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dedkad

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Everything posted by dedkad

  1. And one of the culprit's character is turning out to be even more deplorable. He's apparently strong enough to hike around and topple a large rock, but is still suing someone for his "disability" caused in an auto accident. http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/10/man-who-toppled-ancient-rock-suing-for-disability/ This man needs to be kicked out of the BSA.
  2. So you don't define a rock formation that has been there for 170 million years nature? I don't recall reading "everybody's doing it, so we can too" in the Scout handbook.
  3. Then don't have one. It's not a necessary position.
  4. I can't believe they made him do the same requirements twice. If he earned his Webelos badge, he's done with those requirements. He could have done some of the many other activity badges during his repeat year instead.
  5. To achieve gold in that requirement, apparently it is. Odd that the "AND" requirement to increase the size only occurs when you have a troop larger than 35. The troop you refer to could just take the bronze or silver on that one.
  6. I agree with qwazse's assessment of using the JTE score cards for data, but it does give you an idea of what BSA thinks is a manageable number of boys to have in a troop. Obviously, you can have an awesome program with less than 15 boys, but somewhere between 15 and 35 sounds like a good target.
  7. Interesting to see all the different organizations that charter a pack or troop.
  8. Only the boys who want to be denner should be voted on. I'm thinking about maybe adding some minimum criteria this year for my Web II's. Because they have to learn the Scout Oath and Scout Law, I'm thinking that only the boys who have learned those by the election meeting can be eligible to be denner. Gives them some incentive, since all my boys want to be denner.
  9. jblake47, it's called brain-storming, and it's very effective at getting the ideas flowing. Maybe he doesn't know exactly what he wants, but by asking us to throw out ideas, it gets his own thoughts going.
  10. I guess if you come from a state like packsaddle's that doesn't require helmets, getting the boys to wear one can become a battle. Wearing a helmet on a bike is just second nature for the kids here in California. The boys don't even question it, but if they do all you have to tell them is that it is the law and scouts obey laws.
  11. Yeah, what draconian helmet rule? You mean the rule that requires a boy to wear one? From BSA Bike Safety Guidelines 3. Helmets and Clothing All cyclists must wear a properly sized and fitted helmet approved by either the Snell Memorial Foundation, CPSC, or ASTM standard. Layer your clothing for warmth on cool days so you can avoid chilling or overheating. Cover up for sun protection on clear days. Broken arms and scraped knees are one thing, but a head concussion and possible death is an entirely different matter. It becomes even more important to wear a helmet when you are pushin
  12. Thanks for all the info. Lots of questions I'll need to find answers to. This is all happening so fast. I'd heard about Philmont as a high adventure camp, but didn't know about the training center until yesterday when I went to a Cub Scout Leader training. I have not had the best experience trying to get den chiefs for our pack or trying to get the local troops to provide some sort of Webelos Outdoor Activity to help them qualify for AOL. That is why I think there is a need for somebody to take the lead on this. I will contact the District to get more info.
  13. Thinking about going to the Training Center this summer and taking the family. I'm currently a Web II den leader, but my son will be going into Boy Scouts in February. I'd like to position myself as a Pack-Troop liaison to try to build a better relationship with the feeder packs, and also possibly as some kind of trainer. There looks like there's a good session June 8-14 for those types of positions. I'm sure many of you have been to the Philmont Training Center. What was your experience? I will have my 9 year old daughter and 11 year old son with me, along with my husband. Is the training wor
  14. Remember, it's all about the boys. Can't turn back the clock. Gotta accept that today's generation of kids is different than 50 years ago. We can do our best to instill good old-fashioned values, but how we go about achieving that goal has got to change with the times.
  15. My den meets right after school at the school, and everyone with a son knows how famished they are after school, so the parents alternate bringing snack on den meeting days. I recently got fed up with the constant trips back to the snack table while I was trying to run a meeting, so now I am distributing a set portion of snack and drink to each boy as soon as they arrive and they get no seconds. Keeps the meetings focused on what needs to be done. Our pack meetings are in the evening from 6:00 p.m. to about 7:15 p.m. That is right in the middle of dinner time, but we do not provide any food or
  16. My Webelos den visited a Boy Scout troop meeting the other evening. This troop has a good mix of younger and older boys in it. One of the older boys (16 or 17 maybe?) consistently talked back to the 17-year old SPL. The SPL did a great job of keeping his cool while trying to coerce the boy to behave more appropriately and follow directions without the constant attitude. I don't know what the history is between these two boys, but there appeared to be some animosity. I think the one boy should have been sat down and given a serious talking to about his disrespectful behavior. Should the SM have
  17. If those boys are out-hiking you, get them to carry some of your stuff for you!
  18. dedkad

    Tuck it in!

    My favorite is when they wear their athletic shorts and then add their Cub Scout belt to dangle around their waist. Gotta show off those belt loops no matter what, I guess.
  19. dedkad

    Tuck it in!

    My son's shirt is going to look really stupid tucked into his athletic shorts.
  20. Unless you are an LDS pack. Then your rank is determined by age, I believe.
  21. dedkad

    Tuck it in!

    BSA announces that shirts are to be tucked in. http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2013/10/09/tuck-everlasting-scout-uniform-shirts-should-always-be-tucked-in-bsa-says/#more-21030
  22. I agree that Cub Scouts should not be like homework, which is why I detest some of the requirements they need to fulfill. However, as the program currently stands, the Webelos are encouraged to explore the handbook on their own because not too many dens can offer the boy a chance to earn every badge. This is one way the boy can take on that responsibility of learning on his own, like they would when getting started with a Boy Scout merit badge. Given the alternative of taking the parent's word for it or denying them their activity badge, I think the worksheet is a decent option.
  23. I did denners last year for my Webelos I. Rotated a new denner every 3 months. I let the boys vote on who would be denner and who would be assistant denner. Never let the same boy do it twice in a row, so more boys would have an opportunity to be elected. Had them all get up and give a speech on why they should be denner to give them some public-speaking practice. I was surprised what a good job they did in their impromptu speeches. Unfortunately, the denners selected were never the boys I would have chosen, the ones who really would have been most helpful to me. I didn't really work them in
  24. I can still recite the McDonald's Big Mac jingle - Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun. It's all about priorities.
  25. I love it when I get a parent who says their boy earned a certain belt loop, and when I look at the requirements for that belt loop, it says they have to present something to the pack or den, which they never did. I wonder if the parents even bother to read the requirements. For our pack, they can only earn belt loops for things they have done since becoming a cub scout, so anything prior to him joining would not count.
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