scotteg83

17 hours ago, T2Eagle said:

I just saw the Bryan on Scouting posting with 50 troops from 50 states.

They also had a troop from Germany.  Sorry Cburkhart, just like with voting, you guys didn't make the cut.🙂  Though I did see several other troops' pictures in the comments if you want to send yours in.

There is a picture from Maine, and IIRC one of our posters talked about trying to establish a troop there.  If so does he want to fess up to being the long haired hippy in the photo?

Nope, but that is my Wife, Daughter, fellow Scout and my District Executive with the hippie hair.

When my son crossed over, he went on 4 weekend campouts with the troop without me.  I had signed up as ASM right away, but only came to meetings. 

I went to summer camp his first summer, but that was for me, not him.  In fact, there was very little times we were together.  I took a training class the first two days.  Summer camp is the closest thing I have to a personal vacation, and I very much enjoy it.

Just cause I haven't looked into the update. 

Whats the ruling on Traveling with scouts?   If I have an all girl troop, and we are traveling in 2 different cars, can 1 car have a male adult and all girl scouts? Or do I now have to find another female leader for every car?

5 minutes ago, HashTagScouts said:

One unit I have spent time visiting with also meets in a church basement with similar height restriction.  They had flag stands made (some one knew someone that had welding equipment), such that the stand is a roughly 18" x 18" piece of 1/4" steel that has a 2 inch diameter pipe welded to it at about a 60 degree angle to the base.  That allows them to use a regular length pole.

Angled stand? I didn't even think of that option! thank you!

First off, probably the wrong form choice, but whatever...

We meet in a church's basement, and the ceiling is probably 7 foot with exposed heat pipes that have a six and a half(ish) clearance.

So what do you recommend for our American and troop flags?  I almost thought about getting the regular height poles, and cutting down the lower pole piece.  Do you know if you can get extra lower pieces?  It would be nice to switch back to a full height pole for camping and parades.

And I am assuming the 'Traditional" size flag is the 3x5?

Thanks for any input.

I have only purchased my first Den leader shirt and convertible pants at full price at the scout shop.

Since then, I have grown to 8 shirts for me, 2 for my daughter, and 2 for my son, and combined 8 pairs of pants from ebay, craglist, facebook, and clearance at the scout shop.    I think the most I have paid for a newer style shirt was $20 shipped. 

I also got the red jacshirt when they went on huge clearance awhile back, before they caught on and put them back to $80

5 minutes ago, Sentinel947 said:

They want her to be credited for an Eagle project, and presumably all of her other requirements she "completed" from before girls were eligible for Boy Scouts. 

PACAN was talking about Scout Rank in one day, not getting credit for higher ranks requirements being done before a scout.

My daughters troop is charter by a different origination then the 2 local boys units, and meets at different locations.  We are a ground up unit, with myself and 1 other as having an Troop experience.  We are going to our first Klondike this weekend, and will be the only girl unit there.  I foresee in the future that we will NOT be doing joint campouts with boy troops, but will see them at Camporees and Summercamp.

33 minutes ago, Eagle94-A1 said:

That larger pin is not for immediate recognition, but is actually a Rank pin, worn on the pocket in lieu of the patch.Unless things have changed since I worked in supply,  it is a restricted item and needs an Advancement Report.  I remember the complaints we got about the First Class Rank Pin and the Campaign Hats and Expedition hats. The Insignia Guide stated youth wore the First Class Rank pin, but they could not buy it without providing paperwork. Saw many a Scout wear the Adult Universal Pin instead.

 

If you are a linked troop, see if the boys's troop can spot you some patches. If not, see if any of their Scouts will buys some "Replacements" to get your supply started.

See, thats what I get for assuming what the large pin was for.  Didn't even think about needing paperwork for that as well.

I will have to reach out to my advancement chair and see how many patches he really has, and if i can barrow some.  I was looking on ebay to see if there was any unused bulk rank deals

6 minutes ago, qwazse said:

I guess our troop never built up that backlog. Therefore, our immediate recognition was an "attaboy" at our troop closing. (Most BoR's are completed during troop meetings.) Then, we would disperse patches at the next CoH. We never used advancement pins. I don't think I've seen one in all our area. (Northeast Region Area 4 scouters, correct me if you have or know of a unit who issues pins.)

As far as cost, we factor in the average cost of advancement into the youth dues.

We used matching dues cost to my sons troop.  We didn't want to scare away anyone with a high number right off the bat.  Once fundraising kicks in, money wont be an issue.  But its the little things that a troop wants and does have.  We already have homemade neckers and slides.  All the girls had to buy unforms (luckily most got handy downs or used ones).  But our first campout in Maine is either going to have a high cost for a cabin, or a high cost for startup minimum equipment.

So a little back story first.  I am the Scoutmaster for a troop that has been around for 90 years, and sometime in the past, we got a big bag of unused rank patches (back when the Scout badge was brown and not a rank).  So for immediate recognition we present the rank patch to the Scouts during closing of that meeting.  Our advancement chair then fills out an an advancement report for council, and turns it all in before our COH. Using that advancement report, he then buys the patch to replace our "stock". During the COH, the scouts are awarded their rank cards and parent pins.

Now,  I have help started a Brand new troop with no start-up money besides dues.  The Scouts haven't planed their year or fundraising, so costs have to be kept at a minimum.  I know the scout shop sells a bigger pin for immediate rank recognition, but that just seems like a unnecessary extra cost.   How does your troop handle this?  Do the Scouts keep the pin? or trade it back in for their cloth patch during the COH?  Do you Recognize, but not award anything till the COH?

Thanks for any thoughts,

Scott

2 hours ago, qwazse said:

No and yes.

At least the way venturing awards and recognition was originally concocted, the goal was to get some nationally recognize certification (e.g. Red Cross First Aid) not merely a merit badge. So, mastering the skill that earned you that MB and the certification was not considered double- anything. Get the skill, get recognition once or twice, move on.

Cool,

Haven't gotten into that yet personally.  My kids aren't old enough yet.

9 hours ago, mashmaster said:

Given that some of the Venture and Sea Scout requirements are merit badges.  When do you think they will allow scouts that aren't in a troop to work on merit badges?  Or can they?  I didn't think so.

Does that fall under the "no double dipping"?

If you are dual registered as a Venture/Sea Scout and a troop, can you earn the merit badge WHILE getting the Venture/Sea Scouts requirements done?

I'm glad you got it all off your chest, but If i was the recipient, I don't think I would even bother reading the entire email.  Talk about a long winded response. 

You are no longer a leader of the old troop, it is not your responsibility to explain yourself to anyone in that unit.

As District Program chair, I've been tasked with getting our District more active, and get the troops to WANT to attend district events.  I came across a patch from a friend that showed we did a Bike-o-ree in 1987.  Now off course, he doesn't remember anything about it, so he wasn't much help.  But it did start me on some ideas.

First thing first, are their any special Safety issues or guild-lines I need to follow?  I am thinking of either getting together with our local skiing mountain and seeing if we can make a camporee there, and have mountain biking as the big event.  Rentals through the ski place, as needed.  Get some local bike shops to setup bike inspection stations.  Get some Merit badge councilors to get them started on the bicycling merit badge.  I have connections with the ski place (former scoutmaster of my troop).

The second thought, is to also have Road biking, and plan a loop trip to start/finish at the event.  But what extra would I need for that?  I could reach out to some local charity rides (there's plenty) to see what safety requirements they go through, but I didn't know what BSA requires.  Personally, I would think it would be "easier" to do mountain biking at one location then take on the responsibility of taking Scouts down the back-roads of Maine.

Let me know what you know, and if you have any more ideas.  If all go well, this wouldn't be until Spring 2020.

YIS

Scott

Seen here

13 minutes ago, mrkstvns said:

 

Wellllll,  I don't see the World Scout crest on this....

There's no patches at all on either.

The official roll out pdf shows them wearing the crest.

1 hour ago, RememberSchiff said:

I think girls here will just wear recycled Boy Scouts of America  (over right pocket) shirts. 

I hope they come out with patches to sew over your existing uniform brand strip.

Would be nice to have a matching labeled uniform for men to wear as leaders

54 minutes ago, ParkMan said:

After reading this I see their point.  Before I was under the impression that the storm was unexpected and their lawsuit was suggesting that the camp should have removed all trees in jeopardy of falling.  

Learning now that there was a severe thunderstorm warning, this does seem like a valid argument.  As unit leaders we should have responsibility to see that our Scouts are in a shelter if possible.  However, when at a council facility, the camp staff should make sure that everyone is alerted in the case of a severe thunderstorm warning and that sheltering plans are known and understood.  For council camps that are not primitive camps and where shelters do exist, the staff really ought to have a working system to get the boys there.  I don't see that as degrading the Scouting experience and it seems like a practical step.

If its a council ran camping (resident or weekend event), aren't they supposed to have a shelter available? Primitive or not?

Our local summer camp watches that radar like a hawk.  Every summer it never fails that at least half the weeks get a storm.

4 minutes ago, mashmaster said:

wow.   The tree looks like it exploded.

I can't say I blame the parents for suing.  I don't know all the details and am not interested in diving into the details here but there certainly could be negligence in forest management that led to this.  But I don't know the camp, the way it was maintained, and whether or not the weather was bad enough that they should have followed weather hazards protocols.   

It is a very sad situation.

That tree on the cabin is a different camp

yes!

We had a tree come down this last season during a storm that destroyed a councilors cabin (small one).  Luckily the camp was following the Hazard Weather procedures, and were in storm shelters (mess hall, rec hall, etc).  They used this as a big learning experience as those 2 staffers were complaining the week prior that they would have rather stay in their cabin then being in the mess hall.

Anyone still mess kit cook?  With the starting of a new troop for Girls, with no startup funds, I was going suggest all the girls get metal mess kits (maybe field trip to the closest army surplus) and teach them how to cook over the fire. 

7 minutes ago, Carbenez said:

There shouldn't have to be any "comebacks" necessary other than....show me in the Guide To Advancement where is says 2 Scouts are prohibited from working on different projects at the same facility on the same day. 

Anything else is a made-up requirement.  

This guy has also been making kids finish their project plan (not the proposal, the PLAN) before he "allows" them to start working on their project. Another made up requirement in direct opposition to current rules.

 

Talk to your SM, if that doesn't work, talk to the CC.  If that doesn't work, talk to the COR.  If none of that works, then reach out to your DE or District Advancement Coordinator

21 minutes ago, FireStone said:

If this sticks and the SM gets his way, make sure to remind him when it's time for a Court of Honor that the troop doesn't group things together, and he needs to be present at three different CoHs on 3 different dates/times/places.

😏

Our troops Eagle COH are for only Eagles and nobody else.  So that doesn't really work as a comeback