blw2

My pack (Catholic CO) tries to make religious emblems a big part of the program by encouraging all the boys to earn both Catholic medals as they go through the program. They have typically recruited a mom that is otherwise not on the committee to take this on. This year, my wife was asked to pick it up. She was happy to do it, not only for the intended religious purpose, but also as a way to be more involved.... to get to know the scouts and other parents. We'll see how it goes, but I suspect that she'll do it for a number of years anyway.... As previously mentioned by SeattleP

Co-Ed....I love it! and the helmets for sailing.... Makes me think of the boy at my summer camp years ago, no helmets, and yes, somebody was knocked out nicely..... It looks like you have a beautiful place for your camp. Looks like the water is too cold though.

I'm a bit surprised that there aren't more apps in the app store....

"Does the bleach/sanitizer really evaporate?" Yes, bleach (sodium hypochlorite, or "hypo") will degrade, with time, heat exposure, and UV exposure. Also, bleach will be 'consumed' by the organics in the sanitizing pot as it is being used.... as it oxidizes, it sort of weakens and dies.... Not really scientific, but my approach would be to add bleach if the solution no longer smells like bleach.... although if you've been standing over it working for some time your sense for it may be gone....

I just odered his book from Amazon..... thanks for the tip!

BD says, "I would never buy walmart tents....or off brand names... " My experience may very well be an exception, but I have to share. I have a small Kelty tent ($$$$) from my bachelor days, and my wife has a cheap, off brand tent she bought at Big Lots when she was single ($).... I have to hang my head and admit, that her tent is better, in almost every way. Easier to set up, a little roomier even though both are three man tents..... weight is approx equal, It doesn't leak a drop, and we used it for years after we were married and has held up well. We don't use it much any mo

Honestly, I have to agree with the OP in a way. There are fun crafts for boys, and not so fun. My son's Tiger Leader did several crafty projects. Some were hits, some not so much. Mostly, I think they were ok ways to fill the time, but not all that fun or memorable. My son is one of those distractable types, so busy watching the other boys that he rarely finished them. Just about all I remember about Cub Scouts as a kid was doing crafts, and I have to say I don't remember it very fondly. The fun stuff I remember fondly, was the zoo trips, etc... oh, and the time we had the

Wow! I come at this as what as best as I can tell to be more informed than a typical scout parent..... and I'm told that I won't be dealt with. That you want to have a private conversation with my son, but not with me.... I'm told to turn off certain switches.... I'm told how to breathe.... and what I should and should not drink... ... and I'm told that I will be the butt of jokes for years. I'm treated like an idiot for not somehow not knowing that this is about the boys. ......and you want to be a role model of some sort for my son??? Just wow.

I agree. No requirment to go to his "school's pack". My son (and now me too) are in the pack sponsored by my church. The church also runs a school, and that is the only school that they recruit from..... but my son attends a government school closer to my house.

I might be taking this whole thing out of context, since I'm just getting started as an adult scouter, and my son is fairly new to cubs.... But if I as a parent made a call to a scout leader, and that leader promptly blew me off... ala the comment from this thread.... "Ditto. Unless the MBC does as LB and refuses to deal with the parents, there's no real enforcement. " I would be furious and you as a leader would stand to be in a heap of trouble. These are minors we are talking about, and there should be no indication of anything being witheld from a parent. Now I understand

I don't have anything from when I was a kid, and haven't started anything for my son yet.... Haven't figured out the best solution.... but I like the idea of a jacket. Many clubs and organizations do it.... Seems better than the vest. If done on a nice (ie cool looking) jacket, it might not be so likely as to get snubbed as the boys get older..... but they would outgrow it... And it's not the sort of thing that would get much wear time here in FL. For those reasons, I understand the idea of a sash.... but I don't like it. I don't really care for the blanket idea. Seems like so

mixed bag in my pack scouters - no necker boys are a mix of under the collar or over the collar. I don't think anyone tucks the collar under. I steer my son to put it on over the collar .... I'm pretty sure that the top button is done. I can't see where tucking it under would make any visible difference at all. The necker completely covers the collar.... except when he's bored and starts fiddling with the woggle. I do think I remember that when I was a boy, the shirts had no collar.

I for one like the book binding lesson idea. Library repair supplies are available, but a little expensive for an individual to buy for just one book. Might be better to buy in bulk for the group/troop to save in the long run. I have never liked spiral bound books of any kind.... The pages rip out and then don't fit back well, or the binding gets bent, the pages hang up and don't turn smoothly..... Just one opinion, but I dont think that they are a good solution at all, except maybe for books that have subscription updates where the pages have to be replaced frequently, and then a mu

I was thinking of this over my lunch break.... Someone was mentioning the lack of turnout or interest in summmer training. Perhaps it's becuase they are so burned out from the school year, they just need a break. Maybe if they didn't have to squeeze training into an already busy time, they wouldn't get so burned out, eh? This is one reason I have been given for our packs lack of summertime activity. A break to get away form it, and to allow time for non-scout activities, sports, vacations, etc...

I get that the older scouts might have more going on in the summer than we do, but for us cub leaders, at least our pack seems to be getting the short stick I guess we're just different than most, but I just don't get it. I have a lot more time available during the summer. I'm not available during the winter. Now granted, my pack doesn't do anything in the summer, & i know that some do... but even if we did, that would be one week out of 6 or 8 weeks....right? During the school year, we are having 2-3 den meetings per week, plus a pack meeting, and almost every month we'll have a c

I'm not in this geographical area and this is off topic a little, but why is it that these courses are scheduled for the time frame when the new school year, and therfore the new pack/troop year are starting up? I have been trying to get in BALOO, and maybe some 'live' leader specific training over the summer, but nothing on my district's or council calendars. Mid to late August and September will be busy getting the scouting year started up (planning meetings etc...), AND my kids are starting up with school and so we'll have open houses to attend, new drop-off schedules to get used to,

My pack has meetings on Fridays. Last year when I was just getting started with the pack, my son's Tiger leader palnned for the den meetings to also be on Friday nights. It's the only night she can do it. At first I was very resistant to the idea, because that means that almost every Friday of every month is tagged for scouting. My wife didn't like it either. Well, it didn't take me long to appreciate it. No worries about getting home quick for bed on a schhol night. No worries about when to do homework, etc... I see the advantages of Sunday evening, but it is almost as bad in

Funny, just this morning I got to thinking about Aviation explorers, wondering if there was a "group" nearby... i don't know what they call themselves..... Guess what, I didn't go so far as to make a call, but I couldn't find much about it in approx 5 minutes with my friend, Google.

I'll disagree with almost everyone here, and side with the OP. A teaching moment presented itself. As a leader, he used it to teach a lesson to the troop. A good lesson at that. Period. The other ASM decided to use the opportunity to teach another lesson. Period. I'll concede that IF the other ASM or SM was nearby, it should perhaps arguably have been discussed first. Also, granted that I don't know the tone of the situation, what words were said to lead up to it, etc.... but then none of you do either.(This message has been edited by blw2)

this thread started out sounding like it could apply to the pinewood derby!

I have been sewing my son's, and now my own patches with a machine, through the backing. Woudl those of you that hand sew say thet the patches are as secure as mine, if you are sewing only threw the embroidered patch borders? It seems to me taht the borders aren't very strong....

"This isn't about you, your wife, or "justice." It's about 100 girls. You should be very reluctant to take any actions that jeapordize their program. Those resources are not yours. Those resources aren't meant to give you options. They're meant to give 100 girls opitons. " That may very well be, but at the same time this thread brings to question the quality of leadership for those 100 girls. Granted, this thread is polarized, but if I were the OP I'm quite sure that my daughters wouldn't be going back to a troop that would unilaterily fire me for something like that without discussion

FScouter, I think it's a little more complex than that. Sure any consumer wants the lowest price, but that it balanced against both quality and availability. I think there's also a 'patriotic' element in their too, no matter if you're from USA, Germany, or even China. I'm from USA. Want to buy USA whenever it makes sense..... but can't if it's not available.

That all sounds pretty good to me, BSA24!

Introverted people are shy..... and shy people are introverted. Its really sort of the same thing in common language use anyway, but one word is more precise or less casual than the other. Introverted people can and often do learn how to overcome and appear as extroverts in order to do what needs to be done, but don't be confused.... they are still introverts. According to my experience and what I have studied, personalities do not change. The introverted person will be drained by the experience of apprearing to be an extrovert, or just being in an extrovert dominated environment