MikeS72

We give our scouts multiple chances to sign up and make payment (if required) beginning about a month prior to the activity. Something like summer camp they start signing up about 3.5 months ahead of our camp week, which both gets a discount on the fee and also allows them to select merit badges and activities well in advance. As to your situation @5thGenTexan, I think as CC I would be having a serious conversation with your SM about prior planning. How often do you end up having to cancel an outing when transportation is an issue due to parents and leaders not knowing where the troop i

It was in my inbox when I got home from Roundtable last night. Not sure if this is going out to every registered adult leader, every OA member, or just a random selection. I did see that the link is specifically for the addressee and will not let you us it a second time, as it would not let my OA member scout respond. I will have him monitor his email to see if it is being sent to any youth members.

Curious as to what part of the GTSS you have to break just to have your scouts complete their advancement requirements.

What is commonly referred to as an AOL Den is made up of 5th graders who are working toward earning the AOL. Many are in their 2nd year of WEBELOS, some are in their first year of Scouting. A lot of the AOL Dens work toward bridging into troops in the February/March time frame.

Probably true as relates to the Episcopal church, but @T2Eaglewas referring to the USCCB, which is the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Agreed. It is always good to find someone who has Scouting experience, but that does not necessarily mean they have to come from within the organization. I am sure there are a plethora of former Scouts who have shown that they are capable of managing an organization such as ours who have never served in a professional Scouter position.

There is no way to enter anything in Scoutbook that was done prior to the registration date showing in the national system. I have had a few instances where paperwork was given to a DE who is no longer with the program and was lost and had to be filled out again. We looked at things like Scout rank requirements, knots, fire building, cooking, etc. that the scout did before the registration became official and entered those items dated after the scout became official. Don't penalize the scout for an adult's shortcomings.

"within reason"???

In what way??

This policy was the 'safety minute' discussion at our Roundtable last night. Just so happened that our Council President, Assistant Scout Executive, and Council commissioner were visiting last night. Yes, councils (and I would hope that includes all) do background checks for MBC applications. The money for all of those folks who have for years used the MBC freebie rather than paying the standard adult registration fee has to come from somewhere. While we did not ask our guest what the cost of the CBC is, I would think it would be similar to what I paid as a school district employe

We always ask those who are eligible if they are interested in being on the ballot. Over the last 5 elections we have had three who declined to be on the ballot.

@Alec27, Our charter was just processed. Once the council posts the charter it should reflect any changes in Scoutbook overnight.

I would believe that reference to 'adult program participants" means those 18, 19, & 20 year olds who are also a part of a crew, ship, or post; or who are registered as an ASM in a troop and still qualify as a youth at OA activities.

Makes me wonder what rank Elroy Jetson achieved! 😄

That should be true globally. Once the SM has approved someone to be on the ballot and they are elected he/she CANNOT change the result. From the latest version of the OA Guide to Elections: "After the youths have voted, the unit leader cannot adjust the results of the election. The Guide for Officers and Advisers says that lodge rules must include this standard rule: Rule III.A. The requirements for membership in this lodge are as stated in the current printing of the Order of the Arrow Handbook and the Order of the Arrow Guide for Officers and Advisers. The “Induction: Election to

The adults must be registered at the time of nomination and induction (unit nominates, SE approves) and must meet the same camping requirement as the scouts. A unit may nominate adults at a ratio of 1/3 the number of scouts elected. Those adults should be nominated because they will be an assest to the OA, not as a thank you for being a leader or simply because their scout was elected and you want them to experience induction together.

The way the original post read was "Our Troop is 50 years old...exemplary...90 Scouts including about 20 girls..." Troops can be linked; same charter org., same committee, but cannot be a troop of 90 scouts, 20 of whom are girls. There can be a troop of 70 boys and a separate troop of 20 girls who meet the definition of linked troops and do some activities together.

That is what we have done for the last couple of years. Ideally an election team has at least 3 members, each of whom has a specific script to read verbatim. At the end of the third script (at least I seem to remember it being the third person) the team announces those scouts who were elected.

I am sure that all of us could find some group of people that we have never met, that does not mean that they do not exist. I was a part of our ceremonial team for 6 years as a youth, well over half a century ago. I am still very much active in the OA, and yes, I also cringe both when I see some of the pictures that show lodges in the northeast and southeast whose ceremonialists are decked out in plains regalia, complete with double trail head dresses; as well as when I think back to what we wore and the gallons of red body paint we used more than half a century ago. I also came bac

Amendment I Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. Pretty sure that members of the National OA Committee do not also sit in Congress.

In the years that I have been involved with our pack, the AOL's have done both plaques and banners, and they have always been funded by the AOL and their parent. We have never included either in the pack budget.

Is this a relatively new feature? I do not recall noticing it in the past. Good to know now where to find the most current numbers.

Congratulations!

I both filter with a higher end Katyden, then hit it with UV light via a SteriPen. The filter does a great job with the way the water tastes coming out of some of our FL waterways, and the SteriPen finishes off those nasties.

Sure we do! Been there many times... Universal Orlando and Universal Hollywood 😁