yarrow

We come from a big troop. Almost every COH is an Eagle COH. Sometimes we have 2-3 together. When we joined the troop I thought this was a little odd having gone to a number of individual Eagle ceremonies. I think every Eagle should have their own ceremony with help/advise from the troop. It doesn't have to be an expensive affair. The only thing I have liked about the way our troop does it is that I like all the other younger boys getting their badges and ranks first. It adds importance and suspense and encourages the younger boys to look to the future.

I laughed so hard at all your stories. Wow, makes our campouts seem so normal. The boy who cooked his shoes over a fire to "dry" them. The boys who broke open light sticks and painted themselves and threw some down the latrine. The dry ice problem with solid eggs, milk, and everything else.

The only problems I have with OA at the moment is 1) the youth elected aspect and 2) activities replacing the troop activities in importance. 1) We have a boy in our troop who attends all the activities, has advanced regularly, and has a number of badges beyond. He is a little slower than the rest of the boys but not enough to be considered mentally challenged....the boys don't like him well and he could never be considered popular. As a result I don't think the poor kid will ever be elected and I have seen less qualified/more popular boys elected. Some do the ordeal, some don't get aroun

Have you ever heard of this. My boy laid out a hike for the troop on a recent campout. He is working on his Hiking MB. The SM didn't want to do the hike as planned because it was not a circular hike.......no big deal. However my boy had laid out the 10 mile hike to not only accommodate the Hiking badge requirement but to help scouts with the Camping MB requirement about a hike with a 2000 ft elevation gain. In this area everything is high and the only way to get this requirement was to start at the lowest point in the park and hike to the highest point on a trail and then bushwack up a mountai

There's always going to be a problem with paper ranks and paper Eagles. We have a mom just like the one you are talking about, but maybe not so abrasive. She is in with Girl Scouting and Boy Scouting so tight that she has earned both an Eagle and a Gold Award. Did I say she had earned.......my slip is showing.

Sounds like you ran a quality program for Cubs Sctmom, and are still suffering some possible disappointment in the current troop. Hope you can stay involved. We lost several new boys whose parents were very involved in Cubs and just started dropping off their boys now that they were in Boy Scouts. The boys missed the parents involvement and the attached pretige. Good luck. Refocus into being a merit badge counselor. Sounds like organization is a real strength for you.

I camp with my Girl Scouts. We don't use the air mattresses but most are quite young. I personally never sleep on the ground without some pain so I take 2 ibuprophen at 10pm, 2 at 2:00 and 2 at 6:00am. I consider it my "air mattress".

Pretty sure my boy earned merit badges at summer camp when he was 11. Must be able to. I know he was working on Eaglebound but also earned canoeing that summer. Our troop policy is a year, but it is unenforcible by BSA. We recommend a year because it is hard to imagine what a scout is doing not finishing a badge within a year (camping, cycling, hiking, backpacking notible exceptions).

My boy has been a Life for about 9 months now and has finished all his eagle required and the extra badges plus. He was signed off for his current POR but was told that when (and it will be a while, he's just turned 13) he does his Eagle he will need another POR. Getting a POR is not a problem, he's active anyway, but where is it written??

I am not sure where they get their numbers. I have 187 active and you are right it is about 25 folks actually posting. I check the forum regularly but only add when I am stuck on issues or policy. Thanks for all the advise over time.

Congrats.......looks like he may stay after all. I think in part BP in pert designed the program to support just this kind of boy with a character building influences.

Not a slam.........oh you who try to read too much into simple words........just a statement in appreciation of Bob's contribution to the forum. Yarrow

3 lbs sounded good but the Eureka Tetragon-5 site says 5lb-10 oz which is heavier that I'd like. $64 though is a good price.

Three Cheers for Bob White. I for one appreciate all of your experience and advise. We are lucky to have you.

Scouting is for kids. Booze and Blondes, try another organization, guys.

Our council/district encourages JLT by providing incentives. Troops rechartering get a certain number of points for various items such as registering for district activities on time, scheduling one long term camp per year, certain % of rank advancement per year, providing a budget, staff for some district activities, selling a certain minimum of $ of popcorn per scout etc. One of the point tallies is JLT training for the scouts not by a rank level but for thoses in leadership positions. You need certain levels for the council to provide rank patches for free for the troop. None of this is poli

Aahhhhhhh! cute pic of Laurel

Camping in Colorado. Usually above 9000. They do camp in the winter but he just used our 3 man dome tent. He would generally be with another scout because it is more fun, but for backpacking I wouldn't want him to carry more than a 1-2 person tent. He is 13, 5'-0", and 95 lb. I know I can get the Colman Cobra at the outlet for a good price. How do the Eureka's run.

I am going to pick up a backpacking tent for my boy for Christmas. He will use it at canoe base and for other campouts. Is it prudent to get a 4 season tent? What is your favorite 1-2 man tent? A lot of boys like the Cobra, do you have a favorite? Does the Cobra hold up? I appreciate your input from the real world. I just don't know about extreme camper reviews in those magazines and sites.

Well said Sagerscout, and in keeping with everything I have read from National. It is; however, widely held that Girls Scouts have thrown God out. Girl Scouts allow for a broader and more personal expression of God in the promise as your reply indicated. In the long run it has kept GSUSA out of the hot water BSA finds itself in all the time and fits with all their views on diversity and tolerance. I must say that when the interpretation first came down I was pretty hot, but later realized that it meshes better with the Girl Scout ideals and I can not force Christianity down anyones throat nor

Unlike Boy Scouts, it is just not possible to earn a Gold award before high school. The program doesn't allow for it. Plus the amount of work it takes to do a Gold Award pushes it into 11th and 12th grade. I know way too many 13-15 year old "Eagles" Very few 15-16 year old Gold Awards. The 12-14 year olds work on a Silver Award. A whole lot of work too.

Must have been asleep on this one. Where did Fly Fishing MB come from and how is it so very different from Fishing MB. Seems like a repeat.

I run Girl Scout troops too. What to wear or not wear with the uniform is less of an issue as it is almost impossible to get a girl to wear a uniform. For my troops I require a sash. Anything else, uniformwise, is up to the girl. National says you are in uniform when you wear your pin. For formal occasions such as Flag ceremonies, awards presentations, etc. I ask for plain and modest clothing. White blouse/shirt and black skirt/pants to be worn with the sash. It has worked for us. At meetings the girls wear what they wear to school. On campouts I insist on studs or nothing for safety, bag the

It is unfortunate but true that LOTS of troops get in these kinds of spitting contests. You can build a wall of rules 100 ft high to keep you and your boy in this troop, but I have to wonder why. Doesn't sound like an environment I would want my son in. You did or didn't do something "wrong".....at this point it doesn't even matter and pushing to prove that you are wronged or to prove a point is toxic to your peace of mind. Shake the dust from your sandals and move on. Join a troop and involve your son in only the fun stuff until he and you lose the bad taste. I think the SM will destroy the t

I have had Webelos dens and Girl Scout troops of various ages. If you have a Junior Girl Scout 9,10,11 and sometimes a little on either side.......think Webelo. That is about the age level and activity expectation. My troop of 8-10 year olds does some crafts. They like them. Some community service, not quite as fun. A little bit of leadership. About 10 -15 badges a year......think Webelo pins. They also camp. We camp in lodges, platform tents and pitch our own depending on the site. I recently took about 1/2 the troop to a state park with a wonderful trail system (at about 9000 ft elevation) a