johnnylaw101

I am in need of general ideas - topics for Scoutmaster Roundtable... if you have any please post - list here. Thanks !!

Thanks to everyone for the information so far. I have not been told what subcomittee I'm going to be put on. Are volunteers usually put on just one, or more than one subcommittee?? I just registered as a DL in May... hence whey I called myself just a mere DL. :-) I think of myself as a Lieutenant with a platoon.... answerable to the Majors, Colonels and Generals above me. I like working with "My boys" as I paternally call them.... And I dont want to jeperdize that relationship by taking on more than I can handle.

I am looking for ideas for a Wolf Den service project... Any ideas ???? Garbage Pickup.... clean up an abandoned/foreclosed house's yard.... Any other unique ones out there ??? Thanks !!

I've been asked to serve on the District Committee... I have no idea what the responsibilities are.... Right now I'm just a mere Den Leader.... What do District Committee members do? What am I looking at?

Let me tell you a story... 25 years ago when I was in a Troop of about 30 boys. The SPL was a Mj smoking pothead.... all his older buddies were potheads... they liked to pick on us young ones... thought it was their right to make our lives hell. To me scouting was hell... not fun. The SPL's dad was our SM, who turned a blind eye to what was going on obviously in front of him. Those 15 youngest members were hating scouting and many boys just quit, and did not know any better. Then one day a friend of mine transfered to the troop down the road.... our "rival" troop... and he was branded a traitor. I saw him and asked him how things were, and he said GREAT !! and explained to me how nice and friendly his new troop was. So myself and two others went to visit... just sitting quietly in the back. The older ones treated the younger ones with respect... several Eagle scouts came to talk to us, and told us that if we did want to transfer that we would be welcome there. WOW !!! an older boy... and Eagle Scout... talking to us !! That was it... we transfered within the next couple of days.... Then 3 more boys transfered... then some more... in all about 12 boys transfered within a period of three weeks. News of our defection quickly spread to the Cub Scout Packs... no boy would join our old pack... within three years that old troop folded up and was gone. Moral of the story... boys will go where they are welcome, treated with respect, and have fun.

TO reply to last person's comments: Our Charter Organization Rep does not attend the committee meetings. The CM and ACM run the show. The den leaders who come to the Pack Committee meetings are the "de facto" committee. The committee chair told me that "The CM and ACM make the decisions." She sees herself more as a volunteer and figurehead of the pack committee with no actual authority to decide things. She passes that responsibility to the CM and ACM. Essentially our CM and ACM are the CEO and Vice CEO of the "corporation".

At a Cub Scout resident camp last week, one mom had her phone ringing at least 1x an hour. We'd be on a hike and it would go off, she would walk along giving a play by play on what we were doing.. chattering away. Then she and her son would chat on the phone at night in their tent for 30+ minutes... to dad... to grandma... to his sister... The camp master finally told her that she could use it for emergencies, and also for 10 minutes after dinner, just outside the dinning hall.

I am having problems with the Cubmaster of our Pack. I was a cub and boy scout through Star rank... and am the only former scout who is now serving in any leadership capacity in the Pack. A number of "younger" den leaders and parents are being met with silence from our CM and ACM. Both of these men have been in leadership for several years now... they are what we call the "old guard". Then there is a group of young leaders and parents who want to do more, and are questioning the "old guard", and their pratices... Here is current example... Our pack had over $7,000 in the bank at the end of May. Our local district day camp, like many, is experiencing a drop in registrations. I sent out an email in which I suggested that the Pack pay for half of the fees, in order to try to generate more regristrations. (Camp is in two weeks) The response from the CM and ACM ???!! Silence... No email or return phone call. Called the Pack Chair and her response, "Well.. that decision must be made by the CM and ACM... and traditionally we only pay for "Pack" events... not council or district events. Some of us youngin's also have even questioned how our CM and ACM have remained in power... (Who elected them for life..?!) What can we do? Other than leaving to a new Pack...(Other Packs in our area are struggling... would love to have us come and our boys come to theirs. Three young leaders have secretly spoken about taking our boys and leaving... (would take about 1/2 the pack away... effectively killing the pack next year) The current CM told a group of younger DL's that "Next year when myself and ACM are gone, you guys can change the pack anyway you want because we'll be gone."

My son and I went to our Council's Cub Scout Resident Camp last week for Wolves and Bears. (Los Padres Council, Calif) We had a great time, will go again next year. I must say I was surprised by the low turnout... just 22 boys (Wolves and Bears). Webelos have their own 4 day Resident Camp. Maybe its because (1) Tough economic times and (2) The camp was from Sunday to Wednesday... making parents take three days off from work. I've heard that our Cub Scout Day Camp next week does not have the numbers that the District would like... for many families money is tight.

Per the last question: Is was a Recruiter Strip and underneath the Right Pocket. I thought only scouts could earn, but there it was on a District Commissioner.

I cant seem to find the answer to this question. A parent is a Red Cross Approved Lifeguard and triathalete... and wants to be our lifeguard for water activities this summer when a lifeguard is required... Does he need to also do the BSA Lifeguard class?? or this this class just for youths? Also, can his Red Cross certif. be recognized as identical to the BSA requirements and given the BSA Lifeguard status? Also.... it seems that he would clearly qualify as a Lifeguard Counselor... due to the Red Cross Certification.. correct? Help !

I saw a District Commish over the weekend with a Recruiter patch just below his right pocket. Can adults earn this patch ?

Thanks for everyone's responses...... I called our local council, (I am in rather rural area), and they said they would accept the local Red Cross - YMCA class. (turns out to be an intense 50 hrs of class and pool) We have a mom that used to be a college swimmer and has volunteered to take the class. Good to know that we dont need a certifield lifeguard, but nice to know someone there is fully trained.

I am a wolf den leader, and was a cub scout when I was a boy. I still have some old patches that I never used. Is it ok to put one on the right pocket of my adult uniform? (i.e. I was in a pack when cub scouts turned 50 yrs old, and I still have my 50th Aniv. patch. -- John

I know there is a rule that a certified lifeguard must be present for all water activities... My son's pack has gone to public pools where we use the pools lifeguards... however... What are the requirements to get one of our parents qualified? Must it be a BSA class or can it be a Red Cross Approved class at the local YMCA (30 hours and which is as rigorous as any). I have seen no BSA courses offered for adults. ... thank you in advance for coming to my rescue... (no pun intended)

I am a Cub Scout leader, and this weekend our Pack had a campout at the same time as an Order of the Arrow function. I was a Boy Scout for about five years, and still know little about it. Can adults become members, or does one need to become a member back when a youth in order to partisipate as an adult??

A recent posting response commented that BSA will be changing the centenial uniform and will be getting rid of the bellowed front pockets, and getting rid of the sleeve pocket.... True ???

... the local District Commish has come in... the Pack CM, and ACM, and his wife... very defensive... The CM said, "This is the way we do it, and there are other Packs in the area that might be more to your liking... we wont be insulted if you leave."

... I need some fun activities for a pack during the summer. We have a campout this month scheduled at the local scout camp. Need some other ideas... (i.e. Go to local waterpark/waterslides.... go to minor league baseball game... frisbee golf tournament...) Does anyone have any good events for summer months ?? Help !!

Here is what happened to an unhappy Den here: They felt ignored by the Pack leadership and transfered to a Pack down the street... the WHOLE DEN.... all 8 boys (plus their sibling cub scouts = 12 boys). We lost 1/3 of our pack overnight. Dont ignore this problem. Have the pack reimburse the parents their money.... and then make sure the Cub Master or Asst. Cubmaster attend the next few months worth of Den Meetings to help, assist, talk to parents, arrange for a fun outing for the boys... basically we're talking about damage control. Convince the parents that the worst is over, and that you're willing to go the extra mile to make them know that they are valued and you are willing to fix the problem.

I was the one that posted the question a couple of weeks ago about what unit number to use on a CS Leader. Wow... I am glad I still have not bought my uniform. (Waiting for my card/paperwork to come in and make me official) I went to my scout store and asked about the tan on red, and she said she had not heard of them... and this is a pretty knowlegeable scouter lady. I showed her the uniform guide with the red on tan, and she could not find it in the computer. THEN i sent an email to BSA Supply to ask about the Red on Tan, and they told me that THEY HAD NO RECORD of it... Now the new link is pulling the Red on Tan, before they even came out... ... Ya know... here in California we are pretty relaxed on stuff... So I'm just going to get the Green on Tan, it just blends in... and I'm planning on following my son into BS, and CS leaders should look like their their Webelos and the BS and Council leaders. Why make the CS leaders look different... I think scouters should all look the same. NATIONAL: JUST MAKE ALL ADULT LEADERS WEAR GREEN ON TAN !!

My sons' pack has a group of dissatisfied parents. Are they allowed to come to committee meetings and vote to change things? Who are voting members? Does the committee chair have "Veto" power to override a decision of the majority of members. The pack is facing a takeover....

(This message has been edited by johnnylaw101)

I became a Boy Scout in the spring of 1981... less than a year after the "new" Dela Renta uniform was released. I am seeing the same issue now as was faced back in 1981. What uniform do I buy... do I have to buy a new uniform. The answer is that over time the Dela Renta uniforms will slowly disapear from view. Older boys will leave boy scouts, new boys will buy the uniform... Old Commissioners will be the last the buy a new uniform (takes a long time to sew on between 10-15 knots !!) Like back in 1981... give it 3-4 years and you'll rarely see a Dela Renta... just natural attrition.

Thank you for everyone's responses so far. Yes.. I was and am aware that it's temporary patch... I think it really is one of the most cool looking patches that a Cub can earn... So this is why I wanted to try to place it on the uniform and not his brag vest. I know that BSA makes differen sized patches on a small handfull of other patches. As to the totem covering the temp patch up... Since he earned his Tiger, which has been sewed on, he wanted to take off the totem. told him he could keep it on. "No dad.. I earned my badge.. I dont need the paw thing anymore." Ok son... Sounds like I will have to have him pick another patch to place as his temp. The Centenial Recruiter patch is also pretty cool looking... I guess two recruiter patches on one uniform is ok. I'll just let my son pick what he wants.. its his uniform.