Lynda J

I agree that marital status should not be a factor in who is a leader. But I do have a major issue with a 22 years old who get pregant and is not married being a SM, or even an ASM. We try to teach the boys to make good moral choices. That hopefully they won't have sex outside of marriage. So we now have their SM pregant and not married. This isn't the example or the role model I would want for my 14, 15, 16, or 17 year old son. I havebeen in scouting many years. Had my first Brownie troop at 22, when my daughter was only about a year old.

You might try having him show you how to do a skill. Demonstrate how to remove a stinger,how to put on a bandage. We have a boy who is a very mild case and him showing us things seems much easier. And if he can show you you are pretty sure he will know how to treat a sting.

My wonderfully wise Gran use to say. "A kid needs to eat a peck of dirt a month just to be healthy" I think she was right. Not kids never really get dirty. If they touch something someone hands them anti bacterial soap. We use to clean up before meals, at bedtime and if we were going to be seen in public by someone other than family. It is sad that kids can't be allowed to be kids.

Wehave aboy in our troop that is 15 and just finished 2nd Class. Same thing won't bring book,he has only completed about 5 badges and those were troop done ones. Has about 15 in his incomplete file. He' emotional maturity level is really that of about an 11 year old. Most of the time when we are camping he roams around like a chicken digging in the dirt. But he has a good time and I don't think advancement is a big thing for him. So we simply leave him alone and let him do his own thing.

When I joined this troop there was a troop rule that no electronics were brought to camp or troop meetings. If a cell phone was brought to a meeting it was to be turned off during the meeting. If aboy brings a game to camp it is taken up and locked in a car. When his parents pick him up they are told he is not to being it again. We also don't allow boys to bring cell phones on camping trips. The adults have their phones for emergencies. What we do in once a year we have a GAMEING CAMPOUT. The boys can bring their games. This year we used a church fellowship hall. THey bring their TV's, games and what ever else needed. The only thing they are required to do is cook. And that can be easy stuff. But in order to earn this camp out there can't be any violations of the game rule at other campouts. We have now had our game campout 4 years. So give them a yearly gameing event but set rules for it.

I agree Vicki. The only time any of my boys have been allowed to "sleep in" was when one boy had a bad headache the night before. But nothing else gets you that right at camp. I also have a big problem with the one adult and one Scout left in camp alone. Haven't they taken Youth Protection Training and know about being two deep.

Our SM is an EMT/fireman. He can't make every meeting or outing. But between three other ASM's we keep it covered. He is a wonderful SM and I have loads of respect for him. I have recently changed jobs and won't be able to go on all the outings either. But as long as we are covered 2 deep and have at least one trained leader there the boys pretty much plan all the outings.

One thing that impressed me was the daily newsletter. It is handed out at the leaders meeting each morning. This is also when you get your coupons for ice so make sure all your leaders go. You each get a coupon. Plus check in was really easy. We did our swim test at the Y here and took the paper work with us. One thing be sure to send someone to the orientation meeting before camp. Badge program was really wonderful. We went the 3rd week of June and the heat wasn't bad at night. Didn't have any mosquitoes. Did have copperheads and poision ivy. Lake water is COLD. Our boys want to go back in a year of two. Kevin is thinking about taking their CIT program and working there in a couple of summers.

Great artical. I printed if off and am taking it to my troop meeting tonight.

Where do you stop banning. I had to treat a kid at school the other morning. He had on shoes that were not tied and in order to walk and keep them on he had to slide his feet. Lots of the kids are wearing their shoes the same way. He was sliding his feet across the dirt in front of the school and managed to stab a pencil through the bottom of his shoe into his foot about 1.5" deep. I helped him to the office. The nurse wasn't going to be there until late so the principle ask me if I had my first aid kit with me. (she knows me well) I treated the kid and recommended that the contact his parents and let them take him to the Dr. Had his shoes been tied and actually fit his feet this probably wouldn't have happened. If we start banning things like shoes, pants that are to big and hang below the crotch then where to we stop. Banning orange shirts. Our school already bans any solid colored tee shirt because of "gang colors" As far as I am concerned lets go to uniforms.

What if you start wood buring the date into the cars. I know of a couple of packs that do this. The rule is that the car must be made in the year of the PWD. This way the car from the previours years can not be used.

How can she expect the boys to follow the rules is she shows no respect for those rules. This included how the uniform is worn. We had a leader in our area that cut her pants off and made capri pants out of them. THe new DE informed her that unless she was willing to represent the uniform properly she was not to wear any part of the uniform. Plain and simple.

Welcome to the forum from another Texan. I am Longhorn Council. Isn't it strange how once we get Scouting in our blood stream it is hard to stop.

Taking prank pictures has been going on ever since I can remember. There is one of one of the girls in my old scout troop sitting behind a tree taking a leak. She is now an attorney. These pictures are in the scrapbook that my mother put together 45 years ago. The boys in my troop have almost every summer taken "shower and latrene" pictures. I don't know that you will ever stop it totally.

If this man is a convicted felon he should not be at meetings with the boys and certainly not on camping trips. He isn't registered with BSA. Our CO requires and any adult attending camping trips be registered with BSA. Plain and simple. You also need to include your Unit Commissioner and possible your District Commissioner in meetings with this parent. I would also contact the previous troop and find out exactly what happened. He this man broke someones are in an argument you do not want him any where around the boys. We had one parent that had been in prison twice on drug charges. When her son joined the troop it was made clear that she could come to COR's but could not attend any other events. While her son was in the Pack and Troop she was sent away twice more. They finally moved out of the area which was very sad for me because this young man now has no positive role models in his life. I know she hasn't put him back in Scouts because the only reason he was in was because he is Kevin's age and in 3rd grade their teacher came to me about getting him in. It took me a month to get her to sign the papers. I paid his registration and after that I found him a sponsor to cover his expenses. But no way would I allow this man around the boys.