Stosh

Compromise: taking into consideration all the suggestions... Scribe collects monthly dues. If you're late, you don't advance, if you want to prepay all at once, fine. If you are behind when rechartering time comes around, you are dropped from the roster. Late fees? don't need them. Stosh

A scout is trustworthy. They know it's due on Feb 1. SMC in order for those that are unreliable. The fee may mean nothing more than cost of doing business for the parents. Lack of planning for those expenses is a poor example to be setting for the boy so the SMC can address the issue of what is HE going to do about it. Stosh

It's kinda like the two Eagles (brothers) that I know of that mom kept a day-planner for each of the boys and got them to where they belonged. If asked if they were planning on getting to a scout event, they had to ask mom to check their calenders to make sure the schedule was free. Kinda makes one wonder how well that worked for character/leadership development. Of course dad was an Eagle, too. I wonder if his mom kept his schedule too. Stosh

I led to believe that packs that rank advance at BG tend to not have much programming for the rest of the school year. Maybe Derby but not much more.

Our camporees have crossover ceremonies for the boys that don't crossover in the packs/troop processes. They seem to be well attended. Kinda makes me think that not many packs do it.

Start working on the next rank, the troop will catch up.

I'm currently starting a new church CO troop. You will need patience! I've been at it for almost a year now, but I now have my five Webelos cross-overs and the adventure begins! Even though I am starting from square one with new Webelos boys, it's very important to remember, they are not Cub Scouts, they are Boy Scouts! Get all the training you can get so you are very clear on the differences. I have 30 years of Boy/Cub/Venturing experience and I'm still learning as I go. You are about to embark on a really neat adventure that a lot of Scouters never get. Picking up the reins of someone else's efforts is one thing, but being the first to pick up the reins is a daunting challenge. No place to go but UP! and no one whispering in your ear, "We've never done it that way before". No history, no traditions, nothing but what you and the boys can imagine to do. Train them up to FC and hit the trail!~ Stosh

In the packs that I have worked with, advancement is given once earned and recognition at the next pack meeting. It doesn't make any difference whether it is Blue/Gold or not. The boys earned it, they get it. We have stupid little beads for instant achievement, why would AOL be any different? And as far as the pack is concerned, cross-over is a Boy Scout activity, not a pack activity. Stosh

My brother works for the Federal Bureau of Prisons and has often commented that the criminal in today's world is either really stupid or really smart. No middle ground. The stupid ones get caught right away, the smart ones take a while, but they get caught too eventually. Stosh

Square neckers go over the collar whereas the triangular neckers are generally perceived as ornamental and under the collar holds it in place somewhat better. I wear all my neckers over the collar as do my boys. Stosh

If the square necker was for emergency use only vs. decorative addition to the uniform, I would agree with you. But I use my necker to keep the sun off my neck, and because I don't view it as all that necessary for decoration, I soak it down with water on a hot day. That evaporation on the back of the neck is a god-send. I have also wrapped up ice and put it in my hat to keep cool on a hot day. On cold days, I cinch up my woggle to keep the old air out, I fluff up the necker as much as possible to catch as much air insulation as possible. I have also used it to hold small items I collect on a trek as necessary, tying the four corners together and tucking in my belt. I have used it as a hotpad when I'm grabbing hot fry pans out of the fire and a napkin while dining. If served really hot food in my mess kit, It goes on the bottom of my mess kit so I can hold it in my hand. I use it as a washcloth in the morning and a towel the rest of the day. I have used it to lay over a jac shirt pillow when sleeping. It's a lot more comfortable that laying my face on a wool jacket. I think a lot of people are afraid to use their neckers as anything other than decoration unless it's an emergency. There's a ton of camp chores and personal hygiene that an extra camp towel, bandanas, hot pads, would invalidate if people would make use of their neckers as a practical part of their uniform and not just decoration. Stosh Stosh I guess I make more use out of neckers than just for emergencies only vs. decoration.

Flame time. Just because a boy puts on a Boy Scout uniform. Yes, he has done all that is required, the shirt with all the patches, belt, pants, socks, maybe a hat and necker. He has all the check boxes filled out on the Inspection Sheet. Does that make him a Boy Scout? Or are there other factors that come to play beyond the requirements? Well, what about when they pin an Eagle medallion on him? He, too, has all the check boxes filled in.... If all the boy has to do to reach the goal is make the trek from Scout to Eagle, that's fine, but is it the patch at the end or journey that makes the difference? Are we making too much ado about the patch instead of the journey? Stosh

All my boys get the same program, it's up to them what they make of it. Some of my best scouts did not get Eagle. Some of my Eagles got through the requirements and that's about it. Stosh

Since the Civil War, the downward spiral of increased federal government power, decreased state power has taken its toll. Unfortunately, it is exactly what our Founding Fathers set up the US Constitution to avoid. It gave a few powers to the Federal government and ALL THE REST to the States! The Founding Fathers would be appalled at what the US has become. The American Dream is over and each year that passes it will be that much harder to reverse the declining spiral we are in and have been for quite some time. Stosh

It depends on the Scout, not the parent. Stosh

So, now the question is: after all the adults had their say-so, what do the boys think? Stosh

Gay boys were Eagling long before "policy" went into effect. It varied from council to council. Stosh

In this day and age you actually expect your son to take some responsibility to pay for this???? Shame on you! Seriously: Sounds like your mentoring is going to produce a responsible young man! Congrats! By the way, it is my experience that boys that work for a goal like this makes that goal that much more valuable to them. Hope your boy has a blast! Stosh

I agree that the square necker is far more difficult to look neat around the neck. However, once the triangular necker became more of an accessory, the idea of a messy looking necker went by the wayside. But if one is only interested in looking good and not necessarily need to be practical, the pockets, epaulettes and such could disappear in a heart beat. No more sewing pockets shut to put on rank badges, etc. The pants could lose the belt loops and look more like dress pants, and of course the extra pockets and flaps could disappear as well. The zip-offs would go away, no dress pants have zip-offs. How far does one want to go to look nice vs. be practical. Personal opinion will play itself out on that issue. Heck, there are a number of scouts and scouters out there that think a t-shirt and blue-jeans is good enough. Stosh

Personal Journey to Excellence: Last May 1 boy crossed over and Troop 1 was "started". The lad hung in there and we worked on his advancement. In November a second boy crossed-over and now we're at two. After a conversation with the SE, he said he would sign off on chartering with 3 boys. The two boys showed up for a pack cross-over thinking one of their buddies might join and we could charter. I contacted the CubMaster and she said there was yet another boy interested. I bought 3 handbooks just to have in case. As the boys crossed the bridge, they selected one of two Troops present to welcome the boys. The buddy of the two already in came right over and was welcomed in! We have 3. Then the other possible came over and we're at 4. Just when I thought everything was done, yet another boy came over and said he would like to join our troop, too. Surprised everyone because he was on the "list" to join the other troop. The Tiger Den Leader had a boy in the Web II group and came over and talked at length about Troop 1. She wasn't really satisfied with the other troop's program, but hadn't had a chance to visit with me as to why I thought Troop 1 was any different. He still crossed over to the other troop, but his mother was still waffling and I confirmed with her that whatever happens it should be the boy's decision as to what he wants to do. We'll see what happens. Now the paperwork! Stosh

It all depends on the quality of the provisional SM. If he's good, there shouldn't be a problem, otherwise it could be a major problem. One has no way of knowing this before the boy sets off for camp. I guess I don't like the crap-shoot chances of sending off my boys under those circumstances. Stosh

I have all EBL except for Ben Hur. As far as Percy Reese Fitzhugh I have them all! That includes the one unpublished Pee Wee Harris story that was published in 4 issues of Boys' Life back in the 30's that was never published in book form. "Warrior Bold" I think was the title. I think they are really fun books to read, but as far as being "politically correct" I'm afraid they won't make muster today. They give a really good look into the world of scouting back in the early years. YPT goes out the window really fast, too. Great lessons on ethics and honor are part of every story. I especially like the Westy Martin series when he takes aim at the Parlor Scouts of his day and age. There might be a lesson in them that still is relevant today. Stosh

30 years of working with Boy Scouts and I am not allowed to staff WB because I'm pre-2000. Go figure. At least they don't tap me out anymore for training, that's a good thing too. (They have tapped me out to do certain segments as an adjunct instructor for some of the more difficult topics.) Stosh

The series I mention are those of Percy Reese Fitzhugh and all of his publications were commissioned directly by the BSA National. The other "Scouts" you refer to were not and are just scouting stories. Pee Wee Harris and Roy Blakeley are still icons in historical BSA in that for many years, the cartoon on the last page of Boy Life used to reflect Pee Wee and Roy, who originated out of these series. Whereas Roy dropped out of the spotlight, Pee Wee still is around today. 73 is correct, I just counted the ones I have and I'm missing Ben Hur. At $300+ per copy, it's probably going to be the one missing for a long time. Stosh This might help... http://www.academia.edu/3892166/The_Boy_Scouts_of_America_and_Literature_for_Youth_1910-1930_Southern_Connecticut_State_University_Masters_Thesis_2013_

Too bad they don't have the old suggested books. Far too many people today have forgotten how to read. BSA used to commission books for boys to read and even had series of books that competed with the likes of Hardy Boys and Tom Swift. They are some really good reads for the boys. 72 books with BSA covers of good literature, Call of the Wild, Treasure Island, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, Ben Hur, etc. Some of these books were written by early BSA pioneers. Tom Slade Series (Boy from the gangs gets into scouting, using scouting experience through WW I and returns to become a forest ranger and ScoutMaster) Roy Blakeley Series (Patrol Method in action) Pee Wee Harris Series (Mystery, detective type stories, using scoutcraft to solve mysteries) Mark Gilmore, Scout of the Air (Aviation was in its infancy and a real draw for the boys) Buddy Boy Series (series of books focusing on scout dynamics and scoutcraft in action. Stosh