Avidfan1

What is a den patrol? Webelos are still considered Cub scouts, and when they have earned their Arrow of Light they may go into a Boy Scout Troop. The troop will, depending on their organization, put all the boys into a Patrol, or divide them into the other existing Patrols. A Patrol is the boy scout equivalent of a Den, except Boy scouts are boy run instead of adult run in most Patrol method troops). Each Patrol should have (depending on the scout troop and its organization and policies) some guidance from an older scout in the troop and a new Patrol adult. Some Patrols do then determine a yell, their flag, and a chant. This is for the boys led by a Patrol Leader to decide. If they are fighting, then they need to understand how scouting works. The SPL ans ASPL, and the Scoutmaster are there to assist. You, Tracy should back away as much as possible - except for safety reasons...stay out of it!!!

Chicken Ranch You've got real problems right there! I strongly suggest you get outside help from the Unit Commissioner if your troop has one assigned from the District, or get to the District Commissioner. He or She can provide the resources and people needed for backup in troop life-saving. If Commissioner service is not available, I suggest you go to the District Excutive. He is the paid rep at your Council who can help the troop get back on its feet and in the right direction.

I'm a YP Trainer. The standard training is AV-09V001A, "Youth Protection Guidelines Training for Volunteer Leaders and Parents", starring Cordelia and crew. The video runs 65 minutes including two 3-minute discussion breaks in the middle. This is the official and only YP Video for adults in cub and boy scouting. The video has been reworked and put onto the web. It is at least in our coucil (Viking). The web version asks a set of 20 questions at the end, and with a successful number of the questions answered correctly, you will get a YP Trained Card presented to you to print at home. I only recommend using the web version as a refresher every 2 years. For adults/new scouters who have never seen the original video which is 13 years old, I suggest they view the video in a group training session. There are 2 other video's for youth YPTraining "It Happened To Me" for Cub Scouts, and "A time to Tell" for Boy Scouts. The suggestion here is to offer the video to youth with their parents present at a special meeting for this purpose only, and to dismiss the Pack or Troop immediately afterwards without further discussion. These are highly regarded programs, and are the best tools we currently have for making YP an integral part of the scout program, without harping on it!

The memo or statemenmt is in the Scoutmasters Handbook - the one that is now issued with a three hole punch (sorry - can't put my hands on it right now for a cat #). Having been the Scout Essentials /Scout master training Director for my District, I have had this question come up before. Simply put, this is military issue uniforms, and persons engaged in the military must wear these as their uniform. Scouts and Scouters have an "official uniform" that is uniquely ours. We aren't a military operation, therefore camouflage dress for scouting is not an acceptable dress. Camouflage dress might be for certain hunting scenarios, but then those would usually not involve scouts as an official underwritten event. I'm getting into many other areas here then what is needed as far as uniforms go and when a person is "in uniform" and when he is not. Refer back to my original post as far as class A and class B uniforms in our troop. We made this distinction so that the scouts and certain adults would not be confused. So why is there so much confusion everywhere else? (this subject)

I'm going to throw a wrench into the discussion that some will find difficult to swallow, and others will find relief! Our troop has made this definition: The troop has determined due to cost amongst other factors that clean normal fitting blue or black jeans are the apporpriate pants to wear, scout pants or shorts are also welcomed, but not required. Participation in District Council or National training, activities such as jamborees, camporalls, require a full scout uniform (khaki shirt, olive pants, socks, neckerchief, slide) Class A - Khaki shirt with Sash required for Boards and courts of Honor, with neckerchief. Class B- Khaki shirt and Neckerchief with slide of choice. Class C- Activity uniform (red t-shirt) with BSA and troop insignia. You salute in any of these three uniforms. Socks are optional! Whatever works for your troop and is acceptable within the guidelines in 2005 should be the standard uniform. I have seen troops make camouflage pants their "scout pants" - This is clearly not acceptable by BSA rules. An established standard is then an acceptable uniform in which the scout can feel comfortable in saluting his flag. What is a scout hat? (don't answer- I don't really want to know!)