The Latin Scot

Well then, here for the edification of all are the lyrics to "Taps." Please note I TRIED to reduce the spacing between each line, but this infernal text module forces a massive space after each paragraph and I don't know how to change the setting: 1. Day is done, Gone the sun, From the hills, From the lake, From the skies. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 2. Go to sleep, Peaceful sleep, May the soldier Or sailor, God keep. On the land Or the deep, Safe in sleep. 3. Love, good night, Must thou go,

Well, last night our troop held an outdoor Court of Honor since the weather has been lovely and the boy in charge wanted to do something different. Since I knew there would be two fire pits set up outside, I recommended to him the possibility of a flag retiring ceremony as something extra to add to the night's activities. He was clearly excited, and using a simple script I crafted from the U.S. flag code and some relevant points about the flag's symbolism, he and three other boys carried out an exceptionally dignified ceremony wherein an old, beaten-up flag (old enough that the natural fa

There's a gentleman in our district who sets up a large booth at every major district event with a VAST collection of Scouting memorabilia for sale or trade, and he is profoundly knowledgeable about nearly every item he shares. At the last Camporee I told my boys to spend some time there talking with him, and invariably each boy returned with some special treasure he had "discovered" and a solid understanding of that item's history as shared by this good man. As a Scouting Heritage counselor, I couldn't imagine a better way for my boys to pass off this requirement.

You mean you people actually use the zip-off parts?!? I have to chuckle a bit; around here in sunny SoCal I never see the full long uniform pants being worn. Even rarer are long sleeves. Out here it's all short sleeves, short pants, and low-cut socks. The nice thing about the BSA uniform is that, even with a group of Scouts wearing a different assortment of garment lengths, they still look uniform. Personally I'm grateful I can avoid wearing long pants or sleeves all together.

Actually ... The Arrow of Light IS a rank, the highest in Cub Scouting. What makes it different is that Cubs are not identified by this rank as they are at earlier levels, hence the confusion. So, a boy who has earned the rank of Arrow of Light is still called a Webelos Scout, and still belongs to a Webelos den. As for combining different ages, I have written much in other threads detailing the many reasons this is a bad idea. Far better to have two small dens of 2 or 3 boys working their own program together than to try and combine two very different programs with kids of dissimila

Not to be that guy, but actually, there is no such thing as an "Arrow of Light Scout," nor even an Arrow of Light den according to official Cub Scout structuring. All boys above the rank of Bear are called Webelos Scouts, and belong to the Webelos den. Some packs choose to split these older kids into two groups by age (and use unofficial terms like AofL Scouts or Webelos II), but that is a customization not officially recognized by the Cub Scout program of the BSA. So make sure you call ALL of your older Cubs Webelos Scouts - that's their title, and they only get to use it for a year or two!

At our district's Camporees/Camporalls, we have a wonderful elderly Scouter who sets up a booth with a MASSIVE collection of Scouting memorabilia that he sells at incredibly low prices. Last time he had a plaid jacket like the one above in perfect condition for only $20, but sadly the size was an adult's large and I am an adult small at best. Maybe at the next event he'll have one my size, but I never walk away from his stand empty handed - the good gentleman all but gives away treasure after treasure, charging little more than pocket change for it all because he wants the kids in our Scouting

What's important to remember is that children and youth are not some separate species that need to be treated with kid gloves (sorry ). They're a little shorter than we are, sure, and they don't have as many life experiences, but otherwise they're just normal people who deserve personal and group respect. Don't feel the need to put on any artificial persona around them just to assert your position as a leader - the structure of the BSA and its leadership policies will do all that for you, so just be yourself and fill your role as best you can! I am pretty young myself, and I confess, I lo

Actually that's not the case; there are other, non-LDS CO's who use the same model. In my own district there are a few. Admittedly it's not as common outside the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints these days, but neither is it particularly rare. It's all at the discretion of the chartered organization head.

Well, all LDS units will effectively be cancelled after the end of the year, so if any units do continue to exist, it will be under new chartered organizations. Thus it will be up to them to determine how their Scouts will approach the issue, since the CO is ultimately the primary voice governing how each unit operates. I will say that if I am asked to help out with any of these units, I will strongly encourage them to follow something like the LDS model. Having used it all that time I was a Webelos den leader, I can comfortably say that I avoided many of the planning and scheduling woes

We had a troop at Camporee the other week which constructed two platform towers about 12' high which were each sturdy enough to support a three-man tent on top. The district people seemed to approve of it, so I can't speak as to whether or not they complied with the G2SS, but they sure were impressive.

Webelos SCOUT! I'm sorry, it's in my signature so I am obliged to be a pain about it. I don't entirely understand this logic. Does your pack meeting attendance vary that much from month to month? Ours is pretty consistent throughout the year, so a boy crossing over in October has as many "witnesses" as a boy who crosses over in May. And with fewer Scouts with to share the limelight, the focus on him is all the greater. Though, this reminds me that it's not about how many people are there as much as who those people are. Also, my point about "catching up" wasn't actually refe

As an LDS pack, we move our boys up to Scouts BSA based on age (on their 11th birthday), not the school year. As a result, we have boys crossing over throughout the year, making a group crossover illogical. As for the Arrow of Light, boys receive it when they earn it - for some that happens as soon as they meet the 6-month requirement, for others it takes the whole year they are in the Webelos den, but again, that means there are AofL ceremonies being conducted throughout the year. The advantage to this is that each boy gets more individual attention, and there is no push to move boys al

I started volunteering as a Scout leader only a few years ago, so I missed the olive green jac-shirts. I also missed the blue version that they put out, though that was long before I was born. If I could get my hands on ANYTHING though, it would be the blue Den Mother's beret. They were only put out for a year or so, so they are nigh unto impossible to find, but I want to get one for my own mother and I have had zero luck. Maybe someday ...

As a fun side note, I think I re-read the Guide to Awards and Insignia at least every other week. I LOVE when everything is in its proper place, and one of my favorite games for teaching Scouts (and leaders; I use it at Roundtable often) is "Pin the Patch on the Uniform." I have a picture of a Scout in uniform on the wall, sans insignia, and each Scout(er)s comes up with a small paper picture from an assortment of various patches and awards that they must put in the proper place. It's a fun, stress-free way to teach good uniforming, and the boys actually love to play it! Older boys like trying

Actually, I started holding regular uniform inspections with my Webelos den during the last few years I was with them, and the results were dramatic and successful. I taught the boys why we wear uniforms over and over again, and I held myself to the same standards as they - we were all expected to look our best, as a team, and with a few very small incentives (a special ribbon for the den flag, or perhaps a treat after a few weeks of consistently good scores), we eventually had a den of boys whose uniforms we ALMOST ALWAYS perfect, from the socks to the necker to the hat. And this eventually a

If you eliminated all bright colors from nature, you would loose hummingbirds, wildflowers, butterflies ... The very idea that somehow it's "disrespectful" to wear bright colors in the outdoors is rather silly. REAL nature is full of color. A group of boys in bright colors is no more "disruptive" than a cardinal in a tree. The world is full of bright and beautiful shades and hues, and none of those the boys may wear is going to detract from that - unless you choose to be bothered by it, in which case the fault is yours, not the shirt's.

We've always had to be cautious of rattlers here in Southern California. So far I've been blessed never to have run into one directly (though I've heard plenty from afar), but it's something about which you can never grow complacent. Always beware.

Thank goodness for Alaska!

Actually, I stand by my original wording. There is a uniform, and on that uniform only specified emblems and insignia are to be worn in the correct manner. But you can do what you want with BSA brand clothing as long as they aren't uniform items; if I wear a BSA polo I can wear a non-BSA pin on my collar if I want, and I can sew all the patches I wish on a BSA brand jacket. The official uniform however is limited to official, correct insignia.

The issue isn't what it represents, but that there is no place on the uniform for extemporaneous pins like that. Only official BSA insignia is to be worn on the uniform. I notice you have many questions about uniforms posted on many threads; read the official Guide to Awards and Insignia and all your questions will be answered! https://www.scouting.org/resources/insignia-guide/

A Scout leader may wear whatever neckerchief he chooses if it follows the guidelines set out in the Guide to Awards and Insignia - or even none at all, if he so desires. If it's standard BSA issue though, there's nothing I can think of to stop you.

But in general, except for some VERY rare cases, no - we are a national organization, not a state one, so you will almost definitely not get approval for such an emblem.

Ha! I wish; sadly my chapter isn't nearly organized enough to put something like that together. But I LOVE the idea; had I read this a few months ago I would have eagerly suggested it to our leadership! Well, it's always a great theme, and the boys love it - there's a lot to run with when you have a good over-arching theme like this, so I'm excited to see what the kids come up with this weekend!