milwscout580

I am a registered Assistant Scoutmaster for my Troop. As the Order of the Arrow Lodge Chief, I was invited to become a member of the Council Board of Directors. They say that the Board Members are Council members-at-large. Does this mean I must register as a M-A-L and resign as ASM for the year, or can I be registered as both at the same time?

I was the Health Officer at my camp... The camp was less than 10 minutes from an ER, so my training only had to be that of a First Responder, which is what most police officers and non-EMT firefighters are (one level lower than EMT) Regarding "bypassing" the First Aid staff, I don't believe that's a good idea. The Health Officer, as well as the camp Director, need to be informed of every medical issue in camp that is larger than a minor bump or scrape. It should be logged in the first aid book, even if the log simply says that the leader took the Scout to the ER. I would personally have wanted to at the very least know what was going on during the incident, not after, when the scout returned from the ER. Another question regarding this, is calling 911 (or whatever the emergency number may be). I thought it was odd that I (as Health Officer) did not have permission to call 911. The only people that had permission were the Camp Director and Ranger. The only reason I can think of this is so the Camp Director knows what's going on. Does anyone have any other reasons why the Health Officer could not call 911?

I wonder if it was made for "civilian wear", so it wouldn't go on the uniform. But my friend received one, and he wears it on his collar.

Has anyone been to Health Officer NCS? I saw that there was one (I was HO this past summer) but Council didn't send me. I had all the right certifications, so I didn't really need to go, but I was wondering what it was like...

Just a few comments... I like the current uniform. The brown instead of the red (for the unit numerals) has me picturing a desert, for some reason. And National won't have Councils change their strips to be less colorful, will they? Does anyone know what "muted green" means? I am picturing a sea foam green... Or would it match the pants? I actually hope they don't get rid of them... It helps to know wheter someone is a Boy Scout or Cub Scout (leader), or from the District/Council/region/national... I don't mind velcro. None that I've had has worn out on me. I actually think it would be a good idea for the position and rank patches, because those get changed more frequently than the others. The rest of the patches, in my opinion, should be sewn on, because people usually stay in the same unit, council, etc. We have a family in my troop that does velcro for the rank and position patches, and it seems to work for them, but I always choose to sew mine on. Yeah, I had to change the patches 4 or 5 times, but it was no big deal to me. Now, my mother said that if SHE were the one to have to change it all the time, we would've done velcro. (that's why she had my grandmother teach me to sew...)

OK, that's kind of what I thought you meant. I didn't know if you were talking staff or campers... Late nights are definitely the norm at my camp... there's just no way around it. During Resident camp and weekend camp, we visit sites after the campfire and cracker barrel, so that starts as late as 11:00. Then we spend at least 20 minutes per site, and each group of staff visits 2 or 3 sites, depending on whether sites are still up and about. During day camp, most people have off around 7:30, but a few people (mostly the directors, and sometimes regular staff comes to help out) stay up until at least 10:00 or 11:00 doing stuff, whether it be getting ready for the next day, trying to organize the reservation office--the main cleaning project this year--or organize the check-in and medical forms. So they don't get much sleep... Sorry, I made my own topic go a little off-topic

Ok, thanks. I didn't know if there was an official policy, my Program Director often sait a lot of stuff that wasn't necessarily true. These are OA members, around 16-19 years old, so they usually don't get that much sleep anyway... (I'm 18, I know... ) I do work at a Scout camp, but apparently I don't get the joke... could you explain, please?

I was wondering if there was a minimum number of hours that should be offered as sleep time. I thought I heard that at least 8 hours should be offered, (I think my Program Director said that, but he sometimes makes things up.) I skimmed the Guide to Safe Scouting, but nothing caught my eye. I was just wondering, becaue we have a campout this weekend, and the current schedule only allows for 7, but the schedule can easily be changed, becaus ethe activity right before bedtime is "free time."

I was the Health Officer at the Cub Scout Camp this summer... Thunder-monitor weather radio and lightning detector. Waterfront shuts down Lightning- Bring people indoors. Fortunately, we only had to do this once, but UNFORTUNATELY, it was at MIDNIGHT!. The Asst. Program Director, Camp Director, Head Cook, and Asst. Cook and I (the only staff left in camp... the next day was the Staff''s Day Off) had to go around to each campsite, wake up the campers, and tell them to move into the cabins. All of the people were apparently pre-warned that this may happen (we were expecting storms) so most were fine with the move. But one parent refused to move, and he stayed in his tent with his son. He later appologised for yelling at the Head cook, because apparently his tent collapsed on him in the middle of the night... The Boy Scout Camp revised their procedures... They now have 4 different weather-related siren tones. They send people indoors as soon as lightning is seen, and also I believe as soon as thunder is heard. Tone 1: Hi-Low tone (Level 1 Weather Emergency) Return to your Campsite. Camp-wide program ends when a storm is approaching camp. Troop program continues in the campsites, and Site Guides head to and stay with the Units in the sites. The theory behind this is that when the storm is closer, everyone is accounted for already and they can head to the shelters much more quickly. This is also used for Lost Swimmer and Missing Person. Tone 2: "Police car siren" (Level 2 Weather Emergency) If the campers are already in their sites because of the first siren, they head immediately to the shelter buildings. If the storm approached too quickly for advanced warning, this would be the first siren to go off. Campers would Return immediately to their campsites. Site guides will meet units at the sites and proceed to the shelters as soon as everyone is accounted for. Tone 3: Steady tone (TORNADO) Head for a brick building if you are close to one, otherwise find the nearest ditch. There''s no time to assemble the Unit. Tone 4: Buzzer (Night Weather Emergency) Between 11pm and 6:30 am, this will sound. Scoutmasters should assemble the unit and take them to the shelters. Staff will meet units at the shelters instead of the sites. (In Case you were wondering, we also have a Forest Fire siren and an All Clear siren) It was pretty confusing the first time I heard the procedures, but I''ve pretty much got them memorized now...

I''ve heard this term used before. I think they are pants. Are they special? Can you buy them at the Scout Shop? Are they better than the regular Scout pants? More expensive?

In our Lodge Plan Book, it states thet the Lodge Chief "serves as the youth member of the Outdoor Program Committee." Does this mean that he would be able to wear the silver loops? And if so, is this only at meetings of that committee, or does it extend to Lodge Meetings?

They do not REQUIRE Venturing shorts, but I like to wear the "official" stuff... That, and we were required to wear the "real" Venturing shorts my first year--or at least that's what I thought-- but last year, they gave us a list of different places to get cheapter shorts. (our Camp Director actually wore a pair to the Scout Office and the other camp's director couldn't tell the difference...

The Supply Division recently lowered the price of the Venturing pants and shorts! Apparently they did it in October, but my local Scout Shop didn't change the prices in the store. I found it online... Shorts: http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply/ItemDetail.aspx?ctlg=05NDC&ctgy=PRODUCTS&c2=UNIFORMS&C3=TROUSERS&C4=&LV=3&item=586VSH Pants: http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply/ItemDetail.aspx?ctlg=05NDC&ctgy=PRODUCTS&c2=UNIFORMS&C3=TROUSERS&C4=&LV=3&item=587VT I find this as a relief, because I was dreading spending another 100 dollars for 2 pairs of shorts for camp staff this summer... However, when I emailed them, they said they did not know if or when the price will go back

He made me take off the numerals because I put on the Boy Scout Camp's Venturing Crew # (coincidentally the Council #) because I thought that's what we did. He didn't request that I change it to the Cub Scout Camp's Venturing Crew #, he just told me to take them off, and, being a first-year, I did what he said. The Boy Scout square knots can be worn as an adult in Venturing, as well, correct? I just bought the Insignia Guide (I tend to call myself a bit of a nerd) but I haven't had time to page through it.

In my council, the official Camp Staff uniform is the Venturing Uniform, because everyone is automatically part of a venturing Crew. I was curious what other camps do. Also, I was wondering what patches you can wear on the Venturing Uniform. The Boy Scout camp allows the Boy Scout patches on the Venturing Uniform (particularly the rank patch, and the numerals), so I put on the BS patches on my V. uniform. But when I started working at the Cub Scout Camp, the program director made me take off the BS patches. The only ones I could keep were the council strip, OA flap, and World Crest Emblem.

At the camp I go to, they used to have the locker-room type shower, where everyone could see everyone else. I noticed that if people were uncomfortable with nudity, they would just shower with their suit on. Some Scouts wouldn't shower, but their patrol members or tent mates would make them. The SM announced at the beginning of the week that eveyone had to shower at least twice, and he threatened to hose 'em down if they didn't (there was a hose in the site for firefighting and latrine washing). This past year, everyone was more willing to shower I noticed, because they built a new shoer building, with separate, lockable rooms, not just curtains. Some Scouts even showered every day, and one of them in my patrol got up every morning to shower just because the water was warm and it was cold outside. At the camp I work at, most of the cabins have 2 showers in the bathroom with a curtain separating the bathroom and the showers. However, the first year staff (myself included) had to walk up the hill to the shower building (just like the new one at the other camp... separate rooms) Well, one of the SECOND YEAR staff was in the cabin, and we had to force him to shower... He just didn't shower, and we didn't know why... it wasnt' an "uncomfortable" issue, because the showers were all separate... Kind of annoying, because he stunk up the cabin

This is more of a skit... A few years ago, the camp rented a slush puppy machine for the trading post. The trading post manager was a girl. Our former SPL (aged out) was still attending camp, and he spent a lot of time in the trading post that week, talking with the TP manager... So a few of us decided to make up a skit about this... "slush Puppy Lovin'" Basically one of us was dressed like the girl, one like the former SPL, and I was myself (sort of a geek... I can admit) (oh, by the way, it was funny becuase the girl had long hair so we took some hemp rope and frayed it to look like hair..) anyway, the former SPL would come and talk to the TP girl every day, and on the "last day" of camp, he asked her to come back to the city on her day off for a date. Well, she says, no I already have a date. He asks who, and then I walk in with some weeds (flowers) and say,"are you ready, honey?" It was funny, and all the Scouts liked it. He was kind of mad the rest of the night, but he got over it and laughs about it now. Every year since then everyone jokes about him and the slush puppies... "hey, ________, are you gonna go get a slush puppy?" he laughs now...

Yes, I should clarify that when I said "get off the water," I meant it to include swimming, boating (which isn't done very often---we're a Cub Scout Camp) and anyone standing on the piers. When we hear thunder everyone gets out, we do a buddy check, and then we do "rainy day" program on the beach--sand castles, crab soccer, silent ball, etc. Someone then monitors the Lightning detector and weather radio. Lightning shuts us down immediately. New policies (either from National, or maybe just my council, probably because of the lightning incidents in 2005) seem to have been applied this year (2006 season). We go inside immediately for lightning, no matter if you are at Aquatics, Nature, or Archery. The rules are basically the same at the archery and bb ranges and the athletic field, because they are so open. When we got the new regulations, we had trouble "interpreting", I guess you could say. The Health officer had to constantly carry the new lightning detector, and she had to make us sound the severe weather siren whenever the detector went off. Obviously, this was impractical, so they "re-interpreted" the rule to be more practical. she had to watch the lightning detector, weather radion, and the radar on the Internet if it seemed bad or they heard thunder. Lightning still brought the whole camp indoors, though, but it was to cabins, and program continued as best as possible (as opposed to going to the shelters for the severe weather alert). Fortunately, this "re-interpretation" happened by the end of At the Boy Scout camp in the council, they treated lightning like a tornado... they take immediate shelter in three buildings. I was there the first week, and it wasn't fun.(This message has been edited by milwscout580)

I looked in the Guide to Safe Scouting, and I could not find any exact times for how long you must stay off the water for thunder and lightning. Does this mean that there are no set time limits? because at my camp, it is 20 minutes for thunder and 45 minutes for lightning--but they make it sound like it's a national policy. (maybe I have an outdated G2SS)

I am a Scout... I got a new Uniform shirt (badly needed) and a patch binder, because I have all my patches in a file folder now. A lot of my list this year was BSA related, seeing as I am growing out of my uniform. Unfortunately, I didn't get the Scout pants I was hoping for, but that's what money is for!

Hello again... I just came back from my Lodge Executive Committee Meeting, and my Staff Adviser handed out the following dates: NLS: -February 24 to 26 Rochester, Indiana -April 28 to 30 High Ridge, Missouri -September 22 to 24 Camp Lake, Wisconsin -November 17 to 19 Parkville, Missouri And an NLATS (National Lodge Adviser Training Seminar): -March 31 to April 2 Parkville, Missouri If this is wrong or anyone else has anything to add, feel free --milwscout580

In my lodge, our Cereemony site doesn't have any seating. Many people bring folding chairs to sit in. As a Ceremonies team, we feel this is not very appropriate. I can understand the elderly generation of our lodge needing seats because of medical or other problems, but when a 15-year-old sits on a chair--or worse: lays down-- I think it sets a terrible example for the Candidates. They have had a much harder day, and they too have to stand through the ceremony. I think is is a sign of respect. (note: we do our best to tell these people to stand if we see them sitting/laying) As the Ceremonies Chairman, I have announced that sitting should only be allowed between ceremonies or in certain cases of medical concern. Our lodge also recently approved in the budget money to refurbish an island that used to be for ceremonies. We are planning on adding some seating on the hill behind the moat for the "age-challenged" and others as stated above. The rest of the Lodge (as many as can fit, at least) will stand on the island itself. I was just wondering if anyone had any comments... sit or stand?

Anyone in Section C-3A? My Lodge is hosting Conclave in 2006... Just wondering if anyone is out in cyberland from C-3A .

www.troop580.tk The website ending (tk) is a free domain service (www.dot.tk). the only bad thing is that they cut off the link if the site doesn't get viewed enough... I've had to change the name because of that...

Does anyone know of the dates/locations for the next few National Leadership Seminars for Central Region? Particularly in the SE WI area?