Stosh

Yeah, I'm kinda the boys first approach, too, but then again, I'm always taking heat for doing things backwards when it comes to scouts.

@@qwazse is correct, find resource personnel that fill in your knowledge gap. I always get the MB book and work through all the requirements and master them before I take on boys. I did teach Bugling at one time, I don't play brass, all woodwind in my history, but I did know bugle calls, when to use them, how to use them, the understanding of how a bugler in the troop works, etc. and I can MAYBE actually be able to play and make noise. I can however, teach the boys now to make noise and change notes, it's up to them to practice and make it work. Always turns out okay, the boys do well in the field. Those boys who are brass players do better than those with no musical background. They HAVE to practice for band and that builds up their ability to play the horn. Those that don't have to practice, don't and usually can't finish the MB. Believe it or not, there are actually boys that want the MB requirements pencil whipped without actually having to do the work. I find that if one knows the requirements and how to help the boy accomplish them, and one enjoys working with kids, they'll do just fine.

As ASM, I have had situations like this with my former SM. If the project wasn't his idea, it wasn't worth doing. But you are right. When there's credit to be taken, they'll be right there, all smiles, waiting to get patted on the back.

We don't do dues. All TROOP fund raisers, the money is split between patrol efforts and troop 50/50. If a patrol chooses not to do the fun raiser, they simply go without getting any patrol funds. If Patrol A raises $100 and Patrol B raises $50, $75 goes to troop, $50 to Patrol A and $25 to Patrol B accounts. All PATROL fund raisers, the money goes to the patrol accounts, and those accounts are recorded and monitored by the adult troop treasurer working with the patrol scribes. The patrol scribes should know at all times how much money they have in their account. Troop funds pay for registrations, badges, etc. General troop funds. Maybe paying for leaders to go to summer camp that don't provide free for 2 leaders, any short-comings or surprises the patrols might run up against, etc. Patrol funds pay for tents, stoves, chuck boxes, wood tools, dining flies, camperships to cut down to the cost of summer camp, etc. They learn about money by handling their own patrol budgets. I suppose if the boys wanted to collect dues, they could do that if they wish. They usually just prefer to do fund raisers.

Get creative. Those paper clamps work really nice and have neat little handles to tie off to. Maybe it's time to bring one's own tent. If they are that touchy about the tents, they gotta be really fun at parties.

The boys are encouraged to follow the Scout Law: A Scout is Thrifty. All events are promoted with an estimated $$ amount. Camping this weekend is $15. If you want to go, come to the meeting previous to the event with your $15. That dictates how much the GrubMaster has for shopping/gas If you decide at the last minute to attend, You had better bring your own food and $$ to cover gas. IF this is too much of a hassle, then PARENTS are encouraged to fund raise to cut the cost of the outings. For every $1 raised $.50 goes to the troop treasury and $.50 goes to the individual patrol account. Troop funds are for camperships, awards, gas, flags, equipment, etc. Boy decide what they want to spend their patrol $$'s for. For example if the outing is $15, the patrol might fund $5 or $10/scout going to defray some of the costs. Troop funds fall to $0 at the end of the year.

I have a 2-burner Coleman white gas that can go the propane route too. When judging weight of the stoves, one also needs to calculate in the weight of the fuel and fuel canisters as well.

Oh, wow! First of all, your son's age is not mentioned. If he has time, a little cooling off and a SMC letting the SM know what's going on with the hassles. I wonder how he got this far with this much pent up frustration only to bail at the last minute, but he has a reason. Maybe a non-parent, non-judgmental visit with him as you would a friend and not a son, and ask like a friend would do, empathize and help him with his frustration. This much tension is more of a problem than not getting an Eagle patch. If he has no "friends" in the troop, I would transfer out and build a relationship with a new troop. There are troops like mine, brand new, lots of young boys, no older boy leaders. I'd pay him to be a scout in my troop! Again, without knowing the time-table until he turns 18, it's kinda hard to make suggestions.

When rigging canvas or nylon, the only knots I use are the double-half, the taunt and the sheet bend. Those are a must for camping. I cheat on the canvas tent tabs and go with a Granny slip knot. Tie a standard bow like for shoes but pull one of the loops open. Then when it's time to untie, find the short one and pull. Works every time, no strain on the knots or tabs.

I have never done the pole business. Always just tied off inside the tent. Never torn my netting, I have 2 and they've been around for 20+ years. One useful knot I learned as a kid that doesn't get enough play time in scouting today is the sheet bend.

Welcome!

No dues, no reserve, the boys raise the money, it goes evenly to the boys on activities including summer camp and we spend every penny that comes in each year. Patrols have their own accounts that the boys take care of on their own.

Many times my friend. MN, WI, MI is my back yard, skeets and all. Why do you think I build bat houses? For fun or for protection?

If a bat can find a mosquito in total darkness, he plenty well knows where your tent is. Your nightmares were probably justified. Those bumps weren't bats.

LOL!!! My ASM is the District Commissioner. She mentioned it to me at the Memorial Day Parade. Otherwise I'd have never known! And you can be assured I'm not the paperwork type at all. I have to register and get a new Crew going tomorrow night. I plan on taking a pen with me.....and my Mrs. who's signing on as my assistant with the pen.

Would have been nice to bring over the comments, too.

I'm going to go out on a limb here but why would one NOT cook for cooking MB? I skimmed through the requirements and they tend to be vague in what is cooked and what is not. Maybe I shouldn't be a Cooking MB counselor because I would kinda expect my boys to cook ALL the meals and snacks using campfire, backpack stove, camp stoves (both white gas and propane, mess kit, stick, cardboard boxes, hot stones, pudgy pie irons, reflector ovens, Dutch ovens (both cooking and baking) and anything else I can think of that would be fun. I just don't think the intent of the cooking MB for snacks is handing out bags of Doritos.

With the AOL emphasis we got 10 of 8 boys that showed up to the meetings. The CM's son went solo to another troop in the area. Unknown reasons. Burned out WDL's son dropped the AOL program about half way through. To have involved adult leadership seemed to be working AGAINST us this time around. No problem, we'll just play the cards we got dealt. I have initiated contact with the WDL of our co-sponsored COR so we'll work on that. No Web II scouts but maybe working together, we can retain more boys. We've got council watching us like a hawk because we are rather unconventional and seem to be doing well relative to the other units in the neighborhood. Got dinged on JTE on only one category that kept us from Gold. Losing a couple boys in a troop of 50 wouldn't have made a bit of difference, losing a couple boys in a small start up troop makes a big difference. But when one takes on 8 boys and it's a 400% increase in recruiting, you'd think that would count too.

I found building bat houses to be a bit easier than digging caves.

By a bat house, far more healthy, eco-friendly, and maintenance free.

As I mentioned in another posting, I went with my church youth group on a rock climbing, hiking, swimming outing a couple of weeks back. Last week they had a cookout, did the hot dog - S'mores thingy. This may be why Trail Life USA got traction in the first place. KAMO (Kids and Mentors Outdoors - Think Big Brothers/Big Sisters Outdoors) 2016 events include Squirrel hunting, Winter Rec Fest, Van Loon hike, hunter education classes, archery, ice fishing, hiking, canoeing, archery, mentored hunting and more. We aren't talking Baseball vs. Camping, we're talking Skeet Shooting vs. Duck Hunting.

YMCA, Boy/Girls Clubs, City Parks/Rec, KAMO, Trail Life USA, Pioneers, and any number of organizations out there that are in direct competition to BSA and all seem to be doing well, while BSA's numbers drop. Too often we BLAME sports, schools, etc. for the problems, but when other programs out there are picking up kids directly using BSA's #1 draw, the outdoors. What's with that?

With a drop out rate of +50% of boys coming from Cub Scouts, I can't imagine not doing a recruiting in the middle schools. Not everyone is choosing sports and if one hasn't had Cub Scout experience, maybe Scouting isn't an obvious option.

I have no idea where I got my two nets, but they are the el cheapo ones that fit over cots, no frames, just tie off to flap strap on the tent side and up-right pole on the other. Been doing it for years and have had no problems. Walmart has them for about $10