LeCastor

"Adult patrol outings"? Is this a thing?

Our CO is a United Methodist Church and their mission is to do service in the world. So our units help with the monthly soup kitchen meals and we help do food drives to stock the pantry. But giving money to the church for the privilege of using the building isn't ever expected.

The Chartering Organization agrees to give you a place to meet, owns the unit's gear, and approves all adult volunteers. Making your unit give the church $300 per year is strange and I don't really understand why they would do that, especially since your unit's money belongs to them anyway....

Derby, I think John is referring to the skill awards that came in during the early 70s. These were in addition to rank advancement and were loops that you wore on your webbed belt. Green Bar Bill was NOT a fan.

Believe, me guys, I understand what you mean by folks who take advantage of the knots and use the uniform as a brag vest. I get it. However, I don't think it's fair to lump all knot-wearers into some category of jerks/self-servers/über-Scouters. Let's just move on and agree that if you earned it you earned it. Wear it if you want to or put it in the drawer. Turn in the paperwork yourself or ask your unit committee if they can help you. Yes, some Scouters are jerks. Most are not. A Scout is Friendly. A Scout is a friend to all. He is a brother to other Scouts. He offers his friendship to people of all races and nations, and respects them even if their beliefs and customs are different from his own. A Scout is Courteous. A Scout is polite to everyone regardless of age or position. He knows that using good manners makes it easier for people to get along. A Scout is Kind. A Scout knows there is strength in being gentle. He treats others as he wants to be treated. Without good reason, he does not harm or kill any living thing. A Scout is Cheerful. A Scout looks for the bright side of life. He cheerfully does tasks that come his way. He tries to make others happy.

Green Bar Bill Says: “One of the greatest Good Turns that each of us can do for America today and for all the future is to wake up to the importance of conservation—to become conservation-minded and to learn to use our country’s natural wealth in the wisest possible manner, for the greatest good to the greatest number of people. To a lot of fellows the word ‘conservation’ means ‘plant a tree,’ and little else. But to a fellow who really knows, conservation of our natural resources has a lot of meanings. They cover the whole range from the way you act in the outdoors when you’re hiking or camping to the projects you can undertake in the fields of soil and water conservation, in forestry and wildlife management.†Boys’ Life, May, 1963 Teaching our Tigers the value of the natural world around them--at age six--will instill in them the values that Bill stressed 50 years ago.

Maybe that Scouter had the time of his life at the 1973 Jamboree and wears it for the memories. Perhaps it's a conversation-starter? I would argue that wearing that patch shows the youth that the Scouter was once in their shoes, similar to the wearing of Eagle and AoL knots. I saw a guy the other day who was wearing the world jambo patch from Australia (yellow and green). Pretty neat! We had a good conservation about his adventures. I sure hope you didn't laugh in this Scouter's face about his '73 patch...or in the presence of other Scouts....

One can be a Wood Badger and have knots whilst NOT being a horse's rear-end, n'est-ce pas? To answer the original question, no, in my personal opinion I don't think it's self-serving to file the paperwork yourself provided you have no one in your unit committee who is there to do it for you. Even if you get the knots and put them in your desk drawer at least you have them for posterity. Wear them if you want to or don't wear them. But I think bashing those who do and calling them names isn't very nice. It kind of comes off as high-and-mighty.

Requirements for the Backyard Jungle Tiger Adventure Take a 1-foot hike. Make a list of the living things you find on your 1-foot hike. Point out two different kinds of birds that live in your area. Be helpful to plants and animals by planting a tree or other plant in your neighborhood. Build and hang a birdhouse. With your adult partner, go on a walk, and pick out two sounds you hear in your “jungle.†So THIS Is politically-motivated and boring, huh? I guess I just don't see it that way... I was raised in the woods by two bird-watching grandparents and I "helped" (I was three) my grandpa build a cabin near Tim's Ford Lake in Tullahoma, TN. Planting trees, looking at birds, hanging birdhouses, and listening to wildlife has nothing to do with politics. While I can understand being annoyed with having to change the requirements and learn a new program, I just don't think "the environmentalists" have come in to mess things up for you or Tiger leaders across America. Sorry to jump on you, Seattle.

I have a vivid memory of a Cuboree I attended as a youth in the Atlanta Area Council. The staff was made up of Scouters who had rows of knots and WB beads and they were the nicest, most helpful "old guys" I had met outside of my Grandpa. Ever since that day 27 years ago I have wanted to be a Scouter and live up to the legacy of those guys... Personally, I do wear my knots proudly: AoL, youth religious, Scouter's training award, Scoutmaster's Key, W.D. Boyce New-Unit Organizer. So what? I did the paperwork for all of them because no one else in my unit even knows what knots are. So what? If people are around you long enough they know you and know what you bring to the table. I'm not ashamed to wear the awards I've earned but I know my attitude shows that I'm not a horse's rear end either. (And, man, I look good in my knee socks and shorts...)

I'm glad I'm not in Bad Wolf's district/council. It sounds like an awful place...

I think I kind of touched on this in my Scoutmaster's minute last night: 'Recently, when asked which point of the Scout Law was most overlooked a young Scout I know said "loyalty." Have you ever been tempted to look out for your own best interests in spite of the good of your Patrol, Troop, or friends? There will likely come a time in our lives where we must make a choice to be loyal to someone, or a group of people, or to serve ourselves. Not too long ago we talked about the concept of servant leadership where we, as leaders, are also servants of one another. So when you must make that choice of whether or not to stay true to your team, remember these words: "To all you serve, be loyal."--Confucius' We should definitely be teaching our Scouts to be the best THEY can be. Sometimes life gives you lemons, right? You have to keep moving forward and not get bogged down in the mire.

As an environmentalist/conservationist, I would respectfully ask you to cite some examples as to how my people have mucked up the Tiger program.

I'm a Scoutmaster, RT Commissioner, and District Committee Member and I can't think of any of our district Scouters who aren't also heavily involved in units in some way or another. When I was brought aboard at RT Commish I was immediately given the task of planning and executing the fall camporee--and that was in the month of August with the event already scheduled for late-October. I was able to pull it together and we had four Troops show up. This year I am planning to assemble a group of older Scouts from around the district and have them choose a theme and develop of staff of Scouts to run the show. I figure the youth are the ones who know what it is they want to do anyway. Why should some "old guy" like me come in and feed them the schedule and theme, etc?

This happened in a rural town here in my neck of the woods and there are still some hurt feelings three years later. You'd have to gauge whether or not it was worth it to alienate some in order to have a unit that was less run by adults or work from within the existing unit to get things back on track. It's a fine balance. That said, I can certainly appreciate this idea, Gipper.

Oldisnew, the way you are describing it I would certainly object. Is this a real scenario? Why would the district committee delegate only a portion of the responsibility to the randomly-selected Troop? If the district were to pick a theme, activities, etc why would they not follow through with selecting the campground, etc? Something ain't right here....

Is that what it would take to get you to attend Roundtable?? ZING!

My apologies, Skeptic.

Renax, when you read Scouting for Boys or some of the literature from the 40s, 50s, and 60s you kind of wonder what happened, right? I have to admit, too, that the Baden-Powell Service Association in the US looks pretty good. They are a small entity now but if you look at the photos they post--especially the Cascadia unit--you see young boys and girls doing pretty traditional Scouting. Of course, those are just photos; we're not there to participate and witness first-hand how the program is being implemented. I have a strategy in my head for bringing our district back to B-P's model. How about I give you a report in October?

I hear ya, blw2. However, that is only applicable when Scouts are wearing said versions of the uniform.

Scoutldr, I don't believe that link is helpful in this case. I saw no official statement from GSUSA and the guest didn't cite anything. It was an opinion piece by an outside source. Could you find something from GSUSA that announces this membership change?

I support Sentinel's request for a source. Without a source this is strictly hear-say/speculation.

So...How do we make uniforming a viable method? We've heard: 1. Asked the Scouts what they want. 2. Just go to Bass Pro Shop/Gander Mountain/Cabella's and buy similar-looking clothing for cheaper. 3. Make the uniform cheaper. 4. Have a local option where each unit selects their own version of a uniform. I'm sure I've left out something but these are the things that stick out in my mind. TAHAWK has a good point in that we, in the United States, are currently experiencing a BSA-branded clothing nightmare where there are several difference shorts/pants options and several different shirt options. There's very little uniformity about it other than similar shades of green/khaki. As much as folks bash the "ugly" ODL uniforms on this forum, at least we all wore the same "ugly" things--red-topped knee socks and shorts included. *************** I have a story similar to Stosh's from summer camp. When my Troop went down to Georgia we were in full field uniform for breakfast/flags on Day One and the Troop we shared the site with gave us the stink eye and make a big deal about how we weren't supposed to wear "Class A's" in camp. And I was all like, "say what?" There was fear they'd all get dirty and smelly over the course of the week....And I was all like, "yeah, duh." But the Scouts heard that Scoutmaster and they immediately took off the uniform shirt and wore mis-matched t-shirts and nothing that indicated uniformity at all. Thanks a lot other Scoutmaster-guy!

I happen to think I look fabulous in my red-topped knee socks and shorts.

I believe Stosh is available for a small rental fee. Perhaps we could get him out on a speaking tour where all he says is just up above. Seriously, though, it's true. If you instill in your PL these ideas he'll run with it and before you know it you'll be able to sit back in your camp chair and be the "lazy" Scoutmaster. You know, the one who doesn't plan all the meals and trips.