Trevorum

No kidding? Sepulveda? What a small world!

I didn't even know there were any other troops in Sepulveda. I was in Troop 129. We met at Lassen School for a while and then at Sepulveda Park. When were you active? I was a scout from 1965 through 1969.

Snipe hunts!

I also remember going on a snipe hunt when I was a Tenderfoot! We were at Will Rogers State Park. I remember dragging back into camp with an empty sack and plopping down at the campfire amidst the guffaws. Can't do that anymore...

BackPacker, where were you in SFVC? I was in Sepulveda, and OR Pioneer tells us he was in Tarzana.(This message has been edited by Trevorum)

Thank you both. (I committed this faux pas on my first Eagle BoR, but have since rectified my errant ways...)

A protocol question:

I understand that - with the permission of the Board Chairperson - the SM may introduce the Eagle candidate to the Board, may silently observe the proceedings (as long as he is not the father of the candidate), and may answer a question of fact that is directed to him by a member of the Board.

However, after the candidate has left the room and the Board members are reviewing his answers, may the SM participate in that discussion?

Not at donations have to be tax deductible (or indeed involve the Gov't). In fact, the best donations (IMHO) are made without any expectation of any return consideration.

Every Eagle candidate accepts donations of labor. He can certainly also accept donations of cash or kind from individuals (eg., his baseball coach) or from businesses (eg., his neighbor's family owned restaurant). A donation generally has no strings attached.

By contrast (at least in my experience) grants are made by non-profit organizations in accordance with the purposes of their charter. Grants can be to other organizations (like a troop) or can be made to an individual who meets certain qualifications. Grants usually have some kind of strings attached (ie. the recipient is obligated to do something specific).

Also, a grant needn't be given in the name of your chartering org. An individual can recieve grants as long as they agree to abide by any attached strings (eg., college students recieve grants as long as they agree to stay in school). In this case, the Eagle candidate could recieve a grant for Civic Improvement or some such rubric and would then be obliged to follow through on his proposal.

I am not an attorney but I don't think a granting agency/organization must have "an interest in the project's completion". And donations needn't be "door to door". I think, in general, a for-profit business would make a donation, while a non-profit would make a grant.

ahhh... Devonshire Downs!

I, too, remember selling tickets to the ScoutCraft Fair. My first year in Cubs, my dad had work contacts for an LA advertising agency and he got this big, animated Yogi Bear display. He modified it to say "Smarter than the av-er-age Pack!". I have no idea what our booth theme was that year, but I still remember that big Yogi Bear.

As mentioned, the AoL, Eagle and religious knots may be worn by adults. The only other knot, earned as a youth, that is always appropriate to wear on an adult uniform is a heroism award.

Vision

I like the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. They have some good shows now and then. The other day I was watching this show about animal senses. It was really interesting. Did you know that a hawk can see a mouse on the ground from a mile away? And whales can talk to each other from hundreds of miles away! A dog can pick out dozens of individual smells at the same time. And of course, bats have sonar. Thats simply amazing. People cant do those things. We dont have super-senses like some animals. Our eyesight isnt as good as a hawks; our hearing doesn't compare to an elephants; and our sense of smell isnt as good as a dogs. Even our sense of touch isnt as good as a star-nosed mole.

But, did you know that humans have a sense that no other animal does? Think about that for a moment Humans have Vision. Im not talking about eyesight. Vision is the ability to see into the future - the ability to see something that hasnt happened yet but that you want to happen, and to then take action so that it becomes reality. But, just like eyesight, some people have better or worse Vision than others. Some people go thorough life, bumbling from one day to the next, letting life happen to them. Others have a clear Vision of what they want in life. What do you want? What is your Vision?

Think about it.

We did Spanish Peaks (base camp) in 2002 and it was GREAT! Gorgeous country! I especially liked the patrol cooking. I'd sure be willing to backpack there!

Our CC says that Tres Ritos, in addition to serving as base camp for backpacking treks into the Pecos Wilderness, has a regular summer camp there as well. That might be an interesting option for the whole troop, younger and older scouts. Does anyone have any personal experience there? Thanks!

First: Welcome to the Forum!

Second: I'm not sure what question you are asking.

Third: A Google search of key words told me this organization "serves as the home for...various anti-Left, anti-Democrat Party enterprises". If you want to send them money it's up to you. I wouldn't.

Fourth: Can you please refrain from the annoying abbreviations? Thanks!

I agree with SR540Beaver. The first two years are critical to establishing scout skills, scout spirit (Oath and Law) and pride in the unit. It's a circular problem, yes, but older scouts (14+) are critical as role models to those younger guys. Some attrition and sporadic participation are natural in the older guys, but they need to have some reason to keep active. We used to have age-based patrols, but recently shifted to mixed-age patrols so that the older guys can serve as leaders and mentors to the new scouts.

Hello Jack, welcome to the Forum!

I'm sorry about your lost medal. But, with a little patience you can probably find a replacement on eBay (America's garage sale).

... do things in a "real" campout. It was a highly successful recruiting event!

(sorry for the truncated post)

Our District has also taken to running parallel events for Scouts and Webelos. The Webelos camp/dine separately from the troops but are invited to observe troop exhibitions. (We also invited them for cobbler.) However, because we lost the close Pack/Troop interaction, we have initiated a special Webelos Invitational Campout. Last month, 23 Webelos from our "feeder" packs and their parent(s) camped with our troop and were able to see how we do things in a 2

hmmm... hadn't thought of that angle - (don't want to step on council's toes!) - thanks for the heads up. We saw this on an out-of-council trailer at summer camp and we thought it was an intriquing idea but haven't taken it any further.

I've seen troop trailers with the sundry names of backers/supporters. "Sponsored by Joe's Hardware Store, First National Bank, Lulu's Cafe, etc... It sort of looks like NASCAR, but on the other hand it a great way to attract troop donations and let the community see that Scouting has lots of supporters.

FScouter, yes we will also apply for one of our council contingent's 13 crews. However, we will have 30+ scouts who are 14 years or older in 2006 and have been told that each troop on the contingent will only get a single crew of 9 youth/3 adults. So, one way or another, we will need another high adventure trek!

Camp Whitsett, no kidding? I went there as a Tenderfoot, many moons ago!

Dan, thanks for the info and links on Double HH. We don't know anyone who has been there and 1st hand reports are the best.

My dad was also a Scouter and my earliest scouting memory is at summer camp. He was Camp Director. I remember being carried in his arms to an evening campfire, so I must have been about 3 or 4 years old. I remember playing with his neckerchief.

I inherited his collection of neckerchief slides and I now wear them fondly. After I earned my WB beads, I suddenly realized what his twisted-leather-thong slide was! I never even knew that he did Wood Badge.

My two sons are scouts and, when the time comes, I hope their sons will be scouts too.

Our troop has just got the disappointing news that our bid for a Philmont trek for 2006 was not accepted. We have a bunch of glum scouts.

I know this will be an issue at the next PLC and I would like to offer some high adventure alternatives that they could start looking forward to. Does anyone have any reports on the Double-H trek in central NM? I know it is 100% GPS and LNT hiking, but other than that it is a mystery to me. What about backpacking in the Pecos Wilderness or at Tres Ritos? Has anyone done that? Your advice and experience will be most appreciated.

(We are canoeing and also doing Laguna Station in 2005, so the guys want to backpack in 2006).

At camporees and such, our troop is instantly recognizable because of our unique and colorful red-white-and-blue neckerchiefs.

We also use the neckerchief to reinforce instant recognition after rank advancement. When a new recruit earns his SCOUT rank, he gets his first neckerchief, which is a plain tri-color. When he earns TENDERFOOT, he is awarded a new neckerchief, this time with an embrioidered white star (Lone Star state, ya know...). When he makes FIRST CLASS, he again gets a new neckerchief, this time with the snazzy embrodered troop thunderbird logo. Finally, EAGLE Scouts are allowed to wear the troop neckerchief trimmed in gold.

Earning that thunderbird neckerchief is quite a goal for the first year guys!

I was always under the impression that the so-called "Class A" was the most formal - what scouts wear to a BoR or CoH - and consisted of the full "Field Uniform" plus the merit badge sash and medals, if any.

The "Field Uniform" is as described above and is what they wear in the field and at regular meetings.

And while the "Class B" is not an official term, it is common short-hand for the "Activity Uniform" as desc