King Ding Dong

The Den Meeting and Resource Guide has a twice a month schedule. The problem with that is if one gets cancelled for some reason (DL sick, Strings Concert, school conferences, etc. ). We start falling behind in requirements. I think scheduling 3 a month is better with the realization that one may get dropped. Of course I have a Webelos DL who thinks once a month den meetings is fine and just gets done in an hour what he can and the awards the activity badge. Nice training for the world of Merit Badges. I call it Webelos Lite.

I would just be happy if they wore the pants and not jeans. Some of the Cubs use the shirt as a jacket and won't even button it. But it sounds like you have a great group that finds value in the method of uniforming. If the parents don't grumble about, go for it. Just realize a $35 jacket may cheese off some parents because now you have upped the uniforming coat over $100.

I do not know about your Council, ours charges $60 for a full week of day camp. 9am -3:30 pm. Or less for a twilight 5:30-8:00. Don't see much fundraising going on with those prices. 1 night Dad and Lad or Mom and Me is $35/person. a bit more but includes 2 meals, tents and use of the camp pool. I really don't see this as a huge moneymaker for the Council.

Well, they sure made that easy.

Try finding a troop by going to scouting.org. Oh, everyone knows you need to go to beascout.org for that.has anyone seen a link to beascout.org on scouting.org ?

At some point in your life you have to learn to say no. Next year I will inform the den we will be working on building a birdhouse. You may bring your own kit or I will have some available for purchase. No money, no kit. Just can't deal with "I will bring it next week" parents anymore. With the troop if you show up at departure and are not paid up, you better hope YOUR parents are driving you and feeding you. Although there are only one or two problem families with the troop. The thing is, if the parents or Scout came to the committee and explained they were having financial difficulties we would find a a way for their son to participate. Every child deserves the opportunity of scouting. It is just the freeloader attitude we just can't deal with.

Really? How about some examples? My wife........

From swimming MB. #3 "before doing the following requirements, successfully complete Second Class rank requirements 8a-8c and First Class rank requirements 9a-9c." So in order to earn the Swimming MB or even work on any do the requirements after #3, the Scout has to have completed those requirements. #3 does not state the Scout must do them again for the MB. Unless the MB counselor did not do his job, those rank requirements were checked in the handbook or he had the Scout do them before proceeding any further. The parallel requirements in the swimming MB book are not more rigorous than for 2nd class and First class. They are exactly the same. Yes, if a Scout was signed off on First Class requirements over a year ago, I would require a BSA swimmer test before proceeding with the rest of the requirements.

Unfortunately' date=' that may have already happened. At my last college reunion, I was with a group of alums and university folks, one of which worked in the admissions office. She said that mentioning you were an Eagle Scout on the application was a negative because of the association with bigotry. She recommended leaving any reference to the BSA off any application. Very sad. I didn't follow up, so I don't know if she was just giving her personal opinion, or the official opinion of the admissions office.[/quote'] I'm not sure I would want my son in a college where being an Eagle Scout is considered a bad thing...... Yeah I would take a pass on that diploma mill.

I do not doubt that your scout was injured. However, in general, when boys get into a spat it is over in 5 minutes and they are back rolling around before the dust has settled, with girls the emotional drama takes far, far longer to settle out. At a recent pack meeting the leaders failed to end the meeting and stood around chatting. The kids starting getting restless and a six grade girl sibling started "mothering" the younger boys. No one is sure what happened but allegedly one of the 3rd grade boys did not take kindly to this and physically resisted. The mother was livid, just livid and caused much distraction for the committee while we attempted to sort it all out. Again I have not seen any persuasive argument for mixing it up. Why do the girls need to join the BSA ? If the Girl Scouts are not delivering a completing program, fix it. On top of that, at the PLC level you will have much conflict in event planning.

Pg 25 He respects the beliefs of others. I am not seeing much respect for the beliefs of others. A Scout should be able to join a unit that has beliefs he can respect. Be it a Catholic or Evengelical unit or a public school unit that has more open beliefs.

On a rainy campout when a few of the boys start getting stir crazy and start a mud slinging fight I bet the girls will want to jump right in, at first. Then the boys keep escalating and all of a sudden we have girls in tears. At 14, there is less of that type of thing, but we need to let the younger boys be boys, tell their gross stories and sling the mud. If the GS program has a problem, it needs to be addressed.

This new topic policy is disastrous for the BSA. There is absolutely nothing positive that can arise from this new topic. We have enough problems as it is than creating new ones with new topics. Just leave it alone! What's wrong with the old topics ? When I was a Scout that's the way it was and WE LIKED IT!

The impression of LDS was when asked to jump,not he answer was how high. Much of the criticism of LDS troops I have seen was that the scoutmasters were assigned the role regardless of interest. Just my impression and what I have read, no direct knowledge. So if there will not be a mass exodus, what's wrong with the local option from the viewpoint of National ? Can that Pastor really look that group of boys in the eye and tell them they can't go camping anymore and all that work they put in working in their eagle is over ? That's cold.

If all the big three pull out, can the BSA weather the transition ? Will the schools and others come back ? Or does it lead to a permanently smaller BSA ? Other than the meeting space and trailer storage, do the churches provide any other meaningful resources to the troops ?

I didn't see anything in the link that suggested any change. Just survey results. Did I miss something ? Maybe that they actually released the data?

I am new to BS ANC am having a little trouble understanding the requirements. The way I read it the Scout has to cook all meals for at least 2 others on a campout and a backpacking trip. Intake thins to mean as an individual with no assistance. So in order for a patrol of 8 to complete the badge it would require a minimum of 8 campouts and 8 overnight backpacking trips for all 8 to complete the requirements. Unless of course the patrol was split in two for cooking purposes on each activity. My AC believe it can be done as a group activity as long as the scouts participate. The campout one should be easy enough to complete just in normal activities, but our troop does not do many overnight backpacking trips. ( 14 and out ) How do you handle this one ? I have heard it is scheduled for revision by thanksgiving.

Is the purpose to determine if they are fit or can they do a pull up? I am in the same boat with my new scout son. Zero body fat and strength. We are working on it with assisted pull-ups but is going slow. He also can't squeeze the knife to unlock the blade. To me that is the bigger problem. Half the NSP can't really pass the swim test but last Saturday he swam 25 laps just 11 short of the mile swim. So is he "not fit" ?

That's good.

For the reasons you stated, if this gets passed it will remain for only a very short time. Those on the extreme right will take their ball and bat and go home, tipping the scales just far enough so can put this to rest and get back to scouting.

3 churches have decided to punish the youth for a not yet decided on proposal by adults at National ? That is not Scouting, time to find a new Troop. To those parents looking for an alternative to Scouting may I suggest the 700 Club.

Mother Jones has an April 12 article about the LDS that may provide some insight as to why they are conspicuously silent right now on this issue and appear to have not taken part in the survey. Basically there was a huge internal backlash with prop 8 and at best the leadership is gaining some compassion or worst they do not want more negative publicity. That is not to say they are rolling over as i am sure if they feel shoved hard enough they will push back. It is very interesting and I suggest you have a look. http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/04/prop-8-mormons-gay-marriage-shift

A majority of Boy Scouts and Venturers oppose allowing chartered organizations to follow their own beliefs if that means there will be different standards from one organization to the next. That is most important result of the survey. That is huge. Game over. We all now know what the eventual BSA will look like, how we get there and how quickly is the question. That's a very big Band-Aid that is going to have to be ripped off.

Congratulations on your Eagle! You are a fine example of the future of our great country. Now go away and don't let the door hit you in the @ss on the way out.

Youth Study Group The Youth Study Group (teens 16 to 18) was charged with listening to the voice of youthâ€â€both current members and nonmembers. Harris Interactive was contracted to survey both current youth members as well as general population teens. Key findings include: Among general population teens and Boy Scouts and Venturers alike, a majority oppose the current Boy Scouts of America membership policy. A majority of Boy Scouts and Venturers oppose allowing chartered organizations to follow their own beliefs if that means there will be different standards from one organization to the next. According to a majority of current Boy Scouts and Venturers, the current policy does not represent a core value of Scouting. Tried to post this here once but failed. The old Goat Patrol never fails to throw Boy Led out the window at every opportunity.