I did not know she was running low on groceries and really didn't know how to cook a
  3. Tampa Turtle
    ditto, amen, I concur. At best Eagle might get you a pause in the screening process or a pass if they wondered why you were not more active in other extra circulars. It helped Son#1 apply for college because he is a nerd and it made him look a little more rounded. Playing a sport would have worked too. Scouts (not the Eagle) has helped him because it gave him enough material for about four different personal essays he has had to write as part of the college process. But other life experiences might have helped too. The Eagle did help him in a few personal interviews networking (with Monks and
  4. Tampa Turtle
    I mentioned this discussion with Mrs Turtle and she was amazed it took me this long to realize that some new folks might game the system or make an appeal to grab the college resume credential even if they are joining too late because we have become the 'everyone wins a trophy' nation. She has seen this with the younger parents in the activities she is involved in. BSA national talks a lot about character issues and the iconography and legend of the traditional scout but has so over-emphasized the Eagle rank as the goal with an implied *wink wink* 'it looks good on resumes too' that will
  5. Tampa Turtle
    I had to read that a couple times before I realized I agreed with that. signed..the plodding turtle of orthodoxy.
  6. Tampa Turtle
    Be still my beating heart. I have been giving this speech for years. You got good patrol leaders a lot of things take care of themselves from the bottom up. Unfortunately adults (and some scouts) try the SPL as management from the top down and it doesn't work.
  7. Tampa Turtle
    I was always told "we don't repeat grades in Cub Scouts". It depends where his buddies/peer groups go. If he is pulled out to home school then that is another issue. The main thing is if he is having a fun time with boys who welcome into his group. I had this happen to one son who had to repeat third grade, he stayed with his den. It worked out OK, occasionally his schedule was different. He went on to Boy Scouts and got his Eagle, too. In retrospect I anguished way too much over this.
  8. Tampa Turtle
    Alas she can't be 'Rogue One' -- Felicity Jones got the part.
  9. Tampa Turtle
    Son#1 was waving a pdf of the Guide to Safe Scouting during his Eagle Project prep talk though he was just making some stuff up. Made him look on the ball...Scoutmaster eventually started looking stuff up later sayin' 'I didn't know that?'.
  10. Tampa Turtle
    In order to do a good Cooking MB one must 'add' to the excitement if not the requirements. We have tried in the past to combine ours with various cooking competitions both individual and patrol and follow up on making sure Patrols are actually cooking real food on some campouts. Once it becomes part of the culture -vs pringles, ramen, and pop tarts- they get better at it. If the emphasis is on just getting the Eagle required MB and moving on than you will see much improvement. Progress is apparent if a parent tells you later that their boy starts cooking a dish at home frequently or if a
  11. Tampa Turtle
    These activities matter less and less in the college resume arms raise. There is rampant 'accomplishments' inflation as well as outright fraud at our High $chool. I bet there are high school college admissions parents meetings where someone is asking if they all school be starting a non-profits and hiring an admissions coach. (my kids high school has had signs advertising 'college essay help' for months now. I bet some of that 'help' is the actual writing) On the transfer issue I'd think my boys would resent the fact that while THEY choose Scouts over competing programs someone can do som
  12. Tampa Turtle
    Boys play nice or at least make the bickering more flavorful and entertaining.
  13. Tampa Turtle
    The great thing about this approach is it increases 'the cost of admittance' and quickly weeds out folks who are gonna balk at more expense and inconvenience. YPT does that a little bit.
  14. Tampa Turtle
    While we online Scouters gripe, gripe, gripe about a gradual sense of erosion of the traditional program I think what we are about to experience is that 'tilting point' where there is a sudden and drastic change is the sustainability and viability of BSA National. It is not too big to fail or too historic an institution to go away. You can sense we are quickly approaching some sort of crisis point. That said I think, again, Scouting as an ideal will continue without all the ScoutStuffs, Summits, and executive boards. Maybe (to use a religious example) the difference between a large centr
  15. Tampa Turtle
    I am concerned that the conceptual model of 'Family Camping' will only hold up until a few unregistered siblings get hurt at an event and a good lawyer finds big enough hole to drive a "this is really an offical BSA event" through. Even partial liability will be worth a few new pages in Scouter. I guess it gives risk management job security along with the headaches.
  16. Tampa Turtle
    I think my SPL son nailed it a while ago when I asked him for his opinion and while he'd prefer no girls it was not that big a deal to him compared with adults ruining the program.
  17. Tampa Turtle
    @Jameson76 I get the 'true believer' in the middle of chaos thing...I think Scouting in the U.S. will survive even if BSA may not...but a downside will be that we ALL will be branded with whatever poor behavior any family units might do at parks, etc. Boy Scouts already have a mixed reputation with a lot of rangers. In addition there were more push-back from parents when you try to do a traditional program because the troop they were at before the move seemed like it did a totally different program.
  18. Tampa Turtle
    I have been using a chinese rip-off of a pocket rocket for a while (it was only $7 but only has two settings "off" and "flamethrower") but it is a bit noisy. I have an alcohol stove, stand, and fuel container I have been wanting to test for that very reason. The noise can be intrusive. Also I always seem to have a partial canister and carry and extra and then carry two and that gets bulky. All I do is boil water, maybe I should do a playoff.
  19. Tampa Turtle
    Billy: "Why" Ted: "Its that new scout Sally" Billy:"Sally! The new Patrol Leader? She's swell...she's the best camper in the bunch of new scouts that came in this June!" Ted:"Yeah, I know, I know. She's got her Eagle Court of Honor next month" Billy: "shhhhh...that's her dad with the AK back there...."
  20. Tampa Turtle
    I have seen this attitude at Pack camp-outs (often the less engaged parents) and occasionally at Troop events when a dad gets brow beaten into spending quality time with their son, bails out half way, and expects the Troop to accommodate them. Like 1/2 of a 2 man canoe with gear bails out, in the Everglades, on day 2 of a 4 day trip, in my canoe. Not that it bothers me.
  21. Tampa Turtle
    Ted: "Hi Billy" Billy: "HI, Ted. Whats wrong" Ted: "I feel so frustrated about scouting I just want to give up" MUSIC QUE: Sad Harmonica plays quietly in background.
  22. Tampa Turtle
    I give up! Campfire stories are being censored!! (See how I did that)
  23. Tampa Turtle
    $50 per scout, includes advancement materials (merit badges, rank), local and national fee, and Boys Life Magazine. Campouts extra running $35-$55 a Scout.
  24. Tampa Turtle
    Comrade, the survey will have overwhelming support regardless of the outcome. (You will of course not get the survey.) And as for you Citizen Stosh I here the camping is delightful in Siberia this year.
  25. Tampa Turtle
    Ah nears Hicksville. I was born in Bay Shore and my sister in Patchogue but left when I was a wee one. Went back once.
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