David L. Perkins

Never heard a thing up to and including today.

I just sent a message last night to orders@scouter.com and it was returned!

I resent it to: customerservice@scouter.com.

David L. Perkins

I have been a C.O.R. for 14 years. During that time, I have also held the position of Cubmaster, Den Leader, Webelos Leader, Pack Committee Chairman, Pack Committee Member, Asst. Scoutmaster, and Troop Committee Member.

1. Take your pick. Certainly, the C.O.R. sjould always be a Committee Member of the unit(s) the Sponsor is responsible for. Beyond that, your active role in the Units only enhances and benefits the Units directly.

2. If you are referring to the Scout Unit's budget, only one. Also, asfar as the Sponsor's budget is concerned regarding the Scouting Unit's portion of their budget, again, only one C.O.R. is needed to speak for the Unit. I am a C.O.R. for a United Methodist Church and my title to them is Scouting Co-ordinator, where again only one is required.

Hope this helps you.

I was Advancement Chairman for our Troop for 9 years. But that was four years ago as the new Boy Scout Handbook was coming in.

I will give you my opinion on your questions as the only guidance I can offer.

1. A Scout should know he has a responsibility to provide service work as a benefit to his community. He also has a responsibility to cover his costs for his participation in a Troop and owes service time to his Sponsor Organization. However, advancement should only require attendance at meetings, campouts and other Troop activities that are designed for the Troop membership's benefit - for their development. "Being Active" is for his own benefit, and should not be designed for the Troop's benefit.

2. The benefit of the Leadership Project should be explained to the Scout as to why it is in "his" book for "him" to do. You could offer guidance if he asks but each project has to be weighed for it's own merits, shouldn't it?

3. It is easy for you to "judge the Scout" but our job is more to help the Scout learn how to "judge himself" and his own actions in relation to the Scout Oath, Scout Law, and Scout Slogan. Let these be our guide and his for his own benefit.

4. Since it has to be signed off, I believe the judgement is still the responsibility of whomever the Troop has assigned authority to for this sign-off upon completion. The Board has a responsibility to determine the "effects " the completed requirement has had on the development of the Scout. Did he gain the knowledge he should have from this activity? I have found that the amount the Scout has learned usually equals the "effort", not the time, he put in to it.

Hope this helps. I think sometimes we try too hard to judge the Scout when our real job is to help develop leaders who have learned they have a responsibility for themselves and others, not that they have learned how to live in a box designed by others.

I think your Troop and its' leadership is in a very healthy condition because you have taken the time and effort to ask these type questions.

I would refer you and your friend to one of the last requirements for advancement of any rank; Show Scout Spirit. With this in mind, I would ask you if I were your Merit Badge Counciler, "What do you think you should wear to show me Scout Spirit?"

Granted, Merit Badge Councilers are not grading you for any advancement requirements, but all things you do that apply to or involve Scouting should reflect your pride in being a Scout and offer you an opportunity to show your Scout Spirit. How can you be proud of the fact you are a Scout and have completed a Merit Badge or advanced in Rank and NOT wear a uniform?

REspect is a hard thing to get and sometimes it is not what you wanted once you have it.

If you have not had Junior Leadership Training, one of the best lessons init teaches how to deal with difficult Scouts. Which is what it sounds like you have. I would first start paying attention to my job and concentrate on being a LEADER. The best way to do that is to lead...using the 12 points of the Scout Law, the Scout Motto, and the Scout Slogan, you can not go wrong. Then, as I referred to the JLT class, learn to use the "question". Instead of trying to tell people how to or how not to....or to do or not to do, Try asking questions which will cause them to start thinking for themselves. Such as, Problem: Senioe Patrol Leader asks you "can't you get you patrol in shape?" Your responce could be well, how would you do it? Or I can't get them to listen...How do you do it? People have respect for others who are anxious to learn - especially from them! Even if they don't develop respect for you as a result of your asking them for their opinions, they will begin to see you in a different light.

If they suggest something you have already tried, you could say, "That's great. Do you have any experiences like this where you have used or seen others use other methods of coping which worked well?"

You and your Patrol could also start being examples of the kind of Scouts you would like the others to be in the Troop. Smiling, friendly, helpful...sound fimiliar? If you want the Troop to be a certain way - FRIENDLY - you have to start the ball rolling. You all have to be the example, no matter how hard it is or how long it takes you. You can make a difference and when you do, you will be the LEADER you wanted to be.

Just a guess but you might try Amazon.com or some place like that that handles recording/music where you could search their data base for a recording of the Air Force Choir singing this song.

Good luck! This is a great idea!

First, you might want to go along with the "Theme" being used at the Banquest - if there is one.

If there is no Theme, you might want to go along with the IDEA that the Blue and Gold Banquet is a Birthday Party for Scouting - celebrating the anniversery of Scouting in the USA. Birthday parties are always easy decorating - with the Cub Scouts making the Center Piece fortheir table, place mats for every member of the family, and name plates.

Good luck! As we say, "Keep it simple/make it fun!".

Please contact a friend of mine:

Jerry Nickols - volscout@aol.com

He has a collection of old uniforms, patches, scarves and other Scouting items that he has donated to needy Scouts, sold to Scouts and Scouters, and traded, even on the internet.

He is expecting your e-mail.

Good Luck.

Your recycled material fits in very well with Scouting's purpose of environmental awareness. It would help Cub Scouts, age 7 to 11, and Boy Scouts, age 11 up meet certain environmental requirements for Cub Scout rank advancement and Merit Badges for Boy Scouts. You might want to flip through some Cub Scout books and the Boy Scout Handbook and Merit Badge book at the local BSA supply center.

Special patches are allowed on the right pocket of a Scout's uniform shirt. Special pins can be worn but we try not to make a habit of it. They are great for collecting, however. Your intent and ours are the same - give boys something to do that is fun and educational while allowing them to be recognized for their good deeds.

Wish we had more like you. Our thanks!

Our funds, which are generated by Scouts in our Troop fund raiser, are available to each Scout - according to how much he raised, for all ligitimate Scouting activities. This means, Campouts, summer camp, re-registration cost, other Scout camps like Sea Base, Council trips like Colorado Ski Trips, Philmont Training, Philmont hiking trips, etc.

The one requirement is that checks are only issued to the organization, not to the Scout. And the money will not exceed the amount available to the Scout - the amount he earned in the fund-raiser, less any money already consumed in other Scouting and Troop activities listed above.

I am a member of the National Association of United Methodist Scouters. Our purpose is to encourage all Methodist Churches to support BSA units as Charter Partners, and to help provide meeting space for Cubs, Boy Scouts, 4-H, Campfire Boys and Girls, and Girl Scout Units.

This support is offered without any requirement to become involved with the church, but instead offered as an outreach of each Methodist church to it's community. I would encourage all units effected by this loss of support from the school system to contact your local Methodist church.

I'm sorry... if this is a Cub Scout question, the following might be helpful:

Cub Scouts love to wear their uniform, even if it is a shirt. At the lower levels - Tiger, Wolf and sometimes Bear, they love to wear them to school on the day of their Den meeting. They also like to be recognized as a Scout when teachers are looking for someone to lead the Pledge of Allegience or do a flag ceremony.

So, in addition to school, the Den Meeting, the Pack Meeting, and any Scouting event such as - Christmas Parade, 4th of July Parade, Cub Scout and Tiger "go and See" trips/tours, and any event or activity that could be considered "Scouting" when out with a parent or the whole family.

Have fun.

Try this web site: http://usscouts.org/awards/knots1.html

Good luck.

I fell that as a "starter", these shirts are alright. However, the first problem is that by definition, the word "uniform" means all the same. And while I know that all of your Scouts will Look alike in the Troop - the first time you attend a District event or campout/outing/exercise with another troop, your Scouts will feel "different" regardless of what you say, what the Other Scout leaders of the other units say, etc. They will fell different and that is not good. Lord William Baden Powell wanted to create a "Level playing field" for the very rich and very poor boys he started with and uniforms was the answer.

I hope that you can, in the near future, get some donations from business organizations and individuals to buy new or used shirts, pants, etc., used uniforms form other Troops, and I know that BSA National can and has helped other units that were financially strapped get a good, uniformed start. Best of luck - you deserve it.

I don't know for sure what you are searching for in the way of an answer but here is some information.

A Scout should wear his full Scout "Class A" uniform for all Troop meetings. Our Troop also wears Class A uniforms when going to and returning from Campouts. Also, Boards of Review, Courts of Honor, Church, and other "Formal" settings and occasions.

(Class A - means Shirt, Belt, pants/shorts, socks, dark shoes/boots. Scarves and hats(out side) are optional.)

The Trailer can be registered to the Troop using the Chartered Organization tx exemption number, provided they are a tax exempt organization. Our charter org. is Winterfield United Methodist Church but the Troop paid for the trailer and all other equipmewnt we have, which is considerable. The connection between the two of you is they hold your charter and you own the trailer.

We have no problem with this in Texas. Logos to me are simply unit preference.

My Troop uses Troopmaster 2000. We have found it quite useful and mostly all encompassing for our general record needs. We have it on four Scouter personal PCs with one being the advancement chairman. Only his can be accessed and the others are only updateable with new loadable updated copies. It seems worth the money. We just finished re-chartering and it was very helpful.

The answer is simple and is found in the history of Scouting as founded by Lord William Baden Powell. As the story goes, England had two classes, rich and poor. Lord Baden Powell wanted to form a group to help these lazy, misguided rich boys and the very poor, totally unguided street kids.

The first principal is to create a level playing field. An atmosphere where everyone is EQUAL. Everyone is ACCEPTED and can readily be seen as a MEMBER of the organization. The answer was used army uniforms. Matching shirts, pants, leggings, boots, belts, scarfs and hats. Regardless of their background, if they all were clean and had a hair cut, without speaking, it was hard to tell if one was rich or poor.

Today, with fashion being what it is in school, the blue jeans, shirts, shoes, hats, etc. used to classify each boy into which group he belongs, the need for uniforms in Scouting is as important as it ever was. When the adults wear the uniform properly, they look like Scouters (Scout leaders) and when the Scouts wear the uniform properly, they will all look like Scouts. The distinguishing features being their Rank, Patrol, membership in OA, and patches representing envolvement in special events or campouts. And it is these things (competition) that encourage the Scouts to want to participate and be involved. If they don't wear their uniform, then the items worn on the uniform become meaningless. Think about it.

If Scouts want to wear their socks down aroung their shoe tops instead of up aroung their knees, so what? Atleast they are wearing them. Scout uniforms do change over time and it is usually in responce to the Scout's desires to be modern and more up to date, fashion wise. Nothing wrong with that. I wear my socks down around my shoes too. Never could keep them up anyway!

If you tell them this story, they will understand more the background of what Scouting is and how it came help them. There are many stories like this that also will help them. Hope this helps you.

You might ask them if they KNOW the Scout Oath, The Scout Promice, and the twelve points of the Scout Law. If they can recite them correctly - ask them why they are not using them as their guide for how to "live their lives" and "How to act in any situation, in or out of uniform".

They need guidelines in their lives and they will constantly push to broaden them. They need to understand, from someone they see living this way, that they can NOT broaden these principals, these guidelines, these Laws of life. Ask them how their thoughts, words, and deeds conform to and are examples of these guidelines?

They will come around - there are no really bad boys - or Scouts. They are "only a work in progress".

One of the most important tools that is taught in Junior Leadership Training (JLT), which all of the new young Scout leaders in your Troop will need soon, is the method of using the "Question" instead of instructions or orders to control any situation... like arguments between Scouts on a campout.

Using this method, you can lead the discussion and guide the creative juices of the young Scouts by asking questions which will cause them to think along the certain lines you have initiated. An example could be if the conversation has drifted to talking about what someone did on the last campout (getting away from the discussion about the next campout), you might ask, "How could you Scouts use this funny situation or event to make the next campout better or more fun for the Troop"?

When they get a little carried away with their planning and think of going to Disney World for Christmas school break, you could ask,"How do you think you will be able to convence the adult leadership at the next Committee Meeting to cover the cost of tranportation, food, and lodging without breaking the Troop bank account"? Or, "Do you think ALL of the Troop will be able to go or should this trip be for only the wealthy families in the Troop"? "Is that what Scouting is all about"?

You can really work wonders by using just will thought out questions and allow them to THINK up the answers. This does need to be a BOY LEAD Troop.

The Books mentioned previously are great starting points for new Scouters at the Boy Scout Level. Also, your son's Scouting Book may have the answers to your questions.

Our Troop Committee gives each new family a set of paperwork to review. The first page is a letter outlining the rules that will govern their son's behavioir and how the Scout leaders will determine if their son is having problems or causing problems regarding his behavior. The guides that are offered are: the Scout Oath, the twelve points of the Scout Law, the Scout motto, and the Scout Promise. Then we remind the parents that the Troop does not allow: alcohol, smoking, fowl or inappropriate language, behavior that is deemed to be antagonizing to other Scouts, and pronographic material in any form. We also suggest the parents compare their son's actions and attitudes to these guides and NOT to the other Scouts when trying to determine for themselves if their son might be at fault in a given situation.

We believe that this letter works to eliminate friction between parents and the Committee or individual Scout leaders and helps set all adults off in the same direction in helping the Scouts find the desired citizen and character development, as well as physical, mental and spiritual growth.

By the way, the other items included are the parent resource survey, a letter outlining our method of funding the Scouting experience in our troop, and a copy of a parent's permission slip used on certain campouts.

We use our prime activity as a means to set us apart from the other Troops in the area. We do a lot of rock climbing and repelling. Thus, we use a inexpensive "D" ring for certifying that a Scout has passed the basics. Then, special pieces of cord (various colors and sized), tied in climbing knots are used to designate each climb a Scout has attended. (Each climb is at a different height). Also, different colored tape is wrapped aroung the shank of the "D" ring to indicate having mastered a certain climbing requirement, like tying a Swiss seat. All in all, they are very not-worthy when worn attached to the right side belt loop of the Scout pants or shorts.

The same type of emphasis can be applied to other activities like backpacking - a tie down cord tied in a knot with different cords or knots for different trips.

For years Troops have used different scarves that denote a Troop color, insignia on the back, or a Troop patch attached (that can be ordered from the Scout catalog.

Sorry I can not help on the Berets.

We have some situations somewhat like what you are looking for.

For advancement up to and including 1st Class, we sometimes have a senior Scout, say Star or Life, on the B.O.R. along with three Scouters. They can sometimes ask very interesting questions, and some like to ask questions they themselves were asked long ago.

For older, higher rank Scouts, Star or Life B.O.R., we might have a Troop Guide (who has finished his time as SPL) or an Eagle Scout who is now acting in the Position of Junior Asst. Scoutmaster. In this last example, he is treated as an adult in the Troop and is not required to raise money with the rest of the Scouts.

As already stated before, our Advancement chairman usually introduces the Scout to the Board of Review and covers how he has met his qualifications. Then, only if no other ASMers are available, would he sit in on the B.O.R. the main reason is not to shun him but because he is already doing so much work - and we have SM2000!

By the way, he would certainly NOT sit in on his own son's B.O.R.