CalicoPenn

What - no credit for getting in a Dr. Who reference??

So the consensus seems to be that the parents have absolutely no responsibility in this at all, is that an accurate statement? Yes, the son is responsible for completing the work and I don't think anyone is suggesting otherwise, is suggesting that if the son doesn't complete the work, a parent should step in and do it. But if that's the interpretation, I think that's using a rather narrow definition of the term responsibility. Is there no responsibility here for the parent? Not even the responsibility of the parent to know what homework the son has and to monitor their progress? It

Unless it was designed to look like an homage to the Back to the Future DeLorean. It wouldn't have to be carved to look like a DeLorean but attach a Mr. Fusion unit, and run the wiring along the sides, and it will look just fine. Power each LED off it's own flat battery (which, at about .80 ounces for 4 can double as weights) and you can have both front and rear lights, and add to the effect of the car. Wanting headlights? At this point, you're going for the cool factor - maybe winning the design trophy (if the pack has one) and not speed. Either that or create a nano-sized stable worm

I'd say they got the chocolate bit right but I'm just not sure of the presentation. What kind of jelly sweets are we talking about? Jelly Babies? That's more of a UK Dr. Who thing (in fact, one major manufacturer of jelly babies won't let online sellers ship them to the US). Jelly Beans? We only obsess about them at Easter - they may have been President Reagan's favorite snack but again chocolate is still U.S. America's favorite sweet. Gummi Bears? Yeah, that's more of a German thing, I think. Now let's talk Sherbet. Sherbet in the UK and in the US refers to two entirely differ

A lot of these questions should be answered before the Scout get's approval to start their project. My opinion is that a scouts project should stand alone (which then eliminates most of these questions). That said, if a Scout has been approved to complete a portion of a larger project, and he has completed his portion, even if the larger project has not (yet) been completed, then he should be evaluated on his portion only - as long as the beneficiary has signed off that they approve what the Scout has done, then that would meet my threshold for completion. To answer the specific conce

Other skills that people have or are forgetting: Hooking up horses to and driving the family buggy; blacking a stove; converting cubits to inches; predicting the local weather for the day; land navigation without map & compass; properly sharpening and using a scythe; converting talents to sheckels (60 shekels = 1 mina and 60 minas = 1 talent - in case anyone was curious); sending a telegram; tightening bed ropes; crank starting a car (and for that matter, cranking a car window up or down); ditching a tent (that's D for ditching, not P for pitching); backing up a computer to floppy disks;

Sorry to hear that cost is an issue for this - have you approached your pack members to see if they would be willing to do this as an activity knowing there would be an extra charge (and be willing to tap in to pack funds for "scholarships" for those that truly can't afford it, as many Troops do for summer camp)? Some clarifications here. Sky Lanterns are NOT Chinese Lanterns - regardless of how they are being marketed and described on the internet (Wikipedia, BSA site on the official policy, etc). Chinese Lanterns are an old (very old) tradition - they are collapsible decorative pape

That's it? A bland "we met with the DE and the issue is resolved"? No details? Now how the heck are we supposed to know if our high dudgeon was worth it?

So in other words the problem is Texas. Most of my Latino co-workers won't go near ghost peppers - they look at Indians (ghost peppers come from India) who eat ghost peppers the way Swedes look at Latinos who eat chili peppers - with a look of bemusement and wonder how someone can be so crazy.

Age difference or maturity difference?

No. I'd be uncomfortable with that. Salute during the pledge is fine. Scout sign during scout oath and law is okay. But do we salute the motto? the slogan? If not those, then why the code? It's a code. Back in the day, a Scout was indeed expected to use the Scout Sign when repeating the Scout Slogan and the Scout Motto, as well as the Outdoor Code (whis is the Scout's pledge of outdoor ethics).

I am saying that the BSA should not take sides at all. I get the feeling you are taking my opinion as action for everyone. I'm am specifically talking about the BSA. I can agree with this - its too bad the BSA has chosen sides in this situation already. They should have punted it back to the sponsoring organization to make the decision instead.

Arrows? We don't need no stinkin arrows! (Mostly because very few of us are too shy to challenge someone with their own posts showing disagreement or displeasure).

It's part of the requirements for earning the Scout rank - repeat the Outdoor Code from memory and explain what it mean in your own words (summarized, not quoted). It's a Boy Scouts of America pledge - like the Scout Oath and the Scout Law. The ultimate answer to the question though should be found in the Boy Scout Handbook since one of the requirements for the Scout rank is to explain when the Scout Sign is used - and how will the boy know that unless it's in the book. Some online sources say it is used when giving the Scout Oath and Scout Law. Others say it is used when reciting

Sorry for the block of text - ever since I upgraded Internet Explorer, I've been having a heck of a time trying to post anything.

The Bob Cat rank (later Bobcat) didn't start until 1938 - unless the BSA releases their transcripts of development meetings, it's all speculation as to why a Bobcat was chosen, though it's fairly likely a Bobcat was chosen because it is a North American native animal, in the wolf/bear/lion theme, and Bobcat did not come out of Baden Powell's cubbing program. There is a bit of misinformation in this thread so perhaps a summary of the history of Cub Scouts in the BSA might help. In 1916, Baden-Powell wrote the book on Cubbing for England's Boy Scout program - he was friends with Kiplin

I use "The rabbit goes up the hole, around the tree and back through the hole" method. Not that I ever use a bowline.

What about bigotry, discrimination, hatred and violence CAUSED by religion or belief?

Is your COR or the head of your sponsoring organization aware of this request and meeting? If not, make sure they get up to speed - and then invite them to the meeting - where, when they DE (or whatever his title is) tells you that you need to give your fundraiser to another unit, the IH or COR politely tells him to go pound sand and to never, ever interfere with the operations of the unit again. The only way this guy can take your fundraiser is if you let him - and you just don't let him - if he insists, you go over his head to his boss - the Scout Executive, by e-mail, with a copy to th

So if your unit was running a successful Christmas Tree Sale for a number of years and some yahoo at the district level decided another Troop should do it instead, you would be ok with it? What are you, some kind of communist? ( ) If another unit decided to start their own tree sale independently, I wouldn't picket it - but if my unit's tree sale was hijacked and stolen, not only would I picket it, I'd make sure it was front page news.

Noah, Eagle Mentor is not an official position in the Boy Scouts of America. It is simply someone who has helped you along the path to Eagle. You Eagle Coordinator should be helping you negotiate the paperwork - if that person wants to assign someone from the Troop for that task and call that person a mentor, just accept that persons help. In the meantime, there is nothing that anyone (except your parents) can do to prevent you from seeking the advice and assistance of Mrs. P, or any other adult. At the end of your journey, you can hand out multiple mentor pins if you want (though

Questions: How long has your Troop been selling Christmas Trees? Do you have a base of people who buy from you every year because they are supporting your Troop? How active are you in the District (attending events, supplying volunteers, etc.)? How old and successful is your Troop? I'm guessing that during the process of applying for the permit, someone in the District (Council) decided they should do it instead and that is the basis of your questions. I'm asking the questions to make a point - a lot of the answer depends on how much perceived leverage you have. If you're a

Hooray!!!!!!!!

Billy Scout asks SM for SMC before the meeting starts. The Scoutmaster will hold the SMC during the meeting (no reason for the Scoutmaster not to do so, he's not running the meeting, the SPL is). Once the SMC is completed, the Scoutmaster informs the Advancement Chair that a BOR for Billy Scout is needed at the next Troop meeting and the Advancement Chair arranges for the BOR to be there. the BOR is done during the meeting (may as well, the committee members are running the meeting, the SPL is - they have plenty of time during the meeting to do so). Why doesn't the Scout ask the Adva

Seems to me the trouble is "Merit Badge Program". Sounds like your son is attending Merit Badge "classes" - doing that will suck the fun out of any merit badge. Merit Badges were designed to be done individually, with individual counselors (those these days, up to two people working together is de-riguer). They were not designed to be done in a group, classroom setting - not at summer camp, not at merit badge universities, not at merit badge programs, not at Troop meetings. It's way beyond time to go back to doing it the old-fashioned way - a Scout chooses a merit badge he's interested