acco40

Requirement 1a of the Coin Collecting MB states to "Collect a type set of U.S. coins of any date currently minted or in circulation. Commemorative, proof, silver, rare, or expensive coins are not needed. Have at least one coin from each mint in your type set." First I am a CC MB counselor counseling my first Scout for CC. For numismatics (coin collectors) the word "type" refers to a coin's basic distinguishing design. An example is, "Lincoln Type, Memorial Obverse, 1959 to date." From this I would interpret that to meet this requirement a Scout could have 1961, 1964D and 1968S Lincoln cent (i.e. any date, one coin from each mint). However, the CC MB phamplet states that "In collecting your United States type set to meet requirement 1a, you will need to save one coin of each design and denomination that is now being used as money. In this set include at least one coin made at each of the three mints now in operation." That would mean I would need a Lincoln cent, Jefferson Nickel, Roosevelt dime, Statehood Quarters, Kennedy Half Dollar and Susan B. Anthony or Sacagawea dollar coin (depending on date). While the intent is to collect multiple types of coins (if one goes with the merit badge pamphlet) the requirements face value is met by collecting only a "type set", i.e. cent, nickel, dime, etc. Am I interpreting this correctly? For now, I am requiring the Scouts to collect the multiple denominations for any date as long as all denominationsa are covered and the three mints too. Comments?

Okay, now my dander is up. "While I really don't know why there isn't a limit on how many badges one person counsel." Apart from not being a complete sentence, why on earth should their be a limit on the number of MB one may counsel? Rules are the lazy mans way of trying to fix things. If someone has been certified to being capable of teaching 42 MBs, maybe the Advancement Committee is not doing their job. If one finds abuse, stop the abusers. The lazy way out is to make blanket rules.

Bob, Not disputing your posts at all but where did you find the minimum number of youth (5) requirement? Is it derived from positions or just a stated number? I've seen the adult limit in many resources but I don't believe I have ever come across (or just remembered) a minimum number for youth. What happens if the troop has seven boys and three transfer or drop out? Does the troop immediately need to disband? I would not think so.

Let's look at the requirements: DUTY TO GOD - Do the following: 1) Talk with your folks about what they believe is their duty to God. 2) Give some ideas on how you can practice or demonstrate your religious beliefs. 3) Find out how you can help your church, synagogue, or religious fellowship. The first one should be a piece of cake. Be honest with your son about what you feel is your duty to God. There is no wrong answer. Same for your wife. The second one will require some thought from your son but with your guidance, again it should be easy. For the third, if by "church" you meant your local church, i.e. St. Mary's Church on 4th and main as opposed to The Roman Catholic Church, simply have your son find out how he may help the Catholic Church. The third may be tricky if you feel you do not belong to any organized religion. Then, I suggest that you discuss what you feel is your "church" and discuss with your son how he could help it (show respect to the environment, be kind to his fellow man, etc.) Remember, he has to find out how he can help it, not help it per se. If you do not believe in a higher being or beings (i.e. do not profess a belief in God) then Scouting may have a problem with you! In that case, you need to discuss what your son's present beliefs are and act accordingly.

Colleges and Universities don't require textbook purchases either but it sure helps! The "five" limit is artificial and just another example of an authority who thinks something should be this way so he/she makes it that way. Again, a common practice of den leaders, Scoutmasters, and some councils. It is wrong IMO.

Rules, schmules. The Blue and Gold Banquet is a birthday party! What are the rules in your house for a birthday party? Do you have to have cake? Do you have to have ice cream? When do you open presents? That's right, you can do what YOU want!! Most Packs traditionally do SOMETHING, be it crossover for Webelos, advancement, etc. No right or wrong answer but for some tradition is strong. (There is a good reasons for Webelos to cross over into Boy Scouts in the February-March time frame and not later but that is the topic for another thread altogether.) As to advancement, remember that it should be done ASAP. If a kid earns Bobcat, Tiger, Wolf, Bear, or Webelos (or AOL), arrow points or anything else recognize him as soon as he earns it. Recognize him again as soon as the award is "purchased"/presented. Then recognize him again at a more formal Pack meeting. For goodness sake, don't keep an award from a child who earned it in October just so he can be presented at the B&G. Now when I was heavily involved with Cub Scouts, we (Pack Committee) decided that the parents of the second year Webelos would be in charge of the planning for the B&G. The younger dens presented awards as they saw fit. We had a sit down dinner. The highlight was the AOL presentations to the boys and the cross over ceremony for the Webelos. We had our arrow made by the adults (ornated accordingly to recognize their full Cub Scout history - look it up), a scrapbook presentation (beautiful work) that was five years in the making, a great cross over ceremony with a wooden bridge (both AOL and crossover ceremonies involved the OA) and presentation to some wonderful volunteers. For in our Pack, the B&G was the last official meeting that the Webelos II attend. But the bottom line is, your B&G should be YOUR B&G and you do what you want!

No, but maybe a summer fellowship? Seriously, I believe you may hold it any time you want. I would like to see a fellowship held rather soon after a conclave so the new ordeal members may attend. If the fellowship was held before the ordeal, not as many of the ordeal, i.e. new, members would not become active IMO.

A few years ago, that answer may have been technically correct. The Tiger program was more of an auxilliary of the Pack. Now, the Tiger program is every bit as much a part of the Pack as Wolf, Bear and Webelos. There may be some remaining bias toward the Tigers due to history, maturity/age factors etc. but the CM has no power to exclude the Tigers.

Assuming for a new Troop your first BOR emphasis is on Tenderfoot & 2nd Class: "How do you like Boy Scouts so far? Is it what you expected?" "How's school coming along?" "What are your goals?" (Not just in Scouting but in school, sports, family, religion, etc.) "What troop functions have you attended outside of the troop meetings and what did you like best and least about them?" "What is your patrol cheer or yell?" (This always get them!) "Tell me why you have the best SM in the world." (Sorry, just joking!) The key is to ask open ended questions so the Scout will talk and not just give yes/no answers. Also, make sure he is relaxed and that it is an enjoyable experience. For later ranks, the "tough" questions may be asked (what changes, religion, etc.). Of course my all time favorite question was asked by Peter Graves in Airplane and I won't repeat it here.

Heck, I count the OA Ordeal as a night of camping and we all know they don't sleep in a tent! There is cabin camping and there is cabin camping. I've "camped" in cabins that were nicer than my home with flush toilets, restaurant quality kitchens, huge fireplaces, bunks, TVs, air conditioning, etc. I've seen outings concentrate on video games, movies, JLT training, i.e. practically all indoor type activities. I have no problem with outings like these, I just generally don't count them as "camping." On the other hand, we've had outings where we prepare, cook, eat and clean up outside, go on hikes, i.e. do most of our activities outside but at the end of the day sleep in a rustic cabin. Those I generally count as "camping." Again, I believe the SM has the discretion to determine what constitutes camping (see TroopMaster).

I believe behavior is more important than dress but also believe that dress does influence behavior so the two are linked. My eight year old daughter does not wear her Girl Scout uniform to her brothers COHs. I do not wear my Boy Scout uniform to her meetings or outings (I am not yet a registered Girl Scout leader.) Just as fire fighters, police officers, soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen do not wear their uniform 24/7, I do not wear my Scouting uniforms (I have a few to chose from) unless I'm acting in that capacity. I tend to agree with molscouter. If my older son was going to a pack meeting simply as a sibling (i.e. not as a den chief, pack alum, troop representative) I would suggest he not wear a uniform if asked. However, if he wanted to wear his uniform, I would gladly support him. Now as for "scout like behavior", the goal is to project that behavior 24/7 regardless of attire.

Personally, I like Bart Simpson's death bed conversion approach to religion. Seriously, I'm amused at how the thread went from how Scouts are perceived as geeky to the gay debate to religion. This talk about THE Bible is also amusing to me. There is quite a bit of scholarly debate about which "books" belong in the Bible, which do not, "lost" books, etc. If God(s) exist, there is no doubt he endowed us (or allowed us to evolve) with very well developed (compared to other mamals) brains capable of contemplating much of these concepts. Was it a test? For his own amusement? As children we could only grasp the world that we came directly in contact with, i.e. the world revolved around us. As we gained in wisdom, we began to realize the effect we have on other people and our environment. As we grow still further, some even begin to grasp that things exist that we can not see, touch, hear, smell or taste and begin to ask such questions as where did we come from? What happens after death? We are a special creation. Ain't life grand! We only come around once (my belief). Make the most of it.

Most, as we do, go by "nights" camping. Therefore, your example would be 2 nights (or two days if you prefer). As for the old question of "do you count cabin camping" I believe that is a SM discretion item. I'll admit I don't know the strict definitions for the National Camping Award.

The key is what "expectations" were publicly advertised to all? I've seen councils not advertise, except by word of mouth to those "in the know" for coveted positions. If all the districts knew it was a first come, first served rule, do it that way regardless of where the applications come from. As for repeat SMs to the national Jamboree, if I ran the zoo, I would interview candidates for all SM & SA slots trying to use an even footing. In our council, these positions are highly sought after and because I feel there are more than enough qualified candidates to fill the positions needed, I would NOT show a preference to those that went before. I would "spread the wealth" a little more evenly. Nothing personal Eamonn.

On a related thread, the merits of how to get the youth (and adults) to wear the proper uniform were discussed. One of the possible methods was to conduct uniform inspections. The question I have is why the registration cards are not a part of the adult uniform for leaders. They are a part of the youth uniform inspection (5%) but not for adults. Does anyone care to guess why?

It's too bad they were not photographed with their Eagle badges. Looks like two fine young men. I like to hear about youths who join the BSA at 14 who were not in Cub Scouts. Don't get me wrong, I feel the Cub Scout program is great but having no Cub experience should not impede youth from joining the Boy Scouts.

In my youth, our school (non-Iowa) always had us take the "Iowa apptitude" test which measured reading and math skills. The National Automotive Center is located in Iowa. You can get some good beef in Iowa (must be all that corn!). They do stress education but look at major interstates. They are not arranged with the best interest of Iowa in mind. As an aside, Al Sharpton was recently the guest host on Saturday Night Live. I heard that NBC affiliates in Iowa did not carry the program because they feared that the other Democratic candidates may ask for "equal time" on their affiliate stations.(This message has been edited by acco40)

If possible, use the "retiring" SM as a resource (don't fall into the trap of having to "do it like he/she did, but if you can use pointers on what did or didn't work your ahead of the game), get a great SPL and SAs, have fun, be organized, remember what your job description is (see SM handbook), and remember that your never to old to learn.

What do you want out of Wood Badge? The emphasis now is on teaching leadership skills. That is why you'll see much of the same "stuff" that one would see at corporate sponsored leadership training courses. They can be fun and valuable or trite and a waste of time depending on your outlook and what you put into it. One more thing. We eat. We mate. We hibernate! Bears rule Gilwell field.

Directly from the article: He recalled that it was the desire for community that attracted him - a boy who knew he was different and didn't fit in - to the Boy Scouts and made him stay even after the fundamental "geekiness" of the program became apparent to him. It is hard for me to discern if Mr. Dale used "geekiness" directly or not. Regardless, I think it teaches kids a lesson about peer pressure. Some succomb to it, some do not.

FOG, Do you understand the term "clout"? It should be obvious why LDS has it. Look at membership which equates with $$. Who butters your bread? Now, I don't think any of it is unjust and although it may look like I'm complaining, I really don't have a problem with it.(This message has been edited by acco40)

Piece of trivia - do you know how University of Illinois "chiefs head" logo looks? Chief Illiniwek(?) of the "Fighting Illini." It is plastered all around store in the Champaign-Urbana area to show support for the school, boosters if you will. Many many years ago, some merchandisers sold shrunken indian heads (real heads of decapitated indians!) They were real popular conversation pieces with some. Eventually, they were banned. Some were still sold (black market, similar to boot legged liquor during prohibition) and sellers would "clue in" customers by displaying a very small indian head logo that looks very similar to Chief Illiniwek logo now. No wonder the sight of that logo doesn't bring smiles to everyone!(This message has been edited by acco40)

My favorite editorial cartoon had a picture of Roman Centurians nailing a Santa Claus to a cross. The caption (Santa speaking) is: "No really, you've got the wrong guy!" It shows how the blur between the secular Christmas (what an oxymoron) and the religious (i.e. real meaning or as some might say, original meaning) meaning of Christmas has changed how or society views the holiday. (This message has been edited by acco40)

Yes, I know from experience. I was a Webelos Den leader for my younger son and turned in an application to the SM & CC to be a SA for my older son's troop. I had been a registered Scouter for over five years but this was the first time I was "dual" registered. Because Webelos Den Leader was my primary position and because I had never been dual registered before, I wasn't aware that I was suppose to receive another registration card. I took new leader's essentials, Scoutmaster Specific, and even went on to Woodbadge. After two and a half years I decided to apply for the Scouter's Training Award. I went to roundtable, served my time, helped with FOS, did over 20 overnight outings, etc. To my surprise, the unit never turned in my application so technically I had no service! I wasn't involved in the annual rechartering so I wasn't aware of it. I'm not that big on adult awards so no big deal but if your not registered you are out of luck. By the way, these awards are all "training" awards.

Membership?