King Ding Dong

Not every BSA camp has a cliff. In fact they only cliffs around here are on the the Interstate or end in water.

Check out my post over in advancement on accepting a partial from camp. Cooking MB counselor who thought he needed a big kitchen can opener and couldn't get a fire started. The kid was trying to go from tinder and some twigs straight to damp logs. The problem I saw with fires last week was these boys focus on getting the tinder going and THEN go scrounge for kindling and THEN go looking for fuel. They are also so used to fire building competitions to burn the twine stretched between two sticks that they try to rush everything.

So five of Scouts took the Cooking MB at camp last week and all received partials. Background. The prerequisites for the class were to do the cooking with the troop and class time was to do the safe food handling and menu planning. This was a mess hall camp so no patrol cooking took place. To his credit the kid running the class thought this was nuts so he modified it by having the boys do the menu planning as homework and spent class time for three days cooking lunch. He had 20 scouts and was in way over his head. If I hadn't been there to help get the fires started and help herd the cats nothing would have been accomplished. This kid forgot a can opener and was about to send some runners to the commissary to get one. I stopped that and told all the scouts to get out their knives and check if they had a can opener. None thought they did until I showed them what that short stubby thing was for and how to use it. (another strike against patrol boxes) Non the less even though only 3 "meals" were cooked he signed off the cooking requirements for all the boys for 4 and 6 and the menus for 3 and 5 if the boys presented them. 7 is home cooked meals and he signed off on that one if a unit leader certified that was done. Since my boys had presented no evidence I would not certify that one. (I am just a Committee Member and parent but was an acting SM for most of the week). Technically all the boys have to do is complete camping and backpacking meal plans and the at home plans and meals (7). I plan to register as a MB Conselor to help them finish. Since the actual cooking portions are signed off do I have to accept that even though I know it is not completed ? Or as the MB counselor who will sign off the completed badge is it my responsibility to ensure all requirements are met as written? The GTA says "A subsequent counselor may choose not to accept partial work, but this should be rare." Hmmm. "Rare" is in it is rare for an Eagle to be rescinded ? I have been told that MBs at camp are "different" and witnessing this and the Swimming MB at camp I can see they are. That one was "completed" so it is out of my control except for my son who I will ensure completes some of the requirements as written that I have not seen him do before. (I have Y instructor and RC Lifeguard certifications)

I appreciate your commitment to a quality program. Just remember that all that is required is Akela's initials in the book for Tiger through Bear. Webelos is "show me" time. Sounds like you had a tough year, I would tend to favor twocubdad's approach and let them have more time if they need it. However from your description of their attitude, they just want the bling without the work so don't expect much. It has been a couple of years since I did Bear but rarely is a requirement written such that it cannot be done at home with family.

Dang, I hate when all paragraphs are lost.

While my current pack is a bit lax on the requirements, 58% is really low. It is obvious the grandparents are not involved as they should realize all that is needed is for Akela to sign off at the Bear level. Sounds like they are not willing to lie but want you to lie to the Council for them. Dont do it. Given how easy it is to appeal Eagles I suspect it is even easier for to appeal Cub Ranks, though I have never heard of it. Is this a regular grade based pack? Seems odd that rank advancement is still occurring on June 17th. Is your program year complete ? If it is then the Bears should be graduated into Webelos and it hoses these people unless they appeal to council. What is up with the B&G thing? Were you supposed to be so devistated by the possibility that he would not attend you would just hand him rank advancement ? My reply would be "Your grandson can not advance until Akela signs his requirements, here is the number to the Council if you would like confirmation of that policy." Let them figure out who Akela is.

Jblake, BP himself must have been the Camp Director. Fred, after seeing all the boys abandon their wall tents at summer camp last week, I am starting to question the need to set tents up at all unless rain is expected. Could save a lot on wear and tear.

Who gets a newspaper anymore and last I checked the routes were all franchises that cost well over 10k and require a vehicle. I mowed lots at 11 but had the physical ability. My oldest at close to 11 weighs 60 lbs and has 1% body fat. He just can't push it up a hill. I have an electric smoker and he loves to help me cook ribs, butts and briskets. Thinking about having him develop a price list and offer to deliver BBQ to neighbors for Sunday afternoon football games and dinner. He could offer the option of 7 types of smoke and spice rubs. Probably would mesh well with the entrepreneur MB. I don't know if it will be successful, but we sure make better BBQ than any suburban strip mall joint.

Sure once they are 18 they make all their own choices but there are no scouts 18. Up that point some decisions have to made for them, albeit as little as possible. No one can control their success in life but we can sure as hell make sure the deck is stacked against them by following The Lord of the Flies style of parenting and not setting expectations and consequences. The problem with many Natural consequences is they child will not experience them until latter in life. BTW SEVEN CHILDREN!!! Better man than me. There are days I feel like checking myself into the psych ward with just two.

I am not familiar with that practice. How so? Mandatory gratuity, I get and understand. I have never been charged more for a large gathering. Private room yes, just as I would expect for a private jet.

I get what you are saying about setting expectations to high or not in the interest of the child. However, if we left all the decisions up to kids, most of them would just sit in the basement sucked into the vortex of video games. I have no expectations of my sons being a star athletes, but they are going to get exercise, how they choose to get it is up to them. They have a choice, go to swim practice, choose another sport or cycle, run, walk, push-ups. They both opt to swim and go to meets. Never made 1st in a race, all I care about is the did their best. What's wrong with all C's on a report card ? Well that may have worked in the past, but the world is changing rapidly and that just won't cut it anymore. I am not talking about being successful, I am talking about surviving above the poverty line. Unless you are in a position to demand higher compensation, you are not going to get it. Try surviving on your own with minimum wage and no health benefits. Sure there will be some that do not have the ability to get good grades, but if the ability is there we are failing as parents to not expect them. Sure I want my children to be happy, but I also want them to be able to support themselves. I will take food, shelter, clothing and health care over happy. There is a large portion of this country that think health care is a privilege not a right. We are now competing against near slave labor, just look at the work conditions at Foxconn. Dormitories.

That was my challenge also. I had eight sets to do and it took a while, I just went over the shoes, socks and shorts again until it was gone. The concentrate was great for the backpacks, pads and cots. 3M makes a concentrate soak product that would be a faster and more even application but longer dry time. I will likely use the Martins 10% concentrate (diluted to .5) next time on everything and soak as it is much cheaper. Any leftover I just sprayed around the yard (and the dog as that is what it is labeled for)

Thought I would give an update. Those of us that used the Sawyers or concentrate Permetherin (plus DEET) had no problems with ticks or mosquitos. The results varied for those that didn't. A few boys were picking ticks off all the time and a couple got chewed up by the Mosquitos. The gnats were a different story and really annoying. The staff had a commercial product I can't recall the name of but the primary ingredients were vanilla, peppermint and cherry extract. My CC drove to Wally World and bought some vanilla and peppermint and then diluted with water in a spray bottle. Sprayed the hair and upper body and hand applied to face. 95% effective for about a hour and made a huge difference for everyone. I don't think my son could have completed his pioneering project without it and it was funny watching the reactions of everyone when they realized they just inhaled a bug.

I am signed in, does not work for me.

I have have never needed to book group travel. That is the craziest thing I have ever heard. What other industry charge a bulk premium.

No one on the Internet is normal.

You must not live in tornado alley. When I was in Nebraska it was very rare to witness rain fall vertically. If it is not bolted down you can pick it up from your neighbors yard down the street in a few hours. In the Midwest the best the forecasters can do is tell you is it might rain an hour from now. Around here it is not advisable to be outdoors in thunderstorms, especially with a bunch a young children screaming in terror. Again, it does not rain here, we have thunderstorms and frequent super cells.

Did not notice all the comments prior to mine. Sure stepped into the middle a a big one. I have not wisdom or experience to make much sense of this banter, but a few observations. I don't know anywhere within reasonable distance where a our troop could camp 300 feet apart without backpacking and our younger scouts just cant carry the necessary equipment. Our school district does a pretty good job at civics so the 3 citizenships are a waste. Would love to see them replaced with Scoutcraft skills. The Wright Bros may have invented the airplane, but that doesn't mean their design was perfect. And if I have to hear one more district training rep or camp director give the same damn BP and the Zulus and Boer War speech again I think I am going stand up and start blowing wet farts all over. Like it or not an active scout over the age of 14 these days is a rare breed. Maybe it is the helicopter parents, but I suspect it has more to do with the dream of sports "scholar"ships and the eroding middle class. If you want to survive in the future with very few exceptions you must be a leader. If you are not, good luck making a living wage.

Faith, your summer camping situation has me curious. Is this camp just for your pack? How big is it? Do you not have district or council level day camps nearby?

I have been intrigued by many of your thoughts Kudu. My question is what use is scouting to natural leaders and natural followers? My view of scouting has been to develop leadership skills in those who it doesn't come to naturally. My son is a natural at math, reading and science. He is pitiful at composing spoken and written thoughts, that is were he needs development. Should we just give up on that because it doesn't come naturally to him? I don't see parents supporting a program that just teaches their child to follow orders and be good little soldiers. I think aspiring to growth and developing skills that come hard for you is a good thing. Am I misunderstanding you ?

This discussion brings me to the subject of parental involvement in the scouting program. Is it appropriate to have a SM conference with the parents so they are aware of his status ? Maybe the answer is the parens don't care or shouldn't care. I would certainly want to know about this scouts issues so I could help support him at home. Parents sometimes can place other demands on their children that can interfere with their ability to accomplish other tasks. Swim team practice 4 days a week, plus lessons, plus cubs, homework, reading time, math facts, chores, 11 hours sleep, etc certainly put a lot of pressure on my son a couple of years ago and he suffered because he never felt he had any control over his life. I recently have done a poor job keeping his little brother out of his hair so he practice his violin in peace. If I didn't know he was having difficulties with his position and was blindsided with his removal from a POR I would be a bit upset. Same as I would be upset to find out my child was falling short in a subject at school when the report card comes home.

The wide range of popular sports options is certainly a factor. When I was a young no one played lacrosse until college, now a third of the troop does. Martial arts is huge. The emphasis parents place on sports is understandable from a physical activity/obesity perspective but sometimes seems like overkill. Scouting offers great physical activity, but in most troops only once a month at best. Scouting does offer those three exciting citizenship badges. Skeptic, I certainly see some of your points but don't see them as the major problem with membership. Certainly the "he is such a Boy Scout" comments are just plain absurd, although I am a bit uncomfortable with the traditional moral ideas language. I personally don't see people making light of scouting values frequently, but my interpretation of them may differ from yours at times.

My son has another two years until he will be able to attend NYLT, but I am interested in your boy's concerns. Course material, staff or both?

Pack,I have heard this one before. As in an animal crawling under your porch to die and making a big "stink" about something. Twocub, in every pack there will be "that parent" who crawls under your porch for giving their son nightmares about having to shoot those scary monsters.

What is your reference for BSA not allowing lock back knives? The GTSS has no such stipulation. In my opinion the lock back knives are the only safe knife for a cub to use. Otherwise it will likely close on their finger at some point. Sheath knives are not banned by National, but many councils ban them at camps.