Double Eagle

Bob, you got me on that Sager was not a male. I guess I didn't catch the connection. Call me naive. A couple of issues: The reference that it must be reported to the authorities is ok. Who are the "authorities" and who decides these "authorities"? Are the authorities clergy, police, council executive, counselors, CO, COR, Troop committee, or who? Symantics about "sexual harassment" and "sexual misconduct". A big margin for interpretation there. Liability on the leaders? When this is over and done, the younger scout will regret ever telling the troop leaders. I envisi

Bob, by the letter of the guidelines, you are correct. Isn't the G2SS and YP guidelines, well guidelines. They are not laws or orders. Hasn't the BSA left their interpretation up to the leaders to decide what is excessive. With all the legal stuff and kicking out of the troop, when would you have time to deliver the promise and put the outing in scouting. Isn't the intent of the guides to identify potential problems and offer a solution. I can't imaging how you can recruit leaders and scouts with a reputation of turning in every infraction of any guides to the local authorities. Bob

OGE, Your porn magazine incident is not that unrealistic. Having scouts that legally drove to troop meetings in town, Many of these older scouts were fully responsible for their actions. How we (as leaders) deal with their "trying to be grown up" ways is what says the most about the leaders and the program. You will never get cussing, smoking straw, name calling, or physical contact (reference "Ages and Stages")out of the scouts. You mention an opportunity to trash a leader's reputation. I think confiscating the book and if the scout wants it back, the scout with parent can have it

Gotta agreee with eagle_sm and Ed Movi on this one. I don't see this as a kicking out offense. Needing some counseling diffinitely, probably by a professional, the other sessions with troop leaders doesn't seem to work. Time warp to the 70s - 80s: Most of us grew up in a time when you could carry a pocketknife in school and not be expelled. We did the gym-antics and did some unscout-like behavior. Most of us have done something really dumb as a teenager and were glad we were never caught. Time warp back: Today the teenagers have a harder time than we did. Teen murders in sc

I disagree with Bob on kicing him out. One thing your unit has is a trust where the older scout can admit to the adults about the incident. Many other youths would have take the "I didn't do it" approach/defense. If he is able to open up and admit it, there is a doorway for the adults or a counselor to either open or close. Now is the best time to talk about the insert in every scout handbook about abuse. Granted I don't see this as a "boys will be boys" issue. This is not only bullying but abuse. My question is how the older scout's parent(s) took the removal from camp. One final

From the front door of my tent. Bob, maybe the big difference between the programs is the cause. In Cubs, the adults plan and resource the program. The Cubs have very little to do with what activities they do or don't do. Scouts, as you know, has the PLC (youth elected leaders) planning the program. Often times my way of fun and theirs differ, but its their program. Don't think that they get to do whatever they want and we are just there. Guidance and advice is always there. Having two teenage scouts, I think that I can kinda speak about the teenage mind. As Cubs, its easy

OGE, Congrats on being a bear. It seems like you have a bit of evolution (not another thread) in you. Being an eagle and bear. Does that make you a Beagle? From a birds eye view, all the critters seem to be playing nice. Until...

On the OA side of the house, you may need to transfer if moving to another lodge. This is fairly easy as long as you have a current membership and complete the paperwork and pay the transfer fee or dues for gaining lodge. If you sons were elected for the OA and not completed the ordeal. The lodge can write a letter to the gaining lodge explaining the scout was elected but not able to attend an ordeal. This should work. If problems, contact the lodge vice-chief for membership, if there is one. Keep in mind that you have one year from the election to complete the ordeal or they will have t

The PLC comes up with themes, events, and things that they want to participate in. The SM and/or SPL present these to the committee for the resourcing and practicality of the idea. Some ideas the committee votes on are: How/where to get troop T-shirts, Fundraisers, Budget, Transportation, Membership, Equipment buying, and community service opportunities. The PLC and the committee do not compete. Good communication between the scouts and the committee set the troop up for success. Get the committee to come to troop meetings to see their resourcing in action.

Parents that cross over with the scout are asked to help out in other ways than in cubs. In cubs, they are used to an adult role in the program. Taking them away from the adults and having the troop leadership (boy-ran PLC) working them through the ranks is ideal. This is a prime time to offer services and for you to learn about the troop. Many times, you coming in may seem like you are an outcast because the troop already has systems in place to handle the troop. Most SM and ASM were already there. Not that they don't need you but want you to let them know what you can do. In cubs, man

Fully support them. However. Rules for them: 1. If damaged, stolen, or lost, the scout's responsibility 2. If it is disrupting others, its put away. 3. If it is heard and has unscoutlike overtones. Its history. 4. Phones are for adults only. 5. Talkabouts are for leaders (SM, ASM, SPL, ASPL). 6. Never had them at meetings. 7. You bring it, you carry it. These are just a few I use. I don't see them as putting a negative nature theme to an outing. Most of us have our vices. I like to listen to the mulit-band radio I take. Listening with scouts, it can get interesti

Wow! Having thought about this a while and read the posts, definitely time for a meeting, have the parent present, with the SM, CC, COR, and even the committee. This will be one that you will probably win in the troop but lose the scout. From what I hear, he needs some real maturity quick, fast, and in a hurry. The answer is not with the troop. Its with the parent(s). She seems to be answering for her son. Time to hurt her feelings if it may. Its only a matter of time before other scouts and parents question whether the troop is worthy of their son's atention. The fire department is al

The number of hours does not make a project acceptable or not. It would be easy to drag out a project. He will do a lot of the manhours but in the resourcing, planning and leading. The muscle of the project should come from his help with his guidance and direction. Outside-troop-leadership roles are good for being a community leader but not for the scouts. I think the board will see this as a positive. If he didn't live up to expectations during his leadership role, he most likely fell under the ASPL. Troop JLT should have helped in expectations if conducted. It sounds like t

Gotta go back a few years. Loved the green uniforms. They were cheap, could be found everywhere. Any garage sale, or thrift store seemed to have them. The short sleeve ones had no collar, so a neckerchief had to be worn. You blended into the forest, "Leave No Trace" principal? Scouts were not afraid to get it dirty or wear it. It could be recognized by everyone because the style was worn for so long. The current ones look good in pictures and public but are too pretty in the field. Give me one that is an earth tone and as durable as the BDUs. OGE: I still have the green garters

GO!!! Having been there twice, once as a 14yr old. I think I can tell you that as a scout this will be an adventure of a lifetime. The fires closed some of the north area for a while but itineraries have been changed and safety is ever present. The hazards are nothing that the average camp cannot experience. The ranger doesn't abandon you. There is a lot of coaching and guiding in those days that he shares with the crew. Once the ranger leaves, the crew will be successful and will bond even more. It is the ideal place to live the outdoor portion of scouting. The scout will grow as big

Where to start. This sounds too familiar. Like earlier stated the Charter Organization has the say in the selection of the Cubmaster. The same for troops. Where you have only one person going for the position, I've seen where several wanted the positions of Cubmaster and Scoutmaster. This made an uneasy environment for the committee. Get help from your Unit Commissioner or Assistant District Commmissioner. This guy is way out of bounds with removing leaders from their positions. The Cubmaster should be working with the den leader coach to help you. Whether you have a disab

OGE, Last year I had a couple of the scouts get homesick. What I did was have some of the older scouts individually talk with the scout and keep them busy. This worked pretty well. Their blue state only lasted for about an hour and back to scouting stuff. Some precautions could be pre-written letters from parents and given secretly to the SM to use as needed. On the council level, if the problem is widespread, the parent's day at camp being closer to the middle of the week. Ours is on Friday. Wednesday is my recommendation, helps with depleting scout finances (that dang trading post ju

Ahhh, the magic of scouting. Keep the show going with positive comments and don't blow up about small mishaps. Seems like he got some independance and confidence all by himself (he thinks).

Mike Long has a good list. Go with that. Maybe these two are OA members that could put on a demonstration as part of camp promotion on fire safety. This could be conducted at a camporee or the other weeks of summer camp. Removal from position should be probably looked at more. Especially after a cool down period of the SM/parent. I've seen this happen a couple of times and it was more of the parent acting than scouter. They were not put in the position because of one incident, and maybe not punished to that extent for one. How did they take the action? Not only being punished at

We all love the weather rock. Caveman golf with a club made from local down wood. Tent totems megaphone from a downed birch tree. Hatrack Good luck.

cmjiam: Agreed on looking out for the son. As for individual accounts. Some problems come with that one. This seems a financial nightmare. Here's how. While it is in the bank earning interest, does the interest go to the scout or troop. Is the "account" an actual account or is it a portion of a lump sum included in the budget. What happens if the scout quits. Can the scout and/or parents give authorization for the use (at camp the scout runs out of cash and says charge it to his account?). Can the parent decide or just the scout. How will this be handled if the new troop does not ha

cjmiam: You referred in earlier posts to go to small claims court. This troop needs help, not court, not being abandoned, there are still scouts there that don't have a parent taking them to the other troops. You mention the promise, After leaving the troop I think ScoutParent should still persue help for the troop. What's the downside if they do? The troop doesn't have any impact on the moved scout. Moving the scout is a bandaid. Not the cure. Solve the problem with the funds, and also the management of the troop. You will never please every parent. You are so quick to side with one

acco40: The boy leadership does the shake-down. We,the leaders, fall in with them and do ours with them. I know, someone will still not have something. Ok you must be south of the Grayling, Roscommon, Mio area. They have the black flys. After scouting in the "Thumb area" I sympothize about your "other state bird". I've heard that if you put a harness on the skeeters, you can have them fly your gear where you want it. Caution: Failure to keep themn on a leash will result in your gear being lost.

nldscout: I know your area. Kiss Camp Portaferry for me. Loved it. Former Lowville ASM, before and during the merger. ScoutParent: It seems the tools were in place before the SM and wife were able to affect the troop. Back when you were #1 troop. What happened? Its kinda hard to see a troop fall like that. Has the committee changed from back then. What is the unit commissioner doing. If not unit, what is the ADC doing. They're there to help with troops, not the enemy. Better to not abandon the troop when all indicators say it needs help. Every troop goes through ups and downs,

acco40, I probably know your area pretty well. I think you don't have to deal mosquitos. Mostly "little black flies", real biters. The painful thing I learned is have a shake-down of what they have packed. Our troop meets on Thurdays and the night before a campout, we have them bring in their stuff and we lock it up overnight. They take a list home of what they need. Come Friday, they bring back the list and stuff. Thanks for carbon paper. We have our list in case the scout lost his. This seems lengthly but goes pretty quick. We do a lot of backpacking and they learn to really consi