willysjeep

OK, I would like to amend my comment above. Offical equipment has taken a little slide in the past years but is still a lot better than all of the foreign knockoffs. I still think that the prices are quite excessive, but the quality is a little better for BSA gear than foreign junk. I'm in the process of locating an older offical BSA mess kit.

The problems I thought might occour never did, but it has made me think a little about how my SM does act once in a while. I haven't really pushed it yet either. It's not really a problem, but in times past we have had a few point of view conflicts which I chose to let go. I guess him and I don't share the same POV on a lot of things, but usually I figure that it isn't worth a big depate just because of my past experiences with him. Like I said, they were probably isolated incidents that won't ever come up again, but I don't want to push it.

I was under the impression that the OA sash was to be worn at all dress functions, not only at OA functions. I suppose it would make sense to wear a MB sash to troop events and reserve the OA sash for OA events, a lodge flap gives everybody in the OA enough reckognition (sp?) at non OA events and it saves you from being asked what the diferent sashes mean.

OK, talked to a few people and found out the guide to safe scouting does discourage sheath knives, although a lot of people in my troop feel as I do. I think it looks like I would be better served by not making an issue of this. RIght now our troop has no set rule, but they are discouraged. Discouraged is not banned, so if I do catch any heat for using a sheath knife atleast I won't be breaking any rules. If I try to get some kind of directive passed by my troop there will probably be a big fuss and a rule aganst them will be passsed, but if I use mine safely and defend it if I do come under f

I am an experienced scout, but a young scouter. Currently I'm an ASM. I would not really be going over my SM's head here because in our committee meetings there is a set time for people to bring up their own pet topics that they would like to mention at the PLC. I would also not really be looking for a rule to be carved in stone, only for a guideline or a statement of some kind. The issue really isn't sheath knives I guess. The issue for me is freedom from rules that don't make sense. Granted, there may not be a great reason for sheath knives but that's no reason to ban them. Part of the

OK, sorry if any of tis is a repeat but I didn't have a chance to read allof the posts. Take a small paint can or an old sterno can if it seals tight and clean it out. FIll it with cotton balls and soak them with denatured alcohol for a small camp stove. Use the frying pan and pie tin of a scout mess kit for a mini dutch oven. FOr cooking a turkey on a tripod they used to cook chickens on a string. They'd build a fire with a reflector behind it and hang the chicken over a pan a foot or two from the fire opposite the reflector. Turn it once in a while. This would probably work

OK, PLEASE don't take me the wrong way here. Our scoutmaster is a great guy who puts a lot into our program but he has been quite stubborn in the past. He has never come out and said "If you don't like it I'll leave" but once in a while he reminds us "If anybody says the word I'll step down". I haven't asked him about this issue yet and I don't want to push him to say anything like that, but if he says no and I keep working at it he's gonna probably not take it too well. He doesn't like it when somebody contradicts him. I'm thinking about bringing the sheath knife issue up to the whole troop c

Remember too that a sheath knife can be carried safely in a pack too, not on the belt. A substantial sheath is required for axes too, so making one mandatory for sheath knives shouldn't be too difficult. I'm actually afraid of one thing. If I try to convince my Socutmaster to allow them he'll use the same defense he allways does aganst things he doesn't like. He allways says that if we don't agree with him we can ask him and he'll quit the troop. I'm afraid he might actually do it if I try to get sheath knives allowed on troop campouts. He's really toutchey about when people don't agree with h

Starting in the 1920's Boyscouts have served om Mackinac. The camp is called Mackinac Island Scout Service Camp, or MISSC for short. The fort at mackinac had been abandoned for years and had fallen into disrepair. Vandals had carved their names all over the woodwork in many historic buildings. The first scout service camp was comprised of all Eagle scouts and they stayed inside the fort in the commisary building. They served as interperetors for a display of artifacts and tour guides for the only building open at the time, the north blockhouse. Scouts would serve on the island for six weeks. I

Thanks guys, now I know. Ah, the good ol days, before I was alive

Hey! How many of you scouts are planning on going to Mackinca Island this year. My troop is the only one from my half of the state that does it, and it's our island! We allways seem to have trouble getting enough people to comit, and we allways have more from outside our troop than from within. DOes anybody else have these problems? We can't take all of this time from our normal program without loosing something so we are going to ask another troop to take the reigns next year, if anybody will.

They're not really a release from liability from us, they're a notice to the parents. They are required I think because scouts are still minors and under the care of their parents, so we have to make darn sure the parents atleast know where their kid will be and for how long. It actually makes the scout more responsible for getting their parents to sign the slip, not less responsible for their own saftey. It's one of those technicalities that are just a good idea because not every parent is as observant or caring as they should be.

I'm a pro camping guy, I do it all. I really don't think any one type of camping is the end all-be all form of outdoor recreation. I enjoy backpacking, but I also enjoy sensible car camping. My troop once had nice reasonably small chuckboxes, until some adult said "Hey, you can't fit your dining fly, stove, and box legs in there! I'll fix that!" and added another half width addition to the back of the boxes making them weigh about as much as a volkswagon. Now none of the kids can even move them without three or four extra guys helping. Needless ot say we don't use them as much anymore. I think

Of course the main goal of all scouting is to benefit the youth, but being able to wear the badge to signify your own knowledge in a field has it's own advantages. If a scout sees anybody wearing a rifle shooting merit badge, a first aid merit badge, or any other badge they know they can ask that person a question about it and get a straight answer, that's some of the point of merit badges, to show others your experience, just like knots and service awards and leadership training patches. I bet nobody would probably object if an adult did have some badges on his uniform, unless there is a rule

Spats are supposed to keep junk, dirt, snow, woodticks, and even according to the pre WW2 US army doctrine, water out of the boots and pants, and to keep the footware dry from dews and damps. Spats are gaiters, just older looking ones. The army surplus store by me has some in my size I was looking at because I hate messing up the cuffs and calves of my scout uniform pants in muddy terrain. Hey, if you want to change your shoe color as a joke, get the cheapest pair of shoes that you can find and a few bottles of poster paint and repaint them every evening. They would be a flat color, but y

A merit badge doesn't prove anything but experience and proficency in a field, age not withstanding. I think honestly that having adults be able to earn merit badges along with youth wouldn't be a bad thing. I was kind of thinking about that. They should also offer the old discontinued badges as historical awards for completing the old requirements, only not count them ad badges towards ranks or anything. Giving adults the same reckognition as scouts for learning a useful skill would probably encourage more adults to keep active and encourage new ideas in the program too.

My dad told me many a story about the boondockers he wore as a kid. Leather shoes of this older style are actually probably better for hiking than a lot of the foreign made bagain priced hiking shoes out there today. Work boots can actually make pretty good hiking footware too. Those Brhama leather workboots are pretty light and offer a lot more support than a cordura and synthetic hiking boot ever could. My troop goes to Mackinac Island every year or two and we require dark brown or black dress shoes for uniform wear to go. I have a pair of Dockers all leather brown shoes, I need to chec

I did take a peek at e-bay. It looks like all that's listed now is a really old green wool scout shirt. I didn't know there was a current poly/wool blend available. I'll have to check it out. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. Really with proper underclothing the offical uniform can meet just about any summer camping requirement. On the somewhat rare occasions where extra warmth is needed long underware can be worn to increase it's warmth. I really wish scouts and scouters would wear the offical shirt and pants or shorts more than the activity uniform. There aren't too many things

They should add all of the discontinued badges to the scout historic equipment line.

I would like to see as an option the uniform long sleeved shirt and pants to be offered in wool. This would make them a lot safer in cool wet weather. They would essentially look the same as the cotton blend uniforms so they would work just as well at ceremonies, but would be better if cool wet weather were in the forecast. As for the campaign hat, it is far more useful than the baret and overseas cap. The beret looks pretty dorky if the sun bleaches it out to a pink too. The campaign hat is for sale from some websites minus the BSA hat band for about $30, and it can take a little rain w

I think that the "Class A" should be pretty good for outdoor clothing in the summer atleast. I keep wondering if wool uniform shirts and pants are available for cool weather wear. It started out that the uniform was a khaki shirt that was readily available to scouts everywhere that would serve pretty well for outdoor clothing. I think the concept of a FULL DRESS UNIFORM is pretty much impossible with kids and that a scout uniform should be like the WW1 army uniform, 1/2 function, 1/2 dress, and definantly not try to look "cool" or anything as that just encourages needless changes which drive u

You have a point but a single blade folder is at just as much of a disadvantage as a fixed blade, and it is not discouraged as often as the sheath knife is. Many of us prefer nostalgic equipment over more modern lightweight gear just because of the feeling of tradition we get when we use it. A canvas tent is no good any more for backpacking, but might make you remember your scouting roots if you camp under one on a Camp-O-Ree where you don't need to carry too far. The whole goal of scouting is not to only promote ultralight backpacking either. Many of us enjoy using the older style equipment j

Well, my troop has a lot of webelos stolen from us so to speak by other troops so we invitet the 2nd year webelos to a seperate campout we hold at an adult leader's wooded property for Jamboree on the Air. We set up a special program for the webelos to introduce them to the troop and what we do. It seems to be working. You know, I just thought of something last night. CUbs spend five years learning skills, and in my council they only get to camp out two nights at cub resident camp. There should be more camouts for the cubs I think.

If I may quote the handbook for a moment. "Note: The Boy Scouts of America does not encourage the use of large sheath knives." from page 78 of the handbook. Notice the word 'large'. To me this would mean that smaller sheath knives, like the ones the BSA once marketed, would still be acceptable. I personally don't think any knife with a blade under five inches long, which is the legal limit for carry in most localaties, is really that large. I honestly feel that this rule was written to keep kids from bringing along 12 inch bowie knives, not sensible 3 or 4 inch utility type fixed blade k

I guess there are a few schools of thought about most aspects of scouting, including equipment. The metal 1qt canteen may seem to be mostly a nostalgic item, but it is still functional. I actually like the nostalgic gear campaign, but only because some of that stuff is built a little better. EX: my scout camper backpack is a few years old. It is in about the same shape as an old canvas Yucca ranger pack from the 50's. As for the campaign hat, they can only lok as good as they are maintained. They look so sharp when they are new, or not soaked. Besides, they are really just as practical as most