Basementdweller

Point take eamon......

It stopped being fun a long time a go.

I have thought about this topic for a couple of days and now feel it is time to reply. I was not an adult scouter till my son became a tiger. I did not want to be his den leader but did because no one else would, I became CM because no one else would, I became ASM because no one else would. Same goes for Day camp program director and my battle with the district about cub events. I thought about what did I get or receive from these things??????? I am probably shallow and can't see the forest for the trees, but I cannot put a finger on it. I enjoy the company of the adult scouters, but I also enjoy the adults in the ducati group I belong to. I enjoy the youth, but I also enjoy the neighborhood kids that I fix their bike, video games and watch grow. I enjoy the outdoors, but I think I enjoy the flexibility of travel of family and close friends to the logistics of a scout troop or patrol. My last two years of scouting have been miserable, the wood badge debacle and the last round of District fights. Not sure if it is worth it or not. If it wasn't for the boys I would have been gone by now........(This message has been edited by Basementdweller)

Beyond the NESA is there a list of eagle scouts or a place to look up by name Boys or Men who have earned Eagle.

Feel a bit like a marked man.......

Recruiting night was out of the Packs pocket book. Scheduled our own boy talks We made yard signs and our own flyers The DE would show up at and collect the apps and money...... I understand that not all districts are like this......but this is my world So what I am hearing is that MOST the money we collect in the district goes toward the DE's salary.. And the DE works on commission, that explains most of his behaviors then.

Whats to flop.........they approve the expenditures, make sure all of the dens are advancing and having fun, address any parent concerns complaints. In and out usually just slightly longer than an hour.

Training here, youth protection, position specific and this is scouting cost the Participant $10, no food involved. The church is donated as is the copying. so 100% profit. The District awards dinner, last year they provided the meat, Donated by a SM, the attendees brought the sides and they charged $15 a person. Again the hall was donated. No expenses CSDC.....We turned at $4000 profit after all expenses were paid.......Still furious over this one, I called in a bunch of favors and spent a ton of money out of my own pocket to get it started again, The DE told me we would buy bb guns, archery equipment and fishing poles with the profit......lies all of them. The council zeroed the account January 1st. That was 4 years ago. The last camporee a couple years ago......Campground free.....Patches $3.....No food expenses...Supplies?????? Cost per person....$15.....Profit $12. soooooo tell me where is all that money going.

Gifts....... It appears that I am in the minority, but I would never give a scout a knife or means to make a fire as a gift. I know that boys will be boys and stuff happens. this is something that in my opinion is left between a parent and scout. They know their son better than we do. It might have something to do with the age of the troop too......My son has a decent fire starting kit, he played with it initially on our patio, he made fires in the fire pit, burned himself, burned up $50 worth of steel wool and then stopped. He has not played with it since, same for the daughter. There are a couple of boys that are fire bugs. I posted about it a couple of months ago here...... On a camp out I don't care if they take 4 hours to build a campfire, they can play all they want......had a young man use half my hot spark in a two hour period......surprised he didn't have blisters on his hands...... So what is an inappropriate gift for a SM to give a scout or Troop???? Edged tools and things with fire are on my list......

My favorite quote from August 2011 "Yeah, that's a good way of putting it. I don't think this gal has a control issue, but she did describe herself as kind of a "balls-to-the-wall" kind of worker. "

District underfunded????? Please explain it to me. Why does the district need money?

KC So what if the district scouters aren't planning anything????? No camporees well in three years, no cub day camp, no district cub events or boy scout events....not in the last year. You show up to roundtable and they stand around the lobby in their little groups drinking coffee and telling inside jokes. The district raises money, but I am not sure for what??? Coffee at round table? We don't do anything at the district level that requires money. Yet year after year they award them selves at the district awards dinner. They charged $15 a head for the dinner and we had to bring the side dishes. So are they in it for the boys????? It is the DE's Job. I am not going to quibble semantics or intent. Ours is all about the dollars and his numbers.....You will never see or hear from him till he wants money, apps or both. Our district is dead, the first nail in the coffin was when the DE said their will not be any free events. Any multiple Pack events in the District must have council permission and you must charge a fee. KC your district and council are luck.......Me, not so much. I tried to volunteer a couple of times at the district level, ahhh no. The sad thing is I have been asked to staff IOLS and NYLT in a neighboring council. I am going to help out, I have replaced my home council strip on my uniform with the neighboring councils strip. A couple of the boys have done the same as well. It maybe a case of the grass is greener, but I don't think so, the planning meetings I have attended lack the nonsense or posturing I get at home.

folks wearing hats during the national anthem at sporting events.......and yes I asked them to remove them and I was told to mind my own business.

fred you are correct at the expenses at the various levels of cub scouting. 2012-13 we are doing exactly that. the tigers will be the least expensive, wolves and bears the same cost and the Webelos will be the most expensive with a $50 per scout advancement fee......$20 career arrow, $15 worth of pins, $5 for colors.......well you get my point.

So explain to me how you made a good faith effort when you did not contact the other Pack directly???? We had a influx of 18 transfer scouts about 2 months ago....3 different Packs involved. I emailed each cubmaster individually, CC'd the DE and DC. The email went something like this BOB Mr, B with Pack 123. Jim, johnny and billy scout have filled out transfer applications to join our Pack. There parents mentioned that they had paid a program fee to your Pack as part of their membership. I was hoping to have any remaining balance transferred with their membership. If you have any questions please call me to discuss this at 123-4567 YIS Mr. B If after a week no response my plan was to call, then a visit.

Yes it is Sasha's responsibility to make this happen. Your a leader act like one, man up or woman up and call the other packs leadership. Not know who the other unit leader is, is a really lame excuse....a simple phone call to the DE would net the number and a supporting phone call from the DE would probably help give basis for your request. As outlined in previous post there are four basic choices. 1st get the money from the other pack. 2nd get the money from the transfer families 3rd Get the money from Sasha's Pack 4th send the family packing. I would take the signed copy of their transfer application with me to the other Pack's CM and show it to him and ask for their remaining balance in form of a check written to my pack with the boys names in the memo line. Pretty simple in my book. I get tired of this non-confrontational crap. I guess that I am luck in that I have a good relationship with my neighboring Packs, well the ones on the inside of the beltway. for me a simple phone call is all it would take. Twocubs.......Our collective fates are tied together. They already have a poor opinion of scouting. If sasha calls and retrieves their money from the other pack it will show them dedication and give them a sense of justice. Even if she doesn't retrieve it and tells them of her efforts. To me just simply absorbing the cost or writing it off isn't an option.

first off all the leaders, both Packs, need to put on their big boy pants First thing you need to know is how much did the family pay the other pack total. When did they pay it and if they have an ISA how much do they think is in it. Call the other Pack cub master and talk with him. If that fails, show up to their pack meeting place early. Be polite and concise. I have been on both sides of this, The scout thing to do is to transfer what ever money has not been used by the program yet. my example is, if they paid 30 buck, you have already went to the zoo for 10 and the pinewood for 10 then we would transfer $10 which is the remainder of their fee to their new pack. I also include a summary with the transfer check to the family and to the new pack treasurer. I have never had a problem with another Pack or Troop's leadership regarding Troop or Pack funds. So Sasha have you called the other CM?

I did a similar presentation. I spent a fortune out of pocket copying. somewhere are round 1500 sheets copy collated and stapled. Go to lunch and see too many of my copied presentations abandon on the tables and in the trash container. So in the following year I did a single page summary that included an email address with my email address to request a pdf copy of the presentation.

Glad I am not the only one who was perplexed by the survey. What was the purpose? Who was the audience? Desired result?????? To me the results are not surprising.

Power point.....I am assuming your going to project this on a screen in a semi dark room I would remove the header from each page, wasted space. Too much text on each slide. participates will not be able to read it in the semi dark room. I would remove the famous people quotes, If you want to keep them put them on their own slide. Content looks good I would create a single page summary sheet to give to the participants.

It does not read the thread on the link in my post.

The ceremony. His eyes when he received his career arrow. From his years in the Pack.......I have a picture of him and his buddy at a council event shooting sling shots. Goggles, huge smiles. the weather that day was crisp fall, The first day it really smelled like fall.

taken from http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=275776&p=1 It is unit level not district or council level I am one of the Good Old Boys. I am one of the Good Old Boys who make sure your scout is advancing. I am one of the Good Old Boys that makes sure the wet troop gear is dried I am one of the Good Old Boys who takes the patrol to the grocery store to buy their grub. I am one of the Good Old Boys who brings extra sleeping bags, rain coat, coat, long underwear for the scout who is unprepared. I am one of the Good Old Boys who has a loaf of bread and PB&J just in case the Patrol meal doesn't turn out. I am one of the Good Old Boys who responds to the cry in the night at camp. I am one of the Good Old Boys who fills out the tour permit I am one of the Good Old Boys who scouts new places to go and see and camp I am one of the Good Old Boys who hauls gear and scout to camp I am one of the Good Old Boys who stays up all night with your home sick scout. I am one of the Good Old Boys who helps the boys put on a program. I am one of the Good Old Boys and I will not apologize for it. I enjoy each and every youth I serve, But I enjoy the moments shared with friends that I have hiked hundreds of miles with, camped in monsoons, bled and sweat and watched the boys grow together. Shared successes and Failures with. I am sorry you were not their for all of that, there is nothing I can do to change that. If you want to join the GOBC get off your can, roll up your sleeves, slip on those boots and get going. Cub leaders, just because your a Type A personality and previously were a CM, ACM, CL, CC or any other acronym doesn't give you an auto entry into a circle of friends. Get over it. I promise, if you camp with us, haul boys, hike, go to round table, attend meetings, and PARTICIPATE. You will be one of us before you know it.

OGE Your analogy is flawed. What did you do mr. B? I fulfilled my responsibility to those I serve and the reward for me is the improvement in the program for you guys. The nonsense that has gone on has nothing to do with me or completing my ticket. I did exactly what I should have, Created the ticket, documented the process of completing each item and calling the assigned person or persons after completion to get my carrot. The failure is that of the Wood Badge staff No one in my home unit knows this is going on besides the SM.

Wood badge has become like the District issues for me. I don't care about it any more. Beads I have a training card for participating, I have my documentation, binders and presentations I did for my ticket. The boys I serve have benefited, what else could I want. Nothing. Beads are about ego in my book, just like the knots on an adults uniform. I am done, if they call and its convenient I might meet with them. The first day of the course they bragged their ticket completion rate was 100%, I suspect as the course director goes to close the course she will call so the course will maintain 100% on her watch too. Best of all it has no impact on next weeks Christmas Party or next months pinewood derby...... That is where I live,not some adult vacuum.