MikeS72

As a long time Red Cross instructor, I would consider our program to be the 'gold standard'. I have also sat in on ECSI WRFA class, and the material in the Red Cross course is, I think, better suited to what we might encounter within BSA high adventure programs. A lot has to do with the instructor as well. I have seen Red Cross instructors who make me shudder, and ECSI instructors who are very good.

As a Red Cross instructor, I can tell you that American Heart Association does have differences with their CPR classes. For a number of years now, they have emphasized compression only CPR, while Red Cross still teaches the breathing/compression combo model. There is a short segment during Red Cross training showing compression only method, but the 30/2 compression to breaths is still the preferred method. As for ESRI, I am not sure who that is, here in Central Florida we either use Red Cross or ECSI, who are the primary providers authorized by BSA to offer WRFA courses. BSA will also

Have a couple, one of my favorites. When skill awards first came out, I thought they made my scouts look like cubs. That and the belt they were designed to go on was tough enough to get through those skinny little loops on the old uniform pants. Agreed Still have mine, with nary a scratch on it! I still have, and occasionally wear the 60's version of the garrison cap. I have noticed a fair number of younger scouts wearing them district or council events recently. Every patrol had the official chef kit B

Love it! Maybe I can do the same with a six pack of Lombardi Trophies!

Don't see it much anymore, but it was a regular part of our meetings back in the day (way back, as in 1964 +) Now, it does seem there are few who are fully and correctly uniformed. I make sure that my own scout & I are fully and correctly uniformed at all times, as for the rest of the troop, I will point out something that needs correction (patches on the wrong sleeve, etc), but have reached the stage of life where I am more concerned with the scout inside the uniform, rather than the uniform itself.

I thought I responded earlier, internet demons must have eaten my reply. Once you have filled out an adult application with your new troop (and it gets turned in to the new council) you will likely get a new BSA ID number. While it makes little sense, those numbers are issued by the local council, not national. Once you get that new ID (any member of your troop key 3 can access the troop roster via my.scouting) the registrar in your new council can merge the accounts. This will allow all of your past training to show. As for adding the IOLS from another council, that is not someth

Actually have a pair on right now. We had a backpacking trip this past January that involved a lot of water, they kept my feet both warm and dry the whole time. Highly recommended.

I am guessing that you are referring to the Thorlos wool socks sold at the scout shop. Not too bad, at $15.99 a pair, if you get them when they do the buy one, get one at half price sales. Seems to be on sale at least 50% of the time I am in the store.

I have been reading this thread with a mixture of amusement and skepticism. I fully agree that LNT is something we should all be aware of and every scout should do their best to adhere to, however, the color of a scouts t-shirt leaves does not adversely affect the natural environment. Our troop can choose forest green or grey for shirts, so that is not generally an issue when we are on the trail, but if the color of a scouts shirt offends someones sensibilities, that would definitely be at the bottom of my list of concerns.

Our troop currently ranges in age from 11 - 15, with about half falling into that 11/12 age group. Regardless of age, any new scout who is interested in doing one of the backpacking trips must first accompany us on a 5 mile hike (on a weekend backpacking trek 5 is an average day for us). At the end of the 5 mile hike, they then don a 20lb backpack and do 2 more miles. Anyone who wants to try this is given that opportunity, to some it is no big deal. Others decide that maybe this month's 15 mile backpacking trip is not for them, and still others decide to wait until they have had the ti

In addition to those already mentioned, we have best super hero category.

We have more than our fair share of venomous snakes in Central Florida Council, and seem to have a knack for running into them on every backpacking trip or hike. Over the ankle hiking boots saved one of our scouts when he stepped on a pygmy rattlesnake.

Sounds like fun. I wonder if yours is the district I saw mentioned on an OA Facebook page, where they will be doing call out dressed as knights rather than in the usual NA regalia.

Same way I would explain to John and Joe that they can tent together from Jan. to June as 16 & 17 year old scouts, but not afterward due to John turning 18. Still within 2 years, but one is no longer a youth for YPT purposes, even if considered such in a Crew or OA.

I am an ADC, and had the same question asked by a SM. I felt the same way as @DuctTape, trying to look at what the month/day differences might be would only result in the entire rule being ignored. Just to be on the safe side, I ran it by my DE & the folks at council, who agreed. Just look at the age in years, don't worry about fractions thereof.

Excellent, reasoned, and rational.

If one of my scouts was in just his underwear during a skit, I would also be concerned about consequences. Knowing that you have moms who might well bypass you and call council to inform them of scouts in their underwear outside an area where that is appropriate, I would strongly discourage the scouts from doing this skit in it's original form (I watched this skit on several occasions more than 50 years ago - I am sure that it amuses the scouts as much now as it did then). G2SS & YPT cannot possibly list every single situation that may pop up, I would think showing your sco

We offer STEM and NOVA activities for scouts at our Roundtable. Very popular and well attended.

Two recent updates to YPT; one on March 1, when a newer iteration was released to account for some of the membership changes we have experienced. I took the new version, and found it to be well done. At the time of that release, we were told that new, optional modules were coming. Those were released last week, and cover: 1. Physical Abuse Prevention; 2. Exposure to Violence Prevention; 3. Emotional Abuse Prevention; 4. Neglect Prevention These new optional modules are well worth taking a look at.

As an ADC, that 72 hour rule is one of the new YPT policies that I see the most confusion concerning. It is not a total of 72 hours of attendance per year, it is an event that lasts 72 consecutive hours or more. For most troops, that means something like summer camp, or the occasional trek during winter or spring breaks. It may also come into play for Cub Resident Camps, although a number of councils have cut those to just a weekend, to miss hitting 72 hours.

It kind of puts those 18, 19, & 20 year old ASM's in a kind of limbo. They are no longer considered youth, but not yet trustworthy adults. Thankfully, this has not yet affected us, although had we not had an ASM dad we were initially not expecting, show up for a backpacking trek last fall, we would have had to cancel and send everyone home. One of the over 21 leaders had an unexpected medical issue preventing them from attending, which would have then left us with myself and two 20 year old ASM's. I am sure that this policy change came from the legal eagles at national. It mak

From HHS.gov Who must comply with HIPAA privacy standards? Answer: As required by Congress in HIPAA, the Privacy Rule covers: Health plans Health care clearinghouses Health care providers who conduct certain financial and administrative transactions electronically. These electronic transactions are those for which standards have been adopted by the Secretary under HIPAA, such as electronic billing and fund transfers. These entities (collecti

I spent the weekend assisting with scenarios and skills practice for a WRFA class. There were 3 medical doctors and a nurse teaching. As each person checking in Saturday morning turned in their Part A & B forms they were asked if there were any issues we should be aware of, and the forms went straight into a folder, where they remained until they were returned Sunday afternoon. No reason to read anything on them.

Not sure when it first appeared, but I recall wearing one after having my Eagle COH on my 18th birthday.

We did a 30 mile kayaking trip a couple of weeks ago. In about a 150 yard stretch the boys counted 11 gators, some on the river bank, most in the water.