moxieman

Alex, As a new member, you should have been given an OA Handbook. The password for the 'restricted' section of this discussion board is the OA Admonition. You can find this using your OA Handbook and the OA Jumpstart website: http://www.jumpstart.oa-bsa.org/ Older editions of the OA handbook will not work for this website. The page mentioned on the website is an illustration in my 1983 edition of the handbook. Good luck!

I've heard it referred to as the moneybag knot or the purchased award knot because to give this recognition, you need to shell out $1K or more to your council. I've never seen it presented here. Unfortunately, this gives the JWF Award a bad name, when it is really meant to recognize someone by making a (large) cash contribution to scouting. When we want to honor someone, we first nominate them for either the District Award of Merit or the Silver Beaver Award since we do not have deep pockets to "buy" them the JWF Award. If you've got the cash, want to help scouting by making that sort of contribution to your council and don't want to go through the nomination process for the DAM or SBA, then go for it. Otherwise, nominate them for the DAM or SBA. From your description, bkale, if neither of them have the DAM (silver overhand knot on navy blue background), they sound like they'd be good candidates for it.

Computers MB...back when the MB still had an IBM punch card on it and personal computers were unheard of beyond a Commodore 64 with one of them new-fangle 150K 8 inch floppy drives. Fingerprinting seems to pop-up a lot the last few years. Usually, when a unit attending that particular week has a law enforcement officer as one of their volunteers who steps forward to offer it. Back in the early 90's one of our camps also offered Atomic Science, back when there was still a nuclear power plant an hour's drive away from here. My kid bro earned that one. Probably the only kid in the troop to ever do so. They may seem like misfits, but sometimes, misfits are what gets the kids excited--something different they might never have thought of taking before.

What the others said. You can purchase extra pins. I attended a ceremony two weeks ago where the new Eagle recognized four mentors.

For the record, this is not the forum I thought I posted this in. I thought this was posted in Open Discussion, but somehow it wound-up under SCOUTER Announcements. My apologies for the goof at my end!

Many members of this board do not list where they're from. Why not? If we're all fellow scouters here, why can't we list where we're from. Don't feel comfortable listing your exact location? That's fine. Make it slightly vague as I did mine. Why do I think this is important? Different places--different contexts. For example, what someone from the southern part of the USA views as winter weather camping, someone from the northern USA would view as "normal" spring/fall conditions (at some of our past spring/fall camporees , I've seen overnight temps in the teens and frost so heavy the scouts were able to scoop it together and hold a frostball fight). But if let's say that the person who asks this question doesn't have his location listed when s/he asks: "How do you prepare your troop for winter camping?" The answer isn't going to be what s/he's looking for if s/he's in Southern Louisiana, when someone from Maine answers his/her question. Explaining how to build quinces snow shelters and referring to chapter 13 of the current BSA Fieldbook (starting on page 193) isn't going to help this person very much, where a dusting snow is a rare event, never mind enough to build a shelter in. And I'm just using this as a general example. Keep in mind this is a world-wide forum, not just the USA. Listing your location (even generally) will help everyone out as they reply to your posts. So, again, please update your profile with your location. We are all part of the same family of scouting.

Trevorum, sounds like they've made you the District Activities Chair in addition to the Camping Chair. CaptRon010, there is nothing I can add to LongHaul's quote from the book.

I was once an ASM to what I guess you could call an 'inner-city' scout troop (IF you believe you could call any part of Lubbock, TX, inner-city). Troop was sponsored by the LARGEST baptist church in the city (and the county--approx. 10,000 families were members according to their brochures). Said sponsor had forgotten they had a scout troop. I was new to the area (and a grad student) and contacted the scout office looking for a unit to help. They assigned me to this unit because it needed leaders and needed them badly. Soon after I and another college student signed on as leaders, the rest of the adult leadership quit. We did what we could. We approached the chartered org., who immediately yanked the charter rather then try and save their unit. Why? Because neither of us were members of their church. We were both Catholics, and to add 'insult to injury' one of us, me, was a damn yankee carpet-bagger, whose help they did NOT need. SERIOUSLY. Nope, no prejudice there! Basically, the unit (then 2nd oldest in the city) was already dead before we signed on as ASMs. Our joining was like applying a band-aid to a chainsaw wound--not much help. However, before we walked away, we found two units to merge our six boys into. At least two of those six went on to become Eagle Scouts. I agree with some of the others. It seems unfair to assign you as a new UC to such a unit. One that you may not be able to save. That's a recipe for quick burn-out and loss of a potentially good UC. As others have said, should this ship sink, don't blame yourself. However, be sure to have a lifeboat ready for those four boys, should you not be able to save this ship, just as I and my fellow college student did for my six. Try to have information available about other troops in the area so that those boys will not loose scouting completely should this unit fold. Good luck!

Usually, when one receives the DAM (District Award of Merit), Silver Beaver, or OA Vigil Honor, they were not seeking or expecting it. It is usually a humbling experience, so of course, one would feel they aren't deserving of it. However, your fellow scouts thought differently. For the record, I am a DAM recipient (2001) and this past summer was chosen for the Vigil Honor (and given the name: Dachibouagac Methallimund Kitchkinet --and probably mispelled!. Which means: Patch Trading Guide).

"How many units do you intend to assign to me?" Very important question. We're hurting for UC's in some parts of our rural district. Partially, 'cause everyone involved in scouting here is already wearing too many hats. If you choose to become a UC, try not to take on too many units at once--avoid burnout if you can. Then again, who am I to give advice as I am not a UC. I offered *IF* they find someone to take over what I'm currently doing first (Boy Scout Roundtable Commissioner, District Email newsletter, District Event Flyers, and...), so far, they haven't taken up my offer. (chuckle) Again, avoid burnout.

Ours (link: http://www.pinetreebsa.org/university/index.html) is next month, a bit late this year. Like your we'll have the run of a local community college. I was invited to attend the one in CT Rivers Council this weekend, but couldn't work the 6 hour each-way drive into my work schedule.

There is also a password protected section under the OA folder for discussions like this.

Now, I hope every one of you who has responded to this thread has earned the "Eagle Required" Coffee Drinking Merit Badge: http://www.boyscoutstore.com/store/Scripts/prodView.asp?idProduct=6473 Otherwise, you aren't "qualified" to post in this thread! More seriously, I'm not much of a coffee drinker--I'm very caffeine sensitive and what's the point of drinking that stuff it it doesn't have caffeine in it? Others have answered the original poster's question, so I don't need to say similar in regards to a perk (which is what I use on trips). However, back in my days in Lubbock, Texas, the other leaders in the troop I volunteered in did 'modified' cowboy coffee. Rather then throw the grounds directly in boiling water, we tossed them into a nylon stocking (leggs, or whatever brand you can snag), tie a knot in it and toss that into the boiling water. If they didn't have a sock on hand, they'd drop the grounds right in the pot. After pulling it off the fire, they'd drop a cup of cold water into it. This forced the grounds to the bottom of the pot. Just be sure you don't drink the last cup!

Bob White: I'm going to guess she's referring to "Troop Program Resources" (Publication #33588) There are several woods-tools related relay games in there, BW, including: Page 30-31-Bow Saw Relay--run to log with partner, cut off disk as fast as you can while partner holds up log. Run back, tag next set of partners, etc. Log Chopping Relay, page 49 And, Anne's Fuzz-Stick Relay is on page 41. On signal, each scout runs up to the stick, and cuts one sliver. Runs back, tags next scout and so on. Anne in Mpls, here's a different idea for you that you could work into whatever theme you wind-up with: Square Peg--Round Hole Get yourself a board (or two), drill some round holes in it. Give the scouts squared off sticks (or soap). They have to whittle edges down until it fits in a hole. Rather then judge it on speed, judge it on a combination of safe handling of the knife and how well rounded their peg is compared to the hole it's inserted into. How to work it into your theme? Well maybe that board is a "sabotaged control board for (insert whatever here), that can be made to work again by replacing the pegs/levers/switches (the pegs) in it."

Up in my neck of the woods no LDS unit camps over onto Sunday. They wrap/head home on Saturday evening. We take this into account at our district events. We have one Catholic Church in our district (near the center of the district) that offers a Sunday evening service, so that isn't a problem for our Catholic Scouts (including me). We also try to wrap up our events early enough on Sunday so most can make it home for late morning services at their various denominations. Back when I was an SM, I tried my best to accommodate all who wanted to make it to their services or the local equivalent.

Mike, looks like you've answered your own question before I could. I was going to suggest you ask district staff about the Klondike patch.

I'm stunned too. Congratulations. I don't normally volunteer at the Cubby-level as my training is at the Boy Scout Level. However, the District needed an extra judge/spotter for District Derby had a glitch last year. The unit that volunteered their spiffy new aluminum computerized track didn't have any volunteers available to set it up and run it for the district event. No one in District had ever used one. So we had to rely on an older wooden track with a little electronic finish line and they needed two spotters at the finish line. And it wasn't the Cubbies who gave us grief...it was the parents. Let's say that the Tigar Cubs present showed more maturity then some of the parents. And it doesn't take many bad sports to ruin it for everyone. I'm sure many of you have been there before. I'll leave it at that. Again, congrats on a successful race.

San Antonio, huh? How far does that put you from Lubbock, TX? 8...9 hours? Try contacting South Plains Council, which has two council camp properties: Camp Post in Post, TX (roughly 40 miles SE of Lubbock) and Camp Tres Ritos, Tres Ritos, NM (about 20 miles or so east of Taos, NM). Website: http://southplainscouncil.org/ Another member suggested contacting the military. The folks at Fort Sam Houston, might be able to give you contacts with the Clovis Air Force Base in Clovis, NM (just over the border from west-central TX).

Until I first saw this thread over a year ago, I had never heard of "Ordeal Bread" (and I'm on the cook crew for our ordeals--2 in the spring and 1 in the fall).

Ah, now I get it as I had never heard of it either. Up in our section it's called the Golden Tomahawk. Impressive plaque that is held for one year by the winning lodge and then they bring it back to the next conclave.

Yet another update on this. At the close of the auction, the winning bidder's username was revealed. I sent them a quick heads-up about the auction. Turns out the winning bidder was a police officer, who held off on paying after my tip. He contacted the police in the town the theft victims live in. In the meantime, the police did follow-up with the auctioner this past Monday (two days after the auction closed). Why we never heard of them is that she was selling these for her boy friend, who was a former scout in the victim's old scout troop (from a decade and a different town/troop ago). He had earned /traded for those patches as a scout and had decided to sell. The victims confirmed this once they learned who the seller really was. So it was a legit auction. The police confirmed this to the high bidder who then moved forward with the transaction. High bidder informed me of all this and thanked me for the heads-up and wished us luck in our pursuit of the thieves. So the stolen collection is still out there somewhere and we still have many volunteers in this district who are keeping an eye on Ebay. But now, we now have a better idea of what we're watching for since the victims had never made a good inventory of what was stolen. It's just one of those rare coincidences that one of their former scouts decided to sell his collection at this time. Very frustrating and a relief at the same time. Frustrating it wasn't theirs and a relief that if it had been, it would have been recovered before it could get shipped out.

No, local1400, a real Mainah would not stick his bare hand into a hot bed of coals, unless he was like my brothah and not paying attention while talking to someone. Provided, in his case, it was being asked to move a fire grate and said grate was cherry hot at the time, but he was too busy talking to someone else to realize this until everyone in the camp fell silent when he didn't react to the sizzle of "handburger" at first. It was only then that he realized what he had done as he finally started feeling the pain. Fortunately, we were at the old Abol campground (no longer there) at Baxter Park and he hightailed it down to the pond and dunked his hand in the pond. Amazingly, no scars. He still tells that tale to this day to the scouts in his troop. No, thank you. I'll use a stick.

Our lodge requires a Class I at the minimum for all lodge events from all lodge members.

It's so disheartening. A scout leader in our district spotted a potential auction on eBay this past Tuesday that could be the stolen collection and notified me. I, in turn, notified the scout leaders who had been robbed. Low and behold, the items up for auction match many of those from their collection except for their son's brag vest. Some of the patches were from an event that their troop were the ONLY Maine representative at. They have determined the name of the seller. That seller claims they are a long time scouter from this part of Maine and they had earned all these patches, but my records for this district goes back ten years and that person's name isn't on any of those lists (and some of these event patches only go back three or four years. In the meantime, the detective assigned to the case hasn't made a move yet. As I post this, the auction is ending. The high bidder doesn't know this is potentially a stolen collection AND thanks to changes in eBay policy, there is no way to warn him/her of the fact. By the time, Disgusta's finest does catch up with this person, the goods will be long gone and possible reauctioned in smaller lots. (sigh)

I've posted my fav. post roast recipe elsewhere in the forum, but it grossed others out at the time. The scouts think it's great 'cause there are no dishes to clean-up and you can leave the pot (or dutch oven) home. TARZAN ROAST Me, Tarzan! Me take'em Roast and put in ziplock bag. Me dump large bottle of mustard over roast (Maine Made Raye's Stoneground Old European Spicy Mustard is best!). ME seal bag and let sit on ice in cooler overnight. Next day, me build up hot fire to make bed of coals. Me dump contents of roast and mustard from bag onto coals. Me bury roast in coals and cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Me find stick as big around as wrist. Me sharpen one end and stab into roast to get out of fire. Me plunge roast into firebucket to put out any hot spots. Me carve off outer quarter inch of burnt crust and enjoy juicy, mustard-flavored roast. YUM!