Krampus

Buy a snake (reptile study MB) and feed it mice. Kills two birds (er, mice) with one stone. Knock off a requirement for Mammal Study and Reptile Study.

If that's the case he might need something more than just Scouting. Making Eagle will not fill that hole. Scouting can help, but sounds like he needs support from school, friends, his faith and family. Counseling might help too. I know Scouts that sound like they came from similar situations. Counseling helped a great deal.

The rumor is they are instituting a new policy that if you "identify" as an Eagle Scout you will be awarded the rank. That way BSA won't be accused of denying anyone the rank with which they most identify.

...the on-going persecution of Kenny...

If the DL quit that's extenuating circumstances isn't it? The debate about awarding something for nothing assumed an active DL and kids who missed a requirement. If the DL left or quit then the Akela can step up and put something together. In such instances a little leeway is always possible.

But @@Stosh, it is hard to plan around all the stuff the boys are doing. It is easier to say they "tried" and just check the box, isn't it? My biggest issue is that many folks wouldn't want to miss a soccer or baseball practice if it meant playing in the "big game", but they don't think twice about missing something important for a scout rank advancement. Sick and they miss? Different story. Picks sports over Scouts, we know where the priorities lie.

I have to agree with @@Stosh, @@UncleP. If he truly wants to be an Eagle Scout, let him make his own plan and path. Having a plan that someone else has created does nothing for the learning and growing a boy should do on the trail to Eagle. Your first instinct to "relax and have fun" was correct. That said, there's nothing wrong with talking about how to approach his rank advancement. Parents are encouraged to do that. Troops will help first year Scouts make First Class in 12-18 months. After that it is all about merit badges, leadership, service projects and enjoying the outdoor program t

My 85l pack weighs less than comparable lesser packs. When packed properly I have a full weight of 40# including food for a week. The extra space is nice to have just in case. Great for bulkier winter gear.

Just for kicks, interesting to see the commercials used in 1968. Looked like two muck-raking ads from Humphrey. Didn't see any from Nixon...which was a surprise.

LOL...you laugh, but my MIT graduate brother does just that.

We have a Scout like that too. Not allergic, just has "issues" with certain foods. We asked the parents to supply a list of approved foods, also requested the Scout advocate on his own behalf during meal planning. The patrol is very good about accommodating him. Parents still yet to supply that list. One would think with the amount of complaining they do they would have given the list on Day 1.

You answered your own question. There are options. And you can split your meeting so that the boys who DID do the work maybe get a special treat or something, while the boys who are there to make up the work have to do the work.

Even more reason to have the Scout carry the medication.

I can only tell you what they report in their annual report. I suspect there might be duplications in some memberships but doubt that number is very high. They usually publish adjusted numbers each August but they don't do it with much fanfare. Those revised numbers are usually lower than the ones published in the annual report but not by much. The folks I know who work with membership numbers at council and national will admit there is some double counting in membership, but they put that number as quite low.

I think people who read what you've written understand that you will award a rank even if a Scout did 70% of the requirements. I think people will understand where those who disagree with you stand, that -- as long as you complete ALL of the requirements, and not just 70% and do your best -- they would award the Scout the rank. I think everyone knows that other activities get in the way sometimes, but where we differ is in awarding something to someone who didn't complete all the requirements versus compelling them to complete the requirements. Don't worry, I think your position i

Well, according to their published annual reports, this is how the numbers stack up. Numbers for the year are reported in March of the following year for the year just ended. 2012: Cubs= 1,528,673 Boy Scouts= 848,236 Venture/Varsity= 219,453 Total= 2,596,362 2013 Cubs= 1,417,034 Boy Scouts= 828,947 Venture/Varsity= 192,080 Total= 2,438,061 2014 Cubs= 1,293,564 Boy Scouts= 789,934 Venture/Varsity= 188,672 Total= 2,272,170 2015 Cubs= 1,261,340 Boy Scouts/Venture/Varsity= 840,654 Total= 2,101,994 Note: They combined reporting on Boy Scouts, Venture and Varsity to hide the decline in these

ROFL...whatever you say.

Where to begin: First, I don't recall anyone saying you had to have perfect attendance at Scout meetings nor for ranks. Second, the discussion around "doing your best" was not to award a rank for simply "trying" some of the requirements, but rather to do your best at ALL of the requirements.

Agreed. But even in schools the teachers are not required to carry the epipen. Where I live that is up to the student. Of course, the adult (nurse at school, medicine man on the camp out) carries the back up. Also, at schools, the kids with the allergies are taught manage their allergies and how to avoid their allergens. You can't inspect every label of every item purchased at a camp out. What we do is work with the Patrols to make sure that the allergies are known in advance so that the grubmaster can read the labels and avoid certain products. The adults helping their grubmaster ass

Well this one has been vile, to be sure...on both sides. When you have Dumb and Dumber running it is hard to have any optimism about the next four years. Which liar lies the least may win. I feel like we just hit another dark period in Presidential politics.

Well, there is no question on which way the numbers are going. There is also no question how fast they are going that direction. The BSA re-worked the previously published membership numbers to make the decline look less ominous. We discussed this last year and I posted the actually year on year membership losses as reported by the BSA. It wasn't 4%. It was 6% and higher. Oddly enough, the annual 3% year on year losses INCREASED since the 2013 decision. Yet someone how Gates' decision is being lauded as having reversed the decline. I hate to say it, but that is pure horse pucky!! Their own num

I think, maybe, @@Stosh is lamenting that these values are less and less obvious among the youth and, therefore, are not being taught by the parents as they once were. I often have (some) Scouts come right up to me as start a conversation without saying "Hello" or saying "Mr. Smith, may I ask you a question". They are usually the same Scouts and I always ask them to stop, then start over correctly. Eventually they get the message.

ROFL. THIS election is the "cycle of the ad hominem attack"?? Did you miss 2012, 2008, 2004 and 2002?

ROFL...those numbers they quote are HEAVILY messaged. Their own published numbers refute those numbers. We already had that discussion citing the BSA published numbers. If a Scout is supposed to be "honest", why does BSA message their numbers so much instead of standing behind their previously published membership stats? Those deep divisions they cite in the first paragraph are not gone. In fact, they may be worse than when he took office. He's just pleased one group while ticking off the other.

Jewish stereotype for the NY/NY folks of Jewish persuasion. I have heard it before, just not as often as the stereotype suggests. Now "meshuggah"? I hear THAT a great deal. But that's for the same reasons.