chaoman45

When badges like Chess came out, there was a lot of wonder where the outdoors-related badges were going and why National didn't emphasise it more. Hopefully, this is a step in the right direction.

Does anybody know if they can endure rainwater? As in, will the brim be ruined after exposure to rain or can it withstand the rain without becoming crap instantly? I wouldn't want to buy one and wear it in rainy conditions only to find that it will be $100 down the toilet.

Beavah, who said I was Republican or represented the modern Republican Party? Party has nothing to do with my disdain, personal preference does.

Some of the textbooks really aren't all that helpful. Heck, we didn't even use half of our books for some classes. I am speaking from experience on the reading issue, accept it or not. Not reading the entire pamphlet shouldn't mean a Scout didn't fully earn the requirement; remember I am NOT saying "reading is bad." I am saying there are more productive ways of a Scout learning material like watching demonstrations on YouTube or EDGE. Some of the lashings I had to tie for rank or merit badges were hard because I relied on the book, and sometimes an inanimate weave of rope does not help me learn; demonstration does.

And another thing: the average retention rate for reading is 10%, compared to 75% for practice, as noted by the National Training Laboratories in Bethel, ME. Read a long thread anywhere in this forum and see how many of the posts you will remember in a month or even a week.

Even though the pamphlets may have pretty good information, it is sometimes a bit much. They are already expected to read a lot in school and to find they HAVE to do it in Scouting might turn some people off. I'm not saying it's pointless, I'm saying that we need to be realistic in what kids will do v. what adults expect.

Put it this way, do the committee members in troops read the entire Troop Committee handbook cover to cover and retain this information? Does the Scoutmaster read the Scoutmaster handbook in it's entirety? Probably not; they might skim it for general ideas and quick refreshers. These are supplemental, but should not be used as required reading material unless it covers particular requirements.

And even then, Scouts might only skim the book for requirements they aren't familiar with, if that.

@Scoutfish - I think I saw that on the Centennial uniform, too. I just used Made in China because it's the most common colloquialism in described imported goods. If anybody is/knows a foreign Scouter, I'm interested in where your uniforms are made.

Set a good example for those you teach. That's all I'll say.

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh225/chaoman45/bombazine.png

Not the best quality, but this is the raincoat I was talking about. From the 1940 handbook:

Bombazine raincoat - Smart and trim, this military style full double-breasted coat with raglan shoulders and Official Scout buttons is a hit with Scouts from coast to coast. Its convertible collar, all-around belt and patented buckle give it a distinctive style.

No. 571 $5.95

>What is a "bombazine raincoats"?

Aviation-style raincoat. I'll try and post a picture of it when I get home.(This message has been edited by chaoman45)

Ah, we had something similar a couple of years ago. To make a long story short, there were 6 eligible Scouts for OA Ordeal and only 5 made it. Sure, the one Scout was very disappointed but he learned that being a jerk to others didn't earn him Brownie points. He wised up. Had we given him a "hey it's okay everybody's a winner" attitude, I couldn't guarantee he would have changed.

The only thing heart-breaking is that people truly believe kids can't have their feelings hurt otherwise they'll grow up miserable and live by the river in a van.

Ah, the pants. They seem to take the most flak, whether due to people not wanting to wear them or the quality. I personally wish they weren't 100% cotton so they didn't fade so fast and much. But that's just me.

I am aware of the stipulation of imitating US military uniforms, but I have rarely seen it enforced. Ever. Maybe a tongue lashing, but I only heard of two stories of people getting kicked out of Scouting because of their imitation uniform. btw, with the talk of the military imitation uniforms, you should see the stuff they wore in the 40s-60s. Breeches, bombazine raincoats, leader coats, leggings, etc.

Maybe compared to late 2008/early 2009, the prices are bad. But compared to last year, it's not terrible. People just overreact a little because at the end of the day, it's about $5-$10 more per fill-up than a few years ago. Yes, it adds up, but these prices shouldn't be high enough to cancel entire trips. We actually haven't changed our camping schedule that much, but the Pack has.

Don't get too aggressive, otherwise you could make a bad situation worse. Did you ever bring this to anybody else's decision? They might be unaware or never think their actions leave you out. How much has the current situation affected the boys' programme? How does the interference impact the troop, aside from the feeling of isolation?

Pretend he isn't your son. If you were SM during another Scout's tenure, just act similarly and don't push more than you need to, otherwise it could annoy him both at home and Scouts.

This almost reminds me of the American flags...

Made in China.

Before making judgments and asking if nothing is sacred, perhaps it is important to ask why they are selling it in the first place. In one instance, I saw a seller once selling very rare Air Scout items to fund his child's surgery. He seemed really sad to part with them in the description. Others might require the money or do not view Scouting in the same light as you and I might.

At any rate, the fact that something that cost probably $1 to make can sell for so much is stunning.

Yes, adults had red piping on the pockets as youth did (not to be confused with the 1950s style, which was darcon). No, they don't have the green SM ties unless you can find them on eBay.

Nowadays, it would be hard to justify the uniform as being able to blend rich and poor, no matter where it was made. I would rather pay extra for a uniform that lasts.

I think the campaign hats are at least US made, but they are expensive.

A-hi.

We were in a similar situation in 2007. Our troop dwindled to about 7. The best thing to do is establish a rapport with the pack. As a long story short for our case, there was a split up in our troop and the other newly-formed troop would attract Webelos from our traditional feeder pack. This caused us to "suffocate" for a while until we started to do more with the pack. Plus, since four years passed, Scouts had less connections with the other troop and had no reason to beg mammy to go elsewhere. These groups were around 5 or 6, or even 12!

Patrols larger than 12 should be split, depending on activity level.

Merit Badges completed under the auspices of a Troop can be crap, too.

I know, but the question was referring to MBUs. Basically though, the proposed solutions I made can be applied to troop-level stuff, too. Or summer camp.

Ever wonder why some schools advertise a student to teacher ratio? It's because there's better quality of learning (supposedly) in smaller groups. What I notice at the colleges or whatever is that 50 Scouts are lectured by an adult. Sure, the adult demonstrates his knowledge and proficiency, but does the Scout?

I'm aware that not all classes are the same. But it's becoming a trend where well-intentioned adults lecture and reward for attendance. They might learn this from the adult leader training courses they take. A few suggestions that will probably never be used include:

-Allow for INDIVIDUAL TESTING.

-Make the Scouts, not the parents, contact a counselor. No contact, no entrance. They will get the message.

-Don't accept crap. I once did a paper for Citizenship in the World on construction paper and crayon in a hurry. Never did it again once the counselor basically told me not to BS the work.

-Don't make them into generic classroom extensions of school, where they will be there and hear you, but not listen.

-If prerequisites aren't done, DON'T SIGN OFF ON THEM.

-Train counselors on merit badges and the programme. Too often I saw as a kid that they either didn't care, were passionate but boring, or sometimes they could be engaging. Mostly though, "wait you went to Philmont? Have a couple of merit badges."

-At summer camps, supervise badges more. I don't know why kids are allowed to counsel badges, as it's not their place and they have little training.

OGE - The Committee Chairman signed off on all MB Counselor apps in our district. It's not unheard of I guess.

Anyway, we've had anything ranging from awful to satisfactory experiences. As I recall, a district counselor for Citizenship in the World told our Scouts that MSNBC and Fox News were the most unbiased sources for news. :wat:

I guess I'm out of the loop. Scout Stuff has a book?

Personally, it would seem like bribery if it's done almost all the time. A reward for good work, okay. But results will vary, depending on who pays for it and such.

But if it works for one troop, fine.