NC Scouter

No one has yet noted the way the original poster described his situation. He said that he was charged because the vehicle was his and his sister-in-law denied the cocaine was hers. While that may be correct it falls short of the "whole truth," in my opinion. If the cocaine was his, and he was convicted, why not own up to that fact now, both here and with the CO, etc.? If not, and he took the fall for her, that would seem to be relevant information, regardless of the legal record.

Oh Mama! Run. Run now. Find a different pack for your son. I started a pack 6 years ago, having been a Cub in the mid-'60s and a Boy Scout through the early '70s. I had to fold up the pack and move to a different unit after two years because no other adults were committed enough for it to have the critical mass it needed to be viable. If your new pack is so hard up for leaders that you were tagged as the Cubmaster at your first meeting with the pack you are doomed. A pack that is functioning even reasonably well will be developing leaders who are qualified and capable of leading the pack as CM or committee chair. It is not sustainable for you or anyone else to lead the pack solo, which is what it appears you would be signing up to do. Neither you nor your son deserve that fate. Very truly yours, NC Scouter

Thanks! I could not find anything at scoutstuff.org.

This is a pretty simple topic. Are OA sashes available in more than one length. My older son completed his ordeal this weekend and came home with a sash that hangs to his knees. He's about 5'6" and the 75-1/2 inch sash looks great, but could look a lot better. We have his uncle's sash here from the mid-1950s and it measures 59" end to end and fits much better. Is a second size, smaller than 75 inches, available?

Does anyone know of a comprehensive list of merit badges to be featured at the 2010 Jamboree, or a list of merit badges that were featured at the 2005 Jambo? I've read in a few places that there were/will be nearly a hundred booths so that would suggest that the majority of merit badges will be covered. Seems to me that it would be a great chance to be able to complete requirements that are difficult to do at home or for which qualified counselors are hard to find.

Is there any reason a BOR can't be held a few days before the required time has elapsed and the rank or palm post-dated to the required date.? I agree with those who say that units should not be so rigid in scheduling BORs, but I also don't see the downside to the arrangement I propose. It would certainly be inappropriate to abuse this idea by having the BOR only 2 weeks into the 3 months, for example, but as long as the BOR is held within a week or so of the minimum time required it seems to me the intended purpose is accomplished.

I recall several months ago seeing a Web page that showed the numbers of each merit badge that had been earned since 1910 and in the more recent periods (annually?), but I cannot find that page now. There is a link titled MERIT BADGE STATISTICS linked from the http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Category:Merit_Badges page, but it is blank. Can anyone provide the link, please? Thanks.

Thanks to everyone for their replies, especially CalicoPenn whose response was both informative and thorough. I'm now comfortable with fresh eggs for our weekend outings, provided that the eggs are reasonably fresh to begin with, they are kept protected from breakage, it's not ridiculously hot, and they are cooked thoroughly.

How long is it safe to carry fresh eggs (in the shell) on the trail without refrigeration? Is there a serious risk if our troop leaves Friday afternoon for a backpacking trip and the eggs are used Sunday at breakfast? Let's assume a maximum daytime temperature of 72F.

How do your troops utilize the troop scribe position? The official BSA position description includes the following responsibilities. Attends and keeps a log of patrol leaders council meetings. Records individual Scout attendance and dues payments. Records individual Scout advancement progress. Works with the troop committee member responsible for records and finance. Sets a good example. Enthusiastically and correctly wears the Scout uniform. Lives by the Scout Oath and Law. Shows Scout spirit. Our troop does not collect dues, and keeping attendance in our troop of 100+ would be a big, big job for one scout and has been delegated to the PLs. The treasurer and registrar would not dream of letting the scribe help with money or troop records. Our new troop scribe is keeping minutes at the PLC meeting and writing a short summary for the monthly troop newsletter that comes out the following week. Looking forward to your comments.

Okay folks, I've understood from the outset that first aid is an essential skill for emergencies, but I still don't understand why that requirement needs to be completed before the others for this badge. Most other badges don't stipulate that the requirements be completed in any particular order unless, as in the cases of Lifesaving and Whitewater, the prerequisite skills are needed before completing the remaining requirements for safety's sake. That is not the case with EP. The reason this has come up is that one boy in our troop is looking for a buddy or two to work on EP with him. He has talked to the counselor, just as he should have, but the only other guys in the troop who want to join him don't yet have First Aid. It seemed to me that they should be able to join the first scout and complete the other EP requirements, then come back to the counselor later after earning First Aid to have their blue cards signed for EP, sort of like getting a partial for a merit badge at summer camp.

Thanks for your replies. To stir the pot a little more I note that none of the EP requirements have anything to do with first aid, other than a weak connection in the evacuation requirement. That being the case, why is it important to complete First Aid first?

I know that to complete Emergency Preparedness a scout must also complete First Aid, but must First Aid be completed before the other Emergency Prep requirements are started? As a comparison Whitewater requirement 3 clearly states "Before doing requirements 4 through 13, earn the Canoeing merit badge if you will be using a canoe to earn this merit badge. If you will be using a kayak, earn the Kayaking BSA Award." But for Emergency Prep there is no language saying First Aid must be earned before the other requirements are done.

When was the last time anyone really needed to whip the end of a rope?

How well do your troops execute the patrol method at summer camp? I am particularly interested in your answers with respect to new scout patrols. Like many troops we cross over our new scouts in early March and they have the opportunity to get 3 troop campouts under their belts before summer camp (March, April, May), and in doing so are more or less starting to work as a group by the May campout. But then we get to summer camp and nothing is really done there by patrol. They do attend the new scout program together of course, are generally in tents near each other, and hang out together, but there is no shared objective that gets them to reinforce the patrol method and continue building their working relationships. All meals are in the dining hall. My only thought would be to come up with some manufactured projects at our campsite that would let them have an opportunity for some problem solving, but I don't want to go overboard either and I don't want the projects to appear obviously contrived. Any ideas? Thanks.