Basementdweller

So you hold a pancake breakfast open to the public, Are you going to screen every person through the door? you can't Our troop deals with sex offenders every time we work the food bank. Safety Safety Safety, Buddy system always and they all know they are not to have contact with any of the folks out side of scouting. Does it worry me? No more so than their trip to school every morning past the 3 sex offenders that live in our neighborhood. The only thing we can do is make our children aware and teach them to react when it happens and recognize what is going on before it happens. Bottom line for me, in the OP was. A troop member called the news outlet, bad move and poor taste. The Wife showed poor judgement bringing him to the event. Not sure what the predator was thinking, but again poor judgement. I am gonna bet a million bucks that if you sell christmas trees, spagetti, popcorn or candy bars you have sold to a sexual predator or child molester.

So your saying all three troops are to blame? Not disagreeing This is the reason I am scoutmaster and webelos den leader again. The previous webelos den leader treated them like tiger cubs and lost 16 boys in 2 years. trying to kill our troop in the process.

Why is that a high note? So the Adult troop leadership sat on their hands and didn't help the cub pack? Resulting in the troop folding. Sad day.

so does any one even know the circumstances of his conviction? It could be a he said she said thing......and It could be 40 years old...

My neighborhood is the dumping ground for the sexual predators for all of the surrounding burbs. Ya mozarts town is like one near me that had a grass strip running down the middle of the street that they designated parks so they effectively ban any sexual predator from living in their town. It isn't right that my neighborhood is his toilet for the human refuse that suburban boredom spawns. I get 3 or 4 notifications a week in the mail from the police department with pictures and convictions listed on it letting me know they are in my neighborhood. As pointed out they walk among us. You would never know........ So the the man has served his time and is probably following the his parole restrictions. He goes to a community even to enjoy himself. then is outed by that community. So we are going to continue to punish him? According to the uptight suburbanites yes......... Now ask me if I am going to trust him watching my son or daughter.

I forgot to add, in two weeks we go and maintain the signs that welcome folks to our hood. Maybe a single day or could be multiple.

Wow, I guess we can scratch service to others off the list of scouting tools and contributions to the community. Seems pretty thin to me.

I think austinole is correct.....Particpation may drop to a point and then level off. But as pointed out when mom and dad can simpley plunk down $200 and then drop johnny off at the practice field 2 or three times a week for a couple of hours.....It is much better than once a week for scouting and maybe one weekend a month. Then we ask difficult questions and have a moral standard.....Heck sports coaches don't care if you swear or shoplift or even knock up your girl friend..... Can you kick, hit or carry the ball for the win then your in. Besides what kid doesn't like his trophy in his socceer league for most energetic or loudest yell.

Our unit serves at the community meal monthly at the church, we volunteer every other week by patrol at the food pantry, during the summer the patrols alternate working the weekly free farmers market at the CO. First warm meeting night we worked on the local community play ground. Last week we worked the Community Easter Egg hunt and then planted Trees at a local park for Earth day. As a troop we do two community service projects a month plus extras that pop up. I worry about burning them out on community service, but they plan it.

Sitting here shaking my head.

hmmmm, No means No and it takes two to tango. Tell him NO in a firm solid tone, If the chase persists. then report it to the COR and IH. ask for him to be removed. The other stuff, will take care of itself Why are the adults planning outings???

At our spring court of honor. I was asked to speak about rank advancement by the SPL I chose the most important rank in scouting. First Class. I see the troops job to help new scouts earn first class. First Class is the door way to many of the more sought after activitys. Then it is up to the first class scout to decide if he wants to give back to the troop in a leadership role. the Eagle like everything a giant bell curve ....there are some truly horrible law breaking eagles, there are a bunch of so so eagles and then few who are truly brilliant.

I don't really care what the boys want to eat on camping trips. I will review and offer feedback with the PL's and SPL. Bottom line is cost. you have 8 boys in a patrol, they drink how much soda each? So instead of that $1 Koolaid packet your adding $5 -$10 per meal for soda. Had a patrol that was going to make steaks one outing, they did not adjust the food cost......They ended up with hamburger steaks as I recall. The biggie is caffeine tends to dehydrate as well. BTW the PLC did ban monsters/energy drinks after a couple of lads got sick from over consumption. Had a scout show up with those 5 hour energy shots........I impounded them and gave them to mom when we returned.....

We had a church youth group at a BSA summer camp my first year with the troop. They were coed and it caused issues. Especially at the pool. I didn't fully appreciate what a distraction they were until several years later.

I chuckle as trial life seems to be attracting the traditional scouters. I hope they avoid the political egotistical Mess the bsa has become.

Ok so this discussion is a squabble about who gets the money. But the real question should be....... Should we be fundraising at all? I disagree with fundraising to pay for scout trips......or summer camps or outings of any type. Lets just say it seems fundamentally wrong. Selling popcorn candy bars for durable good such as tents is acceptable.

Oh come on....you have had that boy that spent the weekend making shavings out of everything he can get his hands on.

So what do the boys say? I want responsible utilization. Not a blanket exclusion. Generally on camping trips ya only hear or see them after hours... We have a zero tolerance policy on inappropriate material....... They are tools nothing more nothing less.

I have taken powder horn.....It was little more than how to backpack, they brought in the local outdoor shop owner to talk about gear. It was winter, so we kayaked in an indoor pool same pool snokeled. The entire course could have been handled by a 4 page booklet with a list of resources.

DE has nothing to say about unit operations. Contact the Institutional Head.

you cannot require fundraising participation

Yes, KDD. Boys that did not participate in your fundraiser benefit from it.

I have had this conversation with dad...... Every time I get a phone call sunday night about what billy new scout learned from billy sex scout on last weekend outing. or the new urban slang for a sex act, I ask to come over and to speak with mom, dad and scout. It ends with rolling eyes and denying accusations....... Hopefully they will leave after the next court of honor and he still hasn't advanced.