mashmaster

Scouttrack does all this and is actually responsive and fast..... You can send mail to selected patrols, enter data for multiple requirements for scouts all the same time. I work in the tech industry and it is clear that they don't have a big enough backend. I'm hoping that will change.

We use it and it is ok. Frankly I prefer scouttrack which is lower tech and faster.

Ours is in January where it is really cold here in Texas. Sometimes we need a jacket! It is split between indoors and out.

I agree

I see Baloo as being the most basic stepping stone for camping. Many times OWLS is combined with Baloo by many districts.

The way I see it is the training courses are: 1) Baloo : Basic camping planning for packs 2) OWLS : Outdoor training specifically targeted to jump starting a quality Webelos Problem 3) IOLS : Outdoor training specifically targeted to skills necessary for scouts up to First Class 4) Powder Horn: Outdoor training targeting High Adventure training for Venturing and Boy Scouts Unfortunately, it seems that Powder Horn is very regional and not offered everywhere.

I have taken Powder Horn and that is close to the training you are asking about. It is geared towards high adventure training and is very hands on for 2 3-day weekends. Here is an example flyer from our council: http://www.bsacac.org/my_files/documents/110_2016_texas_powder_horn_flyer.pdf

They are an extremely open and welcoming church which is why my wife and I chose it. I think they will continue with BPSA since they have already started that process a couple of years ago. I don't know much about that program other than it is coed and based on the Baden Powell books.

Welcome to the forums. There are many units in the same place yours is. I think something helpful would be to get your cubmaster and committee chair to attend your district roundtables and maybe they will get exposed to what training is out there and ways that other packs are working on the cub scout program. Best of luck and continue to ask questions and maybe send them here :-) We promise not to turn you in.

I'm so confused at this point. I was just stating a fact from our church and nothing more. Obviously I think the change is good but it will take time to heal the wounds they feel they have incurred. This was statement they told me, which isn't necessarily bad, just another point of view. I know that BSA has been an instrumental and positive experience for many boys/men. And not so much for others. Sounds like BSA at the highest level is taking steps to ensure inclusion of GLBT youth and leaders. Like any organization with local groups though I wonder how open the groups will be. My hope is that over time, very! I do think organizations can change but just like when we do wrong, it doesn't always erase the pains and hurts. As far as the UCC, I'm proud to be ordained in a denomination that stands up for justice issues even if that means ending endorsements. Sounds like enough progress has been made towards inclusion that the UCC feels called to reestablish those connections. I don't have boys but I have been very pleased with our involvement in BPSA inclusive scouting. My daughters enjoy learning along their male counterparts and those who historically didn't (don't) fit in with BSA or GSA. Things like sexual orientation, gender identity, physical and behavioral abilities etc.

My condolences to you and your family.

I see nothing wrong with having camp rules. Less jobs and more people helping is a good thing. I bet most people on this site have taken on too many roles because we want to make the experience great for the boys. I can deal with the boys... it is the parents I have more problems with..... don't get me started on them :-)

My family belongs to a UCC church and they were definitely on the side of the change was not enough. In fact, our current leaders still don't think the change is enough. They want no loophole for discrimination. Also, they are a big fan of co-ed scouts. I will send the notice to them to see what they think since they currently charter a Baden Powell scout unit (I'm not sure how that group works)

Interesting how it differs from area to area.

yum.... Here is one I saw the other day and I immediately thought "Yum, that would be perfect on a campout". http://allrecipes.com/video/1469/bubbas-jambalaya/?prop25=170677855&prop26=DailyDish&prop27=2015-10-02&prop28=Feature_1&prop29=Photo&eaid=5159317 Bubba's Jambalaya. I would just omit the shrimp.

First off, thank you for volunteering, try not to let this get you down on that. We are a grade level pack but if someone came to us 7 in K we would take him. Never had that yet. You were correct in your actions and the parents were incorrect. Safety first, and you are absolutely able to do what you can to make sure that the boy is safe. He also was breaking a camp rule so you were right on that page too. Follow YPT guidelines and you are fine. As someone who is on the district committee, feel free to engage your District Executive or District Committee member to help calm the parent down if they do not understand what your responsibilities are and theirs. To emphasize how important safety is, that is the only reason that a YPT guideline can be broken if all else fails. (e.g. someone injures themselves or is having an immediate health issue) Obviously, best to take another adult with you even in those situations. It happens to everyone. I had a boy who thought it was cool to swing an 8 foot stick around at camp and wanted to wander into the woods. I told him no and took the stick away and told him he needed to stay within eyesight of the camp. Afterwards, the parent told me how I was completely unreasonable and was going to talk to somebody. I replied to the parent with our DE on the email and explained how it was for safety reasons but feel free to talk to our DE. 4 years later he is still in our pack.

My guess is that is it area dependent. We are pretty urban so not a ton of campers. And there isn't a class that goes by that I don't learn something from one of the participants. you never know.

Agreed about Baloo, but in my experience people attending BALOO tend to not have any experience with scout camping or camping at all. So there is a lot of "No, you can't do that and this is why." You would not believe some of the questions I have been asked at BALOO or OWLS

That is a pity. Because if they follow the actual course syllabus OWL is a full day and a half alone. BALOO should be about 6 hours on its own. When they combine it, they are short changing the attendees of the info they need. IMHO

We combine the two courses. I was course director for two of them. The material is very similiar. The biggest difference is focusing on specific activity pins vs. just general topics in IOLS. National is so far back on updating these courses it is pretty sad. The official syllabus is set up to combine the courses. I think the only parts that really need to be covered in OWLS that aren't in IOLS is the rules about camping in your council which is obviously different for each council.

Those are fighting words in Texas. Wars have been started for less......

oh cool, I haven't seen that one. But you have access to secret government equipment :-)

As a Texan I completely agree. The traditional Texas menu is Breakfast Tacos, Tex-Mex, BBQ (Brisket!), Pecan Pie. The BBQ and Tex-Mex can be swapped between lunch and dinner. Chili on Fritos can be a cheap easy substitute in an emergency :-)

Here is an interesting article that came out local to me today. Reinforces my belief that we should figure out how to make AEDs more available to troops. I know they are too heavy and expensive for backpacking but I hope technology continues to improve to make it smaller and cheaper. http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/nitro-swimmings-emergency-response-saves-15-year-olds-life/

Try Mexican Meatloaf in a dutch over..... yum. That is always a hit with our pack. dutch oven lasagna, marinated pork loin cubed up and grill with veggies, taco soup..... This list is very long.