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BSAChaplain

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Everything posted by BSAChaplain

  1. Welcome to the forum. We look forward to hearing from you as your share your insights and experiences.
  2. Welcome! Do I understand from your profile that you are an Eagle, an OA member and firestarter. We hope you can glean much, but don't hesitate to add your voice too.
  3. Welcome back to the Clan, my brother. Join us once again around the Council Fire. 1. About the sash. Different Councils/Lodges limit purchases in different ways. When I got back involved, I just walked into out Scout Shop and bought a new Vigil sash, no proof of anything required. I can buy lodge flaps at the Scout Office. The lodge I grew up in handled all OA material, nothing through the council whatsoever. 2. About memebership. I have posted this before, but here it is again from the OA website www.oa-bsa.org FAQ page. Q: When I was a Scout as a boy, I was in the OA a
  4. Here's one more, "how we used to do it" posting...followed by an opinion on Venture Patrols/Crews In the late 70's-mid 80's our troop used a combination of "Senior Patrol" and Leadership Corps. If you were 14 years of age and First Class, you became a member of the Senior Patrol. For the purpose of camping and patrol functions this was your patrol. Most trips our Scoutmaster had a Scoutmaster's Challenge for the older Scouts that was similar to the activity for the younger. Honing our Scout skills and getting us to think outside the box. Our adults functioned as a patrol, t
  5. The troop that I grew up in had a tradition/policy about one Scout saluting another twice in their Scouting carrer. The first was when they became a Scout, the second was when their mother pinned their Eagle medal on their shirt. Now my old Scoutmaster was a pretty by the book kind of guy, but I have not found that written down anywhere. I have been to many Eagle COHs in various troops and some salute, others do not. Never outside of my old troop have I seen a new Scout saluted. I figure if any group would know about this, you all would. Thanks for your answers.
  6. I recently read, that BSA guarantees their uniforms for the life of the owner. That you can return a uniform to the National Supply in exchange for a new one. Acutally here's what it said "The Boy Scouts of America's Supply Division, since its inception, operated under a policy whereby they "guaranteed their uniforms for the life of the owner." This policy later expanded to anything they sold or has the BSA's official seal attached to it. Basically, they allow you to exchange worn uniform parts (shirts, pants, belts only) for newer versions with them. In order for you to do this, you mus
  7. Two weeks ago was our lodges Vigil weekend. As I was getting dressed to leave I looked over and saw my uniform hanging with that white sash with a bold red triangle acroos it. I felt a swell of pride. Possibly even more than over the red, white and blue knot over my pocket. But as I spent the weekend side-by-side with the others, I felt honored that someone else thought enough of me to put me in a group with these men and women of such character. I'm with SemperP. There's a tremendous amount of humilty that goes hand-in-hand with the pride. Yes, I am proud to be an Arrowman.
  8. Good luck, Maybe a worm with a helmet, or in martial arts gear. try http://www.worms.wz.cz/exterminators/index.htm or www.worms.me.uk/
  9. Absolutely, Take a look in the Scout catalog. There is an order form for special patrol badges. You just can't use trademark images without permission. So no, Snoopy Patrol or Sponge Bob Patrol. There is also a blank patrol patch. You can embroider or iron-on your own design that way as well. Finally, there are some websites that sell spoof patches. They may have a patrol patches that would interest you. Try googling spoof patrol patch. One such site is www.boyscoutstore.com. They have lots of patches. Many of them are the classic red with black thread, as well as full c
  10. Welcome to BSA Addicts Anonymous Step Number One: We admitted we were powerless over our addiction - that our lives had become unmanageable. Nah!!! It's manageable. Welcome to the forum and the next 18+ years of your life... We're glad you're here.
  11. Welcome to the forum. Keeping walking the trail and listening, but remember there are those behind you adn alongside you. You already come with great experience. So don't be hesitant to share it.
  12. !!!!WAY TO GO!!! First of all you should consider that fact that you were re-elected as a really good sign. They must think you are doing something good. Second, you probably don't need the rest of this e-mail you're doing great. But I wrote it anyway. Take what you can use. I'd like you to share with you about change. 2% of your group are innovators, they make things change 18% will be quick to change and follow the innovators. 60% will reject it at first, but with enough time and reason they will change. 18% will be very slow to change. 2% will never change.
  13. Welcome aboard! Glad to have you here.
  14. resqman, Probably this should be a different post, but why do you say ex-OA? Did you renounce your membership? Once elected to the OA, you are always a member. From the OA Website - http://www.oa-bsa.org/qanda/qa-42.htm "Once a Scout goes through his Ordeal, he is a member of the Order of the Arrow for the rest of his life. OA membership does require a person be registered with the BSA, so if you left the Scouting program for a while, your OA membership would lapse as well. However, once you renew your BSA membership, even in another council, you can also resume your OA member
  15. Ignorance is bliss!!! If I don't know that it should run differently, I won't feel the need to act on it. Okay, I had lots of experience as a boy in the 70's & 80's but none as a leader. When I came to the troop a year ago I knew things weren't they way that I'd grown up with. I talked with the Scoutmaster, who was brand new himself (not new to troop, just to the job.) He told me about what he'd learned at training and about where he saw us going. I was encouraged. So...a year later I take all of the courses required to be a trained SM/ASM. Boy are we missing the boat.
  16. Well Kittle, My wife and I will sit for you if you wnat to go to training here in San Diego. Seriously though, I would hazard a guess that another parent in your unit would be willing to watch your kid(s) while you are gone for a day or weekend. Just a suggestion (for what it is worth) I hope you made it to the Basic training.
  17. Mike F. - Well I can't say as I agree with decision to exclude or with your Lodge Elections Advisor for that matter. However, I completely agree with your choice of timing. Our Lodge send teams out in January and February. Our Troop's last election was held on a night when we had 10 Webelos visiting, so they saw the presentation, but were not able to vote.
  18. Okay this will be overly simplistic. Let's do the program, the way the program is meant to work. That means using all the methods in all the troops.
  19. Forgive my ignorance, but Eamonn posted about a "Religious Observance course." Is this a Woodbadge course. Is there one on the West Coast. I googled "woodbade religious observance" and came up with nothing but this posting. Does anyone have a link to such an event. Is this the same program that will be at Philmont (but I don't think that's a Woodbadge" Thanks
  20. Mike F. I hope you don't mean we should intentionally exclude new Scouts. I think that it is important that new Scouts be present for the election and be given the opportunity to vote, if they feel that they want to. Order of the Arrow is an honor that held up before all Scouts to see, to understand, and hopefully to aspire to. It should inspire them to be honor campers. However, it is extremely critical that we stress the difference between a blank ballot and no ballot. This year one of our boys was not elected because of a blank ballot.
  21. Okay here goes sorry if it's long, A Scout is Trustworthy - The summer I turned 18, I worked consturction on the night shift. I was a little reckless and did some donuts with the forklift and left skid marks everywhere. The next day every employee was called in to the owner's office to be questioned. I worked with many people of questionable character and he was certain it was one of them. I came in that night and he had fired the whole evening shift confident that none of the 3 of us at night had done it and that they were lying. I confessed and took my punishment. When I left seve
  22. In my troop as a boy, I had two long term leaders, both of which were very positively influential on me. The first was a single man, who had been a Life Scout himself, and deeply loved the program. He was odd in a wonderful way. The second was a married man with boys in the troop. He had only minimal Scouting in his background. I could spend all day telling you about how wonderful they were. However, one probably would not pass through review now (rightly so) because he was arrested several times in the park of a neighboring community for indecent exposure. (Something I foun
  23. One more vote for the earring being okay. This is a standard the parents should set, not the troop.
  24. We use Individual Scout Accounts. The funds are received through fundraisers or direct deposits by parents. Our most effective fundraiser is monthly aluminum cans. For my son that's about $10 per month. We also charge an annual activity fee to cover registration, Boy's Life, badges, new troop and patrol gear, etc. On the negative side, the troop has the patrol grubmaster go and shop for the food (with his parents' money). Then he submits the receipt and is repaid by the treasurer. The cost is subsequently deducted from the accounts. That regularly leads to shopping that is less than
  25. I used this on my son's uniform. It held the small badges on well. The larger ones, espeically the CSP tended to peel at the ends. When removed, it left a mark that does not wash out. For me, I'm sticking to needle and thread. Anybody want to buy half a can?
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