Jump to content

Eagle94-A1

Members
  • Posts

    4944
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    136

Everything posted by Eagle94-A1

  1. Sadly it looks as if we will be going to the same old places. We do 2-3 campouts at the nearby Scout camp. Another camp out at an OOC Scout camp. Then we go to nearby state parks or private camp grounds. One we have not been to in about 3 years reopened, but it is also 30 feet outside of city limits. The other adults do not want to do anything over an hour away in the winter months so that there will be some light for the Scouts to set up camp. They don't think the Scouts are ready for nite time set ups.
  2. Why I wish BSA did not go coed. One FB there is discussion on this topic, and now the word is single gender dens within coed troops. That's from a well known volunteer, but he's been right on the money in the past.
  3. Thought I posted this previously so here it goes again. To my knowledge, all three of those ceremonies linked are adapted from OA ceremonies. The Seven Virtues was the OA ceremony I went through over 30 years ago. I've done both the The Four Winds and The Seven Virtues as a Arrowman, including the Eagle version of the Four Winds. And the Cub Scout Trail is a ceremony I've worked with youth on. All of them have been around for years. And I've only seen OA ceremony teams do them. I've never seen these three ceremonies used by a pack alone.
  4. My project came to me when I was a Star and talking to my cousin at Christmas. She worked in a pediatric ICU unit, and told me some stories. Long story short, my project was collecting toys for the kids at her hospital's pediatric ward.
  5. I am already having challenges with national's new fee. Charge my son for his Eagle application, and you can kiss not only FOS, but all participation in district/council level activities, except for free ones, goodbye.
  6. We had one guy join in 5th grade, while he didn't cross over with his den, he was visiting the troop as a Webelos every week until he turned 11, which was about 2 or 3 months later. We had one guy this year finish everything but the tenure requirements in mid September. He spent the remaining time with the troop visiting.
  7. I know first hand how lodges and local nationa help each other out. I was a part of that in one lodge directly, and in a second one indirectly. And this goes back a long wasy in OA history. Once upon a time it was illegal to practice elements of NA curlture, one way around this was the OA and using it a "teaching opportunity."
  8. The first time I saw an OA ceremony team was at my AOL and Cross Over ceremonies. WOW THAT WAS AWESOME! It made me want to join the OA and do cool things like that. It is also a good way to promote the OA. One chapter I was in had a hard time and was in serious decline. We used AIA to revitalize it and make some serious impreovements. AIA team had a lot to do with it.
  9. That is correct. BUT they only need to meet the Bobcat and AOL requirements. BUT if they join as 4th graders in a Spring Round up, even if the pack does not meet over the summer, that is 3 months tenure for them.
  10. Every unit is different, just as every Scout is different. In my neck of the woods, Dec-Jan has turned into Cross Over month because of recharter. Packs don't want to deal with rechartering folks only for a month or less. And we have a semi active summer: a couple activities and day camp. Both my older sons' dens were chomping at the bit to cross over in December. Plus it gives more time for the new Scouts to get acclimated to Boy Scouts before summer camp. One thing to remember, even when a unit does not meet, it count towards being active with the unit for advancement purposes. So even if the unit does not meet during the summer, it counts.
  11. While a lot may need more time, not all. While the "Early Adopters" cannot have 5th graders currently, come June 1st, they will be "AOL Cub Scouts". And the requirement is Be active in your Webelos den for at least six months since completing the fourth grade or for at least six months since becoming 10 years old. Theoretically, if a girl could earn AOL and cross over as early as June 16th if she was in 4th grade and turned ten prior to January 16th. As for holding back dens, how do you think it would play out if only boys were able to cross over, butnot the girls?
  12. From talking to pros, my impression is that National doesn' t have a clue. I mentioned how AOL dens can Cross Over December 1st 2018, and they need a plan and prepared to be ready. Comment I heard was that if the program is not ready for January 1st, everyone can stay in and earn more activity badges until the program is. If my pack decides to withhold my youngest son's AOL and Cross Over ceremonies until a girls program was established, Scouting WILL lose my son. He is starting to get bored waiting for folks to catch up as it is.
  13. Yes, every troop is different. You should have seen it somewhat at summer camp and camporees. But as you pointed out, you really see it when camping with someone.
  14. It's Perkinston, MS but it's 30 minutes of Picayune, MS is Salemen Scout Reservation. 1600+ acres of devoloped and undeveloped camping. Forgot the state park's name, but it's in Houma, LA. did SM fundamental camping portion there. Give me some time to get unwind and get my scrap book. I'll post what I can. Need more coffee, especally after the lcok in.
  15. This is really appropriate . This weekend, I spent time with the SPL trying to help him out and get organized. We had a nice long chat, and he got 1.5 months planned out and detailed. One thing I found was the WOODS WISDOM book the troop got back in 1993. I've seen it before, and suggested using it as a model to base his meetings on. But it ain't Green Bar Bill. Not only is the instruction based upon different ability groups, instruction appears to be taken away from the PLs. Multiple times I read getting parents involved in teaching and/or attending camp outs or activities.
  16. Mixed emotions of the notoriety. One one hand it may be good that they get the views of use unit serving Scouters who will have to deal with issues as they come up. On the other hand, I have seen how some Scouters have been treated when they questions about the professionals. Best case is they are removed from district and council level positions and ignored. Worse case I've seen once was their membership revoked.
  17. I'm one of those who has spent a lot of money on Star Wars. I now have kids. My kids were introduced to Star Wars by me. They know, "HAN SHOT FIRST!" They watch Clone Wars. They have read some of the children's Star Wars books. Thye have build Star Wars models.They were pumped. The prequels were ok with them but the last 2 movies have been, "Meh" They thought Leia's "Mary Poppins" act was ridiculous. The older 2 especially noticed a lot of the plot holes. They were not impressed. While they like the series overall, they are not fantaics anymore like I was at there age.
  18. Sorry I've been out since since Friday. Work was crazy, and just back from the troop's lock in. I meant more and more family involvement.
  19. 10 minutes is the window for AED use.
  20. There is also a drone AED out there. I asked a friend if it would be feasible for Philmont, and he said drones would not.
  21. What are some ways of doing this? Folks in my troop are out of ideas. We've had 3 parent meetings and it's been in one ear out the other. We've had individual sessions with offending parents, and they keep on doing what they want. We had Scouts walk away from their interference, and let the parents do dishes, cooking, etc. Only thing I can think of is having the Scouts start complaining at BORs. And I do not know if it has been brought up at BORs; whether because the Scouts are afraid to comment, or the ones getting ticked off have not advanced. The thing that surprised me, until I found out details, was at his Life BOR he was not asked "how he would improve the troop." Then I found out 2 of the worst helicopters were sitting on his BOR with the CC. The topic never came up. I am hoping middle son has his Second Class BOR Monday. I told him be polite, don't name names, BUT TELL THE BOR WHAT IS WRONG AND HOW TO FIX IT, I.E. FAMILY CAMPING ( emphasis). Some Scouts can be intimidated. IMHO that's part of the problem. We went from a SM in failing health to an SM whose job keeps him on call a lot. He doesn't have the time to commit. The troop is actually being run by an ASM with a history of having siblings or grandkids camp with the troop in order to have enough adult go. I've reminded my boys there are other troops out there. Both want to stay because there are friends in the troop. Also one still wants to change the troop and get it back on track.
  22. With my troop, that is why call the whitewater trek a "family camp out with each family responsible for themselves," so they can do Class IV rapids. HEHEHEHEHE. That's why my middle son is pushing hard to get First Class ASAP, as well as working out. He wants to go on the AT this year after doing the 18 mile prep trip with his brother last year. Only reason why he couldn't go last year was he wasn't First Class in time.
  23. 3rd edition VOLUMES (emphasis) 1 &2 . IT WAS AWESOME! ( ok I'm shouting now ) Lent it to a friend whom I thought could use some help. And he moved unexpectedly without returning it.
  24. The problem is that when the family joins en masse, they cause problems. We have one family that refuses to let their son go camping or any other activity unless one of them go. Summer camp? Yep, mom went. This weekend's museum visit. Again Mom will be there. The dad is the one that wanted 100% guarantee that nothing would happen to his son. The other family does like to camp. problem is they jump in and do everything for their Scout. And the let their Tiger go crazy.
  25. Yes, setting boundaries is a problem with this troop IMHO. part of it is that when the troop was dying, The SM and a MC would be the 2 adults. Problem was that sometimes a daughter or grandson would show up. and even before that, the troop did a yearly whitewater family trip. Then after the troop as resurrected, at one time there was not enough adults involved. So the current SM would at times have to bring his daughter when he had her that weekend. No one sees the problem with with that. When I brought it up once before, I got nailed by multiple parties. Since I had bigger things to deal with at the time, I said the heck with it. As the whitewater trip is appealing, we are not going. We will go backpacking as a family instead.
×
×
  • Create New...