Tampa Turtle

My son was wearing his (Polyester, Nylon?) BSA scout pants at the campfire and a ember melted a small hole in them. Which is the best way to repair them?

I am stealing that idea!

I want to thank everyone for some great clarity and ideas. I have passed my ideas on to the SM and SPL and plan on working on training the next ASPL on working with the POR's. I will be making the "no more automatic POR check-offs speech" to the parent soon, too.

Chippewa29, Interesting. I might show this to the ASPL as a tool. If you could send me something. Could you contact me via private message?

Since my email spun off this thread I am a big believer in competition. I was just mad I got maimed in a losing football season; a championship game would have made it easier. But seriously I think competition --especially Patrol vs Patrol competition is healthy. Yes a much gentler approach is needed with cubbies. IMHO the "everybody is a winner" attitude erodes the ability to get boys to understand that they must meet the advancement and merit badge requirements. That is why it is easier to deal with "do your best" in cub scouting vs. "be prepared" in Scouting. Boys naturally comp

I did hold my elementary experience against coaches. I have know some great ones. I did have a football coach is High School who was a real you know what. I was a Center and pulled some tendons in my ankle. I could barely walk off the field. Coach made me go back in the next series. Promptly tore out 2 on one side of foot. Still have the limp. Think about that coach every day. We only won one game that season anyway--what was the point. Realized I was just a piece of meat to him. Jerk bag.

Get the Tiger leaders trained up as soon as possible. Give them the support of an older hand. They tend to be rather skittish. Make sure they get a shirt; seems to make them more committed.

Candy fire You have the boys practice making a fire on paper plate using edibles. First mini-marshmallows to make a fire ring. Some coconut for tinder, pretzel sticks for kindling, pretzel logs for fuel. Put red hots on to represent the fire. Or any other suitable candy/snack item. Then they get to eat them. Some boys carefully build a log cabin or teepee structure, etc. Very popular. Requires some organization to do for 100.

I thought an emergency service project was when a scout realizes he has not done any service hours and the COH is in 2 weeks?

TwoCub, Sounds like you have a large Troop as well...Yes we could have done what you did. We had 3 ASPL's but they were all "just in case". More than enough work to spread around. I like the Troop Guide, Program, and Supervisory division. I guess we can present that option to the next SPL. We have had the TQM and PQM's. While it has not gone as well as we liked we have made good progress with 1/2 the PQM's. We give the PQM's POR credit as it is big job with a lot of responsibility. The TQM is a real driver and gear head. We now do mostly Patrol gear and if a patrol doesn't pack thei

We have almost weekly uniform competitions with the SPL awarding SM-supplied prizes for the most complete and correct outfit. Some boys getting very competitive (winners been decided on issues like brown shoes, watch, pen). I have also told a few boys "lets get that updated". SPL almost had a sewing session one week (I like that idea). A boy without the correct rank and position cannot sit for BOR.

Den Yells-Dens are encouraged to use their yells when there name is mentioned at Pack meetings. Relay races-we have done some good ones based on camping equipment (pass the sleeping nag) Balloon stomp -great for den meetings Cub Scout How-To Book--lots of ideas. Candy Fire - always popular. We have done it with 100 boys at a Pack meeting. Keep the Pack meetings moving! Consider taking the meeting outside if you usually do it in a classroom or cafeteria. Or if you always do it in a park find a new location. We had a den meeting in a City Park, took a hike for

I found the amount of enmity toward Bush just as bad. While I did not vote for him (I voted for -gag- Kerry.) he is the leader. This is our process like it or not. I concentrate on telling the boys you respect the office; you don't like it help a campaign and vote when you can. Its a tough job regardless. Kinda like my attitude toward SM's.

The POR patches drive me crazy! Boys leave the old ones on and take forever to put the new one on. Velcro might be OK if it is Khaki. I did that for my Webelos DL/ASM patches but it is not so great. The new "smokes" pocket is a great disincentive to getting the patches on. This has been a great discussion. Ideas I like: (1)Letting younger guys do it --the best candidate for the job. (2)Working with the ASPL, he does the check off. Goal is to work on the boy not the requirement check off. (3)Display Board. More recognition over all. (4)More flexibility in positions; a scout volu

Most of my family is on the west coast. I think it was a different experience East vs West. Most folks found out when they turned on the morning news. Real time vs. happened event. I think there was more rumors, confusion, and fear as it happened. On a side note: When Reagan got shot I was a smart-ass college student. Couldn't stand him --could not believe he got elected. That day I did not have the news on and went to a small store in my south Georgia college town. Lady behind counter "Isn't it a shame about President Reagan?". Thinking I had found a kindred spirit I replied "Y

The night before my wife and I had had a big fight and we weren't talking but 9/11 made us forget about it. Sept 11 was going to an off site meeting. Waiting in lobby saw Today Show coverage of small plane hitting tower. Saw 2nd. plane hit live. We had our staff meeting for the next two hours with the picture on and the sound off and tried to figure out what was going on. I found my notes from that meeting recently--we managed to actually get something accomplished. Recall at the time was that 20,000 people were thought to have perished at the Twin Towers. On the drive back real

Ah yes I still have a 13 year old who still believes in Santa Claus.

Venividi, You hit right on the head. What do we do until we get there. The best candidates would be the new scouts. They are the ones showing up to help. I know it is not supposed to count until they are 1st Class but it would serve the older boys right...

Got it: SPL does PL and TG which makes more sense. ASPL does the rest (if filled) So I will propose the SM works with the SPL I will work with the ASPL

I am going to ask a really dumb question... The ASPL position does not mention supervising Troop Guides, Scribes, Web Mastters, etc. Is the supervision implied?

We have a few boys who really just like going camping and hanging with the guys. I regularly argue with some of the adult leadership about pushing them to Eagle.

I like the direction this is going. The ASPL description does say "Helps train and supervise the troop scribe, quartermaster, instructor, librarian, historian, and chaplain's aide." The leadership corp wouldn't work too well since 3 out of 5 PL's were pretty bad. I like the listing. Another problem we had were folks too lazy to change their POR patch. Made it hard if I ever had a question. Who supervises the Troop Guides? And if you do not have a New Scout Patrol do you need them?

OK. We had 3 ASPL's none of whom did a darn thing. (3 was huge mistake--I was not involved in that) Assume the ASPL needs to meet with these guys. Then it seems my plan should be to help train the ASPL to respond to the SPL and how to manage the POR's. Kinda like training a new supervisor.

Forgive my free associative ramblings I was just a baby on my mothers hip when she ran into a neighbors apartment to see the TV. My dad was a big Kennedy man and was always sad about it. I vaguely remember RFK's being shot. For me it was the Vietnam War bug out when I was 13. I remember the panic on those last planes out, the co-pilot kicking folks off the ramp. Reading the paper the next day. Really shocked me, we lost. Seemed such a come down after the moon landings when we strode the earth like giants... 9-11 shocked me but I had little ones and the feeling of being unable to

In our next round of non-elected POR's we are attempting to create some kind of system for keeping boys accountable. I have been tasked by the SM to come up with something. It is my reward for complaining about the deadbeats. The SM is busy working with SPL and PL's. The SPL's and PL's have been mostly busy with the Quartermasters and APl's. They get the rudimentary leadership training. The area that is not getting attention is all Chaplin's Aides, Librarians, Scribes, etc. Most are AWOL or minimally functioning and it hurts the Troop. Right now they are given a form saying that the