Tampa Turtle

You can do that schedule (I have seen it done, and more) but it is a grind and can turn off some boys--there needs to be more fun.

I am arguing over documentation. The emphasis on covering Nationals backside over an emphasis on making sure Scout and Scouters are physically ready for more strenuous activity. However I DO have serious misgivings about National taking this on without screwing this up. In our Troop we usually stage practice hikes, canoeing training, etc before challenging trips to help determine activity fitness.

I'd go with the Coleman or Walmart with the full understanding that once they hit Boy Scouts you are gonna replace everything. I had a huge 9 person sears tent (the great white whale) which slept our family of 4 and the german sheppard. I coulda parked a mini in there! Really nevered used it except for those first few family campouts. I got far more use out of a pair of Eureka 2 man tents as they moved into Webelos and Scouts.

I go for the nylon or microfiber. That said be prepared that the odd ember will melt a hole in them and they can sometimes get a funky odor.

We do our own on check in day while the uniforms are fresh and we have time.

Yes I am aware of the risk/principles for (myself) and various activities. It just seems inconsistent for BSA to care about events on their property vs. events off-property...

What Lodge?

That is what I thought. CYA Hypocritical. I guess I shouldn't complain too loud or lord knows what the next G2SS will be like... Thanks.

My reading is IF you go to one of the official BSA High Adventure programs but NOT if you are going on an equally arduous Troop planned activity. While I may question the logic is that correct?

These are hard conversations to have with a boy (and parents), I have had to sit in to back up my SM in a couple. I recall the Dad afterward coming up and saying "Oh I didn't understand--you are one of THOSE troops!". Apparently boy had been progressing nicely in an adult led unit and the expectations were different...in that case we gave him partial credit for time served and extended his term with extra support...but the family dropped out anyway.

Welcome! You will find there are at least two approaches to any problem! I think you can learn a lot of good ideas.

Oxtwilight camp is like a shortened Day camp in the evening so boys whose parents cannot drop them off in morning or have conflicting activities can attend. We had limited success with it in the day because at least we avoided some of the summer heat...

We have a similar though not as severe problem. We ask every parent to do SOMETHING and the clever ones latch on to jobs like driving a couple times a year than a commitment as a brown shirt. And we keep track. You also have to do some active recruiting for jobs...we make new parents fill out a questionnaire so we know if we have any old Eagles or Scouts, interesting careers for MBC, etc. But you have to go up and ask (the right) people in person.

He needs to be held up, show remorse, and make amends. I'd give him a stop. Very bad choice for a Troop Guide--running boys off could get you asked to leave in our Troop...

I just try to be nice, tell them they were a good scout if I can't recall anything to the contrary. If they were one of my favorites I tell them. I see some of my old cubbies now after some switched schools are now back--some look at me like I look familiar. Rarely one will come up and say what an influence I had OR they remember something I said OR remember having fun. Once I met a boy I saw a lot of potential with (a 'project') but he was such a handful his folks shipped off to a military school several states over. He seems to have straightened out and told me recently that he knew he

In our Troop no form no get on bus. Parents get to drive them the 500 miles and check them in. We just chalk it it up to "National and Camp by-laws". The last few stragglers usually make it. We have tried everything. Shaming lists, threats, having notaries at meetings, etc, We did leave one boy behind whose parents finally got the paperwork done, drove the boy to a rest stop rendezvous (250 miles) and did the handoff, We do have one adult as the Tropp "medicine man" (with regalia) who does all the meds for the boys at camp.

I would suggest to KomerJ to: 1. Keep your book up to date. 2. Get your sign-offs right away. 3. Scan/Photo said pages monthly. 4. "Sync up" your book with Troop records as needed. (My boys send their signed off page scans to our Troopmaster record keeper when they can't meet in person)' 5. Get your advancement report at least once a year and double check. When I visit our Council scout shop I get a copy if the office is open and see there is a discrepancy, 6. After a COH or when you are awarded put your Rank and MB cards in a notebook with baseball card sleeves. If you do

Amen. I say the top three rules: "Take care of your boys, Take care of your boys, Take care of your boys". I have only seen a few PL's who do this, but some movement on the PL's being aware that they should reach out to absentees, seek out help on advancement, and make sure guys have tent buddies, etc. A few more Patrol only activities so some progress being made...

Yea you need to stay on top of it...it is easy for the adults to lose stuff. And BTW make sure to take photos/scan your sign off pages just in case.

I sympathize. I see my primary 4 times a year and I had to make a 5th appointment for my Boy Scout Medical so he would have enough time to put me through the paces...PITA

I have had to tell a boy or two I could not, in good conscience, sign off on Scout Spirit, They usually shop around for an easier mark. I have had SM's who reserved that sign off to themselves for certain boys that needed work.

Hey Alcatraz is cool...great views too. How about Attica?

Webelos--Water bottle rockets, we made them and the launcher stand from MAKE magazine (a GREAT source for these sorts of things). Boys made rockets, calculated volumes, and estimated pressures. Because some boys will really screw things up the adults made a few extras and tested them out the weekend before. Great fun. Also catapults and trebuchets using bamboo spars and lashing. Discussed lengths of the levers and mass of objects. Even when it went wrong it was fun. Boys love fling things. Biggest problem was attaching the counter-weight and ammo-holder part. Make one first (don;t fling o

"Wait, wait, wait honey...lets see, the bunny goes 'round the tree, gets scared, goes down the hole...."

IMHO opinion I would not go forward without 3-5 allies in the Pack that lean the same way you do. I would concentrate on 2-3 priorities and stick with that. Try not to burn out or get your core group burn't out. Summer was always tough for us--folks always seemed to be doing their own thing. We were lucky to do one event a month and usually not even that. Now I think a good alternative would be some low stress, low cost social type events during the summer--mostly just to keep the social connections going, We did a fishing derby, movie night, church sleep in, sort of deals. No focu