FireStone

I think that might work but also agree that the SM response might be problematic. If the belief is that OA takes scouts away from the troop, then a scout being in OA, by whatever means they happen to be inducted, would still be a problem with the SM. It also won't help if the SM feels that a scout went around them to get what they wanted. That said, IF this happened in such a way, it could serve as an example of how scouts can serve in OA and also remain fully active in the troop. If the SM could be persuaded to see this as a bit of an experiment, maybe that could open the door for expand

That's just lazy. Chimneys are easy to start with some newspaper, kindling, etc. They're basically designed for exactly that, starting a small fire underneath and letting that burn upwards until some coals are ignited. And it's way more in line with scout-style fire starting to build a small kindling fire under the chimney anyway. I don't know why anyone would use fluid in a scout setting.

I didn't like it even as a kid. And it has never been all that practical for camping. Especially the Cub uniforms with the Webelos colors hanging off the sleeve, the pins, etc. I hear local leaders refer to it as a field uniform, but that's a hard argument to make anymore when there is much more practical field attire for camping, hiking, etc. More light-weight, breathable, comfortable stuff that anyone would prefer to wear. I think the BSA has tried to evolve the shirt into more of a field-style shirt. Maybe we're just a few more revisions away from something the kids will actually like.

I agree with this. I struggle with this in a variety of ways in my Pack. I think leaders and parents have good intentions trying to create the most robust cub program possible, with tons of activities, meetings, trips, etc. But it's exhausting. Five years of that and I can see how some parents probably just don't care anymore if their scout crosses over to a troop. They might even secretly hope they will ask to quit. We butt head with parents who want the entire day in camp to be scheduled. I want time for the kids to go play and the adults to sit and drink coffee. Interestingly enough th

This is way after the fact but for future reference: The easiest Pack meeting we do each year is a Paper Airplane Derby. Bring a stack of printer paper, have the dens make planes and compete for distance, style, highest flyer, stunt planes, etc.

Normally I'm of the opinion that scouts could do summer camp but otherwise get a break from scouting in the summer. The scouting trail can be long, no need to burn everyone out early. Take a couple of months off. However I'm making an exception this year because I'm DL for a Webelos den and covid set us back a bit on advancement and getting ready to cross over to a troop next year, so we'll be keeping things going this summer. A more recent thought I've had, actually has been to ease off den meetings in May and June because my town is big on baseball and it's really difficult to get

Although it's stated in the history of this thread, I think it is worth repeating: The BSA does not explicitly ban fixed-blade knives or set limitations on blade length. On the issue of carrying a knife, fixed-blade or otherwise, that can vary depending on local jurisdictions, COs, Troop rules, etc. With the one exception being that I believe Cub Scouts are limited to use and carry of pocket knives only, at least as it is implied in Whittling Chip.

They make a fair point about the name, they could change the name but still reference BP in their history and founding principles, which I hope they will do much like the BSA does. Although i kind of doubt that will actually happen. Weird that they kept the fleur-de-lis logo, which BP was responsible for in scouting. If they are so anti-BP now, the logo should have changed, too. The organization kind of seems to always be in a bit of an identity crisis. They were a mostly adult organization for a while, then became a more inclusive youth alternative to the BSA, a feature that they st

Love the new shirts. I kind need a new one, not urgent but with these new options available I'll definitely go for one of these. But I'll never do the official pants. Can't stand them. I get similar green-color 5.11 pants.

Finally. 👍

These are covid-related changes, and they're temporary. The BSA hasn't removed any outdoor components of the program in the handbooks. I keep hearing this allegation that the BSA is cutting out the outdoorsy stuff or that units in the past did more stuff outdoors. If any of that is true, it's not because of anything the BSA is doing.

I can't speak for all, but in my Pack and Den, no, the scouts are not exposed to any gender bias. If other folks are passing along a "boys are bad" message to their scouts based on how they interpret YPT, I'm not sure why they choose to do that. Even if that is their interpretation, why they elect to then make that a visible message to scouts is beyond my understanding.

I'm still not following. How does that translate to "boys are bad" in any way that reaches scouts? Even if that is you're interpretation of the YPT rules (it's not my interpretation), that still should never influence scouts in any way. Those parts of the adult training regarding the gender ratio of adults at any activity aren't ever expressed to kids. How are boys "being told that men are bad" as David suggested? If boys in any unit are getting that kind of message, that's coming from the local adults, not the BSA.

Specifically where is this "boys are bad" thing being suggested by the BSA? Can you please reference anything that suggests this or could be interpreted that way?

I'm always up for some nostalgia, the box of scouting memorabilia on the shelf behind me of my days on the trail as a youth always takes me back just from thumbing through the patches and remembering where or how I earned them. But you lost me at the quoted part above. I fail to see how we've taken this hard turn, that scouting is somehow so different now. I had my Webelos den out for a little 4-mile walk in the woods a couple of weeks ago, along the way talking about the Outdoor Code (which to my surprise some of the scouts had already memorized perfectly) and some plans for working

I got that info from the Q&A section of the product page on the Scout Shop website. Someone asked "Who is the manufacturer of these hats?" and the reply was, "This hat is made by Stetson."

I know I'm a broken record with referring to the BPSA-US, but I truly believe they are the case study that proves that this is all possible. They have been doing exactly this, running a volunteer-led grassroots scouting program, getting some adults together to teach kids traditional scout skills, and doing it with some creativity in finding places to go and camps to use. It is entirely possible, maybe inevitable, certainly proven to be a workable model of scouting.

I've tried to maintain a similar opinion. We've got enough problems on our plates currently with just keeping even the basic parts of our programs going during a pandemic, all we can do face forward and keep going. And for me that means going through whatever comes of the BSA, regardless of whether it falls or not, and beyond into whatever form of scouting program we can maintain. We don't need much to get some kids together and go camping or take on a service project. We've seen groups like the BPSA-US do it with nothing more than a rough outline of a traditional scouting program and a desire

That's fine if it's not a summer hat, I'm really looking for a cooler weather hat anyway. I have a booney for the hot weather. Thanks all for the feedback. I have a planned trip to my local scout shop later in the week, going to see if they have one in stock.

Honestly right now, being a little overly-cautious is not a bad thing. Too many people are getting sick. We've got cases in my kids' school, other schools around town, a coworker has it, it's scary times. And believe me, I get the frustration. I want nothing more than to be doing in-person meetings with my Webelos but it's just not a good time for that. Have to make due the best we can. And that's what I'd tell scouts if I were in a troop. Virtual meetings aren't great, but make due. Get some meetings on the calendar, do something. Take the camera outside and do some outdoor virtual patro

The impact of COVID on membership really cannot be understated. Even in Packs like mine where we have tried to maintain an active outdoor program, we've taken a hit to membership (both previous and new) because of covid. Some parents even openly complained that we weren't delivering the outdoor group activities they had come to expect. We did the best we could but we had to dial things back a bit, and for some families that made scouting no longer living up to expectations. With new parents it was hard to sell the promise of adventure when we were hamstrung on how much outdoor adventure w

Anyone have the BSA Brimmed Hat (formerly the Expedition Hat)? https://www.scoutshop.org/brimmed-hat-600016.html It's surprisingly cheap at $37.99 for a Stetson hat. Just wondering how the quality actually is, if it's durable, holds up over time, etc. Also, is it the moldable kind of felt/wool that you can shape with hot steam?

I get that. We all need the mental break. My reason for wanting to do something covid-related, though, is that I believe this will end at some point (if the science keeps showing encouraging results), and when my scouts look back on all of this I'd like them to remember that they did something to help.

I want to do a service project with my Webelos and preferrably do something that would benefit people/community in a way that addresses some covid-related problem. I'm racking my brain and not coming up with much. Anyone have any suggestions or have you done any covid-related projects with your Cub Scouts?

If the BSA folds, I'll charter a BPSA-US group and just keep on doing what I'm doing, getting my scouts together, learning fun outdoor skills, camping, etc. Doesn't matter all that much to me what the name of the organization on the uniform shirt is. Since a few months have gone by on this topic, @Liz I hope you had some success since then in getting your Webelos moving on those pins. I'm a Webelos DL and I know how hard covid has made it to do things that previously would have been fairly easy.