blw2

My guess is that the "baloo only" is maybe a bit more likely to get into the weeds of the rules a bit more, in how they apply to cubs but overall the double certification will be much better in the long run. more versatile. In my experience IOLS was a little bit fun in that we did it concurrent with the district's scout campout (i'm drawing a blank on the name, but the one where the troops come together for competition), but it wasn't overly useful or teaching of anything I pretty much didn't already know. baloo was much worse... a complete waste...99.8% of the students co

ha ha.....yeah, I have in the past thought that one of those travel vests might be useful.... I'm not a person to care too much about fashion or impressing people, preferring the practical over fashion ...in fact sometimes when I look back on old photos throughout my life I regret that sometimes.... although as a shy person I generally lean towards conformity, I really did look like a doofus sometimes... but I never went so far as something like that...

well in my experience this is how most all adults thought it was anyway. Several times in conversations when I had suggested that patrols could have patrol meetings and such on their own, I was regarded as crazy.... an example of when rules get too complex they most often get stupid ...and another this sort of thing used to cross my mind when, as an example my son would have sleepovers or even just hanging out at the house with his buddy...who was the den leader...either at their house or mine.....not that we would either of us in any way be having nefarious contact, it c

ha ha, yeah...funny concept for a question! I'll admit there have been a few times I've thought girls have it good sometimes, carrying a purse. They can haul around extra stuff that can be handy. I wear cargo pants most of the time, but I still don't carry a lot of stuff that I might if I routinely carried a backpack or "purse", mostly because the weight in the pockets doesn't carry well. I think most folks have covered it though.... for me the every day carry stuff that I don't carry would include flashlight, small very basic 1st aid kit, tissues or wipes. Then as needed I'd thr

for me it was when it was clear that there was no way of talking son out of quitting. That's when I told the CC to find another person..... I still worked the job for several months after, but just did a minimum effort job..... BUT I'm still logging in here now and then....so it's clear I have an interest I think that IF I was retired and didn't have 3 young kids and already too much to do, I can imagine being willing to stick around and fill a role if needed. In fact, even since back in our days with the pack I have been very surprised at the lack of Grandparent involvement

In hind sight, I wish that in the pack, we would have had a little bit more 'awareness' of the patrol method (boy leaders and all of that) My scouting experience was too short and too long ago to be any help. The old guard scouters were heavily involved in a troop with their older sons, so they knew....but never brought it to the pack. I know the cubs are too young to do it, except I would argue the 2nd year WEBELOS are ready....BUT I think awareness of the target you are aiming at could be useful in lots of ways. AND I would say that they'll get most of what they need from the

yeah, my old pack's committee was mostly the den leaders....and I as cubmaster was basically the defacto committee chair. not that I wanted it that way.... The way I feel would work best...in theory (assuming a properly staffed and active committee separate from the 'program' scouters)..... Just as I had posted recently about PLC meetings....I think a great analogy is a stereotypical corporate meeting the key players, voting members if you will, all have a seat at the table. It's their meeting. They can invite others in as guests for various purposes. to listen for

I just saw this come across my google news feed.... figured it would be a topic here. Is it just me or is the name somehow....odd. Almost redundant I guess. Certainly poor english....(not that I would know much about that, being an engineer and not an english major in college.....) I don't know.... it goes from Boy Scouts of America to Scouts Boy Scouts of America Oh well...matters not to me....

well put Fred

I think it boils down to this. You do what you can in the given geography. 300ft (or whatever it is), in spirit

my son's troop was an open invite Any scout in a POR + any scouter I attended a couple to observe, and once in an official capacity as Treasurer...but mostly because of how I feel these meetings should be, I was a very quiet fly on the wall in the back of the room.... It was very adult operated, trying to be "boy lead" In my opinion having observed this troop in operation, and having thought a lot about this.... I think that PLC meetings should include Assistants....how else are they going to fill in for the Leaders if they aren't privy to the discussions? Yeah

yeah, everything I'm reading here points to a very adult involved situation. as an example, most likely the CM and other adults should not have been in ear shot for the most part, to hear son asking to borrow flashlight. It's not for any adult to barge in managing, directing, or correcting about clean before play.... maybe a nudge or coaching a bit but.... small troop, two patrols and one of them is a patrol of new scouts and that patrol of new scouts is somehow lead by the old cubmaster...... yep 3rd year WEBELOS it sounds to be.

yeah yeah, I know it's not the same thing..... it's an analogy. It's similar. And re-earning..... how do you like having to retake regular training...things you already know and have done several times before? Not fun is it?

In my opinion, a person that only camps once or even twice per year should be a committee member....& not necessarily that committee folks should camp routinely. More that they can and should on rare occasion, in their capacity of "observe and advise". As I mentioned before, a troop really shouldn't need that many ASM's, so what would be the point? My gut tells me that a good ratio would be maybe half of the trips.....

why hold it at all? It's just petty and silly, and the scouts would see that too, me thinks.... no different that any of the requirements for a rank, in a way. Let's pick a Scout rank requirement as an example...tie a taught line hitch I walk up to a scout rank or higher and ask them to help this young new scout work on his Scout badge. "he needs help with his taught line hitch" (this was a bad example for me...I keep wanting to write midshipman's hitch) Anyway, so he forgot..... what to do...rip that patch off his shirt till he relearns the knot? no way. That would

yeah, I never bought into the corner cutting thing either. They earned the card or they didn't. Don't make up requirements.

the unit would need it's own EIN to open a bank account which is no big deal to get. The PTO would be listed as the responsible organization. no need for either to be non-profit. I'm not a lawyer, CPA, or any sort of expert, just a person that has done a lot of research on this subject just a couple years ago and basically re-set up the troop after the previous SM passed away and lots of stuff was under his SSN

something on this topic that always troubled me as a unit adult, was the shelter from storm thing. Ok, yeah, I get it.... right on BUT let's say the troop is bedded down for the night in tents. 2 AM you are awakened by frog choking rain, thunder booming and lightning flashing..... So am I seriously supposed to get out of the tent, round up the whole troop, and trudge a half mile through the woods and falling trees in the dark, trying to find the dining hall?

yeah, good point. Maybe a troop has very weak meetings in the church hall, but somehow have great campouts and lots of them. On the other hand, I am a firm believer that you can usually get a firm read on people in pretty short order, so there is that....

Personally, I think the OP's model is spot on! with one big IF.... and that is if he is able to make all the meeting happen with so few adult heads Generally, I think that most troops just have way too many adults envolved. Clarke Greene over on scoutmastercg did some podcasts and writing on this topic a while back. Since then I did a lot of thinking, soul searching, and observing our troop and others with this 'issue' in mind. You'll have to read and listen to his points for yourself, since he made the points better than I ever could....but to summarize my thoughts &

personally, i think this is the key point. What you think, or what we think is of really very little importance. I recon the one with the commute might be the one point where you need to make sure he understands the burden, that you might not be able to get him to many of the meetings, etc....but those are just variables for him to consider. If he has friends there, and likes everything else about it, HE might be willing to bum rides with other scouts, etc... When my son was considering troops, I put a lot of effort and thought into how or if I should encourage or steer. There are eve

I have no memory really of what my troop did as a scout. My son's troop.... they would typically SM minute (read from a book, never personal or from the heart) rise sometimes recite the law Chaplin would lead a prayer color guard would retrieve the colors....and 100% of the time they would do it wrong, crossing the flags on their trip to the back of the room. Drove me nuts! I recon my old troop as a boy did something along those lines too....not something that burned into memory.

I can't comment about the Nikwax stuff, but I'll add to the discussion with this.... I recently bought a quilt from UGQ. https://ugqoutdoor.com/ Just something to consider before you try treating down. From their web site re. the down they use.... UltimaDOWN is not a hydrophobic treated down. Although we have offered hydrophobic treated down in the past, we have weighed the benefits vs. drawbacks carefully, and have recently stopped offering WR down. The benefits, which are marginal at best in real world scenarios, are offset by lower loft, intra laundering clumping, and the n

interesting topic to me.... When my son joined as a Tiger and I was not a scouter.... From my perspective the pack meetings were mostly announcements...and mostly talking over the scouts and to the parents in the back of the room. I could see the scouters trying....there was always an attempt at some program or activity....and an effort for award recognition...but that was mostly just the endless baggie handout. It got better and worse over the years, but mostly it was that. Again, from my perspective....Den meetings were sometimes fun, sometimes it was not so fun art/craft stuff,

Yes, Shug has done up some very nice videos...and very entertaining too! For me.... I signed up for a hammock class at U of Scouting one year, hoping to get a chance to try out a few different types. I've been curious about hammock camping for a long time, but have been uncertain and unwilling to spend $$$$ not knowing, since I'm a side sleeper. I was disappointed that the course turned out to be pretty much sit in a classroom and listen to a guy that had hammock camped talk. As best I could tell he only had real experience in his Eno He did have an example set up in the classroom