jethro

Good ideas. I'll talk with the PLC and SM about occasionally (maybe quarterly, if that often) asking the boys to stop by my table with their books before or after a troop meeting so I can input information. It may also be a good opportunity to cajole if a boy is only missing one or two requirements for the next rank.

perdidochas, there's one great thing about my snoring. I'm asleep, so I don't hear it! Apparently I make a remarkable racket, though.... I could go on and on about what Scouting did for me both as a youth and as an adult. But more importantly, if it wasn't for Scouting, my oldest son wouldn't have finally grasped the ideas of goal-setting and self-motivation. Dad can teach and teach, but the boys really learn from those around them.

Sounds like some transparency was in order. "They had picked a name" but didn't say what it was? C'mon. We recently realigned districts and had a two-step naming process. First, each unit submitted two names (ostensibly picked from names suggested by the Scouts - at least that's what our pack did). District staff and volunteers did narrow down the list of names based on common sense, but presented a LONG list of names for the entire district to vote on. Every registered youth or leader had one vote. The name with the most votes won and was announced immediately. And yes, I do prefer Keystone to New Birth of Freedom, but joining two councils is surely not an easy process, and it's hard to tell one council to accept the other's name just because it sounds better. A new name, however unwieldy, can be a powerful symbol of a fresh new start.

Having just taken over as Advancement Chair for our troop, I've been poking around Troopmaster and looking at its reporting capabilities. One that looks intriguing is seeing where boys stand in their progress toward ranks, especially through First Class. It seems like a good way for the troop leaders (boys and adults) to see where they may want to focus the program in the coming months. I'm not sure, though, how the Advancement Chair or any other adult gets access to that information. In our troop, all advancement for those ranks is handled by the Patrol Leader until it's time for the boy to get his Scoutmaster conference. The adults don't see the books in progress until that time. We could ask, but I'd rather not meddle in the PL's affairs. It's a boy-led program, after all. Do any of you track rank advancement item by item? If so, what role do the adults play in the advancement process through First Class? More importantly, what are best practices for the PLC to make sure the boys are advancing on a regular basis?

Fantastic! My oldest son is going in late June next year - he can hardly wait!

PA scouting rocks! I grew up in Hawk Mountain Council, but now I've moved far to the south ... well, 2 miles south of the state line in Del-Mar-Va.

I'm a Cubmaster and have an unusual Webelos II den situation. For the last two years I've had one one-boy den, for both the Bear and Webelos I years. Each year he participated in lots of pack activities and some activities with another den, either a year younger or a year older. (BTW, each of our other grades has a full den.) For the last two years we've had plenty of new boys join, but none were his age. Skip ahead to this fall. We have not one, but two new 5th graders in the pack! This is my quandary: each boy has a very different level of Cub Scout experience. The boy I mentioned already has been in the pack since he was a Tiger and has earned his Webelos badge. One of the new boys transferred from another pack and has already earned his Arrow of Light. And the other new boy is brand new to Cub Scouting. Any thoughts on what I should do? - Try to get boy #3 to his Arrow of Light before our spring crossover? That's a tall order, and I run the risk of boring boys 1 & 2 by covering things they've already done. - Have boy #3 work with the big and active Webelos I den to get his Webelos badge instead? Then he'll be with kids who are younger than he, and won't have a bond with the other 5th graders when they cross over to Boy Scouts. - Have den meetings that aren't particularly focused on advancement, but just on fun activities? Advancement would be more on the parent than the leader, which isn't the way Webelos should typically work. - Recruit a new den leader and let her/him figure it out? I'd appreciate any advice you've got. Thanks!

I've had a pair of L.L. Bean leather Gore-Tex day hikers for the last two years, and I highly recommend them. They're mid-weight (about 3 pounds for the pair) and provide good ankle support. So far, on many day hikes and a few short weekend backpacking trips, they've been absolutely waterproof. That said, all of my Scout hiking in the 80s (Philmont, Susquehannock Trail, and many many shorter backpacking trips) was in a pair of $25 Kmart work boots that I waterproofed myself.(This message has been edited by jethro)

Neckerchief slides are a fantastic idea for a number of reasons: - They can be done in a short period of time - They can be somewhat complex - Many different materials could be used - The boys get to show pride in their handiwork by wearing it to meetings and other activities - I haven't met a Cub Scout yet who hasn't lost a slide (or many slides!)

All hail the mighty Beavers! (slap slap slap slap slap) ...and I'm going to work my dam ticket if I can. Jeff NE-IV-211

elfdream said, "...one of our patrol members came down with a blood clot in his arm and had to miss two days but was allowed back by the SM under the condition that his patrol 'catch him up' on what he had missed." Sorry to hijack your post, elfdream. During our course, one of the participants arrived an hour or two late for the second Friday due to an unavoidable situation at work. He was told that it was national policy that he could NOT receive credit for the course, having missed one presentation. The option to "catch him up" was not available. To his credit, he chose to participate for the rest of the weekend with his patrol, and they (and all of us) were happy to have him. So, for those who might know better than I, is it truly official policy that missing one session means missing out on Wood Badge, or is there an opportunity for this fellow to make up one part of the course?

I just finished my second weekend in NE-IV-211. Our course was terrific - dedicated, enthusiastic staffers gave us friendly but firm guidance, and our patrol normed and performed with the best of them (of course we did - we're Beavers!). So it had all the hallmarks of a great, memorable Wood Badge course. I'll never forget it. One thing, though, was truly unique. On day six, as we began singing Back to Gilwell during the closing ceremony, a bald eagle began circling the field. (Our camp is on the Chesapeake, so we're blessed with lots of eagle sightings.) He kept circling as the Beavers and Bobwhites took their turns, and after hearing the Eagles, slowly flew away. It was a magical moment. - Jeff

rdcrisco, you may want to see if Cabela's in Hamburg offers any classes in outdoor skills. - Jeff (grew up in Hawk Mountain Council and Kittatinny Lodge 5)

struax, don't worry. I don't think once a month is light for Tigers at all. When I was a Tiger leader, we did one meeting and one Go-See-It each month from October through February. They got their Tiger badges at the Blue and Gold that way. Then we had one meeting a month thereafter until they became Wolves.

1) I'm in my fourth year as a den leader, but will become CM in January. 2) Our dens follow their own schedules. As a Wolf and Bear leader, I held meetings roughly twice a month. I wanted to go to weekly meetings, but got a lot of "feedback" from the parents. When we started Webelos I this year, I told everyone we were having weekly meetings. I would never go back - we've had a LOT of fun, learned a lot, and had no complaints from parents. As CM, I'm going to strongly recommend to the DLs that they follow more regular schedules. 3) We have a major pack activity monthly: Meetings September - January February B&G March snow tubing trip and Pinewood Derby April Crossover (3-day camping trip) Meetings May - July August off 4) Our pack has historically had very poor attendance at Council day camp and resident camp (one or two participants from a 40-boy pack). I'd like to see that improve. In August participants from our Council packs camp in the outfield at a minor league baseball game. In general, we don't participate a lot in District/Council activities, instead focusing on the pack program. The few Cubs who have participated in District Camporees and Council summer camp have been blown away by the experience, and I'm working on them to convince their friends to go the following year.