King Ding Dong

Pack, do it with style. You should be real handy with that machete collection of yours.

Called the Bat Cave and spoke to Alfred. Lighting, flushing toilets, serve you breakfeast in the morning. $32 per head, 4 hour drive. Sounds more like a B&B than a hotel. I wonder if the Scout Shop has a B&B patch. If not the AC can check with GSUSA This trip was done before so at least a couple of adults know about the facilities and somehow thinks this counts as camping. Sigh. I don't think WAAG bags and urine bottles will save us from this one. On the bright side the boys will have to hike it in........400 feet from the parking lot.

You know, that kind of sounds weird. 3-4 adults and one youth is a troop ?

About 19 attended summer camp, none over 13. The last years NSP was big, maybe 12. All eligible who attended camp were elected. They had 14-15 months to get the camping in. 5 nights resident camp last summer and 10 short term nights plus 1st class is all that is needed. BTW BD, I am positive I will not need to lawyer or pencil whip for my son to get Eagle if he chooses to follow through. It appears the PORs in this troop are mostly paper with the exception of SPL. Been working on gathering my quotes from the meeting. Should be good. Been tough looking at other troops as they have been on summer break.

We had a problem at summer camp as there were not enough trees not in the clear for six that had hammocks. LNT would likely have a problem trampling the brush all week.

Except my SM is big into P90X.

My first pack had scouts do an inspection with the inspection sheets at every pack meeting. A tootsie roll if you were correct and push-ups if you were not. Push-ups are considered hazing by national now and discouraged. But the boys liked it and had fun with it. My last two packs have not done any inspections. I personally like the idea of doing away with t shirts, but that is not the culture now. Sigh. It floored me when a Air Force Major's wife complained out the uniforms.

How about Texas ? They keep talking about seceding anyway. Give it back to Mexico. Might help solve some of the problems with National as an added benefit. Just a suggestion.

I read something awhile ago about some pack that had den flags made with "Wolf Den 2" or something similar that locked them in to this practice.

I do not know how many are active, but all of last years NSP that had the nights were elected this summer. I am told that is not always the case. BD we don't have a van like some other troops. You can only fit so many scouts and gear in a Camry for the 2 hour drive (with traffic) to camp. Sure NSP could schedule their own campout. Need 2 deep leadership and a SM, committee, and parents to support it. I am only one person. One less weekend that effects fall ball and all the other sports. Seems nuts to me the OA only requires 15 camping nights including resident week, but what do I know. I am an idiot, remember ?

Although you will will never hear it stated explicitly, I really get the impression it is all about the Eagle and not the journey. Everyone likes to chide me over NOA, but I believe it is there to encourage a good program. Unfortunately BSA has filed it away in a bottom drawer. Few have heard of it, so it won't do them any good on the college app. So you suggest I somehow over ride the PLC, SM and Committee and deliver a better program. I am supposed to do this by myself and maybe the help of one or two others ? Another problems see is OA. Who is in OA ? The PLC and more except the NSP and PL. They have 4 other weekends a year to fit in. No problem dropping the August trip, a load off these parents back as they have an OA weekend to fit in early September. Where does that leave the non OA scouts ?

I agree completely, BD. This is what the PLC, SM and Committee agree to. I talked to several key parents over the summer about the the low level of summer activity. They like it like that. Parent buy in is necessary to do anything as we rely entirely on them for transportation. Committee takes a very conservative view of two deep leadership clause on a day activity and I can't argue a more liberal interpretation because I can't find the justification, other than specifically mentioned day hikes and service projects. (Ongoing discussion in another thread) I have not flexed my IH muscle yet and have not seen any suggestion on this board that I do so. That would be interfering with the PLC and SM. So stuck with poor program. As I have said before, I will be following your advise and looking at other troops and have started that process. I have been warned by district level staff that there are very few troops in the area with very active programs, especially in summer. Later I will post some of the cringeworthy statements made by the parents at the meeting.

Had a trails end rep at our roundtable. He explained that the council sets the price for each item and what items to carry. Thus the product and price difference between the sell sheet and online sales. Last year online prices were about $4 higher plus shipping charges and had some products we did not have locally.

28 tigers is insane. 28 anything is insane.

Yes. Keep the same numbers unless you need to merge dens due to attrition. Why spend the money and effort changing the uniforms ?

I understand not every trip, but only 4 or 5 a year ?

Bingo 99, might I also add OA eligibility. Did not have my IH hat on at the meeting, just Committee member and parent hats on. I have only worn my IH hat once and that was selecting a COR (form signer) Oh these guys care if it counts, or did when they needed it to. They just won't camp in cold weather, or do anything beyond the BFM (bare minimum). IMO. Not enough people signed up for August event so it was cancelled, not replaced or postponed. If inclement weather forces a a cancelation for an event it is not rescheduled, just dropped. I can see this troop ending up with 8 or less camping nights this year.

Now you are going to have a black canoe shadowing you.

It says "required on all trips and outings". Then gives exceptions to that. Those exception are only for patrols on day hikes and service projects. Not cycling or swimming or anything else. It also seems to me that the exception is only for a patrol activity not a troop day hike or sevice project. It doesn't make sense to me, but that's what it says. Help me understand. What is the purpose of "all trips and outings" ? I don't see where is says adults are "only" needed for overnight outings. I see an affirmation that "appropriate" adult leadership is required on all overnight outings. The SM and two committee members are lawyers, I am not. This is how they see it without something concrete to stand on I am stuck with this. Lol. Had to look up dudebrah on Unrban Dictionary. The need to make a BSA Speak dictionary.

Agree with all of that. We have a Den Chief "Chief" at roundtable who keeps telling us if we can't get a DC from our affiliated troop to contact him as he know lots of Scouts that want a POR. Both the Scout And Den leader are supposed to attend a 1 day training class. Let the SM know you are looking elsewhere for a DC, he won't like the influence of another troop in your pack.

The online version of GTSS is supposed to be the most up to date. I never liked "few instances, such as patrol activities" language. They say a few, and then only list two: day hikes and service projects. ( assuming few means three or more, otherwise wouldn't they have used the word couple ?) What is this "other" patrol activity that does not require leadership ? So if all the patrols go on separate hikes no adults are required ? What happens if two patrols bump into each other ? Run away or the adults will get in trouble ? Eagle92 I don't see DAY TRIP mentioned in this passage. I do see ALL TRIPS. Maybe there is another source that clarifies this somewhere ? Two-deep leadership. Two registered adult leaders, or one registered leader and a parent of a participating Scout or other adult, one of whom must be 21 years of age or older, are required for all trips and outings. There are a few instances, such as patrol activities, when the presence of adult leaders is not required and adult leadership may be limited to training and guidance of the patrol leadership. With the proper training, guidance, and approval by the troop leaders, the patrol can conduct day hikes and service projects. Appropriate adult leadership must be present for all overnight Scouting activities; coed overnight activities even those including parent and childâ€â€require male and female adult leaders, both of whom must be 21 years of age or older, and one of whom must be a registered member of the BSA. The chartered organization is responsible for ensuring that sufficient leadership is provided for all activities.

We only use a PC for canning but from that process I can see problems using it outside. Unless you are real good with a fire you have less controll over how much heat it produces than a range. If it gets to hot, to much pressure. Not sure what happens then, either the weight pops off and your stew does a geyser impersonation or the lid pops off or it goes Boston. They are heavy, so is a Dutch oven. Cooking at high temp and pressure will change the cooking results. Presumably texture and flavor, not to mention nutritional value of some foods. Maybe a good thing in your opinion, maybe bad. Low and slow seems to be the consensus for nutritional value especially with vegetables. I am sure there are other opinions on that.

The fact that the sanitary issues did not come up leads me to believe there is indoor plumbing as well, unless you are referring to bat scat.

That was certainly not expressed at our district kickoff. Not every council uses Trails End. It all could vary.

Yes the SM can encourage more which he didn't do or was unsuccessful in doing. Again, I made my position clear I do not think this counts as camping nights as I doubt a commercial cave is going to have no electricity. Not an expert on the issue but I suspect fire codes, risk management and such play a role. So then, what exactly is your problem with asking others opinions on the matter? If you have such a problem with people asking questions, why do you bother responding ?