DeanRx

The gun safety analogy is a poor point anyways... per BSA gun safety and G2SS, a scout must be in Boy Scouts before he shoots anything other than a recurve bow or an air-rifle (BB gun). My 9 y/o Webelos scout routinely goes shooting with me. He shoots .22-cal, shotgun, and recently got introduced to black powder. We ALWAYS follow prudent gun safety techniques. According to BSA, he can't touch black powder at a scouting function until he is 14 y/o or older. However, I'd take issue with the assertation that we are living an "unscout-like" existence because we CHOOSE to shoot these

Well - I just took the OWLs (used to be WeLot) course 3 weeks ago, it was indeed combined with the IOLS for Boy Scouts and had a combo of Web Leaders and BSA Troop leaders.... so I guess the combo IS being done. Maybe for once - our council is AHEAD of the curve on this one. It was a good course and very useful. Also, very good for the Web leaders to see / learn the Troop and Patrol methods of doing things so they can begin to cut the cords of adult ran campouts. It was a very good 2 days - 1 night course with focus on patrol method and AIMS tools. Watch one, do one, teach on

Her "offical" title on the roster is "committee member". Get her application, get the $15 and get teh background check done. Have her do YPG and Fast Start online and you're good to go. In the 'un-offical' title she can be 'events coordinator' or whatever hat you need her to wear at the time. Not to turn her off, but a popcorn kernel is a very good thing to have for fundraising, so is a B&G planner, and an all around "camp forms coordinator". Those are THREE very important jobs that usually do not overlap and could be done by ONE volunteer at different times of the program yea

Scoutfish- I can tell by your posts on here - you will do a great job! It doesn't matter how long you've been around, it matters if your heart is in it and what you WANT the unit to become. While I was involved in scouting as a youth (up to making LIfe for life), I had very little to no BSA expirience between being a youth in it and being and adult leader other than buying Scout-o-ramma tickets, popcorn, and my own camping adventures (non-scout type). Then, like you, I go to the round-up with my soon to be 1st grader. I came home (to the chagrin of my wife) as the new Tiger Cu

Scoutfish- I would tend to agree. Its not just the idea of 'boredom', but the fact that unrestricted free-play or ANY amount of unscheduled time is looked upon in our society as a WASTE of your potential. That's a very sad statement on our current value of a human - you are only worth what you can PRODUCE. But it is more true today than at any other time in history. I've been told we can't have 'free time' on campouts, because the boys will just end up hitting each other with stick swords and throwing dirt clods at each other. One parent's eyes about popped out of their head when

Don't worry Bando - I'm sure they'll bring it back as part of the 150th anniversary celebration. It will be one of a few "historic" MB's that can be earned THAT YEAR ONLY

For what its worth, in our council - if you don't at lest make a token attempt to participate in Popcorn sales, the council will REFUSE to sign-off on any other unit fundraising permits. So, you want to hold a car wash or pancake feed to raise monies to go to Philmont? Then your unit had better at least turn SOMETHING in at popcorn time, or they won't approve your other fundraising venture. DeanRx FOS is a little less of an arm twist, the DE's just ask you to do multiple presentations in the same year to folks who have lost their jobs - it a hard sell for sure.

Sorry to play devil's advocate on this one.... What the HELL is BSA going to do when they have hundred's if not thousands of units trying to recharter and the adult VOLUNTEER leaders' records are either out of date (or more often not correct with council or the national web site)? Close down the units overnight for untrained leaders? Bah. I understand the push for trained leaders - I'm taking OWL this weekend. BUT, the idea that I need to RETAKE YPG now as my son goes into Web I because I last took it when he was a Tiger is bull-Sh*t - period. The guidelines haven't changed, the

Sorry to play devil's advocate on this one.... What the HELL is BSA going to do when they have hundred's if not thousands of units trying to recharter and the adult VOLUNTEER leaders' records are either out of date (or more often not correct with council or the national web site)? Close down the units overnight for untrained leaders? Bah. I understand the push for trained leaders - I'm taking OWL this weekend. BUT, the idea that I need to RETAKE YPG now as my son goes into Web I because I last took it when he was a Tiger is bull-Sh*t - period. The guidelines haven't changed, the

What is the SM works for a bank that took TARP funds? What if the scout gets pinched for a petty theft? What if the scout's parents run an internet porn site from home? Unfortunately, unlike school board lawyers, real life isn't full of cut-n-dry zero-tolerance issues. As adults we are trying to teach these youth that 1) There are responsibilities for ones actions and 2) There are many grey areas in which reasonable people have to sometimes make tough decisions based on a single issues facts. You can play "what-if" all day long... it doesn't mean there needs to be a policy to e

I go back to the FIRST thing our district trainer told us in our CM breakout session for CM specific traning. "your job 99% of the time is to BE A DUCK" Provide the program to the boys and let the rest run off your back. A simple, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you weren't getting the e-mails, can I verify your address and I'll add you first thing when I get home tonight" - then move on with life.

I understand where you are coming from. Money is tight for just about everyone these days. You can certainly spend a good deal of money on BSA or any other youth organized events that a child may participate in. Where I live - 1 season of little league baseball costs about $250 plus uniform cost. Season lasts 4 months. Soccer is a little cheaper, but still over $100 a season and lasts 4 months. Not sure what music, theater or any other extracirriculars cost, but its at least $100+ a kid for a session, most don't go year round. Scouting can be done with a 2nd hand shirt,

Those are some nice numbers - I've never really seen any data on the breakdown of affiliations within BSA. The REAL numbers though, come with dollar signs attached. Not, how many members, but how MUCH MONEY does each of the major CO's generate for BSA overall? Good luck finding that data. I doubt Irving wants to part with such information. The other 5000 pound Gorilla in the room is how much does BSA spend per year in the courtroom to uphold the policies that enforce the "values" of the LDS (and the other major religious CO players)? Again, good luck ever getting any disclosure o

Do you know if there are any outstanding debts not reported on the Tresurer's report? Our pack (about 60 boys), currently has about 9K in the bank. I (as the CM) was asked "why so much" at the last pack meeting and I replied because we still hadn't reimbursed the B&G chair roughly $1500, that awards alone usually run our unit about $250 a month, that there was $1250 budgeted for the upcoming pack campout that has not yet been spent and that about 2K of the money is tied up in individual scout accounts. I knew those numbers off the top of my head from my committee meeting of two weeks pr

You have 3 sons going... I say throw 3 kids, plus all gear inside tent. Then it can't blow away , or if it does, its much easier to find all the boys if they are grouped together in one large tent than if they blow away seperately.

1) TC is WAaaaay over-ranked if he's still a TC 2) Shirts aren't tucked in? Really? 3) None of the younger cubs (TC, Wolf, or Bear) has any progress towards ranks hanging from the right pocket. 4) Webelos scout needs to shave Other than that, a pretty good picture.

While I understand WHY BSA made this move and most of our dens in the pack already operate like this... Its a sad, sad commentary on parental involvement in most kids' lives these days. Parents don't want to have to work on anything with their child or spend time with them other than be the chaufuer from one paid activity to the next. They want to pay the dues, drop them off, pick them up in an hour to hour-and-half, and have them get an award for something at the pack meeting. With the new cub program, BSA has bought into and endorsed this mentality. While I'm not opposed to this

Amen brother Eamonn- I've always tried to opperate under the premise "If you act in the best interest of the youth, you will not likely be called to explin your actions". That premise over-rides any policy someone could think to type up. The lone kid after a meeting, the scout getting sick in the middle of the night, the bug-bitten-butt... all great examples. You act in the best interest of the scout and you will do just fine. As for the nicknames, jokes, etc... its a fine line between a little poking fun and outright hazing. In my day, hazing was generally tolerated if n

Two things our pack has done to GREATLY reduce the "all benefit from the work of the few". #1 - 10% of popcorn money sold goes into individual scout accounts, so you sell $300, you now have $30 scout bucks to go towards ANY scouting activity you want. Buy a new shirt, turn in the receipt and get your scout bucks back in cash. Apply them towards day-camp or resident camp fees. Apply them towards unit family campout fees. Even if you buy a new tent (its scouting related) - we reimburse out of your scout bucks if you want. #2 - We look at historical program costs and break that into

Unfortunately, its just another of BSA's contradictions in its espoused values vs its reality in policy. Respect and kindness to all (idea) = execpt for gays and non-believers (policy) Teach a kid to shoot BB, 22-cal, archery (idea and policy) = no hunting, no marshmallow guns (even though our council gave then out as Popcorn prizes this year), no lazer tag, and no water gun fights (even though our council's recruitment flyer last year showed a picture of one at scout camp)policy. Martial arts beltloop (idea is its bad, might be violent) = video game beltloop (those never show v

Most of the folks that get caught in the rip-currents off our shores are not locals either. Mostly from Arizona or other bordering states... CA is definitely in the worst finacial shape of any. Guess we should quit wading out in the water to save those out-staters who come visit and swim unprepared beyond their limits?

T2Eagle- I would tend to agree with you, however, WHO gets to make that determination? If the state wants to charge, then I'm fine with it, but be up front about it... have a line on the topo that says, "if you're inside here and we have to come get you - you have to pay for it", or take a $5 per person per day "risk" fee to offset costs of those who use the area. I have friends that are medi-vac pilots, you turn the rotors and wind the engine one time on a helicoper and the fuel alone is going to run 1 to 2 grand and that's not even to get the bird off the ground! My beef is this:

Any agency is going to support the notion that ANYONE they have to go in after is ill-prepared. That way, they can 1) use the law to seek reimbursement and 2) persuade via the local media, others to think hard before they go and do the same thing. I just find the idea of charging someone for rescue services (that are normally part of the public protection agency's duties) ridiculous. What the hell do we pay taxes for then? Why not make rescue service a pay as you play service? Tack on a $5/day service fee for daily use of certain wilderness areas or something like that. BUT, if this

The state actually tried to bill this family ?!?! That's crap. I agree, he made a poor choice, but I don't see how this could be considered negligence. Heck, by this standard, if you're on a day hike in N.H. and get lost, then they have to send out a search party - you are on the hook because if it rains that night and you didn't take a big enough jacket and enough water - you could be labelled as negligent ?!?!? I wonder if N.H. charges everyone a bill for every fire truck and ambulance that rolls to an auto accident? Usually, a car wreck is somebdy's fault and could much more easily b

While I'm not a lawyer, I do practice in a very regulated and lawyer happy field... I see several issues going on here: 1) Plantifs lawyer is using sensational press to bolster his client's claim. Whether there's any justification or not remains to be seen and ultimately is irrelevent as perception is what matters in an issue like this. 2) BSA is right not to release the info until ordered by the court. Its obviously a fishing expedition, let them ask for specific documents and then supply only what is requested. I have internal files resulting from QA meetings that I would n