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16 minutes ago, Jameson76 said:

Rather than Scout Me In our marketing should be We Go Do Stuff.

If you get somebody to listen to you, they might point out that kids might then believe us and demand that we GO DO STUFF.  We'd have to train leaders to GO DO STUFF and not sit in University of Scouting classrooms talking about Religious Emblems, Commissioner College, etc.  We'd have to tell our out-of-shape, old-timers and Weight Watchers to stay home if they need a CPAP and an oxygen tank and a wheelchair and a parking spot next to their tent and a.....

Steaming hot comfort food, smothered in cheesy goodness. Nothing satisfies a "meat and potatoes" kind of guy quite like a meaty, cheesy, potato casserole...

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pound bag frozen tater tots
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup milk

DIRECTIONS

Heat coals for dutch oven.  Brown ground beef in skillet.  Drain fat.  Add soup and milk to ground beef.  Mix.  Line dutch oven with foil.  Put a layer of tater tots in Dutch oven.  Cover with meat mixture. Top with grated cheese.  Repeat layers until all ingredients are in the Dutch oven.  Cover and put on top of coals, putting 8-9 coals on lid.  Bake 45 minutes.

2 hours ago, HelpfulTracks said:

I do miss the collarless shirts.

Don't worry.  I'm sure they'll make a comeback one day.  Hopefully, along with leisure suits, nehru jackets, and platform shoes!

The New York Times ran an interesting in-depth article about how it's going with girls being welcomed into BSA.

An interesting take-away that I saw was that BSA recruitment numbers have been down in recent years, and that the new opportunities for girls may represent a potential growth opportunity. That's really "potential" though so far, since the article pointed out that while 8,000 girls have joined scout troops, there are still more than 1.7 million girls who are involved with Girl Scouts USA.  Perhaps the people who seem gloom and doom in girls saying "Scout Me In" will end up seeing that all their hype was much ado about nothing.

We shall see.

Any of y'all read the article???

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/03/nyregion/girls-in-boy-scouts-bsa.html 

5 minutes ago, HelpfulTracks said:

... It would seem to me that OA is seen as a right rather than an honor by those Scouts. I have seen the same attitude with Vigil, “I’m Brotherhood, ive done my time, now it’s my turn to be elected to Vigil.” ...

Many scouts have precisely that view.

OA is often viewed as something that comes automatically with First Class rank (since most scouts will have enough camping nights and most scouts will not get an automatic rejection by the SM).  Then the OA election becomes a kind of "reverse popularity contest" with all but the quietest or quirkiest kid getting voted in. I wish the OA in practice was closer to the OA described in theory (i.e., the honor organization).

38 minutes ago, John-in-KC said:

I still turn my collar under, just as I did as a youth member in 1968

Ah yes, the turned under collar....I haven't seen that done in years (though it might because our unit prefers the bolo).  

Do very many scouts today turn their collars under?

7 minutes ago, FGarvin said:

A blanket policy like this really needs to be common knowledge and probably in the by-laws.

Right.  Arbitrary "rules" made up on the fly are obstacles to the scouts. They are inappropriate and reflect bad leadership.  Scouts and parents are 10,000 percent right to feel surprised, offended, and cheated by these kinds of policies. 

On the other hand, SM discretion is important. The kinds of problems/issues/abuses that qwayse described in his post are valid reasons for a SM to exercise his discretion. The SM needs to guide and lead the troop on their path to development as quality young men with leadership and strong values. 

9 minutes ago, malraux said:

Am I missing a requirement for first class to get to 20? Because with 15, 5 of which would be summer camp, 5 months of 2 day campouts would do it. Its certainly possible in the first year. That said, I can see the idea that first year scouts might need a bit more growth before being considered for OA, assuming it should mean something.

Just to clarify general BSA camping requirements....

• First Class requires participation in 10 troop activities, 6 of which include overnight camping (so it's not, strictly speaking, "nights of camping", but more "campouts")
• OA eligibility requires 15 nights of camping over a 2-year period
• Camping merit badge requires 20 nights of camping

16 minutes ago, SSScout said:

Next time you pass thru Maryland, look me up. Coffee and pie are on me..... 

Thanks for your comments, SSScout!  You better be careful about inviting me out for coffee and pie.  I grew up in D.C., have family in Maryland so "pass through" the area often, and I can eat quite a lot of pie...

14 minutes ago, John-in-KC said:

Be careful of the mixes. Some faith groups consider it anathema to be in worship with another group.

An interesting point...

By extension, the Scoutmaster and SPL should keep that in mind and offer the Scouts Own Service as an opportunity for those who choose to participate, but attendance should be optional --- not required for everyone in the unit.

6 minutes ago, John-in-KC said:

So, tell me how a Scout gets First Class and has 20 days and nights of camping, including at least one long term camp, if these youth are IN their first year?  It’s March, so Do I see second year Scouts?

It's a puzzler, isn't it?  

Unless a troop is hyper-active and has multiple campouts every month, I'd also wonder how a scout is able to meet the camping requirements in less than a year...

Have you ever noticed how different scouts often wear their neckerchiefs very differently?

Some roll them up tight and wear them perfectly even. Some just loosely roll them with a couple flips before stuffing them into a neckerchief slide. Some troops opt for the bolo instead of a neckerchief, and some scouts seem to forget that neckwear is even a part of the uniform.

Check out this picture:  the scout on the left has a very tightly rolled neckerchief, while his friend and right-hand-man barely rolls it at all...

How do you like to see a neckerchief being worn??

Scouts working on their "Communication" merit badge need to lead one of 3 types of troop events: a Court of Honor, a Campfire, or a "Scouts Own" Interfaith Worship.

Over the years, I've noticed that the boys view being the Court of Honor MC as the most prestigious of the three, leading a Campfire as the most fun, and that leaves "Scouts Own" Interfaith services as the event that is least often done (but by extension, is the most available to any scout who wants to knock out the requirement because most of the other boys won't be fighting over the role -- view that option as an opportunity if you want to earn the badge quickly). 

That's really too bad because I think Duty to God is one of the most important values in scouting and because I think it can be challenging and fun to put together an interfaith worship service.

I've accumulated quite a few pointers, tips, and rubrics for putting these events together and I've sat through quite a few on campouts and training events. Some are absolutely sublime!  And of course, some are....errrr....not quite as sublime. I've been thinking about what makes an interfaith worship event work (or not work), and I've come up with six pointers that I'll call "Best Practices" (though, I'm sure somebody will come up with a couple more that I should have thought of, or maybe has a better idea than one of my tips --- after all, only God is perfect.)

I start off by focusing on the two absolutely essential core attributes of a good interfaith worship.

GOALS:

• Reverence to God
• Respect for all attendees

I hope these are understood by everyone. I hope everyone agrees that these two goals are obvious and are correct.

In my opinion, Reverence to God means that the interfaith activity focuses solely on spirituality and the concepts of God and reverence that are widely understood and embraced by most (if not all) major religions. I don't like being cheated or conned in any aspect of life, and when it comes to worship, I will feel cheated if somebody abuses my faith in God to sell me products, deliver political diatribes, or misuse the service as a venue for patriotic songs or slogans. All of these may have a legitimate place in our society, but that place is not at a respectful celebration of God and his works.

Most scouting units accept members from a variety of different faiths and beliefs. The interfaith service should welcome all and promote fruitful reflection by all participants. Nobody should be made to feel uncomfortable or inferior.

I've looked at a lot of the resources, templates, and programs from past interfaith events, and few seem to fully embrace both goals as well as they could. Most could be improved by adopting one or more of the following six "best practices" that I think can help scouts and scouters alike to enjoy more respectful and reverent interfaith worship services.

SIX "BEST" PRACTICE RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Focus on Common Values
There are differences between the world's major religions. But there are also commonalities shared between most (or all) of the religions. Avoid the differences and promote the commonalities and you're more likely to have a service that invites no controversy, dissent, or bad feelings. Common values include: Peace, Love, Compassion, Equality, Honesty, Justice, Life, Optimism, and Respect.

2. Focus on Spirituality
God is the focus of the service. Anything you put in the program that distracts from God's wisdom and values is inappropriate. Several scouts use patriotic songs like "America the Beautiful" or "God Bless America" in their services. These songs are not about God or his will. Think about it: God created all of humanity, so men of every nation on Earth are his children. Why would God appreicate your telling people to ignore his goals of equality and justice to favor only people born in or dwelling in one small piece of arbitrarily defined geography?  I don't think that's a very reverent thing to do and I find it offensive when scouts do it because people should put God before country (and every other "false God"). 

3. Respect All Religions
Although most scouting families in BSA are of one Christian faith or other, many are not. God treats all his children as equals, so we must respect our brothers and sisters. Many scouts do an excellent job of choosing their readings or songs wisely, avoiding teachings or philosophies that are sectarian. Some scouts could do better. One thing I would avoid are any scripture readings that are not of a universal nature (Christian faiths can avoid those from the New Testament, especially the ones that specifically talk about "Jesus" or "Christ" since these obviously are of Christian interest, but may be most likely to not align with non-Christian faiths). Similarly, other faiths may want to avoid references to their particular saviours or prophets, including perhaps, Buddha, Allah, Confucious or others, to name but a few).

4. Stay True to Scouting Values
Scouting values are religiously neutral, but all of them align with the "Common Values" I mentioned in point 1 of this list. We have a Scout Oath, a Scout Law, and an Outdoor Code. We learn these as Webelo Scouts and as we work on our Scout rank, and we repeat them hundreds of times through our scouting careers. These values mean something. They are good things to work into our interfaith services. Many scouts have found ways to interpret the Scout Law in light of spiritual teachings. Many religions today embrace conservation and the environment as core values of their faith. For example, Pope Francis wrote a long book called Laudato Si, in which he explains how respect for life means we respect our planet's life support systems, and when you damage our Earth, you commit an offense against humanity, life itself, and God. Yeah, I know: the Pope can't speak for non-Christians.  Nonetheless, other faiths have come to a similar realization that conservation is not just a matter of life and death, it's also a matter of faith, so this is evidently now more of a "common value". If you're conducting an interfaith service in an outdoor environment, why not find a song that celebrates the natural world God created for us....or find or create a benediction that puts Earth's life support system in our thoughts and prayers. (I've included a few pointers to useful resources at the end of this post).

5. Make It Fun 
An interfaith service should be enjoyable. Not boring. Limit the time to help scouts stay focused on spirituality (if you're going more than 15-20 minutes, you're boring the scouts). Have a couple songs. Do a reading. Invite a few other scouts to speak. These things will keep scouts focused.

6. Use Common Sense
There are points I make here that won't apply to every worship service in every unit. In our local troop, scouts of all faiths are welcome. There is a troop nearby that is part of an LDS church --- all their scouts are members of their own faith. That troop should ignore my recommendations about readings, terminology, etc and feel free to celebrate the way their customs dictate. After all, if nobody's sensibilities would be offended by talking about Jesus' teachings, then have at it! Similarly, I know of Muslim troops and Jewish troops chartered by their own religious organizations. Of course they should celebrate the way they see fit....I'm sure it will please God and respect all in attendance.

RESOURCES:

Interfaith Worship Service Planning Worksheet
https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/worksheet08182008.pdf 

Big Book of Scout Worship Services
http://scoutsown.sdicbsa.org/Website we4-49-09_files/ScoutsOwnWorksheet.pdf 

Environment and Sustainability Prayers
https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/sustainability-prayers 

MacScouter's Big "A Scout is Reverent" Resource Book
http://www.macscouter.com/ScoutsOwn/docs/BBRevrnt.pdf 

57 minutes ago, malraux said:

The nova awards you can sign for any of them. Its only the supernova awards that you "specialize" in the application.

That was always my understanding as well. 

But lately, I've seen Nova Counselor application forms that are submitted to District and that also seem to be asking you to "specialize" in certain awards...

http://big-cypress.shac.org/Data/Sites/4/media/attachments/shac_stem_novacounselorapp.pdf 

This struck me as odd because when the NOVA program first rolled out, I attended a training where we were told Nova Counselor was a unit-level position whereas Supernova Mentor was a district- or council-level position. 

The more things change, the more things confuse the absolute bejeezus out of me...

One question that I have about these new awards rolling out is whether Counselors and Mentors are supposed to fill out a new information sheet / application form. 

The form that I recall having completed when I registered as a Counselor and Mentor asked for specific awards that I would counsel....of course, these new awards aren't listed on my application, but I definitely do want to help scouts work on them (they sound pretty exciting!).

The BSA just rolled out several new NOVA awards for Cubs, Scouts BSA, and Venturer/Sea Scouts.

The new STEM awards focus on long-obvious gaps in the STEM disciplines of computer science and biological sciences.

Computer science awards (TECHNOLOGY) include:

• Cub Scouts:  Cub Scouts Can Code
• Scouts BSA:  Hello World
• Venturers:  Execute

Biological science awards (SCIENCE) include:

• Scouts BSA:  Mendels Minions (Genetics)
• Venturers:  What a Life

NOVA Counselors, Supernova Mentors, and Unit leaders and parents who want to explore BSA's STEM award programs can find requirements for the new awards here:   https://www.scouting.org/stem-nova-awards/awards/

On 2/6/2013 at 2:12 PM, MichScouter said:

If so what do you give? 

A hearty handshake and best wishes for the future.

I'm kind of embarassed to admit it, but until I started reading the forums on this site, I had NO idea who Bear Grylls even was...

Regional Jamborees sounds like a great concept.

I enjoy scouting events of all types and really enjoy meeting my fellow scouters from other troops, towns, states etc.  We've got a lot of excellent people in this organization!  Wish I had a chance to shake hands with all of 'em...

On 12/19/2018 at 3:57 PM, LVAllen said:

I wasn't there, but the date coincides with an annual Mountain Man Rendezvous. As is typical, they had knife throwing, archery, black powder rifle/shotgun, etc. At least for this year's event, the vendors were not allowed to sell projectile toys or bows. I don't know about 2016.

Perhaps the 2016 event is what precipitated the change in policy...

From the kids' perspective, what's the point of buying a bow if you can't shoot it?

44 minutes ago, Eagle1993 said:

Just venting, but I am extremely disappointed in my son’s elementary school.  He is a member of the school newspaper and one of his “beats” is recommendations.   He wrote an article (unprompted by me) recommending Cub Scouts.  I saw the article, it was well written, talks about some of the outings we do.  The school pulled the article.  They told him he can not recommend outside groups.  Video games, fast food, movies... no issues, but they draw the line on Cub Scouts. 

It's troubling that today's society allows this kind of thing to happen.  

2 minutes ago, skeptic said:

We not longer have a legal snipe season.  

When snipe season is outlawed, only outlaws will have a snipe season.

5 hours ago, Jameson76 said:

What is this "popcorn season" you speak of??

You must not be a hunter or you would know that it comes right after snipe season.

41 minutes ago, Pixie said:

Of course, though, I don't think you did anything wrong in enforcing the rules.  I would imagine that the other kids would have been very disgruntled that someone broke the rules and got away with it.  Certainly following the rules is an important lesson and the District Derby would be much more strict! 

IMHO, the best way to handle these situations is to let the kid race his car, but quietly, disqualify it from moving past round 1. 

So surprising that the Momoa thing happened at all....after all, the newspaper article said mom was "a marketing professional".  Most professionals I know have heard of ethics and intellectual property. Professionals know you don't use images that aren't your own.

On the other hand, I would definitely buy that Sofia Vergara Hot Hot popcorn...