Exibar

Your credentials are impressive for sure.... however, WFA certification training is for when the EMT is days or weeks away, not a simple phonecall to 911.... it's to ensure that you stabilize the patient, make him comfortable until help comes in days, not hours.... OR get him out of the back country alive and safe if needed.... It is a different set of training skills then that of an EMT or Paramedic went through.... Although, any qualified Paramedic such as yourself, would be able to keep the patient alive.... I encourage you to take the training and then report on your honest thoughts.... my instructors were both Paramedics and we had an ER doc on staff as well helping out... it was very good training.... Mike B

thanks for the quick replies! Yes, I agree it's up to the MB counselor and not the SM.... however, how many consessions can be made before "too much is too much"... I suppose it's simply a matter of the MBC accepting the "spirit of the requirement" for the Merity Badge... as long as that is met in the eyes of the MBC, the scout has earned it... Ranks advancements are nto in question here, just MB requirements... I'll have to re-read the GTA as well...

How much do you folks bend the merit badge requirements for those boys that are on the autism scale? Do you not bend them at all and hold these boys to the same exacting standard as all the other boys? If you do bend the requirements, how is that fair to those other boys that followed the "as is" requirements? Does this even matter? there are alternate rank advancements, but there aren't any alternate requirements for Merit Badges..... leaving this up to "scoutmaster discretion" isn't exactly easy or kind on the Scoutmaster... looking for input, thanks all! Mike B

Huey, I'd love to chat off list with ya as you certainly have inside information about the park that would be HUGE to help plan the better routes there are... Would you mind sending me an email with your email address? Mine's exibar@thelair.com I couldnt' find a way to private message you through this site :-( thanks! Mike B

fundraising was mentioned in a comment... but not intrinsic to the original question :-) Troop size is 25 active boys. I have 9 crossing over in March that will be assimilated...

wow, guys.... please dont' take this the wrong way you're all a great bunch of guys.. all feedback is a gift, and I appreciate it all, really.... but honestly, many replies to me about how my troop should be more boy led, I shouldn't be planning this the boys should, etc etc... that type of feedback doesn't help nor comes close to answering my question I posed.... some posts had some useful thoughts though and for those i thank you, Resqman hit the nail right on the head though, thank you very much ;-) I see your point about the 18 training trips, which really amounts to 9 additional treks as the other 9 would involve the entire troop and be the monthly outing. all the boys in my troop have backpacking gear, although Im sure more gear/ better gear will want to be purchased, as that is one of our most looked forward to activities. they all know how to use their gear... but I see that many pack way too much, I'm hoping the training trips will help them lighten their load.... we'll have a couple full shakedowns in between during a troop meeting as well, so the entire troop will benefit. I see Resqman's point about 18 being too many.... maybe I'll just work in a couple extra training trips along with having the monthly outing more geared toward trek preparedness... the 14 year old age limit is because I do not want newly crossed over scouts to attend this trek. For the most part they'll be prone to home sickness and in general won't be as prepared. Of course, this is a guideline and if there is a scout that my SPL and I decide is ready and wants to go, and can pay for it, he'll be welcome.... the others will be in scout camp locally for that week.... someone mentioned the merit badges don't prove a thing that they're just checkmarks on a list... they do actually... commitment, and mommy and daddy cannot buy them a badge, they have to be earned... I'm thinking that perhaps just Orienteering and First Aid though.... This is not too much to ask of my current scouts to complete in 1.5 years... I dont' care if it's at camp this year or merit badge colleges, or on their own that they earn the badges... I want them to be committed to the trek with something other than having the money to attend... that's also why I want to make the training treks mandatory for both scouts and adults attending... can't make the training treks because you don't feel like it? can't go to yellowstone, sorry :-( I'm in a very affluent town, and some (not all, but some) feel money is the answer to everything... part of our mission as Adult leaders is to teach these boys that hard work, commitment, and accountability will get you further in life than Mom and Dad paying your way.... and we have to be fair to those that cannot simply whip out the checkbook as easily as others... fundraising is big on the list for the trek too... but won't come anywhere near covering 100%.... the parents have been told without fund raising it will be about $1000 out of pocket, but we're hoping to bring the cost down with fundraising, $100 due first meeting in January, $20 each month after that, with the balance due around March April 2015, before we leave when we finalize our airline tickets, etc. In any case, keep the comments coming, I appreciate them all, if anyone has any thing else to add as to how their troop prepares for a high adventure trip that will be in the $1000 range per boy, I'm all ears! :-) thank you all again! feedback truely is a gift, and I have some great thoughts to ponder and to work through with my PLC now! :-) Mike B

so true!!! there are limits or boundaries that have to be imposed, but nothing hard set in stone... the scouts have to learn to be accountable, they can't say they'll do something, and then not do it and expect zero consequences... some of the best trips are started and planned by the boys :-) I'll plan maybe one outing a year for my troop, helps to give the boys ideas of what's possible... the rest are on the boy's shoulders (aside from our annual Turkey cook campout... that's a given every year and all hands on deck!)

wow, Reqman, thank you very much for your reply this was *very* helpful! This was exactly what I was looking for, how another troop does this type of thing and not criticism or rants or "well your troop should be more boy led and not adult led".... My troop is boy led, and it's the BOYS that are asking for help planning this trip of a lifetime. I'm helping them with the finer points so that next time they can plan completely on their own and simply present their plan to me to see if they missed anything. Afterall, my job as Scoutmaster is to help and guide the boys right? :-) Thanks again!! Mike B

also I'm thinking requirements such as: 14 years old First Class or higher physically able to hike 10 miles per day for 5 days Orienteering badge first aid badge camping badge wilderness survival badge only able to miss 1 of the training trips (reasons for missing more than 1 will be considered)

I edited... I meant to say 2 training trips per month leading up to it.... anyone thing that's too much? We'd have at least one outing per month anyway, but I'm thinking an extra backpacking trip for the boys and adults going to Yellowstone.... the younger scouts would be optional for these treks... I also want to bestow upon some of the adults that have volunteered (read NOT currently scout leaders) that this is a serious commitment to the troop and not just a one time deal... My "core" leaders are all committed, trained, etc, and honestly that's all I really need, or ever had for backpacking trips too.... but I dont' want to turn away anyone that is committed, but I need a display of that commitment... I dont' want to rely on an adult being there and have them back out last minute, or worse for them to be a hindrance, or get hurt due to lack of training during the trip

We're planning on hiking Yellowstone in 2015. I want to make sure that any adult volunteers for the trip are fully trained and registered (obviously). I also wanted to set some training criteria for the boys (and adults) as well though. I have a couple firm criteria, must be 14 yrs old or older, must be an active fundraiser for the trip, must commit to the trip first meeting of 2014, everyone is responsible wholey for their own gear in their backpack, and must attend the training backpack trips. We'll be backpacking approx 10 miles a day while in Yellowstone.... for 4 or 5 days. I want to make sur ethe boys and adults are ready for the trip. I'm thinking 2 progressively longer backpacking trips per month over the 9 months leading up to the trip. But, what if a boy misses a training trip? What if an adult misses a training trip? What other criteria should be put in place? Obvious items such as backpacking gear, and knowledge how to use each piece of gear, packing lightly, etc etc should all fall into place during these training trips. We're a good backpacking troop as it stands now, but there is always room for improvement. I guess I'm looking for help developing a program that will weed out those that aren't really ready for the trip. I'm also concerned about some of the adult volunteer's I've received. I know these adults aren't ready right now, but just want to go because it "sounds cool to do". I think some boys arent' ready too, so I want to make sure the boys are ready to make the commitment for this trip. What kind of criteria do your troops have for a high adventure trip such as this? In a nutshell, we're backpacking in the back country of Yellowstone (yes I'm familiar with backpacking in bear country), we're looking at approx 10 miles per day, for up to 5 days. I don't want to be too strict, but I want to make sure we're all ready and committed to this high adventure trip of a lifetime. thanks all! I appreciate any thoughts on this. Mike B Scoutmaster T-31

Why is the Comm. Chair involved to this extent with Discipline and punishment of the boys? The ScoutMaster has the final say with everything pertaining to the boys, not the CC. I used to have issues within my troop when I first took it over... we had a few "bad apples" that were only interested in causing trouble... once I took over the boys realized that they'll actually have to earn what they receive, I now leave initial punishment to the SPL and ASPL... they have a heavier and more appropriate hand than I ever would. If something occurs that warrants my attention as SM, the boys bring the accused to me, and they plead their case. I have never had to send a boy home from a campout, never had to call the police, or anything like that. I've had one boy tell me to "screw off" after he was being increasingly difficult during a troop meeting, In that case I pulled the boy aside and told him I wanted to speak with his mother when she came to pick him up after the meeting. I mentioned it to her, and she had him write an apology to me and now he's the most polite boy in the troop :-)

first this weekend we had the naked pictures of a girl on a toilet popping up, now various links are getting blocked by malwarebytes on my computer http:// hjfghj.com / r.php is one of them from today.... looks like it's the banner ad that is right below the logout link to the right that is causing pain this time.... can someone PLEASE look into this??? I'll bet there are dozens of folks that are now infected due to these malicious web banner ads :-( Mike B

My expectation was that the Eagle recipient receive the Eagle kit, necker, and slide from council and perhaps a certificate to frame on the wall. It came as a shock to me that all they'd receive is a wallet card and a letter from council. I didn't have to pay for my own woodbadge class B/beads/necker/slide in addition to the course fees.... I wasn't expecting to have to pay for the Eagle kit... although we have to buy all the other rank patches so I don't know why this surprised me so much.... Great suggestions guys! I actually forgot about the necker and slide... I'll have to pick them up this week and add them to the list for future Eagles. Mike B

yes, the Centennial badge is in the kit, and I picked up an extra one as well. so it sounds like Council does give a bit, but you'd think that they'd give them the full Eagle kit instead of the troop having to buy it ;( I'm in SE Mass as well Frank! I Scott Brown's office has always been *very* accommodating for letters and such, to the point they've overnighted one that was needed in a hurry... guess my taxes actually picked that cost up, but it was great to be asked to have it overnighted. I've put in a request for him to attend the ECoH, and the local selectman always attends our major events. I ordered the flags for 3 of my potential next Eagles last year... his was one of them. I figured I'd rather have them on hand than have to scramble to get them. I'm really proud of my boys! :-) thanks guys! Mike B