mtm25653

For what age? 11 yos and 17 yos are very different. My Side of the Mountain and Wrinkle in Time are for younger scouts (or older cubs). For them, I would also add Hatchet and anything else by Gary Paulsen. My youngest has carried a copy of the US Constitution with him (at school and on campouts) since he was about 13.

Bring stuff to look at/handle - Boys Life magazines, handbooks for all levels, anything your cubs have made, photos of activities, patches - you want the parents and the kids to see that cub scouting involves a lot of different, fun activities.

Does the boy have his rank advancement and merit badge cards (the one's given when he receives the badge, that have a date and SM's signature)? Our troop has in the past had to use these, and council accepted them.

BSA expects people to use common sense and make reasonable judgements. Anyone remember the sandwich principal? Qualified supervision and Discipline on the outside, Scouting Safety on the inside. How about the Sweet 16 of BSA Safety (from the G2SS) (italics added)? 1. Qualified Supervision. Every BSA activity should be supervised by a conscientious adult who understands and knowingly accepts responsibility for the well-being and safety of the children and youth in his or her care. The supervisor should be sufficiently trained, experienced, and skilled in the activity to be confident of his or her ability to lead and teach the necessary skills and to respond effectively in the event of an emergency. Field knowledge of all applicable BSA standards and a commitment to implement and follow BSA policy and procedures are essential parts of the supervisor's qualifications. 7. Safety Procedures and Policies. For most activities, common-sense procedures and standards can greatly reduce any risk. These should be known and appreciated by all participants, and the supervisor must assure compliance. No, BSA doesn't specifiy what is "sufficiently trained, experienced, and skilled" for every circumstance - they depend on leaders and parents to reasonable assess their own and other leaders' abilities. I wouldn't "knowingly accept(s) responsibility for the well-being and safety of the children and youth" in my care if I didn't think I was qualified. Me, I stick to cub scout events at established campsites. But I trust the leadership of my son's troop to take them on remote, high adventure trips. If I didn't think it was safe to send my son, I wouldn't, and I would let the leaders know. That has only happened once in 16 years with this troop - and the leaders modified the plans and added more practice before the trip, satisfying my concerns.

Lisabob said: I admit, I don't understand WHY he does this and I think that's part of what is making me a little nuts about it. You don't have to understand why, you just have to accept that he is not you, and his priorities are not your priorities. My youngest moved to boy scouts at the earliest possible moment, and earned first class in 9 months so he could go on a big trip with the troop. He is 16 now, and has been Life for 3+ years. He's the best cook in the troop (of the kids) and doesn't have Cooking merit badge. He is teaching blacksmithing this summer and doesn't have Metalworking. He has learned the skills, he just never got them signed off. He earned no merit badges at camp the last 2 summers, but he's working this summer in the program he attended those years. He is a leader at school and in his troop, a good teacher, and a great human being. Is your son learning skills? Is he enjoying the activities (goes on trips because he wants to not because you make him)? Is he developing character, citizenship and fitness? If so, don't worry. He'll finish in his own time.

Packsaddle said: The problem is a perception that the troop MUST be involved in every Eagle project and that the troop wasn't involved this case. The boy's TROOP doesn't have to be involved in working on the project, just SOME other people (you can't lead yourself). I can see minimal/no troop involvement for a project done over the summer or for a project done relatively far from the where the troop meets (e.g., boy goes to church an hour away, and project is done at his church.) My sons have worked on Eagle projects for boys in other, small, troops - those troop had minimal involvement, but scouts from other troops were involved.

I've spent most of this summer thinking about this. Both boys are away from home for the whole summer. Last summer, the older one turned 18 while backpacking on the Appalachian Trail with his brother and scout leaders. The other boys who had planned on going on the trip dropped out, and I figured it would either be the best 2 weeks or the worst 2 weeks of their lives, spending the time on the trail without other kids as a buffer. The leaders told me they would walk into camp each afternoon singing songs their dad taught them. They became more than brothers last year, they are good friends. This summer, older son is working in a non-scout camp halfway across the country. He's been gone 9 weeks, with 4 more to go, and I miss him. He calls every week or so, and we talk more than when he is at school 15 miles away. He has struggled some with being responsible for a cabin full of boys, but his scout leadership experiences gave him a toolbox full of strategies for dealing with difficult situations. Younger son (16) is working at a scout camp in another council. He has been home twice, for 12 hours each time, on the way to Philmont and on the way back to camp. One of the first things he said to me, at the airport at midnight, was that he felt really good about the leadership of the troop for the next year. He is Troop Guide - SPL, ASPL, 3 of 4 patrol leaders, plus all the active older boys were on the trip - and they all worked together and formed a strong team during the trek. My boys are gone. They've grown into good young men. And a lot of the credit goes to the many, many scout leaders who have talked to them, listened to them, taught them and showed them by example how to lead and how to serve others. Last year I went to 6 Eagle ceremonies in 4 different troops. I cried at all of them, so proud of the boys who had grown into good young men. Thanks to all of you for what you do for your boys.

I know the local council/scout store will help with boy's uniforms - I don't know about leaders, but it wouldn't hurt to ask.

Think of your uniform as an investment - I've been a cub scout leader for 14 years. The shirt doesn't ever wear out, though I have had a few pairs of pants. How old is your youngest son? You'll be wearing that uniform at least once a week until he is in 5th grade (or longer). (My preference is to get the khaki shirt and olive pants instead of the yellow and blue - you can wear that when your son is older and you work with the troop as well.) I have found uniforms on ebay, but it's hit or miss. Thanks , Pack378, for the tip about Craig's list.

My son is working at the Mountain Man program at Camp Ottari, and they wear shirts like Pierre is wearing, as do the people on the Voyager canoe trek at that camp. He does his introcduction in French, as well, though his name is Grandpa.

Is Pierre from the Voyageur trek at Camp Ottari?

Leaders in our unit, and boys, regularly wear scout shorts and knee socks in public, including a leader and 17 yo scout who wore them flying back from Philmont to NC last week. (I'm pretty sure a couple other boys also were wearing shorts, and I think 1 other leder from the other crew as well). Aren't we trying to teach boys to resist negative peer pressure, to do the right thing regardless of what others think? Then why are you so afraid to wear the uniform? Why are you succumbing to the negative peer pressure that the boy scout uniform is dorky/bad/silly/etc.?

In training I've been taught (and I teach in classes), 3/4 of scouting is outing (play on words - number of letters). I usually need to encourage cub leaders to get their boys out, but it's also important to remember that scouting is not ONLY outings.

"On the kid side of modern America, it's a dorky thing to do" My 2 sons, 16 and 18, embrace their dorky sides. They acknowledge that being in scouts, being good in school, knowing lots of things about lots of topics make them dorks/geeks/nerds. But they also play sports, one has been in a hardcore band, they have a "cool" side. They wear their scout uniforms in public and hold their heads high while doing it. FYI, did you know there is a genre of music called "nerdcore"? There was a story on NPR in the spring, and my youngest pulled out his MP3 player to play me some.

"even if it may not lead to the greatest levels of worldly success" My goal in life is not to raise my children to have to greatest levels of worldly success. It is to raise them to be honorable men who do the right thing, who serve others, and who are true to their own beliefs.

tjhammer said: It's probably clear to most Scouters that people aged 19 to 27 are the likely parents of kids entering Cub Scout age Uh, no. Cubs have to be in 1st grade, so they are 6 yo or older. The average age to have your first child in the US (2003 stat, most recent I could find) is 25 - so most Cub parents are at least 31. I'm a lot older, and I've come around to the belief that gay marriage isn't a bad thing - better than serial relationships where kids don't live with both parents. But I still think it's the right thing to not have gay leaders in boy scouts.

I want to thank everyone for the civil tone in this thread - Beavah asked for our opinions, and we are giving them without vitrolic criticism of other's opinions.

Do you still have the den flag? When the last of several boys in one den got his Eagle, they gave the den flag to the den leader.

Do you still have the den flag? When the last of several boys in one den got his Eagle, they gave the den flag to the den leader.

I'll start. Remember Beavah said the "Goal bein' to understand each other's perspectives, not startin' an argument." I voted for Bush twice, and if I had to make those votes knowing what I do today, I would vote the same way. The main reason is that I think Bush has been a better president than either Gore or Kerry would have been. I don't agree with everything he has done, but I believe he has always acted on his principles, not on what the poll numbers say. He showed leadership in a time of crisis after 9-11, and I don't believe Gore would have. Would I vote for Bush if he could run again? Probably not if Fred Thompson runs, and maybe not if I had to choose among the existing candidates.

I love the different neckerchiefs - helps the adults set expectations for the boys (I instantly know who is a tiger and who is a Webelos - size isn't always accurate) and it helps the boys have more of a group identity (we have only 1 den per level). We use a different neckerchief for Web IIs, as well - they get to choose one of the scout bandana (constellations, animal tracks, first aid, knots) to use as their neckerchief. I HATE having different hats for the different levels - hats cost a lot more than neckerchiefs (our pack pays for neckerchiefs, and at "graduation" they are passed on to the next den down). We are actually discussing getting a Pack hat that everyone would wear for their whole time in the pack (yes, I know that is not official uniform wear, but nobody likes the different hats, so a "uniform" (all the same) hat would be better than most people not buying them at all).

13 years ago, my son's pack had a t-shirt design contest. The committee combined 3 of the designs, one for the front left and the other 2 for the back of the shirt, and that has been the pack t-shirt ever since. The 3 who submitted the winning designs (I think 1 adult and 2 cubs) got free t-shirts. My current pack uses the same t-shirt design as their associated troop (same CO), just changing Troop to Pack. Both these are good ideas, but I like the idea of the contest.

That will have to wait till he returns to camp after Philmont. But you would have thought the scouter would have noticed a youth staff member with one silver tab sewed onto his shoulder (program uniform is not scout shirt with tabs).

I picked my son up from camp where he is working last week so he could go to Philmont. He is working at a remote program (1 1/2 mile or so from base camp, no showers) so he is showering twice a week (night off and Sat night). Not too bad, except that he is working at a blacksmith forge every day. I picked him up Tues noon, after a day and a half working at the forge with no shower. He was covered in coal dust - normally blonde hair several shades darker than normal, smudges on his face, and his off-white shirt and pants were mostly black down the front. Of course, he put up his arms and gave me a big hug. His clothes are now off-white again, with some stains, after 4 trips through the washer. His hair, however, was still darker than normal when I sent him off to Philmont - I think it will take a few more showers at the end of the summer to get all the coal dust out.

My son is working at a remote program (1 1/2 mile from base camp) at a summer camp this year. A "commissioner" (son's description, not sure who he is) came to visit the program. While he was sitting by the campfire, my son managing to unbutton his shoulder tab, remove the silver epaulet, and rebutton the tab. My son is wearing the tab on his uniform for the rest of the summer, and the scouter has found another to wear (not sure if he even realized how he lost it).