Eagle94-A1

I admit I have some " gucci gear." I ALWAYS pack my newsest toy: a 30 once French press coffee maker. I don't want to wake up Grumpy when she comes, and I am a coffee addict. But you are spot on about the expensive hydration systems, water bottles and other gear that WILL get lost. True Story my son was in a panic because he lost the waterbottle I got for him right before his very first summer camp. He spent over an hour searching for it and was crying over it (I also think part of it was homesickness too). He said it was special because I bought it for him for camping. I told him

I admit I tend to focus attitudes and how new leaders interact with their youth. I've had both good and bad expereinces in that department. I admit I tend to neglect group gear on the Boy Scout level, because i have been extremely fortunate to have been in troops that have been around for a while and have enough group gear. My son's troop was is a ressurected troop, so we have gear from the troop's glory days still in use. Old, but usable. In the past, I've done an "Intro to camping" class for Tigers and Wolves in preparation our council's fall family camp out. While I do bring my "to

Base, Welcome back! All, One of the groups I'm in on Facebook has a topic about Webelos and the new program. As on this site, the conversation has morphed a bit, and something I said over there I think can be used in this situation; Start talking up the differences between Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts NO LATER THAN ( emphasis) 4th grade Webelos. I actually started the process in Tigers, and I used my 2 den chiefs to the fullest to show the Cubs, and more importantly the parents, the differences between Scouts and how you can "Train'em. Trust'em. LET THEM LEAD!" IMHO, the bi

There could be a variety of factors as to why this is frustrating for a leader, and they do not want to deal with it. This could be the parent who the only time you see them is to drop off their son and pick him up. No attending COHs, no showing up to important parent meetings, no involvement whatsoever. But when Tommy Tenderfoot isn't advancing, then she's ticked off and blaming the leaders. This could be the parent whom you've explained how things go multiple times, but it goes in one ear and out the other.But when Tommy Tenderfoot isn't advancing, then she's ticked off and blaming the l

Sea Scouts and Venturing are co-ed, and I do not see that changing. Also in regards to female Boy Scout leaders, again that genie is already out and I do not think it can be placed back in the bottle. Besides, I know of a few female leaders who have better knowledge, skills, and abilities in the outdoors than their male counterparts. My biggest concern is actually adults who "know it all" but actually don't. Heck I've been in the movement over 30 years in various capacities, and i still don't know it all.

If I was king of BSA some things I'd do are the following; 1) Reduce and streamline the national level. 2) Recruit folks with Scouting background, preferably youth background. I dealt with this when I worked for national supply. Folks with 0 Scouting experience coming up with stupid stuff (anyone remember the AOL buckle for leather belts?) that anyone with Scouting expereince would tell you is a bad idea. 3) Get a "Chief Scout" like the UK. Mike Rowe immediately comes to mind. 4) Bet back to basics. Last time national went away from the basics, the Improved Scouting Program of

Someone mentioned IOLS training and folks not knowing a specific knot. IMHO, part of the outdoor training problem is the "one and done" mentaility the IOLS syllabus promotes. Sorry, but you learn the skills and need to PRACTICE them. One of the things trainers need to learn IMHO is to the resources in a training group if at all possible. That might be a challenge, finding out who has prior knowledge, skills, and abilities prior to a course. BUT it can make a BIG impact. I had two extremely knowledgeable individuals I used as staffers for ITOLS, but never took the course. Having them s

I know of a crew that did have a couple. Girl's mom was not happy about crew campouts as a result. Eventually the crew folded as the Venturers went their separate college ways. As for the couple, well they just got married in July.

Back when I was in Cubs, it was "Dad and Lad Weekend." But with the increasing number of divorced and single mom families, it morphed to parent and cub weekends, and has morphed once again to family camping. Genie is out the bottle, and I don't think we can put it back in.

Because Cub Scout camping is family camping, I see sisters camping and doing stuff all the time, and it is perfectly acceptible. Only time I ever saw sisters being a problem in Cub Scouts was the first time my council ran a council level CS family camp out. The PTB, essentially BS leaders trying to get this ball rolling, A. could not understand why a pack with X number attending needed twice the space a troop the same size, and B. only took into planning the number of Cubs and not total youth.

IMHO, it takes years. Fred makes a good point about CS leaders burning out. What I've done is start the process ASAP. One year, I had my Tigers doing a compass course in conjunction with Boy Scouts. When I had a den chief, I let him do a large part of the work. And when thee council has a joint CS BS camporee, I'll take my den to the common area, annd will even ''get lost'' and let the Cubs watch an event or 2. And whille that is going on. Italk to the parents. I work on them about the differences between CS&BS.. Lots of campfire talk and cocoa. In my troop growing up, new

It won't happen here due to the GSUSA, but I could see the Finnish model working (at least the one they had in 1995) in the USA easily. Cub Scouts is co-ed From 11-14 gender segregated. Girls work on the Girl Guide ranks, Boys work on the Boy Scout ranks. I don'[t know what the differences in requirements are/ were, But I think this was to keep each groups highest awards in place. 15-21 is co-ed again.

I haven't had nutria, so I can't comment on that. I do know that when one parish (what they call counties in LA) wanted to charge a nominal fee for an unrestricted nutria hunting license, I wanna say $5.00 and that basically covered the card and processing done by the sheriff, the animal rights folks went ape.The nutria were causing major damage to the parish's drainage system.

Reminded me, where does it say the project has to be a "success?" Had an Eagle bust his butt doing a reforestation project. did everything by the US Forestry Service book. Once he was finished, his reforestation project looked AWESOME. However, 6 months to a year later, he visited the area and the nutria ate up everything. All that remained were the metal nutria guards built to USFS specs that were suppose to protect the saplings.

Why I recommend that as soon as they become Life, they start working on a project, One of the first things I completed as a 13 year old Life Scout was plan my project. Completed it at 14, and had time to have a bunch of fun without worries until 18.

My biggest concern would how would the program be effected. While my time as a CS leader and family camping has lessened my concerns some about a coed program, I still have nightmares from the one trip my troop had as a youth that was a complete and utter failure because we had siblings and mothers in attendance.

Son' troop is going to Philmont. Growing up, the city my troop was in had a twin city in Canada. It was worked out that a contingent from my district would go canoeing, with a few Canadian Scout guides, up in Canada. Sea Scout Ship did a cruise in the Gulf of Mexico. A troop I was in had just come back from a backpacking expedition out west. I think Grand Canyon or Yellowstone. It was just before I joined the troop. One folded crew did the Pamlico Sea Base in NC for a week long kayaking expedition. One folded troop did a weeklong Appalachian Trail expedition Suwannee reminded

Heard about 2 cases. In one case the benefiting agency changed their mind after signing, but before any fundraising and work was done. Agency changed their mind due to liability issues. Scout was delayed about a month and able to get Eagle. 2nd case was more problematic. I do not know all of the details except the Scout screwed up so badly that the agency stopped him on day one of the 2 day project, and had to hire a contractor to fix the problem he made, as well as do his project. Agency now no longer allows ANY Eagle projects to be done for them any more, and they were the beneficiar

Please do not do this It can have major repercussions. We had a troop use Joe Bob's approach, whatever book the Scout had, was the requirements he had to meet. Even when requirements changed minorly, they were ignored. No outside the troop realized this until the troop folded to join Trails Life. When one of their Scouts transferred to a new troop, and it was realized that he was using the pre-2009 11th ed. requirements for Life instead of the current requirements. It caused an appeal for an extension of POR and Active requirements for Eagle since the delay in a Life BOR resulted

One reason for the ban was the troop a bunch of pedophiles started with the express intent of finding victims to molest. It was a troop in my home council, and was one of the reasons why my brothers didn't continue in Scouting after they moved. And my mom was extremely leery of getting involved in Scouts becasue of this troop and the uproar it caused.

One of the 11 year olds in my troop has more backpacking miles on his feet than I do. He's done several sections of the AT with his dad. He was the Scout that did the backpacking instruction a few weeks back. In fact dad said Boy Scouts is cramping his camping with all the plop camping we do. He's talking about him and his son doing the Philmont prep trips.

OUTSTANDING!

I have to agree, many adults don't think the kids can handle it. And they are dead wrong Heck I'm just as guilty since I didn't think my son had what it takes to be SPL when he was elected. Surprised the hack outta everyone at the job he did. Does he have room for improvement, yes indeed. But he did a great job

Yeah i've been in a district that said no, it's been a while though. And i admit, I've been projecting my district's situation too: not enough folks to help on the district level and we will take anyone.

I'm going to quote the second Doctor,aka the Hobo, ''I see you've made some changes. I don't like them.''