Eagle94-A1

Troop is at summer camp. Pack is off this week.

When I got my BSA Lifeguard last year, for $25 more we could have dual certified as ARC Lifeguards. The $25 covered the cost of getting the ARC credentials. Since I do not plan on working at a pool again, I didn't get it.

DANG! April and May is prime Scouting time in my neck of the woods since the weather is better and we can go outdoors. We can usually keep ours until end of May/beginning of June. That's when we move them up and give them their new neckerchiefs and slides. Edited: We usually have 50% attendance over the summer. but it is not like the same folks are missing every week. Still floored by the 50% figure.

My friends who have served on Jambo staff wear the council's jambo patch(es) and the Lodge's Jambo flap if in the OA. One year, I think they made three jambo CSPs: Troop A, Troop B, and Staff.

LOTS of changes to Cub Scouts since '93. Now the Webelos Badge is not needed to earn the AOL. Another change is 6 months since completing 4th grade OR 6 months since turning 10. Oldest was 10 years, 3 months old when he crossed over because he was in 5th grade.

You just proved my point. The majority of Cub Scout leaders believe BnG is suppose to be a big advancement shindig, and not a party celebrating Scouting. Where does it say in any official Cub Scout literature that advancement needs to be completed by BnG. Unless the Scouts are chomping at the bit to Cross Over. We are an active, year-round pack, and we have had some good WDLs. Plus our district, now council, Webeloree really pushes the Patrol Method, and gives a great introduction to the Boy Scout program. So they get a good taste of Boy Scouts in 4th grade as First Year Webelos. By the time December comes, they are ready. Interesting note, one of our new Scouts from this pack made the comment at his BOR that the troop doesn't camp enough, and we do so once per month.

Some packs are still trying to get all the awards done by B&G. That idea, B&G being the big advancement night, really didn't come about until the 1990s and Cub Scout program expanding from 3 Years to 4 or 5 years ( sorry do not remember when Tiger Cubs were officially integrated into packs) When Cub Scouts dropped from 3rd grade to 2nd, and Webelos went from a 1 year program to an 18-24 month program, all the hoopla started with B&G and advancement. What is interesting is that there was enough complaint about June 2015 Cub Scout requirements taking so long to complete, that national in December 2016 changed the requirements for all the adventures and some of the ranks, Didn't really affect Middle son's den as they only one or two items to do to finish. But the DL from other pack we got Scouts from decided to use the new, simpler requirements for those Webelos who would not be earning the AOL either in time for Webeloree, or at all.

We are a traditional pack in that B&G is just a party and not a big extravagant advancement ceremony where everyone gets their awards. So they are not really missing out there. Current AOL requirements state: 1. 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. (Being active means having good attendance, paying your den dues, and working on den projects.) [emphasis added] So December 1st is the earliest a den can cross over if they met all the other requirements. As active as the pack is, that is not a problem. The one den that decided to wait until March and Webeloree did so because the DL wanted all the Scouts to be the last group to earn all 20 of the old Activity Badges. Regarding the OUTDOORSMAN Adventure Badge (formerly known as CAMPER Adventure Badge, camping is not required to earn that anymore. You have the option of camping, or doing an outdoor activity. Same option applies for Scouting Adventure: troop campout or other outdoor activity. DL signed off because they did either Scouting for Food or Memorial Day service projects with us.

Pack my sons were/are in does Cross Over in the December/Early January time frame. Some of the reasons for this were financial, other reasons were that the dens tend to be ready to cross over then. So far those dens that do Cross Over in Dec/Jan have had plenty of time to get ready for summer camp. That is a very important thing for me since we can usually keep them interested in Scouting if they go to camp. So far no problems. Den before middle son's Cross Over did so in March, and to another troop. Thankfully that troop is extremely active (multiple weekends per month doing Scouting stuff, including one or two months with 2 camp outs in them. So that group has had no problems. It's the dens that Cross Over in March or April that concern me. To date some Scouts, usually the ones who visit and camp with the troop prior to Cross Over, are ready for camp, and others are not. An aside. We had two dens from two different troops Cross Over to us this year. My son's den Crossed Over January 2nd. In addition to camping as Boy Scouts, they also did 1 camp out, Wilderness Survival, as Webelos. I have no concerns with them. It's the second den that concerns me. They Crossed Over in late March. part of that was the parents wanted to make the Cross Over a big deal at the council Webeloree. Part of it was that a few of the Webelos had to be "helped" along to complete the requirements. Helicopter parents is an understatement (2 are going to summer camp, 1 and younger brother are going to be in a hotel nearby for Visitor's Night). Three invitations as Webelos to camp with us over a 20 month period were ignored. And this year at Webeloree, instead of camping with the troop as was done in the past, the parents decided to camp in a different location by themselves. To date the troop has had 2 camp outs (April's was cancelled at the last minute due to a flash flood washing away the road to camp) since this group has crossed over. Out of 9 Scouts, 3 have been on a one camp out. The rest have not camped with the troop at all. Between not being familiar with the Boy Scouts, the helicopter parents, and not having experience camping, I got some concerns about these guys.

As I stated previously, I do not want the program further watered down. I want stuff the Scouts earn to actually mean something, and not just be a participation award. My oldest commented on some of the BSA's advancement policies, as well as some of the practices some summer camps and merit badge universities do. When he first encountered an issue as a new Scout, he didn't understand. But when someone got Chess MB for just being in a summer camp tournament, he was ticked off.

Martha Jones was OK. Sarah Jane Smith was the best companion. though.

I feel for the guy. But I really feel for the Scouts since they are the ones going to get hurt the most. My troop growing up was in a similar situation. We had a church council member very anti-Boy Scout. She eventually became the IH, and expressed her displeasure with the troop by calling the police on us for trespassing when we over the scheduled time for an Eagle Court of Honor. Eventually the troop moved to a different CO that wanted us.

Very true! My MCJROTC unit also gave our rifles girls' names. While the Marine instructor and cadet officers didn't use the exact language Gunnery Sergeant Hartman uses in Full Metal Jacket, it was similar. WARNING: Language

Very appropriate for me and the troop. Our old 30+ year old Coleman Stoves are on their last legs or have died. We're doing a fundraiser next month after camp and hopefully will be able to buy 3 new stoves. I'm personally against the Jetboils due to price. As others commented, you could 2-3 other brands stoves for the price of 1 Genesis.

Do they still have non-IT folks in charge of the IT department? I remember when SCOUTNET 2000 was coming out, and a former Scout Executive with no IT experience whatsoever was put in charge of the SCOUTNET 2000 program.

The Scouts should be the targeted audience, not parents nor Scouters. I'd also add a list of companies that offer Scout discounts, i.e. ALPS Mountaineering through their HIKERDIRECT.COM website, Campmor, Coleman, etc.

Trained Strip is worn with the POR badge you are trained for. For Scouts, if you are not serving in a POR, or if you were not trained for a specific POR, i.e. Den Chief, you are not suppose to wear a trained strip.

Sorry I couldn't resist.

EPA and local regulations. My council has been in the process of getting permits to build a bathhouse for over 10 years now. They are now looking at scaling down the bathhouse and adding a second one to see if they will get approved.

Position Of Responsibility

Yes, I'm a corrupting influence on Webelos Best recruiting we ever did growing up was wilderness survival camp outs with Webelos. OK not individual shelters, patrol size shelters. And they ate it up. This particular Webelos joined my troop's Wilderness Survival weekend to work on Castaway. And ate it up.

Need some help folks, and I know someone here has the book and can help. Hugh Manners wrote The Complete Wilderness Training Manual which the BSA adopted when he revised it. I am guessing he published several variations of this book to boot since when I look him up on Amazon, several books he wrote have either variations of the title and/or the same images as the original. Anyway, could whomever has that book post the contents of his recommended survival kit as wells as the preferred knife to have? I had the library's copy of the book, but believe my wife returned it before I was finished with it. And I know for a fact I cannot get it before I need to post survival kit items because the day I checked it out, a Webelos saw it at my house, and got his mom to reserve it for him. Thanks in advance.

Careful with flea collars. I had a ton of friends use them in the 80s and 90s. Heck one friend wanted them in care packages when he was deployed. Unless you were allergic to whatever it is on them. I tried it, and I had major problems with blistering on my legs where the collars were.

I think there is some confusion as to WHICH (emphasis) NYLT patch we are discussing. If it's the original NYLT temporary patch found here http://www.scoutstuff.org/national-youth-leadership-training-emblem.html#.WUbePuvyucw I've seen those given out at the conclusion of the course. @@Cleveland Rocks, yours isn't the only council to tell them the wrong location. I had to pull out an Insignia Guide to show one SM why his Scouts were not getting some points on the uniform inspection at camporee one year. If it is the new NYLT strip that can be worn in lieu of the Trained Strip, found here http://www.scoutstuff.org/emb-nylt-trained-strip.html#.WUbeFuvyucwthen it is worn either on the flap of the "smokes pocket" on the left sleeve, or under the POR patch, where a trained strip would go, if the sleeve doesn't have a pocket. Those are so new, I do not know if the patch is also given out at the conclusion of the course, or the troop is responsible. EDITED: Can the NYLT strip be worn by itself, or must you wear it in conjunction with a POR patch, like the Trained Strip?

I hope that's sarcasm. Money is not the only issue in building bath houses, at least in my neck of the woods. Due to tons of environmental regulations we are still in the process, after 10+ years, of trying to build a new bath house at the camp I referenced above