Stosh

@Gwaihir unless you're speculating, guessing, theorizing, or tossing in contradictory vague statements, it has no business being posted in I&P!

Our Philmont contingent had neckers. Everyone signed everyone else's necker and it made a nice momento.

Yep, we have a ton of speculation already, adding more will only heighten the drama. I have sent two years of retirement already speculating more camp time with the Mrs. Planning the possibility of the whole month of August in Alaska. Does that mean one needs to speculate I may be dropping out of Scouting? Check your Ouija board for updates.

An unshod Indian pony spends it's whole life without shoes. They are used to it even in rough terrain. Yet a horse that's lost it's shoe doesn't go very far without finally going lame. It simply isn't used to being unshod. A hiker that is used to wearing sandals, except to mow the lawn is not the same as some scout who spends 67% of his day wearing untied sneakers comes from a different world. As I sit here typing, I am wearing loafers with no socks. A bit reminiscent of the '60's era. We all have our own style. But when it comes to doing an activity different than what one normally does, it might require a bit of going off the normal comfort zone to handle the situation. This brings me to the point where I must ask, why aren't sandals worn while mowing the lawn? Surely there's a safety factor being added to the not-normal situation of operating a power mower. Scouts spend most of their days either in school walking on hard, but level, smooth surfaces. Same for at home. There's a comfort zone normalized for them under these circumstances. But take that boy outdoors, onto some campsite or mountainous trail and what is considered normal is not there anymore. Not only are the risks greater, the challenge of walking on surfaces that are not normally encountered makes the effort far more challenging. All I hope, whether it's a rule or not, is that Scouters take into consideration the increased risk associated with encountering an environment that is not normally a part of the scout's experience. Whether it be shoes/boots, sleeping bags, clothing, or even diet, certain adjustments need to be made to insure the boy has a successful adventure.

Again, I'm not making excuses for the SM, he's new and all these suggestions are great for the OP to take back to his unit to suggest to the new SM to assist (after all that's what an ASSISTANT SM supposed to do) him in getting his bearings as he starts that often daunting task. Still it's up to the scout to start asking questions to resolve his situation. His advancement is his responsibility. Everyone needs to start communicating with each other.

I never underestimate the confusion caused by the lack of real communication. Yes, the SM needs to be the adult and step up his game, but taking over as a new SM can be overwhelming and not necessarily understanding how the former SM dealt one-on-one with the scouts traditionally can be quite a challenge to unravel. When in doubt, the new SM would be trying to do a hundred things all at one time so as to not be able to focus his attention on helping by giving clearly defined instructions to every boy. Here's where the former SM could be offering up some solid expertise based on his experience. However, if that communication is not there, it's going to be a make-it-up-as-you-go for the new guy. I'm not trying to make excuses for anyone here, but my advice remains the same, if one can't get an answer out of one person (no communication), then go to someone else for that information. Eventually someone's going to need to start communicating.

Agreed!

As part of my responsibilities with the Red Cross, I was required to take the state's defensive driving course. The cost is only $15 and the Red Cross picked up the cost because they mandated it. As a result, my insurance premiums went down. It's the first time in 50 years I have taken a driving education course and although much of it is review, I learned a lot of useful information. The one thing I did learn that was quite interesting was that when one drives the posted speed limit, especially in town, I spend a lot less time sitting at traffic lights. I also notice that the same cars at the lights that whizzed past me have had to wait for me to catch up. Just a recommendation for anyone out there that might be interested. The drop in my insurance premiums allowed me to up my liability coverage as well. Costs me the same, but if I am in need, it's a big help.

Unless they are in a dual capacity, our committee members do not wear uniforms. We are in a depressed neighborhood and getting the boys into uniform is a struggle enough for these parents. Bling is not on their radar.

One has to also remember that there is, or at least was, a pack weigh-in and the boys weren't allowed on the trek until they lightened the load to where they were capable of handling the weight. I lightened my load to where I could carry it, but my two extra camel canteens were empty. My pack was not full. As soon as I could, I filled my extra water containers and figured if I had problems with too much weight I could always adjust the water weight. On days I anticipated with dry campsites, I just struggled a bit more knowing it would be worth it.

One has to also consider that even though the scout has had 3-4 other BOR's, they were set up by the former SM. This is new territory with a new SM. It could very well be the former SM was the go-to person for the BOR set-up. It's a bit of a learning curve for both the scout and the new SM.

I had a scout pick up Giardia in the BWCA. He went snorkeling.

My kids have difficulty memorizing anything, but ask them to name 200 Pokeman characters? They know them all.

Somehow I feel more comfortable with the scouts learning from their own mistakes rather than others. Over the years I have made plenty of mistakes, but the most important one was not to make the same mistake twice. I learned this as a child. I had a very non-sympathetic mother. If I couldn't find something she would always answer, "Try looking for it where you left it. If it's not there, put it where it belongs, or at least in a place where you can remember." After hearing that for a second, third or even fourth time, I learned not to keep making the same mistake. If this scout isn't getting the answers from the SM he needs, try talking to someone else.

@Back Pack There's this marvelous invention called duct tape. Works well on leaky water containers. I've even used it on my canoes. Works wonders! The guy that taught me this showed me how to make the repair. Cut the leak big enough to put the duct tape on the inside of the bladder, then another over the outside. He did this and then filled with water. When he stepped on the bladder it ruptured a leak, but not at the duct tape place.

The amount of toxicity varies from one person to another. I find that the only time one really needs to be worried is when the boys stick their face down near the fire to blow, it's during the fire starting process. They can get quite a bit of smoke when they draw in their next big breath to blow. This is the #1 reason I use a 2' copper forge tube to start my fires. After the fire starts, the kid that throws in a chunk of twine isn't that big of an issue because of the fire's updraft if it's not a windy day. Stay out of the smoke until the rope is completely burned. This is also the precaution when someone tosses in plastics into the fire.

None of my committee members wear trained patches because in a small troop they wear other hats as well for which they are trained. As long as they under stand the BSA boy led, patrol method program, they don't need to know much more. A good advancement person needs training on the operation of a computer and BSA software (or 3rd party software if they are using that). A good treasurer needs to know how to keep records, that training comes from outside of the BSA. Same for a good secretary. The Chairman needs to know good group leadership skills with a bit of tact and politicin' thrown in. The rest pretty much need to know how to do a good BOR keeping the boys' success as their #1 goal. Unless they are wearing another hat which requires it, my committee people don't wear the tan shirt so they have nothing to sew the patch on anyway.

Other than target shooting, it's a pretty useless gun unless one is a patient crack shot.

My troops traditionally have purchased only 4-man tents. When needed, they can squeeze in all four (2 tents per patrol). One boy takes the fly, one the tent, one the poles and one the stakes. Never a problem on backpacking treks. If odd numbered, 3 in a tent is fine. When plop camping, the boys enjoy the room of a 4-man tent. If the PL wants to lug in a 4-man tent for himself, he's welcomed to it.

I have been in scouting for over 40 years now. I always police my campsites better than I find them. .... and I still haven't memorized the Outdoor Code.

@clivusmultrum Welcome to the forum! I know a lot of hikers who have personally used different materials that aren't always the recommended choice. I did not use an all-leather hiking boot as mandated by the SM. I used the breathable manmade fiber boots that did not produce the blisters the others suffered. When it comes to the boys and making recommendations, I, too, use personal experience and allow the boys to pick the footwear they wish for the trip. I have extremely flat feet (4-F during the Vietnam War Era) and when I did my Philmont hike I may not have gotten the blisters, but the ankle support was a problem on the last few days. Hap Pigsley is a safety consultant that I have mentioned on forum that I keep playing in the back of my mind. He said that out of 330 risky activities, 300 times the average person will "get away with it". 29 times, however, will result in injury, and 1 of those times it will result in death. He did emphasize that the routine of "getting away with it" experiences will give the person a false sense of security to continue the risky activity. Just sayin' It's just something I learned because I have been extremely lucky with "getting away with it" all these years.

When I was in scouts we would always do the "Wizard's Entrance" at the campfire. Toss a pinch of iron filings into the fire and a huge flame and white smoke would be impressive. Don't tell your boys about this, we weren't the smartest bunch of scouts, but we had fun. To give you an idea of how effective this is, I never saw the "Wizard's Entrance" as an adult until I got into reenacting and some fool tossed a paper cartridge of gunpowder into the fire. Looked pretty much the same. This is why steel wool works so well as a fire starter. It's "explosive" nature, however, doesn't give one very long to get it into the tinder. Put the wool in with the tinder then apply the battery.

My trek was all 5 of the major peaks of Philmont, 110 miles. If I remember correctly, we had 3 dry camps. Knowing the route is, of course, important, but it's doable. My 2 extra containers were those camel bags, rubberized cloth that lays flat except for the plastic ring and cap. Mine held about a 1/2 gal apiece. You are correct, overwater the boys in the morning before leaving camp. They hate this process, but it works. And by the way, do this at every water source one finds and make sure everyone has all containers full. We would also soak our shirts and neckers as well to slow the overheating and extra water loss from perspiration.

@jgmerrell Welcome to the forum. One must always remember that whether the training is required or not, it's best to be trained. I have a fear of heights and so I'll never rock climb. But I took the training just in case my boys wanted to climb. Now I know all the necessary information to insure my boys are safe with the program they are participating in. I'll handle belay lines. I'll help get the boys into harnesses. I'll cheer them on, but I'll never do a climb. And.... I hope I never break a leg, but if someone next to me does.... I have the training!

I'm with @Hedgehog on this one. If the boy is not having fun in scouting, there's nothing I can say or do to change that. This is always the most important question I ask in any of my SMC's. It is the only gauge necessary to insure retention of members. It is the reason I left scouting as a youth and it is the reason I have moved on from the different troops I have served. Been there, done that. I totally understand if a boy leaves because of this one issue alone.