Basementdweller

too funny.

fracking is going on where we backpack and more than a few communities have lost their well water....... The best news story is of a guy turning on his kitchen sink spigot and lighting it on fire. The thing that worries me is the proprietary mix of liquids they inject into the wells to actually fracture the shale. How do you know that a spring that you have been drinking from for years isn't contaminated. http://www.allenstewart.com/practice-areas/gas-property-damage/chemicals-used-in-fracking/ Big sigh, So the first alert kit will test for most of the bad stuff for $13 and then you need the pesticide kit for another $14. So if your backpacking multiple days you better have at least one of each kit per day...... Like I said there have been marked springs on the maps where we backpack, I wonder if they are safe, Guess a call to the land manager to find out.

KDD swing by I will serve you some non thermometer cooked chicken and a big glass of filtered water from the reclaimed strip mine pit drain creek..... Thats right your Troop probably doesn't backpack or do anything that would require them to be away from a shower or city water for more than a couple of hours.

He could cook every night for the family

Could you post a link to the test kits I have drank from a few streams and just wondered........While they were remote most of the areas we backpack in are reclaimed......So you never know what is in the water.

eaglewolf......First I am an Eagle. ​Eagle doesn't mean anything more than the lad camped a bit, attended some meetings over at least a 3 year period and may or may not have actually earned merit badges and held Positions of Responsibility that may or may not have been simply titles...... The BSA program has a huge problem with quality control. Too many PL and SPL's are simply figure heads. As we have seen on this forum, not all camping, patrols, advancement and troops are the same....... Who is the more quality Eagle Boy led or Adult led????? Depends on one definition of quality. I have met fantastic eagles and way to many who could not stand on their own two feet. Yet another Untrained scoutmaster who has no idea how the program is supposed to run..... Not your fault that your adult leadership has failed in this aspect of the program. Well seriously most districts and certainly all councils will have a merit badge list of varying quality..... Here is a couple of examples http://www.stlbsa.org/scouts/mbcd/pages/counselors-directory.aspx http://www.minsitrails.com/Volunteer/Program/MeritBadgeCounselor http://www.calumetcouncil.org/MeritBadgeCounselors.html So Check your councils website for a list of councilors....

I don't care for coaches......doesn't put enough responsibility on the youth...... but as SM I have an SMC with every boy in the troop at least twice a year..... One of the topics is advancement....

The physical abuse is a big no no......Since it appears that he didn't resign then it needs brought back up to the DE.... The council should still revoke his membership..... The SM is at fault of quality control on his scouts. If the boy did not meet living up to the scout spirit requirement then he shouldn't advance....I have a couple of lads in that situation right now.....

Since your head is extra thick....of course you are only 15 and Always right. please read the link and see if it sinks in....It is the Merit badge councilor orientation guide.. http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/18-125.pdf A Scout earns a merit badge by working with a council/ district-approved and registered adult counselor, an expert in the chosen subject, who is on the list provided to his troop from the district. Working with a merit badge counselor gives Scouts contact with an adult with whom they might not be acquainted. What your troop is doing is not standard procedure? I just gotta ask this... I am going to bet that YOU earned most of your merit badges at summer camp and the rest by your Scoutmaster signing them off..... If that is the case it is incorrect and removing a couple of elements of merit badge program..... Can you guess what those are??

Lets be clear.....The lad cannot sign off on requirements for a merit badge......It is a National Policy. So what is happening is his SM is signing the cards on his behalf..........I hope. If not there will be a few lads with earned merit badges lacking an appropriate merit badge councilor signature. I hope it doesn't become an issue at an EBOR if the folks running it do any research.

So what lesson are you teaching with the beans???? I don't think it is the lesson intended...... The lesson being taught is there should be an award for absolutely everything going on in the family or making the household run.......How much time do you spend negotiating for beans......shakin my head... No thanks......The concept if flawed. My son is a member of the household he has assigned jobs and earns an allowance that he can spend on things he desires...... His video gaming is tied to grades, completion of homework and chore completion............ Get it all done in a quality manner the rest of the day or evening is yours.....

This has gotta be the dumbest thing I have read, well next to the thermometer thing... So either they want the boys or they don't..........There shouldn't be any conditions..... Something just isn't right. Just get the sneaking suspicion there is much more to the story than we are hearing.

I am entertained by it..... So where the discussion currently stands is it is OK to go aand have a few beers after the Pack meeting as long as your not transporting anyone else's kids home. So the conclusion drawn is that it is OK for a scout leader to have a few beers then drive his kids home from a scout function with some level of impairment.

You cannot be a merit badge councilor per national policy..... Regardless off any precedent you feel was set....

Whether we like it or not Scouting is a business.....It has to at least break even. How long can a Troop, Pack or crew run at a deflect???? How many camps have been sold because they have lost money???? How many councils have been merged because of it???? The BSA is a brand just like Nike or Under armour or Apple, who goes after Samsung for look alike stuff all the time..... They should protect the brand...... The problem I have with the BSA finances is the quarter million dollar salaries some of the Council SE's receive.... and then selling off camps to simply improve the endowments.....

Lewis and Clark council is offering Baloo training September 21st...... That is pretty close to your location.

I think the way the rules and required training currently are completely ridiculous....... I gotta live within the guidelines too...... So why do BSA guidelines and rules need to be a complete maze and open up discussions like this???? Require the training or not don't........Don't leave the decision up to the volunteers most will take the easy way out.

OWL is not required to take a webelo den camping..... A Webelos den leader who has completed position-specific training and Outdoor Leader Skills for Webelos Leaders training should conduct these events. http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/CubScouts/resources/CubScoutOutdoorProgramGuidelines.aspx

Have you filled out a Merit badge councilor application?????? You are a Scout, under 18 correct???? Then you cannot council the merit badge on your own..... http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/BoyScouts/GuideforMeritBadgeCounselors/MBCounselorGuide.aspx Summer Camp Merit Badge Counselors The same qualifications and rules for merit badge counselors apply to council summer camp merit badge programs. All merit badge counselors must be at least 18 years of age. Camp staff members under age 18 may assist with instruction but cannot serve in the role of the merit badge counselor. As a Merit badge councilor I do not take Meritbadge.org work sheets.....If the scouts takes the time to fill it out great.... I will take it from him and put it in my binder..... Then we will discuss the requirements that say discuss, explain, or demonstrate..... I will say that if you accept notes as acceptable I believe you are doing a disservice to the scouts and weakening the merit badge program..... Do the requirements as written no more no less.....Notes are not discussing. As I stated I don't know how you could do an effective and quality job on the merit badge as a group.. I am good with you teaching as a group.......Then hold discussions one on one with the scout for the requirements that ask for it.

Dohhhhhhhhhhhh, best homer simpson impression

Who cares as long as my boys keep showing up to the meetings and the unit continues to grow?????

My understanding is the did exactly that to the Baden Powell Scout Association which quickly became Baden Powell Service Association. Just as Royal Rangers, Awana, Campfire don't use scouts.....Nor will what ever Oh my Honor comes up with .... Millennial...

I don't care.....If your drinking with the priest at the catholic church...... It is still pretty tacky. So it is still ok for you to knock back a couple then get behind the wheel with your kids in the back seat???????

I took baloo out of council.......Our district does not offer training.....It really is a bad district.....The near by districts didn't match up schedule wise..... It doesn't fit my schedule doesn't cut it in my book.....If it is important you will make time for it.......... Getting trained to take the Pack camping isn't important that fine. No camp out and yes the boys need to realize whose responsible. Honestly it depends on how the Pack runs the camp out..... Seen one pack where everyone is on their own for meals......Mine we cooked as a group.....Seen dens cook on their own......Seen parents run into town for chicken from walmart. So KDD unless you put your foot down now with the CS parents their attitude will follow them into the Troop.....

Unless you have 100% buy in from the troop don't do it during Troop the meeting.....But offer it before or after the meeting....... In looking at the requirements I have no idea how you would do most of it other than one on one. http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Chess I know not the official source but close enough for my purposes. Lots of discuss and demonstrate......Not exactly sure how you would do that in a quality manner in a group setting.