lynncc

Thanks for the replies. We put one of the guys in charge of Sat breakfast. I have Sat lunch. Anyway he was wanting to do pancakes but did not want to cook them there. Do not know why. We are doing the leave no trace. They also said we have to backpack all our stuff to our campsite. They eluded that it was not that far away and that somepeople have even strapped their 2 burner colemans to the backpacks. We can bring an icechest but they really discourage that as they want us to think about how we would do leave no trace on a backpacking trip. It is not mandatory tho. As a cub leader we will have the icechest but I do appreciate doing this as a training exercise. Plus its fun. I'm thinking of doing somekind of stuffed potatoe thing with instant potatoes. Anyway looking forward to it. Thanks for the replies. He has decided to do something else. By the way we put him in charge of breakfast cause if it was up to me we would eat poptarts and he was appalled that you would eat poptarts without toasting them....lol. lynn

For the second weekend of woodbadge we have to simulate backcountry camping. No ice chests etc...Anyway can we precook pancakes, refrigerate them and then pack them on friday morning and they still be edible on Saturday morning. We would reheat them at the camp. Would we need to freeze them maybe. Someone thought they would spoil by then because they would be made with eggs and milk. I was thinking they would be okay. We leave cakes out. But don't want to kill anyone. At least anyone in the fox patrol. Now those bears are getting on my nerves but..... thanks lynn, I used to be a fox....

Just got back from my first weekend . You will have so much fun. Don't stress over it. My background in scouting is with the cubs. It was great to be around so many scouters with varying backgrounds. Council level, venturing, boy scouts. Lots of wisdom to be gained. Did I mention you will have fun. Now as others said there is no secret handshake but there is a secret song....but they will teach it to you. Bears may look at everything as food but if you are a fox you are sly and can outwit them.

Kristi, can't help you yet. My first weekend is this friday. Will let you know next week what it was like. I just got an e-mail telling me I will be in Eagle patrol. My friend is in the Bobwhite patrol. I just dread packing tho. lynn

Last year I just went to the tiger meetings. Helped my son etc. This year I have taken over the program. Long story. I love scouting. Was SO EXCITED to learn that once our son becomes a boy scout I don't have to quit. What fun it will be. Most scouting people are so much fun to be around. Sorry to hear your troop is so "old fashioned". I would worry about what my son is learning and what the SM is trying to hide. Talk with some of the other moms. Maybe they want their sons in a different troop also and they can all go join another group. Might be they did not know the SM's rules about no women and they might not like it either. Since you have to have a minimum of 2 deep leadership do the other adults in the troop feel this way? I just don't like the sound of this. Just ain't right. lynn

you should have a bare minimum of one meeting a month. We are going to do everyother week. Keep it fun and outdoors. Go to a ballgame as a pack. Keeps those other dad's involved that way. Go hiking, fishing, picnic or if your upto it, do a pack campout. Have fun.

HIPPA is suppossed to protect you from people just giving out information to anyone who is asking or telling people things they don't need to know. Like telling your friend "hey I saw where Mr. X had a vasectomy, wonder how his wife got pregnant" The difference with BSA is that you gave them the information. You can give your health info to anyone you want. Now BSA based on HIPPA cannot tell anyone else what you gave them unless they have a need to know. Troup leaders in another troop have no need to know. Guides on your trip have no need to know most of the info on the form. None of your business that I had a miscarraige etc...but if I am highly allergic to bee stings yes you need to know. Of course if I have a medical condition that could potentially affect the trip I should tell you for my own safety. Like I personnally have asthma so if I say I can't breath take it seriously as opposed to shes fat and out of shape(also true but....) If you have a medical release form okaying the treatment of little johnnie while he is camping with you then the hospital should cooperate with you. They are just taking HIPPA to the extreme. If I give you permission to get my son treated then you need to know his medical condition past as well as whats happening now in order to give informed consent. Thats when the keeper of the forms gives you only his form for you to take to the hospital with you. No you can't take his appendix out it says on the form its already been removed. Or your telling me that his condition is getting worse. While you had hoped that just watching him and keeping him comfie would be enough, now due to his change in status you want to administer the antivenom. But you need my permission first. then by all means do so. Unfortunately HIPPA enforcement is still new and lots of hospitals etc... are over reacting.

Being in the middle of redneck country of east texas I have seen the "Blue Collar Comedy Tour" of which Larry the Cable guy is a part of as well as the you might be a redneck if and the Here's your sign guy. I like the "Git r Dunn". It could be sexist if you have seen the comedy and the way Larry sometimes uses it. It has however outgrown that one interpretation to a much broader application like mentioned above. Get anything accomplished. As far as trendy arn't alot of unusual names trendy. In girl scouts we were the flying purple people eaters and the yellow polka dot bikini(oops at a loss, were we patrols, dens, groups or just a gaggle of girls) anyway you get the idea. This patrol might be the "Gitrdunn" patrol until they all go slopping thru mud on a hike and decide to be the mudd flopps or something. Just my thoughts. Have a great day lynn

Okay its been over 15 years since I went but boy did I have fun. My personal favorite is the ocoee river in Tennessee. After doing that trip the guides were talking about doing the Gauly. Okay I was hooked. Decided the upper would be way to much fun for me so did the lower gauly. Glad I did. Had fun but first rapid after put in the women in front of me let go of her oar and WHAP hit me in the cheek. Then this same women when we got to Heaven's gateway (appropriately named) feel out of the raft and took me with her. I was feeling rubber for far to long. Was never so glad to take in a deep breath of air in my life. When they pulled me in the raft that was the second best feeling. I went with USA raft. One thing is ask if they get out and scout some of the bigger rapids before running them on each and every run. Ask if they put up safety lines on some of the bigger rapids. the experienced guys go first them stop and get out to get ready to throw lines. Like I said this was over 15 years ago. The guides on the ocoee river trip highly recommended them because of their training and emphasis on safety. You used to have to have prior class 4/5 experience to go on the upper gauley trip. Oh what an incentive to get back in shape. But I here the smaller rivers calling, no more Gauleys for me. Have lots of fun.

now I'm no expert but if the weather service issues a warning for paddlers...that should be a clue. "I didn't think the weather was going to take such a turn for the worse"...now what was that warning for again. Could it have been to "warn" you the weather was going to take a "turn for the worse". Having been so flippant above it is terribly sad that 2 young people lost their lives. Hopefully the rest will be able to get over the loss and learn something from it. How frustrating it was for Mrs. Hall to try and get them help. I thought if you dialed 911 on your cell no matter where you are it goes to the nearest 911 office.

not to be a wet blanket but doing a search for age appropriate activities shows that you can't do any watercraft activities with cub scouts. Even adult operated you have to be at a council sponsered event. Tigers can't go horseback riding. lynn

I went to the link above and the philmont cookbook has suggestions for amounts. like 3 eggs per scout. Might look at it to get ideas. lynn

I'm new at this also. My husband and I are "reviving a dying pack". If you want to stay there then make the Bear den really fun and exciting. You only have pack meetings once a month. The other 3 meetings are yours to run. We don't have seperate dens in our Pack we all meet as a group each week. But we are VERY small. During non baseball season we have 6 boys we are down to 3 now due to practice schedules etc....But the 3 of us have a blast. Finding another pack would be much easier tho. Best of Luck

thanks everyone. I wore mine. I actually like wearing it call me strange...but oh well. just wasn't sure if it would take away from the boys...

okay great can you explaing the rotation to me. Have not put on a derby either just went to other peoples. We just show up and have fun....

not sure what I'm asking. Have looked at several websites that describe building and race tips but how do you actually put on the race? We will have the 2 rain gutters set up but how do you do the "brackets" "heats" race things. thanks lynn

I have dealings with HIPPA as a healthcare provider. As a nurse what the HIPPA thing boils down to is a need to know basis. In the hospital a nurse on floor B does not need to know medical info on a patient on floor A. Just cause they are a nurse etc they do not have a need to know. By the same thought the housekeeper has a need to know that a pt in the room to be cleaned has a highly infectious dz and this is what you need to do to not get it yourself or spread it to others. Not necesarily all the nitty gritty details but the appropriate need to know info. For BSA the people on trips courses etc are on a need to know also. They do not need to know I had my appendix out for me to go hiking but if I were to become sick then the hospital where you should take my med. form with me needs to know. Can't be appendicitis cause she ain't got one.....type thing. The hiking leader on the other hand does need to know that I am highly allergic to beestings and carry an epijet in my cargo pocket just in case. He should also know I am diabetic and if I start acting weird my sugar may have dropped to low and we need to stop and eat early/snack or let me eat the hard candy I brought just in case to tied me over. As for the hospital who would not give out info on a scouts condition to the person authorized to seek medical treatment is just HIPPA histeria. We get alot of that. We joke about the HIPPA police....still...If the parents are not physically there with the child then you are still on a need to know basis. What if his condition changes and parents are out of cell range on a plane etc...before they can get to the hosp...Plus it should be implied if I say you can authorize a major operation or sew up a cut then you have permission to know what is going on with him/her until I get there. Just HIPPA histeria. P.S. Now its just me but if I have ever had something embarrasing I do not want known don't put it on the form. Like genital warts, STD's. No one needs to know this in an emergency... as for rashes I would say I have excema no big deal. That could possibly be needed. No that strange rash thing going on was already there or got worse cause of the weather....Not some new weird bio-terroism flesh eating thing. All the conditions listed here are fictious and names have been changed to protect the innocent any resemblence to a real person is only a coincidence.... P.S. Have I mentioned I can't tell a short story to save my life....

oh cubbiemom, sorry to hear about your troubles. You could always move to texas and join us. I would love to have you....but that would be a little drastic...I can dream tho. Hang in there. lynn

Don't mean to be dense. thanks

good advice all thank you. We signed our son up last year cause the cubleader went to our church,the meetings are at the church and he invited us. We joined in March so missed alot but we caught up. When we joined there were 12 boys. Two crossed over to boy scouts and 2 just dropped out. Leaving us this year with 8. I was very frustrated yesterday when I found out that 3 of the other kids that always come and their moms/den leaders will not be coming back until after baseball season. One of them was all gungho her husband had been in this pack as a cub...and then oh by the way won't be back till may or june. I want our son to be in it for the long haul. I've been thinking about the posts. Your right its not my job or responsibility to see that the pack survives. But none the less I want it to. Another reason I guess is I like the new cubmaster....lol....I trust him. I enjoy planning the meetings and really really like that we meet at the church. They are all very supportive. We have a big crop of young boys coming up. Preschool and kindegarten age. then for whatever reason we have mostly girls in elementary. So the future looks promising if we can hold on. We just received a call from the CC with the name of a boy who wants to join. Talked with the dean of the private Christian School at church tonight and he was glad to have us come in and recruit. So things are looking up. I like the poster idea thanks. Had not thought of taking the cars (and trophies). thanks lynn(This message has been edited by lynncc)

Lets see our CO is the rotary club. they just sign our recharter form no active part really. Our CC and the DE are committed to rebuilding the pack so do not really feel alone. The most frustrating part to me is when my sons friend comes. He has ADD/ADHD and is on no medication which might be a good thing don't want to go there here but....He is such a discipline problem and destraction. The DE is holding school recruiting the end of Feb so hopefully will pick up a few more kids. I am mainly wanting tigers thru bears. Don't think we could do weebelos at this point. I guess I was just wondering if there were any ideas out there to help. When we do the school night I will be there and was wondering how to present ourselves so that people would want to join up with our growing pack as opposed the one that is "established" I was thinking of a poster of what we are doing and planning on doing. Any other ideas. My son cannot really recruit his school friends as we homeschool....He is trying to get his church friends but am fighting the ideas of 1. "my friend told me not to enroll my son in the middle of the year. 2. another homeschool family wants to enroll their kids so they can have friends. They are also bear and weebelo age so probably better for them to join other pack (I gave them the phone #) thanks for replying and the great support lynn

let me preface this with I have no experience. Our PACK has 2 active cubs. 4-5 once baseball is over. Anyway another Pack in our district invites us to do fun things with them. Like their pinewood derby and they had a bike outing or bike course (we were unable to do the bike thing cause of scheduling) our 2 boys both camee in third in their rank. Had lots of fun. I think inviting them to join you for some fun activities even on a den level is a great idea. You don't need to merge the groups just share some time together. Call the leader and talk about going on special outings together and suggest getting together for one den meeting prior so the boys can all meet and get to know each other. If things work out maybe do this once a month like a pack meeting but for dens. Work on a bigger project together. Things like that. Sounds like it could be fun. lynn

I posted in the new to forum that I am a new den leader and wife of the new cubmaster. Another lady the old cubmasters sister-in-law was very involved this year and we had such plans.... We are pack 5. The oldest scouting group in our council. East Texas Area Council. A boy scout troop is only one week behind us but hey we are still the oldest. 68 years old in april. The 6th oldest group in Texas and the 100 oldest in the U.S. Now I realize scouting is for the boys but I don't want to see this pack vanish. The pack was split in 1988 by our now CC. The other pack is alive and well, the CC is feeling a little guilty much like eamon is. Not either ones fault. Anyway our pack has dwindled to 8 registered boys. yes you read right not the den the PACK. One boy dropped out his dad in a major wreck and is paralyzed waist down. Mom is strecthed to thin. Very understandable. Another boy dropped out don't know why. NOW I learn yesterday that my ohter leader the ex cubmasters wife (his job transferred him overseas) and the sister-in-law are not going to be coming anymore. IT'S BASEBALL SEASON AFTERALL!!!!!! I just had to scream excuse me. I mean last month we had this big planning session bounced ideas around, we have the support of the CC and the DE to help our pack grow and now the have to do baseball. It's not like it doesn't come around every year and it's some big surprise....Why didn't they say something then. We now have 2 boys that come everyweek. One boy who goes if he is playing at my house when its time for scouts. Another whole story there...won't get into that..He needs scouting but you can't make his mom understand the importance...too busy making ends meet. She registered him then pulled out then I got him to going again looks like he has pulled out again.... 2 BOYS COUNT THEM 2. We had a blast at out last meeting tho. Another pack is nice to us and we join in on some of there stuff like the pinewood derby. Both of our guys came in 3rd in their rank. Saturday is the district derby and we are both going. The DE is planning a recruiting event at the schools the end of FEB for us and the other pack. They are webeloos heavy. But who would want to join us. they have dens for each rank and we have 2 cub. 2. Sorry I have vented so long. Any ideas on how to promote our pack. We have lots of things planned and the other mom is committed we talked last night before the meeting. We are going to start working on some of the beltloops and pins. She is an art teacher. Jumping for joy here. We plan on having lots of fun but still.....What to do. lynn

I'm all excited. I just paid by $160 and signed up. Was reading the shortcoming thread cause was a little worried. No worries now. Leadership course I get it. Do the Baloo and Webelos out door skill course thing for skills. I am looking forward to both. Any suggestions or ideas of what to expect. Or if you tell me will you have to kill me.... lynn

where do you find the one for excel? Thanks