Tokala

I always wear my beads with my field uniform. I never wear my beads with an activity uniform. I don't wear neckerchiefs, but I don't see why you can't wear your beads with any old neckerchief.

I have never used any of my NOAC 'toothpick holders' to hold tooth picks. I have used them for what they were designed for doing.... I got my report date...July 26. They must have lots for me to do to ask me to get there 4 days early.

I have already received my appointment to the OA staff. Adult OA staff positions are very few and I managed to get one. It's going to be interesting. I have the same job as I had at A.P. Hill. That job required the need for a box truck and a couple of pickup trucks. At The Summit, I'll be limited to a golfcart.

I have inside info We will be offering Kayaking merit badge at Sand Hill Scout Reservation this summer. I have a copy of the pre-release merit badge pamphlet, but am not supposed to share it. Scout's honor that I won't. Here is what I can share: What:Kayaking Merit Badge is designed as a basic level merit badge for flat water. Where:Requirements and Pamphlets will be available in Scout Shops and online in May 2012. When:Earn Date will be in May 2012specific date to be determined. Why:The youth showed significant interest* and this topic fits well with the merit badge port

You can be nominated by the Troop committee when your troop holds an election for youth members. They must elect a youth in order to nominate an adult. You must meet the camping requirement that the youth must meet. Adults should be nominated for what they can do to help the Order or the Arrow and not as a form of recognition, reward or award. My Council has a committee which reviews the adult nominations and accepts or declines the nominees. If a Troop has over 50 active Scouts, they can nominate two adults. Adults can also be nominated through the District or Council level. You hav

As Lodge Adviser, I have a bigger problem to deal with concerning flaps: adults that wear the flap from their youth and the rest of the uniform consists of patches from the current Council. National policy states that they can only be registered in the lodge where they are registered. One such fellow was chosen as one of our Jamboree Troop leaders. Being the Lodge Adviser and Council VP of Program I told him that he must remove his old flap and wear a current flap from the local Lodge (which he does pay dues). I have no concern if someone wears a flap from 1959 or 2009. They are all recog

Southern Region Area 4 recently held an Area gathering which included finance, membership, program and training Council leadership. Most of the session was repitive, boring review of JTE. We had maybe an hour or two of breakouts where we could share ideas and information or network. Our training chair didn't make it, but I suspect that what you are seeing in your Area models this event in the South. One item I brought up as Program VP was the mandatory training requirement. I basically told them to stop announcing it until they were ready with the software, because it will make it more di

Sand Hill Scout Reservation does not charge a fee for the first two leaders. Since it is policy to maintain 2-deep leadership we realize the commitment that the adults must make to attend camp. If additonal adults want to come to camp for the week, we charge a reduced rate of $75. Adults that stay the full week get a gift from the camp. It's been stainless steel coffeee mugs, or laptop bags. On Thursday nights we take sliced, chilled watermelon to every troop in camp and thank them for coming.

Some of that verbage seems weird. Haven't had tour permits in a couple of years. Strange how they refer to old terms. What exactly is Scoutwire and is it even reputable?

I don't see it happening. Just remember that the big list at the beginning largely consisted of awards (Silver, OA, adult training, etc). Eagle Scout is a Rank/advancement. There is a big difference between the two kinds even at National. National doesn't track Silver Awards for Venturers because it's an award and not a rank. I am hearing that they are looking into to tracking them at some point. Sea Scouting is the other segment with ranks and it is co-ed, but they have their own progression of ranks. There just doesn't seem to be a good rerason to lump them all together and make Ea

ScoutBox wrote: I can still remember the SPL on my Course stating that the Announcement song was NOT Allowed! When I was SPL for a course, I had to put an end to the Wood Badge song. Seems the Beaver patrol thought that they would continuously repeat the song during the opening luncheon. They didn't stop when asked nicely in private, so I put up my Scout sign and told them it would stop. People couldn't eat and it was interfering with the program for the lunch. Some criticized me, butmost realized that is exactly what an SPL would do: control his Troop.

The basic idea is that you are modeling a Troop activity. However, you're dealing with a time schedule that is tight and doesn't leave room to regroup if you get behind. If there is time for a weather rock, go ahead. If not, leave it out. It is possible that you don't have to do a weather rock "report" everyday. I'm an NHL fan, so when I was SPL I would announce the score for the local team if there was a game the night before. I have noticed that the staff tends to make the morning Gilwell assemblies longer than necessary.

Just looking at a map...Cincinnati OH, Lexington KY, Winston-Salem NC or Knoxville, TN don't seem to be bad drives and maybe a better/cheaper selection of flights.

I always call them what they are: clothes. I have both OA ceremonies and pow wow involvement and we tend to put more effort into determining a description than the Native Americans do. Go to a pow wow and they'll tell you that they're going to put their clothes on. I see more Scouts and Scouters taking offense at the use of the words costume, regalia, etc, than I do Indians.

Just last week I asked our Area Director if anyone had checked to see if the declining membership started when they started to shift the program to more indoor/technology-related than outdoor/camping-related. The look on his face meant "no".

IU just saw one go through my emails that was based on a Zombie Apocalypse. Bet you could have some fun with that one.

If the Lodge supplies the monies to make the clothes and outfits, the Lodge owns them. It's that simple. If the individual supplies the monies then they own them. I my decades of OA involvement, I will say that clothes that are made and funded by an individual receive better care. The Lodge owned stuff gets thrown on the ground and damaged because the Scouts don't think it's their resources. My Lodge put together a box of our older ceremonial clothes and make it available to the Districts for Cross Over ceremonies. Sometimes a Chapter will take charge of the ceremony for the District

A troop that I was involved with had $14K taken by the Treasurer. It never showed in committee reports because the treasurer generated the reports and was the only person receiving the bank statements. The Troop's fix was to have the monthly bank statements sent to the commmittee chair and the Charter Organization. They eventually got all of their funds repaid.

Camp La-No-Che ticks aren't your regular deer ticks either. Their tiny, about the size of a pin head. I usually get one as soon as I step out of my truck. FYI: Sand Hill is pretty much tick-free

My lodge has about 20 going if I include staff. A smaller than normal attendance, but I think that the economy is largely effecting it. Florida isn't known for high paying jobs and has been hit hard with the housing and unemployment. The youth leaders decided to go to Cedars Point for a day instead of spending money on duffle bags, hats, t-shirts, etc. My staff position requires me to arrive on probably Wednesday this year.(This message has been edited by Tokala)

The most basic part of patches is to make money. Whether it's to add to Council, National, or personal coffers. That's why we have Council strips for FOS, trainign scholarships, wood badge, Jamboree, etc. It's a simple, effective way to raise cash! I know 2-3 Scout shops that carry Silver Antelope and Silver Buffalo knots. Bet i could walk in one and buy one

There is no way that all of 'my leaders' will be trained. As VP of Program we try to offer training at times that it's needed and often enough so people don't have to travel as much. When National came out with the mandatiry training, we (the Council) announced it and stepped up training opportunities. People were buying in. When National delayed, I refused to announce the delay. I knew that if we did, we would have a tough time convincing people a 2nd or 3rd time. My staff adviser felt we were being dishonest and made an announcement in the Council newsletter. I guess I'll see how it goe

Haven't heard anything. We had an Area meeting the first weekend of February. In the break-out session with the Program folks, I basically told the National Rep that they need to &^*& or get off the pot about mandatory training. I explained that the annual "you will need it" is becoming the "boy who cried wolf" syndrome and will become more difficult to implement. Volunteers will give the "yeah, right" answer because it's been handled poorly the last 3 years. I'll wait until the software is functional before I ever have the training committee tell people that it's mandatory.

Best thing you can bring with you: about 1 gallon of bug repellent with permithrin in it. La-No-Che is infested with ticks.

I only use the position that is relevant to the communication. I know people that feel they have to list everything. Maybe it's to get their ego stroked? I was at a Troop meeting where I used to be Scoutmaster, and I introduced myself to the new committee chairman just using my name. People told me that I needed to tell him who I was and I told him that I was a "nobody". It wasn't relevant that I am the Lodge Adviser and VP for Program.