MrBob

We will no longer have membership declines but "membership churn". Expect lots of tricks such as Early Scout Termination Fees, 2 year contracts, MB Caps and camping overage fees.

Instead of Councils and Districts, we'll have cell towers with really crappy coverage and frequent communication outages... oh, wait... not much of a change.

 I am a parent, not a den leader.

So step up?

If you have time to post on an internet message board, you have time to help your son cut some holes in a cardboard box (bean bag toss) and learn to tie simple balloon animals.  Invite your pack's Tiger den over for some hot dogs on the grill, throw some bean bags around the yard, tie a balloon dog or two, and call it an adventure.  It doesn't have to be Disney or Six-Flags (or even State Fair) quality carnival rides and clowns painting faces to "count", though extra points to you if you paint your son's and his friends faces with some Halloween makeup to look like clowns.

Exactly.  

 

And if they elect the "popular" candidate and he turns out to be a bust, what may they learn?  

Promise more free stuff next time?

The interesting thing about it is that I have started over 40 units from scratch.  I did work for an Iowa council  back in the 70's setting up Explorer posts and since coming to my current council I have started 2 crews and a troop.

 

Or maybe I could just go with the charm bracelet idea..... or maybe the beads like they used to do for Cubbing.  Or a patch for every unit so I could have a memory quilt.  Ooooh  the possibilities are endless.

 

Your idea about the little tent pins is nice, but I don't want to walk around looking like a state park campground on the 4th of July Weekend.

well, if you've started 40 units from scratch, with my award idea you'd be walking with a severe list to the left... probably not good on the knees/ankles.

Why don't you explain to how the NOVA award can be earned while outside at Philmont enjoying the outdoors. See the links I posted for your clue.

 

Clearly *some* of NOVA can be done outside, but you'd need to spend about 80% of your time inside or tethered to a work area to get the award done.

 

The point, since you missed how obvious it was, is that Philmont is meant to be an outdoor experience. Why waste the time and money to get there if you are going to stay in the PTC and earn an award you could do at the Kearney Holiday Inn's Grand Ballroom?

Simple.. you build a robot and send that robot out to enjoy the outdoors on your behalf, while you sit in the A/C drinking root beer and watching it on a TV monitor.

All this complaining about how sports and band and any other activity requires perfect attendance, yet you insist on perfect attendance to earn the Wolf Rank. If a cub scout does his best to complete the Tiger Rank, even if he's missed a couple months of meetings to play a sport (something we should encourage, not force a choice),then I see no problem awarding him the rank.

I doubt anyone here cares about "perfect attendance" at Den meetings.  As long as all the requirements have been completed, what's the issue?

Even a kid in sports seven days a week can crank out a requirement on a weekend with some help from his parent(s).

Missed a den meeting or three?  Guess you have some "homework" to do, right?

I have a Hindu Scout with a great sense of humor. He says "Oh my gods" instead. I've noted his humor and appreciation thereof, but asked him to refrain from using the phrase.

Does he say, "Holy cow!" a lot, too?

  Seriously I have no idea where my WB necker, woggle and beads are right now.  It's been years since I wore them.   I have two rows of knots, no service stars, a temp patch indicating Scoutfest 1993.

 

Seriously, what does one do about the new unit award when they are working on setting up their second and third units? 

Obviously we need a series of pinned devices that can augment your "New Unit" award... perhaps a Bronze Tent device for the 2nd new unit, then a Gold Tent for #3, and a Silver Tent for #4.  Fifth new unit established, you'd wear a Silver Tent and a Bronze Tent, etc., kinda like Eagle Palms.

But for my question - does a PL who is not reelected feel demoted, and lose motivation?

It shouldn't.  Being selected to be PL isn't a "promotion", its a task assignment, and all tasks come to an end (eventually).

image.jpeg

 

I wonder if we should ask for a ruling on these?

 

Virtually unlimited constant rate of fire. Variable cone of destruction. Burst mode. One very potent weapon.

kinda looks like a "gun" to me...  

besides, I'm sure you've all read about the inherent dangers of Dihydrogen Monoxide, right?

 Turkey vultures and crows like road kill, so be sure to drag something dead up close to the house where you can watch it.

ok, you owe me a new keyboard... coffee everywhere

 "just like Skyrim, only you move your character with your feet instead of your thumbs." 

Hopefully, nobody took an arrow to the knee...

I stayed on as Pack Committee Chair for a year after my eldest went to his Troop, then I took a year off of Scouting altogether... and got roped back in as a Tiger leader when my youngest joined up.

"Just when I thought I was out... they pull me back in."

... Miss Teenage America was there...

 

... "what do I do now?" ...

I know what I would have done...   GET SHOT DOWN! 

On topic, tho... I don't personally care whether the boy is a 12-yo Eagle Scout or he's 17 years 364 days old and finishing his EBOR via phone while driving to his college dorm.  As long as he's the one who fulfilled the requirements, and we're not pinning a medal on his helicopter parent.  

while explainin' how the decline of pirates is causin' global climate change.

There isn't anything to explain.  "[H]ow the decline of pirates is causin' global climate change" is a matter of faith to the devout Pastafarian.

As I've said before, we don't ask anyone about their faith, or lack thereof - and when we discuss the Scout Oath and Scout Law in these matters, we make clear that it is up to the Boys to determine what God is to them, what their duty to God is, what is meant by doing THEIR best and what how they maintain reverence.  As one of our Scoutmasters once said - we don't care if you believe God is real, if God is a rock, if God is a concept, if God doesn't exist, as long as you respect the beliefs of others on the matter.  If we ask you to tell us how you have done your duty to God, we're not asking you to define God, we're asking how you do your duty to your belief.

Ah... an Introduction to Moral Relativism.  Very nice.

Well, there should be plenty of liberal organizations willing to sponsor Scout units now, right?  I'm sure the LGBTQIA Society of Greater Bismark will step up where the Catholic Church has withdrawn.

We've never asked if anyone is an athiest, and I doubt we ever will. 

Don't ask, don't tell?

Yep. I have done it engroupe, but then you have to get the DE to "fersure" list the names and such in the Council records so the folks can do their Scout thing . If the Unit keeps it "in house", well, that's ok too. Just keep your records

straight and handy.

naw, just have one of your Unit Key-3 log into my.scouting.org and mark them "trained".  No DE involvement.

@@MrBob. Every kind of weather poses its unique set of hazards!

Although, we easterners would be liking to hazard a few sunny days.

Caution: Life may be hazardous to your health.

"its sunny today" == "hazardous weather" 

???

no, that's not correct at all.

So... 3H won't have a council camp, it seems.  Neither IMR nor ODKT are set up to be Boy Scout camps - they're Cub-focused.  Neither has legit archery, rifle, or shotgun facilities, and the dining hall at IMR seats maybe 200, tops.

I hope they're successful in buying-out the property and re-purposing it.

Hundreds of thousands of people die every day.  Some way too soon.  Some in "good" physical shape (for their age), some not.  Not enough of them are lawyers and politicians, but I digress.

When the Good Lord says its your time to go, you're going, no matter what your doctor said during your last colonoscopy.  Pray YOU get to go out doing something you enjoy, surrounded by people you love (or at least, people you tolerate!) rather than rotting away in a nursing home, forgotten.

You might get lucky in an LDS unit where the appointed leader makes it his hobby too.  But if the man is busy with wife, kids, business, etc and then the bishop appoints him a scout leader, then I'd imagine the troop will have some issues.  

Well, y'know what?... too bad!  

Perhaps the Bishop should do a better job of selecting the right man for the job?  Just because he has the power to assign someone the task shouldn't let HIM off the hook for making a crappy selection.  If the guy's legitimately "too busy", someone else should get voluntold; otherwise, suck it up, Buttercup.