Justadad1999

Taking into consideration that uniforms aren''t even mandatory (No BSA rule says uniforma are mandatory, but are desired), they help to instill pride and act as an great self-esteem builder for not only our children but for us as well. I am extremely proud when my son is in his Bear uniform and so is he and I also in my Leaders Uniform. Nothing pleases me more when I tell folks my son is a Cub Scout and believe me, they (the public) KNOW HOW a Scout is supposed to look. Even my brand new Chevy truck is "grafitti''d to help promote Scouting. Of course the paint is temporary but it''s the spirit that counts. I''m a smoker and even when driving I am aware of how others "may react" because of their pre-concieved notion of how a "scouter" is supposed to ACT & APPEAR, so I limit my smoking when driving I feel like a kid sneaking a smoke and don''t want to get caught. So my truck is part of my uniform when in public. Consider this..how are you allowed to dress on the job? Neat and sharp looking OR lookng like a "couch potato"? What would your Company say or your customers? How bout dressing up for Mom''s Day when you go out to eat? Then we got dressing for the holiday''s, what about we as parents telling our children who attend church "not to mess up their church clothes or school clothes, or weddings..... the list goes on & on. Personal appearance & the public impressions of us means a lot in today''s society and if you want to see just how much.....then next time you get ready for work or whatever REALLY TAKE A LOOK IN YOUR MIRROR and ask yourself if you look "Good enough" to face the day or does it matter. Do you "feel different" about yourself when dressed up for a friday night''s worth of partying? It''s not the uniform that makes a person but it''s the person wearing it who makes the uniform by displaying THE FEELING OF PRIDE AND SELF WORTH we feel when sharply presented in uniform. SO UNIFORM UP FOLKS! It don''t hurt a bit. Larry B Unit Commissioner Texas Skies District Sam Houston Area Council

Scott, My popup is "noticable" It''s a JAYCO that when opened sleeps 6-8. But like others said, I''ll "tough it out" and use the tent BUT OOOOOOOOH that''s gonna hurt the next few days! LOL Wouldn''t be so bad I guess if I wasn''t "round" in the middle LOL Larry

Was wondering how many of us either have or try & recruit "Special Needs" kids for our Packs/Dens? I really haven''t seen any mention of this here and being not only the parent of a adopted "special needs" child AND a foster parent for special needs children, it seems to me that these children are often left out of the recruiting process or overlooked. Their parents don''t seem to know that their children can also be fantastic scouts if given the chance. As Scouters, I feel it''s our responsibility to seek out these children & parents and do everything we can to see that they share in the Scouting experience. Do you agree or disagree & please tell us what you have done regarding this. Your input is greatly appreciated. Larry Brooks Unit Commissioner/Pack Trainer Sam Houston Area Council Texas Skies District

Hello Boys & Girls.. Here''s a question for ya''ll.. When your Pack/Den go on campouts, is it ok to use a "camper" instead of a tent? I am somewhat of an "Ole Goat" at 52 with a 8 year old son (a Bear) and medically retired & when we go camping with the Pack/Den we try & use the tent BUT the ground almost kills me so I went and bought a small Popup and my son is not to the point yet of sleeping in the tent by himself and I sure don''t want to leave him and maybe another scout alone in the tent at night and due to 2-deep leadership he can''t sleep in another tent with a adult present. what is your opinion and ideas? So is it acceptable to use a camper as an alternate? Larry Brooks Unit Commissioner/Pack Trainer Sam Houston Area Council Texas Skies District

Was wondering if anyone else''s scout has/uses a "Bragging Vest"? My son wears one that is almost full of patches & awards that he has earned. NOW THE KEY HERE is that he EARNS the patches & awards. I just don''t buy them because he like them or because they are good looking. So are "bragging vests like the dinosaurs? Larry Brooks Unit Commissioner/Pack Trainer Sam Houston Area Council Texas Skies District

As the parent of a "Bear". when my son first joined Scouting as a Tiger Cub, after seeing the other kids wear anything they wanted, I decided that in order for my son to "feel" like he''s a complete part of scouting & hopefully set an example, I provided him with a complete full uniform including trousers, socks etc. I was a proud parent the first time he wore his entire uniform but then he hit me with a question that "floored" me. We had made a deal to be "scouts" together and his question was... Dad, where is your complete uniform? Up until then I had only the shirt. To make a long story short, we as leaders MUST SET THE EXAMPLE for our children to follow. If we want them to look & act like scouts then we must also do the same NOW I have more than one complete uniform and now my 8 1/2 year old son inspects me! And I''m a Unit Commissioner so it goes to show you. My son at the meetings is in full uniform AND even wears a "bragging vest" which others really admire. So I think it''s a good idea for the kids AND leaders to be in full uniforms. If need be then you can open a "uniform bank", have fundraisers to purchase additional uniform items, or have a "Uniform Drive" in your community to collect scout uniforms, accessories & handbooks. But uniforms are necessary. Larry Brooks Unit Commissioner/Pack Trainer Sam Houston Area Council Texas Skies District

I was wondering if your District/Pack has anything like a "Uniform Closet"? This is essentialy where your district/pack collects uniforms, scout uniform accessories, handbooks etc. from those in the community who no longer need or want them to make available to any new potential scouts/families who want to join BUT ARE UNABLE to pay for these items. I am working on establishing something like this in our district and am looking for some input. Happy Trails & Safe Scouting! Larry Brooks Unit Commissioner/Pack Trainer Sam Houston Area Council Texas Skies District