mbrownkc7

Our troop did this a few years ago and it was a great float. We did it in May and was told that spring is the best time. There is also a Boy Scout Camp that we were able to stay in for free right on the river in Jasper, Arkansas. Camp Orr. The river is pretty fast and I was glad to have my life jacket on. Great bluffs all the way down on our float. I don't know if I would qualify it as a high adventure but I would say it would be a great trip. Good Luck.

The pocket placement is the problem. I laughed when I saw this and couldn't believe it made it through quality control. It was very hard mentally to sew the patches on the new shirt because of this. I am tempted to take my shirt to a professional and having the pocket moved if it won't be noticable where it used to be. It is always something with the uniform isn't it.

I bought a new scout shirt and the material is 100% supplex nylon. When I bought it the young man at the scout shop told me I couldn't iron it. I said "well how do I get the wrinkles out of it?" and he said you just shake it out. Does anyone know for sure or have you tried to iron it? Thanks for your help.

axeman, I met your oldest boy last year at the turkey wing club. We always enjoy that outpost and have planned it again this year. All of our outpost were great last year and we are looking forward to the newest one this year. My son is expecting a fun camp as you know. He really enjoyed it last summer and this one will be better. My middle son isn't as excited about scouts but he is going to camp and seems pretty pumped about it. I hope this summer he gets back into it. I will look for your son again this summer and give him a quick hello. I hope the weather is good for you in late July. Enjoy it!

It is that time again and I am starting to get excited. 7 weeks from today I get to go to H. Roe Bartle Scout Reservation in Oceola, Missouri with two of my boys. This will be my oldest boys 5th year and I feel maybe his last even though he says no way. This will be my middle son's 2nd year. My youngest is only 6 so I have some time before he gets to come along. This is a big year for my oldest son at camp. I am so fortunate to be able to attend camp each summer and watch my boys grow up. It is an amazing difference between thier 1st years and every year after. I just hope we get the nice weather like we got last year. Everyone have fun at camp this summer!

Our council camp is located in Oseola, MO and there are two short songs that are always sang together at the end of council camp fires. Our troop ends all of our monthly camp out camp fires the same way. "The Hills of Osceola" and "Tell Me Why" Wonderful songs than make you proud of our camp and the area of the country where it is located at. http://www.angelfire.com/ks2/camposceola/index.html

All this talk of underwear reminded me of a very funny story from my summer camp days. There was a night where a few of us wouldn't go to sleep or keep it down. After numerous visits from our scout leader and continued horse play our leader came up with his own plan. He got us out of our tent and marched us around the camp in the dark. He didn't let us get dressed or put on shoes. It had to have been about a mile walk with no shoes and only in our pajamas which was underwear back in those days. After tip toeing along the gravel paths with only his flash light lighting his path we went straight to bed and didn't make another noise. I smiled that night after getting back thinking how he took care of business. I always liked that man before and I only respected him more after that. That man was one of my best friends father and a neighbor. My father wasn't at summer camp that year and this man diciplined me just like I was his son. I know my dad got a huge laugh from the story when I got home and told me I deserved it. I would love to hear some of your funny stories from camp.

This is my first year dealing with Scout Camp finances so I don't know about the history. I am however hearing concerns about the costs and we may have boys not able to attend. I have also heard parents say that they will not be going because of the costs. I am not having fun asking for the camp payments. If I sign up to be camp Scout Master again, I will create a troop position to collect camp payments. I created all other types of jobs for camp, collector should have been at the top of my list. Live and learn. Count down for 5th session at H. Roe Bartle, 105 days.

Speaking of costs, i just had a funny one come up today. Our district is having a skiing event and the cost is $60 per boy which covers the ski rental, lift tickets, lessons, everything. A great deal. But the funny thing was all leaders are charged $5 if they are not skiing. I thought that was so funny. I get to provide transportation, supervision and for my troubles, pay $5. But it isn't all bad, I am told I get a snack and a patch. Not complaining but just a funny conversation with our outdoor chairman.

I froze my tail off each winter until I ditched by air mattress and bought a mat. I bought a Thermarest and have been sleeping better ever since. Everyone here gives great advise with the socks, hat, and dry clothes. My only problem is my nose always gets cold and I don't like dropping all way into my bag. I need to buy a cheap ski mask that covers my nose but has openings for my mouth and eyes and then I would be in hog heaven. Another trick is to put the next days clothes in the bag with you. Makes getting dressed in the morning a little better. Have a fun weekend.

I understand you point Deanrx but if I wasn't driving a car load of boys and thier gear, I would be driving a more econonical car versus a full size SUV. Each time when we get back from a trip my son and I also stop at the car wash and vacum out the car and wash it. I am always suprised how much dirt we bring back from a trip. I am in no way complaining because I love going on trips with the scout troop and I love providing a ride to those who don't have one. But I don't have any problem charging everyone who goes a few dollars for gas. And we do charge everyone including drivers and then we try to divide it up fairly with the the person pulling the trailer getting a double share. I also must say that as a driver you never come out ahead. The amount we charge is never enough to cover the full cost of gas let alone wear and tear on your vehicle.

I understand that having a Fireworks tent is not an option. I was curious how other troops are able to pull it off. I appreciate the gentleman in our troop who brought this rule to our attention. We were ready to make a run at it until he spoke up. But I am curious John, what does your district say when you call? And also, what do they do to a troop that is not adhearing to this rule. Shortridge, love the PTA analogy. I use analogies and that has to be one of the best. Thanks for the input everyone. We will stick with our other fundraisers but look for something that else that is approved and may perform better.

I see alot of Fireworks tents each summer around town sponsored by local Scout troops. In fact my neighbors troop raises about $15k each summer from thier tent. He says the parents club actually does the sale and then they transfer the money to the scout troop when needed. But their sign says boy scout troop *** and they park thier trailer out front. He says this parent's club has a balance of $35k to $50k in to help out with troop expenses. Our troop runs about 6 different fundraisers and we have just a few thousand dollars. Our troop is located in a adjacent city where Fireworks we just approved by the city council. I though what a great way to solve this problem but upon further review it may not be possible. Some one in our troop says we can't sell Fireworks and based on BSA website he is right. ************************ Quote from the website "Fireworks The Boy Scouts of America prohibits the securing, use, and display of fireworks in conjunction with programs and activities except where the fireworks display is conducted under the auspices of a certified or licensed fireworks control expert. Local councils may not authorize any group or chartered unit activity for or on behalf of its members, units, or district to sell fireworks as a fund-raising or money-earning activity." ********************************* How many troops are just saying "screw it" and are selling anyway? Any way around this rule?

Very cool! There are so many different skills you can learn from Scouts. Great Post!! Mike

Some of you have got to the toughest crowd I have ever had the misfortune of being associated with. I don't know much about the case but the same as all of you. Based only on his story how can you throw this guy under a bus. I have read many cases of people getting convicted of crimes that they didn't commit. Why can't we believe it was his sisters. And even if it was his it was 12 years ago and he paid for his mistake. Basing this only on his story and an approved background check by BSA, I would not have any problem letting this man lead my son. Many of you need to fall off your high horses and come back to earth. Good luck on your application. Hope all turns out well!

I still get a kick out of the uniform discussions. I didn't much like wearing the "complete" uniform when I was a kid and my boys don't now. I just read the requirements for the rank of Eagle and Life for the fun of it and I can't find where is tells me how a boy should dress. Based on this discussion and many others, I was expecting to see "Present yourself properly uniformed for a board of review". But I don't see this. Yes I prefer to see boys in thier uniforms. I am not a stickler for pants but a shirt, scarf, and sash are very nice and considered a full uniform by me for a bor. I am with some of the other posters here. This is not an interview for me. I am here to review the boys work and discuss with him what he learned, positive and negative. I like to talk about the experiences he is having in both scouts and his personal life. About the interview comments. I have interviewed many people over the years and I have never hired a person because they were the best dressed of all the applicants. I always hired the most qualified applicant and I never did a back ground check on their wardrobe.

I do think the commitee overstepped their boundries but I also don't agree with meeting on hilidays. Who defines a minor holiday. Because minor to some people may be major to others. And meeting on a "minor holiday" may be offensive to some one in your troop or even a group of people in your community. I personally believe that a safe plan is to observe the same holidays that government offices and schools observe. Even if I may think it is a "minor holiday", I should respect other people's feelings and it is also a good time to spend with my family or friends. So my advise is not to fight this minor issue and put your good intentions to work in some other area. Good Luck.

John in KC wrote "None of the pavilions in the Council I serve are in campsites. One covers a basketball court, one supports the handicraft lodge, and the largest is for our Cub Scout Family Resident Camp area. It's in lieu of a dining hall, and sits 300 folks at capacity. " FYI, In Piercing Aroow at the H. Roe Bartle Scout Reservation, there is a camp with a pavilion. i have heard that Camp Long is the camp of the futer at Bartle and there will no longer be leader's cabins and each camp will have a pavilion. I personally welcome the idea because I hate sleeping in the leader's cabin with 7 other adults. Come on over from Lone Star and check it out. If you stop by during 5th session, come by Fort McHenry and I will buy you a slushi.

Wouldn't it make sense that if a park is going to take a reservation then they should mark the campsite as reserved and by whom. There is an Eagle project for you. Reservation markers for parks. I have came across this before and I have seen many park maps. Knowing this I can understand how a park map can be misread and you might end up in the wrong part. Another idea for the Eagle Project. Create a easy to understand park map. Here is an idea for the park. Make better maps, clearly mark sites that are reserved, and give a good contact number for a person of athority on call. The person of contact doesn't have to be there but available. I just get tired of some of the folk working the parks. They are really good at taking my money but after that it goes down hill.

OGR, I don't know what materials were given to him. Our troop has not had many den chiefs. I don't know why but it isn't a very popular choice. Our troop and pack meet on the same nights and the boys would miss their troop meetings. It is also a convienent time but just hasn't worked out. John, he is a hardway with orange paint so that would be a good way to talk to the boy about the issue. I also agree now that if another boy in the future wants to be a den chief he will need to start in September and continue through May. I honestly don't believe the person who pushed in this direction didn't think it through. Shortridge, we don't hold regular mass Eagle courts. We used to and when I took over this position I started working with the boys and letting them pick the dates they wanted their Eagle Court. This has come up because we have a had a couple of Eagles waiting on thier friend to complete his. One set of parents doesn't want to wait any longer and wanted to schedule a court over the Thanksgiving holiday so relatives from out of town could attend. They thought is was going to work out for all of them but it isn't going to. The good news it will work out and the boys will have a great court this November and the boy is question will have a great one on the next one. In years to come he won't remember that he didn't have his court with his friends, he will remember that he did the right thing and he didn't cut any corners to get his Eagle. Thanks everyone. You have been a great help.

HOAC - Thunderbird District

I like ARTJRK's response, he was there if needed but the pack isn't active during the summer. The pack didn't attend a day camp also. They did do a pool party one night but I don't know if he was there. They had a welcome back ice cream social 10 days ago but he was not able to attend because of Football. What I want to teach is for boys not to shy away from a position because you may be treated differently than others. Example is that the boys choose their positions in January and July for six month periods and based on what I am hearing you would have to be a den chief or an entire year to get your six months in. I couldn't expect a boy to Jan to May then come back and only do Sept. How fair would that be to the new cubs in Sept. "hey man I only here for a month to complete my six months, nice knowing you". Some boys who may make good den chiefs may shy away thinking I need to do a year when I can be a patrol leader and only do six months. Birthday is not any issue. I honestly feel that some people are held to different standards and I don't like it. I see some boys skate through with weak P.O.R.'s and everyone signs off on them because they are well liked or their dad is really involved. And then other boys are held to more strict rules because someone doesn't like them or their parents. I beleive in treating everyone equal and I tend to stand up for the boys being treated differntly. I appreciate everyone's input and I am leaning towards asking the boy to complete the two extra months but it will be ultimately up to the SM and SPL. I am also planning on printing our blog here and showing that there is pretty good aggreement to this.

This is a life scout going for Eagle. The Eagle board is in November and he was passed during the review of his records by the advancement chair but a committee member objected and made his point about the time involved with the den chief position. About quarter master duties, the boy is in his 6th year of scouting and also invloved in some varsity sports at his high school. He wasn't performing any duties for the position so it was suggested he find another position. Our pack was in a pinch with a huge Bear den, 19 boys, so he volunteered to get involved. Currently he can't come to meetings because of Football but when it ends in November he comes to most of the meetings. He doesn't attend all of the campouts but in the previous 5 years he attended more than half. Shortridge, thanks very much for your input. I agree that it should be the SM or SPL decision on this. Yes the extra 2 months are a big deal somewhat. The boy has 3 of his friends taking part in an Eagle Court in November and because of his sports and now the 2 months needed to complete the POR Requirements he won't be able to make it. I will going to ask to meet with our CC, SM, and advancement chair and suggest the SM and SPL get together and make the decision.

Our troop has a boy where there is a discussion of whether or not he has completed the requirement of Position of Responisibility. This boy was a den chief for our pack and by all reports did a good job. The problem is he started in late January and the pack quit meeting at the end of May and took the summer off. Now troop master ok's the requirement but others will say even though he has held the position for more than six months, the den only met for a little over 4 months. The boy and his parents also claim he started off as a quarter master before that but it didn't work out and he was asked to find another position. Based on conversations with our advancement chair, the quarter master is not going to work because the boy didn't go on any camp outs during this time. I have argured that he should be signed off because even when the pack is not meeting he is still den chief as is any other P.O.R. when the troop isn't meeting. I also said he worked harder when they were meeting than most other P.O.R.'s. An example is a quarter master that may go on six camp outs and helps pack the the trailer and what ever else is involved. Where a den chief meets on a weekly basis and helps younger boys. Or how about a librarian who doesn't seem to be that hard of a job. There may be month that goes by where a boy may not ask for a merit badge book. I am not here to bash on certain P.O.R.'s, I am just comparing. Another point I made was is a Senator still a Senator when they are not in session or on vacation. You could use this example in a number of examples. Please give some opinions here and I will take them into consideration and also show them to our committee. Thanks a bunch for the help. You guys have set me straight before and I may need it again.

I am sorry I keep bothering you so much. I will try to be better in the future. Now you don't need to worry about the feature.