Eagle92

If you are refering to recruiting, there are a numebr of ways for a troop to recruit without a feeder pack. My troop didn't have one from the time I joined, until about a year or two before I got Eagle. How did we get scouts? 1) Den chiefs. They were invaluable. 2) Inviting the Webelos to a meeting and camp out. OK so we rigged both meeting was fun one where we would have someone puttin on a display or talking about whatthey did. Best one was the SWAT team officers and the SWAT van. be we also has search and rescue folks withtheir dogs. Camp out was a "survival" camp out where we divided the Webelos into the patrols, taught them knots and lashings, had them help build patrol shelter, and some interpatrol games inthe evening. 3) Word of mouth. best recruiting is scouts talking to their friends.

OK this is bugging the heck out of me and I cannot contain myself. I've tried to hold it in and can't. WHO IS THE IDIOT THAT CAME UP WITH THIS?!?!?!?!?!?! ( and yes I'm am shouting at frustration at this idea.) As GBB said, Scouting is outing. I have Cub Scouts, yes CUB SCOUTS, chomping at the bit and driving me nuts as to when they will be going camping next now that spring has come. You should have hear them last night when I announced two camping trips April and May. Heck I lost one family b/c "we don't go camping enough." The kids WANT the outdoors (emphasis this time around). I have guys who are focus on sports througout the year and miss meeting and some activities. BUT you mention a camp out, they are there. They may be late coming from a game, or may leave for some time Saturday and come back that afternoon, BUT THEY WANT THE OUTDOORS. Now this next bit is anecdotal, but I am trusting the source. One dad told me last nite that his older son got so into Boy Scouts because the troop camps every month in all kinds of conditions, that he rather Boy Scouts than sports. Same dad said his younger son, is also starting to get more intersted in Scouting sicne we are now doing meetings outside and have cmap coming up. And I knwo that is a fact since the younger son is in my den. BSA went through a crisis in the 1970s when it took the 'Outing out of Scouting." from talkignto folks here and elsewhere, it appears that the old school, 'Hiking and Camping" troops that retained their outdoor program really thrived, while other troops that adopted the newer, "Urban Scouting," suffered. I know my brothers looked at troops when they moved, and didn't find a troop they liked. I bet their old troop was an established one, while the troops they visited were brand new since the area was just underdevelopment. If we take the OUTING out of ScOUTING, we will suffer as a movement. We learned this once before, and Green Bar Bill had to comeout of retirement and save the BSA. He's "gone home," and I do not think there is any individual, capable of doing what he did and save us if we continue down this trail.

Yep FL is hot in the summer. I did a month long training there that included 1 week in a dorm setting, and 3 weeks in the outdoors, including a 50+ mile canoe trip. Also spent some time in SE Louisiana and SW MS. Hot am humid there too. And let's not forget the mosquitos big enough to carry off infants and small animals . BUT you learn to adapt, improvise, and overcome. I am not going to say anything more onthe topic, i'm just going to quote a very wise man, "OUTING is three-fourths of ScOUTING." William "Green Bar Bill" Hillcourt, 3rd. ed. SMHB(And yes the author of the current BSHB royally screwed up the quote. Just do the 4th grade math to figure that one out.) and "ScOUTING is outing!" GBB, 9th ed. BSHB and numerous speakign events.

Nope, and for a variety of reasons. 1 reason is that day camps vary so much not only from council to council, but also from district to district within a council. Some councils will offer a CSDC every week of summer and have paid staff. Others are done one week and by volunteers. Some day camps are evenings only, others are all day for a week, still others are for a few days, and according to national a one day CS event that meets NCS standards is a CSDC. 2) Depending upon where you are getting staff far enough in advance to send them to NCS is a problem in itself. I can tell you if it wasn't for some last minute volunteers, we would not have been able to hold camp. 3) The focus of CSDC traditionally has been fun and not so much skills and advancement like Boy Scout camp. I do think that will be changing as I got parents coming up to me asking how does the CSDC activities relate to advancement. I expect to see more of this with JTE.

WWWWWEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLL I no longer have access to THE definitive dictionary of the English language, the OED-II, So I'm gonna have to go with the next best thing; The New Oxford American Dictionary (NOAD As I stated previously, while according to the dictionary, costume would be an appropriate word for anyone, and that's why I bet the writers of the G2I used the term, in the Native American world, costume is a derogatory and insulting word to describe what they wear. Here are the definitions of "costume," "regalia," and "outfit" from the NOAD: a set of clothes in a style typical of a particular country or historical period: 'authentic Elizabethan costumes' | 'a Chinese woman in national costume.'   a set of clothes worn by an actor or other performer for a particular role or by someone attending a masquerade: 'a nun's costume.' a set of clothes, esp. a woman's ensemble, for a particular occasion or purpose; an outfit. It's the second definition of costume that most people identify with. So when folk on the powwow circuit here it, they ARE insulted. Notice one of the synonyms of costume is.... OUTFIT Regalia according to the NOAD is the emblems or insignia of royalty, esp. the crown, scepter, and other ornaments used at a coronation.   the distinctive clothing worn and ornaments carried at formal occasions as an indication of status ( emphasis mine): 'the Bishop of Florence in full regalia.' distinctive, elaborate clothing ( again emphasis mine): 'young men, a few in gang regalia.' Word Origin: mid 16th cent. (in the sense royal powers): from medieval Latin, literally royal privileges, from Latin, neuter plural of regalis regal. Note(s): USAGE The word regalia comes from Latin and is, technically speaking, the plural of regalis. However, in the way the word is used in English today, it behaves as a collective noun, similar to words like staff or government. This means that it can be used with either a singular or plural verb ( the regalia of Russian tsardom is now displayed in the Kremlin or the regalia of Russian tsardom are now displayed in the Kremlin ). In fact, in English, regalia has no other singular form. Regalia has two definitions that fit better in the dance world. Depending upon the style, items worn and used can indicate status in a scoiety or a nation, hence the second definition of regalia. With all styles of dance it can be seen as the third definition. Outfit is defined as the following n.: a set of clothes worn together, typically for a particular occasion or purpose: 'a riding outfit.'   ( emphasis mine) [usu. with adj.] (informal) a group of people undertaking a particular activity together, as a group of musicians, a military unit, or a business concern: 'Tom was the brains of the outfit.' [with adj.] a complete set of equipment or articles needed for a particular purpose: 'a repair outfit.' v.: provide (someone) with a set of clothes: 'an auction of dolls outfitted by world-famous designers' | 'he outfitted himself in the best gray suit he could afford.'   provide with equipment: 'planes outfitted with sophisticated electronic gear.' Inflected Form(s): -fitted, -fitting As you can see the first definition applies. Now why am I going overboard on this, and I admit I am? Because on the powwow,the BSA, and the OA especially, does have a bad rep. Some of it is folks being disrespectful, even after being told what they are saying or doing, is insulting. Some of it is the lack of knowledge on the topic, the lack of interest, and also attitudes. I've seen folks do some do and say some stupid things that almost caused some major trouble. I've had folks who know all about dancing because they danced as youth 20, 30, 40 years ago. BUT they have not been to a powwow in the last 2-5 years. Native American is a living, breathing, and changing culture, and it changes as time changes. It has it's own fads and fashions. I am in the process or remaking most of my regalia as it somehow got badly damaged while it was in storage. I will be taking some time, when I can find it anyway, to make it a bit more uptodate and with current trends than how I made it 8-10 years ago.

I admit I've helped design a patch or two in my time. And I also admit i got my son hooked on patch trading. BUT it can definitely be over done. Some of the WB and NYLT "swank" as BP would call it is going WAYYYYY overboard.

I'd like to also see the Cub rank patches made so they can actually be stitched onto the uniform shirt, the way the sheet says they should be. But they're too large to do so. Actually the Cubs are too small nowadays Gotta remember the ranks badges are designed to go on a 8-10 y.o. shirt, not a 6-10yo.

Scouter. Please tell me you are joking. My old boss would have been p!$$3^ off at any one of us who would have sold stuff. Heck I got an attaboy for NOT selling some stuff off the shelves to 3 young ladies trying to play dress up for Mardi Gras. How did I know what they planned on doing? A) I knew the sorority they were in was planning a party as it was at my school, and B) heard them make references to the date of the party while in the shop. I asked htem for their membership cards, which they didn't have.

Scouter., You did state thjis in the OP: Do the other kids look up to each other or oogle my patches. But like a lot of internet, and real life, conversations, the topics tend to grow and mutate over time. Actually I think what's making my uniform over the top are not the knots, but the following: WSJ Centennial Ring I noticed one of my older uniforms from when I was a young ASM, didn't have much on it. No jambo insignia, no rings, no knots. It only the CSP, BROWNSEA Strip, Vet bar, numbers, trained strip, World Crest, Flag, and my favorite temp patch of all time: DON'T ASK ME, I'M ONLY A LEADER. Now I did see a gentleman whose been involved in Scouting since beforee WWII, and has been and continues to be very active. The guy had 6 or 7 rows of knots, jambo insignia, Powderhorn pin, WB regalia, etc. No centennial or jambo ring though, and he didn't look like a generalissimo.

Calico, Must respectfully disagree. While "costume" according to the Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. (OED-II) may be the correct term to use for everyone, both Native and non-Native alike, at the powwows I've been to, the Native American seminars I've been to, and to the dancers I have talked to and learned from, you never, stressing NEVER, call it a costume. The two terms used are OUTFITS or REGALIA. And it doesn't matter if you are a full-blooded Native American, half-blooded, or non-Native, it is called regalia or an outfit.

THE...BEST...EVER...FUNDRAISING...IDEA... ... Snow clearing insurance in Southeast Louisiana. There was a troop that went around and "sold" snow clearing insurance for $5 or $10. They insured that if it snowed, they would clear your walkway and driveway withing 48 hours of it snowing. To my knowledge they never lifted a shovel to date.

They do make uniforms that size, but they are custom made, and you need to buy 2 of everything. Contact a national scout shop for more info. GOOD LUCK!

That's one of the challenges when using personal gear for group use. I wrote about my story in the original thread. One idea is to budget some gear to replace the personal items, and find someone to store it. BUT if that person get's angry, it may cause some issues the same issues Best example of that was an individual who left Scouting under bad circumstances, and had a bunch of lodge gear. Going to college near where they lived, and not knowing the circumstances, I volunteered to pick it up. While I got the gear, and was my normal friendly self, I got a very cold reception fromthe individual, the spouse, and the son, all of whom I knew. It was only after I delivered the gear did I find out what happened, and it was not pretty. Ditto with personal, or in this case a troop's gear, being used by all. One local company donated some equipment with the intent that it would be used by all Scouts in the district, however the way the transfer was made to prevent council from picking taking the gear, it was given to one specific troop, and hence that CO owned the gear. While we the district did have access to the gear, when the troop folded, we no longer had access to it, and the canoes sat in someone's yard for years with no one being allowed to use them. good news is the troop has restarted,a nd we got access once again.

Gotta wait to get home to see trailers. As for scouts leaving camp.... WELLL I'm at a camp staff reunion, and one of the former staffers, who is a Marine and has been in the sandbox a couple of times, stated the only time he has ever heard shots fired in anger was.... when he snuck off to visit a local while working on summer camp staff.

Like any organization, you sometimes get the bad apples. BUT a good DE is worth their weight in gold. A great DE worht their weight in platinum. I know we all have complaints about bad pros, heck I have done it myself. But I know that without a small, stress SMALL, professional cadre, a lot of things we take for granted would not happen. When I was in the UK, one of the things I discussed was the number of pros they had and how things operate. They also have a smal cadre of pros, but they are mostly "wardens" at the various scout camps. One leader I talked to told me of the challenges she had getting advancement, it took her about 2 months because submitting the paperwork to buy awards goes through volunteers, and sometimes it is hard to catch up with them, esp. whent hey are on holiday. I know the pros in my council have driven around the council to get supplies for me to run day camp and a few other council activities. They do a lot of things behind the scenes. But again every council is different, and every SE is different. We currently have a SE who is program oriented. man I hope he doesn't retire anytime soon.

Forgot to add: Sorry 'Fish, we are having Blue and Gold tonite and I cannot make it.

E, You aint joking that ownership can get muddled sometimes. I know I had one chapter ticked off at me. Long story short, I lent, stressed LENT, some regalia to an individual, and I was unable get my stuff back before I moved. The guy was avoiding me apparently. 2 years later I return to the area. I am attending an event and I see the stuff I lent, as well as stuff I DID donate to the chapter, being used. I went up to talk to the folks and found out that the guy I lent my stuff to had gone to college and donated it to the chapter. I had to break the bad news to them that it wasn't his regalia to give, and showed them where I had marked the regalia in such a way as to prove it's mine, and I also showed them how on the regalia I did donate, I blackened out my name and put the chapter's name in its place. I was able to get my stuff back, but the folks were upset. Like I said previously, group gear sometimes does not get taken care of like it should. The stuff I got back was not in as good of shape as similar items I made around the same time. Heck I still need to make some repairs to them for CSDC this year.

I just remembered another conversation of a similar nature on ScoutStuff's facebook page. When they came out withe MB sash pin, I said it was the most ridiculous thing I heard of as a simple safety pin can solve the problem. Some mom made the comment that a scout might stick himself with a safety pin and hurt himself. I replied," we teach them how to use knives, axes, and saws, I think they can handle a safety pin safely." or words to that affect. SOOOOOOOO if we teach Scouts how to use an axe, there can't be a ban on other sheathed tools.

Oh I understand the price issue. I was just giving a but of history. In regards to my council and its budget, yes I know I probably heard it all before, and it went in one ear and out the other. But I'm doing an FOS presentation tomorrow and I looked very closely at the stats I was given. I was surprised at how important scout shop and popcorn sales are to the council.

Don't remember if it was on this site, MYSCOUTING.ORG's discussion boards before they shut them down, of it it might have been on scouting mag's facebook page, but somehow the topic of sheath knives as dangerous weapons came up and how they can hurt someone. I mentioned that a sharpened pencil could kill someone if it hits the right spot, but we don't ban pencils.

Scouter, A little history on TRAILS END and BSA, if memory serves. And if what I was told is wrong, someone enlighten me. Way back when, 3 or 4 councils out west lost UW funding, and needed to come up with a way to make up the lost monies. Cookies, and anything even remotely similar to cookies is out of the question as the GSUSA will go after ya. I believe one of the councils had the company that makes Trails End in it, and the relationship was born. Now TRAILS END is not endorsed by national, but as more and more councils loast money from UW, Trails End seemed to be the answer to make up the difference, and it sapread like wildfire. After looking at my council's FOS info, I can now how important Trails End is.

TAHAWK, Yep you are 110% correct. But some local jurisdictions have banned fixed blade knives. Cary. NC is one of them, and their are others around. I wonder how restaurants, school cafeterias, etc get around the ban in Cary

OK back More pros: regalia is usually very well maintainted Cons of personal gear. if you rely on one person's gear and they decide to no longer allow you to use it, you are in trouble. EXPENSIVE, I can't tell you how many hundreds of dollars I've spent on my regalia. TIME CONSUMING, I've been at it how many years, and I still do not have a complete set of regalia. DIFFERENCES Between Dance and Ceremony regalia. Beleive it or not there ar edifferent styles on Native American dance, and some dance regalia will not work with ceremonies, and vice versa. Trust me it takes a lot of planning to get some items to do double duty for both ceremonies and dance.

1) It's called regalia. A costume is what someone wears at Halloween and Mardi Gras. 2) Every lodge and chapter does things differently. Technically all OA group gear is owned by the lodge as chapters are subsets of the lodge and cannot own things. Some lodges distribute gear, some lodges have the chapters obtain their own gear and essentially it's the chapter's until something major, like NOAC and conclaves, when the lodge want the best stuff for competition. And sometimes each individual team member is responsible for their own regalia. If a person has extras, he may allow folks to borrow the extras 3) there are arguments for and against having both group gear and personal gear. Group Gear Pros: you know where the gear is (usually) New members can get into ceremonies, and in some instances dancing, relatively guickly with little costs until they get hooked. Cons of Group gear: Sizing can be a problem Folks sometimes do not take as good care as they should Lodge may "request" the gear for lodge use ( this can sometimes lead to hard feelings) Most lodges do stereotypes and don't do enough research to get it right. Pros of personal gear: It is the individual's personal stuff and not subject to lodge recall, or anyone's for that matter, Most folks when they make their own spend time researching the items, and spend a good bit of time planning and makeing it. More later

Base and Mom, There was briefly a 3rd option, but for whatever reason it wasn't popular, although I loved it. There was a company outta New Orleans that came up with a concentrated coffee liquid. It came in a bottle that you would squeeze the liquid into a measurement device similar to ACT mouthwash, except it was a tad bigger. Add that to water, or as I preferred it milk for cafe au lait, and voila a really good cup of coffee. You just didn't want to try it fully concentrated, unless you were cramming for exams and don't want to sleep for 2.5 days.