frank10

SSScout: only the dog catcher gets paid by the pound.

If if you think "physically strong" fits in a large shirt, I'd ask for your money back at the gym. Just sayin'...

I thought I had found the perfect way to teach LNT... You eating lunch in camp when you hear Chuck Noris is missing his lunch and looking for the guy who stole it, you look at the other side of your bag and see that It reads "Chuck, I packed this lunch special for you, Love Mom". It's time to break camp and move on. Chuck will looking for you. LNT. It seemed clever, it was easy to understand, it was funny... Told it to my cubs and they said" "who's Chuck Noris?" First Elvis, now Chuck. I'm even older than yesterday.

How hot is hot? Does it bring it up to shower temp of just mot cold? Boy guys your all like the guy who drives at 60 in the left lane having determined that that is the only speed any ever needs to go since 55 is the limit and 5 miles over is the exact amount you should go. So where's your cut off, flash lights are ok but no lantern? Can I use the Colman coffee maker or do I need to use the old tin pot? Sounds like it made his week of volunteering a bit easier and he might have more free tome and energy to do something extra for the boys. Now I don't need one for camp as our site is right up the road from the shower house But I know I'm a better leader after my shower... and I smell better too.

Knew a SM way back when who would give out carved neckerchief slides in the shape of a turtle for sticking your neck out.

The free uniform box never worked out for our troop. No one remembered to donate and the folks who needed them the most refused to take them. Another SM gave me the solution at work one day. Buy and sell them. $5 per shirt in or out. Now scouts are sure to bring in their out grown shirts and folks aren't embarrassed by taking one since they are paying for it.

Our troop buys an Eagle banner/flag from the scout shop and sets it out with a few markers so every one can sign in.

Doesn't have much to do with hiking, but troop rule - no external frame packs inside the tents.

Most camps will allow a scout to white tag it if he wants to, just come down to the water front and hang it on the board. Want to swim in the deep water, you get tested in the same water you will swim in. Testing in a warm indoor pool won't tell me how you will react to falling off the deck into the lake.

I'm a stickler for GTSS rules. I preach no exceptions and I mean it. We live by the letter of the law in our troop. Now I get to cub scouts and I try the same thing, "When staying in tents, no youth will stay in the tent of an adult other than his or her parent or guardian." Ok, not the Cubs guardian, your out of the tent (no, moms live in boyfriend does not qualify). But today I see that it says: "Male and female youth participants will not share the same sleeping facility." Some one please find me the part where it says that brother and sister may sleep with mom and dad on a family camp out! Please! We all know they should find me the rule that says it. So far I have avoided the "common sense says" that folks try to insert when it doesn't go their way by sticking to all requirements. There must be a legit way around ignoring this or enforcing what we are sure was not intended.

"Just between us"...

My interpretation of "solicit contributions" has always been that $5 car wash is fine, standing out side the store with a shaker can begging for coins is not. But the best news is that you can fill out anything you want on the application and it's up to the folks in the office to determine if it is OK.

1) Every week is week one to the boys. Even if it is week 6 for the staff. Trading post should have a full stock, all sizes and all kits, books and supplies. food should be the same as every other week. enough gear and supplies at the ranges. Hearing that you are out of one item after another gets old real fast. Each week cost the same, each scout deserves the same. 2) Staff are "on" anytime they are with in site of a scout. Friendly face and manors. Greet scouts as you pass them. Be ready with a kind word or a quick tip. If your not up to it, return to staff campsite or other staff only areas. 3) Eat and mix with the campers. Accept invites from troops for camp fires, dutch oven goodies or other camp site events. Interaction with the staff is a big part of camp to the boys. 4) Rules should have a reason. Don't allow staff to make them up just to show who is boss. Use them to address safety, legal and fairness issues. 5) Make sure each troop is having fun. Newer scoutmasters may need a bit of extra help knowing how much fun they can pack into a week. Let them know that you will do your best to see that the boys have 6 great days at camp. (and enough down time too.) 6) Ask for feedback over food not just at meetings. a simple How was your morning can give you more feed back than any formal SM meeting. 7) For troops that have limited adult coverage, offer to cover for them so they can get showers without having to worry about the scouts. You can't imagine what a difference this can make. 8) Be flexible. The SM may have caused his own problem but you may be able to dig him out of a hole. Remember, he is doing this for free and has limited experience with camp. I recall my new SM when I was SPL turning to me on the way into cam saying "I don't know how I'm going to keep the kids busy all week". No one told him there was a program, he thought he was on his own. 9) keep the tour short, no need for each area director to go on for 20 min about their area. Some of us have been in a van for 2 hours just to get to camp and can only take so much on day one. Too much info is like trying to take a drink from a fire hose. 10) limit list to 9 or fewer items.

Hey, I'm and official Knight of Yawgoog. (Have the patch and mug to prove it too. (t-shirt wore out years ago.) Look forward to seeing it.

We always assume that the person leaving the food had no idea and would have served it to their own family. I see it as good luck that they sent it to us so we can compost it. What I do get a kick out of is the exotic and high $$ items we do get. I wonder why they purchased it in the first place.

Only BSA would feel the need to post rules for standing on a rope. Will they offer their approval (within limits...) for sitting on a tree stump next? Stump sitting is now an approved activity however, stump must be between 12 and 18 tall and at least 10 inches across. Only one scout may sit on a stump at a time and spotters must be provided. No one shall sit on a stump that is more than 10 degrees off level how ever them may sit on the ground and lean against the stump provided there are no protruding roots and ground cover such as grass is present. Tour permit is required and Field uniform mus be worn by both sitter and spotters. (But yes, this looks cool.)

They must sell a whole lot of pop corn!

I'd say I'm more amused than outraged. Why exactly would some one want to buy an eagle badge even if it were on the clearance rack? What are you going to do with it? Adults can't wear them and how many youth members who are not eagle even want to be e=seen in uniform in the first place. May be some are buying them to complete a collection (think of it as a private museum?). Or maybe an investment so in another 100 years then can resell it? It's not like they let you jump line a the hottest night clubs. "Sorry sir, your not on the list... Oh wait, I didn't see your eagle badge and your beads, come right in and bring your friends, we reserved the VIP room for you".

History repeats it's self, historians repeat each other.

I've always counted me time in years, but now instead of telling folks I have over 27 years I'll tell them I have done the work of 16 volunteers!

Wow, wish I had your problem. You have your SPL captive for 48 hours at the adult camp site. Available to you for a long SM conf, a bit of leader ship training, a talk about the direction the troop is going and maybe a late night snack made in the dutch oven... Remind me again how this is a bad thing? Just keep him, your self and the other adult leaders away from the patrol.

Oak Tree: your seem to have a good "Foundation" for your opinion.

You know with St pat's day coming up I sure am glad the Irish don't go around whining about every one wearing green and dancing a jig.

Yep, every 4 years.

I'm not a derby nut, but I thought it was neat that there was a way for me to know which scale would be best to use next year. And finding one that only involved going to the store and picking up a new roll of quarters seemed worth sharing.