Torchwood

Stosh-

I don't disagree with you about the uniform. I ALWAYS wore my uniform to school in Cubs and Scouts if I had an activity after school. I was merely outlining the official policy. If the uniform was properly priced, and not used as a profit center, I think I would have no qualms about pushing harder, where needed, to make sure that every Troop was properly uniformed. The simple matter is that a lot of kids- often in communities where Scouting can make a HUGE difference in the lives of young men, simply can't afford a full uniform (I need a new shirt, but it isn't even in my budget right now). So, allowances have to be made. I would rather see a troop in uniform shirts and neckers with jeans than to see them not uniformed at all, and for Cubs, I think jeans are a better option than the official blue pants from a practical and budgetary point of view.

Getting back to the OP- the Handbook, if it is written to have all the really useful information of our youth, instead of the watered down safety nanny pablum of the current version, would be read by kids even if they aren't Scouts (yet). Yes, it has the information needed to get through the lower Ranks, but it is a shadow of the handbooks of yesterday. That goes for the Fieldbook as well.

We always tried to avoid food at Pack Meetings- concerns about food allergies make it hard to plan for with the younger set. December Pack Meeting highlight was usually Santa delivering Pinewood kits to the boys- and candy canes for all (usually not an allergy concern).

Games, skits, special guests (local PD and FD are always big hits with Cubs). I once did a game of dodge socks with 24 pr of new socks balled up. Kids had a blast, and after the Pack Meeting, the socks went to the Red Cross.

According to the Insignia Guide:

While wearing the uniform is not mandatory,

it is highly encouraged. The leaders of Scoutingâ€â€

both volunteer and professionalâ€â€promote the

wearing of the correct complete uniform on all

suitable occasions.

Sorry Stosh. Uniforming is a method, but not a requirement. In this case, Scout Law (a Scout is Thrifty) and the needs of the Troop (wanting those cargo pockets before they were official) beat Supply Division's pricing.

From the BSA Guide to Advancement:

3.0.0.3 Unit Advancement Responsibilities

Unit advancement coordinators (or chairs) and those

who assist them have the basic responsibility to support

the unit’s advancement program, to maximize rank

achievement, and otherwise facilitate a smooth

implementation of the process. Specific responsibilities

are outlined in the leader literature for each program.

The following responsibilities are not all-inclusive,

but typical.

1. Support and facilitate the unit leader’s vision for

advancement, providing consultation on the policies

and procedures put forth in the Guide to Advancement.

2. Educate parents, guardians, unit leadership,

and committee members on appropriate methods to

stimulate and encourage advancement. For example,

help build unit programming rich in advancement

opportunities, encourage members who are

advancing slowly, and post advancement charts.

3. Help plan, facilitate, or conduct advancement

ceremonies. In troops, teams, and crews, schedule

and support regular courts of honorâ€â€quarterly is

generally sufficient. Ships will want regular

bridges of honor, and packs should make

recognition a key part of every pack meeting.

4. Obtain necessary badges and certificates, etc.,

and arrange for timely presentation of ranks,

Arrow Points, merit badges, awards, and other

recognitions. It is best to obtain and present these

as soon as possible after they are earned. They

can then be re-presented in more formal settings.

So according to 3.0.0.3-4, awards should be given out ASAP after they are earned. If the Pack wants to have an additional ceremony later on, that is up to them. Attendance at that additional ceremony is up to the boy and his family.

/Thread

This is not something that the COR should be bothered with. The Charter is an agreement between the CO and BSA that affirms that the CO will deliver the BSA program, not selected parts of the program. The program says that you award these things in a timely fashion- not make boys wait to get what they have earned. Crossover should occur with enough time for greenhorn camping trips with the Troop before summer camp.

BPSA has no religious restrictions- you can believe in whatever you like, or nothing at all. They also have no gender or sexual orientation restrictions. boys and girls from age 5 up are welcome.

B-P's original program had no real religious restrictions that I know of either, and Scouting in other countries does seem much more relaxed on the subject than here.

They can't run a proper CORI/background check without your SSN.

So, because it is no longer modeled after a WWII Army uniform, the BSA uniform no longer makes you feel masculine? Horse Feathers!!!

Enclothed Cognition? Wow, I am afraid for the future of our species. We have become petty and thin-skinned.

In addition to the BSA, I belong to a Fraternity that believes wholeheartedly in the following: "Not for wealth, rank or honor; but for personal worth and character".

Again, it is NOT the clothes that make the man. A turd in a tuxedo is still a turd, and you will never convince me otherwise. Maybe they ought to try that highbrow study again with the hoodies and below butt-level jeans of the modern "musician" and see if they come up with any enlightening data.

Some awards are age-specific, so can only be earned during certain stages. For instance, for Jewish Scouts, there are 2 different Cub level awards (one for Tiger/Wolf and one for Bear/Webelos) and 2 different Scout level awards( for Scouts under 14 and then for 14-18), and an adult award as well. Once any of them is earned, the Scout can wear the silver knot on a purple background- they are supposed to add a small pin (called a device) that shows what level of Scouting the were in when the knot was earned. There is no expiration on the wearing of the knot to my knowledge. But, it is always the hope of the organizations that sponsor these programs (the medals are not provided by BSA, only the knot is) that the boys will continue their studies and earn the other available medals. Awards earned as an adult, if available for a particular faith, earn a purple knot on a silver background

[h=3]How old (or young) can a boy be to join Cub Scouting?[/h] Cub Scouting is for boys in the first through fifth grades, or 7 to 10 years of age. Boys who are older than 10, or who have completed the fifth grade, can no longer join Cub Scouting, but they may be eligible to join the Boy Scouting or Venturing program.

This is the rule. End of story. Cubmaster is WRONG, and needs to stop doing things that are counter to the rules. What other things is he doing incorrectly, based on what he wants?

Okay, so responders say 0 change in membership, no one has mentioned an increase.

 

If this merger goes through, it will be interesting to see where the council office will be as for many, the council camps are closer than the Mohegan Council office. I believe Pine Tree Council (Maine) moved their council hq to Camp Hinds and Knox Trail (Mass) is moving to Camp Resolute. I hope that trend continues.

 

As for brick and mortar scout stores, I think they are heading for extinction.

I am curious to see what happens to Nobscot Reservation- looks like they are going to sell off at least a piece of it since they kicked out those long-time tenants on one edge of the property. I hope they are not planning to get rid of the whole thing. But I am glad to see them moving the Council office to a Scout property- that office building in Framingham is ugly.

Methinks we should be more concerned with what is INSIDE the uniform.

How can anyone say "Science with a Sparkle" doesn't bring out the "true grit and pioneer spirit" in women today?

 

I could spend all day long poking fun at this and yet, the first doll on the market with a NASA space suit on was not G.I. Joe, it was Barbie. Someone ought to re-read their history books once in a while.

 

Stosh

Followed by a talking Barbie that said, amongst other babble that "Math class is rough"...

It is just wrong. My almost 10 year old Junior is bored to tears with crafts and cookies in her Troop. She really wants to go do all the fun outdoor stuff that her brother was doing at that age. In the area where we live, the GS Troops all seem to be run by Stepford Wives- they do very little in the way of outdoor activities, but won't let us guys lend a hand.

 

I do like the idea of by-laws, but IMHO, it should just govern the money aspects of a troop--scout accounts, etc. I do like your basic three rules.

A really bad example- Scout accounts are a no-no according to the IRS. There are VERY few spots where Troop by-laws are needed. Job descriptions are spelled out in a variety of places, the Charter agreement spells out the CO responsibilities, and Scout Oath and Law pretty much cover the rest.

Getting back the OP... You say you have a laid-back and forgetful PL. Why isn't this being dealt with first? The PL is the foundation of a boy-led Troop. If you have a PL that refuses to lead, then he is not fulfilling the obligations of his POR, and your boy-led Troop will eventually crumble. If I were a kid in that Patrol, I would be asking for a new election pronto. Next, cooking is a requirement for advancement through FC, and then for two Eagle-required MBs. How are the boys in that Patrol doing in that regard? Are they earning those MBs, and advancing to FC? If not, why not? I understand that Advancement is a method, not a mission. But just statistically speaking, there has to be at least one boy in that Patrol that is the least bit interested in earning their Eagle. If boys in that Patrol are not advancing, are you at least having the occasional SMC with them? Seems like you need to hit this issue from every possible side, or you will have parents breathing down your neck. Better to have answers already should the phone calls and/or emails start.

Maybe- but it is nowhere in their charter with Congress either. There is nothing in any current literature that espouses the observance of any specific dogma. The requirement that a Scout believe in something outside of themselves is purposely open ended, and any conversation between a Scout and a SM or BoR should not have the slightest whiff of any behavior that is not in keeping with the 12 points of Scout Law. The easiest way to do that is to not ask particularly pointed questions.

While I personally disagree with their position, the BSA's stance in the Supreme Court case was that it is a private organization- nothing was mentioned about it being a private religious organization. National will always be hazy about religion, so we will always have to interpret these things. I don't believe that the new wording is meant to make one tenet of Scout Law more important than any other.

What about Pastafarians?

As long as they wear their colanders properly, that is fine by me.

That is fine, but please don't make the same series of mistakes with the new Council and Lodge. The key is to make sure that you are taking direction from the boys in the new OA Lodge, not doing everything for them. Seems to me that your biggest error so far has been doing (or trying to do) too much based on your opinion of how things should be, or how they have been done in the past. As an adult volunteer in a youth-led organization, wait until asked for assistance. Then do what you are asked to do in a cheerful manner.

The shipping costs are not hidden. If they go to the website, and don't want to pay for shipping, they can then email you back and have you get it to them. Probably the same cost out of YOUR pocket instead to get it to them...

Trail's End has a web portal that you can use to sell online already- they ship direct to the customer for you and everything. My son used it when he was in Cub Scouts.

I live not too far from there. My guess is that at the very least, the Council will sell the strip of land along Nobscot Road to a developer, who will raze those houses and put in a strip of McMansions- the convenient access to Rt 20 to the north and the Mass Pike (a 10-15 minute drive to the Rt 9/ I-90 exit in Framingham), make it an ideal spot for people commuting to Boston or Worcester.

I think it is a shame that Knox Trail Council is more focused on quick cash. At the very least, they should have had a meeting with the tenants, and offered them first refusal on their houses. That would have been the Scout-like thing to do, if they want to get out of the real estate business. I wonder if this is the same developer who has their eye on part of Camp Richard on Nantucket.

It would be a shame to see either property completely go away. There are few enough open spaces remaining in the area for camping, never mind Scout owned properties with "proper" facilities for proper Scout camping.

Moosejaw also offers an in-store discount to Scouts and Scouters. I believe they will also host shopping days for units with an even larger break.

http://www.moosejaw.com/moosejaw/shop/home____

Our Troop website has a page on food allergens. We have a list of safe and not safe foods, based on common allergens: peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, etc. It is a starting point only, and the patrols know which boys have additional allergies (if any) that must be planned around. To my knowledge, none of the boys have anything beyond peanut or tree nut, so we run completely nut free all the time. We know which brands of commonly used items (bread, rolls, cookies, baking mixes, etc.) that we CAN use, and we do check menus and items brought on trips and to CoH and other events where there is shared foods to make sure.