ItsBrian

My parents spend around 700 a year on me. That’s for all the camping trips, including summer camp, and to replenish some gear that may need replacing. But if your Troop fundraisers, like most, you can get discounts. Our troop gave like $150 off summer camp for Troop events. Not including other fundraisers scouts can do themselves. Also, your council should have finiacial assistance, atleast mine do.

8 minutes ago, shortridge said:

Do you mind showing me where BSA said it would be a separate, parallel program? I found this piece from Scouting which states otherwise:

“A program for girls ages 11 to 17 will be introduced in 2019. Details will be announced later this year.

“The program will allow young women to work toward — and earn —Scouting’s highest honor, the Eagle Scout Award.

“The requirements will be the same for young men and young women. Young women shouldn’t get — and don’t want — watered-down requirements.”

Source: https://scoutingmagazine.org/2017/12/bsa-invites-girls/

I have read that it was suppose to be a parallel program as well. It technically is due to the fact that the girls program has no interaction with the boys. Separate leaders, meetings, etc.

49 minutes ago, WisconsinMomma said:

Congratulations, Brian!!!  Woo Hoo!  Cycling is a big merit badge and great work getting it done!   

I feel honored that you are here to share some of your journey with us. Thank you!

 

Funny thing is, we didn't even plan on finishing it that weekend. We were camping as a family and since the trails ended up being mountain biking and all muddy, we decided why not and let's finish it this weekend. We were planning on just dirt trails.

I'm looking for a new daypack, hiking pack, whatever you want to call it. 

I have been looking on hikingdirect, but they aren't really what I need it for.

I don't need a backpacking one, I just need one where I can fit a lot of supplies such as paperwork, and a whole bunch of other things incase younger scouts forget it or if something happens. I had a camelbak for a few years, but the zipper broke so I am looking for a new one.

3 hours ago, JasonG172 said:

YUP!  that's what I do...I love decals. 

I clipped the nalgene to my belt, that’s how it broke.

1 hour ago, RememberSchiff said:

A couple of young ASM's are trying to convince me to replace my Nalgene 1L (6.25 ounces, $10-11, made USA) with either the following:

Hydrapak Stash 1L (3.3 ounces?, $20-25)

Platypus water bags .-  IMHO seem flimsy and spill easy.

Works for them but I  still like the all-season , hot water,  utility, and indestructibility of the Nalgene .

 

I did use a water bladder for the first two years of Boy Scouts and I hated it. I will never use one again unless I need to. Too messy, annoying to fill up, and annoying to clean. 

I forgot to post this, but I got a Contingo auto spout and it has works great.

Contigo Autospout Ashland Water Bottle, 32oz , Smoke https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D67ADCS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_sFQTCwMjtYSyK

When I got the Nalgene, it scratched and the plastic attaching the lid broke the first time I used it so I returned it.

5 hours ago, 69RoadRunner said:

Our scoutmaster's cheesecake.  The picture doesn't do it justice.  Not a crack at all.  This is from our Iron Chef campout/competition.

 

I would love to make that too!

I found a scouting magazine one.. https://scoutingmagazine.org/2011/03/dutch-treat-serve-something-cheesy/

12 minutes ago, NJCubScouter said:

Make the last-place patrol sing "I'm a Little Teapot," in 8-part harmony?     

That would work, and maybe lose a few scouts along the way. 

I know so many friends that quit Girl Scouts due to it being so strict and tough. My sister got her silver but stopped scouting due to it being so strict for a gold award project.

I personally did not do a first year program. As you can tell, I’ve done perfectly fine without it. I do regret skipping my first year summer camp though.

My troop does highly encourage first years to do it. The summer camp we went to last year and again this year also has a program to help get to first class. We do not like that and do not let scouts take the path to first class program. 

All the camps we what’s gone to did help with requirements since we are a small troop, we can’t do every thing that they cover as fast.

I personally am not against it as a youth.

31 minutes ago, MattR said:

Really good point, @ItsBrian. In fact I offered them the option of deciding their own reward and I'd get the committee to pay for it. I even gave them some ideas to choose from. Adults would cook them something good for a campout. Pizza party. A campout without any adults around. I think they saw the check boxes and stopped right there.

I tried something similar with my Troop as SPL. We tried a chart for going out of your way and helping someone such as the CO, etc., but eventually they gave up. No idea why, but they don’t. 

Fire Update: The Ute Park Fire is currently 36,6644 acres and 25% contained. There are currently 598 personnel including 15 crews, 8 helicopters, 29 engines, 5 bulldozers, 9 water tenders on scene.

We can confidently confirm that unfortunately all Dean Cow structures were lost and miraculously, Harlan only lost one outbuilding.

Our primary focus remains the safety of our team and the management of the fire. We appreciate your patience as we work through this rapidly changing situation.

Ute Park Fire Info: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5820/ (air quality info, maps, etc.)

You should’ve had an incentive. Food, something that would’ve embarrassed a leader, meeting with only games, etc...

8 minutes ago, qwazse said:

So, what's the plan for your next Palm? Are you gonna round off your MB count before your BoR so you can snag an inns ta-Palm or two?

I think I already instantly have one, I would have to check. I know after summer camp I will have atleast one if not.

I don’t think I will have the time due to next school year I start medical college classes as part of my program.

56 minutes ago, Terasec said:

by little shelters, referring to those mini leantos?

have seen those leantos, I would agree that area has been neglected,  sites closer to cabins/main area are generally much nicer, 

as for trash, summer camp time would agree bit of trash left behind, with little time between summer camp sessions I don't blame the camp, I blame the scouts and their leaders, 

we always do a LNT walk about before/during and after our camping, 

in fall/winter/spring camping we find less trash, most of it usually quite old 

also after every camp session, camp supervisor inspects our site for condition and trash, he is usually quite thorough, pointing out the smallest piece of debri, I hope others that fail such inspection get penalized for it

 

Yeah those mini leantos, didn’t know what else to call them. That was a long walk too, we were not told we had to walk in so we didn’t pack light.

Just now, Terasec said:

have camped at alpine approximately 6 times so far,

really not sure what the complaint is,  have had no problem with the trails, to/from campsites, 

only trails that are questionable are those that connect cabins to camp sites, as don't think those are designed trails, just used out of convenience,

haven't been to other BSA camps so cant compare to those, but are equivilant to most other large camps I have been to,

only complaint would be old wooden platforms require some leveling, 

What really ruined our experience was that the whole camping trip was suppose to be about geocaching. Online it sounded like it was a great trail with little caches along it and that it actually still existed.

We spent hours trying to find a single one on the trail and failed. The campsite we slept in, I forget the name, it had ground level little shelters. Some of them weren’t even cleaned out, and the campsite was not left tidy.

28 minutes ago, Terasec said:

our pack is currently boy only, but committee is trying to change that, also spoke with our council camp, all camp activities are being integrated to coed activities, they are revising cope games to eliminate all contact activities, 

see your NJ, camp I am referring to is Alpine

9 minutes ago, NJCubScouter said:

I am just curious , you say in the thread title that you are from NY, and your council camp is Camp Alpine, but Alpine is the council camp for the Northern New Jersey Council.  Does NNJC cross state lines?

I know where Alpine is but have never been there.  I am in Patriots Path Council.

I just went to alpine about a month ago. I’m sorry but the Camp is not kept in the best shape. The buildings are beautiful and look new, but the trails since you have to hike in to campsites are not well kept in my opinion. My troop will not be going back there.

They also advertise a geocache trail. We tried it, none of them even exist anymore.

I would find another Troop if I had to wear those. I know all those scouts did not voluntary wear them. 

1 minute ago, mashmaster said:

Congrats!  I just hope your project wasn't yet another gaga ball pit.

Haha. I did it at an Adult day care center, I found it by doing clinical there. I put stone around the building, rebuilt two moving carts (I made the base out of trek wood), built a horse shoe pit, & some small stuff.

1 hour ago, qwazse said:

But @ItsBrian, you're the odd duck who feels that strangers on the internet are worthy of a play-by-play.

Why not share my adventure to eagle? I’m sure it’s entertaining to some.

1 minute ago, RememberSchiff said:

Congratulations.

Are you our first Eagle? That is, the first member to earn Eagle after joining scouter.com?

 

Maybe? Did @Back Pack get Eagle before or after joining? He did get his Eagle recently right?

4 minutes ago, Oldscout448 said:

Hmm, have a cookout for the parents?  Have games for the younger siblings. No adults allowed to cook or clean up. 

I don’t feel like that is a service project though. I don’t have this issue, but was just wondering for those that have that issue.

Going camping this weekend with my family, I’ll make sure to include the recipes we try in the new subtopic.

we are making:

- Pizza

- Cinnamon pecan rolls

It says “complete one service project benefitting the CO”, but what if a Troop is chartered by a organization made by the parents?