Basementdweller

The history, Last year the De filled it out on his own and got the CC to sign it. So I am not going to turn it in. My curiosity stemmed from the bragging in a previous thread by some folks on here......so I was curious where we stood. Again I ask what is the benefit to the unit, district or council for that matter. I am guessing that someone gets more money. Fill me in.

The big deal is the DE making up random rules. There is much more to that story and we are a gold level pack because I did fill it out more out of curiosity sake than anything else.

Just got a call from my DE stating that the JTE is now mandatory. Anyone shed some light on it?????

The scouts are where the answer lies. I will bet if left alone the problem will take care of itself. The Patrol involved will either figure a solution out or ignore it. Wondering out loud here. Are the boys/parents with the problem are using it as a control issues?????? Do the boys involved want to be in scouting?????? could be their excuse to get out Does the Patrol want him or them as members????? How new are the boys to the troop?????? I would never change troop culture for one or two new boys. We have a scout who doesn't like tomato.......The patrol knows it. They still cook spaghetti or make pizzas......But they scoupe his out first and add butter to it or get a crust and cheese and make pizza with out sauce. The boys know it and CHOOSE to accommodate him. There was ZERO adult intervention. Scouting is great till the adults get involved. My advise is to back off and let the scouts figure it out......That is what my advise to the committee and concerned parents would be. We also had a boy whose mom claimed a bunch of allergies, After we returned from a camping trip he was telling her about all of the excellent food he ate.....mom's face turned crimson and she was pissed......every meal had something he was "allergic" too. Turns out he was not allergic at all.

A interpretation of the rules. CA......so explain to me how an event, which adults will be attending, would be circumventing BSA policy????? While the boys are not directly line of sight to the adults, they are not completely without a support system. We can argue intent of any rule or regulation......But we regularly camp a distance from our scouts. Sometimes more than 300 feet, sometime much less. I believe the intent of the rule is to prevent a group of untrained boys being dumped off at a camp site or trail head. While recently adults have proven little or no help in self rescue....the intent is for someone with skills to be available to help in situations. If it were me CA and I met that kinda resistance, I would say great and hold two seperate outings. One for the young guys and camp, hike and train them. The second with the old scouts where I would hang back and fulfill the required BSA role of a presence. I would not camp directly with them but off on my own. no biggy in my book and not circumventing policy.

My kids think the entire cowboys and indians thing is silly. The romantic west is dead in my book. As a European American I am not particularly proud of what "WE" did to the North American Indians. The entire Trail of tears, small pox infected blankets, swindling or stealing land leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Of course this was before genocide was a bad word.

Absolutely ridiculous. So why is the troop committee interfering with how the patrols run??????

Wow, politics. I do like the vision statement I will probably end up as SM, I don't think I would apply for the job. If I am asked I would accept it. The COR, CC know that I am willing to step up if asked, they know me and my credentials. If they don't Beavah might be on to something with looking beyond the eager beavers.

Websites are obsolete and not dynamic enough. They require too much attention to keep up to date. Use facebook or google+. Create a group and calendar their.(This message has been edited by Basementdweller)

I guess I miss the whole point of conditioning. Hiking is just walking after all. Tampa there are many aspects to walking that folks miss now a days. Urban walks are cool because you really get to look at the city. Challenging???? Does it always have to be challenging? I hike the Cincinnati river walk annually, You cross the ohio river 4 times various bridges....I enjoy the 10 mile version of the hike. We enjoy eating at a sandwich shop at fountain square and generally there is something going on at sawyer park. I like hiking it between thanksgiving and christmas to look at the lights. It is just an opportunity that most folks don't take advantage of. Everyone talks about old school scouting......Well most troops adventures were within about 30 miles of home. They didn't drive 4 hours highway to hike for 2 or 3 hours. they hiked from the CO to the event and back.....some were lucky enough to have a truck to haul gear in.

Well engineer, let him do his thing. Have him take a 10 mile hike and see how it goes. If he fails he fails....just make sure there is a couple of bail out points at 3, 5 7 and the end. Menicus, pfffft. Tore mine a year go, surgery a year ago this friday. While I did not do my usual 500 miles, I still did 150 in the last 4 months. Did 30 miles on the Appilacian trail a couple of months ago with a 20 mile Pack. 10 miles will make it swell, get yourself a set of trekking poles they do help and get back at it. I am going to tell you if you walk with more than a 10 pound pack you are completely out of line for a day hike.

Many more scouters read this forum and don't post. Scouts indoors retention drops, get them camping and outdoors retention goes up. Give them what they want and they will stay.

Had an adult leader in the pack that was liking a lot of female adult entertainers, cough cough. I suggested that he should stop doing it as the parents and some scouts see this too. After one of the moms mentioned his questionable taste in women he unfriended all of us and set his profile to private.

Everyone assumes this has to be a country hike. I have had some great urban hikes. Son and I hike out to a hooters for lunch for one of his hikes. Best of all city hiking requires nothing but tennis shoes and a few bucks in your pocket. Thirsty stop at the circle k for something to drink or eat. His 20 miler we walked the urban greenway out to an amish restaurant and back. Guys ditch the naglene bottles they are expensive and heavy at a pound a piece. My son and I recycle gatoraide bottles they are a couple of ounces. If your going to 4 nalgene bottles, that is 4 pounds empty, your better off carrying an gallon milk jug full of water instead, your not wasting weigh on containers, even after empty you still need to lug them with you. Hiking merit badge is easy, it is just walking after all. Fluffy couch potato type, I would start him walking every evening 15 minutes then after a couple of weeks half an hour then so on and so on. NO BACKPACK. in a month 10 miles in a day is easy. 20 miles is another beast, 10 hours of walking a 2 mile an hour pace is a challenge for a young scout.

If the DE thought it would improve numbers he would man the keg. If the result is losing boys then nothing will happen.

The discussion reminded me of a funny discussion with a mom not to long ago regarding offensive language. Get a phone call from a concerned mom, "Last night jimmy scout came home and called his sister a #$%@". I said really and how does it relate to me and scouts. Mom says he learned it at the den meeting. I said that I didn't remember that coming up in conversation we were talking about gear for resident camp and crab wrestling. told her I would investigate......Nothing really to be done except remind the boys about respect and being a scout is more than a uniform. Lock in night comes around one of the highlights is playing video games all night. Well Jimmy scout shows up with all M rated games to play, Several grand theft autos, Army of two, bioshock and Several Call of duty's. Well I tag them and collect them....M rated games for 9 and 10 year olds, not at my event. So grab mom by the elbow at pick up time and ask her watch and listen to the game play. I ask if he plays on line at all. she says yes, I suggest she listen to what is being said during game play.

10 miles is pretty easy. 20 miles takes a lot more doing. 20 pounds for a single day is excessive. I hiked the AT for 4 days and nights with 22 pounds including food, fuel and shelter. So what is his current condition????? Fluffy couch potato????? Or youth league athlete?

This is all back room stuff. I don't like it. there is a lot of adult elbowing and jockeying for position at the kill. This about revenge and not a mistake. Boys make mistakes. So what was his mistakes? As a boss it is really bad form to have employees as friends on facebook. See this played out in daily life way too much. As SPL he is the boss As a leader you can never let your guard or standards down for a moment. He did that, no matter what his mood or attitude is. I would council him to the above two points and ask him if what he posted was what a SPL in the BSA would post on his facebook page. May I ask what age the offended scouts are? I would remind the parents that you must be 13 to agree to the facebook terms of service. I am guessing that most were less than honest about their age to get their accounts.

The victor's write the history

What does the scout have to say for himself?

I respect lodge and their reputation. I would be good with their factory seasoning practices......with that said, I would cook a dump cake or something simple to break it in, just in cast there was a funky taste in their coating. Then something a tad more extravagant.

I gave them stainless water bottles with the troop number on them. I suppose they could drink gasoline from them or draino far as that goes. But if it is used for its intended purpose it is safe.....where as if you use a knife or fire for its intended purpose there is risk

A wrench http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrench A simple law suit is life changing. Tampa when you said your boys, do you mean your sons? (This message has been edited by Basementdweller)

Barry you calling us spineless or a wimps for not giving boys knives or fire starting kits for a gift???????

I like the duluth trading company fire hose pants. Wear like iron for banking around camp taking care of business, but are too heavy and hot for summer hiking, backpacking or camping. http://www.duluthtrading.com/store/mens/duluth-ingenuity/fire-hose-workwear/92204.aspx