ChaiAdventure

First off, Scouting isn't for everyone....boys or their families. Losing boys should not be perceived as a failure. Boys getting nothing from their time in the program should be. Second, it was never the goal of BSA to have every boy who joins as a Tiger to move on to Boy Scouts and earn his Eagle Scout. Just as it is not a goal for all Eagles to join Venturing and earn their Silver Award, join Sea Scouting and earn their Quatermaster or Varsity to earn their Denali. If that were the metric for success, we have all failed. Third...earning Eagle Scout is not for everyone, nor should i

I would be curious to see from the original poster what the outcome was......

I have always liked my red jacket, but see the allure of the new green one. What I would like to see adopted as a uniform item is the TrekTek TruNorth Waterproof Breathable Jacket that scoutstuff now offers. http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply/ItemDetail.aspx?cat=01RTL&ctgy=products&c2=NEW&C3=&C4=&LV=2&item=TREKTEKJACKET&prodid=TREKTEKJACKET^8^01RTL& It is clearly more practical for outdoor use and the under-stated FDL insignia makes it appropriate for all-purpose wear as well.

There is more to this issue than simply pull-ups. I find it difficult to believe that not only can NONE of the boys from that age group can do a single pull-up by their current age of 14. Additionally, something is further amiss that NONE of the boys who bridged the two years after have achieved Tenderfoot. I cannot assume if those boys are pull-up challenged as well. If they are, that is one heck of a conincidence. Without observing the situation first-hand, it is impossible to place "blame." As an ASM, I would never allow this to happen. I would consider it a personal failure. I

totally concur with John's suggestion....it is the perfect way to address the issue while educating the IH, mobilizing the COR and putting the CC in a position where they are accountable..... most likely, the CC is a long-time victim of leaders who put him in the background, or not....

Hey, could be worse. I know a guy who signed up to be on staff, never showed, and still wears his patch.

I just came across a similar case in my Troop. I had a boy who had the EDGE requirement checked off from summer camp. I used him to use the EDGE method to teach the EDGE method to other boys in the patrol(confusing, but it makes sense after a bit). He could not even tell them/me what EDGE stood for. Trust, but verify.... Of all the skills that a boy must learn, teaching is one of the most important. This is a requirment that should not be taken lightly. If a boy has completed the requirement, then it is the responsbility of the leader who signs it off to verify that the boy has performed

You have an interesting situation, but it may be simpler than it is all made out to be. You have a CC who has taken it upon himself to do his own thing. Fine, whatever....So his boy is a Bear in a Den of boys that are older than him. What is the CC/Dad going to do?? Make him a Web II next year?? Obviously not. The Dad is obviously full of himself, and will likely not change. After all...who goes to Council to have their boy skip a Cub Scout grade? Seriously...this is Cub Scouts. Don't let this upset you more than the boys. If the situation is not working for you, and the CM/COR/IH ar

and to add to that.... COR's are eligible as well....

Baden While I understand and respect your opinion, it appears that the award is for all Scouters associated with a Troop. The "progress record" makes it clear when it states that applicants must complete: "Boy Scout Leader Fast Start training. Complete New Leader Essentials. Complete Leader Specific Training for your position. Complete Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills (for Scoutmasters and assistants). Complete Youth Protection Training." If this were designed for only SM/ASM, then there would be no reference made to "training for your position" or that SM/ASM ar

any suggestions for cases for personal first aid kits???

Overall I am very impressed with the thought that went into this. The mdeal will be no small achievement. It would have been easy to include venturing in this program just by including the words "satisfy the requirements for the .... merit badge", but sadly, that was not the case.

I have to agree as well, and another recent case-in-point is the newly announced National Outdoor Badge and the associated National Medal for Outdoor Achievement. From the draft requirements that I have seen, some great thought and effort went into the development of these awards and they are NOT gimmes by far. The one other thing they are not is available to Venturers. For some odd reason, only Boy Scouts and Varsity Scouts can earn these awards. How hard would it have been to include Venturers into the program....not very. Even without changing a thing, items such as earn the

looks like they are now available on scoutstuff.org for 49.99 for a set of ten.... kinda makes me laugh....

What bothered me most about the patch of the day was that at 8am, standing in line, were 95% adults. The boys never got a shot at them since they were busy doing what they were supposed to do. I am not sure what it was that the adults were supposed to be doing every morning from 8am to 930am, but I know that all the staff I was with were busy working.

Though I do not argue that there was booing, I did not hear it. What I did hear was a less than enthusiastic response. Mike Rowe however, received an amazing ovation....mostly for the incredible message that he sent to the Scouts, Scouters and visitors. That was truly a memorable speach and I will not forget "Swing the Thing" for a long time.

one other point is that the boys do not cross-over to Webelos from Bears, nor between any other Cub years...the change comes based on the calendar...June 1st...so it does not matter whether it is before of after the ceremony.... of course in this case, it does not matter since advancing to the next year does not change the ability to wear the patch...

Are there any companies that make embroidered nametapes? I am looking for something that resembles the interpreter strip that can be sewn on instead of pinning on my name tag. I know that the uniform police will have issues, and there are folks who will call me lazy.....not interested. Just looking for a source if anyone knows of one. thanks

Leaders for five months, have uniforms, with patches, gone to training...sounds like they are planting roots. I would not waste any time in addressing it to the leaders in question, going to the CC to discuss the issue, bringing in the Unit Commissioner, and talking to the COR. This will get worse before it gets better, and time is not on your side. Leaders serve at the whim of the Committee, and the CO.

I wonder what this Den Leader would say if it were one of his Bears who was attending Webelos meetings and wanted to be signed off for his Bear requirements. It is a tough position since the father is also a leader in the Pack. Is it worth losing all three from the Pack over an advancement? Is this boy participating in the Bear activities and gaining something from the program? It is curious that the Den Leader Dad only had his Wolf son at three Pack meetings...... You have a couple of choices and none of them are perfect. Is it worth losing two boys and a leader over an advanc

having heard the pluses and minuses.....does anyone have a source for nametapes? khaki and/or green for scout and venturer uniforms.....

When my daughter bridged from Brownies, I bought her a vintage girl scout pocket knife that I found on eBay. I think something like that is a keepsake, while having some historic tie to Girl Scouting. something like this http://cgi.ebay.com/1930s-Girl-Scout-Kutmaster-multi-knife-Rare-box-/220590910900?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Collectible_Knives&hash=item335c3e2db4

John You have an interesting perspective that I had not considered. As a Jew, and the perennial minority when it comes to religious representation, I had looked at Scout's Own as an opportunity for all Scouts to come together to worship. I can absolutely see your point that interfaith "worship" is a bridge too far. Interfaith discussion of the twelfth point of the Scout Law is one thing...worship is another. I think that sometimes we get caught up in making it good for all, sometimes to the point where it is good for none.

anathema - a person or thing detested or loathed That is a rather strong statement. I am sorry that we are not all the same.

IMHO.... Your COR is asserting him/herself outside of their role (unless there is something written in the CO's charter that addresses numbers in the Den). This is a decision that should be made by the CM with the endorsement of the committee. Additionally, as the DL, you can decide what you are willing to take on as far as numbers. The guidelines for numbers of Cubs in a Den are there for a reason.