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The Scoutmaster would know if your son was elected. After the election the OA Lodge notifies those elected in a call out ceremony. Some Lodges also notify Ordeal Candates by mail with a registration form for the Ordeal. Some Lodges do the call out during summer camp, some at a spring Camporee. It is up to the Scoutmaster if the names of those selected are made public to the Troop prior to the call out. My advice is for you to talk to the Scoutmaster. If your son was elected and has not been called out then a phone call to the Lodge's Lay Advisor or Staff Advisor would be reasonable. Each

This is some of the worst news I've read in a long time. I first went to summer camp at Cowles with a provisional Troop. In 1980 I was a member of the Youth Staff. That same year I underwnet my OA Ordeal at that Scout camp and a Section W1C Conclave that fall. The next year I went through Brotherhood. To say that i have memories of the place...... I wish the Inland Northwest Council would look a bit to the west and to Grand Columbia Council and ask questions about our recient bad expierneces in building a new lodge. I do not know all the details but what I heard did not make me happy. I h

Even though this is an Old topic I feel the need to respond. I'm not sure how my son's Troop's Patrols do it now since they have not had a campout yet since he crossed over. I do however remember how it used to be done when I was a youth. Prior to the camping trip after a menu was planned a shooping list was created. One or two patrol members would go to a local grocery store and price all the food. A total was then diveded by the number of patrol members going. With that amount rounded to the next whole dollar the fee was collected by the one or two shoppers. In this way there was alway

Scouting has become a business. Local council execs spend more time dealing with numbers and ratios than I'd guess they did years ago. I also think that the "target" audience for Scouting has shifted to younger. The target audiance for the BSA now spans from first grade until 21 years of Age, and beyond if one wants to be an adult leader. Years ago I do not think you found very many eagle scouts without driver's licenses, today most probabaly earn (?) Eagle prior to even taking Driver's Ed. The first Eagle Service project I helped was in 1975. The Life Scout had a driver's license, drove his f

Ya'll touched on another of my pet peaves! I remember when Scout shirts did not have a collar and were green in color. Several different weight fabrics were even offered. In those days all scouts wore a neckerchief. Most of the skills we taught or learned in First Aid depended on the neckerchief. Then national for some reason changed the uniform to tan in the mid 80's. I could see the writing on the wall. Change the uniform's color and style for some reason never explained to me, or at least not sufficiently so that I'd remember it. My son's troop just elected to start wearing neckerchiefs; th

Nice site. I'm surprised that you don't get the traffic that you think you should.

I'm the CC in my Troop. I wear as complete of a Uniform as I own. I believe that so far as is possible Adult leaders should lead by example. My son went through his AoL ceremony on a Friday and the following Tuesday hae had his first Troop meeting. Both of our uniforms had new unit number patches sewn on for that first meeting and my son's had his AoL patch. In the oter Troops that I've been a part of in the past, distant past, the only adults present for Troop meetings were SM and ASM (s). So it was not even an issue. Although I do remember that as a youth my Troops committee attended one spr

I'll take the bait! John in KC asked for further discussion. For years the OA was known as the Scout's society of honor campers. now they just call it the Honor society. E. Urner Goodman intended it to be for honor campers who which also were the best Scouts. The two do seem to fit like a glove. Scouting from its roots has made Camping an important method to teach the high ideals of Scouting. Seperating camping from the OA just does not make sense, but then neither does changing the symbol of the OA as it has been changed. Personally I preferred the Souix with war bonnet, thinking the

Mark S even though you may find the fact that your Lodge's rules appear to fly in the face of those layed out by the National OA committee I doubt that there is anything you can do about it. The Council exec can and should see that these silly rules are changed to match exactly the requirements as set forth by National IMNSHO. No less; no more! I also have opinions regarding other posts made in this topic but since I'm an adult and the OA is truely youth led what I think really has little bearing. I wonder if todays youth are gaining as much enjoyment from the OA as I did when I was a you

Since I'm new to my present unit and my last unit never put up a webpage I really can't answer your questions. I do however have some observations and opinions. People involved in Scouting do not seem as addicted to the web as other groups. How many forums do you know of that are dedicated to Scouting? How much activity does these (?) forums generate? This forum in particular. Look at how many sub-forums have topics on the first page that are two years old. In most of the other narrow focus forums that I particpate in if I do not check in for as little as one day to one week the number o

This subject has perplexed me ever since I became a father. Times have changed and with that so have laws. For better or worse is subject to debate. There are now laws governing the age at which children can be left home alone. Where the line is drawn between allowing children freedom and neglect is murky. My parents did not neglect us but we had plenty of freedom growing up. We walked about a half mile to grade school, over 1.5 miles to junior high and exactly 1 mile to high school. This was in a city. I now live in a fairly small town 13,000 residents at last count and If I allow my children

Thanks for the replies. Maybe I'm misreading what ya'll said but you all could be making unwarrented assumptions. I did not say this Troop is anywhere close to being run the way the Program says it should. There is surely plenty of room for more training in my future but do not assume that I am un-trained. That said I do find the input valuable to not only myself but to others facing the same types of issues. Unknown to me earlier today when I posted this topic the SPL did try to contact me. He left a message on my phone but I do not always check messages every day. LOML told me just ton

First for the background: My Scouting experience spans several decades with a 17 year break in the middle. I was recruited a couple of years ago when my son's pack at the time was in need of a Webelos Leader, then a year later The CubMaster said he would prefer to be a den leader so we switched. Fast forward to May 18 this year.... My oldest son earned and was awarded his Arrow of Light and I also transferred with him to his Troop. Since becomming the Webelos Den Leader I became trained and my DE recruited me to be an Assc. Chapter Advisor for the OA. Since moving to the troop we have

You've read plenty of good advice so far. The ASM that is also very involved in the OA perhaps may be doing all he can already and to have him change to SM could possibly result a negative impact on the youth. Despite the fact that "An arrowmans first responsibilty is to his own unit." I think sitting down with all involved first seperately and then as a group would be best and it may be the time to start looking for a new SM, but perhaps recruiting another ASM to fill in for the SM during camping may also help. Thus spreading the burden more than it is now. If the program is functioning fine

I may be wrong but it has been my experience that out in the real world the Unit chooses its leaders and the CO signs off on their choice. I also assume that most units are just like the ones that I have been associated with over the span of many years in many different places that there is seldom a surpluss of parents willing to make a committment to serve the unit in any leadership role. If the BSA starts being anal about who is allowed to be leaders membership will drop so low as to make the "movement" not move. Things that should not even be considered IMHO when choosing leaders of a

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,284020,00.html So sad to read this article. My prayers go out to his family.

To answer the OP: What I think are qualities to look for in a Scoutmaster: 1 Dedication to live according to the Scout Oath and Law 2 willingness to be available for meetings and outings 3 ability to work well with youth 4 experience in Scouting 5 ability to work well with adults 6 humble! 7 willingness to learn 8 commitment to get trained or continue training 9 experience in Camping, hiking 10 stable in thier life/ job with proven leadership record IMHO previous Scouting background should be carefully considered. How far along the trail they went. If they earned their

I keep reading about the Chartering Org and their responsibilties. In my expierence the vast majority of units are formed and stay active because of the youth and parents commitment to Scouting and then with that they find a CO to sponser them. For Example the Pack that I just left had to find a new chartering org. because its previous CO dissolved. I'm thinking that the BSA has not considered this. I'm sure it is not always so but am wondering how often it truely is the case. It seems to me that when an organization determines that the Scouting program fits their adgenda for their youth that

My answer is no they are not necessarily good leaders but they can be trained. I notice the same things today as I did as a youth back in the 80's. Some Eagles fall under the "eagle is a mission" point of view. The acheivement of Boy Scoutings highest rank is an end for these folks. There are oters and many of these people, my self included, that believe that Scouting is as much a way of life more than the acheivement of the highest rank. I have been around plenty of adult scouters that attained Eagle when they were in scouts and many were fairly good leaders. Although there are those who stat

Thanks John-in-KC for the history lesson. I remember these skill awards well. I have been saying for years that the Scouting program seemed to take a shift in emphasis in the 70's away from the outdoor exp. It is good to see that it has shifted back making the outdoors an important part of the program. As a Scout I had no love of skill awards. I earned enough to advance to Star. I still have them in the bottom of my scouting stuff drawer. When my oldest son started cub scouts I was amazed of all the changes in the program. I had been away from Scouting for 18 years. What were once sk

When I was a young Scout (rank) the Council that we were in had their Ordeal directly after the tap out at the spring camporee. Back then the OA had plenty of respect of all the scouts. Even though each troop lost one or several of their best scouts when they were need for the camporee competitions it allowed other scouts to step up to fill their shoes inleadership positions for the weekend. I was much older and in a different Council when I went through my Ordeal. It was done as it is now in most Lodges on a seperate weekend. In my opinion summer camp is almost the perfect setting

Howdy Ya'll. I'm currently a committee chairman and OA chapter adviser in the Grand Columbia Council. (WA) I've been in Scouting for a long time as both a youth and now as an adult leader. One of my other hobbies is spending time on internet forums. You can read my latest blog http://www.blackwalnutjigs.com/blog.asp