Stosh

One can still get the denner and assistant denner patches off E-Bay that were used from 1965-1971. Sew them on an armband. Stosh

There are limits on the # of people on a permit and location in the BWCA. 9 people per permit, cannot travel two groups together, must be significantly separated and cannot share a campsite. With that being said, you can take your boy and 7 others if you wish. I would recommend at least another canoe of 2 for backup (buddy system). So now you are half way to fulfilling your quota for a permit. In order to cut the cost of the trip, I took along a "guide" (my brother who had gone on a number of BWCA treks to "teach" me how to do it. We took another scouter and his two boys, my boy and self and brother - up to 6 people. Had so much fun we went back the next year and took our daughters along, that made 8 people and that pretty much covered our permit. I would put in for a permit, get the maps, learn how to backpack out of a canoe, and then rustle up a few friends and you'll have enough people for the permit. My last experience with BWCA was a 9 day trek that cost less than half of a 6 day summer camp. Northern Tier has an interpreter accompany your group so that means only 8 participants on a permit. I think there is a lone-scout kinda thing where small groups or single scouts can go with another group to fill up the permits. Check out the NT guide book, it's got a ton of info on the program. At a minimum of $650, the NT is twice the cost of summer camp. I prefer the homegrown version at about a quarter the expense. Add in fishing licenses, maps, etc. and it gets pricy. Stosh

http://www.everytrail.com/best/hiking-wisconsin Did anyone mention the Ice Age Trail? http://www.travelwisconsin.com/things-to-do/outdoor-fun/natural-attractions-parks/trails-hiking http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/parks/activities/hike.html Stosh

Sometimes authors use other people's names as an "author" because the majority of ideas in the book are really not the guy who wrote the book, but someone else's. Give credit where credit is due. Stosh

Sometimes doing something because it's right is more important than doing it because it is or isn't required. Just because one has CPR certification doesn't mean one ever has to do CPR on a person needing it. Stosh

Check boxes in the Handbook are for the boys who need their self-esteem built up. What they learn getting those boxes filled is what self-respect is all about. Self-esteem reinforces the idea that I have the knowledge of having sat through a class on how to tie the bow-line knot. Self-respect is what happens when one develops the personal confidence to realizes they know that knot and can maybe save someone's life or at least rescue them from a dangerous situation someday. I learned this lesson many years ago when I was taking Emergency Rescue Technician training. I am terrified of heights. (Rock climbing is never going to be an activity I plan for any group of people.) Yet I know that I can repel down a 5 story building because I have done it. In an emergency situation, in order to save someone's life, I can do it again. To me, this is what T-FC is all about. Does the boy have the confidence and self-respect to wear the FC badge? It used to be the highest rank in the BSA, now it's just a check-box requirement indicating one is only half done. Stosh

As a former Web DL, I would not bother with the segments. Sounds like a bureaucratic nightmare trying to keep up with who did what to get which patch. For the boys needing self-esteem, it might be a good thing. For the boys needing self-respect, they don't need it. I'm a self-respect kinda guy when I deal with my boys. Stosh

Up here in the north-country, one does not build fires, and we do whatever it takes to keep clothing dry to being with. And NO, we do not wear jeans year around. The reason for the no-fire rule is that when the boys stand around the fire, they heat up one side of their body and leave the other side cold. The regulatory adjustments the body makes doesn't know then whether to cool down or heat up. Stay away from the fire and the body knows to kick into keeping warm mode. I deer hunt in some rather brutal weather over the years and never needed a fire. Got cold from standing in one spot, start walking, you'll warm up. I was out building fencing last weekend, the weather turned nasty rather quickly and I was out there with double wool socks, long wool underwear, wool pants/shirt and heavy wool (same one knit for Alaskan fishermen), wool stocking camp and wool felted liners in my leather choppers. Stayed warn all day long. (No, it was not cold enough wearing all that to need a winter coat.) Temps were in the teens. Coat comes out once it hits single digits. Texas might get a wee bit of winter type weather, but one doesn't know what winter is until they spend a few of them in North Dakota. I thought I knew what winter was growing up in Wisconsin, but ND winter is just plain scary. Stosh

When I was a Web DL, I worked on all the pins and patches throughout the year. I always tried to incorporate some fun stuff with it. All went fine and dandy until at a Pack meeting when the awards were being handed out, the CM asked one of my boys what he did to earn his Readyman pin. The poor little guy just stood there and did the deer-in-the-headlight thingy. He had no idea. I then said, "What did you do for first aid?" He piped up and went on until the CM interrupted him. The next guy was getting the Communicator pin and the CM did the same thing, asked him what he did to earn that pin. He, too, had no idea. Then I asked, "What about the flashlights in the dark?" He went on and on about sending messages with the flashlights, the flags, etc. and all the neat games that went along with it. Again he had to be interrupted to go on with the ceremony. Needless to say, the CM never again asked any of my boys what they did to earn their pins because I really don't think any of them really knew because I never announced why were were playing all the games and doing all the fun stuff. Obviously they weren't doing any of it to get pins, I just kept track of that in the background. Stosh

As I have already commented about a number of times, a lot of the problems that come up on this forum are a result of not following directions in the first place. (And yes, I'm talking to the boys, too!) Stosh

http://threefirescouncil.org/ Stosh

Le Castor, Ever camp at Freeland Leslie? Stosh

If you wanted details, you need to ask for them. Stosh

http://www.fs.usda.gov/cnnf Ice Age runs through it. Stosh

First of all Eliza45, welcome to the forum! It sounds as if one has a small rural type town you're dealing with. This is both good and bad for the boys. Bad because they tend to roll up the sidewalks pretty early in the evenings, but good because everyone knows everyone else and maybe would do a special evening preso if they knew it was for the boys. For a library visit, I would simply make a phone call or stop in and visit with the head librarian and schedule a time and a wee bit of an orientation program for the boys. Kind of a welcome to the Library and this is what we have that's fun for you to do when you come and visit. The Post Office, the same thing, stop in and visit with the Postmaster to see what he/she thinks would be interesting for the boys to see. City/Village hall? Villiage president or such could be contacted and a brief talk about what happens inside the building that everyone walks buy and doesn't know what goes on inside. Fire Department, call the chief, same for the Police department. No kid in his right mind would pass up the chance to sit in a squad car or fire truck and play with the siren and lights. For the historical walk around, maybe have some who knows a bit about it go with you to fill in the blanks for the boys. Do this on Saturdays when you have daylight and have the boys bring a sack lunch and picnic on the porch of some historical building. Do a bit of Leave No Trace training so the garbage gets picked up and off you go! I have done this for even Boy Scouts and the people have done a great job of age adjustment presentations. I believe you're over-thinking this whole thing a bit. You should be enjoying this as much as the boys. If the town is small, just have everyone come to the library, post office, police station, fire station, etc. at the prescribed time, meet outside and go in as a group and introduce yourself to the presenter you have lined up. Out of all the stuff you do with the boys, the boys will think this is the best! Stosh

Yep, a 2 hr drive in WI is usually max. But I'd drive 3-5 for a good outing. Stosh

How far a drive? I just drove 90+ miles to get to our camporee in that same general area. Stosh

I ran a crew for about 12 years, the boys didn't do any of the advancement/award stuff, didn't participate in any council/district activities and pretty much kept to themselves. I don't know who, if any of the venturing leaders in the council. The council asked me to start a crew, I did, ran it for 12 years and retired and went back full time with starting a new troop. I assume the crew is still operational, it's in a different district so I don't know much about it anymore. Stosh

http://www.crescentbaycouncil.org/Program_SOAR.html http://longspeakbsa.org/awards/soar/

Which one? Stosh

It's the Sesame Street version of learning. Bits and pieces tossed at you in someone random way that allows the person not be bored. The reason boys can't pay attention for very long is because unless the world keeps changing in an exciting way, they zone out. A book laid out in a continuum would be plain and boring and the boys wouldn't read it. Of course even with the way they present it they don't read it anyway. Maybe the BSA can produce an electronic video produced by the people at Sesame Street so that our boys can watch it on their iPhones. Stosh

Some of the issues that I have observed in the past 40 years circle around the dynamics of everyone being equal when they are not. They want to macho up women and feminize men. The children are left clueless as to whether they are boys or girls. In order for everyone to be equal everyone has become vanilla generic. The sensitivity crowd has turned into militant intolerants. IF THERE MIGHT be someone out there that will be offended, we can't do it. Their cause has no basis in reality. Why are you in America if the American flag offends you? One can't dream the American Dream anymore because there might be one person out there that will never achieve it and will feel bad if you succeed. The basic Bill of Rights our Founding Fathers fought to get and subsequent generations fought to maintain are attacked daily in all corners of society. With PCism running rampant and no real definitions out there, one can no longer rely on basic free speech as a defense of anything anymore. Like the Godwin Rule, it almost seems that unless someone brings up racism, they aren't debating correctly. I have found from my own observation that the people who are first to play the Race Card are the real racists. So, LeCastor, where do you want to begin? Macho women and feminine men? Lets make BSA co-ed! That should take care of that. Then let's dumb down the program so even the children of the alcoholic village idiot can be successful. Eagle rank, no problem, if you show up, you will get it. BSA is open to anyone of either gender, any race, any religion or lack thereof. I'd break out my guitar at this point and start playing Kum By Ya, but I'm sure someone would be offended. Stosh

Aha! but is HE always willing to help others no matter what? Once you get to that point, you have a great scout! Sounds like the troop is well on it's way. Stosh