moxieman

4. Do ONE of the following: 1. Attend either a BSA national jamboree, OR world Scout jamboree, OR a national BSA high-adventure base. While there, keep a journal documenting your day-to-day experiences. Upon your return, report to your counselor what you did, saw, and learned. You may include photos, brochures, and other documents in your report. 2. Write or visit the National Scouting Museum in Irving, Texas.* Obtain information about this facility. Give a short report on what you think the role of this museum is in the Scouting program. * *If you visit the BSAs national traveling tour, Adventure Base 100, in 2010, you may use this experience to fulfill requirement 4b. Visit www.adventurebase100.org (with your parents permission) for the schedule and for more information. You know, there are a LOT of youth in my council who can't afford to complete the requirement above. I'm sure we're not the only ones in this boat. Since when did the BSA decide to create merit badges that exclude a lot of youth from every being able to complete it? Let's see...nearest the Adventure Base comes to Maine: Boston, MA over the July 4th holiday--that's a 3 to 4 hour drive from here if you're insane enough to try and drive into Boston on a holiday weekend. Current Nearest National High Adventure Base (Maine one hasn't been National in many years): Minnosota--half-way across the country. Current cost for a youth from this area to attend National Jamboree: Approximately $1,400 or so. World Jamboree...let's not go there. Irving TX is over 2,000 miles away. If this one lasts five years without altering this requirement or being dropped, I'll be surprised.

I really hope it was a joke. No electronics on camping trips in the units I know--cells are to be turned off, etc. (chuckle) However, the troop that hosted spring camporee last year had a concession-stand cart/trailer/thing. Not an enclosed trailer, but a trailer that was basically a stainless steel kitchen on wheels...hard to describe: double sink, hot water, grill, commercial coffee maker, etc. Picture a big city-style hot dog cart on steroids (and about the size of the trailer in the link that started this thread). They got it loaned to them for the weekend to provide a cooking area for the fundraiser/concession stand and staff meals. Made it a lot easier for staff to not have to worry about food.(This message has been edited by moxieman)

E-Mtn asked for horror stories, so a horror story he shall have. While in graduate school, I volunteered in the second oldest unit in that particular council. There was a falling-out among several of the adult leaders. They all quit except myself and another college student. So, what did we do? We contacted the charter organization (CO) to inform them of the situation and ask for help. We made the assumption that the largest church in the city (10,000 families strong!) should be able to put a call out at Sunday services for some leadership for their unit. We made a bad assumption. Apparently, there had been no real communications between the troop and the CO for several years other than "Please sign the recharter paperwork council requires". Why a bad assumption? For you see, we two students were not of their faith. When they learned that the unit they were sponsoring was down to two volunteers of a different faith, they pulled the plug rather than try and save the unit. To this day I still can't believe what they did. I could understand them asking us to leave, but to kill the unit entirely??? So, among other things mentioned so far, if you want a good unit, you need to keep in good, positive contact with the CO.

Hello to two neighbors over the border, from a fellow former volunteer at the unit level in Wannalancit District. I was an active ASM in Troop 56, Plymouth, NH while attending Plymouth State some 20 years ago.

Blancmange, I wish it was that simple. I work for a University. We do not meet any one of your three criteria. However, since we do research and occasionally, it "involves" human subjects (as minor as blind, unidentifiable surveys), the university falls under HIPPA. I don't understand it fully as I'm just a low-level peon. After reading some of the rules during a mandatory training on HIPPA, it seems to me that basically, posting an open position in the university and accepting applications for said position could be considered as falling under HIPPA: You're collecting data on private information (SSN's, addresses, resumes, letters of reference, face-to-face interviews) on individuals. AND you are making decisions based on that information that will affect the lives of those you collected the data from (either they get the job or they don't). It's a messy, slippery slope.

(chuckle) Considering I just had some district crests (Canadian patches--went through ZoneWest, a Canadian company) made up to put on neckerchiefs to handout as my thank you gifts at our district banquet and I sold-off the remaining crests and donated the money towards a campership fund, then I guess I'm in deep trouble with National and the Uniform Police. The neckerchiefs/crests were a big hit. I think National (or at least each local council) is missing out on a money making scheme by not allowing district insignia. Sherminator, good luck. I went Canadian 'cause the American companies I usually use are all licensed by the BSA and as such aren't allowed to produce district insignia.

I haven't received the latest one yet either. Considering that my council finally cashed my membership renewal check last month that I gave to them back in November, it doesn't surprise me that my subscription is late.

When I stated "official" patch blanket, I'm referring to the red BSA patch blanket: http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply/ItemDetail.aspx?cat=01RTL&ctgy=PRODUCTS&c2=GIFTS&c3=GIFT_MISC&c4=&lv=3&item=55290'>http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply/ItemDetail.aspx?cat=01RTL&ctgy=PRODUCTS&c2=GIFTS&c3=GIFT_MISC&c4=&lv=3&item=55290 You might have to copy/paste that URL due to it's length. Or just go to http://www.scoutstuff.org and search for blanket.

Do what you feel like...it's your blanket. I don't own an "official" red patch blanket. Then again, I'd need a lot more than one as I currently have four completely covered twin-size blankets, and am working on numbers 5 & 6 at the same time. Four of the six are things I've picked-up through trading and two are things I've done in scouting. In most cases, I don't match-up the thread. I'm currently using an industrial-size spool of khaki thread I picked-up at Hathaway Shirt Company, just before they closed their last American plant some seven years ago in my old home town. Old photos (need to update'em) of some of my blankets are on my patch trading website: http://home.gwi.net/~moxieman/patches/

If you missed it, you might want to see my response in the original thread: http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=266560

Johnx, North Haven is a small, island community off Rockland, ME. Year-round population of roughly 350 people. Town Gov: http://www.northhavenmaine.org/ According to their website, the historical society is open only by appointment in the winter (RE: it's closed). So you probably won't hear back from them directly until late spring if you sent them only an email. You'd probably be better off trying to contact them through the town office (see website above). Or you could attempt to contact the historical society using the phone number on the "Brief History" page of the town website. If you can't get through to anyone there, you could also try contacting Katahadin Area Council, which is the council that covers North Haven: http://katahdinareabsa.org/ Good luck! Moxieman-in the other Maine Council, Pine Tree.(This message has been edited by moxieman)

Impressive. Thanks for sharing.

To all of you south of the Maine Wilderness: PLEASE SEND US BACK OUR SNOW!!! Our winter tourism industry is suffering due to a lack of snow. I have a nearly bare lawn. I should have at least 3 feet of snow on my lawn right now. Please, please send me back my snow!!!!

Wore my uniform to work in honor of the 100th Anniversary. Received a lot of positive comments. As for cake and ice cream, it'll be two days late for us here in Kennebec Valley District. Our Roundtable isn't until this coming Wed. And yes, there will be cake and ice cream in our belated celebration.

Though I'm not for or against bringing back the collarless shirt, it would be "retro" if they did, but a lot older retro then what has been stated here so far. How far back? How about a century ago when no shirts had attached collars. The collar-attached shirt was invented by the Hathaway Shirt Company (which use to be located in my hometown) at the request of the US Army during World War I. When those dough boys returned home, they "demanded" that their civilian shirts also have attached collars and the "modern" collar-attached shirt was born.

Eagle732: Funny!

Due to bad pronunciation of the admonition at my ordeal, for more than a decade afterward, I thought it was the title to a very popular 1970's drama about a farm family struggling to make ends meet during the Great Depression with the word "All" placed in front of that title. (This message has been edited by moxieman)

Yes, Coleman sells a propane-fired crockpot/slow cooker. But I have no idea why you'd want one on a camping trip as there are many other things one can cook without spending the money on that gadget. But that's just me, I guess.

If you're at a Blue & Gold Banquet, that implies you're talking to the Cubs. How many of them know the story of how Scouting was founded in the USA? Why not just talk about that? You know--how that British Scout helped William Boyce find his way in the London Fog? Most of these cubs have probably never heard the tale. See page 27 of the current BSA Handbook for the tale.

SMT224, you might want to see this discussion thread about the coin: http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=261354

Too many too chose from. One example: I took 6 scouts with another leader to the '01 Canadian Jamboree. During one of our free periods, I simply walked around the 2km diameter tent city with my backpack on. In one place a mother and her Beaver Scout (Canada's version of Tiger Cubs) were visiting some unit camped at the jamboree. The Beaver, with a huge grin on his face, blocked my path. I tried to step around him and he'd jump in my way again. After three or four times, I started to take my backpack off and he fled to his mother thinking I was going to fight him or something. What I really did was dig-out three or four scout patches from my box of traders and handed them to the Beaver saying, "I guess I need to pay a toll to pass, huh?" His grin was even wider than before as he and his mother thanked me and I continued down the path between the tents.

The only time I've ever seen potato guns in the hands of scouts was at the 2001 Canadian National Jamboree. It was treated just like any other firing range with the same safety rules and with roped off areas. If you violated those rules, you were banned from the range. Everyone was trained/instructed in how to use the gun before they could use it. All guns were mounted on a partial swivel to prevent them from being pointed anywhere but down range. I can't picture it state-side. As others have stated, we have too many sue-happy people and lawyers willing to take on their cases.

I, too, am disappointed. I don't see any point in even advertising this event up here in Maine. I can't see our Venture Crews even considering a trip that far during the school year. If it had been during the summer, that would be different. Then I could see them planning for a road trip and where they'd visit on the way out and back. But during the school year? No way, not going to happen.

Many of the packs in our district have spent the big bucks on aluminum tracks with the computerized laser score line that tracks how fast a car actually makes it to the finish line. Each car races once in each lane. All four times are tallied together--fastest combined time is first place, and so on. The computerized scoring has also all but eliminated argumentative parents who think their kid beat the other kid in close races. The laser finish line eliminates that problem. Those who have older tracks and/or can't afford the fancy equipment do similar to Scoutfish's pack. When the District holds their event, they borrow one of the newer tracks/computer programs for the event.

I think this will backfire on National. When donors give to scouting, they expect to see some direct benefit to the boys. I don't see how this kind of advertising (and it's not cheap to sponsor an Indy Car) fits into that scheme. This might turn-off some would-be donors, especially with all the scouts camps for sale that are in the news. I can easily see some donors now: You can't afford to keep your local scout camp open, but you can afford to sponsor an Indy Car? Get your priorities straight before you try asking me for a donation again. Like I said, this is going to backfire on National.