Krampus

LOL @@SSScout with "Stayin' Alive". You've never had a cpr class taught you someone under 40 have you? They use "Hip Don't Lie" by Shakira now. Your Scouts won't know that other song.

WNV maybe wasn't around, but other forms of encephalitis were. WNV is just the next cousin in the strain. World travel has seen to the spread of these diseases. Look at TB, nearly gone. Now MDRTB is looming.

Very difficult. Will you use this for more back packing? Are you a light or heavy packer? I I'll say I like the ability to have more space if needed. I'd go with 85 if you are going to keep back packing. Also, look for the extras. Some come with summit bags and rain covers, others don't. I like this one for extras, fit, price, size and storage. We all have pet peaves with packs. Real personal choice. https://www.rei.com/product/881003/gregory-baltoro-85-pack

Could you imagine if political correctness and helicopter parenting had hit Americans 150 years earlier? You guys would have had no problem taking back over the US...and we'd have never gone west. Mexico would be a lot bigger now.

Oh I don't know @@Stosh. I know a great many adults who would have MORE problems doing the long-term planning than me sitting down and teaching the boys to do it.

I know. I agree. But I know EMTs, docs and nurses who -- if they lost someone -- may not want the recognition for whatever reason. Everyone is different. Of course they could always decline if they want.

In most units I know, @@Stosh, the attendance metric is used to track if a scout is considered "active" not for spirit. I agree, if units are using that to measure spirit they are barking up the wrong tree.

@@Eagle94-A1, you might ask the people involved how they feel. Personally, whether the person lived or died I would be reluctant to accept such an award. That's just me. Perhaps the folks involved may not want it because the person did not survive. Maybe they would. If they say they are fine with the submission I would submit it and let the chips fall where they may. The leaders in question, while medical professionals, were not in the line of duty when they performed the actions IMHO.

Can't emphasize this enough. Some repllents are more effective than others but they can ruin that expensive gear you own. Deet is really bad for that. Picaridin is much better. Here's a pretty good break down on the various types.

Up at 7am, cooking by 7:30, KP and done by 9am. Doable with such a small group. That leaves you most of the day for fun and frolic. Lunch on the go. Dinner at 5pm, cooking by 5:30 or 6pm (if coals needed), done and eating by 6:30, KP by 7pm. Then you have time for campfire, dessert and rest. With small numbers this is very doable. If the kids cannot cook start small (foil dinners, easy recipes) and work up from there. Remember, while cooking may not be one of the things the adults can stand (or have the patience for), the boys may LOVE IT!!

Already have a patrol with these...

Perfect example. Same thing with orienteering courses. Go figure. Helluva lot of fun and yet, we cannot do with anyone in the Cub program. Winter camping is another. No Klondike even for the day.

I think we are talking across purposes here, Barry. The topic we were discussing was the BOR "failing" a Scout and where, if anywhere, they (the BOR) have the right or power to do so. What it sounds like you are talking about is BOR feedback on the program. If that's the case, I totally agree that's the purview of the BOR. In fact, to answer your questions, that's the role of the BOR. I am MORE THAN HAPPY to accept criticism, feedback and compliments on the program. I just don't see how a BOR -- while asking questions about how a boy likes the program or what his experiences have been -- would find grounds to deny him his rank. He'd have to violate something pretty significant in my mind which, I hope, we would have found out long before he was recommended for his BOR. Is that where you were going?

It is very rare, but there are times where we have 3-4 Scouts per patrol going on a camp out. That's a perfect size for a new Scout to try his cooking skills. The Instructors work their way around to keep an eye on the cooks. If there's only 1-2 for a patrol or two we combine them for that trek only. Does not happen often, thank goodness. We never cook as a troop unless we are doing desserts by the campfire. Even then, each patrol manages their own Dutch oven.

I am saying that we follow the BSA established guidelines for rank advancement. I was pretty clear in what I said. The boy has met the requirements for rank. The boy knows his stuff. The boy meets BSA's requirements for having AND PASSING a BOR. What on God's green Earth could cause a BOR to fail a Scout who meets all of these requirements? Instead of asking more questions, Barry, read what I wrote and tell me under what circumstances a Scout that prepared could FAIL a BOR? As for our "active" standard, there's no interpretation required. The boys established a threshold that meets the GTA requirement years ago. The Scout must be registered. The Scout must be in good standing (we have official probation, if not on that you are considered in good standing). The Scout must be active. Active is defined by attending 50% of all cumulative service projects, camping trips and troop meetings. That is to say you combine all three of those things to get your 50%. The alternate litmus test defined in the GTA can also be used. Pretty black and white. We go the added step of having the PLs let anyone know who is falling below the 50% threshold to get their attendance up. NOTE: We have NEVER had a Scout fail his level of activity test using either the troop standard OR the GTA's "alternate" test. Our Scouts know where they stand BEFORE they go in to the BOR. In fact, they would not even be sent to a BOR unless the met those requirements. So, again, if a Scout meets all the requirements laid down by BSA, where the heck does the BOR get the right to deny him his rank?

You mock, but I tell you teenaged fan-girls in the US would pay big money for half the crappola on the Doctor Who Store on the BBC website if you could sell it here. In Dallas there's tons of disposable Daddy-money that they'd spend no problem. You could probably fund your entire trip twice over. Just sayin'.

Wrong about them "failing" a Scout? As SM I cannot be *if*: The Scout has completed all of his requirements. The Scout is registered with the troop. The Scout is in good standing. The Scout is active by our unit's definition (which is well known and communicated well in advance). We go the extra step of making sure the Scout knows every requirement in his rank for which he is being reviewed and can demonstrate those skills. In the event he is sitting for Star, Life or Eagle, we review his core skills in his SMC so that he is fully prepared for any question he might get in his BOR. I fail to see how the SM could be "wrong" in having a word with the BOR for failing a Scout that meets all of those criteria? That Scout meets every standard set by BSA. Now, unless the Scout dropped the f-bomb and flipped off the board, I see no reason they would fail such a Scout.

Geesh, this sounds like a Cub Scout Pack.

...plus anything 10k or over hits the Homeland Security radar too. With all the signatures and account codes needed, someone must have had their home computer hacked to get all that information. You simply don't just open an app and transfer that amount of cash...unless someone had a jail-broken iPhone and got hacked like that.

Exactly. If a BOR does not pass one of my guys they won't be leaving that room without a word from me.

We do it in June and July. June is prep month. The PLC meets to review the elements of the program plan and we give the patrols 3-4 weeks to hunt around for ideas to bring to the planning meeting. At that meeting ideas are thrown in to the circle and we build the straw man. After that meeting the PLC whittles down the ideas in to the program plan. It is finalized by the PLC and presented to the TC for review and approval. Oh, a proposed budget is also attached. Adults are involved to help keep the wheels on the track. For example, when one patrol REALLY wants to camp at Big Bend on a normal weekend, well, that would require altering the laws of physics to make it there and back in a Fri-Sun weekend. So the adults drop the pearl of wisdom that saving that for spring break might be best. We may also mention during the information gathering phase any fun camps we've heard of from sources such as this forum; they do the leg work, That's the extent of adult involvement. The TC "review and approval" is always perfunctory. Have never seen them kick back anything in 12 years. They had questions, but never any rejections.

Not possible, but if you could find a way to sell Doctor Who memorabilia to us Yanks at a decent price, you'd make a fortune.

Given you need bank account numbers, SWIFT codes and everything else, I am stunned that the bank cannot trace the destination of the funds. Unless the funds went to somewhere in the old Eastern bloc, Greece or elsewhere in Europe with lesser banking regulations. If the funds went anywhere in western Europe they should be able to find them.

Patrols should always cook together. If you end up with just two then maybe combine, but three would still be fine.

They didn't leave due to the water gun ban. But add on the membership changes and all the silly bans and, yeah, that's why they left.