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pocket knives are broken before it comes out of its brand new package. folders that is. SAK does serve its purpose, but you can't really baton with it.

 

why is BSA scared of fixed blade? it just looks homicidal?

 

we teach our boys how to build fires using woods. most of us do not carry saw or ax. but if someone had becker BK-2 or BK-9... who would ever need an axe or a saw?

 

they are tools. we teach our boys to use them as tools, not as an weapon. less chance of cutting their fingers and getting their job done. face the reality. stop feeling intimidated. let liberals go camp at LA and go to 5 start restaurant for their evening snack.

always wanted campaign hat, and found from another thread that there is a company making campaign hat in different shape than perfect circle. i went there and looked at the shapes and i don't see triangle. my head is just weird.

all the boys love belt loop.. not mine. but in my den, boys are always looking for a way to learn them. instant gratification, or almost instant..motivates the boys to do things otherwise they won't look at twice.

boys first. i let my son pick the troop that he wanted to go to. only two of his webelos den mates came to this troop. i volunteer for the ASM and been very happy with everything. doesn't your son's troop allow you to volunteer?

we have about 20 active boys in any troop meeting. it works more like a single patrol. we do have 3-4 patrol, but all the boys more or less belong to a "troop" rather than each individual patrol.

we are changing things as we are moving along. the scout skills are now done completely by the troop guides. we have implemented full uniform starting this yr. and discussed with the SM about the patrol method. everyone seems to be happy.

happy yuletide! as a fig grower this is a happy day. a day closer to my trees giving me the fruit of my labor.

i live in nc. this yr, it rained too much. most of figs didn't have their usual taste. i collect fig trees for fun. have about 40 different types of figs.

happy yuletide! as a fig grower this is a happy day. a day closer to my trees giving me the fruit of my labor.

i have a jewish friend. we have known each other for last 20 or so yrs. he is a life scout. never made it to eagle. his father was a SM. last yr during our pack bonfire, i asked him if it really bothers him when someone says "merry christmas" to him. i occasionally invite him to our pack/troop events. he has only 1 daughter, no sons. he thought about it for awhile and said it does bother him to a certain degree. not offended or anything, but it bother him nevertheless. so i called him up and said "merry christmas" to him this yr. after calling him for "happy hanuka". he called me some names and we had a good laugh.

only used cot at summer camp. had a friend who was in navy. he carried cot around when we used to camp on beach. it didn't look all that comfortable, and it's not that comfy at summer camp either.

i have access to local scout store and i still can't keep track of new shirts. not that i go there often. centennial shirt has changed. now it has embossed BSA and no sleeve pocket. microfiber shirt changed few times in last few yrs. by the way, the quality of the shirts has gone down a bit on both poplin and microfiber.

i enjoyed it and i would recommend it to newer scouters, but not to the scouters who has been at it for some time. it was a great motivator for me and made me look at the scouting from different perspective.

my son crossover to a troop that had very little new scouts. it seems for whatever reason, they didn't do much of recruiting previous few yrs. with leadership change, that is turning around. we are recruiting from all the packs around the area. we are doing webelos weekend, and extensive webelos parents meetings. maybe the leaders are burnt out.

we have about 20 active boys in any troop meeting. it works more like a single patrol. we do have 3-4 patrol, but all the boys more or less belong to a "troop" rather than each individual patrol.

thanks all for the information. they were all helpful.

volunteer for ASM at a troop that my son crossover to. now i only wear it to CoH or B&G with his old pack since my younger son is still there. usually wear my beads with my class A.

I'm very ignorant regarding OA. i have no idea what they do. all of my patrol members in WB are member of OA, most of all our troop leaders are member of OA. some of the older boys in our troop are in OA. there is OA election every year at our troop... but i have no clue what they exactly do. what do they do? i did search the google, and read the mission statement and so on. but no idea what it does.

hmm.. there was no peer pressure. no one in our pack has been to woodbadge before me, and i don't remember meeting anyone who has been to woodbadge. i went to woodbadge to be a better leader to my den. well.. i can't say that i have been a better leader since. our den parents might have something to say about my leadership skills, but i have no clue. i try to make it fun for the boys and make it worth awhile for them. now i'm also involved with a troop, i try to bring something to the troop that i do not see, like simple bushcraft skills.. simple outdoor skills like fire starting and maintenance. knife maintenance, use and care. map use and others.

 

i don't think big. and now i try to bring something back from boy scout troop to the webelos. things that i see missing from incoming webelos into the troop.

 

all the education that i received from woodbadge training was already been done at my work. leadership skills, soft skills, and others. but the setting and cooperation among the people in the class made the experience very powerful to me. i enjoyed every min of woodbadge and i spread the word to my pack leadership. one of our ACM went last yr and he had very similar experience as i did. now he is more involved with scouting at both pack and council level.. like i said, i don't think too big.

 

it's not really what they offer to you. it's what you want to bring back from the experience. there is old chinese saying. "even from the worst teacher, you can learn something.. how not to be a bad teacher". give it a shot, if you are interested. you don't have to go to woodbadge your council offers if you don't want to. you can go to other council's course. only thing that's holding back other leaders in my pack is time and money.

i'm not a OA member, and i do not qualify (only been with troop for last 7 months or so, with 8 nights of camping). but.. i think lot of things that's going on around my area are missing large chunk of outdoors skills. simple things such as starting fire without match or lighter. or keeping yourself warm if you are stranded. basic skills if you get sperated from the main group on a long backpacking trip. 15 days of camping is fine and good. i know it's hard to squeeze all that in 2 yr for some people. but, at least more scouts need to know how to start fire and set up signs for rescue if they are sperated. setting simple trap and catching frogs and how to prep them if they are in for a long haul is plus. why isn't "scouting" being part of scouting any more? and no one carries 100 feet of cords any more. it's not that heavy and they come in very handy if you are stranded.

i didn't find this forum until i was done with my course. i'm rather surprised that so many people find 'game of life" distasteful. i rather enjoyed the game and i thougth that it teaches how the team work works and cooperation within the larger org can work better if everyone look after each other's benefit. i mean, after all we are in BSA not each pack/troop looking after each pack/troops interests.

 

we are not in it for profit, or anything and most of us are in this as volunteers.

 

while i was completing my tickets, i reached out to so many people and they were all willing to help in any way they can. and i'll do the same for anyone who's asking for my help. this is game, the life is the biggest game we play. the end result is simple. we all die. last question should be "do i regret anything i have done in this life" if the answer is "no", than we did good.

wore mine for first time last night for my patrol mate's beading. it as nice ceremony with lot of boy scouts. our SM did great job engaging the boys.

so it seems most wear the beads when in full uniform, but the necker and woggle only when there is a special occation like B&G, WB functions, CoH and so on. i'm just used to wearing necker when i'm in uniform. good to know

i know i can wear beads with full uniform. that part is not confusing. and i know i'm wearing my cub scout leader neckerchief with my pack and den activity in full uniform with beads. no issue there either. the boy scout troop that my older son belong to does not wear neckerchief, and i always wear one, so far it has been troop 1 training neckerchief. do i wear wood badge neckerchifef for troop activity? or do i just wear beads?

 

i know i'll be wearing it for court of honor and more formal events. just not sure when is the right time to wear it.

 

pete

and.. was beaded on past Sat. at our pack's B&G. our course SM came up from GA for the beading. also attending were one of my patrol mate, and our patrol troop guide. the weather wasn't all that great, and i'm very greatful that they were able to be there. i'll be going to one of my patrole mate's beading tonight.

 

still a buffalo

just wanted to say this out loud. i had great experience during the course and have been working my tickets with our pack and the dens. glad this part of my "ticket" is done and approved.

 

now i'm moving on to the other items beyond WoodBadge.

 

i'm still a buffalo

 

pete

hello all,

 

i'm a father with two boys. one in the cub scout pack and another in boy scout troop. the older one just crossed over to troop few months back, and has been to his summer camp.

 

i'm registered with cub scout pack as a den leader, and finished my wood badge course last fall. still working on my tickets.

 

just saying hi.

 

pete