FScouter

How dumb.

"it is worn in a different location as a Boy Scout (below pocket) than as a Cub Scout (above pocket)." Could you please clarify? What is worn above the pocket as a Cub?

"Wearing the uniform, as a youth or adult, sends a message." A quote worth repeating.

There are other places to display patches: brag rag, trophy hide, patch vest, back side of merit badge sash, blanket, back pack, a hall of honor at your house, a scrapbook, among others. The uniform is not the only place for patches.

"Those at Council or District level get paid to right these sinking ships." I'd disagree. DE's get paid to guide and assist. If a unit is insistant to ingore help, the ship will surely sink.

"Remember the summer of 1968? I sure do, I was a Life Scout in the suburbs of Chicago. After the Democratic Convention the adultsin the Troop decided it might be best if the scouts kept their uniforms in their closets for awhile, which made sense, especially to the youth." "The whole world's watching, the whole world's watching, the whole world's watching, the whole world's watching ..."

Welcome to the forums Victoria ! You'll find us a friendly bunch. Introduce yourself, tell us how you got involved in Scouting, and how you're involved with Scouting Magazine.

Let's implement some of those Ideal Ideas and help move the world closer to Ideal.

Discussion, debate, questioning, and a sharing of experiences in a manner that respects others is what we should be striving for. Posts that are derisive, antagonistic, argumentative, or otherwise impugn the integrity of others, with no other apparent purpose have no place in a Scouting forum.

Ed, Bob, and Backpacker: Your off-topic and un-Scoutlike comments about each other are not welcome on these forums. I have deleted the most offensive portions of your recent posts. The edited posts of you three contributed nothing of value to the discussion and are offensive to other members of these forums. Opinions, discussion, and debate are welcome, but there is no free speech when it comes to personal insults. FScouter moderator (This message has been edited by a staff member.)

"Turn your energies on how you can better the youth in your unit. Instead of wasting time debating over stuff that nobody will ever agree upon. (Uniform police please forgive me)" If we don't debate about stuff that nobody will ever agree on, we may as well shut down these forums. So, to continue the debate, I'll state we can better serve the youth in our units by utilizing all 8 methods of Scouting (including the Uniform Method), to achieve the aims of Scouting, to fulfil the mission of Scouting.

Fred is correct and I'm going to retract my statement. In addition to Fred's citation of the Cub Scout Leader Book, the Insignia Guide says "The general rule is that badges awarded by organizations other than the Boy Scouts of America may not be worn on an official uniform." Exceptions include religious emblems and special badges approved by local councils such as Historic Trails. It also says "Temporary insignia are issued for such events as summer camp, camporees, and Scouting shows. OA regional and national meetings and training activities may also provide them. Only one such patch may be worn at a time. The patch is worn centered on the right pocket and must not exceed the dimensions of the seams of the pocket..." I got my (incorrect) information from a respected and knowledgeable Scouter in our council. So Ive once again learned my lesson; answers to Scouting questions can best be found in Scouting publications. Other sources, no matter how respected, may not always be correct.

Ed and Bob: Your off-topic and un-Scoutlike comments about each other are not welcome on these forums. I have deleted the most offensive portions of your recent posts. Surely you can both do better henceforth. FScouter moderator (This message has been edited by a staff member.)

"Really? I beg to differ." Gee, who would've thunk it?

So, I turn to the assembly here in this Great Forum to answer The Big Question: Why SHOULD Cub parents support FOS? Simple answer. FOS supports the district, council, and national levels of Scouting. If there is no funding, your unit will get no support. Without that support, your unit is DEAD. Some of the things your unit would lose: No one to collect your annual $10 registration fee (great! Saves us 10 bucks a head) No summer camp since the insurance cant be paid and the facilities cant be maintained. No updates to books and literature. (Use your old books from here on out. New boys can share) No council office because the rent cant be paid and the staff wont work for free. No new training materials (cant be bought at any price since they cant be printed and distributed) No awards or patches (units can find a private company to make up what they want, minimum order 50) No uniforms available unless you can somehow work out an arrangement with the manufacturer. No DE to advise and help volunteers (maybe you never see him anyway) No Boys Life magazine (how can it be published it if there is no national office?) No Scout Shop (these shops dont run themselves) No Scouter magazine (no longer needed since leaders are on their own now) No one to answer the telephone at the council office (the office is shut down) No BSA or council web sites (no money to pay for it) No more Eagle rank (whos going to validate the application?) No more popcorn sales (units will figure out their own thing)

"Is it not the job of the District Executives to work alongside the volunteers of their District in developing and maintaining the Scouting programs assigned to them to manage on a day-to-day basis?" Yes it is part of the DE's job to guide and assist the volunteers. But one job per volunteer is enough. You cannot excel if you're overloaded. Sadly, the best volunteers in our district are the ones that get asked to take on additional positions. Frustration and early burnout results, followed by resignation. Do one job and do it well.

What are we talking about?

"The reason, as discussed by the parents at the meeting, was that on the basis of what they heard about the various recent scandals, especially Atlanta, they are willing to support the troop but little or nothing beyond that." Some people find it difficult to say "NO". "Would you serve as our FOS chair?" "Would you help us with a contribution to the FOS campaign?" Maybe the standard negative answers, reasons, and excuses seem overworked and lame. Now we have a NEW reason to say "no". I strongly believe that people that believe in Scouting will help with their time and money. Those that decline will look for any excuse they can find that seems reasonably defensible. "Atlanta" is just the excuse du jour. They would not have contributed anyway.

My opinions to your questions: 1. Boys do better in Scouting when their friends are involved. 2. The way to "deal" with leaders that don't want to be in Scouting is to select leaders that do. 3. You are being sensitive, and that is good. Deal with Scouting people that want to be there and want to follow the program. I would never join a failing unit unless the leaders asked for help in fixing it. You can't help people that don't want help.

You already did what you should do. You gave the dad the rundown on summer camp, that he missed two days, that he perked up, that he works on Scout stuff when helped, and that he has potential. Good job.

Gee, all that Googling proves that Scouting is the most pedophile-ridden organization on the planet. I guess the best thing to do to protect kids is to fold our troops and go home. Unless of course the entire staff in Texas quits. That would surely fix this "problem".

The rules are printed on the back of the Unit Money-Earning Application. There is no prohibition on using a school.

I heard that from a very reliable council source. But I don't have anything in writing and am not sure it's even been announced. So I'll have to say that until it is written in a BSA publication accessible to all, it's not official.

My understanding from reading the Insignia Guide is that one may wear anything as a temporary patch as long as it fits completely on the right pocket (not the flap), is in good taste, and is not specifically restricted by BSA (such as rank patches). "Temporary" means one may leave the patch there for as long as desired.

There are two YP videos for Scouts: "It Happened to Me" for Cubs, and "A Time to Tell" for Boy Scouts. YP training recommends that units schedule a date once a year to present these videos to Scouts and parents. One of the things boys will hear is that it is OK to say NO!! and STOP!!, and to YELL, KICK, SCREAM, and RUN AWAY. All district and council offices should have multiple copies of these videos, and the printed viewer's guide available for loan to units.