Jump to content

krypton_son

Members
  • Content Count

    119
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by krypton_son

  1. We have the 'Old Gray Hair Patrol,' complete with a patch! When I become scoutmaster here in a couple weeks I plan to take our patrol a few steps farther and make sure we all have scout to 1st class skills. I'll also implement a separate dining area on campouts.

     

    We are considering a Philmont Trek for leaders. I think they call it an 'Autumn Adventure.' 

     

    Dean

     

    That is exactly what we're thinking of.  I'd love to see that patch....

  2. So it was suggested by a few of our ASMs that we should have more adult activities.  By that, I don't mean "risqué" activities, but more things for the leaders to do; training exercises, helping earn knots, etc.  It was suggested that we form our own leader patrol.  I can definitely see the fun in this as long as it doesn't take the focus off of the youth.  Our troop is very youth oriented and boy-run so I don't think that that should be a problem.  It would give the more experienced leaders the ability to help the others learn skills that would help our youth (you would be surprised how many leaders can't tie the basic knots required for youth advancement and merit badges).   Do any of you do this in your troops?  Any suggestions that might help?

  3. I remember when I was a Scout, everyone always told you that you'd be asked at your Eagle board of review whether or not you would wear your Uniform to school.  The rumor was that they would base whether or not you got your Eagle Scout based on your answer.  Most kids assumed that you should always say yes so that they are impressed by your pride in Scouting.  Sure enough when I got to my Eagle boar of review they asked me the big question.  I was honest with them and told them no.  I said that I am very proud of Scouting, but unfortunately with the ridicule that you would get from classmates, I would probably not wear it.  Surprisingly they all accepted my answer and said that they were proud of my honesty. 

     

    I hadn't heard this in a long time, but recently a boy from my troop brought it up and asked if it were true.  Is this a thing everywhere?  Has anyone else heard fearful rumors about the big question from their boys?

  4. I think they should take a careful look at every method and be honest about what is going right or wrong with it. Does it support fun, adventure, challenge and the aims of scouting? That will make it cool. If high adventure is so important and there are fewer adults that know the outdoors, then maybe having really expensive high adventure bases that are hard to get into is not helping. Their squirt gun rules are beyond stupid. Advancement shouldn't look like school so clean up the MBs so each one has a higher percentage of fun, adventure, or challenge and isn't geared just to 12 year olds. Simplify the uniform and make it uniform. Put more focus on patrol method, leadership, and just letting the scouts make their own decisions. There are a lot of adults that don't get it, solve that.

     

    Hit the nail on the head.  I couldn't have said it any better.

  5. I was an 18 year old ASM.  Of course that was 21 years ago.  I remember finding the transition quite easy.  I've seen several boys who turn 18 stay on as ASM's.  I've found that a lot of times, they're actually more qualified then most of the ASM's who were already there.  If he was an active Scout as a boy and was a good leader as a youth, I'd say that he should have no problem. 

    • Upvote 1
  6. I will take that bet. I'm reminded of the 15 or so years of posters coming and going on this forum who proclaimed that allowing gay scouts into the program would boost membership numbers significantly, even though evidence of other North American Scouting programs making the same membership changed showed otherwise.

     

    After the beating the BSA took that led to the homosexual policy changes, National has no stomach at the moment to push for further major membership policy changes. They would not only be fighting an uphill battle against traditionalist (donations), the GSUSA would bring out the big guns against the BSA as well.

     

    Barry

     

    I have to agree with you, I don't see it happening.

  7. I don't have a problem with MB's being a fundamental part of Scouting as @@krypton_son mentions, but they do have a tendency to be abused in their purpose.  A summer camp of MB's instead of fishing, swimming, hiking, and hanging out with friends is not worth the $$ put into the program.  MB universities has one purpose and that's to garner bling.  They often cut corners and are abused by more than just the scouts.  Eagle mill troops often use MB's in lieu of programming, socializing and having fun.  I have even attended camporees that focus on the acquisition of attaining a MB. 

     

    While attaining a large number of MB's for an individual, how much Patrol Method scouting is ignored.  One hears it all the time.  I got Eagle...  My Eagle... It's no longer a scout rank, but a personal goal for oneself that is popularity bling in certain situations, i.e. military, college entrance and professional careers.

     

    With Palms is nothing more than bling beyond rank.  I for one would prefer more POR/leadership development, Patrol Method, and scouting programming than sitting around the table taking 3 Citizenship classroom experiences.  However, as @@Eagle94-A1 maybe it does do some good to cover basic civics that the public schools are not teaching.  Same with shooting sports and other socially questionable activities.  Cooking might be fine as well in that it introduces the boys to something more than their standard diet of fast food and pizza.

     

    I agree, they shouldn't be the main point of focus above everything else.  

    • Upvote 1
  8. Scouting is a wonderful venue to expose our youth to activities and interests they might not otherwise discover.  The Merit Badge program is a great way to achieve this.  While doing one of these merit badges, it is possible that your nephew might discover what will become a lifelong hobby or career

     

    Exactly this.  Scouting was created to give boys experiences and knowledge about a great many things so that they could excel in life and have a broader experience.  Merit badges do exactly this.  They are a fundamental part of Scouting. 

  9. There is also wide divergence within the US regarding age and alcohol consumption.  Growing up in the mid 70s in a Pennsylvania steel town, drinking beer as a Junior or Senior in high school was widely permitted by both parents, and as exhibited by the behavior of the police, the community writ large.  Even today, when legal drinking ages have been raised, almost entirely as an anti drunk driving measure as opposed to a measure of moral approbation, in many states alcohol consumption by people under the age of 21 is legal under a variety of circumstances if overseen by parents.

     

    At the same time there are of course many "dry" counties where the purchase of alcohol is illegal for everyone irrespective of age.

     

    That's true.  I live in a area that's been a dry county for as long as it's been around.  They finally passed a law this year that made it wet.  The first liquor store opened it's doors last Saturday (to much local protest).  I'm probably the happiest person here.  I've been brewing my own beer for years and collect beer/liquor collectables.  If you go to Germany, France, etc. kids are drinking wine and beer at dinner.  Churches in a lot of countries have beer festivals and make or produce liquor.  Alcohol just isn't that big of a deal in most places.  Not that I'm defending Boy Scouts getting drunk on camp outs by any means.....

  10. You seem to be making a very polarised distinction here. There is zero tolerance, there is permissive and nothing else. In actual fact there is a whole raft of grey between the two. Taking an approach where there are consequences but ensuring that there is a way back is not being permissive or cruel to the innocent. It is helping develop the scout involved.

     

    Back in 2005 I was part of a district contingent to the European Jamboree.One evening, after the scouts had all disappeared off to whatever evening events they were meant to be at a leader from the Italian unit next to us came over to fill us in on the gossip that the Maltese unit on a neighbouring sub camp had the illicit vodka supply. We may wish to watch out where our scouts were headed. Now it turned out that yes, two scouts, aged about 14 i think, had indeed made the acquaintance of the Maltese contingent and as they came back to camp, their manner of walking indicated that they had indeed indulged in the Maltese contingent's supplies.

     

    Now we could of course have sent them home. There are though many ways to skin a cat!

     

    They were dispatched to bed having been invited to drink a pint of water each. Me and the other leader there didn't say a word about the drinking.

     

    Next day dawned, bright and sunny. Bill and Ben, as I will call them, magically found that the chores rotas had all been changed! Guess who was invited to get out of bed at 6am and get the food delivery for that day? And then cook it? All while nursing a cracking hangover each? Now I fancy myself as a bit of a camp fire leader. I encouraged everyone to burst into some loud, lusty singing as all this was going on. Part of me was half tempted to keep them back from whatever they were meant to be doing that morning. Till I remembered that it was a good 30 minute walk in the blazing sun to get there. They were going. And I was going to make sure they went. And join in everything. Loudly. And quickly.

     

    I generally made sure that that day was the longest and most miserable one of their existence while of course making sure no harm came to them (I made sure there was plenty of water available).

     

    That night they turned in quite early and didn't go near a drop of the stuff again.

     

    And all without having to say a single word about Maltese scouts or vodka.

     

    The point is that you can get a kid to learn a lesson without taking a zero tolerance approach. And make sure it stays learned as well.

     

    That has to be the greatest thing I have read on here.  I think you handled the situation perfectly.

  11. I remember when I was a kid, we were at a camporee one time and to fulfill some requirements for our cooking merit badge (or maybe for a rank, I don't remember) I had to cook breakfast.  A buddy and I decided we were going to make bacon and eggs.  We made our bacon first (a pretty good amount of it) and then made a big portion of scrambled eggs.  Neither one of us had ever done this before and didn't realize that you had to drain the bacon grease out before making the eggs.  They were probably the greasiest eggs that had ever been made.  When our scoutmaster came over to see it he just smiled and laughed.  We were a bit embarrassed so he decided to cheer us up by eating a big helping of them.  He said that they were the best greasy eggs he had ever had. 

  12. Collecting scout items is one thing.  Buying things you have not earned, and then wearing them on your uniform as if you have, is something totally different.

     

    I agree 100%.  I collect Boy Scout memorabilia.  Rank insignia are a big part of that.  I have several knot patches that I haven't earned myself, I would never think of wearing them.  I am all for rank patches, knots, medals, etc. being for sale on ebay, it's a great place for collectors to get them.  Trying to pass them off as your own is despicable.

×
×
  • Create New...