Stosh

If everyone is all the same, why does BSA promote rank advancement and POS's I would think that in an equalized society there would be no need for leaders. You can't tie a simple knot, no problem, you did your best and that's good enough. "Good enough" makes everyone a winner. Real winners don't settle for "good enough." Just my 2-cents worth. Stosh

65% polyster/35% cotton (thinner & lighter) versus 100 % cotton (heavier and shrinks on first washing) Cotton would be more appropriate for practical usage. It absorbs more than the poly. If used as towel/sweatband, go with cotton. For spit/polish look go with poly, it doesn't wrinkle as bad and is more durable. Solid color versus a slightly marbled texture (I'm trying to match the Troop color of light grey (light ash) of our Troop Class B.) Solid colors show dirt more. Dark solids will fade over the years and won't match new neckers that haven't been out and about. Which kind of material used? I've been looking in the quilting section for the solid background material and grey offers only one choice unlike the other colors: dark grey... *sighs If I pre-buy how much should one consider so that it stays around for a while like 5-6 years? Depends on how well you want to try and match dye lots. Buy large qty now because 4 years down the road you might not be able to match the color. Anyone buy material online rather than the old tried and true place, Joanna's Fabrics? Wait for a neutral color of your choice goes on sale and buy a whole bolt. Anything else I MUST know before taking the leap to buy?? Who's going to cut and hem all those neckers? Been there done that and it's a real pain. Stosh

Any time the new guy follows a long term legacy it's going to be a struggle. If that legacy hangs around it's going to be a nightmare. With that bad news under your belt, you have a couple of options. 1) Keep the paper SM title and go along with the way things are or 2) stir the pot that will make it a ton lot easier for the person following you. Lay it out honestly, fairly, and in a non-agressive tone. "With all due respect, this is how we are going to do it now that we have a new SM." Assign duties to the ASM (former SM) to keep him busy and out of your hair. Work directly with the boys and develop them as you see fit. Never lose your temper! The calmer you remain the harder it is to have the situation escalate into a full blow conflict. Consult with your ASM's. "I'm thinking about moving the boys to be more involved in (fill in the blank) what do you guys thing?" If you do have push back from the former SM, at least it won't be in front of the boys. Pick your battles, keep them small and away from the boys. If you get the old SM as an ally, the war is over. Either things will smooth out or it will polarize the leadership. If it polarizes the leadership, at least the new SM will have you to back him/her up. Remember you started out: "Three years ago I was unhappy with the troop my sons were in..."? Has it gotten worse? Has it improved? It looked like you had no place to go but up. Has it? Only you can evaluate the progress. Are you happier today with your son's troop than you were yesterday? If not the suggestion to find a new SM might be in order. Explain to the Committee why you would be stepping down and hope they will take those issues into consideration with the new SM so as to avoid the long term legacy affecting a succession of SM's until the old SM is out of the picture. Stosh(This message has been edited by jblake47)

It really bites when one has to actually earn something rather than having it handed to them so as to build up their self-esteem. For the welfare of the scout and his maturity to adulthood, learning this in Scouts is one of the few places he will have the opportunity. Yes, it sounds rather harsh, but if we are going teach self-confidence which will help them in their adult life, instead of catering to their self-esteem which gets them through childhood, it's a tough lesson that will pay off in the long run. I have never seen a scout who has developed strong and mature leadership skills in the troop not get elected to OA. It's easier to get votes when people willing follow rather than be told what to do. Stosh

Green Bar Bill training was the old leadership training of the 1960's. More emphasis on leadership than management. The boys did well with TLT on the management aspects, but not much on leadership, i.e. taking the reins and going out and putting it together for the welfare of the patrol. One of the draws of the boy-led, patrol-method of that troop was it was different from the large adult-led, troop-method troop in the area. It was beginning to get some real traction with the reputation in the area, but once it went back to adult-led it it no longer was a choice between boy-led and adult-led in the area, it was now just a choice of small troop vs. large troop. Most parents preferred to driver their boys 15 miles out of town to get the option of the large troop. Really too bad because the potential was there. Stosh

One also must take into consideration that a transition that goes too quickly can be a problem as well. I took over a strongly adult-led program and turn it completely around in less than 2 years. I was eventually removed because, (in the words of the CC who dismissed me) the "boys were expected to do too much leadership in the troop". The boys had all gone through TLT, they ran their own program, completely. They were in total charge of where, when and what summer camp to attend. They did all the planning and registration. They ran their own popcorn sales with no adult involvement except to sign for the popcorn. I was in the middle of going through the Green Bar Bill training with the boys when I was asked to leave. The rub came from the parents of the boys who didn't want to work. For the most part they only wanted to show up and be entertained and were tired of being expected by their peers to participate in the work. The ASM took over the troop and took it back to an adult-led program. Stosh

I'm a professional.... Don't try this at home. Heck, where do you think I learned it. Stosh

Yeah, my over-protective dad didn't let me take the semi-automatic 12-gauge out hunting until I was 16. At age 12 I had to settle for the single-shot .410 if I wanted to bird hunt. Our city had a zoo with animals, and the city took it out and was going to replace it. Then they announced the monkeys, etc. would be replaced with "native" animals. Keep it in mind that this place is next to a huge swamp at the foot of wooded forest. Heck half the animals they talked about were right across the street. Then they couldn't afford the animals so they put in different eco areas, i.e. swamp, forest, etc. Duh. Now that didn't pan out so they have worked an agreement with the local library to have nature books available to the kids. So we went from a zoo to a library extension in 7 years time at great taxpayer expense. Go figure. If they didn't charge admission I might go see what kind of joke it is. Until then, I'll spend my time in the forest and swamp where I can see real animals and birds. There is no adventure left our kids can have because adventure equals unsafe. Stosh

I don't think Kudu was meant to be comic relief as much as it was a reminder of how much we have lost over the years due to fear of legal litigation. I remember playing mumble de peg and I survived with all fingers and toes intact. I have carried an illegal jackknife in my pocket ever since I received my first one while I was in Cub Scouts aged 7 years old. I received my first .22 rifle for my 12th birthday. Was I lucky or did my parents teach me how to use them appropriately first. I am now 61 years old, never shot myself or anyone else, and with all the whittling I have done over the years I have a few knicks in my fingers. The worst cuts were due to knives in the kitchen. Do I own a throwing knife? Sure, all boys should have one. Same for sheath knife and belt axe. Not much use for a throwing knife in camp, but the others I use all the time. Had there been a place for this father and his kid to go to safely throw knives, none of this discussion would have been necessary. The father should have roped off an area away from the camp and he and his kids could have had fun and everyone would have been safe. Nowadays it seems that the only real fun is that which you can read in a book. That's really too bad for our kids. Stosh

Of course if the troop is going to be patrol method, boy led, then the SM wouldn't be expected to mentor all the scouts individually. He would work closely with his SPL who would mentor the PL's who in turn would mentor the members of his patrol. If done correctly, the learning curve will be cut expotentially. Stosh

As Calico points out the US Flag Code is quite silent on the subject of carrying the flag. With that being said as civilians, one can carry it respectfully any way they wish. One also has, in the final chapter, to remember that carrying the flag tilted is not the same as dipping the flag. Tilted is a position, dipping is a movement. Two entirely different animals to consider. I have seen hundreds of flag ceremonies over the years and have seen only a handful that I didn't want to be part of and thus walked away from because of the lack of respect being shown. All of those were never on the Cub Scouting level. Stosh

As a reenactor who has had to carry a flag from the 1850's which as a battlefield marker was 4 times the size of most flags carried in parades today, keeping it upright was a real problem. Even with a holder, on a windy day, keeping oneself upright was a major accomplishment. Stosh

OGE, That's strange, my brother lives in that area and I've visited many times since 1980 and saw no sign of the Pekin Dragons, I'll have to look closer next time. Thanks for the update. Stosh

"A friend of mine is married to a French girl, they live near Washington D.C. His In-Laws were coming over on a two week visit. He put together a nice schedule which was mainly around the D.C Area. When his Mother-In-Law arrived she had a list of where see wanted to go and what she wanted to see. The list included the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls and Disney World. It does seem from what you ask that you know how very big this country is. " This reminds me of a lad I had in Seminary. The school was in Dubuque IA. He flew into NY and couldn't get a connecting flight right away so he decided to do a bit of sightseeing before getting to school. Coming in from Norway, which is tall and narrow, had no idea how big the US was, but he booked a flight to Los Angeles figuring he could just hitchhike back to Dubuque. He was 2 weeks late for the start of school! Stosh

Kayak the Misty Fjords of Alaska

FrankScout: I noticed that right from the beginning. But our world has gone anally PC lately and a few years back we had a high school where the majority of students were Native American and had to drop their Indian logo/mascot. Go figure. Now until they go after the Pekin (IL) Chinks, I'm not sure who gets to be PC and who doesn't anymore. As a person of Norwegian ancestry, I truly love it when the Packers take it to the Vikings. Stosh

"I have to admit, I probably expected more from my son than I have with the others, but I got more too. It's possible that what I need to do is expect more form the others also." Gunny has the right idea. Just because one's son is the SPL why does he get the extra help that others don't? Yes, the added attention of dad being the SM is nice, but it's a double edged sword. SPL son gets more attention than does Joe average SPL. This isn't fair and the other boys will pick up on this. On the other hand, the SM that holds back on his son isn't doing anyone any favors either. This balancing act brings to light the problem. Shouldn't all SPL's be treated as if it were the SM's son? Stosh

50 years ago, I left scouting as a youth at second class. I had been in for 4 years and wasn't going anywhere with the leadership at that time. I know of no one during that 4 years in the troop that attained Eagle. It wasn't just the troop either. I spent 4 years in Cub Scouts and only attained Bear. It was a whole different world back then. Stosh

I was about 12 at the time.... Waking up in the morning and rolling out of bed before realizing the air matress you were sleeping on was actually floating. Stosh

We did not travel as two groups at the same time. 2 sites, two entry points but at the end of the day, different groups destined to two different sites. Arrivals varied so that no more than 3 canoes were present at any given time. We squared it up with BWCA authorities prior to the trip and they said there was no problem with 2 groups on 2 permits in 2 different sites at night even if they traveled the same route at differing times. There were a couple of times we encountered the others during the travel time especially on the really long portages, 3+ miles and some of the boys did double portages. The trip was planned out so that double sites within a mile of each other were targeted. Going by one site and dropping off one canoe crew and picking up another was acceptable to BWCA personnel. Once one got to the more remote areas, open sites were never a problem. It takes a ton more scheduling, but it can be done. Stosh

Calico is right. Way over-kill on the seasoning with the donuts, does a nice job on the inside of the oven, but not the outside. Either way, if someone's insistent on doing it this way, I'm most certainly going to get in line for the donuts. Stosh

For the most part, by the time any of these issues reach the forum the conflict has escalated beyond useful resolution anyway. If one is observant one will realize that there are only 6 different levels of conflict and only those dealt with on the first level can be resolved. Level 1 - Problem identification. "The roof in the Scout Room leaks." Hey, I can solve that problem because I know what the problem is. Piece of cake. Level 1 never makes it to the forum posts. Level 2 - Confusion. "There's a real mess in the Scout Room." Does anyone know how to fix this? Nope, not until someone takes it down to Level 1 and explains clearly what the "mess" is. Ever notice the forum threads where insufficient information is available to make even a wild guess at a solution? Level 3 - Blame. "Scoutmaster Smith isn't doing his job when it comes to the Scout Room." Like this next step is any where near resolution of the problem. Need I even suggest the number of forum posts that deal with conflict on this level? Level 4 - Gamesmanship. Here's were the real fun begins. Choose up sides and define the rules. Quotes from august literary, but obscure references to win. YP quotes, National says... my council says... the DE says.... "Let me be Devil's Advocate here...." SM Handbook, pg. 174, paragraph 2 says.... Here's where the 4-5-6 page threads run on and on showing the opposing forces how well they are winning the game. Keep it in mind, though, you want everyone to stay in the game because if they leave the fun will be over. Knowing the other person's "button" is really a great and fun strategy at this level. Level 5 - Divorce. Okay, games over, kick the bum out. Martial the forces and get rid of the SM or the CM or the DL or the.... Level 6 - Jihad. "I don't care if it destroys my scouting career, the troop, and drags the reputation of the BSA through the mud, I'm going to do the world a favor by destroying..." (then fill in the blank.) Resolution on Level 1 is quite easy. Resolution on Level 2 needs clarification to take it down to Level 1 where it can be resolved quite easily. Resolution on Level 3 needs to be taken off the playground, clarified down to Level 1 where it can be resolved quite easily. Resolution is a stretch maybe at best. Depends on the maturity of the participants. Resolution on Level 4 won't happen as long as there are people who actually enjoy the game of Conflict. Resolution on Level 5 gonna need a small miracle here Resolution on Level 6 ain't never gonna happen people. With all that being said, the forum can offer a lot of information on how-to, maybe an opinion or two on "how our troop does it" or some sort of moral support for someone's unfortunate situation, "Sorry to hear about that" kinda thing. Resolving conflict? Well, often we don't know the full story so Level 1 is out of the picture, Level 2 keeps the thread alive for some time, Level 3 the big unknown is who are these people really, so we will settle for polite but forceful Level 4 Let the games begin! Level 5 amd 6 are people who drop off the forum rather quickly and quietly. Stosh

Finding them in retail stores is very difficult unless you seek out high end stores. Stainless steel seems to be the preferred blade for whatever reason. I have been able to find plenty of older blades on E-Bay including the old BSA camp and whittler knives. That's where I always start. Many of them have stained blades, but like you said, they are the best on holding an edge. I have an old whittler in my pocket right now. Looks like crap, but it's my best knife. I have a newer whittler that looks really nice and shiny, but it sits in my dresser drawer right now. My whittler has the Camillus New York blade. Stosh(This message has been edited by jblake47)

Calico, Remember the US Flag Code is for civilians only. The military can do anything else it wishes with the flag according to their own protocol. Yes, it might be nice to take on military traditions that do not conflict with the US Flag Code like folding in a triangle. But the Code does not give any indication to a civilian on how to fold a flag. The military can also fly a religious flag OVER the US flag on board a naval vessel while religious services are being held. Try to get away with that one sometime at your local church, mosque or synagogue. On the other hand if the military decides to reverse the flag on the right sleeve of their uniform to show that it is flowing backwards so be it, remember the US Flag Code for civilians are not instructed to follow suit. You are correct that the Flag protocol has been modified many times since it originated back in the 1920's. The most current US Flag Code should be used. The issue is how should civilians display the flag respectfully. At one point the government did not put US flags on postage stamps because it would desecrate it when it was cancelled. It could not be put on any clothing and was meant to always fly free. It explicitly states it should never be displayed horizontally or lying down. So why do people do it at sports events? Beats me, either it is ignorance of the Code or out and out disrespect. Every American can decide that for themselves. Stosh

I have all my home and camp cookware as cast iron. When I pick up an older piece, I have no idea what's on the surface so I take it back to square one. I have heard of people using wire brushes, steel wool and tons of elbow grease. However, I have never done that. I have a self-cleaning oven. If you don't have one, you must know someone who does. Put the piece in the oven (upside down) when the cleaning cycle is running. Wait for the oven to completely cool down afterwards. When you take the piece out it will look bad, really, really bad. You will assume you have ruined the piece. You haven't. Take a wire brush and get as much of the rust off that you can get. That rust was there under the oil all along, don't worry about it. Now that it is as clean as you can get it with a minimal amount of elbow grease, re-season it and you're good to go. All seasoning is is a thin layer of oil on the piece to keep it from rusting. By heating it for a while, the oil soaks into the pores of the metal and seals off moisture. There's no magic in this process. Low even heat for a period of time should do the trick. If you use the piece regularly, any oil will do. If it is only occasionally used, use bees wax, it doesn't go rancid like oil does. Seasoning with oil and wax is the same process except you have to get the piece hot enough to apply/melt the wax first. If one is spending too much time cleaning dutch ovens it's because the food was cooked at too high of a temperature. Cast iron cooking is not synonymous with microwave cooking!!! I NEVER use heat higher that medium on the stove or 350-degrees in the oven. Nothing ever sticks and it is usually just a quick wipe and a bit of water, reapply some oil and you're done. The trick at camp is getting the fire cool enough to cook! 9 briquettes under a dutch oven is ideal, that's a really small amount of heat. Tossing your dump cake dutch oven in a pile of charcoal will guarantee and huge clean up problem along with burnt cake. Dutch oven cooking is an art-form. Stosh