Grumpy

Bravo! Bravo!!

Scouting costs money, as does any other worthwhile endeavor. That's life. I also believe it is great to set up "scholarships" for those that cannot afford it. And I also think that a uniform is very important, but should not be the reason a kid does not participate. If it takes a year to get the uniform, so be it.

No success stories here. Every month I give a training update to all the Pack leaders. Where, when, what of upcoming training, and recap of the recent training I went to. Every month I am the only one who goes. Then DL quit because they don't know what to do. I am the Pack Trainer and it is very discouraging. The Cubmaster is no help either, and I've been told to quiet down or else. Arrgghhh! Grumpy

Oh, and I almost forgot..... Nice blog, good job. The Grumpster

I think I liked most of the new stuff in the catalog. Some of the prices are high, but I don't have the same issues with quality or fit that others seem to have. I like the new action shirt, but don't see the need for some of the new stuff, will be able to buy it at a large savings a year from now. LOL. I would love to have a Jac-Shirt, but won't pay those prices. Looks like I will be buying one from Bemidji since it is only $119, is 100% wool, and is 30 oz. rather than the 18 oz. that today's official one seems to be. (http://www.bemidjiwoolenmills.com/details.php?id=voyscout) My biggest complaint is that there is no on-line shopping. Hops_Scout is wrong about the cost. The savings in retail overhead is leveraged against the initial cost of development, which is capitalized over 48 months. Customer pays the shipping, while today's transportation costs are eaten by BSA. Everyone wins. Oh, and I can buy my Bemidji BSA Jac-Shirt on-line.

Eamonn, When you are tired of the cold, think of Arizona. We would love to have you here, and would love to have your experience in our district. Hint: Seek out the Firebird District when you are out here looking for a ranch to retire in. LOL.

Yes, what I know of JW is that the ideals of Scouting would very much be outside their belief structure.

Very proud to be in OA. What a great concept and program. Was in Michigamea 110, now in Wipila Wiki 432. Some of my best memories from 25 years ago was in Michigamea Lodge 110 and the Order of the Arrow. I wish I had more time to give.

I also miss Bob and his offerings. I do not miss the bantering back and forth that sometimes came out of it. He had a lot to offer and hope he comes back. There are others I wouldn't mind seeing the last of..... Grump

TwoCubDad says "As a Wolf, if you complete all six of the remaining requirments, one of them counts toward completing the Achivement and the other five count as electives" Wow, I did not know this. Where will I find this information? Thanks for your help.

NWScouter says "all wolf and bear requirements not used for the badge-- are considered elective requirements too." I believe that is true for Bear, but not Wolf.

My son is a wolf cub. We are both new to Cub Scouting. I understand that electives are made up of multiple elective requirements. And arrow points are earned for each time a cub scout earns 10 elective REQUIREMENTS, not electives. Right? And it appears a Wolf Cub Scout may work on the elective requirements before he earns his Wolf badge, but may not be awarded the arrow points until after he earns the Wolf badge. Right? Does completing an elective (completing each elective requirement for that elective) signify anything? Thanks for your help.

Pamchuckm listed links for a spreadsheet that will help track advancement for Cub Scouts. It's a great tool, but those links appear to be outdated. Here is a link to the source of those spreadsheets, and they keep them current. http://www.geocities.com/cybercubber/cub-tracker.html Good luck. Grump

I plan on attending Wood Badge training in the spring. I have some ideas of projects I would like to complete for our district and council. Can these be part of my ticket? Or do others decide what my projects will be?

"I used it to cut a girth off a downed horse before on a trail ride" Mmmm, Maybe I could use one to cut some girth from myself......

I received the Pope Pious back in 1979 (I think), also in the Chicago Archdiocese. While I do have the medal, I have no paperwork to back it up. Anyway, I just bought a new uniform, so I went to buy the patches for it recently at the Scout shop. The purple knots were there to buy, nobody ever asked to see anything. So I believe many of the knots are on the honor system, as they are NOT the award themselves, they just represent the award. To actually get the medal, you will have a tougher road. Also, the experience of earning the emblem was pretty special, and I still remember the counselors name. As it turns out, he is still doing the counselor work today, all these years later, in Calumet City, IL. If I needed, I would ask him for documentation. But I don't think I will worry about it. I also received the Bronze Bighorn award (Explorers), but have no paperwork for that either. I will be trying to get that from the Calumet Council.

I am amazed at how many folks think that a Cub Scout may not earn his Whittlin Chip before Bear rank, and that a Cub Scout who is Bear MUST earn the Whittlin Chip. I am also amazed at folks who say "It was uncomfortable to confront the father when he, himself, was wearing a knife" or "As a parent, I would have been VERY concerned and nervous during this outing". Why would that make anyone uncomfortable, concerned, or nervous. If the knife was concealed, all would be comfortable and at ease. A knife cannot hurt anyone while in it's sheath. If he had been cleaning his nails with it, I would have had a problem with it. Now, that being said, it is kind of crazy for a Tiger Cub to have a sheath knife on his belt. What is that parent thinking? Maybe it was a pencil holder?

Great post, Eamonn. I real joy to read. Thank you.

All you folks have been posting messages thinking this private school should change. While I agree it sounds strange to me, and very "unscoutlike", it is their private school, and private charter to do as they please. Besides, you are asking to overturn a way these folks in South Carolina have acted and feel for a hundred years. You think that's going to change now? Just having blacks in the school is a big step. Back to the subject at hand. The current CO owns all of the Pack equipment in addition to the unit number. They must release the assets.

Yes FScouter, you should find that guide. I am not sure, but I think it says something to the effect of "The counselor and scout will together decide which projects will be done". The MB counselors are giving their time. They should be able to dictate where and when the counseling takes place, and if there are options he cannot do, then he cannot do those options. I would ask you to reference the BSA publication that does not give him that prerogative.

We are a brand new Pack, and are very proud of the website one of our Cub's parents made for us. http://www.pack360.org

Although I agree that the Scout chooses, Hunt is correct that there are some counselors that may be limited, and may not have the expertise to allow any of the "do 3 or the following" scenarios. They may only be able to offer five out of the six options, and they may be one of the only counselors in the area.

Actually, if using Sno-seal, and you think you need to use an oven, heat it up, then turn it off before you but the boots in there. Oaky, the weekend is over, and I am now dried out. The stuff worked great, and I won't be going back to Sno-seal anytime soon. Easy to go on, no mess, can polish right over it. Best news is that the boot stayed dry in VERY WET weather.

Okay, I did my investigating, and here is what I came up with. The actual brands I used are at the bottom of my post. BTW, Sno-Seal is what I have used on these boots over the last 15 years. I would have gone back to it and put up with the mess if I hadn't learned of some of the new stuff available now, because it always did a good job. I never put the boots in the oven though, I would apply the Sno-Seal, then set them outside in the summer (I live in Phoenix), or use a hair dryer in the winter. The way I see it, there are 5 chemical composition options now available, Oil Based: (Mink Oil) These soften the leather of the boot, and can cause it to break down after time, so that the boot is less supportive. Wax Based: (Sno-Seal) Wax-based products are quite functional in waterproofing hiking boots, provided the wax is reapplied regularly. Be sure to buff the boots after applying to get rid of the excess - it can attract dirt and grime. The main drawback is that wax based waterproofers cut down on the breathablity of the boot. Your feet don't get as much air when perspiring, and once the boots are wet, they take longer to dry. Silicone Based: (Camp-Dri) Stitching and glue can break down under the high petroleum content of silicone products. Silicone products stiffen the boots when exposed to low temperatures, and they do not aid in conditioning the leather. Silicone is recommended as opposed to wax based products for boots with a Gore-Tex liner, because it is more breathable. Water Based: Good for your boots and the environment. I haven't been able to find any of this, though. Fluoropolymer: This type of waterproofing comes in a spray can, and has been rated the best by leading authorities on the subject. It can be used on hiking boots that have been previously treated by a different method. It dries quickly, and repels stains. Backpacker magazine rates Tectron Boot & Shoe Guard (by Blue magic) far and away the best waterproofing application. This fluoropolymer spray costs six dollars for a four-ounce can. The two applications required on a pair of boots uses about one quarter of the can. I found it at REI, although on the Blue magic website's store locator it did not list REI as one of their retailers. My solution...... I bought a product called Ultra Seal at REI, for use on the welt, seams, and stitches. It is a water based polymer made by Trondak for REI. It comes in a 2 ounce squeeze tube. Trondack is the maker of the Aquaseal line of waterproofing products. They sell this same product under their own name also as "Stitch Guard". I applied 3 applications as directed, allowing 15-30 minutes between applications. Then I followed up that application with the Tectron (also bought at REI) and sprayed it on after the Ultra Seal dried. Two applications, 24 hours apart as directed. I'll let you know how well this works after this weekend.

What is the best product to use to waterproof leather hiking boots. My old Danner's are still doing the job, but I want to get them ready for this weekend's trip, expecting all 3 days of rain. I haven't treated them in quite a few years since it rarely rains here in Phoenix.