robhixkg

Good afternoon all, I am processing our troop summer camp advancements and I have some questions. First let me state, I am aware the guide to advancement state that once a requirement is signed off we cannot take it back. I am guessing this goes for merit badges as well as rank requirements. Second, let me say I absolutely loathe the fact that BSA speaks out of both sides of their mouth on some things. They state that the requirements must be done as written then do not require the camps to abide by this requirement. I know some things cannot be done at camp. That should b

I have a scout who just turned 16 in April and wants to be sure he meets rank requirements before he is too old to meet the time in rank for Star, Life, and Eagle. If my calculations are correct, he has to obtain first class by the age of 16 years 8 months to still be eligible for Eagle. Does that sound right? For example, gets First class at 16 years 8 mos., Star at 17 years, Life at 17 years 6 mos., and Eagle at 18 years. We are trying to get him through quicker but I just wanted to clarify my math and understanding of the requirements. Thanks in advance....

First off, Hedgehog, let's remember that LNT is not a list of rules, but rather an ethic to use when making decisions about our impact. In my LNT trainer class they suggested the book "How to $!@& in the Woods" as a reference on this subject. The author mentions the goal is to keep from contaminating waterways, period. Thus the attempt to keep out of flood plains. Col. Flagg, if I recall correctly, the 12 person maximum is for backcountry. This is NOT backcountry and with the old Road Bed on the site, we can easily minimize impact. Total for the trip is around 18 or 20 though.

Hey all, Our troop is going on a camping trip where we are pitching tents by a river. Leave No Trace guidelines say waste disposal should be 200 ft away from the river and out of the floodplain, neither of which can be met at our camping location. So, we have to go to the pack-it out method. I want to fix up a nice bucket toilet kit for the troop so we can take this elsewhere when needed. I am currently reading "How to #$%# in the Woods". It has a lot of great information in it, but I wanted to poll others to see what there experience or suggestion would be. First, should I use

I have not shown him the Hornaday award yet. He becomes quickly overwhelmed and I am trying to keep him focused right now on his ranks. He should earn his Eagle by summer of 2018 and he will still have three years in the program to go for things like the Hornaday award. I would love to see him get it too. I would be one proud dad! Thanks again.

Hey all, Thanks for the replies. I see everyone's point and agree with most of them. I am not looking for the easy way out. If anything this one needs the hard way out, but I am trying to get him excited about doing something. This will give him a more active and visible role in the troop that does his webmaster role which he simply does not seem interested in. We are working together to find his niche (other than video games). After thinking it through, I can easily see why it would be inappropriate to count the class hours toward his conservation outdoor award. I also unde

Good Evening All, My son is working on his Life rank. He has decided he wants to be the Troop Outdoor Ethics Guide. He has an interest in pursuing a career in a conservation field and feels like this would be a good match for him. Both of us are going to a Leave No Trace Trainer class at the first of April. The class is NOT required for the position he wants, but he realizes it would help him perform the duties of the position better by giving him tools to do the job right. I know him taking the class is not considered a service "project" in the strictest sense of the word "project

Is it me, or are the requirements for the National Outdoor Awards Program some of the worst written in the entire program? So, I am trying to interpret what the requirements for riding actually mean. In my case, we are looking at Cycling and we are in the Boy Scout Program. So, this is how I am interpreting things. Does this look right to everyone? Requirement 2 says earn Cycling merit badge and 100 miles of cycling. So, if we do the road bike option on the merit badge that is 150 miles, then the extra mileage is a total of 250 miles for this requirements. Since the cycling merit badge

Just a quick question here. I am an old Boy Scout and a new merit badge counselor, so naturally I have questions sometimes. For the camping merit badge 9b. I read it as the two events can be done on separate or the same camping trip. Is that how you read it. It does not specifically say that it has to be on two different trips. Next, let's say the scouts want to do the 4 mile backpacking option and the route that they have chosen (slightly more than 4 miles) has an elevation gain of over 1000 feet along the way. Does that count for both requirements or only one. What hangs me up

Good evening all, I am about to start a Emergency Preparedness Merit Badge class in our troop. This will be my first time teaching the merit badge. I understand everything except two requirements, 7, and 8(a)(b). After a discussion with troop leaders they cannot remember this merit badge ever being done at the troop level. They always did it at camp or in other venues. So, for those that do this at the troop level, I would appreciate some ideas and examples of what your troop has done in the past. For reference, I have provided the requirements below: (7) Take part in an emergenc

Good morning all, Last fall I started a Geocaching Merit Badge class in our troop. I hit a big roadblock with requirement 2(a), "Show you know how to use a map and compass..." For a guy like me that is a little open ended. I fear that my interpretation of this requirement has led me to making this merit badge a little harder than it needs to be. My original thought basically had me teaching them the Orienteering Merit Badge. That is probably a little too deep. Now I am settling on the following: Be able to correct a map for magnetic declination and know how to find the declination

Good afternoon everyone. I would like some ideas for gifts of appreciation for my hardworking leaders and parents that volunteered their valuable time (their own vacations in many cases) to attended Webelos resident camp this year with our Webelos scouts. I would like it to be something quick as we have a pack meeting this week and I would like to present them then. I love tying decorative knots. I am thinking about tying them a keychain or something and presenting it to them at the pack meeting. Right now, that is the only thing I have thought of. I would appreciate any idea t