BrentAllen

I'm getting the same warnings. I would like to continue visiting this site, but would like for it to be safe.

Gary_Miller: "The point I was trying to make is that a YM who is holding a rank above 1st Class, Should be holding a POR, and if they are not holding a POR they should be working on an assigned leadership project. The point being they should be doing something to fulfill this requirement, and its the SMs duty to make sure the opportunity exists." I would disagree. First, the Troop has the responsibility of getting the Scout to First Class. After that, it is up to the Scout to determine how far he wishes to advance. Second, our goal is to build the best Troop in the council. I tell the Scouts, in order to do that, we need to have the best leaders holding Patrol and Troop officer positions. We don't just hand out PORs because a Scout needs one for advancement. The boys hopefully elect the best candidates as their leaders, and the SPL appoints Scouts to Troop positions who he thinks are going to do the best job. If a Scout wants a POR, he has to "earn" it - by showing up at meetings and campouts, by being helpful, by being a go-getter. If he doesn't, he isn't going to get elected or appointed. The Scout needs to recognize and meet his obligations to his Patrol and the Troop. If he does this, he most likely won't have a problem with a POR.

pack, I've been to Mt Rushmore and The Badlands twice - enjoyed both. Never saw the caricatures, but did enjoy some ice cream. During both visits to The Badlands, I inquired about visiting Wounded Knee. I've read a lot of Native American history, and really wanted to go there. Both times I was warned not to drive down, that it might be dangerous as many Oglalas didn't want us there, and they didn't want to turn it into a tourist destination. We did visit the Oglala-staffed Visitor Center in the South Unit (they warned us not to visit Wounded Knee, as well). I was a bit disappointed in that Visitor Center - basically a mobile home with a few artifacts and regalia. The Oglala have a fascinating story to tell of their history, and I was hoping to see some of that, but there really wasn't anything there. I was hoping for a similar experience from when we visited Little Bighorn Battlefield, with live tours, static displays, a wealth of information about what had happened there - with both sides represented. That may come to pass in the not too distant future, as the South Unit may become the first Tribal National Park, turned over to and run by the Oglalas. See http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2010/09/south-unit-badlands-national-park-likely-become-americas-first-tribal-national-park6703 that came out earlier this month. But who knows, they may have a totally different idea of how they want to run the park. Seeing their budget, now I know why there isn't much at the South Visitor Center. I guess the closest I will get to Wounded Knee for now is watching Thunderheart. :-) Sorry for the hijack. You will now be returned to your regular progamming.

We used the Keys Shuttle to get us from the Miami airport to Sea Base. Round trip for the 8 of us was $690. We flew down the day our trip started, scheduled to depart Atlanta on a 7:45 AM flight. A little tropical storm went thru the Keys the night before, and our flight was cancelled. We had to scramble to get flights, with 7 of us on the 9:55 AM departure, and one catching the 11:00 AM. Looking back, it might be a good idea to arrive a day early in Miami, but that will add the expense of another night on the road. Once you get to Sea Base, there isn't a lot to spend money on. Snack bar, Ship's Store. Just depends on how many things you want to buy. They do take a Crew photo you can purchase, and there are several different patches that can be earned on the trip, if you want them. Duty to God, BSA Snorkling, BSA Kayaking, etc.

$100 for poles?? Wow! Glad we bought from Alps Mountaineering! I just bought a set of aluminum poles for an Alps Taurus 2 for $25 (that was for both poles, not just one). I had them a few days after ordering. Yes, we split tents up for carrying. We also teach Scouts to unpack their gear when they get home, to get that sleeping bag out of the stuff sack, to wash their mess kits, get those dirty socks in the laundry, air the tent out and make sure it is completely dry before storing. All part of learning how to be a Scout.

1/3 to 1/2 the cost of Alps? What price are you comparing to, retail? Just want to make sure you realize that Scouts get a 45% discount off the retail price on the Alps page. For instance, if you are looking for a 4-man tent, the Alps Taurus 4 with fiberglass poles retails for $189.99 but will cost you $104.50. It weighs 2 lbs less than the Hooligan 4, and has two doors, on opposite sides of the tent. We have been using these tents for 3 - 4 years (2-man versions) and they still look brand new. The boys all own them, the Troop doesn't own any tents. We have used these tents in some pretty strong rain storms, and they have stayed very dry. When we went to Northern Tier in 2009, they provided us with Alps Mountaineering tents. They get some very hard use up there, and they were in very good shape.

I used to be a Fox and a good ole Fox too, But now I've finished Foxing I don't know what to do I'm growing old and feeble And I can Fox no more So I'm going to work my ticket if I can. Back to Gilwell, Happy Land! I'm going to work my ticket if I can.

The 3rd edition SM HB, which was the first written by William Hillcourt (aka Green Bar Bill). 1937 Aids to Scoutmastership by B-P, 1944 Rovering to Success by B-P, 1930 Scout Field Book by James E West and William Hillcourt, 1948 (1957 printing) American Patrol Leaders' Handbook by William Hillcourt, 1929 (1938 printing) Handbook for Patrol Leaders by William Hillcourt, 1955 printing Patrol Leaders Handbook 1967 Troop Activities 1962 Boy Scout Games by Charles F. Smith, 1952

Buffalo, After giving my Therma-rest Pro to our Interpreter at Northern Tier (she really needed it), I bought a Big Agnes Insulated Air Core. I used it a few times, but I just can't get comfortable on that type of surface. I also didn't really care for having to blow it up. I bought a Therma-Rest Pro Plus to use now. I don't roll it up, I just deflate it and fold it to a size that fits the length of my backpack. This gives me another layer of padding between the gear in my pack and my back. If you are going to buy a Big Agnes, I can give you a deal on a slightly used one.

Scoutmaster patch and William D. Boyce knot. This is what God has called me to do, to start our Troop and serve as SM. I didn't want to do it initially. When my son crossed over into Boy Scouts, we visited several Troops and he decided which one he wanted to join. The Troop turned out to be different than we expected, and that was when God interveened. The path to starting a new Troop was laid out like the proverbial yellow brick road, and everything fell into place. Some people find out early in life what God has planned for them. Others, like me, have to wait until much later. Those patches are reminders that I am serving a higher authority.

It's too complicated to explain here.

Reviving an old thread... We just purchased 3 Tundra Tarps from Cooke Custom Sewing. This husband and wife team have built up a very good reputation among canoeists in the BWCA. We decided on the 10 x 14 in the 1.9 oz material. They do give a 20% Scout discount. http://www.cookecustomsewing.com/tundratarp.htm The tarps have all the features we were looking for. Lots of loops along the edges, the edges are reinforced, and the reinforced center with quad-loops for a hiking pole or other support. For reviews, see: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=ff0968bbcc023f72761714ae35548e5d&t=638971 http://www.gearsoapbox.com/2008/07/cooke-custom-sewing-tundra-tarp.html http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/reviews/display_reviews?forum_thread_id=34898&cat=Shelters%20%2D%20Tarps%20%26%20Floorless&cid=33&id=AhbUZAfz:66.32.194.62 We have a couple of backpacking trips coming up; I'll give a review after we use them a few times.

That was in reference to your former governor McGreevey. As for me, American by birth, Southern by the Grace of God!

Well, I haven't seen any of those ridiculous Scouting For All knots on anyone in my district, and I can't think of any single Scouters - the ones I know are all married. Are you telling me they are gay? This ain't New Jersey. I guess you will have to send me your GayDar so I will know for sure.

packsaddle writes: Brent, reality check. You think those 'unavowed' gay persons don't already interact across those CO and district boundaries? Really? pack - how do you know they do? How do you know they exist? In my district? Curious.

Scouts don't just deal with adults from their CO. They meet with MB counselors in the district, interact with other Scouters at camporees and training events, at jamborees and Summer Camp and OA events. So, yes, a national policy is needed.

Most people can't remember the names of their school teachers, even though they spent 7 hours a day for 180 days a year with them. Most can quickly tell you the names of their Scout leaders, even though they only spent around an hour a week and maybe one weekend a month with them. I think that says something, but I'm not exactly sure what. Eamonn, we have been watching all the Alcatraz movies since we toured the Rock back in July. The Bird Man tells the warden he doesn't even know what the word rehabilitate means. He says it means to restore their dignity, which he says they are completely failing at. I always get confused about whether we send people to prison for rehablitation, or for punishment. Maybe it is for both, but maybe the two are incompatible. As for the boys, I remember what Jeff Foxworthy told us at a fundraising breakfast. His parents divorced when he was young, and his mother was so poor they had to live with her parents. Being a class clown and comedian, he was always in a little trouble. He had no father figure. He got into Scouts, and the Scoutmaster became the father he didn't have. He says Scouting is the main reason he ended up where he is, and not dead, or on drugs, or out on the street like many of the kids he grew up with. Scouting kept him on the right path. Through his foundation, he has raised more money than any one else for the Duke Cancer Hospital for kids. If memory serves me correctly, he has raised over $20 million for them. If your kid has cancer, and you don't have a penny in your pocket, they will take him and cover all costs for treatment. I'd say Scouting has made a difference for many people, in this case. We can't all tell stories as dramatic as Jeff's, but we do make a difference. If I didn't believe that, I would just go play golf.

Three years ago today we started our Troop, with 6 11-year old Scouts and a handful of adults. I clearly remember wondering for those first 6 months if we would ever get any Scouts for a second patrol. Now, three years later, our membership is up to 42 Scouts and we are wondering how many boys we can handle. From the beginning, we have been focused on quality of program, not quantity. We have had a very good run, so far. * Retention is high, over 90%. We've had only 3 Scouts quit. I won't be surprised if this number drops some in the future. * Summer Camp participation is high, over 90% each year. Our older Scouts have been to Summer Camp for 4 years, and all indicate they will be returning next year. * We continue to cook in camp at Summer Camp. This is the boys' decision, and they more emphatic about it every year. I think this one part of our program does more to make us a strong Troop than anything else we do. * Patrol Method is going strong. The SPL and PLC are doing a good job of planning the annual calendar, campouts, and meetings. They understand this is their Troop. *Advancement is on track. Nearly all Scouts are earning First Class in 18 - 24 months. We have 5 Life Scouts who are about to turn 15. We will hopefully see our first Eagles next summer. * Outdoor program is strong. We go camping at least 11 months each year, with a High Adventure trip in the 12th month. The boys plan a little bit of everything - backpacking, canoeing, caving, horseback riding, whitewater rafting, wilderness survival, and car camping. We've had Crews attend both Northern Tier and Sea Base. We've also had a few special trips - canoeing trip to the Okefenokee Swamp, we have a 4 day, 3 night backpacking trip to Cumberland Island coming up this winter. * The Scouts are involved in many activities outside of Scouting. Nearly all our freshmen are running Cross Country and involved in band, some in the high school marching band. Several are on their Quiz Bowl team. Nearly all our Scouts are involved in band. Most participate in a sport, either football, soccer, basketball or baseball. Many are on their neighborhood Swim Team. We've had 8 Scouts earn the Mile Swim patch. * Four Scouts and five adults have completed Wilderness First Aid training. Over half the Troop is CPR/AED trained. We still have a long way to go, and a lot of work to do. Keeping the older Scouts active will be our biggest challenge, but we are fortunate to have a great group of young men setting a great example. They are all very good friends and will likely stay involved because of their friendship, if nothing else. We are blessed with a fantastic CO and dedicated parents. We have 6 leaders who have completed Scout Leader Training and ITOLS, and two more currently taking the training through our district. The Troop Committee is fully staffed, trained, and holds monthly meetings. We are now working on plans to build our own Scout Lodge. I can't wait to see what's to come in the next 3 years!(This message has been edited by BrentAllen)

If you are serious about purchasing a canoe, head over to the Scout shop and pick up a copy of the Canoeing Merit Badge book. Read it and become an educated buyer. Then visit Craigs List to find what you want. Usually lots of canoes for sale, just looking for a new home.

I've seen WB beading ceremonies at both Pack and Troop meetings, and the boys appeared to enjoy them. I was beaded while serving as CM, at the end of a Pack meeting. One of the dads of a Wolf Scout later told me his son said he was going to get his WB beads some day. If the boys love Scouting, I think they would enjoy hearing about Baden-Powell and the story behind the beads. And believe it or not, the boys like to see us receive an award now and then. We, as leaders, are part of the Troop. Yes, it is a program for the YOUTH (not children), but it won't work without adult membership. At Sea Base this summer, the boys insisted that I and the other adult take our turn on the tube, seeing if we could hang on. They enjoy the fact that we treat and respect them as young adults, and they recipricate by treating us as members of the crew, not just as chaperones. At Summer Camp this year, one of our 14 year-olds asked me about the knots I wear. He promptly informed me that I needed to earn some more. I guess I don't have enough bling to suit his taste.

We operate about the same as SR540. All adults are invited to attend, and I don't care how many attend. We usually have just enough for transportation, and with the church allowing us to use the two 14-passenger GMC Safari's, that usually only means 4 or 5 adults. I have had more adult interest in our backpacking trip to Cumberland Island, which doesn't surprise me. We require any adult going with us to go thru YP and Haz. Weather training. They will also be on the Duty Roster of the Old Fogeys Patrol, helping with the cooking and cleaning. These trips give me a great opportunity to explain Patrol Method and youth leadership to the dads. They see that we camp off by ourselves, and each patrol does their own thing. It is a great time to get them to buy into the program. When they actually see how it works, instead of just hearing about it, they really start to understand it.

We've been using it for about a year now, and let's just say it leaves a lot of room for improvement. If you have more than one page of vehicle/driver or training information, the system doesn't show which numbered page you are on. With several pages to flip through to identify everyone on the trip, it would nice if the web page would highlight which page you are on, as most web pages do. Also, each page of the above only shows 4 or 5 persons - why not show them all in a scrollable table? There are too many "saves" that you must hit after entering information. The small box for Route information is terrible to deal with. And why not just have a "reverse course" option if you are driving back the way you came? In this day and age of user-friendly interfaces, this thing is a dinosaur!

Have you looked in the Help section of Troopmaster? This is what I found in Help, File Menu, Import: d. ScoutNET. TroopMaster can import scout and adult data from an export file created by your local council using the BSA ScoutNET computer system. Council personnel procedures are as follows: To generate the unit roster files: 1) Enter ScoutNET and click on PROGRAM 2) Double-click on UNIT 3) Select which unit you are generating files for and click EXPORT 4) Go to the Print Repository in ScoutNET and find the file. Click on it. 5) When BSAPrint is displayed, click Open, then Save. 6) Change the "Save as type" to "Text File". Save the file to a location that you can find later To generate the advancement history file: 1) Enter ScoutNET and click on PROGRAM 2) Double-click on Membership Reports 3) Select Unit Advancement Detail Report 4) Select which unit you are generating files for and run the report 5) Go to the Print Repository in ScoutNET and find the file. Click on it. 6) When BSAPrint is displayed, click Open, then Save. 7) Change the "Save as type" to "Text File". Save the file to a location that you can find later. If that's done correctly, the name of the personal data should be "LODxxxxx.CSV", where xxxxx denotes your unit type and number (the advancement file will be named manually by the council). The File>Import from ScoutNET menu option will import from that, which will save you from having to start with an empty database. This procedure will add the scouts/adults in the export file to your database. You cannot use this to update existing scouts and adults. As of this writing, only a limited amount of personal data is imported. The ScoutNET file does not contain advancement data.

Yes, what Venividi said. Also, all of our new Scouts select which patrol they would like to join at the end of April. They will have one camping trip in May before we head to Summer Camp in mid-June. The membership in all the patrols has changed, so each is a different group. Cooking in camp brings these new teams together much more quickly than they would if they ate in the dining hall. I get SMs asking me all week how the cooking in camp is going, since we are usually the only ones doing it. They always say the same thing - "our Troop could never do that because it takes them too long to clean up." My response is, spend a week doing it, and the boys will get pretty efficient at it. On most monthly campouts, the boys don't have the early morning deadlines like they do at Summer Camp, so they can take their time. At Summer Camp, they have to learn how to be very efficient in their cooking and cleaning, and it takes the whole patrol team to make it happen. If one or two boys don't pull their weight, it really shows up. In my book, if someone else is cooking and preparing your meals and handing them to you on a tray, you really aren't camping. All you are doing is sleeping in tents.(This message has been edited by BrentAllen)

Wow. So now, according to Jim, we are all bigots, and he is going to save us all by facilitating change at the national level. Well, hallelujah! Let the healing begin! I guess you like to pick and choose which parts of the "BSA way" you like to follow, eh?