Stosh

Our solution to POR's is: if one can't fulfill the responsibility it is given to someone else who can or is willing to try. We do not adhere to terms, i.e. 6 mo, etc. If a boy isn't doing the job he is replaced. The only "multiple" position in our troop is that of JASM who is a jack-of-all-trades and fulfills various duties as needed. Right now our JASM is doing the NSP patrol leader, Instructor, and TG. As soon as he trains up someone to replace those duties he will move on to other assignments. He gets no "credit" for this position because he has already earned the rank of Eagle. JASM POR is for others in the troop, not for the scout wearing the patch. In all POR's they are expected to actually function. If they do so for the 6 months necessary for advancement, they fulfill the requirement, otherwise the time he has functioned as expected, he gets partial credit for the requirement. If a POR opportunity has been given, it is up to the scout to actually do the job. As librarian/historian, he is expected to justify his efforts before receiving credit. If he sat around with a patch on his shirt and has nothing to show for it, he does not get credit. If the historian produces a small album documenting the past 6 month's of the troop's activities, he will get full credit. Holding a POR means doing the work. If a scout cannot advance because there are no available POR's, he can always do special projects for the SM to fulfill this requirement. I have had a boy research summer camps in the area, register the troop, line up the MB's, organize the logistics, get the boys there, follow up with MB records, and reregister the boys for next summer. There's no POR for that work, but the boy showed exceptional leadership on the project and got full POR credit. Stosh

Ever wonder why there is a lot of controversy over the Parents for Scouting emphasis? The more the parents control and run the program the less the CO and it's defined leadership do. Stosh

Any crock pot recipe will work in a DO. Any casserole will work in a DO. Heck, any cooking you want to do can be done with a DO. Find your favorite recipe and if it calls for a 9x13 cake pan, just use 2 9" pie plates and do it in 2 DO's. My boy's favorite recipe is chocolate chip cookie cheese cake. Up against even the best cobbler, they win. To win at a DO competition, look and see what everyone else is doing, then go get your best recipe and adapt it and go with something new. Stosh

My recent Eagle scout candidate told me he needed my signature on his Eagle application and would like to stop by and have me sign. He said it was going to take a bit of time before he could get there because he had to go home and get his uniform on before coming over. I told him it would be more convenient to just stop by and he wouldn't need his uniform. Don't run across that very often in today's world. Stosh

Some of our patrols over time have used the red/black patches AND the red/black patrol flags. Look nice and the matching flag is preferred over the "homemade" ones. Stosh

Not all boys think the older uniforms are dorky. I have two boys that wear the all green uniform and get a lot of comments, compliments and conversation starters with them. They are both going to national jambo and will be getting a "real" uniform for a backup. Stosh

Emb, I'm not promoting that unless the activity is of the crew's interest they should try and dictate to the organizers that they take that into consideration. It's just that if the boys/girls have X amount of $ to spend, they are more apt to spend it on activities that are of interest to them and forgo those that don't. If my boys were given the option of spending $100 on a local event vs. $800 for a national event of their interest they would always decide to go with the $800, saving the $100 to put towards it. I'm sure there may be a lot of local events that were able to at a low cost attract a variety of different crews, but we're talking a major event with a hefty cost for someone to travel a long distance to attend. A crew could use that gas and food money for a cross country trip and apply it to local crew needs more effectively and decide as such. I have worked on and off with Exploring/Venturing for the past 35 years and I haven't seen much evidence for a pan-interest activity that will draw scouts from even a local area. Even if I had a high adventure crew, spending the dollars to attend a short event in Philmont would be better served to go and actually take a trek if large amounts of $$'s were being considered. The cost to get to Philmont would be the same. The decision would be between hanging out with a number of other Venturing Scouts vs. taking a trek. I don't know if there would be many takers for the hang out option. Stosh

Walk out a large "donut" in the snow. Pile all the donut snow into the hole area piling it up as much as possible. The bigger the pile the more it will sleep. Wait 2-3 hours for the snow to self pack. Stick small sticks of 12" into the pile of snow all over from the outside Dig a hole for an entrance all the way to the middle of the pile. Hollow out the inside until the inside of most of the sticks are found. If it is "warm" make sure the boys wear their rain gear to keep from getting too wet. Pile up the snow around the entrance to block any wind. Lay out a waterproof tarp on the floor. Add pads and bedding. Do not allow any flames in the snow cave. While the "tent" doesn't burn, the sleeping bags and gear will. After everyone is in for the night, block the entrance to keep any wind from coming directly in. Do not seal it off. Poke a small hole or two in the ceiling if one is concerned about ventilation. Stosh

Shock value doesn't really work unless it actually shocks you. My boy came home a number of years ago and showed me his Insane Clown Posse tattoos. They were pretty big, ugly and on both arms, chest and back. I smiled nicely and said it reminded me of the tattoo his grandmother had on her butt of Frank Sinatra. I don't think it was the response he was looking for. When he went into the Marines, he wished he had waited and gotten a "good" tattoo. Stosh

Vol, I don't think I have a misconception about science, but you do bring up a relative issue of chicken and egg. Do theories promote the quest for proof or do proofs develop the projection of theories? You also refer to scientific Laws. I differ in the fact that I don't adhere to the idea that Theories will always remain Theories. I believe that eventually many of what was deemed Theory will in fact develop over time into understandable Laws once they are proven out using scientific methods. To Jules Verne, nuclear power was only a theory and at the time of his writings, they were just that. Now they are solid science, able to be duplicated and confirmed. The problem with "scientific" models is that they are for the most part formulated on assumptions. This immediately draw them into question and opens the door to questionable results. Would a scientific model that is premised on a human cause for global warming show the same results as one that is premised on a cyclical climate pattern indicative of thousands of years of history? Our climate has fluctuated back and forth over the centuries due to natural causes. I don't know how many ice ages have inflicted the part of the world in which I live, but it's been proven there have been quite a number of them still showing evidence. If our recent "changes" been a result of 200 years of industrial development of humans or the natural consequences of a climate in constant fluctuation? The jury is still out and thus draws the world of the scientific under intense scrutiny. I guess I'm not all that worried about scientific data as I am with the untested assumptions that interpret that data in questionable ways. Is moving towards renewable energy a good thing? Yep, but because it will be beneficial to my grandchildren, not because it's going to stop speculative climate theories about global warming. The only problem I really have is with the words: "scientific assumptions". Science deals with facts and proofs, not speculations and assumptions. Those things are the goals towards which science moves to clarify and explain with provable certainty. Assumptions, speculations, myths, legends and magic all fit into the categories of Maybe, but I don't know for sure. After all, at one point in human history a circular earth was only a theory. Once proven, it is now scientific fact. A consensus of medieval scientists does not produce true reality, only proof does. Strip away the myth, the legends, the assumptions, the speculations, and the "sounds about right" and maybe we can just take a look at the reality of what we have and start from there. Stosh

One of the things I emphasize with my boys is: "The best leaders are also the best followers." I don't see enforcing rules as passing the buck in any sense of the word. There are policies and rules everywhere one turns and if the "higher-ups" have set it down as such, they need to be followed. If not, I am not showing appropriate leadership. By not enforcing the policies and regulations, I am in fact being insubordinate. I work with a safety department of a multi-billion dollar international company which has a ton of rules and regulations. If I as a lowly administrative assistant don't say something when I see safety rule infractions, I may in fact be party to someone's injury or death. I'm not passing the buck by watching out for my fellow employees when they screw up. Just the other day I had a gentleman coming out of a lab area without his safety glasses on. I called him on it and he said he had just put them in his pocket before coming out of the lab. I said the rule is he puts them in his pocket AFTER coming out of the lab. He was ticked and got short with me. He asked me flat out, "Who do you think you are telling me what to do." I answered, the guy who's more worried about his eyes than he is. After a pause he said thank you and we parted without further words. "Sure my bosses and the management do want all the rules to be followed. But when I pass the buck blaming them, nine times out of ten they haven't said a word." On the contrary, they set a policy, they don't have to get up every morning and reiterate what those rules are. If they haven't said a word, it is because the assume the written policies are being enforced. It's not, in my estimation, passing any buck. 1) It is what is expected. 2) The best leaders are the best followers. 3) No lies involved, you are merely reiterating what these people should already know. 4) The only character flaw is an honesty stance and a backbone to support it. 5) Nothing else, you are doing it right. Sorry to disappoint you, but you're doing what is right and somehow distorted it into feeling guilty about it. Stosh

The problem with science is that it does distinguish between THEORY and FACT, but the general population does not. Theory is unproven and Fact is proven. What is often touted as Fact is in reality only Theory. Until the scientists get back to supporting their ideas and speculations with facts, it will remain only theory. Is glacial thaw a result of global warming or as some have speculated, due to the amount of dirt forming on them causing them to retain solar heat and thus melting. Until either side comes up with documented and conclusive evidence to support the idea, it will always be nothing more than theory on both sides of the issue. The Theory of Global Warming, Relativity and Evolution are nothing more than that -- Theories. Once proven through repeatable scientific experimentation, does it become something other than someone's wild hair idea. While the true scientific field sustains it's credibility through proven facts, the world of politics does not and thus holds little if any credibility. That credibility extends into any media that feels it necessary to prove something that in FACT has not been established through legitimate scientific experimentation and proof. Obviously there are not many people who are willing to accept undocumented speculation, but there are those with selfish agendas willing to do so. Stosh

A couple of summers ago I had the opportunity to visit the rifle museum in Cody WY. Just about every gun in the world is displayed there. I was going along admiring them until I came to an Australian Boy Scout rifle. It was a small .22 cal. rifle with a bayonet on it. Try and get that one past the BSA policy committee here in the States. Stosh

I'll toss in my 2-cents worth. Boy Scouts have a commonality that is shared by every troop throughout the world. Troops gather at district and council levels because they share this commonality of interest and program. They will make the bigger effort if even pieced together to get to a national jamboree. Even a few scouts may make the biggest effort to get to a world jamboree. However, venturing is based on diversity of interests. There is no way that a scuba crew and a reenacting crew are going to find some common interest that will draw them together even within the same town. Maybe groups of certain interests may pull something off, i.e. Sea Scouts, or Venturing Crews all designed around high adventure, etc. I can see this happening on, at the most, a regional basis. I am thinking the numbers of interested Venturing scouts just are not going to be there for anything on a national level to justify the effort put into it. As one can see from the comments thus far, maybe a regional event is possible with a lot of extra effort, but a national? Not going to happen. My boys went half way across the country to attend a non-BSA national event because it was focused on the interest of the Venturing crew. Yet they have never attended a district or council Venturing event in their 10 year history. For most of our boys traveling 1-2 hours to make a crew meeting is not a problem for them. One of our boys came the night before and stayed in a hotel so he would be ready at 8:00 am the next day for the meeting. Obviously, travel isn't an issue for our crew. Driving 3-4 hours for an event is common. Stosh

Leading my CO and Venture Crew at a national reenactment at a site near Gettysburg. 10,000+ reenactors I believe the numbers might have come to. Stosh

There is no explosive charge in a paintball gun. I'd stay away from potato guns. They are in fact even more dangerous and I have seen them explode a large amount of PVC shrapnel. I'll take my chances with a 1/4# charge of black powder in a brass cannon before I mess with a potato gun. They are 100 times safer. BSA policy on artillery is because they don't understand the situation with brass/iron cannons. Depending on various situations, the artillery piece is extremely safe. If not it's a disaster waiting to happen. In the Civil War hobby, a Venture Crew member may not get national certification for artillery crew operations, but you can put them on a horse with a few hundred grains of black powder in a revolver which has as chain fire potential and a 36" saber and have him run around amongst others at a full gallop. Go figure. Stosh Stosh

A little anecdote from my boys. Last year they attended a patrol-method camp which they thought was the best thing in the world. No mess hall, all site cooking! They voted unanimously to return to that camp again this year. Much of the dynamics of boy-led was emphasized over and over for the staff and when my SPL showed up for all leaders' meetings in full uniform every day, it must have made an impression because this year's camp guide book specifically states the SPL's are expected to attend all the leaders' meetings. I have no idea how much influence my boys may have had at that camp last year, but they identified a number of different changes in the guide books all of which were designed to emphasize boy-led, patrol-method dynamics. Mentally they are taking credit for all of it. They are really fired up about getting back to summer camp again this year. Stosh

We have one better than the Brownsea Washing Machine. Any boy that refuses to take a shower and getting his uniform washed has the option on Wednesday of doing so or getting tossed in the lake. No one has challenged the policy as of yet. As far as the staves are concerned, the boys all stand at attention and when the command to salute is given, they all shift the stave to their left hand leaving the butt near their right foot and then salute. The visual is impossible to miss. Stosh(This message has been edited by jblake47)

If one is looking for information, TV and books are great. If you are looking for an experience for your boy, get him down to the American Legion or VFW and talk with the members. There is nothing more personal than hearing it first hand. I have found very few men associated with these organizations that aren't interested in sharing their experiences. My great uncle served in the cavalry in WWI and was a fountain of wealth when it came to really knowing what was going on in the trenches. Have your boy go do some volunteering at the local VA hospital if you are lucky enough to have one near. Those gentlemen would love to get a visit from a child who wants to hear about his experiences. Reenacting groups in the area are also a wealth of information because many of them research the field far beyond what one could find in books or on TV. I talked with an elderly gentleman a few months ago and asked him what he did during WWII. He told me it was not much because all he did was repair boots and shoes. It was fascinating. My girl friend's dad served in Korea as a DJ on Armed Forces Radio. That was another great afternoon of learning all about that. My dad is a WWII veteran who was a radio/navigator on a TBF Avenger torpedo bomber. His story of how he learned to shoot aviator machine guns is fascinating. I have an uncle who served on the crew of a PT boat during WWII. His captain was John F. Kennedy. JUST ASK A VET, HE'LL BE HAPPY TO TELL YOU! Stosh(This message has been edited by jblake47)

The hat is askew, he's wearing gang colors and his innocent face isn't going to fool anyone. I'd be suspicious too. Put a can of spray paint in his hands and you've got the perfect picture of what this country seeks to avoid at all cost. Does his school know his hair is a bit long? Looks like a suspension to me.... I'm sure he owns a set of eating utensils, too. Next thing you know he'll have a 1" pocket knife in his winter survival kit out in the school parking lot in the locked trunk. This boy needs to be on more lists than just the TSA list! Did anyone think to check what he had for breakfast? He may be a cereal killer too. Stosh

I guess I don't mind the mixing of historical uniforms with the current version. I have one boy that wears the old green uniform with community strip and garrison cap. He gets a lot of inquiries as to his uniform and he then has an opportunity to talk with the questioner about the importance of the BSA uniform. Our troop has elected to include a stave as part of their official uniform (6' closet rod with hook in one end) and all the boys carry them and have them at the flag ceremonies. Like the neckers, the boys thought it a good option for them. If someone complains, the boys are instructed to lay them down on the ground, straight forward from their right foot. Even when not holding them they all look "uniformed". This process has done a lot for our boys to take the lead in proper uniforming and inquisitive troops in our area, even if they don't make any changes, have a better understanding of what the uniform stands for. Is there a downside to this? Yes, our boys wear their uniform for the entire week of summer camp. We try to get them all washed mid-week, but they are a challenge for the moms when we get home. There is no such thing as a "class-b uniform" in our troop. As far as pants are concerned, if any boy turns in a pair of pants in good condition as he grows, he gets another traded in pair in a larger size for no cost. New boys pay $15 for a first pair and could conceivably go all the way through to Eagle for no more investment than that. If one works at removing excuses it can happen. Stosh

These are but two steps towards being able to put Menthols in a Coke bottle and capping it back on. And you thought being a kid wasn't fun! Of course being able to make a small catapult might be a possible stepping stone as well. "You're gonna poke your eye out!" Stosh

I'm not thinking that just because it's available at the scout shop, it's official uniform. Only the inspection sheet info applies. I have boys that wear BSA camp hats with their uniforms, but they get removed for flags. If they have the official hats that go with the uniform, whether it be the campaign hat, garrison cap, baseball style cap or expedition hat, it stays on. As the old grumpy scoutmaster, the boys use the civilian salute with hand over their heart when they are not in full uniform. Shirt and necker is not enough. When does it become a full uniform? Shirt, necker and pants, belt would be nice and socks optional unless the boy is wearing shorts, then they are required. Anything less is not a full uniform. A boy that puts his necker on over his camp t-shirt is not in uniform, nor is the boy that wears scout pants with a t-shirt, so then why is a shirt without pants appropriate? Does such emphasis work? Yep! When OA came to do our elections last year, two boys showed up from OA with no uniforms on. They were asked (by the SPL) to come back at a later time when they would be properly prepared to do an OA presentation to the boys. When they came back one was in uniform and the other in Indian dress and they were prepared to do a nice job to encourage the boys to pursue OA. It does work. When boys show up for Blue Gold Banquets for the Cubs and are not in full uniform they are asked to return home and come back prepared. It would be nice to see Cubs follow the expected practice of BSA with a full uniform. I have yet to see a Cub Scout in our Council properly uniformed, and with the exception of my troop and a few adults, no Boy Scouts either. Maybe one of the reasons why there is no pride in the Scout uniform anymore is because not many take it seriously. As a youth in the 50's and 60's (the high water mark of Scouting according to many) I wore a full Cub Scout uniform with belt and cap and a full Boy Scout uniform with belt, cap and necker. And if we had a meeting after school we wore the uniform to school that day. Stosh

I find very little problem with getting along with the powers to be in the parks. Our boys found a nice little city park in the area where we canoe because the DNR camps nearby were full. We were the only ones in the park and our boys loved it. When it came time to leave, they put their fees in the envelop and dropped it into the slot and thought nothing more about it. When it came time to leave, we cleaned up our camp area and then noticed that we would be leaving trace by leaving a site which was noticeably cleaner than any place else. By the time we got done, we had cleaned up the whole park. We had a competition to see who could fill up their 55 gal drum fastest. We did receive a letter a few months later indicating that after we had left it was much appreciated by the city council and that if we were to clean up the park each year we camped there, there would be no fee for the boys' camping. Just leave a note saying that Troop XX stayed there that weekend, and they would not have to assign any city people to come and do the annual cleanup. Each time one does these Good Turn activities, somewhere along the way someone notices. If they don't, that's okay too. Cooperation with park officials is a two-way street and if the boys start first, there never seems to be much of a problem, but if there is, it's never as serious. Stosh

If one is to focus in on types of programs, it much also be emphasized that not everyone can succeed in every style made available. Fortunately our community offers two very different "types" of troops for parents to consider for their boys. Troop A is adult led, large numbers, well organized and efficient. Troop B is boy led, small numbers, chaotic and inefficient. Most parents take a look and immediately decide their kids are to go to Troop A. However, when the Council selected an Eagle Scout to share his BSA experience as main speaker for the annual big contributor's fundraiser banquet, they selected an Eagle Scout from Troop B. When the Council selected leadership for the 2010 Jamboree they selected a 2nd and 3rd ASM from Troop B, none from Troop A although they had applied. While success can be defined in many different ways, it remains with each individual to decide for themselves how they wish to choose. Both troops have produced some great scouts. But although coming from two totally different approaches to the program are "successful" each in their own way. If one were to emphasize the quantity numbers of boys and activities, Troop A wins every time, but if one were to emphasize the quality issues which are more difficult to measure, Troop B may hold a solid edge. I think it is a real advantage to our community to have the opportunity to have such divergent troops available at the same time for the parents in our area. Areas where two troops are not an option, one may have to work extra hard on some kind of hybrid of the two opposites of Troop A and Troop B's situation. One of the great advantages of the BSA program is it's ability to encompass both these kinds of troops at the same time. Both units have well trained (at least 3 WB leaders in each Troop), experienced, dedicated adult leaders that simply emphasize two different definitions of success for their boys. Stosh