KoreaScouter

There is near-instant feedback and scorekeeping in sports...you know at the end of today's game whether you won or lost. And, you know Americans like quick results. On the contrary, we don't know if we won or lost at Scouts until the lad is an adult and we can see how he turned out. That's a tradeoff, though, at the personal level. Sports tells you right away who won or lost, but in ten years, nobody will remember, or care, for that matter. In Scouting, or any youth program with similar goals, the results are delayed, but more lasting and important. KS

Sometimes I don't understand people. I think we can all concede that there is no upper limit on the number of MBs one person can be a counselor for, as far as National's concerned. But, if one person is counseling 42 badges, what does this person have time to do, besides meeting with Scouts for MBs? Isn't there some merit in Scouts meeting with qualified adults who represent a cross-section of the community, not just registered leaders with whom they're already acquainted? I wonder if the districts that rely almost exclusively on already-registered leaders to fill MB counselor lists, concurrently complain about poor community support/understanding. What better way for a business leader, pilot, or doctor to understand the value and impact of Scouting than to meet real Scouts? Are we partially missing the boat here? KS

If using hand sanitizer as a fire starter, the idea is NOT to squirt it on your hands first, but to upend the little bottle, squeeze out a thumbnail-sized drop where you want your fire, then light it. Hand-sanitizer-as-a-fire-starter is a backup method, like using an analog watch face as a directional device... KS

Mark; Agreed; I think it's called First Class for a reason! How's things here? Beautiful; spring's busting out all over. The air is thick with the smell of Magnolia and Cherry blossoms. I think the guy up north may have been watching CNN the last month, and the saber rattling has toned down somewhat. But, there's no telling with those guys. As Winston Churchill said of the Russians, they're a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, surrounded by an enigma. 50th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice this July...Korean War vets coming from all 21 countries who contributed forces -- this coalition thing isn't just a latter day invention! We're all watching the SARS thing pretty closely, but no confirmed reported cases in Korea yet. What's next? KS

OGE; You're absolutely right, and there's a lot to be said for being up front about who actually did what...sort of reminds me of the PWD cars that you know the Scouts themselves never touched... KS

I think the issue with defining "active" has less to do with the exceptions, like the Scout who takes sports seasons off and still contributes mightily to his Troop, than it does with the rule -- the Scouts who are merely registered, doing the absolute minimum or less, then get indignant when the SM won't sign them off on #1 (or Scout Spirit either). It's subjective criteria, but many leaders try in good faith to define them objectively so there's no misunderstandings. I'm not necessarily defending or endorsing the practice, but I understand why many do it. KS

Airmaiden; I'm not sure I agree with you 100% here. Under that gigantic "Who Pays For Scouting?" umbrella, I think there's a place for family involvement in unit fund-raising as well as the Scouts'. For example, if a mom or dad can't make a car wash, but has the ability to move popcorn at work, then bravo! And, if their son the Scout is paying dues, then I think the family's covered. As long as the lad is paying his way in some fashion, and the family's involved as well at some level, does it matter who actually sold the popcorn? KS

http://www.pressaprint.com/som/wesupportu.htm

I tell all my new Scouts (and their families) that if they "show up", they'll advance to First Class. That's show up for meetings, outings, etc. Most of the advancement requirements through 1st Class will be met by active program participation. Since MBs are done outside troop meetings/outings, there shouldn't be an either/or dilemma here, in my opinion. I don't shove any MBs down their throats, so if a first year Scout comes to me for a blue card, he's doing it on his own or with a buddy and is probably sufficiently motivated to do both at the same time. There are some MBs, including Eagle-required MBs, that most new Scouts can handle right off the bat, or should get a blue card for early in their tenure. For example: Reading, Scholarship, Skating, Family Life, Personal Fitness, Citizenship in the Community, Camping, and others. That said, there isn't an "up or out" rule that I know of in BSA, although FCFY is a retention indicator. Mark, your example is a good one. I read of another, perhaps in this forum, in which the lad was a 2nd Class well into his teens, and perfectly comfortable with it because he enjoyed the outdoors portion but wasn't interested in the leadership and responsibility that came with higher rank. As we all know, only a small percentage earn Eagle, and for some, Eagle's not a goal of theirs in the first place. I used to get frustrated when Scouts wouldn't take advantage of program opportunities they knew they needed for advancement (our recent orienteering hike is a good example -- some Scouts who needed it, and knew they needed it, simply didn't show up). I don't get worked up about it now. Life is a series of tradeoffs, and decisions have consequences. As I always say, you get out of it what you put into it. And, yes, they hear that from me loud and clear...and often. If I had to pick a problem I wanted to have, I'd rather have first year Scouts who wanted to earn MBs too, than experienced Scouts who won't get off their duffs and earn that last MB they need for Life. We have an Eagle COH tonight, and another in a few months. I like them not only because we recognize the Scout's accomplishments, but with the Troop in attendance, the younger Scouts especially will see that it's not some distant unattainable thing, but very possible if they work toward it -- and these guys worked their tails off! KS

Jeff; Looks like you've really internalized the Motto -- good on 'ya! Just out of curiosity, what's that thing weigh, and who humps it around for you? We have several troop kits; all but one are commercial-type. The remaining kit is a military field trauma kit, heavy on dressings/bandages...I make sure we've got that one whenever we've got an axe yard set up! KS

Matua; I, too, received my WB beads last week, so I know exactly how you feel! Congratulations. I used to be a buffalo... KS

To bake biscuits, I've used both Dutch ovens and cardboard box ovens. I've generally gotten better results from the DO, if I put the biscuits in a pan, and get the pan off the bottom of the oven with three small stones. In the box oven, my dilemma is getting enough coals in it to heat the oven to 400 or so, without having so many that the direct heat burns the biscuits. I've monkeyed around with foil diffusers and other claptrap, but ultimately you just have to watch them full-time. KS

Good on her! My daughter is a Junior and completing requirements for her Bronze Award...I know what a big deal these are. BTW, I saw a college scholarship application the other day, and in "extracurriculars", the Gold Award was listed in the same category as Eagle Scout...and rightly so. KS

I think we're in violent agreement here. And, if you've had the privilege to serve both the Cub Scout and Boy Scout programs, you know that in Cubs, just about anyone can be Akela, including parents. Then, when the lad crosses over into his first Troop, parents can't sign off on advancement or MBs unless they're registered leaders/counselors. At my new parents' meetings with them, some react as if they've been hit by a 2X4. And then, they take another 2X4 when I tell them that in most cases, their son's advancement requirements will be signed off by another boy! The looks are priceless... KS

I'm seeing two different points in here on liquid fuel, and want to attempt to clarify something (although I may just confuse things more). Some posters have suggested there's a general ban on liquid fuel stoves. Of course, that's not true. The G2SS does have rules and recommendations on how and where to refuel, place the stoves in relation to your tents, storage, cooling, and so on. But, it doesn't prohibit their use. Some are saying their councils don't permit liquid fuel stoves; I'd like to know which ones. Now, the G2SS is very clear on no liquid fuels to be used to start fires. What that means, obviously, is lighting charcoal or wood with a can of charcoal starter. What we end up doing is priming the coals with a handful of match-light, and piling the kingsford on top of it...works okay. KS

My most fun as a Scout was the camporee during which patrols had all day to lash together various structures, including a litter, a monkey bridge, and a tower. The patrol had to actually drag one of the Scouts on the litter a minimum distance, we all had to cross the bridge without it collapsing, and one of your Scouts had to climb the tower and have it stay together for at least five minutes. I was elected to climb the tower. It didn't hold -- after a few minutes, it started to list, and as the ropes stretched, it slowly settled to earth, like the opening credits of "F-Troop" in slow motion. I held on for dear life, and was snatched off it at the last second by my SM -- famously outstanding fun. I just asked my son which camporee he liked best, and he said the last Klondike because they did what they were taught about cold weather camping, and had a great time, and for the sled race. Runner up was last Fall Camporee. He said the weather was good, they ate good, no drama, no lost/broken equipment. Funny thing is, he can't remember any of the patrol competitions at fall camporee -- to him, that stuff was more a distraction...being out there and camping is the main thing. KS

This doesn't have to be an either/or, in my opinion. I think BSA has been very clever in the way they've intertwined advancement and MB requirements with things boys are doing in school, their homes, and their communities. Where we live, the school system provides a mandatory drug/alcohol/tobacco prevention program to all 5th/6th graders, that includes a workbook and parental involvement. Guess what? I sign off 2nd Class requirement 8 on all of them, unless they're home schooled or go to school off base. For them, I've got a troop program. Scholarship and Reading MBs are almost 100% overlaid on schoolwork (our counselor for both is our elementary school assistant principal). I can tell the Scouts' science projects in most cases without looking at the names, because they're almost always out of E-Science or another MB pamphlet. I allow Scouts to "double dip" requirements between advancement and a MB if it's applicable (for example, using the cooking events for advancement and for the Cooking MB), but I won't allow "double-dipping" over two MBs (for example, using the same hikes for Hiking and Backpacking MBs). Now, here's a question for you. You have a Scout who's been with the troop for a year or so, came right out of your feeder pack. Just came to you for his Camping MB blue card. He's got 12 camping nights already. Do you count them toward his 20, or make him start from zero? KS

As I see it, the main benefit of the rotational PL duty in an NSP is not to teach leadership, but followership. That is to say, the payoff is not during the month the new Scout is the PL, but the months that he is not...if he remembers how difficult it was for him, he's more likely to support the PL of the month and by extension, the other PLs, SPL, and ASPL. KS

Our troop is located on a military base, and with summer rotations, our permanent patrols often shrink to just a few Scouts until summer's over. We maintain those permanent patrols, even if it's just with a PL and APL -- they share the other patrol jobs between them until the rolls go back up. We do this mainly for reasons of heraldry, history, lineage, whatever you want to call it. Plus, in a troop like ours, that naturally expands and contracts, consolidating patrols, then re-establishing them later, causes TroopMaster nightmares. The PLC works as it always does. Small troops and patrols only mean that more tasks have to be shared, and a Scout may have more than one job. Follow the Patrol Method as outlined in your SPL Handbook...you won't go wrong. good luck, KS

There may not be language in the US Flag Code or any other Federal Statute that dictates which direction the star field faces. However, there is an advisory group (exact name escapes me) on flag etiquette that does outline the current practice you see on aircraft and military uniforms. Their admitted unofficial guidance is that the star field should face direction of travel on an object that moves. This didn't become an issue for the military until we began wearing flags on our sleeves or brassards in coalition or UN-sponsored operations. IMHO, it's not a huge issue for BSA. Could we change five million flags? Sure. Do we need to? Absolutely not. KS

ASM1: I didn't know until I read your post in another thread that your son is currently deployed in support of OIF. I pray for his quick, safe return, and that of all my friends and co-workers who are there, too. Nobody who's wearing or has worn a uniform is "pro-war" in my experience -- as my aviator buds say, we're the first to arrive at the scene of the accident...colors your perspective. There's been dissent concerning every conflict we've ever been in; this one's no exception. In most cases, only time can put events in their proper perspective. How about letting history judge motives, and we spend our energies now backing our troops and their efforts with a single unified voice? KS

ASM1; The Pentagon is actually asking that well-meaning citizens do not bog down stretched logistics systems with care packages. As mentioned on other threads in the forum, DoD is asking that those on the home front help the families of deployed service members by helping with chores and so on... KS

Acco40; I'm with you on the war coverage overload. Too many news organizations and too much cheap, light satellite gear means we get real-time feeds of squad-level skirmishes. The embedded journalist concept is creating many latter-day Ernie Pyles, which is a good thing. However, it's very possible a family member could watch their service member get injured, captured, or killed live on TV -- a horrible by-product of better comm. We were saying around here that if, God forbid, we have to do something like this ten years from now, every troop in the field could have a mini camera mounted on his helmet, and viewers at home will be able to digitally select which feed they want to get, from thousands. I also agree with you that the ribbon thing is a largely meaningless gesture, sort of "...I can't do anything else, so I'll do this...). There are so many tangible ways to show support, many discussed in this forum, that would make outstanding service projects, even for a Cub Scout. KS

Well, let's see. Scouts with a license are allowed to drive, according to the G2SS. If they can't be in the front seat of a car, how in world could they drive, as they're permitted to do? From the back seat, with prosthetics? How about pickup trucks? Many don't have rear seats, and they can't ride in the bed... Common sense can debunk most of these rumors, but then again, many national trends begin in CA, and that's where Ron lives... KS

I wonder exactly what it is the theater in SLC is going to show. Could they have the original celluloid film in cans after all these years? If not, that leaves an original copy of the VHS tape, since it hasn't been released digitally... KS