Basementdweller

my council requires it turned it.......so that leaves only the scouts copy which is returned to him with the merit badge at the COH.

Well you pay for a lot of stuff that we simply don't. No leaders fees or training. No merit badge books. The propane and charcoal are in the campout fees. We do use troopmaster, we use a free website and google docs for our accounting software.

scoutnet is what national uses to track all of the boys advancement and recharter . Some councils now require you to either put your advancement in scoutnet or upload it from troopmaster or another approved vendor. then print the scoutnet advancement report to take to scoutshop to get badges. Scouttracks does not interface with scoutnet.(This message has been edited by Basementdweller)

Troopmaster

I am under no illusion that a common man could ever grace the white house. We are faced with a choice of the lesser of two evils. McCain lost because of the idiot he chose for his running mate.....Her intro speak was priceless....but my favorite sound bite was with Barbra Walters, Which periodicals do you read? Her response was all of them? really? not sure I am comfortable with the vp reading maxim and backpacker magazine, I wonder if she finds Pedro as entertaining as I do???? Probably vote for big O this trip.....At least we don't have to endure the birth certificate thing again. I wonder how his daughter enjoyed mexico, I wonder how much that cost the country????

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/16/health/16peanuts.html

SRI take a look at the link I provided......there is NO unit copy.

Boy scout books that are expected to last 5 or 6 years..... Terrible...two years in they are falling apart, binding has failed.

The point of the question ASM is do you really need a fund raiser????? if you have $20k in the bank why do you need to have a candy bar blitz to pay for summer camp??? If you have $100 bucks in the bank and want new tents????? Justification. Prevents Orgs from just doing perpetual fundraising. If your worried about it, don't bother to fill it out. Most people don't.

Every year we have cub scout families that got cold and wet while family camping.... Every Year we hold a gear clinic as to what to buy. No matter the folks income level the first thing a scout or family buys is a tent.......Why is that????? I will start out with my main recommendation, please add yours. No portable mansions....keep foot print smaller than 10x10. Full fly including front....It will keep you warmer and dryer than with out. Simple pole configurations....

Food allergies..... How many are imagined and how many are real????? Had a mom fail to tell me her wolf son was "allergic" to carrots. Took the young man hiking, pulled out my stove and made a big pot of ramen noodles with dehydrated veggies and added chicken. Well young man didn't eat his lunch but ate half of mine.....Got back to the drop off point, he was telling mom about the delicous lunch he had that had these orange things in it......mom was mad and told me that her son was deathly allergic to carrots.....really?????? Same lad peanut butter, the kid ate all my nutterbutters and half my reese cup..... It has been my experience that most food allergies are made up, the kid or parent doesn't like a type of food so he is allergic..... Had one mom tell us not to feed her son veggies because it gives him gas.....guess what pepper, onions and jalepenos on the faijtas got me too.....

Chris, there are three parts to the blue card, one for the MBC, One for the scout and one for the council. http://www.usscouts.org/usscouts/advance/docs/Merit-Badge-Application-34124A.doc The unit does not keep a copy....In the ideal world his scoutnet records would be complete correct and accurate....but we all know better and there are always mistakes. I tell my scouts to get one of those baseball card three ring binders and keep them in there as a record.

And you thought that there were number games played now. It is about to get real crazy if this is fact. What a coincidence my council just spent multimillions on a new office building...... A scout is trustworthy unless your a Pro Scouter.......It's okay, they are doing it for the boys, NOPE. Ya know, Last september I filled out applications for free or discounted memberships for a number of my pack, I asked for shirts and books for them as well. We have yet to receive anything.....We paid for the recharter fee for all of them....No shirts or books either..... Ya I take shots at the pro's I have yet to have one do anything he promised except show up for the FOS presentation or to collect the new apps and fees.

Well the troop I am involved with doesn't really have a solid budget. In your budget what do you include? My thoughts are Courts of Honor, badges refreshments ect. Gear replacement, tents, pots, pans ect. recharter.... So what else do you budget for????

Only failed on scout in a board of review..... He sat there and looked at the board, single word answers with no support......Ya know after he failed it he became a much better scout.

Lack of merit badge councilors is no reason to leave. No outdoor program is. can't imagine what they do with their meetings do they day hike or visit things?????

So DS How many registered adult leaders do you have and what are their roles?????? My problem is most of my adult leadership is 50+ and simply too old to camp. I have a CC, 30 year member, COR,founding member, Treasurer founding member, 4 committee members, Old troop eagles, SM, 2 ASM. Only SM and I are fit/young enough to camp.

So the BOR felt he did not provide adequate leadership or fulfill his duty as quartermaster. It is within the SM's power to grant a project instead of a POR. I would suggest that to the SM and make the project cleaning, organizing and inventorying the store room. this would be inline with his completion of his role as QM. far as them saying no BOR for 5 months.....I believe they are out of line. I would like to see where it is written.....

I like Q's idea of having the boys paint it...... Nothing wrong with that.

I vote lesson for the boys. It isn't a matter of biting your tongue. I would hope the boys that were unhappy with the food would speak up at the next grub planning session and I hope they rib the grub master who forgot lunch.

With all that said...... Is the troop worth saving?

The only severe long term forecast would be like Fishes example of a hurricane or a blizzard in the plains. A month ago that tornado out break in texas was predicted 24 hours in advance, I remember watching the news and the forecaster saying, " It isn't a matter of if we are going to having tornado tomorrow but where and how big." I am not sure about what I would have done had the troop or pack had something planned that day.

Steep and Cheap is currently running Alps chaos 2 man tent 50% off retail for $124

Just because it is legal does it make it right???? Just because everyone else does it doesn't make it right. I haul my landscaping trailer in Ohio, I haul my enclosed scouting trailer in Ohio. Both are registered and licensed in Ohio. Both pay road taxes in Ohio. I buy my fuel in Ohio, I use road fuel and not agriculture fuel in my truck and landscaping mowers. Thrifty has NO bearing in this discussion. License plates are part of the cost of owning a vehicle and trailer. Part of the tax is used to maintain the local roadways, so in my opinion you are cheating the local state out of revenue they could use to maintain their/your roadways. While I don't think your a scofflaw, I don't believe your setting a good example. Build America on the solid foundations of clean living, honest work, unselfish citizenship and reverence for God. Whatever others may do, you will leave behind you a record of which every Scout may be proud (This message has been edited by Basementdweller)

Ya know I own a landscaping trailer, my state charges me $65 per year and my county charges me another $65 per year to license it. With the cost of gas that is more to my overhead. As a business man it is very appealing to register my trailer in Maine for $180 for 12 years. But I don't intend on mowing grass in maine and I use my roads locally. So my civic responsibility is to pay my road taxes thru fuel and licensing.... I am comfortable with my civic responsibility and contributions. I am allowed to grumble about it. Far as camping in foul weather, it is a local decision and the person with the feet on the ground needs to make the call, but how many troops and pack cancel simply because there is rain forecast, rare is the Tornado or severe forecast more than about 6-12 hours out. We backpacked this weekend 15 miles it rained friday night and most of saturday temps were in the 40's. The boys did fantastic and had a blast, despite the mud.