The Latin Scot

14 hours ago, jsychk said:

... I heard the District Rattler Award has only 20 spots each year, which is more "valuable." 

No award is more "valuable." Any and all awards have equal significance within the sphere of influence they honor or recognize. Yes, that recognition may be nice for some, but again, if you are trying to find out which award carries more clout, you are missing the point. First of  all, leaders shouldn't serve for the 'honors of men,' and second, there are no ranks nor tiers of honor among BSA leaders, nor amongst the honors given them. There is only one "rank" that supersedes any others - the rank of Eagle Scout. So don't try and give the "highest" or most "valuable" award. ALL awards carry equal value according to the measure of the service given. Whatever award you manage to secure for them, its value will depend on the meaning you and your Pack put behind it, not in any artificial hierarchy of honor proposed to be inherent to the award itself. 

As a Latter-day Saint Scouter, I want to confirm that there are NO differences in our advancement requirements; any boys transfering from an LDS unit should be held to the exact same standards as those coming from any other troop. @fred johnson hit the nail right on the head and is absolutely correct. Hope that helps!

There is no "higher honor;" the awards you mention are all nice but you should be looking for an award that fits their accomplishments, not whichever is the "most prestigious" or "higher" award. Also remember that most of these awards are offered by your local council upon meeting specific qualifications. One is not "nominated" for the awards; the candidate must meet certain criteria which are reviewed by a council officer or committee. 

Your Cubmaster may be qualified to earn the Unit Leader Award of Merit; you can google the application and check if he does. He may also qualify for the Scouter's Key Award or the Scouter's Training Award for Cub Scouting; again. google the applications and see if he qualifies. If he does, the form needs to be completed exactly and honestly, signed by the appropriate leaders, and then submitted to your local council office.

Your Webelos Leader may qualify for the Den Leader Training Award; the requirements are very specific so go over the application carefully to make sure he meets all the terms of the award. He may also qualify for the Scouter's Training Award for Cub Scouting. In either case, you may need to talk with your leaders to verify that all conditions have been met before submitting the signed form to your council office.

I am not familiar with your "District Rattler Award," but as it is clearly awarded at the district level you will have to look into it yourself to see if he qualifies.

You are fortunate to have such committed leaders; hopefully some of the awards mentioned will fit the nature of their efforts. And remember, even if they don't qualify, you can always find other means to honor them that are just as meaningful. The Scout Store sells numerous lovely plaques, or you can even get a local craftsman to create something. Posters or cards signed by the Scouts and parents are always meaningful, as are nice sculptures or framed mementos. The further outside the box you look, the more meaningful your ideas may become. I hope some of this helps!

Here's another one; a parent gave me a patch like this today but I can't find anything else like it except on Etsy, which has precious little information about whence it actually comes. Was it a uniform item? Anybody know?

UPDATE

The question I posted on the supply website has been answered and the response is ... interesting, to say the least. From the webpage: https://www.scoutshop.org/thorlo-sock.html?utm_source=scoutshop&utm_medium=Homepage&utm_campaign=ClassicSocks

Quote

Question:

Are these socks approved for uniform wear with the Centennial Uniform? Is this a new (okay, old) official option to wear with the uniform from now on?

By: Edward, Mission Viejo | Oct 05, 2018

Answer:

Hi Edward! While the BSA doesn't have an "official" sock, the green/red are approved for wear with the Centennial uniform.

By: Alex, | Oct 05, 2018

So ... apparently the BSA "doesn't have an 'official' sock." So I don't know what all those official uniform socks are, but I guess they aren't "official!" But these are approved for wear with the centennial uniform. So that's ... baffling. 

I'll be honest, I think you'll be hard-pressed to find really good materials for multi-rank meetings because, in the end, it just doesn't work to combine dens. I have found that it's FAR better to have one or two kids in a den and really focus on their materials than it is to combine the ages. To a 6 year-old, a 7 year-old is a big kid who can easily take control of activities. To a 9 year-old, an 8 year-old is a small fry who can slow down adventures and frustrate plans. If you have to combine, make it temporary and DON'T accept it as the status quo. But it really doesn't work to put them all in one group. I have had one kid in my den every now and then, and it can be a great opportunity to really get to know the kid AND to find new ways to recruit. And the kids love the extra attention. But combining ... only do it if you have no other choice. But you won't find really successful way to combine the rank adventures because that's not how they're designed to work.

7 hours ago, malraux said:

Enough of one to make them. Truthfully, I don't feel right in scout shorts if I'm not wearing the stupidly long socks with the red band.

Really? Maybe it's from growing up here in Southern CA, but I find any socks that go higher than the ankle to be dreadfully uncomfortable; I own Scout socks that go higher, but I never wear them. 

4 hours ago, walk in the woods said:

The summer camp we attended around 2010 used these for all staff members.  One staffer even had his groomsmen wear them at his wedding!

Wow ... that's ... a choice. Certainly he is one committed Scouter, I'll give you that. 

33 minutes ago, Chris1 said:

What do you mean grandparents? I remember those socks fondly and I'm only 40. The socks that mine Scouts grandfather or we're green used garters and had red or green tabs. 

Sorry to make people feel old! I actually wore them too right up to around the year 2000, so I am just bemused by the fact they are calling them "classic" when they would have been uniform standard up to just a few years ago. 

33 minutes ago, Chris1 said:

But do they count as official uniform socks with the Centennial uniform?

I ... I have no idea. I would imagine if they are pushing them like they are, they would have to consider them thusly. But from whom would that approval come? Would the folks up at national deign to clarify such a trivial question? I just find the whole thing bizarre. It's a lovely and sentimental nod to better days, sure, but the timing and promotion is just so odd. I wonder what other "vintage" and "classic" items they have waiting to toss at us in the future.

EDIT: I posted the question about official approval for the uniform on the Shop's webpage for the socks. We'll see if they answer!

So, apparently the Scout Shop is really excited about these "Classic Scout" socks - they're also "Vintage," "Retro," and "Original." I don't know if they could fit any more adjectives on the packaging. 

Anyways, they're cute and all, sure, but with all the crazy stuff going on in Scouting these days ... was there really a demand for these things? Has anybody had Scouts coming to them saying "Gee wilikers, would that I could find myself a genuine pair of red over-the-calf socks like my Grandpa used to wear! That would be far out!" ???

Also, if you have had a Scout come to you saying that, are you from the past? Can I see your time machine? And can you bring me back a Cub Scout Blue jac-shirt in an adult Small? I have but simple demands. Thank you.

Wow! A lot of differing opinions here, even among the LDS community! Let me just say, as an 8th generation member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, that my family has never found occasion to worry or complain about the decisions of our church's leadership. I am 100% certain that the new programs will be effective, powerful, and wonderful - as long as the members who implement it share that optimism. So yeah, some units won't be able to pull it off, some will struggle, some will complain - but it won't be the fault of the programs. It will be their own fault for not coming into it with the right mindset, with the right attitude - with the right heart. But for those who really, really put their heart, might, mind and strength into it, I am certain beyond the possibility of doubt that the new programs will be MARVELOUS.

Kind of like with Scouting. 

Hmm ... so, why was the parent screaming at your son? If your son had truly done nothing wrong, then if one connects the dots, there wouldn't have been any screaming. As a teacher I know it's easy to throw the term bully around to try and rally people against a certain child, but you have to understand that you are bringing this up to a bunch of people reading posts on the internet in their free time, and to the casual reader it seems there is a LOT you are still leaving out. Something must have led to that leader "screaming" at your child. And we know that at some point you escalated the confrontation to the point that an SPL had to intervene between two adults.

Also, you mention that the individual is the parent of a bully, but that does not make the parent a bully, and that person may well say the same about you if they were to voice their opinions here. We simply can't make a fair assessment of your situation with the little information given, especially without somebody to speak from the opposing side of view. There are two sides to everything. But by how much is not said, and by the fact that you seem to place all the blame on the other parent without indicating any role you may have played in the encounter, I think it's best to say again that you should think more about how you will deal with future encounters than on the faults of the other person. You seem to want advice badly, considering you seek it here on an anonymous online Scouting forum, but without any really substantial details, there isn't much any of us can do other than to offer general counsel, pray for the best, and hope you get things worked out. And it's not our place to request such private information anyway. But I do hope you get things resolved in a manner that helps your Scout learn how to effectively and maturely deal with difficult situations like these. 

My CO pays all fees and provides every Pack with a somewhat flexible budget for awards, events, adult training, and a limited number of local/district/council over-nighters. Boys pay for their own uniforms and books, and long-term camps like Cub Day Camp and Summer Camp, with help and options available to them if needed. Families are expected to pay as little out-of-pocket as possible, and no boy is turned down from any activity or program if they don't have the means; such cases are covered by local Church leadership. The same benefits are available to all boys in every unit, whether they are members of the Church or not. 

1 hour ago, TazDevil22 said:

Thank you very much.  I truly feel the SPL told us both to calm down.  I did ask the other parent to calm down twice.  

I agree with the fact there is more.  I spoke with the Committee Chair.  He ultimately told me last night.  We can appeal but be advised the SM has stated in not so many words, he does not want to work with you being me. So the best way to ask the question is, if the scoutmaster doesn’t want you working with the troop, is this allowed.  How can this scoutmaster be objective about other issues when he cannot be objective about other people in the troop?  

There is far too much unsaid in this episode for any of us to fully understand what transpired here. I will say that it is unfortunate that the SPL, who is a youth leader, had to come between to adults. That should never have had to happen. And there are always two sides to everything; we have parts of your perspective on what happened, but nobody from the opposite point of view to give us a more balanced sense of what really transpired. So we can't really make any calls on the episode itself, except that things got out of hand to the point that a young man had to intervene when two adults lost control of themselves, and that was clearly unfair both to him and to any youth who may have been witness to it.

Now, you ask how a Scoutmaster can be objective about other issues when he cannot be objective about other people. But I think you are asking the wrong question, or at least it isn't a question that will bring you any useful answers. The simple fact is that being uniformly 'objective' about all things is not a requirement for serving as Scoutmaster, and it's unwise and unfair to expect such from anybody. Scouting is run by people, and people have failings - you, me the Scoutmaster - everybody. Right now, your Scoutmaster doesn't feel comfortable with your presence in the Troop. That is the fact of the matter right now. Maybe this is totally unfair, but then, maybe there is a good reason for it. His prejudice against you may be one of his failings; his reasons for it may be some of yours. But you'll get further asking how you can change and improve your own attitudes and behaviors than you will by questioning somebody else's; after all, you have total control over how you deal with this situation, but frankly, you'll discover you are powerless to control how others do. If you approach the Committee demonstrating a willingness to temper your feelings and make whatever changes are necessary to make them feel comfortable with your continued role in the Troop, it will make a far better impression on them than any accusations or attempts to justify your behaviors will. And it will teach your children a far better lesson as well.

One thing I have learned working with children is that it's never productive to tell an angry child to "calm down." Nobody wants to be told how to feel; they want to have their feelings acknowledged and respected. Rather, ask them to explain their feelings while you demonstrate to them what calm is through your own example (catch: this actually requires you to remain calm). Questions like "Why are you feeling upset?," "Can you help me understand the problem?," or "What do you think I can do to help fix this?," asked calmly without demanding calm, can do far more to generate positive results than simply telling them how to feel.

33 minutes ago, shortridge said:

Being a transgendered person is not about “behavior,” as you repeatedly claim in thread after thread. It is about living a life.

That's not a logical conclusion to make, and it doesn't 'protect' anybody from the truth. Living a life is all about behavior. The choices we make - our behavior - define the life we life. Choosing to adopt a transgendered lifestyle is a set of behavioral choices, as with any lifestyle. True, one might feel compelled at some deep level to adopt such a mode of being, but the decision to follow through with those feelings still constitutes one's behavior. That's in no way a judgement call, an insult, nor a derogatory statement - behavior is simply the correct term to describe the cumulative summation of one's personal choices. 

I only have one at the moment, but in my own unit's uniform closet (identical in nature to yours), I found a shirt that fits me perfectly, although this one is long-sleeved.. Since I am in my uniform at least a few times a week, I am thinking about turning it into a second shirt so that I can hopefully keep either from getting too worn too quickly. 

I also have a pair of socks in each of the three lengths, three different fabric options for my pants/shorts convertibles, a leather belt and the standard green web, four different neckerchief slides to go with my half dozen neckerchief options, and two hats - my classic campaign hat and the standard Webelos cap.

Math wizards, how many different uniform combinations could @The Latin Scotcome up with if he added a second uniform shirt to his present options? Please show your work. 

The changes being made to the Wolf colors are rolling changes, meaning that the red hats and neckers will not appear until the current inventory of yellow sells through. This also means that both colors will be perfectly acceptable through the 2019 - 2020 program years.

42 minutes ago, qwazse said:

His contact info is all over the website.

Indeed; on the website there are a number of ways to submit ideas or contact the editors:

To submit story ideas: https://scoutingmagazine.org/contact/story-idea/

To send a letter to the magazine: https://scoutingmagazine.org/contact/letter/

And the regular "contact Bryan" e-mail. I've had a decent amount of success reaching him with this e-mail: scoutingmag@gmail.com

I love it. I wish more centers would do something like this; I know there is a Salvation Army way up north in LA that always has big stockpiles of Scout apparel, but I haven't heard of them doing anything like this before. Some Council exec needs to read this and try it out in our area. 

8 hours ago, qwazse said:

Full disclosure: I've never seen a scout with any insignia, let alone ovals, on the back of their sash. Maybe it's not an Northeast thing?

Pss! I have a few times, but that's because I live in an extremely competitive and materialistic area where people are always trying to one-up each other. So even if I did snap one day and start issuing tickets for uniform "mal-wear", I would just get ignored anyway. 

Apparently this is more open to debate than I realized. Here's another thread exclusively devoted to this topic:

It's from a few years back, but it demonstrates the variety of opinions on the issue, and I for one find it superfluous and excessive to put rank patches on the back of the sash. The badge on the shirt will automatically signify that the past ranks have been earned, so adding them to the back of the sash just feels like an excuse to put more swag on display. I don't like the message that teaches young people. Naturally some will disagree, but I hold to my original post.

Welcome, and thank you for all you do for the boys! We look forward to your comments and ideas!

I can testify to the immeasurable value of a good den chief. I have had the most wonderful young man serving as mine for almost two years now - he is respectful, thoughtful, good with the boys, responsible, and mature. He comes in his uniform, he takes direction but also leads successfully, he participates in our activities and leads his own well - I can't imagine trying to run my den of boys without him. A good den leader can make a night and day difference in the success of any den. 

They learn basic orienteering in Wolves; it's not really taught in any of the Webelos adventures now. Which is not a good thing, lol. I teach some anyway just to prepare them for Boy Scouts AND because it's just an important life skill. 

I believe rank patches are one of the few items that are normally NOT permitted on the back of the merit badge sash. If you must put anything besides merit badges on the back of it (a practice of which I have never been a fan), then keep it to temporary patches, not official badges of rank or office.

And I will add my voice to all the others - teach them to sew and let them do it themselves. My dad does professional costuming and tailoring, but we always had to sew on our own badges - he was (and is) however kind enough to help now and then with particularly difficult patches, such as the Messengers of Peace emblem, which is a PAIN to sew on by hand. And since I do all my stitching by hand, I need professional, mechanical intervention now and then. 

But again - don't be like me. Teach them to do it all themselves!