Saltface

Does this mean we can't use their patches for patrol patches?

In every troop I've been involved in, you could re-earn your Totin' Chip (or Whittlin' Chip for Cubs) and get a fresh, four-cornered card by taking the class again. Obviously, losing all four corners meant you were required to "re-certify" but none of us ever waited until that last hour. The ignominy of missing a single corner was enough to make us boys take the class at the next available opportunity. Do other troops not do this? If not, I can see why people would get upset about their award being defaced. For us, it was merely a punch card.

I've seen these jokes about knot awards a few times but I don't understand the context. Is it poking fun at people that have a million knots on their uniform that may not necessarily deserve them?

He has never once accidentally said "Webelo." His hiking boots get blisters from prolonged contract with his feet. He can tie a one-handed bowline with no hands. Cooking req. 1D is a list of his favorite snacks. (Doesn't work anymore) He earned the Master-at-Arms merit badge. Twice. Stay prepared, my friends.

I know this is off-topic, but what can you tell us about these service pods?

I was expecting more posts like this. I've camped at a city park next to a small municipal airport less than five miles from home. We made jokes about whether it required a tour plan. It wasn't so much a camping trip as a really awesome overnight Aviation MB clinic. Unfortunately, we got to hear planes landing all night long.

I know a guy who knows a guy (see how that works) that had an encounter with the Mogollon Monster, at a scout camp nonetheless. I wish I remembered the story better, but it basically goes like this: He was on staff at Camp Geronimo, which is right on the Mogollon Rim. He and a buddy were out hiking and found two weird bone-like objects as they were returning to camp. They picked them up and were examining them when they heard a growl or a yell several yards away. They saw a dark hairy hominid and bolted, carrying the objects with them. For the next few nights, they would hear noises of something scuffling around their cabin but didn't see anything. One day, the bones disappeared from their cabin (which they never locked) and they never heard or saw anything again. As for myself, all I've ever found was a muddy, large footprint running across the trail up Mt. Baldy. Unfortunately, no one had a camera (it was the 90s). And here's one that isn't mythical: http://arizonaoddities.com/2010/03/the-legend-of-red-ghost/

You're looking for the section "What Scouting Means" in Chapter 1 of the Scout Handbook, first edition. It's also the home of my favorite statement on Scouting: "To be a scout means to be prepared to do the right thing at the right moment, no matter what the consequences may be."

@@hicountry I thoroughly agree that National made their decision quite some time ago. As evidence, I submit the cover of the latest Scouting Magazine. I just wanted to verify that I wasn't part of some minority that got overlooked in the surveying before I start ranting about it on social media.

Why do they have to wait to join? Are you restricted on the size of your group? I've heard the complaint that girls dominate the youth leadership in Scouts Canada troops (but I can't find my source right now). Do you see the same thing occurring in the UK?

It's probably enough of a problem everywhere that they used it as the example (I may have conflated the two, my SPL might not have said anything about cameras). If they could have identified the perp, I would have reacted the same way as you.

Unfortunately, "showrooms" might be the correct term here. There's a growing problem at my council camp with boys pulling open shower curtains and taking pictures. Unfortunately the perpetrators are seldom apprehended or punished. Fortunately, recent membership policy changes will diminish this type of behavior, right?

Summer camp seems to be the biggest problem that the local option crowd is either ignoring or unaware of. Regardless of your own troop's policy, you're going to be affected. Attending a council camp used to mean a week away from girls, electronics, and other distractions, now you only get this if you hold your own camp.

But in the end, your council did have a townhall, correct? What region are you in?

With the flurry of comments on various websites about BSA's announcement today, I'm seeing two major groups starting to take form: 1) I took the survey and support National's decision. 2) Whoa, what survey? I wish someone had told me about the survey, I would have said no. I myself watched the video and requested a survey, but only because someone smuggled the URL onto this forum. Neither Grand Canyon Council nor my district therein held any kind of public meetings or townhalls on the matter. With Arizona's conservative slant, I can see most scouters here opposing the change. So I'm curious to know what areas were actually polled. Where are you and were you "legitimately" surveyed?

Why less likely?

Wait! Do you mean that you can turn in an Eagle application prior to the day before your 18th birthday? I've seen plenty of those from LDS youth. They do participate in Scouting, just not very much. They'll attend a merit badge clinic that they missed when they were younger, help with other Eagle projects, etc. As their priesthood quorum IS their team or crew, they use leadership positions in the quorum for POR requirements (the two aren't terribly different).

I believe there are a handful of non-LDS Varsity units in my council. I don't see the program surviving next year and most migrating over to Venturing in order to keep doing high-adventure activities. How do traditional scout troops handle activites with age restrictions such as caving or using power tools?

That hasn't happened yet? My COR attended a call out once. He's a professional archaeological specializing in American Indians. Fortunately, he found the regalia more amusing than offensive. It appeared to him something like this:

And you shall have one. I've lurked on this website from time to time but never posted before. I'm in a district and council dominated by LDS units and I've been an adult leader in LDS units for about eight years. Mormon Varsity and Venture units do high-adventure activities, learn skills, operate in a boy-led environment, and do everything a non-LDS unit does, but don't wear a Scout uniform while doing it. The only BSA activity the Varsity teams do here is the biennial Mountain Man Rendezvous (which is pretty much a church activity that makes use of a BSA scout camp). Venture crews might have their annual super-activity at Philmont or another high-adventure base, but most don't. BSA is going to lose revenue over the withdrawal in January, but not much active membership. If the LDS church withdraws completely, it would completely gut four of the six largest councils in BSA. I don't see too many Mormon youth wanting to continue in BSA when they can scratch their scouting itch with church activities. I don't know what the programs will look like for 14-18 year-olds next year, but I can see them still focusing on scoutcraft. The young women's program is entirely internal to the church and covers almost everything you learn and do up to First Class (YMMV). Manly ego dictates we do at least that much. Furthermore, there are too many LDS Scoutmasters that have learned the secret of hiking boys to exhaustion, then teaching them life lessons around a campfire.