dsteele

I keep forgetting to tell you guys a story of a good turn done for a Boy Scout Council. One of the astronauts who died in the Challenger tragedy was from our council headquarters city. On February 1, every flag in town went to half-staff. Including the one in front of our council service center. Let me say that lowering our flag to half-staff is no easy task. The office isn't far from a high crime area and the tie off of the flag pole is about 10 feet in the air. It used to be lower, but we had so many flags stolen that they raised it up to make it more difficult. After a week, it was time to put the flag back to full staff. This entailed myself (ASE) and two DE's holding the ladder. When I looked at the flag, I realized that it was too tattered to be put back up respectfully. It was time for that flag to retire. We don't have much money, so we usually get our flags donated by the American Legion or VFW. It was Friday afternoon and we didn't have a replacement flag, so I decided we would go without one for the weekend. I figured I could make a few calls and get one donated Monday morning. When I pulled into the driveway on Monday, I looked at the flag pole. My first thought was, why isn't that flag at the top of the pole? Then I remembered that we didn't have a flag. I need to get one today, I thought. Then I stomped on the brakes. A flag was flying nearly at the top of the pole, but not quite. But wait! We don't have a flag. Well, maybe another employee got us a flag, dug out the ladder and put it up over the weekend. So I asked everyone in the office. Including every secretary and the custodian. Nope, they didn't do it. They thought I did it. So someone, with a ladder and a spare flag, over the weekend had given us a new flag. They couldn't quite get it to the top of the pole because it's got two sets of ropes (one on each side) and they sometimes get tangled. I'm just amazed that someone took the trouble to pass by, notice that we were without a flag, probably have to make another trip back with a ladder, a flag, and a couple of friends . . . all to make sure that the Boy Scouts of America could proudly fly the red, white and blue. And all without taking a bit of credit. I think we must be doing something right. BTW -- the DE's and I untangled the ropes and got it to the top of the pole. DS

First of all, welcome to the forums! It sounds like you've read enough to have some sort of respect for the opinions posted here and are now taking the plunge and joining us around the electronic campfire. Please feel free to post whenever it tickles your fancy. The more the merrier as far as I'm concerned. I have to admit that my first reaction to your question of counting council/district merit badge pow wows as activities was defensive. I've been wearing a council hat for 6 years now and it took me a second to think it through. My first reaction was of course you should count them -- is this guy saying that council sanctioned Scouting activities shouldn't count? Is he belittling his local council? Then I put on my old troop t-shirt, meditated briefly, and began to think like a Scoutmaster again. I know you're not belittling your council. You're interpreting the requirement as it is written. That led me to do a little thinking. There's a philosophical issue here and, while some will disagree, I think whichever side you land on is fine according to the guidelines I have seen. I think the intent of the requirement (You site the First Class requirement) is to get relatively new scouts involved in their troop and patrol and that's where the best scouting takes place. For the sake of activities and participation, I think you're right to count only troop and patrol "stuff" outside of the regular troop meetings as activities. Offhand, I can't think of other ranks that require a specified number of activities. You can reference the thread questioning what active in your troop and patrol means. It's full of lively debate that I have chosen not to enter. Re-reading your question, I'm guessing that you have parents telling you that you should count their son's participation in the district merit badge pow wow as a troop activity. This is a gray area, to an extent. On the one hand, it was a sanctioned Scouting activity. Whether your troop participated as a troop and made it a troop activity is up to interpretation. Did the Scout sign up on his own, or through a member of the committee, or yourself? Can the argument be made that the troop participated in the council/district merit badge pow wow as a unit? If so, you should probably side on the side of the Scout and let him claim it for his first class rank. If not, you can fall back on the exact wording you provided (I haven't checked it's accuracy, but I trust you.) The requirement clearly states "troop/patrol" activity. Sorry if I haven't provided a hard and fast answer. I don't think there is one on this issue. I can tell you that I tend to side with the troop leadership on this kind of thing. I'll watch with interest to see other opinions. Have a nice Sunday, nndawson. I hope you'll post more in the future. Welcome! DS

Joni: Thanks for the clarification. I didn't know we were talking about a recruiting issue here. Hopefully my suggestions will help. Nothing says that your camp has to be staffed by BSA folks . . . at least not that I'm aware of. Check local policies. It does say, in the Cub Scout Day Camp National Standards, that every member of the staff must be registered by the BSA. There is a registration status for camp staff that you could register non-scouters under without having to tie them to a unit or year-round responsibilities. Are there ladies auxilary groups? I think I just mis-spelled a word, sorry. Are three military spouses who could teach a craft, or cover other areas for a day? Perhaps you could turn to some of the locals or 15+ year-old children of military personnel. Just a few thoughts . . . DS

I could be shot for heresy, but that's never stopped me before. It's also why segments of my family were asked to leave the Emerald Isle . . . I agree that training has the flexibility, in the hands of capable trainers, to be adapted to the audience. I've done it myself. To expound on the above example, we once had a group of about 6 very experiennced Scouters who wanted to take Commissioner Basic, but were either unable or unwilling to give up an entire Saturday. The staff and I discussed it and we condensed the syllabus to a little over 3 hours. We didn't leave anything out, but with 6 knowledgeable Scouters it's difficult or impracticle to do the breakout sessions and some of the 30-45 minute sessions were able to cover the material in 10-15 minutes. Is that strictly following the syllabus? No. But I signed their trained cards with a clear conscience. I signed them because we had given those scouters the necessary tools to do the job. That was our intent as trainers. What I don't agree with are 4 hour syllabi that are covered in a 6 hour period. I remember when Cub Leader Basic was shortened from 8 hours to 4 hours. It amazed me that there were still several 8 hour courses -- using the new syllabus. Okay, sometimes there are questions that might extend the time a topic takes. But what did they teach in the other 3.5 hours? I don't know.

Old timer answer -- Get your hands on an old (at least '70's) Boy Scout Fieldbook. There was a lot of that type of stuff in there. There was a revival of it in the late 80's/ early 90's that was pretty good, too. That's where I learned how to do the chicken in the backpack, which turned out surprisingly well. DS

I forgot one thing. I don't know if the original source is Chief Scout Executive Roy Williams, but I heard him say it and I'll attribute it to him. It rang in my ears and continues to resonate for me . . . "Adversity doesn't build character. It reveals it." Roy Williams, Chief Scout Executive to an audience of Scout Executive and other top professionals -- Top Hands, August 2001. I liked the quote. DS(This message has been edited by dsteele)

Getting back to the topic of the BSA losing United Way funding regarding it's standards of membership . . . We won the Dale case in the U.S. Supreme Court. I can't remember which very high level BSA official said it to me, but I knew it to be the truth when he said it. This was while the case was being heard. He said, "Either way, we lose." Well, he was right and he wasn't right. I think many councils have taken financial "hits" because of it. I also think there has been an equal and opposite financial "gain" from donors who admire us for sticking with our values. I think many United Ways have taken "hits" and have passed those on to their local council. I also think that those "hits" to the BSA have been their loss and our gain. I believe that the United Way has a right to determine who to fund and who not to fund. I also believe the BSA has a right to seek alternative funding, even if it violates United Way rules (which are many) to do so. The council, however risks the wrath of United Way if it breaks those rules and United Way risks the wrath of the silent majority if it fails to fund the Boy Scouts. Now I'm going to go upstairs and watch a movie. It's Saturday, after all. Have a nice one. DS

Hello, folks. I've been monitoring this thread with interest and remained have remained silent. However, my wife is off visiting her cousin overnight and I'm bored. So what the heck? I'll kick in some thoughts on why you need live trainers. The discussions that occupy most of this thread have lots of good opinions on all sides. I'll leave the debates to the good folks who do the NLE and other training. I recently covered a roundtable for a sick district executive. The topic was youth protection training. I'll probably be reprimanded by some on these forums for not diving in and saving what I thought was the worst example of youth protection training I'd ever seen. Let me defend myself by explaining that I was there, but I was nearly as sick as the DE was. I literally sat slumped in a chair in the back of the room half-dozing through the training. Therefore, I was a small part of the problem. Besides, as a professional, I've literally sat through that tape easily 50 times. The trainers prefaced the tape by saying that this is something we have to do. They pushed play. Then they did nothing for the next 55 minutes. The tape played. People kept up their side discussions. About 1/3 of the room pretty much ignored it. There are discussion items built into the tape. They are timed, with a countdown on the screen. This is mostly where I've seen YPT screwed up. The trainers simply let the tape run. No one (myself included, I was bad) led a discussion. The trainer shouted "break" and more people left the room. At the end of the tape, they hit stop and that was that. That part, they got correct. I've also seen the opposite happen. There are folks out there who schedule 2 hours for youth protection and shut the VCR off for the discussions. They then start war stories and attempt to embellish what is pretty clear in the tape. I don't believe in that, either. The tape is designed to be run. The training should be 55 minutes and not stopped once it has begun. The trainer should not engage in war stories, nor entertain them. If there are questions that don't fit in during the designated discussion time, refer them to their Scout Executive. Or refer them to the online Youth Protection Training. Okay, so there are my thoughts on Youth Protection Training. As to the other thoughts in this thread, I think it's great and healthy to see good trainers debating the finer points of scout leader training. However, you're all far more familiar with the most recent syllabi than I am and I will leave that discussion to you. As long as I don't see any gross violation of rules, I'll continue to make mental notes of excellent suggestions and "don't go there's." This response, before anyone gets jumpy, only came about because (no one suggested it) I'm just afraid that the day may come when someone will hand a YPT video to someone and say, "Tell me when you've watched this and I'll sign your card." That's very different from taking the training online and passing a test. I know you guys would never do that, but someone reading this thread might. DS

Yes, there was a tragedy last summer at a camp in Wisconsin. I had only left that council about 30 days previously and knew the kid, the camp director, the council program director and the Scout Executive as well as the officers. They did everything right and still there was a tragedy. A perfectly healthy tree got knocked in half by a brutal wind and fell on a tent. One Scout was killed during his first week of Boy Scout Camp ever. His tent-mate survived. These types of tragedies are very, very rare in the Boy Scouts of America. Don't worry about it too much. As to your concerns -- Eating right? I sure didn't. But that was my fault and a bout of constipation taught me the importance. Getting enough sleep? I didn't do that, either. I played Dungeons and Dragons deep into the night. The Camp Director insisted we were all present for morning flag ceremony. I caught naps during the rest period. The lack of sleep wasn't management's fault. It was mine. But once it caught up to me, I learned. I forgot again in college, but I learned. Keeping in the good graces of management? I did that. But only because I cheerfully showed up to where I was told to show up and when I was told to show up and did what I was told to do. Complex sentence, but as long as your son does it, he'll have no problem and will be invited back again and again. Good luck to you and your son. DS

I'm not a tax attorney, nor do I play one on television. I am a professional scouter, so I may be able to provide some insight. The couple can donate directly to the troop. Taking the tax deduction, however, is where the problem lies. The troop, unless it has filed and been approved as a 501 © (3) charitable organization is not a tax-deduction-maker for individuals recognized by the IRS. There's a similar thread asking how much money a troop could make on a fund-raiser and the answer is that there isn't a limit. This has to do with the non-profit status of the troop. I like the first suggestion of having them make the charitable donation through the chartered organization, if it's a 501 © (3). If it isn't -- if it's a business, or American Legion, Kiwanis Club, etc., then the gift still isn't tax deductible. Most service clubs and veterans groups aren't 501 © (30's, but they may have attached foundations that are. Of course, if the donation is made to the council, it would be deductible. However, I know I wouldn't want to have to administer a gift made to my council for one specific troop. Sooner or later, someone would accuse "council" of stealing the money or mis-directing it. Our accounting system isn't really set up for that. It could be worth discussion with your Scout Executive, Assistant Scout Executive, or Finance Director. Perhaps they could work something out where the couple writes a check specifically for your unit account at the office, but that kind of thing is up to your local leadership. I don't know if I've cleared the air or muddied it up. I hope my 2 cents helps. DS

Quite often I'm able to refer to a document or memo that I have received from National by nature of my position to back up what I'm saying. Now I'm going to use the fact that I haven't received anything from National regarding HIPPA to back me up. I believe that if HIPPA (which I'd never heard of until I read this thread) applied to my council, that I would have received multiple memos explaining how to comply. I have received serveral memos, for example, over criminal background checks and related areas such as what to do with an individual who refuses to give SSN (reject them) and what to do about an individual who has no SSN (that one's so rare, I forgot the answer, but I can find it.) Nothing, however, on HIPPA. I think we're in the clear. I do want to point out, however, that in my experience, the health forms are returned to the camper at the end of the session. Only the camp medical log is kept on file for at least seven years. DS

KG: I'm not a parent, so it's hard for me to imagine what it must be like to let your son go off to a camp (as a staffer! Whoever thought that day would arrive so quickly?) several hours away for 9 weeks. My guess is that it's probably harder on you than it will be on him. I started out by saying that I've never been a parent. That's true. However, I once was a first-time staff member. Then a second-seventh time staff member, then an Assistant Camp Director for 2 seasons, then a Program Director at camp -- so I know a little something about what's going through your son's head. I'll start by giving some parental assurances: 1. He's been to Philmont. He's proven self-reliance and Scouting skills. He'll find camp staff duty pretty darn easy after that. 2. The Camp Director wouldn't have hired him if he didn't feel that your son would be an asset to camp, or if he had fears that the Scout wouldn't make it. There are still a whole lot of kids at the first-year staff age who would give there eye-teeth to be on staff, so there's no need to look to hire anything other than the best. 3. Your camp director isn't working in a vacume. His Scout Executive, Assistant Scout Executive, Program Director, or whoever is overseeing the camp operations from the professional side is, I'm confident, well-informed of who is filling which positions on staff. He may not know your son personally, but he's made sure he's a quality staff member candidate through the camping committee, etc. 4. Nine weeks may feel like you're sending your son off to college or to boot camp. I'm sure you'll miss him and worry about him far more than he will about you. Don't worry. The BSA realizes that staff are youth and they are supervised far more than they realize. Now let's talk about what (I don't know your son, so I'll have to remember what I felt when I was going off to camp as a first-time staffer.) I was excited! On my own, at least in my brain, for the first time. I was nervous -- I really didn't want to screw up my first job. I asked a lot of questions that drove the Camp Director nuts, but I wanted to make sure I knew what I was going to teach and that I knew my stuff. I ended up having the time of my life. So much so that I've been either a camp staff member of professional employee of the BSA for over 22 years. Oops, my apologies, KG. Now I've given you something else to worry about . . . your son might become a BSA professional! Relax, in spite of my abnormality, I'm sure your kid will have a great time. DS

The Boy Scouts of America is strong. We will survive. One of the reasons we're pushing so heavily on endowment gifts is the article posted above. Gifts given to endowment can not be spent. They are invested in funds and the interest can be used to pay for Scouting operations as needed on a day-to-day basis. There are tax advantages to donors as well as the satisfaction of knowing that the $1,000 you gave for the James E. West Fellowship will always be there, generating a few dollars for Scouting forever every day and every year. If we had enough in endowment, it wouldn't matter what others thought of us. DS

Here's an official non-answer. I say non-answer, because the Boy Scouts of America, in the case of the Cub Scout and Boy Scout programs sets minimum joining requirements. There is no age maximum for Cub Scouts and for mentally or physically challenged Boy Scouts. That choice is left up to the parents with the acceptance of the unit the boy joins. If the foster parents feel the boy would better benefit from becomming a Webelos, then Webelos it is. If the leader will accept him. He meets the age requirement for a Boy Scout Troop and it sure sounds like it shouldn't be too tough to find him one. Again, the vote of the parent is the over-riding factor. I would recomend a meeting such as someone described -- with yourself, the foster parents, the Webelos Leader and the Cubmaster. Evaluate what everyone feels is best for the boy and then put him in there. I think the Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA) is an outstanding organization, but if the BSA made the age the only standard, I never would have had the honor of participating in a court of honor for a 40 year old mentally handicapped man who took 20 years -- and a lot of work -- to earn his Eagle Scout. That was a cool moment! DS

David -- Mr. SPL -- you have received some excellent advice here. Congratulations for taking your troop down this important path. There is one tool that can help the adult carry out the plan you and the PLC will create. It's called the Ideal Year of Scouting and is available through www.trails_end.com Your unit can creat it's own private page and it will allow someone to input the troop's entire schedule for the year as well as costs, etc. That's the main benefit I see. It's heavily geared toward the popcorn sale (big surprise, huh?) and will tell the unit how much popcorn each Scout needs to sell if he wants to pay for his entire program year of Scouting. It also allows for the management of Scout accounts. It's quite a system, even if you don't sell popcorn. Good luck in your endeavors as Senior Patrol Leader -- one of the best positions in Scouting! Dave

I hope they keep the Minuteman name as well. It is a noble name. As far as movies about the revolution, there aren't as many as I would like to see, but I can think of two that do a very good job of explaining the circumstances that led up to it. Those two are Johnny Tremain and 1776. The newly digitalized 1776 just came out recently on DVD and is well worth the 20 bucks or so. I think I've got that thing memorized . . . DS

eisely, Thanks for clearing that up. I was wondering what you disagreed with in my long post. Not that there wasn't anything to disagree with. Anyone can disagree with me anytime they would like. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, even if it's wrong . . . hee-hee-hee. I enjoyed the Jefferson Davis Council idea. However, didn't he die in exile? I don't remember. He doesn't stand out in my mind as having the same nobility as General Lee. DS

Interesting question. It applies differently based on the status of the organization. There are rules for 501 © (3) organizations -- like Scout councils than there are for units. Check with your local council fund-raising professional or Scout Executive for clarification and application of BSA rules specific to that fund-raiser. I've served one pack who bought a dump truck (with pack funds) based on their profits from a well-run popcorn sale and specifically for moving their gear around for outings as well as picking up their popcorn. Unbelievable, but not against the rules. I've served a troop that had nearly $50,000 in cd's in the bank. Again, not against the rules. Another had a ton of money in its treasury. In all cases, while their funds were not against the rules, there was a lot of in-fighting in those units over control of the funds as well as philosophical debate over what the unit should pay for and what the parents should pay for and what the Scouts should pay for. At the same time, the BSA has definate rules about fund-raisers. The most pertinent are found in grey type on the back of the unit fund-raising permit. For example, I recently got a collection call from a fund-raising company. The unit had ordered "scratch cards" from the company and hadn't paid for them. By the way, that's not a council problem, that's a problem for the credit rating of whichever unit leader signed the contract. I did a little homework as to what the "scratch cards" were and found that we never would have approved it as an appropriate fund-raiser. The idea is that the unit buy scratch cards, like lottery cards. They offer two types -- donation cards and candy bar cards. In the case of donation cards, the Scout asks folks to scratch off a square. What's underneath is the amount of the donation the person has to make. It varies from 5 cents to $3.00. in the case of the candy bar card, you scratch off to find out how many 50 cent candy bars you didn't buy from the Scout and then give him the money. Sorry. Doesn't fly. No value received by the donor. The council can ask for outright gifts because it has a license for fund-raising in such a way. It is also a 501 ©(3) organization recognized by the state and the IRS. One final piece of advice -- don't mess with the financial rules. Check if you're not sure. Financial issues can spill out of the BSA and into the court systems very quickly and you might find yourself on your own quickly. The above paragraph is not directed at Le Voyageur. It's just general advice. Le Voyageur, from a council perspective, I'm curious as to what the fund-raiser is. Our endowment fund could use a charge . . . DS

Excellent point. Most kids that go home mid-week from summer camp never quite muster the courage to face their buddies at the next regular troop meeting. I have been known to point that out to a Scout as one of my last aces. It usually works, and then I take the kid fishing. I rember my first year at Scout camp. They used to have parent's night on Wednesday night (the camp is close to town) and then the parents would leave. I think the logic was that if the kids could see their parents mid-week, they would have the strength to last until Saturday. For me it had the opposite effect. Seeing them made me miss them. And that night it rained. Hard rain. We got soaked. The next morning I was wet, miserable, and just wanted to go home. I saw two staff members crossing the parking lot, arms hooked at the elbows, singing, and jumping in puddles. I joined them. It was fun! My parents ended up having to drag me out of there come Saturday! DS

Interesting topic. There's a reason professional scouters refer to council headquarters city. Actually several reasons. One reason is it tells us which region it's in. Another is that the name of the council can change and usually changes more often than a council moving it's headquarters. I don't know the statistics, but it makes sense to me. Just remember that a name is only a name. I was kind of torn when my local commmunity opened debate to changing the name of Garfield Elementary (named for President Garfield) to the name of a local civil rights activist. The civil rights activist deserves high honor, but wasn't a general or an assassinated President of the United States. He just happened to have died more reently. I thought about pointing out the difference in scale to the public in a letter to the editor and then came to the realization that the name of the school isn't nearly as important as the education being deilivered and accepted within it's walls. I don't think the council means any disrespect to General Lee (who, in spite of his class ranking at West Point, was an excellent soldier. He fought for states rights as a member of one of the founding families of the Colony of Virginia.) I remmeber a similar uproar when the Grand Rapids Council (who's name I don't remember from 15 years ago) decided to change it's name to the Gerald R. Ford Council. A name doesn't define the council. It's members define the council. DS

The thought of treating phone cards as electronics is interesting. I'd be tempted to steer you in that direction, but let's spin it a bit. A lot of troops keep "banks" for their Scouts at camp. This would be an adult in charge of the cash they bring. The Scouts can make withdrawls and deposits. Why not include phone cards, with the insistance that they not be included in the money amount, but treated like protected property. The kids should understand that losing a $5.00 phone card is like losing a $5.00 bill. This would allow the adult to question the "withdrawl" of the card when the Scout asks to check it out. It also would presereve the peace of mind of the parent who bought it in the first place without forcing you to backtrack or take away privileges. As far as the camp director who says the phones are broken -- he'd better be telling the truth. I don't believe in lying to the Scouts. It doesn't fit with the oath and law. (although, I have to admit that I did cheerfully participate in one campout where all the adults set their watches one hour faster and got the kids to bed early. DS

I wouldn't call it term limits. In my mind (translate -- opinion) a district or council registration, like most unit registrations, is for a period of one year. There is no term limit per se, but there is an evaluation at the end of the year. In fact, if one were to dig into the annual meeting and nominating committee processes for district and council positions, I think he/she would find that all volunteer positions in the BSA are for one year. There is no set limit for the number of consecutive years. Some councils and districts take the issue more seriously than others, as do some individuals. In one position I held in a previous council, the OA advisor officially resigned once a year if she wasn't asked to go for another. In her case I refused the resignation. In other cases, I went through the process to find another. It holds similarly in the unit charter. The Institutional Head/Chartered Organization Representative is asked to sign the charter. Their signature re-approves all "old" adults and approves any new ones (in addition to applications for the new ones.) The council representative -- whether that's the Scout Executive, DE, or other leader such as a commissioner) signs to certify that the charter is true and correct. The unit leader signs off on the youth portion of the charter to certify that all youth currently have her/his approval to be members of the pack/troop/crew. Generally speaking, the term of office for any position is one year. Whether you've seen it or not, there is paperwork for districts and councils. On occassion, and for varying reasons, a unit can be granted a charter of no less than 6 months and no more than 18 months. Those would be the general terms of office for the leadership. That doesn't mean that leaders can't be removed in the interim -- a different topic, but one year is generally the term. There isn't a limit to the number of terms. That is between you and your district's nominating committee -- in whatever form that may take. I don't know if I've helped or hindered the topic. I hoped I've helped, but there is a great deal of variance world-wide in the process of nominations and terms. DS

Acco40 -- ya got that right. The kids aren't the problem, it's usually the parents. The story comes to mind . . . Okay, I'll admit that I was one of the first Reagan Scholars at Eureka College. If you'd like to check that out, go to www.ec.edu and look up the Reagan Scholarship program. It was based on leadership and I got it because of my youth involvement in Scouting. My point is that I've developed the story telling style of my buddy Ronald Reagan. I can't help it, but that's why you have a page down button. I was assistant camp director and one of the parents wanted to go check up on his son who was on the first-year camper outpost evening. I said sure, and off we went. I should have asked more questions. I also should have asked for directions to the outpost camp site. I had a pretty good idea where we were going, but I wasn't sure. Anywho-- this Dad and I drove to the road that lead to the general area of the camp-out. We drove as far as we could and started going cross-country. As we plowed through the brush, he explained to me that he was an off-duty DNR officer and had heard that there were going to be thuunderstorms that evening. Warning bells went off in my head, but I was a 23 year old D.E. and led him in the general direction of the camping area. At one point he turned to me (actually, now that I think about it HE was leading me,) and said, "We're getting close. I smell smoke." I pointed at him with my freshly lit cigarette. "Are you sure it isn't this smoke?" He said, "No. I smell wood smoke." I can assure you that the cigarette was out and the butt in my pocket before we found the campsite a half hour later. What the DNR guy did shocked me and really ticked me off. When we found the campsite -- there was no campfire, by the way -- he grabbed his son by the shoulders and shouted out in a loud voice, "There's a severe thunderstorm on the way. Make sure your tents are pitched tight and don't be afraid!" It was a long walk back to the main camp with a bunch of (it turned out unnecessarily terrified) first year Scouts who were more than perpared to weather the thunderstorm. I walked with the terrified boys. It was another long walk, in the rain and alone, to retrieve my car. I don't blame the boys for being afraid. But we had weather radios and there's a reason the BSA requires letters on file with the sherriff, etc. Those guys come out and warn us to seek shelter when the weather is really going to be bad. Then we take ever option available to make sure everyone is safe. This guy just listened to his weatherman. I blame myself in part for not asking more questions before I led him out. DS

I have to admit that we're off topic here, but I've never found a cook book called "Fantastic British cuisine." So, okay, I'll buy that the stuff isn't motor oil. Wheel oil is probably more accurate. However, fellas, the one that took the cake for me was the perfectly American dish they tried to serve me in college -- peanut butter soup. I passed on that one. And this is coming from a guy that had no trouble eating guinea pigs in Peru . . . At least they tasted like chicken. Grin. DS

Joni: Let me begin by saying that I don't believe you've bitten off more than you can chew. I think you'll be just fine. It's been a long time since I attended or taught at national camp school for cub scouting, but I believe that the short duration of your program means that you don't have to meet all the standards set by national for a Cub Scout Day Camp. Your Scout Executive and/or camping committee made that determination. They may call it Day Camp, but I believe the standard is set for a duration of time and that your's falls under the category of a council activity. That means you don't have to head to Missouri from Japan to attend a weekend camp school. As for specific advice on how to get started, let me see if I can help you at least in some small way. I agree that it's late in the ball game (depending on when your camp is.) First of all, consult with your director and DE. Is there a committee? Has a theme been decided. If so, find out what it is. If not, then pick one. Under the Big Top, Things from Outer Space, whatever. Once the theme is chosen, it will help you decide which games, crafts, staff uniforms, t-shirts, whatever you want to use. Then recruit a staff to do them. Or recruit a staff to develop the program they'll offer according to the theme. Develop a schedule. Regardless of whether this is a council activity or certified Day Camp, the day should begin with registration, parent orientation, and some sort of meaningful opening ceremony. You should rotate the dens through a schedule so that each kid gets to participate in each area at least once and post the schedule in clear view. This is all stuff your DE or staff advisor should be able to help you with. There should be a rest period after lunch, during which a theme-related, but the kids-just-get-to-sit-there program can be put on. At the end of the day, close with a meaningful closing ceremony. If you can fit it into your time-table, have some sort of parent activity where they can watch their kids -- like a campfire with skits. I hope this helps. DS