frank10

Do not post upcoming dates for events. It puts the public on notice of when your home will be empty.

Bummer, can't try it because it requires a newer version of quick time than I can install on my win 2000 server system.

Wow, first time I said anything worth someone spinning off of! Print this out and put it on the fridge (to bad there's not a red star on it). Ok, how about this case, camping trip one, Dad and scout attend, second trip, step dad and scout attend. Are they on equal footing or do I tell step dad that he can't sleep with scout? In our case it wasn't a problem since we are a troop not a pack so boys sleep by patrols. But since they came up from the pack they must have either dealt with this or ignored it... How about an uncle? Cousin? ( by blood or marriage?)

Beef Stew! Any thing in a dutch oven. More fat than your mother would approve of. Hot coco and soup on demand all day.

Proud Eagle:Any follow up to report?

Just wait, it gets even more complex When you hit Webelos age... Mom's boyfriend can't share a tent with the scout. when you hit Boy Scout age... What to do with the mother pin when there is a step mom and a mom or when there is no mom... BTW: I like Lisa idea of any male will do.

TheScout: You missed more than you think... This change does not affect cable at all.

We've been know to issue the "frequent flier" award to the scout that falls out of his bed the most times in one night. Nothing wrong with a little something special to help the scout feel better.

only 4 1/2 hours... May she could throw in a round of the Gilwell song to beef it up a bit.

From the lame ones I've seen around town I'd have to say no there is no lower limit.

Ah yes, the ideal troop... Run by the Ideal Scoutmaster and his ideal sons and supported by his ideal wife. I heard they meet at the Stepford community club. Ok, now that I have that out of my system... Let me tell you a story (trust me, it relates) A bunch of years back we signed on to do a short white water raft trip at camp. Two hours of my life that I'll never get back. What they called white water was down right boring. About as exciting as a ride on the merry-go-round. We had such a bad time we swore we'd never do it again. And might have even said a few unscout like things to the river guide. To say the least this was not the ideal trip. Three years later another troop's scoutmaster invited us to join them on the same trip on the same rafts on the same river... We expected well, more of the same. Still don't know why we went for it... As soon as we cast off there was a different feel to this trip. There was active racing between the two rafts, some bumping some splashing, some pirate talking Arrr. When we got to the long stretch of flat water and were given permission to swim some one tossed the SM and SPl in. Nether went "willingly" taking a scout or two with them. Next boarding party from the other raft captured our almost empty raft and tossed the remaining scouts over board. In their haste to take over our raft they failed to notice the SM climbing up the other side of the raft. - Ok, I'll stop here because this could go on for pages. This was an ideal trip. I know you all see where this is going, it may be true but dang if it doesn't feel like a SM minute. An ideal trip or an ideal troop, it's mostly what you make it. If your looking to complain, you'll find plenty of stuff to complain about.

I told you it was time to pull out of California.

"A smoker weighing 140 lbs is just as likely to drop from a heart attack as a nonsmoker who is overweight.." Sure he is, but he's easier to carry. The kids can carry 140, for 250 they ask me to get involved.

OK, you can't just drop in and then not tell us what he did to earn it... fill us in (please).

Eamonn, It took a while with my decoder ring but I think I got it... FSB is Florida Sea Base and TS Fay is Tropical Storm Fay. Right?

Never seen a rubber stamp, but you can get an eagle cookie cutter at the scout shop (grin)

Keoki12, Wow, your first post has generated a lot of action. Looks like your son has found a way to make this work and learned something along the way. Care to stick around for a while and join in a few other threads?

Lisa, My son goes to gymnastics once a week for 45 min, it cost $530 just for the school year (summer is extra on top of that). Day care is $50 a day per child. Others can fill in the cost for soccer and little league. Point is, the worse things get, the better cubs looks.

I just spent the whole trip being thankful for the lack of rain and skeeters.

First thing you need to do is gather up anyone who is interested in the life of this unit and set a goal. It may be the case that no one wants/needs this unit to go on. If that is the case, retire the flags one last time have raise a mug to the troop that was. On the other hand if even a few folks want the unit to continue (hopefully the COR/IH is in this list) then create a "new" unit from the ashes of the old. Create a vision for what the troop should be. Example: With in the frame work set out by the BSA we would like to form a troop that is boy led, uniformed, meets 40 weeks a year, camps 30 nights, and well what ever the team saving the troop thinks is worth saving and changing. Are you going to be the type of unit that eats breath and sleeps in green and tan or more laid back or some where between. Local or far traveling? Tailgate or hiking? I know, some will tell me this is the job of the PLC but it is too late for that. This troop is dead. I'm going to catch heat for that one I'm sure. With plan in hand, find others to buy in to it, like the cubs... "we understand that the unit did not serve your needs and here is how we plan to create a new unit that will. We will need your support for it to work." Then use these supporters to follow the BSA plan for selecting a new SM. Than start off day one as a large troop with several openings and plan on how to fill them. Lets face it, approaching parents with an invitation to join a small and dieing troop isn't going to work.

I assume that the SM wanted this scout the advance and when he assigned him to APL it was his intention to use that as his POR... all the SM had to do was step up and tell the BOR that he had assigned APL to the boy as a leadership project. This would have satisfied both the spirit and the letter of the requirement. Dragging their feet (all around boy, mom and leaders) had ended his chances.

We do $5 for shirt or pair of pants both in and out. That plus my tagsale habit keep the closet stocked and to kids looking good.

CA_Scouter - "[ just so there is no doubt, this is just playful banter, no harm eh? ] " Thanks for getting the fun in this... And you right about the size of CT. I went to school at Penn State and folks would ask me what area of CT I was from and I'd have to tell them we only had one area in CT. An hour in any direction from my home and your either out of the state or in the water. (half hour in most directions)

Every day there are news reports about more deaths. Every night on TV there are photos of death and destruction. Why are we still there? We occupied this land, which we had to take by force, but it causes nothing but trouble. Why are we still there? Many of our children go there and never come back. Why are we still there? Their government is instable, and they have sloopy leadership. Why are we still there? Many of their people are uncivilized. Why are we still there? The place is subject to natural disasters, which we are supposed to bail them out of. Why are we still there? There are more than 1000 religious sects, which we do not understand. Why are we still there? Their folkways, foods and fads are unfathomable to ordinary Americans. Why are we still there? We can't even secure the borders. Why are we still there? The answer is clear ... we must pull out of California

Take the wheels home.