bacchus

Just out of curiosity, is your sister's name Nancy, and is the adult male leader her ex-husband?

Valid points about getting some leadership time pre-Wood Badge. Be aware that 18 year old youth are now invited. So if you think you are going to some camp that's intended for experienced, older scouters you might want to reconsider.

If you only have one shot at wood badge and want to get it right we could come up with some determining factors: If you wait until you have assisted a specific number of scouts reach the rank of Eagle (for arguments sake let's say 20), or the same number of webelos earn the arrow of light, you might be ready. If you have served as a den leader or scoutmaster and a commissioner and have at least 4 knots from that service you might be ready. I'm open to other suggestions. However, my opinion is you get your training as soon as you can and make the most of it. Chances are you will have an opportunity to serve on WB staff for some more advanced training if you so desire - and it will probably happen right about the time you would have otherwise waited to go. Think about all the ways that woodbadge can help you on your journey to get the experience you would otherwise feel you need pre-WB. Regardless, I know you will make the right decision for you.

Thanks to all for your responses, and to those who had a smart comment to make but did not make it

What patches go on the adult left pocket? I haven't found the reference for it anywhere yet. Obviously there's no youth rank. Does it just need to be left empty?

Bsa has some online training for planning a safe trek, safety afloat, etc. They have some very good information for someone like me planning our summer high adventure week.

I thought the OP said the SM was struggling with instituting the boy-led patrol method. This is a battle of sorts. The decisions made here will be what determines is this small, mature patrol is boy-led or adult-led.

I just got back from some training. The math and science bronze is being rolled out shortly. It is the first bronze entirely designed and developed by youth. A couple of the requirements involve tutoring other youth and other things you would expect a servant leader to do.

Kenk, Gratz to you and your son.

rbook, there is no additional requirement, just the three merit badges. The Cub Scouts earn a similar award (http://www.usscouts.org/advance/cubscout/worldcons.asp) that has an additional requirement of a conservation project, which might be the discrepancy you are thinking of.

Mr. Powell, I think we're arguing different things. One of the things I remember being drilled into me at WB21 was the need to be inclusive and use diversity to our advantage. If my Crew of 8 (for example) decides to raft down the Snake River and make a week of it, and do the Kodiak training at the same time, why in the world would we want to shun one of the kids who excels at Math and Science, and reduce our number to 7? Would we also shun the kid who believes his spirituality is an important aspect in his life? Should we shun the kid who likes arts and hobbies? I just don't follow the reasoning why we would exclude somebody from a Crew just because they excel in 2 classes at school, or at least want to excel. If we shun everybody that leaves us with nobody. Going back to the Scout example, if 8 members of a Troop went to Summer Camp and one of them was interested in earning the electricity merit badge, would you exclude him from the Troop? I think you interpret the Math and Science Bronze a bit different. I think you believe that there is a Crew out there that will only allow what you term "nerds" as members, and that they can only work on Math and Science. I would find that hard to believe, and even if it was true, why would you or I care what keeps that Crew involved with the ideals of the BSA? Look at the methods of Venturing. They don't require these youth to go spend their weekends in tents. Venturing is a youth-driven program. Whatever floats their boat and etc. But as far as both of us are concerned, M&S is like another type of merit badge, to make a comparison. Bronze is the rank advancement, and next is Gold, and finally Silver. If we are too worried about somebody getting pigeon-holed into Math and Science, we can rest assured that by the time they are Gold, and especially Silver, they will be a better-rounded individual.

Some of you talk like you should never go indoors, or that a youth who works on a Math and Science Bronze Award will be in a Crew that refuses to do anything but sit at a desk and do math problems with a little glass beaker nearby. By extension I guess you believe that any scout who works on a merit badge for electricity must be in a Troop that never leaves the building because they have to sit in the corner watching the wall socket. Come on guys, this isn't rocket science. If a Crew is doing its thing and these youth are involved and one of them chooses to work on a bronze award that involves using intellect, what harm is that? Maybe he wants to be marketable when he gets out of college or something. But maybe you would prefer that the youth just get out of your program because you don't want nerds.

I saw in the Scouting magazine I received yesterday that there is a new bronze award. Any suggestions where to find the requirements?

Just a note: A couple of the adult leaders recently formed a "uniform closet" for the boys from the shirts on sale at the scout store. They are 75% off right now! So we picked up about a dozen. At the checkout counter the clerk made an interesting comment. The adults had come in and cleaned out the adult shirts, but the shirts for the young men were relatively untouched. Kind of made me think...

Gratz!

Title 8, 1401: The following shall be nationals and citizens of the United States at birth: *** For Obama - (g) a person born outside the geographical limits of the United States and its outlying possessions of parents one of whom is an alien, and the other a citizen of the United States who, prior to the birth of such person, was physically present in the United States or its outlying possessions for a period or periods totaling not less than five years, at least two of which were after attaining the age of fourteen years: Provided, That any periods of honorable service in the Armed Forces of the United States.... For McCain - © a person born outside of the United States and its outlying possessions of parents both of whom are citizens of the United States and one of whom has had a residence in the United States or one of its outlying possessions, prior to the birth of such person; Edit: Got the correct cites, I think.(This message has been edited by bacchus)(This message has been edited by bacchus)

"I heard a statement from DC that the great rescission is over..." Rescission or recession? I think your inadvertent(?) reference to rescission is apropo given all the rescinded promises out there.

"Until we get this birth certificate thing straightened out, which nation is he going to accept it for?" Ha ha Gern. That made me chuckle a bit. Seriously though, even if Hawai'i falsified the birth certificate, and BHO was born in Africa to an American mother, wasn't he still born an American citizen? Isn't it just like McCain being born in Panama to American parents?

What to do with older slackers? Some COs start up a Venture Crew and let them organize themselves and decide what they want to do.

"The only ethic which matters in battle is mission accomplishment. The only limits to the ethic are those in the Law of Armed Conflict." If I remember my training correctly, theoretically those laws of land warfare are limits that are imposed because they cause unnecessary harm or damage and will not really help your position in the battle, i.e. torture, execution, Bataan death marches, etc. Assuming that to be a true statement, then those laws are not a limit of the abilities to accomplish the mission. Yes, those are very good points and I think I will bring it at the next opportunity as well. Thanks for the post.

Gratz!

We are hoping to shortly come up with a new necker for use by all our scouts, from cubs all the way to ventures. Has anybody here had any advice? Or experiences that went awry while doing something similar? How much is too much to expect to pay? Thanks.

Jersey, It's kind of late for a solution to the crew sinking, but the problem is obvious to me. The boys were in two separate scout units. That's like being in two separate school marching bands. After a while most of those involved will pick one and let the other go. For the Crew to succeed it can't be relying on those with a sit loyalty. Our Crew are former members of the Troop and often support the Troop in training younger scouts but they are members of the Crew. I believe that's why BSA made the rule that scouts who join Ventures and are at least 1st Class can continue advancement solely through activity in their new unit, which many times even has the same unit number on their shoulder as their old unit. So they don't have to attend with their old group for advancement and the new group for high adventure.

Ack! Wrong forum. Oh well, it just shows my noobness and you found it here anyway...

I've never dealt with a BOR for a Palm before. Is there anything I need to know as we have one coming up within the next 3 weeks?