DeanRx

Here's one I penned last month after a non-unit campout with friends from the pack. We wanted to go very austere (no running water and no toliets at the campsite), so not approved for the cubbies, so we did it as a group of families together... anyways, sorry its so long - but the stew was an unexpected surprise and really did trigger these memories. ******************************************************************************************************** From campout 3/14/09 Dinty Moore Stew As we pulled into camp at 3100 ft ascending from our afternoon hike on the valley floor,

Crew21- I appreciate your response. I didn't take your original post as confrontational... just wanted to make clear that this was not our unit saying no to an FOS presentaiton, it was about allowing multiple solicitations in the same FOS season. I agree every unit should have a FOS pitch at least once a year (at the units request and perhaps at the DE's requesting). I just don't see much value added and in fact would guess a detrimental efect to unit moral and maybe even drop outs caused by a 2nd FOS push. (no hard data to back this up - other than how I feel just by being asked a

Do you know if it was charged with, pled to, or convicted of? Big difference on all three. Arrested and charged but pending trial, I don't know if there is much you can / should do... that whole innocent until proven guilty thing we have in this country. I just wouldn't let anyone from scouts ride with him, but I doubt he has his liscense intact pending the outcome of the trial or the entrance of a plea. "Pled to" or "convicted of" - even a "no contest" plea... then you have some issues to address. Fisrt is what role (if any) should he still have in unit leadership. At the very l

Thought I'd pass along to the community a great website I stumbled across about knots. It provides animated vinettes on how to tie each knot and a brief history and interesting facts on each as well. This guy does a bang up job. They have knots grouped as to application: nautical, climbing, scouting, fishing, decorative, etc... Thought maybe this could be of use to a few of my fellow scouters out there. Let me know if you find it useful. http://www.animatedknots.com/index.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com YiS, Dean

Crew21- I understand what you are saying, but my question is whether or not I should approve of a second request for a FOS presentation. We had about 95% turn out for the B&G, probably the best attended event of the year even better than PWD. So the issue is that most families in our unit have had the sales pitch once. Should they be forced to hear it again? Should I be inclined to allow the pitch from someone who doesn't "deliver to my doorstep" when I as a unit leader has questions or need contact information? John-in-KC - We're a "Concerned Parents of Pack XXX", so techn

AS others have said - Welcome to the virtual campfire... pull up a log and a cup of coffee. The advice you have gotten thus far is good. I would just add a couple more things: 1) If the church is your CO, and the VFW wants to help you out, then have them work together. The VFW can give you anything they want to. I would suggest actual goods (i.e. buy the chairs and tables and give them to the unit / CO). Hard for the DE to grab them from you. Very easy for the DE to try and strong arm a cash gift away from you to the District. 2) The District does not own your unit, the CO

Awww schucks.... thats real nice of you to say Sooner fan. It warms my Go-Big-Red Nebraska heart to get a nice compliment from an Okie like that

Lisa (and everyone)- Thanks for the input. I'm the CM by the way. But I've spoken w/ our CC on this issue and we are in agreement. I guess I'd just like to know the 'true' cost per scout and then be told to fund raise around that figure. We had a banner popcorn sale last year (around 24K gross in a unit of 50 scouts). That put roughly 8K into the council right there from our single unit. That means our unit already pumped in $160 per scout to the council on popcorn sales alone this year! Our scouts and parents hustled to make that kind of sale. Yes it directly benefitted the u

I say it - thought it was funny as could be. If I could get away with it, I'd use parts of it as a promo for the BWD next year and as a gentle reminder to any over-eager parents that want to soup-up "johnny's" car for him. Then again - I am one of those dads that order extra special axle polish and tungsten plugs for weights every year..... Hmmmmm.... maybe I could get some radioactive pellets from a nearby nuclear power plant for next years car...... haaaahaaaahaaaa..... no one will ever run faster !!! MUaaaahaaaaa !!!

Kathy- Welcome to the forums and as for a Committee Chair (CC)... be organized, be detailed, keep a copy of EVERYTHING you ever submit to district or council and know that not everyone is going to like the decisions you and the committee have to make. Act in the best interest of the unit at all times, and if you must take a side, side with your Scoutmaster and senoir (most time in the Troop) committee members... they run the unit. Your relationship with the Scoutmaster will either build or break the unit, so talk / discuss often with an open mind and reach concensus before eithe

As I posted in another topic, I got hit up by my DE at roundtable last week asking if he could come to our next pack meeting and "re-pitch" FOS after the FOS district chair has already pitched it to the families in the pack last month at the B&G. Anyone else running into this issue? Frankly, I was left almost speechless. I mumbled something about our pack meeting being the last Thursday of the month (without confirming w/ him the actual date and time) and continued with a comment about how most of our families that could afford to contribute already had done so at B&G.

Glad I don't get a Monday e-mail FOS update as a CM for a rather "large" pack... I'd quit on Tuesday and make sure national knew why! I agree with FireKat- Yes, its a nessisary evil, but DE's need to learn there is a place and time and that the VOLUNTEERS do scouting because they care and want to help, not so we can pay the DE's salary. Case in point - we had our annual FOS presentation at the B&G in March. Fine alls well, right? Nope. I went to roundtable last Tuesday. I spoke to my DE before the meeting to ask about a point of contact for booth assignments at the

I think it all really goes back to the idea of scouting as "A game with a purpose". Leaders, but especially CM's and SM's need to strive for a good balance between the "game" and the "purpose". Modelling the behavoir is a must. Providing gentle reminders via SM minutes and "teachable moments" when at meetings or on outings. Having frank discussions about challenges youth face, the decision making process, and personal responsibility for actions. These are all important. A long winded lecture on a specific point in the scout law is likely to get tuned out by the scouts. Y

Yeah Lisa- Maybe it is how our local council does things... b/c we have been told in no uncertain terms that a local tour permit must be filed w/ council anytime any part of your unit (unit as a whole or a den) holds a meeting or outing at a location other than its normal meeting place! I've filed tour permits to take a den on a hike in the local trails within 5 blocks of my home, when my home was the "normal" meeting location for the den... go figure? I still think its a lot to coordinate for someone who is very new to the system. Many of the places you are supposed to try and vis

"Teaching our scouts to be "brave" is more than lifesaving and first aid in an accident...it's also tied to having the courage to take a stand when you know values are being breached. Much tougher to instill, but probably more important." I'd second that notion in a heartbeat.... especially given the recent history (last 10-15 years) of our country. We need to make sure the next generation KNOWS how to stand by their values, because the current generation in business, in politics (both sides of the isle), in the classroom, and a lot of times in the family have forgotten how to do this.

The mentor thing for new DL's is a VERY good idea and one that we try to do in our pack. Its twofold - its gives the new DL someone to ask questions. Hopefully this mentor is the person who was the Tiger DL last year, so all the issues are fresh in their head. Second, it leaves the CM and CC out of the equation so they can do what they're supposed to be doing which is plan and execute pack program. As an aside (ANYONE LURKING FROM AUSTIN - LISTEN UP....) BSA needs to do away with the "go-see-it" stuff in the Tiger year. I understand the intent, but to expect a green leader to or

A few reasons: (and yes DL is a MUCH harder job than CM...) 1) Burnout - the same 5 families are alwyas the ones to show up early, set up and stay late / tear down. Their kids are also the ones to ask if they can help with anything... the others you have to keep from tearing the hall apart either before or after the meeting. After 3-4 years of this, it can get the most gung-ho scouter in a funk. 2) BSA does not equal "Babysitters of America" - too many non-leader parents expect a drop and go expirience, much like soccer practice or T-ball. Sorry, it doesn't work that way. 3)

You can easily identify any "standing fees" that the committee would like to give the treasurer the authority to pay without a vote. Examples - recharter, BSA fee for new joins, Boys Life, rental on a storage shed (if your unit has one), badges / awards for monthly unit meetings, etc... No need to put every little expense to a vote - as long as there are receipts for the $ spent. However, its a good idea to have these in a written policy so there are no surprises and the person doing the books knows when they can cut the check and when they should ask the committee about it. Ad

"However, there should be no discipline performed that is demeaning, detrimental, or embarrassing. I thought this organization is for fostering the youth of our future." ..... I thought this WAS the definition of discipline? If you make a scout sit-out an activity as a form of punishemnt, are you not embarrassing them? You are denying them the opportunity to participate. I have not used push-ups (as I have cubs), but there have been times jumping jacks and "run a lap" has been employed for an individual or a small group to help burn off excess energy and promote betting listeni

Two things you state bother me a great deal.... 1) SM, CC refuse to show the books to the committe members or discuss how much is left in the account? WHAT? How can the committee plan the program if they have no idea how much money they have to opperate ?!?!? 2) CC and Treasurer are the same person ?!?! Not a good idea at all. SM, CC, and Treasurer should all be sepereate posistions and if at all possible not in the same family within the unit. Transparency builds confidence, secrecy breeds mistrust (even if there is no reason to suspect wrongdoing). If you are a regist

I have not gone through the NRA training, but have served as range OIC in the Army for medical training units... trust me - most MD's are more dangerous with a firearm than any 8-18 y/o boy !!! Guess the docs are trying to drum up their own business or something. Had 3 docs verbally complaining about being forced to be "rodded off" an M-16 range by my NCOIC. Guess what, 3rd doc in line had a live round in the chamber when the NCO rodded his weapon! That shut them up fast about the "stupid rules". Anyways - there is a way to get the point across using a command voice without the need t

Might I suggest a solution to the issue... 1) I would not want to discourage adult "helpers" - we have a hard enough time getting the volunteers we need. 2) We need to be diligent in providing oversight and protecting the youth. 3) Many units - probably more Troops than Packs, have adult leaders and volunteers that stick around after their scout has aged-out and help run the unit. Some do this in an offical capacity, others in an ad hoc capacity. What we have done in our pack... 1) Encourage every adult that wants to help to register as a committee member w/ the unit.

Not to veer too far off topic... I was told by multiple folks at our council office that the ban on Lazer-tag and paintball (or any other game in which you "shoot" something at someone) was done under the guise of H&S. However, the REAL reason for the ban is not the injury rate, but the ideological stance that boys should be trained at all times to treat a potential weapon as a weapon. i.e. - BB Guns and Archery are only allowed on a range, with a rangemaster. Therefore any other simulated weapon should never be pointed / discharged towards another person. This, I have bee

I hear they're tasty but its a lot of work getting all the hairs out of the meat!

They have to have gone to EITHER Day camp or Resident Camp... just one, plus the other requirements that are specific for their rank year. Each year, the requirements get a little more advanced. (i.e. Tigers must do Acheivement #5 and 3 from the list, Wolves must do elective 23b and do 4 from the list) I have posted the award requirements below off of BSA website: ******************************************************************************************* Requirements - Outdoor Acitivity Award All Ranks Attend Cub Scout day camp or Cub Scout/ Webelos Scout resident camp. Ra