Basementdweller

We have one mom doing that....just had her cable disconnected to keep both sons in scouting. she didn't have enough in their ISA to pay for summer camp. Monday night she had a surprised look on her face when she got their current balances.....Both boys are able to go.......Wonder how that happened.

Pack......you owe me a keyboard.. spit my coffee all over it. I am not disagreeing, it is about priorities, we americans are super materialistic. You cannot believe that a family will give up any of these for scouting. Especially, tv and internet???? You for got the smart phones and data plans. first thing to go is scouting. First you sign up in the fall it is 37.5o for nationals cut. then your on the hook for a shirt and stuff for another $50 or so....then the popcorn sale kicks in....Does the pack or troop have an activity fee or program fee???

Canister stoves are easier and for philmont most of the issues with them will not be an issue. If your worried about weight.....msr pocketrocket is a great stove.

Thank you for doing your good turn and being a particiapting citizen in your community. I am going to say no on a clothing drive for the world conservation award. The reason for the no is if you look at the requirements it includes things such as fishing, grow something, weather, birds and soil and water. While a clothing drive is worthy, I don't believe it is in the spirit and vein of the award.

Thank you for doing your good turn and being a particiapting citizen in your community. I am going to say no on a clothing drive for the world conservation award. The reason for the no is if you look at the requirements it includes things such as fishing, grow something, weather, birds and soil and water. While a clothing drive is worthy, I don't believe it is in the spirit and vein of the award.

Pack....it uses the standard propane butane mix.....available from most walmarts and every outfitter. For $25 buy one and give it a try.

just thinking here......so instead of a little tp, your gonna put a "soiled" paper BBQer in your backpack.

Something just doesn't seem right. First post asking for uniforms?????? I am a long time poster if you have uniforms you don't need or would like to share. Send them to my Pack instead. Most of you know of my scouting struggles and financial status of our Pack. Your donations would be most appreciated.

blake I have never dealt with pvc and hauling human waste......Got a couple questions.....so do you deposit directly or scoop into it?????? Curious more than anything. I do hall my soiled tp out.

If you are talking about driving too and from camping and events none. I live 1 mile from the CO and 30 miles from most our or camps and camping. so an extra 5 bucks for fuel won't bother me a bit. I will commute to work on a motorcycle that gets 70 miles to the gallon. now if your talking about the money available for scouting youth to do things. Then probably significantly. Our families can only marginally afford scouting and most cannot budget money beyond next week. I see us losing some scouts because of money problems as a result of increase gasoline costs and fuel charges to retailers.

The most expensive part of scouting is paying for the local program..........National registration is $10. For my $10 I see a nice website with on line training. definately useful. I am going to bet that BSA has a number of companies under its umbrella......A publishing company.....A clothing manufacture......the actual BSA......Franchising.........Education...... Just guessing of course. I doubt that all of that money goes into one big pot to reduce the the cost of joining. I am going to bet that BSA's finances are very complicated and how the money comes and goes would be a tangled trail.

45 here and the ground does seem to grab hold and keeping me down. One bag in the house, one bag in the truck one bag to carry, my tent sets up in about super quick......plus my tent is small enough to set up in the basement to dry. Plus for a weekend all I need to do to be ready is to add cloths and sleeping bag. Well I do take a camp chair.......

Our families are so diverse married, unmarried, GF, BF, Grandparents, ect.....easiest just to tent the boys together and not worry about the rest. The Pack has been doing this since before my time. Works for us

I am not naive enough to believe that supplies profits go to reduce registration cost.

Moose son we can run a camp out how ever we want. with in YP and G2SS guidelines that is. It has been a non issue, not a soul has ever complained The boys love it, they tent with their buddys. Parents have more room in their tent Helps the helicopter parents begin the letting go process. there is a lot of different ways to run a successful program.

We distribute the rank advancement as soon as they are earned as well. We had some bears receive theirs at the October Pack meeting. Summer camp is a wonderful thing.

Any tent from walmart is a problem. This is a statement of fact. All tents are equal until it starts to storm. High wind driving rain will soak you pretty quick in that wallyworld or dicks tent. Don't use an air mattress. they are too cold and do not provide decent support. I use sleeping pads, the style depends on season. winter closed cell pad from I think therma rest. summer I use and Alps pad. I have purchases a large amount of my gear from a place called steepandcheap. You can get gear up to 90% off......I purchased my one man tent for $50 it is 70% off. Now it is one deal at a time so some patience is required. No affiliation......Just a happy customer. Buy quality. Full fly tent is a must. Clear to the ground or within a couple of inches. low profile to eliminate the wind issue. We have timberlines for the troop and have wind issues. I never spend any time in my tent when camping so size isn't an issue and I do exit it to button, zip and tuck. I sleep in a alps mountaineering one man tent. I usually crawl in and pass out so space isn't an issue. I lash a pack stand together on every campout, gear stays, OMG, out side the tent. all of my gear fits inside my backpack, tent and sleeping pad included. I am setting the example for the boys and the direction I would like to see the troop go. I would love for the troop to move from car camping to pack camping I will say.......on a wet weekend I will switch to a marmot limelight 2p. Gets my pack into the to tent and out of the weather. Personal camping woes......don't have any. I love the outdoors and camp half the weekends. Quick look at air temps I am good. The boys and families way over pack.....I really hate these huge tents. The cubs went to a camporee two years ago, I couldn't arrive till late.....We had 6 families and their giant tents dominate the campsite.......Left next to no room for the rest of us.......Not gonna happen. We took them all down and put them in troop tents.

let me see for $900 with tax I could replace 4 troop tents, put 25 cubs in uniforms. or by 100 books. Rough estimates.......but a little perspective.

Take a look at this link. http://www.prevent-abuse-now.com/stats.htm#Offenders 95% of sexual abuse victims know their abuser...... Our pack policy is that unless you are bio mom or dad, scout will tent with another scout. I know bio mom or dad could be a perv too, but much less likely. Ounce of prevention in my book. We do allow cubs to come on the campout with out parent, but they are the responsibility of another adult.(This message has been edited by Basementdweller)

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/HealthandSafety/GSS/gss01.aspx "Separate accommodations. When camping, no youth is permitted to sleep in the tent of an adult other than his or her own parent or guardian." Remember the youth protection is to protect both the adult and the youth. I have never shared a tent with my son on a cub scout outing because he always tents with the boys who would otherwise tent alone. The best solution would have been for the two webelos to share a tent and dad tent solo. Yes what happened was a violation of youth protection guidelines.

Gotta laugh here. We crossed our webelos over in Feb. They have three campouts already and will receive their tenderfoot before summer camp and second class probably shortly after. The summer camp will set them up for completing first class at the year mark. I guess my point is in an active program counting service projects and campouts kinda becomes irrelevant.

Depends on their relationship....... I would give younger brother veto power on the decision too. Remember he has his own scouting experience too and may not want to be in big brothers shadow.

It is a matter of preference. I like the little guys looking forward to receiving their career arrow and walking the bridge to the waiting Troop. It is the culmination of their cub career. And it truely is a crossover and some call it bridging ceremony. We just recently stopped calling the cubs moving up a rank Crossover, it is now referred to as graduation....we do it on a camp out. Just a sticking point of mine. We had a young man this year who to end his scouting career when he received his Arrow of light. Mom was furious with us because he was not permitted to crossover the bridge to the troop and receive his scout handbook and neckerchief with the other boys. The troops requirement is a signed application and program fees prior to the ceremony, mom said sports were more important and said he would not be joining the troop. He received his Arrow of light and cub career arrow during the AOL ceremony and then was asked to return to his seat while the rest of the boys joined the troop. The problem with just handing a boy a rank patch with out him earning it, sets the entitlement mentality. Sure he is only 7 years old, but he still didn't earn it. I am guessing you have never had to deal with boys melting down during a Pack meeting because they didn't receive anything. I usually will pull them aside and ask them whats up and why they are crying. Parents are the same way.....Why you complaining to me, you didn't do actvitiy X with your scout and missed 3 meetings. Sorry.

Nice....... So the truth is who knows. I would not teach any wolves I know to use a knife.

Since we shop and cook as patrol. The adults and youth leadership are invited prior to the campout for the entire weekend. No invitation no biggy we cook our own.