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blw2

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Everything posted by blw2

  1. well said @ParkMan. Very well said. the meeting is only reporting situations and status, brainstorming, hearing from the program side scouters (scoutmaster or cubmaster), and a forum for for the committee to give input or information to the program side scouters. 100% of that can be done outside of a meeting Honestly, I often felt that in this day and age, with all of our options for immediate digital communications.....on both the individual and on the group levels...that the meetings are almost a waste of time...certainly not necessary. About the only good from them is the ben
  2. ....or sitting on the roof of my RV with my coffee watching the sunrise hot air balloon launch drift over the campground.... or later in the day sitting in that same spot with my favorite beverage and a snack, watching the Blue Angles pull a 6-8G turn just a few hundred feet directly over my head those were both memories from my trip to Sun n Fun earlier this year, not Air Venture but close..... and would be even sweeter sitting around a camp site with friends ...now that I'm thinking about it, I've seen a few troops camping at Sun n Fun. One was near to my RV spot this year...but I
  3. Hi, sorry...I'm not overly familiar with the area's camping. I've camped at air venture, and understand that problem now that you mention it. I'd suggest contacting the EAA and asking if they have any way to help you. I say this because if you can stay on site the experience is almost infinitely better. the night programs, shows... being able to walk the grounds with no clouds and see the planes....the vintage area at dawn was striking to me... the yodeling wake up call (if they still do it)...it's just the whole experience.. they have a large youth program called young eagles, and
  4. completely different topic than the issue in this thread..... BUT my son was on this track at first. He just had no interest in the rank or the patch. He was having a great time and doing much of the work with enthusiasm...until something changed and he got bored and lost interest...ultimately quit scouts at the rank of Tenderfoot. I was personally hoping for First Class (both rank and spirit), and would have called it a success, even at 17
  5. also agreed but this is correct. A while back, when I was frustrated about some things in our troop not being what I considered to be "creating the ideal experience for the scouts", I was advised something by Clarke Green at scoutmastercg. I think it's something that applies very often in lots of scenarios...and this is one I think. If you are not the SM, or the CC (or some might also argue the Chart Org Rep too), then you going in and trying to solve a problem is kinda like you showing up at your neighbor's front door with a gallon of green paint, and telling him that
  6. I went back and re-read my post to clarify what I meant, I think a lot of folks just don't know about this EIN requirement and this whole grey area. Generally it would only be new units that would have to wade through it. In our case, our stuff was a mess... and that's the only reason I got into it. the bank we used was a small local place and they were hard to work with much of our stuff (banking, paypal account, trailer registrations, etc...) was set up under the old SM's name & SSN. SM's son was acting treasurer...SM passed away making transferring difficult &
  7. not exactly true, based on my research a couple years ago. The EIN has nothing really to do with being a legal entity. they didn't want the units to incorporate, or anything like that....but getting an EIN is really not that big of a deal...maybe What I learned is that the majority of troops and units are operating in bank accounts taht were established long ago, so a lot of folks don't know about it.... basically it was a big grey muddy mess as I was looking through it all. The real sticky issue is the non-profit. Basically you need to be really sure if the CO is ok with your usi
  8. you know, this really isn't such a problem. A lot of what she "knows" sounds like it might not be the best way to go anyway. and, none of it is all that hard and not a big deal to figure out solutions, in the big scheme of things and, a fresh reboot with "new blood" probably wouldn't be a bad thing anyway...
  9. OP here.. follow-up report.... He had a pretty good time at YMCA camp... good enough to say he'd definitely go back next year if his friends go too. From my perspective, the camp wasn't as good as I was led to believe...but I'm not really surprised by that. The freedom to do what they wanted in the way of organized activities sorta ended the 1st day. they had to sign up for activities....I think it was 2 morning periods and 1 afternoon period. By the time son and friend could sign up, the really "good" activities were full. They got arts and crafts (which was probably what fr
  10. I know a couple kids like this. Sometimes it's mom that makes dad go on every trip, sometimes it's not mom'd directive. Regardless, I agree with eagledad about parents not understanding the program....or in this case even what I would argue one of the aims of scouts... to foster self confidence and just plain ole growing up. It could also be some bullying or something happening, but more likely it's parents never letting their hatchling fly. I've forgotten what your position is with the troop, but I'd say regardless of what it is, about the only thing I can think of is to find a way to
  11. I have found that if you iron them on hard and long...longer than I think it should be, more than the directions say....then they have a very firm hold...but then I haven't had a long haul test....so far they've only had each a couple years before they get the next color....(daisy, Brownie, junior,...)
  12. That is a very common issue I think...the folks, I used to call them 'old guard', that just can't let go. They are stuck doing things a certain way... I'd guess in some cases they really don't even know the "correct" way.... if she was doing it all out of necessity, then the whole operation is an ad hoc thing.... probably somewhat of a mess but it's the best she could do and it works... and because it worked for her, and because she probably feels some ownership in the unit...doesn't want to let it down, and all sorts of things like that.... so she can't let go. and I don't take it th
  13. Thanks for a good discussion so far. Yes very little time indeed. I never even got in the lake all week to do the big air bag launcher thing during open swim. Worse than that I don't think some of the scouts had a chance either! It was such a short free time window before dinner, right when the troops had their own chores to attend to... and I think Fred is right about "troop time"... I think it safe to say that most troop adults would fill that time with more stuff the boys don't want to do really.... yes, the Y camp was expensive, but it's also all inclusive. no volunteers
  14. That is a great analogy of what I understand most camps' primary focus is...MB Colleges.
  15. Thanks. I still check in quite often, but don't post quite as much. I like this scout stuff and sometimes is just good parenting discussion too..
  16. What is your job on the committee? That kinda drives the perspective a bit. There are lots of assumptions made by almost everyone with regards to these sorts of "rules", policies, practices... What constitutes a quarum"? What is the (insert adult position here) positions responsibility.... etc... I'll admit to not remembering what the requirement on all this was when i was active, but I'd say it really doesn't matter much. If any 2 members of the committee want to get together to "take care of business", just do it. It doesn't have to be an official meeting really.... granted
  17. So my son is reluctantly attending a YMCA camp with a friend. My son quit scouts a while back because it was "boring". Now I'm looking forward to hearing about the camp, and his opinion comparing it tho his BSA summer camp experience. I've got to say, that talking with our friends (parents of the friend he's at camp with), that it sounds like it might be pretty good in comparison. Back when they were in college, they were counselors at the camp. he was describing the camp the other day as the kids were leaving to go. It seemed like mostly the same sorts of activities (swimming, skii
  18. I agree with The Latin Scot. I used that stuff for a bit when son first started cubs, but not for long. I used it as an opportunity to show my kids how to do basic rudimentary sewing. Through the years, I saw so many patches half hanging on with the other half a sticky black mess caked with sand and the Lord only knows what else! Side note comment...with two girls in Girl Scouts, I find it funny in a way that most of their patches are iron on. I want to say it's ironic even, given the stereotypical notion that sewing is something that women like to do, or at least do even if t
  19. I think that I generally lean towards agreement with Latin Scots Point. If you were asking me this question, I'd agree with qwazse about the uniform. The program format, being originally based as an outdoor program using things like patrols, uniforms, rank advancement are all rooted in military focus....more naturally boy focused. Stereotype? sure it is.... are there exceptions? you bet! But I feel like it's a safe bet that more boys than girls are typically drawn or are inclined to play "army", spy, indian tracker, woodcraft skills, getting dirty, and the like. This is all the roo
  20. this is a sidebar.... I didn't mean Eagledad. Your username RememberSchiff made me wonder, since you were pointing out things aviation, if you might be either him or somehow related to Barry Schiff...a rather famous pilot/author.
  21. I agree with the ideas of looking for ways to make them laugh and keep drawing them in. When they start to drift off...I've heard it termed "going away" because their mind is going someplace else... then be ready with a joke, or without warning change the character from Gordon Ramsey to Guy Fieri to bring them back to the kitchen. Resist the temptation to read out of the book, or anything like that. I'd try to make everything hands on...which may be near impossible if the group is big, but still...its a good goal and remember that 99% of them probably have already heard most of the
  22. I'd be all over trying to get in on that camp if I were still a kid! I'm a huge aviation buff. The EAA (Experimental Aviation Association) has a Lodge up in Wisconsin and they have some sort of youth summer camp program they put on. they call it Air Academy. I'm not aware of them doing anything approaching the scale of what they are doing up in Maine, but it still looks way better to me than a typical BSA summer camp experience. I offered it up to my son (when he gets old enough) a few times but he so far hasn't expressed much interest. Surprises me really...I can't even imagine havi
  23. it's like a breakfast monte christo sandwich! I love it! except I'd replace the raspberries and berry syrup with strawberries and either sweet strawberry juices or just a touch of natural maple...just a personal thing, raspberries are one of very few things I don't care for... I'm gonna try that some day!
  24. I agree with others, this is well said....on one aspect of scouting.... the surface one. Preparing for life in the tangible sense.... another, more primary point of learning the woodcraft, wasn't the skill itself.... it was more about capitalizing, I think, on something the boys enjoyed doing to gain all sorts of covert opportunities to build positive character, confidence, independence, teamwork, etc... I totally agree with your look on the positive side.
  25. this was in response to one of my comments.... I should qualify that my experience wasn't necessarily that the forbid the practice. It just wasn't on anyone's radar. Patrols doing things on their own just was not encouraged (with the exception of huddling up in one of the corners of the room during a troop mtg to brainstorm the menu). when I mentioned it I often thought I had something between my teeth based on the look I got. I doubt if most of the scouts had ever even considered the idea.
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