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Krampus

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Everything posted by Krampus

  1. Krampus
    Great read. I wonder if he's aware that scouts now cannot even use squirt guns, let alone go hunting for wild game or go in the back country without 30 adults, a trailer, and mountains of paperwork.
  2. Krampus
    Great idea. We have a raptor center in Wylie. Maybe they will bring an Eagle if the price is right.
  3. Krampus
    All good ideas. Keep 'em coming.
  4. Krampus
    Advanced SERE training. Done!
  5. Krampus
    If you think DO cooking is easy, I invite you to try cooking an entree, 2 sides and dessert -- all at the same time -- so they are perfectly cooked and timed to be ready at the same time. If you find that easy, cook using the stacking method and try to get the same results. Last weekend was Chicken Kiev, steamed veggies, sauteed green beans and garlic with a Texas peach and whiskey (cooked out) cobbler.
  6. Krampus
    Our local scout camps want you out by 2pm. State parks are by noon but you can negotiate later departures. We cannot arrive before 12 noon at our church (to let church traffic leave) and there is pressure from parents to get kids home before 2pm to get homework done. We usually do a hike or play patrol games if done early. Sometime we just let them "chill". They usually don't get much down time from mom and dad.
  7. Krampus
    I am the cooking merit badge counselor. Nothing in the rules that says the boy had to do it, but I challenged him for his "family meal" to think outside the box; pick something his family love and learn how to make it. It was pulled pork. Lent him my smoker, my thermometer, gave him Alton Brown's recipe book on BBQ and sent him on his way. That Saturday he emailed me a picture of his family sitting on their deck eating pulled pork sandwiches. Brought the leftovers by. Heaven!
  8. Krampus
    Have tried the scoutmaster minute route. Fell on deaf ears. My predecessors tried that at least once a month. Beef smokies and pop tarts were the haute cuisine of choice. Tried the parent route. That got no where. Many parents were fast-food junkies themselves. We found out the hard way one time when a scout brought individually packaged microwave burgers for a camp out. After years of trying (literally 5 years of one scoutmaster's reign) the suggestion route, the scoutmaster "encouraged" the PLC to adopt cooking competitions, drawing recipes from a hat and other such methods to steer the p
  9. Krampus
    Let's face it most kids if left to their own devices would not cook over a dutch oven when a packet of pop tarts, Gatorade and noodles ramen were the quicker option. There are occasions where adults need to challenge the boy-led model with our insight. We do it when it comes to health and safety all the time. Given that poor nutrition may impact a scout during the various outdoor activities I have no issue with adding a few guidelines around cooking. If anything it will prepare them for their work on the merit badge.
  10. Krampus
    @, just curious...but do you think the scoutmaster is dragging his feet because your son is 14 and ready for Eagle? I bring this up only because I have seen a few people in the past not be responsive to younger Life scouts because they don't see the urgency or because they feel that if they process the Eagle paperwork too fast they will lose the scout. Others simply object to young Eagles and dragging their feet is their way of slowing down the scout. None of these are proper ways for adults to act toward scouts. Just wondering if this might be a reason for this scoutmaster's action. But y
  11. Krampus
    We usually have the SPL pick about twenty dinners. Puts them in a hat and the PLs send up someone to draw their dinner. They enter it in to the monthly cooking competition.
  12. Krampus
    Yes. As Stosh said his handbook and blue cards are his official record. Blue cards prove the merit badges he's earned or has as partials. His handbook proves what ranks he's had signed off. With those you can walk in to my troop and we will accept them and enter those in to our system. Troopmaster is a unit's tool for managing scouts. It does not always reflect what is in his book OR what has been reported to the council OR input in to Internet Advancement (the national online reporting system). Sounds like your new troop has not input his records from your old troop. Two ways to get that
  13. Krampus
    According to the latest Guide to Advancement: "As stated in Reporting Advancement 4.0.0.2, all advancement must be reported to local councils." Step 11 of the merit badge process: "The unit reports the merit badge to the council."
  14. Krampus
    Fixed your post.
  15. Krampus
    If it helps, we have our new scouts use the baseball card holders you can get at Hobby Lobby to store their rank and blue cards. My son got in the habit a long time ago of using the iPad to take pics of his blue cards and rank cards and store them on his online account. That way, God forbid, the house burns down he's got all his rank and merit badge stuff. Personally I would be advising my son to meet with the scoutmaster, provide a printed copy of his blue cards, and politely request he enter those in to the troop system or report them to council. I would even have him offer to take the c
  16. Krampus
    I don't usually post a lot. I read a great deal. I get confused sometimes in this forum because most of the time I have learned that consulting the official scout documents is always the way to go. Lately in this thread, and in discussions about uniforms, where there is clear policy around what do to knowledgeable folks are giving advice contrary to what the national publications advise. Section 7.0.0.0 discusses the merit badge process. Section 7.0.0.2 says that the blue card is the "nationally recognized merit badge record". To me that means you use the blue card record, and keep it, as
  17. Krampus
    I would always counsel boys to keep their blue cards. It is the only record he controls of what he's done. Rank cards and blue cards are copied and put in to the iCloud in my house, just in case.
  18. Krampus
    Yes. Usually you will find the US flag stage right, the Texas and unit flags stage left. Flags come in with the US flag in front, Texas flag and then unit flag. US flag last to be posted, first taken up. US pledge first, then Texas pledge.
  19. Krampus
    The unit will have to submit his blue card for credit. Since he does have a copy he should email a picture of that copy (don't give that to anyone, that's his only proof) to the scoutmaster for credit. Sounds like the scoutmaster just needs to sit down and enter the information in to the system. I'd send copies of your son's portion of the blue card to the scoutmaster and ask for him to submit them for credit. It that still takes too long, sounds like a troop move might be another option.
  20. Krampus
    My friend is a soccer scout. He works for an international firm that scouts all across the US and central America. He often tells me he knows which kids he wants for the clubs he works for by age 13-15 so he can get them in to their academies overseas. He rarely if ever picks up any kids above 15 and rarely attends show case tournaments. Those, he says, are for colleges to pick players and even then about 4% of the players get money. Select sports is a great way to separate people from their money if they expect their kid to make the pros that way...at least in soccer.
  21. Krampus
    Not to get totally off topic, but yeah, the pledge is below. Also there are a whole slew of ways to display the flag in concert with the US flag. It's a big deal down hear. Of course, yes it is true, everything is bigger in Texas. https://www.tsl.texas.gov/ref/abouttx/flagpledge.html
  22. Krampus
    You lucked out if Mrs. Desertrat only told you where to show up and how to dress. Mrs. Krampus had me fully involved for the whole thing. I hear what you and Stosh are saying. I would agree. However, in my area (north of Dallas) the Eagles and the family do the whole ceremony. It is pretty much tradition down here, much like prom-posals and giving out these 30" mums for homecoming (don't get me started). We have our son working to develop what he wants in the ceremony. It is, after all, his event. He has his friends and a few adults coming up to say things about his scouting career. He
  23. Krampus
    Our troop has always told our scouts (and parents) to make copies of everything. I fear this may not help you now, but good advice for the future. I would have your son contact the merit badge counselor and see if he can't get a second blue card. The counselor should have his records, but he may not. If he can get a second copy then he should take a picture of the whole card and submit that one to his scoutmaster. If this is not an option I would have your son request a scoutmaster conference with his scoutmaster and the advancement chairperson for your troop. He can then discuss with them
  24. Krampus
    It would drive you crazy what we do here in Texas. After doing the pledge of allegiance they do the Texas pledge. Can't imagine too many yankees wanting to pledge their allegiance to the state of Texas.
  25. Krampus
    Stosh, it is tradition where I live for the parents to run the Eagle COH. The usual format is to have the committee chair and SM say a few words. Usually there is a scout who needs the communications merit badge acting as emcee. If no one wants that role it may fall to an invited guest of the Eagle. They do the Eagle charge, the presentation of the award, mother's/father's pin and usually a plaque. Then the scout speaks. Sometimes it is like a roast format. Other times it may be more solemn. Besides the usual flag ceremony and candle lighting, and the gratuitous slide show, that's it. Was
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