blw2

I don't care for the chemistry focus as mentioned before.... Filling balloons and setting them up would get old after about 20 minutes.... but as for science relating to the range..... It's a good opportunity to teach a basic physics concept of ballistic trajectory. I could see a teaching station say before they go through safety orientation, that teaches them about trajectory. Some way to demonstrate that an object thrown horizontally will hit the ground at the same time as something that is dropped. Maybe a rig hanging from a tree that drops two balls simultaneously, one drops straight a

agreed. I'm in full uniform down to the socks. Just trying to set a good example to my son. If you're gonna do something, do it! Don't go half way. I understand that it might be a money thing for some, but I don't think that's the case most of the time. The only other 'excuse' I can imagine that I might be ok with is bad fit..... I understand that for some of us may not be very comfortable in ill fitting clothes..... how's that for pc?

I do have some. Is there a way to post pictures on this forum?

To a degree...... yes. Sometimes I have to resist the urge to roll my eyes when facing a fellow scouter with a 2ft x 2ft tangle of knot awards. .....But then I think, if they are earned why not wear them? I think for some it does offer a bit of encouragement, and a bit of payback in terms of bragging rights for all of the hours of volunteer work they have obviously done.

A troop that a lot of our boys cross to brings a rope bridge to B&G. After the ceremony and close of the meeting, the otherboys are allowed to go across just for fun. I let my son do it when he was a tiger last year. This year I told him no. Even though the other boys were doing it, I think it will be much more special to him when "crosses" it for real. Now that I'm active on the committee, I'll likely bring this up next year when planning for the B&G, and strongly suggest that we not let the other boys play on it.....

My son's Tiger den started out at 14. I wouldn't classify our leader then as weak for sure, but she wasn't strong either. Me and another dad pitched in and helped wherever we could. We made it work. Would have even been better had she understood the concept of letting a boy and Tiger Parent run each meeting. She did it all, even after I stepped into the ADL role..... She just couldn't let go I guess. Most meetings were only around 10 boys just due to conflicts or whatever. We lost a couple from moves out of the area, and a couple to disinterest or whatever.... Wolf year was down to 1

This brings up a side question that I have wondered about..... not directly related to the OP's question, but still related to the discussion. There is no such thing as WEBELOS 2. I understand that, although my pack, and I suppose many packs, have a WEBELOS 2 den. I get that. But then shouldn't it be that once the boys transition to WEBELOS, they just move to the one and only WEBELOS den, that also includes the older boys that are further along..... They would of course be working on different things, but sort of like the different patrols in a troop. Do any packs operate this way?

tough issues, maybe.... but as a dad of one cub scout age boy and two younger girls that are involved in almost everything their big brother is doing with scouts anyway, I think it would be a good idea to just let them in. I imagine girl dens and boy dens under one pack. Gives some needed separation, but also keeps together for the family outings etc....

My CM and I evaluated a bunch of these options + some more..... We ended up using a group email solution (emaildodo.com) tied to our own pack domain. We have email addresses set up for the parents, the committee, and each den. I have even set up temporary groups for all of those going on a particular trip. and for my den I have been using the free trax spreadsheet templates. The group email is helpful, but honestly I can't say that the spreadsheet is all that valuable. It's hard to get the data from the parents (even for the leader's kid) to enter it, and even then there is little

How many of you run a grand champion race after the den races? Our pack (and district) run the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd boys form each Den all together in a fresh set of heats as a "Grand Champion" race. Since all of the racers in the grand champion race will go onto district anyway.... AND since the software will report the overall Pack standings in a list of all dens / all boys so we can see the overall winners for the pack for bragging purposes..... I am failing to see the point of the Grand Champion race. I proposed to our CM and will likely propose to the committee that we skip th

Thanks Scoutnut. Good advice. Unfortunately I have already pursued most of it. Our district has been without a training chair. Only recently at a round table I learned that we have a person that has stepped up. In the interim, I had been in contact with my DE and even others at council re. training.... I have attended roundtables, though not as many as I'd like due to wife's work schedule. As i mentioned, back when I was actively searching for training I did scour all neighboring districts calendars too. I did run into the issue you mentioned of poor registration for courses

Scoutnut, I'm sorry if I pushed a button. Didn't mean to. Thing is, I see a lot of needs from my perspective. Huge room for improvement on the unit level, district level, and council level. I'm also rather new as a Scouter. I don't know the full extent of the DE's job description. Don't know the other proffesional paid positions at the council level either. Maybe your district and perspective is just different. You say things like "DE's are not trainers". That may be so, but what I am saying is maybe they should be. (Actually to be acurate, i am not saying that they should ac

Looking at a list of recent topics. Not sure if it's complete or not. I suspect that it's not complete, but at least it's something! I post a comment in a thread, then all ability to go back to that list of current topics is lost. Thanks for trying, but this is getting tiresome.

And my hat is off to all those that volunteer..... especially those that go beyond their unit level and try to make the greater program work. But you are missing my point I think..... I'm NOT saying that everything currently done by volunteers should be done by proffesionals. I am also NOT saying that they need to hire more people. What I am saying.... and this is from my perspective only.... is that a big chunck of the current DE's job can go away. We don't need someone asking Scouters and the parents for money. What we do need is help to put on the program. This would free up ti

My point is that marketing/PR shouldn't really be needed. Well, PR I guess is, but marketing. No way. If we could get decent help they wouldn't need it! What we do need on a unit level, is some support and consistancy. Someone that has the time (ie full time job) to do all of that stuff that no volunteer has time for.... (unless maybe the volunteer is retired and their kids are grown... and they aren't heavily envolved in a unit level operation....)

I am actually of the opinion that their sole purpose in life should be 1) Training the volunteers...... or if they don't have the skill set for a particular class, facilitate training and help a volunteer teach. 2) Facilitate things like the round table meetings 3) Facilitate district wide events such as derby races, cub camps, etc... IMO, if they did these things, the programs would be more consistant, and potentially better. the result would be increased memebership and more $ I think most of us are spread too thin as it is. Volunteer scouters are busy enough putting on the

Interesting thread for me. Like 92hatchattack, I am both ADL & ACM this year. I've not given knots much thought to date, but i suppose it would be good form me and the program, and good to show my son that I too am working towards achievements and awards. Too bad there aren't many options for me though..... Am I missing any others? Just at quick glance, it looks like the Socut Leaders Training award is the only knot we would be eligible for as "A" anything. In my short time with the pack, we haven't been all that active in pursuing things like Journey to Excellence award, whi

I'm sorry for Hijacking this thread, but i can't figure out how to start a new thread or a spin off thread in this new system..... If an administrator wants to move this, feel free! Tagging on to this subject when to present rank patches, I've started wondering how packs actually present their awards. I recently read a power point like presentation outline I found online..... looked like it was used for a University of Scouting presentation. The author suggested when it comes to awards, "don't be a baggie pack". That's exactly what we are..... Each Den Leader will get up there wit

Great topic and question! I'm a relatively new Scouter and have wondered the same thing. Our DE is new. He's young and full of energy, but so far I've reallyonly seen him visit a few meetings, such as B&G, where he hit up the group for money..... I actually think council is funny. Last year, I signed on half way through the year as an Assistant DL. This year I wear two hats Assistant DL and Assisitant CM. Several times, there have been folks from Council..... honestly I don't even know who they were, that visited meetings. At some point, they would be in a conversation with

A little bit no yes My son likes to get it each month, but I'm noticing the ecitement has greatly fallen. I think he has started to realize that there's just not that much in it for his age......

Thinking about this, I have to wonder...... Gold has always in my mind been more valuable or "above" silver..... so could it be that the military rank insignia are traditionaly brass and silver, instead of gold and silver?

This thread almost sounds like I started it. As an ADL and this year an ACM, I had/have the same questions. I have retained my role as ADL just trying to help the den and the new DL that just stepped up a few months ago to replace someone who moved away..... I have been tasked with keeping up with achievement progress and the beads..... Personally, I dislike them. They don't look good on the uniform, the boys don't really get all that excited over them. I can't really tell that they are a motivator in any way. Honestly, i think I'll let them die a natural death and just not bring

Are you sure that morality is the ONLY reason? Why is morality "self-perceived"?