gsdad

When I was in Boy Scouts the Tiger program was in it's infancy. My son will be in First Grade next year and the recruiting flier came home for the local pack. My childhood Pack was not very active, where my Troop was, and the Troop was boy led. I am apprehensive in that Tigers seem to require very heavy parent involvement. My son has already asked if I could sign as a leader like I did for his sisters' GS troop.

I did not, this is my first time on the computer in over a week.

Maybe we were lucky in my boyhood troop in that our leaders had a good read on who could or could not handle it. I find it hard to believe those against pranking others have never participated in it.

I was sent for a left handed smoke shifter my first year at Boy Scout summer camp in 1984. I came back with a #10 poked full of holes on a wire rope. I wasn't harmed by it and was applauded for my creativity. As long as nobody is physically or psychologically harmed, or humiliated, what's the harm? I often wondered where the cranky, no fun Scouters of my youth went when there were not at camp. Reading this fourm has answered that. Has society become such that harlmess pranks are now looked at as damaging to a young person's soul?

You were the one looking to make Eagle, the responsibilty is yours to know the requirements. Chalk it up as a life lesson. Why did you wait until the last minute?

It appears ole BP like the younger ladies.

johnponz- It appears we could be neighbors. The local attorney you mentioned was a convicted felon before he was a hunter, and should not have been in posession of a firearm. To say hunting animals turned him into a killer is, at very least, a stretch. He was "hunting" from an ATV(illegal), with a .30-06(illegal for the area), and allegedly shot at movement(irresponsible), and his uncle, a former DA, helped cover his tracks. In short, the guy was a scum bag.

Shortridge- did you work for Philadelphia Council Camp Staff? Camp Commissioners would inspect sites daily and troops would be rewarded. It wasn't a self-esteem type thing, yet a pride thing. After all a Scout is clean.

We would also pick a theme for our week at camp, a few weeks before would silk screen shirts with that year's them. Our troop number was 109, so one year we were the 109-irons and built our own mini-golf course for use by anyone. We lost a few golf balls trying to hit them across the Delaware River.

Our troop always booked the site closest to the staff area, every morning before Polar Bear we would wake up the staff with a song. This was funny until I was on staff. I was usually awake, but I don't like a lot of noise in the morning.

I had a similar issue, I switched to Gillette clincal anti-perspirant and cotton tee underneath and no more issues.

My first exposure to the OA was a Cub at provisional summer camp. I was entralled by the Tap Out ceremony and the lure. If a Cub leader is a member he should wear his flap proudly.

My first camping trip as a Boy Scout one of the older kids in the troop put a 3/4 axe between his toes. No amputations, just stitches. While working at summer camp a fellow staffer decided to run down Pine Road it was the darkest trail in camp and he ran like a deer. He went full speed into a tree. It sounded like a car wreck from where I was standing 75 yards away. At the 75th Anniversary weekend on Treasure Island a scouter had a heart attack. I was on the other side of the river with the barge and was told to get back ASAP. I get to the dock and see most of the adult leadership in my troop carrying the man on a litter. It was the only time the ranger didn't give me grief for running the outboard at WOT. The last was my own mishap. I was cleaning the QM shed and knocked a 12lb sledge off the rack and it fell to hit me over my right eye. A quick trip to the closest ER resulted in stitches. I was back at camp that afternoon.

If he wants to have fun at summer camp, he should apply for camp staff.

Is your scout one of the boys waiting in the wings while "the golden children" are given leadership positions?

I would love to work on Camp Staff again. Maybe when I retire I'll be able to do it again.

The City Solicitor said yesterday the new bid will be refused as the sale is under contract. I wonder if the sale of Marshal/Eagle Island provided the cash to purchase the building.

jblake- For those whose families don't camp, it is a great way to expose them to camping. Or at least their definition of camping. While it won't count as camping to a grizzled outdoorsman such as yourself, it could open a new world to city kid who may have never had the oppurtunity to cut their teeth in the wild as you did.

Was the ASM being shot the result of his own mistakes? Or those of the SWAT team?

My boyhood troop had about 80-90 active members spread over six patrols.. We were a boy run troop and used the patrol method quite effectively.

Not on the council level. There is a group called FOTI(Friends of TI) which is a registered non-profit and is in discussion to buy TI from COL so it can still be used for Scouting.

You're not the only one. I was looking forward to camping on The Island when my son came of age. My wife actually planned a trip there with her GS troop butit was cancelled because of the closure. I visited my boyhood troop(109) the last summer in operation, and thought it was awesome to see the staff come togehter to make the visitors comfortable as we waited out the thunderstorms. My daughter loved the movies, and freshly baked cookies. She was in awe of the place, and asked if she could work there some day. My first summer camp on TI was in '84, I worked there 87-89, took my Ordeal and Brotherhood there as well.(This message has been edited by gsdad)

I have/had three sashes, one for work weekends and Elongmat duty, one for ceremonies and "clean" events, and one for socials. I have found Scouters who were inducted as a youth tend to be wear the flap more than those who were inducted as an adult. I don't know if it means more to them or they are just used to the flap being part of their uniform.

I would have never shot a .22 Driven a tractor, and a boat(to get to camp) Dressed in Native American garb(Nutiket in Ordeal Cermony, Unami Lodge) I too have worked at the best scout camp ever, Dear Ole Treasure Isle. Learened first aid. Gone camping Fired a rifle at the ripe old age of 10 Cooked over a fire Learned countless ways to make fire. The list goes on and on.....

From what you have posted on how this was handled by all involved, and the outcome. It seems more people had a problem with you, than you had with "him". It's too bad it had to go down the way it did. I have said it before, and I will say it again. The biggest problem with kids' activities/sports is adults.