cchoat

As District Commissioner, I noticed that council added to the November calender, right next to our regular roundtable "/FOS presentation". Not a phone call or e-mail, they just added themselves to the calender. So to accomadate them, I rearranged the meeting plan to fit them in. Wouldn't you know, they didn't show up. Anyone ever deal with the "Camp Card"? Our council is pushing participation, requesting number of cards each unit plans to sell at $5 dollars a piece. Problem year after year is that the discounts offered on the cards are only good in the "southern" portion of the co

Going with Backpacking. Troop started of with 20 scouts trying for the badge, with only two left at the end. (The tallest and shortest scout) Yes, you can do it at Philmont, but not all scouts will get to attend.

The problem is that the parents in my troop committee are confusing thier Cub Scout experance, where the adults did everything and the boys just showed up and got a badge, for Boy Scouting, where the boys are supposed to run the show. I have several NYLT older scouts who are trying thier best to lead the troop and I have to constantly explain to the parents why I am not "doing" anything. It's what they don't see that they don't understand. That's why i signed them up for the troop committee, and started training them. If after imparting knowledge they still don't get it, the patch is still

two weeks ago, I had this out with my troop committee, who were upset that as Scoutmaster, I wasn't "leading the boys" (sitting in the troop meeting, teaching basic scouting skills, leading the game, etc) I once again had to explain the aims and purposes of Scouting, and the role of the scoutmaster in the troop to no avail, they knew better because in the troop in the next town, the adults run the show and the kids all advance in lock step. At the committee meeting, I sat through 30 minutes of parental venting. After that, I tossed an extra Scoutmaster patch on the table and dared the

Sea Scouts love their flags. The history of the sea scout position flags can be found at http://retentioninscouting.org/V_Sea_Scout_USA_Flags.pdf. but why stop there? National could sell Commissioner flags, Scout and Cubmaster penants, the money making opportunities are enless. (ha ha)

Stosh, Yep. That's why I don't get too many opportunities to wear it. Doesnt get that cold down here in Louisiana, at least for this transplanted northerner.

Down here in the south, the weather really doesn't go well with the felt hat. However I do own and wear an official expedition hat with the Scouter pin on front when the weather is just right. I rock that with an A12 USAF leather aviator jacket complete with a custom name tag that under my name reads "Scoutmaster BSA" Now if only I could get away with a whip at camp...

Ok, I wear three rows of knots and multiple devices that I have earned as a Cub Leader, Scoutmaster, Unit Commissioner and finally District Commissioner over the past 35+ years, but I can understand what eagle 94 is saying. Because I work in an area that is heavy with soldiers and retired soldiers (sailors, airman and marines) I have found that these parents tend to think less of those with no knots, equating them with new privates as opposed to seasoned veterans. Even though I have had numerous opportunities to explain that wearing them is at the discretion of the wearer, the message never

First off I want to thank you all for your input. I think that CalicoPenn has the idea that i am going to use. Have it at Winter Camp but at a seporate, away from the scouts area. If he's finally done with his last ticket item, I'll be able to share this with my assistant scoutmaster. (Who I dragged fighting and kicking to Wood Badge, then back for the second wekend and through four of his five ticket items. BTW, he saw the light and he's a convert now.) BALOO taught me KISMIF, Keep It Simple, Make It Fun. so I will print up a small program and stick to it. No additions, and the Cour

Just 1.1 miles by road, .9 if you go as the crow flies. Most of the districts units are within 15 miles of the roundtable, concentrated in the northern half. But we're currently pushing to start units down in the southern end, and if successful, we'll rotate the roundtable locations.

First of all, thank you for the replies. I do not want the "full MGM production ceremony" I am looking for short, sweet and to the point. Since my fellow patrol members are drawn from three different councils, doing it during "winter camp" (Council sponsored, five day event in November) would be in a centralized location and an excellant opportunity for all of us to be there, while offering a public arena. I don't plan on going over 10 minutes from start to finish. Bury the axe in log, a few minutes about what is WB, my ticket items, necker and bead, one chorus (BEAR) of wood badge s

I have just completed my last Wood badge ticket item, and have recieved the blessings of both my ticket counclor and course scoutmaster. The question is this, I would like to have my beads presented during winter camp, as it is the most central site for my fellow patrol members to gather, but my ticket councilor and scoutmaster would rather I wait and do it at the district dinner, (I am the District Commissioner) which in my case will be held at the far end of the council (the camp is in the south, the dinner in the north) and would be hard for my fellow critters to come up. Also, winter ca

Personally I am happy to see the LDS Church stick with Scouting. After a career that has taken me around the world in Scouting (The US Army), and now as a District Commissioner in Louisiana, I have had the honor to work with the LDS Scouters in my community. These outstanding leaders give of thier time to form the backbone of my District staff. Without them, we would have been in a serious rebuilding stage. The world is changing, and althouigh many of us may not like where it is going, the BSA is one place where traditional values are still held. National has read the tea leaves, and

As a retired Army Training NCO and long time scouter (thirty plus years in various positions all around the world) and currently serving as a Scoutmaster and District Commisioner, I am fully aware of the impressive "chosen one's" that we all run into in our scouting careers. Many of these "Enlighted one's" coudn't light their own farts, but that's another story. I finally took Wood Badge this year, the course is not offered around here but one every two years, and I was finally able to move my schedual around to attend. With a Masters Degree in Organizational Leadership, I was surprised

I proudly wear a Bear patrol patch on my Scoutmaster uniform. Helps that in addition to being already known throughout the council as a "Loud and Proud Bear", I am also a District Commissioner, in charge of the uniform cops. So everyone is "Cool" about it. (Or they hear me growl...)

I used to be a BEAR and a Good 'ol Bear too... And now I'm finished Bearing... I don't I don't know what to do... I'm growing old and feable and I can Bear no more... So I am going to work my ticket if I can... Back to Gilwell.. Happy Land.. I'm going to work my ticket if I can. Song loudly by a proud Bear! S1-205-15-1

I have always said that what you do in the privacy of your own bedroom is your own buisness. Your right to believe in what you want is your right, my right to believe what I want is mine, and we should not try and impose each others views on another. Live and let live. If this projected new course of action would satisfy the vocal critics against Scoutings ban on homosexuals, then I'm all for it. I agree that we should let each unit decide on it's membership, and the gay community should respect that decision. If no troop exists, they now can now start one. If it is so core to their agen

I have a scout who is under seeing a psycologist for a water phobia issue that according to the doctor will take a few years to work out. If I were to seek an alternative event, does anyone have any suggestions? He will go in the water, canoe and rowboats with a life jacket,but will not even go near shore without one.

"I woke today, I was crying Lost in a lost world So many people are dying Lost in a lost world Some of them are living an illusion Bounded by the darkness of their minds. In their eyes it's nation, against nation, against nation With racial pride Sounds... Thinking only of themselves They shun the light (shun the light) They think they're right (think they're right) Living in their empty shells." Now that's a more apppropriate Moody Blues lyric to fit this issue. Personally, what two consenting adults do in the privacy of thier own home is thier own buisness.

Our troop in Louisiana didn't get any press, but we helped make our community ready, just as we did when Katrina and to a greater respect, Rita came through our back yard! Now, as to earning service hours, we have done other service projects for the community. One of which was recognized with the 2011 First Place level, National Award for Beautification & Community Greening, given by Keep America Beautiful. http://www.kab.org/site/PageServer?pagename=2011_Nat_Award_Winners But helping in an emergency is what Scouts do, and only if you've never filled, or moved alot of sa

I usually access this site during my lunch break at work, so i don't see the ads. instead i get the message: "Access Denied (policy_denied) Your system policy has denied access to the requested URL." Very dull, but then I don't come to this site for the ads.

You say that the neighboring Troop has been of little help, so you most likely won't get any help from it's OA members. (I don't know what the situation is, but...) I am of course stumped as to why the Troop is ignoring your Pack, as that is an excellent recruiting sourse for new members when your boys age out of Cubbing. Don't just limit yourself to the OA. If you need Scouts, then why don't you just ask for help from another Troop at your District Roundtable? Scouts require service hours for advancement, and helping at Cub events are great ways of killing two birds at once. (recruitin

I am concerned that this new form is too cluttered. With two laguages crammed onto each page, it's harder to quickly scan in an emergency. While it's a nice idea to make the form bi-lingal, I don't recall going on too many trips in the United States that required a form in Spanish because the hospital\doctor\camp heath lodge\etc did not read English. What, if any confusion is this form suppose to remedy?

Lisabob posted: "...yet sleep-around-Sam who cheats on his wife and gets divorced 8 times and fails to pay child support, all while running a grow op, is considered a potentially fine leader under national BSA policy, so long as he's hetero and a theist." Good point. I can't speak for any other Pack\Troop\Post\team out there, but I can say that "Sam" wouldn't be a leader in our unit. The troop committee would not consider him a good role model, and reject his application. Isn't that why the CO and unit committee appoint unit leaders, not National?

Actually Moose, both do have an opinion on Chic-fil-A. Both eat at chic-fil-A. "While gay activists have staged boycotts of the chain since then, expenditure records at Political Moneyline show that on June 29, 2012 Obama for America spent $62 at Chick-fil-A in Atlanta, Ga. While the money the campaign spent is pittance in comparison to Obamas overall re-election expenditures, it clashes with the presidents recent endorsement of gay marriage and Chick-fil-As foray into the gay marriage debate." "Romney for President Inc. has spent over $500 at Chick-fil-A this election cycle."