Armymutt

My son's first ever camping trip is on Halloween. We are in NC, for weather reference. We'll be staying in my 33 year old LL Bean tent. I haven't been camping outside of the Army since 1994. Still have my Thermarest 3/4 length self-inflating pad from my Philmont trip. I was thinking of putting him in a square sleeping bag on top of the Thermarest. Since I'm old and beat up from being an Infantryman and a Paratrooper, I'm trying to decide between a twin-size air mattress or picking up a Big Agnes sleeping bag and pad combo. Kind of depends on availability right now. I'm planning on taking these on motorcycle trips, so it's already a planned purchase. Will I have to turn in my Camping Merit Badge if I decide to take the big mattress? The 18 year old in me says "weenie"!

The experience with the SM brings up the question of who can dismiss the SM from their position? If the SM isn't fulfilling their role as a guide in a youth-led program, then they need to go.

In the requirements for Tiger, one of them is Cyber Chip. It says it can be waived if you don't have access to the internet. It's the "you" that is the sticky part. My kids don't have access to the internet beyond stuff on the TV. None of the things mentioned are something they can relate to. To me, it's something I should waiver until they are old enough to use the internet. Their only access to cmputers are at home and school. Both places are severely restricted and supervised.

In the troops I was in in the 80s-90s, we just split the weekly meeting. We opened and closed as a troop. Maybe had a few announcements. Did training by rank, and games as a troop. Patrol meetings mostly concerned themselves with planning campouts to nest with the troop campouts.

What are the youth getting for all these fees? They have to pay for their books, uniforms, patches, camping gear, camp fees, etc. The unit adults are volunteers. I assume the summer camps fees pay for the staff, food, and facility upkeep. Is the program too bloated with paid employees? I can see having to pay insurance, but how much of the rest of the program is subsidized from higher up? I'd really hate for a kid to miss out simply because their parents can't afford the program.

That's terrible. I don't think I could find it in myself to forgive him.

Yeah, I know. The packet they handed the parents had the old CM's named marked out and the current CM is listed as the ACM. Such is life in a pack that is heavily tied to the military community.

My son enjoyed his first meeting in his new pack tonight. I told the CC that if they needed me for any positions, I'm open to it. He said they need a new ACM. Wasn't expecting that, but ok! I guess it's time to get more training done.

Anyone know if there is an archive of Green Bar Bill columns from Boys Life? I remember it being my favorite thing to read as a kid.

I'm confused on why a Scouter (adult) would be jealous of a Scout. Seems that the adult has forgotten that the entire point of this organization is service to youth. Perhaps remind the Scouter of his duty to exemplify the Scout Oath and Law as a role model for the Scouts.

They seem to be pretty open right now. My buddy was the chapter chief or clan chief - can't recall which now. He's also still in contact with a guy who was a Scouter over there - about our age, but the other side of 18 back then. Worst case, I can probably get one of them to write a memo. I can definitely recall an interesting Ordeal ceremony I assisted in for a candidate that got sick during the day.

Right now, I'm waiting for BSA to process my son's application, and apparently by extension, mine. I'm not sure how that works. I submitted his last week, but no action seems to have been taken. Is this something the unit has to act on? Once I have that done, then I can submit the lodge transfer. They want my Ordeal date, but TAC doesn't have records going that far back - it was only 1993. The HQ has been in 3 different countries since then.

I'm putting my uniform together as I return to Scouting. I'm a lifetime member of NESA. The guy at the Scout shop mentioned there is a NESA knot, which seems odd to me. What's the thoughts on it? To me, the Eagle knot was earned, while the NESA knot was paid for.

I'd like to get involved as much as I can. The websites are kinda thin. What do OA chapters normally do? Like I said, we were so geographically dispersed, it was really impractical to get together outside of Ordeal weekends.

I did my Ordeal in 1993 and Brotherhood in 1994. I was part of the Transatlantic Council, which covered Europe, essentially. Our OA chapter was all of England, Ireland, Norway, and Iceland. Needless to say, Chapter meetings were rare, and most of us didn't drive. The only time the chapter got together was Ordeal weekends. It was also a time of great upheaval with bases, and consequently, Scout troops disappearing left and right. To sum up, I have no idea what a normal OA chapter or lodge looks like. I'm finally getting back into Scouting with my first grader joining Cubbies. I'd like to take an active role in the organization, if I can. I'm just not sure what to expect.