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I'm writing to ask when other pack present leader awards. It seems to me that the blue and gold banquet would be ideal except that leaders have only been serving for nine months when a year is the required tenure, or the award is being presented nine months late. So maybe the may pack meeting is the best time? What do you do?

I can't figure out which award replaces the cub scouter award. That award was for members of the committee, not den leaders or cub masters.

I took my son to cub scout resident camp this summer, and his favorite parts were the songs and the open program. He could have earned his whittling chip card or shot the bb-guns or arrows some more, but he spend the whole two hours throwing himself down the make-shift waterside. He was not alone. It was a very popular activity.

"Only the following Registered Leaders in your Unit have the ability to update your Unit's Meeting Location on the "Be A Scout" Map, and to change to your Unit's (A) Unit Leader: this means your Cubmaster, Scoutmaster, Varsity Coach, Crew Advisor or Skipper. (B) Unit Committee Chair. © Chartered Organization Representative" Our problem is that our neither our cub master, pack committee chair nor charter organization representative are likely to log on to make the updates. I have been leading the recruitment efforts this year, but I'm only a den leader, so I can't fix this for us.

We use Scoutlander because of the email updates. I put some things on the calendar, like school events, as place holder so that we don't schedule a pack event the same day, and I am able to turn off notifications for those events. I also like how it will only notify members of my den regarding my den meetings. I also have a public page for recruiting. I didn't know I could print the calendar. I'll have to try that out.

The camp program director tried to ban this song at day camp last week. Her attempts backfired quite spectacularly.

BSA created this policy in response to its members. When they review the policy, they poll the members. At least they claim to be polling they members. I predict that they will change the policy when the members want them to. That's why resigning my membership in protest will not help the cause. It will only deny my son the scouting experience. I don't really have a guess as to how many years such a change will take.

"All they have asked for is the right to quietly express their own viewpoint in terms of their private membership, preferably without harassment..." It is not what they are asking that bothers me. They can go to court and ask for their rights without bothering me. What bothers me is that they asked a den leader to go away and not volunteer because she is a lesbian. It bothers me that I mint recruit such a woman become friends with her, enjoy having her son in our pack, and then someone from council shows up and tells her that she can't be in our pack. That would be a very bad day. It would take years for the pack to recover.

Why does the atheist issue always get dragged into this issue. I don't see the connection. If you really want to know what I think about that issue, please ask me in another thread. I do not believe we have to give up "morally straight" in order to include gay members and leaders. The morality of homosexuality is subject to individual interpretation. The Boy Scouts of America does not, to my knowledge, attempt to define morality. The social morals of our society have changed since 1910. For example, it no longer appears to be consider immoral to live with your intended for several months or a couple of years before announcing your engagement to be married. Do you know of any examples of any scout or scouter being excluded from scouting because of immoral behavior? The issues surrounding the pledge of allegiance and obesity and coeducation are also unrelated to the issue of including gay members and leaders. I believe each of those issues is best discussed separately. No, I do not believe that inclusiveness trumps all other virtues. I believe that homosexuals are being excluded for reasons of hatred and bigotry. Yes, it OK to make this change knowing that not many gay leaders are going to join, and many traditional families will leave. Of course its OK. Was that a serious question? It is always OK to do the right thing. That is what "morally straight" means.

I'm recruiting new cubs for our pack, and a new Cub Scout mom asked me when she had to have the uniform. The way she asked the question kind of threw me. I don't like to think of Scouting as a set of mandates, so I answered that the uniform was optional. She should get it as soon as she could because it is where he will wear his patches, but he isn't going to be denied participation if he doesn't have one. Our first activity after she signed up was parade. We were the color guard. I do not actually consider uniforms optional when representing the pac in a parade, certainly not when honoring the flag, so I don't think I really answered her question correctly, but it wasn't a disaster. He's a new little tiger, and I had given him the orange tiger t shirt a few weeks before, so he looked great in the parade. He waved a little flag and smiled the whole time. But how do you think I should answer that question next time?

Another friend of mine on Facebook made a similar post on Facebook when the announcement was made on Tuesday except that he included the following with his post: "and this is why my son will NEVER be involved in the Boy Scouts organization... " That really hurt my feelings because our sons are friends and I had invited him to a pack meeting and he had said that he might check it out. He didn't show up, and I didn't bring it up again, and now I'm really glad I didn't. This is one conversation I would not like to have with him (or anyone, really). I can't really defend the BSA position, but I'm still recruiting for the organization because in spite of this failing, I still think scouting has too much going for it to sit on the sidelines and wait for them to catch up on this issue.

I know this issue gets done to death, but a new Cub Scout mom shared this article with me on Facebook, and its one of the more level-headed calls for change that I have read recently. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/for-gods-sake/post/boy-scouts-of-america-should-learn-from-its-own-history/2012/07/20/gJQAGWASyW_blog.html?socialreader_check=0&denied=1 Boy Scouts of America should learn from its own history by Brad Hirschfield, Washington Post, For God's Sake, 07/20/2012 "The Boy Scouts of America reaffirms its commitment to their own version of dont ask, dont tell when it comes to gay members and leaders, those most expected to support the decision did so, and those most expected to oppose did the same no real surprises in either case. The surprise, and I would say the wonderful surprise, is by two very influential BSA national executive board members who have publicly spoken about their opposition to this conclusion without breaking from the organization. "Ernst & Young CEO James Turley and AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson, both advocates for full and equal inclusion regardless of sexuality, will likely continue to argue for that policy even in the face of this new affirmation of the current policy. "As a statement released by AT&T said, We dont agree with every policy of every organization we support, nor would we expect them to agree with us on everything. Our belief is that change at any organization must come from within to be successful and sustainable. "I dont know that change from within is the only way to go, or that there isnt also a useful role for outside agitation for the change that is sought. In fact, history tells us that there is. But it also tells us that the combination of the two is typically the most successful and durable approach to creating positive change. And in this case, the history to which I refer is none other than that of the Boy Scouts of America. "Americas first Negro Boy Scout troop was founded in 1911, but not until 1916 would there be a troop which was officially recognized by the Boy Scouts Council, and even then it was a racially segregated troop and fights continued about the propriety of black Scouts wearing the tan uniform. Struggles over the place of African-American boys and young men in scouting continued, not surprisingly especially in the Deep South, right up through the 1970s. "In other words, scouting mirrored the struggles faced by the rest of the nation. And that is precisely where the organization is on the issue of full inclusion of gay members and leaders today. The real question is what lessons can be learned from that past lessons that will serve both individual scouts and the scouting movement? "For starters, we see that Scouts has been a fairly conservative organization one that followed social trends rather than lead them. That has been, and continues to be, both strength and a weakness. "While pushing for many good values, including those that may seem old fashioned to many, Scouting has championed the value of service, moral strength, commitment to community and to family. That same conservatism has also made the organization slow to appreciate how broadly those categories can be understood without any loss of integrity. "Past experience indicates that with time, the organization is likely to become more, not less, inclusive. Given that, it would be helpful for people to follow Turley and Stephenson, and think about what could be done to encourage the organization to ask how it might become more inclusive of gay people without violating what it sees as its mission. In fact, they could come to appreciate that such inclusivity might actually help them to fulfill that mission. That is very much what happened with the integration of black scouts. "Ultimately, Boy Scouts of America is a private organization and they have the right to construct their membership rules as they see fit. They have the right to be wrong. But one hopes that they will not simply bask in that right, ignoring their own history in the process --- doing that, will simply reduce a truly wonderful organization to an ever-shrinking club which is increasingly relevant to itself only. "In fact, like all great organizations, the Boy Scouts will maintain their vitality and their relevance not by simply protecting the status quo, nor by doing whatever is asked of them even by those with whom they disagree. They will accomplish the most by learning from those with whom they disagree and by incorporating those lessons, and those from their own organizational history, in ways that respect their past while embracing is presidential lessons for the future"

I agree, lawyers are probably responsible for keeping boxing and martial arts out of the scouting experience today, but I'm wondering why Seton kicked it out in 1911. it seems very curious to me. And does anyone know if the British scouts still award this merit badge/ Do we have any foreign scouters on the forum?

I don't box. I don't like boxing. Professional boxing seems barbaric. Olympic boxing is just boring. But I am a martial artist, and I'm annoyed that there is not Cub Scout belt loop for martial arts. I understand the concern regarding concussions, but BSA approves flag football. It seems to me that they could approve non-contact martial arts. My cub scout aged son prefers forms competitions to sparring competitions any way. But I recently learned that the insanity is much deeper. The original book of merit badges included combat skills. "1910 BSA Handbook... by Chief Scout, Ernest Thompson Seton, had 14 "Badges of Merit"... [including] Master-of-Arms... The Master-at-Arms Badge involved mastering 3 of the following combat skills: single stick, boxing, ju jitsu, wrestling, quarterstaff and fencing." This badge was only available for one year. It seems Seton dropped this badge almost immediately. Does anyone know why? Did Americans of 1910 find it inappropriate to teach combat skills to 12-year-old boys?

I wore a regional patch on my right pocket after completing training as a cub scout day camp director. I wore another patch above the pocket to indicate that I completed the training, but the regional patch went on the pocket designated for "temporary" insignia. I wore it because it was cool, it had a horse that almost looked like a unicorn, and no one else I knew had one like that. Today I wear it on the back of my jacket, and I keep my pockets clear of patches.

If the issue is extraction, then only weight matters, not BMI. If BMI is important, then it is a fitness test to appease lawyers and insurance. The truth is that both are important. Which issue is more deserving of a waiver?

At the May pack meeting, the pack committee chairman asked me if I wanted to continue as the tiger cub den leader or if I wanted to advance with my son and serve as the wolf cub den leader. I chose to advance. I have no expectation that if I chose to resign, the pack would have found another den leader. I had been reluctant to volunteer until it became clear that there was not going to be a tiger program if I didn't.

Aww... I really wanted to earn the tiger cub den leader award and wear that black and orange knot. I blew it last year, but I had hoped to try again someday. I'll be working on the den leader award this year. The actual criteria don't look so different.

We had something like this happen in our Cub Scout pack, at least I think it was something like this, I'm really privy to all of the details, but the policies that the cub master violated included allowing cub scouts to ride on the open tailgate of her truck. I would also encourage you to remain persistent. In spite of being treated badly, Girl Scouting is still a worth while program for you and your family. I imagine it might also be worth the effort to talk about it with your daughter as little as possible. I think its a shame when children are drawn into dramas between their parents. Good luck. Eager to hear how you finally work it all out.

I'm a den leader for a group of second graders. I have been encouraging them to earn the Outdoor Activity Award this summer. One of the requirements is to assemble the eight essentials for outdoor activities. A map and compass are not required for wolf scouts, but looking ahead, a map and compass are on the list for bears, Webelos and boy scouts. In an attempt to set a good example, I have been trying to assemble the items, and I find myself stumped when it comes to a map. I rather suspect that the map I need will depend on where I am, but that leaves me without any map at all, so I'm writing to ask: does anyone here carry a map with them regularly? What do you carry?

I asked my daughter about winders camping. She thinks it sounds like fun. I doubt we will convince the rest of her troop, and we will have to drive up into the mountains if we want snow, but maybe I will try to make that happen for her somehow. Where we live, winter camping would just be a lot of rain. I tried camping in the rain just once. It was miserable, but I imagine that with experience, I could get good at it.

Well, my daughter and I didn't get involved in Girl Scouting until 2008, so all that drama over council reorganization simply isn't a part of our Girl Scouting experience. The new curriculum; however, was a big deal. Last year (2011-2012) was a transition year, and I was rather resistant myself, but now that we have finished brownies and we are starting juniors, I don't have any further attachment to the old curriculum, and I'm all jumped in with both feet.

I actually had a girl ask me this today. What do Girl Scouts do? I was able to tell her that my daughter is currently working on an energy conversation project, a geocaching badge, and a jewelry badge.

I understand the need to have certified range masters present for all the actual shooting required to earn the belt loops and pins, but there seem to me to be a lot of other requirements that we could do as a den or individually? For example: Learn the correct scoring techniques for target BB gun shooting. Make a poster that emphasizes the proper range commands. Draw to scale or set up a BB gun shooting range. Help make a type of target for the camp BB gun shooting range. Tell five facts about the history of BB guns.

Wolf Requirement 2f states: participate in an outdoor flag ceremony. We just got back from camp. We attended six outdoor flag ceremonies. Is attending a flag ceremony and saluting the flag the same as participating? Or does participation imply being part of the color guard?