Gunny2862

I would advise against the one man tent - while the on-the-ground-enforcer of rules is your Ranger, they reportedly vary in their enforcement. Ours in 2010, one of the worst Bear incident years in quite a while, would NOT have allowed us to go on the trail with one person tents. His stated rationale was that the two man tents especially when set up in a group, look like something the Bear doesn't want to investigate. A one person tent looks like a snack size burrito. All of that said I really like the TT Rainbow and would like to have one for myself now that the kid is moving on to other activities for now. But my son and I together and separately have always used an ALPS Mountaineering Extreme 3 at Philmont (because we have it, because we often keep all of our gear IN with us, because it has been our primary home away from home for about 6 years, because it is bombproof, and because he was willing to carry it - 8+ pounds)

I can go either way with this. There should be a third voting option IMHO. My problem with the local option is the possibility of problems between Troops where one exercises the option one way and another exercises it the other and what has not been an item of contention in the past now becomes a reason why one group is "forced" to practice tolerance while another acts as it will(and that can occur with either choice acting as the bully). Now I realize that there are adults out there doing this now, but IMHO I haven't yet seen it have any effect on boys i've known yet. This decision could bring that discriminator into the discussion among the youths and force them to make decisions they shouldn't have to yet. As to AZMikes qurestion about in what ways? Folks are inventive, they'll find a way to make it interesting.

I don't believe in additional requirements. I believe in learning the requirements and then having a program that emphasizes using those requirements - no re-test, no showing someone you retained the skill. Just needing to use some of those skills on a campout to campout basis. Just becuase everyone has planned a menu, budgeted, shoppped, safe food handled and prepared as a meal means that if you regularly have campouts that those "requirements" aren't going to be needed to be done again and "refreshed" informally by someone having to do those things. I believe in being a gateway (you do have to reach this point - having done these things and in doing so have grown as a person) but not a gate keeper ( you have to be "worthy" in my eyes" and I'll thorw in a few extra burdens so you can prove you are worthy), according to the program, and if the program is followed only about 1-3% nationally are doing so, they are proved worthy by accomplishing the requirements without adding to them.

Because I'm in Scouting, and only because I'm in Scouting I know quite a few Eagle Scouts, not necessarily from my Troop. I'm going to say 20 - 25 just as a representative guess. Now that is 20-25 Eagles out of 667(3% of all Scouts earning Eagle)-833 or 20-25 of 2000-2500(1% of all Scouts earning Eagle). Of the 20-25 I know there's only 2 who couldn't borrow my car just by asking, and 1 of those is still 15. Of the rest of the Scouts, there's only 2 I would hand the keys to, 1 of them is mine. Of all the Scouts(not just the Eagles) there's one that had drug charges, but worked with the system and only did parole time. I know of no girlfriend pregnancies in the group, I know of no other criminal charges. In my locality I think a great predictor of High School graduation is involvement in Scouting - but it is empirical, I don't have data to back it up - I also don't know of ANY Scouts who failed to graduate. I think Eaglemom2b MAY be seeing a local effect or just a cadre effect. But, I like the view from my Scout hut. May it ever be so, and may the Sun rise over yours. YiS, the Gunny.

Have always wondered why some minimal degree of sewing wasn't part of the deal - think it used to be an Eagle Required MB, wasn't around for that. It's a useful life skill not just in Scouting - no matter how much your spouse likes to sew - YOUR shirt never seems to get the button back on no matter how many other projects she completes - UNLESS you know how to sew. I like wearing my clothes and learned how to sew early on - my Mom wasn't a big believer in boys not being able to take care of themselves...

Some Llama marketing guru is either really sharp not to come after this much bait or is really lagging behind the curve.

SeattlePioneer, it goes to the House, where one would assume the party with the majority members would win, which unless the 3rd party has done it's complete ground game including having a majority in the House - they then lose to which ever of the two other parties holds the majority in the House.

Backroads, being at the front desk of any help desk situation you have to realize that part of the reason folks show up or call is because they either Have a need for information they think should be available to them and they can't find it and know council should have it(they're the Pro's right?) Sometimes this is frustrating - as a help desk person in part, myself you have to defuse them and realize they aren't upset at you they are upset at their situation which in some cases is just being upset that they couldn't find what should be, and may in fact be, easily accessible information. Or they need to drop off a form but they may realize it's late and it's their fault and frankly it's embarrassing and they're upset with themselves but guess who get's it - you already know. Or it is the third time they've delivered it (and dang it), it WAS on time the first time... It's a part of the job. Learning to communicate clearly and especially to make real interpersonal contact - understanding what they want and what they are feeling more than just the specific language communication - giving them the idea that you really WANT to help them and are committed to FINDING not just the book answer but to do the best you can to resolve their problem - is the essence of being a good help desk operator - you can be a great technician and steer them through the bureaucracy and still leave them feeling cold and un-helped even though they were masterfully guided thru the maze of regulations and red tape. And if that means smiling as you hand them a membership form and explaining that they do need to fill it out completely and add they YPT module paperwork and then get the signatures of the CC and/or the SM depending on the form sand who it's for. Gotta say a little candy on the desk couldn't hurt, but it won't make up for the "I REALLY am here to HELP you " attitude.

The previous SM went to all the Council and District events and then filled in the holes with his own favorite camping spots to produce camping 12 months a year. When I started as SM, the next year the Commissioners decide that to revitalize "Scouting" that if you went to Klondike they would burn your sleigh( to ensure you built a new one each year - actually a good thing, but it was presented horribly, think various socialist dictator style) at the closing campfire - my boys threw the revolt flag that very day. We help at recruiting events(Webelos Woods), put out DL's, do Scouting for Food, do all the Troop level stuff one expects, except go to Council or District organized Camping events other then Summer Camp. Six years later as we get together for our Annual Planning conference with only 1 or 2 of the original "HEck No, We Won't Go" members remaining, I will once again(I've always made it an option) introduce the Council Calendar - and they do organize about half of your year if you let them, and we'll see if they bite - but frankly we get a lot of great campouts in and go to different locations and re-visit some favorites. And most of it IS that the DE's see different goals and sell MOST of the Commissioners on those goals, who then come to the Troop and do things like embarrass a SM in front of the Parents of his Scouts and then wonder why the SM isn't as cooperative as they might have expected. Or a DE who agrees to a certain specific financial arrangement(Deposit of funds in Camp store for MB related purchases - unused balance to be returned - it' be fine if he hadn't agreed to the arrangement but to agree and then keep the overage?!), who then refuses to return the deposit when the rest of the provisions of the agreement were lived up to on the Troops side - then wonders why the SM and Treasurer are grumpy when they see him and wants a FOS appointment - you already took it pal!

Current count is 43, Maine Vermont and S. Carolina excepted so far.

One a LLama, two a llama, three a Llama, four, five a Llama, six a llama, seven a Llama, eight a llama, more....(This message has been edited by Gunny2862)

All I know is the polling for neither Llama is to be believed. Llama this, Llama that, I feel a lot like that little girl who is "So tired of the Bronco-bama and the Mittromney, when is it going to be over?" It'll be over when all the Llama's have voted and their little Llama lawyers finish litigating the Llama-fest of litigable Llama selection issues. Electoral Llama College or Popular vote, there's millions of Llama litigation $'s to be had, and they'll all be scooped up like other things Llama's drop.

Good citation perdidochas, the printed word takes precedence in discussions but when not provided I tend to listen to my spouse, on this topic, a Survivor and has a Masters in Psy. according to the APA she's in error on this point.

Brew, no beating for you, someone else threw a hammer on your behalf. Good intentions, bad execution. Sorry for missing your location information.

Okay I missed that part, our Troops Eagle mentor would have no need to see the letter unless they also wound up on his Eagle Board.