Basementdweller

Don't The goal should be go on the next camping trip, hike or simple adventure.....Do what it takes to make the trip successful......Set up a tent, cook and clean up meals.....buy the food....take care of the gear....take your turn planning and leading the activity. We rarely hold a class for anything.....We do toten chip and fire'n chit just makes more sense than one on one on the fly....

Too me it is a courtesy thing...... When the boys advance naturally and aren't counting every meal, mile hiked or night camped.....they need to be reminded.... I won't have to ask your son......but ya know that is ok too.

"Basement Bob," I presume? Quite the battle you're putting on. Definitely a lot of dumb going on in the comments for that blog. After he decided to turn his scouting manual into a full-blown program for boys, Baden-Powell's program had no advancement, and it didn't float. When he incorporated Seton's Woodcraft Indians advancement concept, he had what he needed: motivation. Young men can camp, fish, set fires, play Frisbee, build a robot, toast marshmallows, and fool with rope anywhere. They get the ceremony, recognition, belonging/bonding, etc. in Scouts. Oh my personal favorite service hour counting was the fellow and scout who greeted folks at the church and collected the offering and counted that as community service......Really are we that pathetic.

I eat with the boys.....Just so my money contributes to the good of the group.

Well great job on the training.... We use propane because it is cheaper than charcoal...We have a couple of 25 pounders we use.

That is one aspects of our troop I really enjoy. There doesn't seem to be a race to eagle I have never had a new scout show up with a 3 inch binder and his plan to get to eagle. I watch my scouts on campouts.....The SPL holds camp gadget races....that was outstanding to watch the different ideas to fix the problem......I watch their fire building contest......I watch them correct for dinner mistakes.....the group truly are friends inside and outside of scouting. I guess advancement is very organic in our troop. I asked a scout last night if he had time for his SMC for second class.....He asked if he could do it after the meeting......they were having fun and it couldn't be uninterrupted.....My point, he had no idea he completed second class..... I read here and on other scouting blogs that the Troop has to organize an advancement weekend.....Why is that????

The cub parents.....what oh my gosh no rank advancement......Your right the cub scout program would no longer exsist because most adults have no clue what to do with a bunch of 8 year old boys.

Same for you veni......I would really enjoy sitting down and chatting.... The fun is lost in the race to Eagle.

You and I have similar views on scouting and at some point I hope our paths cross and I can buy ya a beverage of your choice and chat for a couple of hours.

I am an Eagle scout as well. I used to be very proud of the accomplishment. But I look at the EXTREMELY POOR Quality of some the new eagle scouts and well I am not as proud of it. Because regardless of the fact you and I actually did the work to earn it.....I will say that 50% have not and yet still have the right to call themselves Eagle scouts.

"Basement Bob," I presume? Quite the battle you're putting on. Definitely a lot of dumb going on in the comments for that blog. After he decided to turn his scouting manual into a full-blown program for boys, Baden-Powell's program had no advancement, and it didn't float. When he incorporated Seton's Woodcraft Indians advancement concept, he had what he needed: motivation. Young men can camp, fish, set fires, play Frisbee, build a robot, toast marshmallows, and fool with rope anywhere. They get the ceremony, recognition, belonging/bonding, etc. in Scouts. Ya that's me..... I just see folks short cutting how the program was intended........ The discussion in the service hour thread is completely ridiculous.......We are talking 13 total service hours to get you to the Rank of Life scout. My point in that discussion was your scout wastes that in a week on video games, and social media alone......So there should be no reason to double or triple count hours. We have boys getting awarded, notice I didn't say Earning, Eagle without ever having to call a merit badge councilor on the telephone and arrange a meeting. We have boys camping in backyards over summer break to get their nights of camping for the camping merit badge. then the one fellow who can quote you line by line from the GTA.... We have boys picking up trash and planting flower beds for Eagle projects...... I love the Eagle gift thread.......We have Scoutmasters buying their eagles rifles, sit down formal dinners and on and on and on...... With my plain talk and simplistic view of things, I am a popular fellow over there as well. I just shake my head.....

I am entertained.

I missed where he bought the food originally. We do adhoc patrols from time to time.......when the older guys backpack......or we have a special event.... Nothing wrong with it. Far as the patrol selecting him for duties.......those should be assigned by the PL and they should rotate.......It isn't far for one boy to act as cook or clean up for the entire weekend.... I would pull the PL a side and make sure he shares the responsibility. The other thing to keep an eye on is make sure who ever creates the duty roster to include themselves. Previous SPL was notorious for that. There can be only one SM.......While you maybe the ASM running the trip to summer camp, you are still an ASM. A question as the Adult in charge at Summer camp are you a registered member of the BSA? Have you taken Youth Protection????

The boys with sticks and balls in the CO is a bad idea.... I cannot tell you how many picture frames I have replaced. Blake you are talking boy scouts, not 8 and 9 year olds. It makes a huge difference.

and you see the good will that one DE has fostered.....Since then I have has 3 more rotten DE's and the current one.....Well we will see what happens, currently his is meeting the others bars.... So before you ask. DE 1 screwed me out of nearly 1000 from day camp by losing my receipts and having me pay up front. DE 2 Called me and asked me to Make up for the $500 dollar short fall in the Packs FOS campaign. Found out later that he was doing the boy talks and printing flyers for his favorite units. DE 3 Snuck in and gave a FOS presentation after being told no during the Packs Blue and gold banquet, while the pack leadership was busy doing portion control on the food. He was later fired for playing golf when he was supposed to be doing boy talks at school. New guy has yet to do anything, been nearly a year. Doesn't show up to roundtable, doesn't answer his phone, No reply on the Packs campership applications.......... Ya I have a low opinion of the pros, It is justified.

Well I see the indexing is still a jacked up..... KDD, It is inappropriate for you to ask the SPL anything regarding your sons advancement or POR. Far as the grub master thing goes.....He didn't really do much on this single trip because of left overs from the canceled camp out right??????? there will be plenty of time for you son to enjoy his scouting......One second you say you get it and the next your hovering over him...... Second there is only ONE SM, If you are the ASM in charge of summer camp then you are an ASM in charge of summer camp.....None of this Temporary SM nonsense..... If your an ASM you should not sit on the committee and vice versa......As an ASM you should not sit in on BOR.

that is ridiculous.....this isn't cub scouts...... Do your best and that is good enough..... Either he does it or he doesn't..... Here is a rope, tie me a bowline, what is it used for.........Did he do it does he know what it is used for.... Here is an egg, cook it for me.....he does or doesn't do it.. Pitch this tent in the best spot in this field.....he does or doesn't......why did you pick that spot.....

Watching the antics over at bryan on scouting..... The crazy stuff with merit badges......The bickering and carrying on about 13 total service hours..... I wonder.......What would happen if the Boy Scouts adopted something along an age based rank system???? Just musing or maybe even trolling.... But so many adults are Rank driven....Our own KDD is worried about his scout getting passed by other boys, Krampus has parents beating him up over scout spirit and marginal skills..... If we removed that component of the program, which is seems brings the worst out in some folks, what would the Boy Scouting Look like...... Would summer camps still be merit badge fests????? What about merit badge boot camps?????

blw you could email them too me if you like....basementdweller1@gmail.com

Ya made the mistake with my son and an alps self inflating pad....He just wasn't strong enough to get the air out and rolled up....even with the folding and crushing technique. First Class in a year.........If the PLC is doing the instruction planning it is a problem......Inevitably miss something...... If the adults plan it it probably is pretty easy...... Depends on the troop too.....One and done isn't good enough.....generally I sign books after watching the boy put up the patrol tarp using the correct knots in the correct places.....and they function. I observe and sign when skill is displayed in a non test environment......that is mastery in my book..... My boys are averaging a rank about every 10 months or so......

Hmmm, I guess old KDD didn't like the advice to relax....Hasn't been back in a while. Blake.....I disappeared from scouting while in college and early married years.....I was still active in the outdoors but not within scouting....I rejoined when my 1st grader brought home a flyer.

Well I was very new to scouting,,,,,my first go round at the district level and got taken advantage of my an experienced DE... I gave him my expense report two weeks after the close of camp.... Receipts and ledger sheet and didn't make or keep copies, stupid ya but a scouter is trustworthy right..... and they disappeared...... I have since heard some stories about this DE and everyone who tells me another I ask them why no one warns new scouters about his predatory behavior. So why did I front the money.....the DE told me that the District didn't have any money to give me up front for supplies.....While partially true, the council has the money for day camp...

Actually you do. It's called popcorn. Your District/Council gets 30% profit from popcorn sales, just as your unit does. How they use that money is up to the financial gurus at your Council. Most Councils expect a Council/District event to pay for itself for the most part. That means that your entrance fees cover your expenses. As most District events have been done before, there is a history to use for cost/attendance estimates. Some councils will give their event organizers a start-up amount. Some do not, and expect the volunteers to pay out-of-pocket, and then get reimbursed after the event. The trick, of course, is to get as much as possible of the stuff that you need for the event donated for free. That is why many businesses cringe when they see an adult in a scout uniform coming in the door. We always want donations.

hehehehe, Let me see....our district hosted a Golf outing that reportedly had a profit of $15,000....they had a trap shoot that profited $5,000....this is our district level only not council..... They also charge for our Districts award dinner and it is pot luck.....They canceled it this year because only two people signed up to attend. Our cub day camp made a profit of $3,000....where did that money go.... We all know where it goes to the general fund at council....... I was Day camp program director for 1 year....The DE made a lot of promises and had me on the hook.....I begged, cashed in favors, and in some cases borrowed with less than complete permission the things I needed to put the camp on, with the understanding that I would be reimbursed from the profits and we would buy BB guns, fishing poles and Archery gear for the coming years.... So In October I check our districts day camp account to see how much money I have to work with......it was several thousand dollars... so I get quotes for the gear for the coming year......middle of january go to council with the quotes to get the gear ordered.....voila the account is empty...... It seems it is the SE's policy to zero all of THOSE accounts at the beginning of the year..... Call to DE, who acted stupid......and he said he never lead me to believe that would occur..... This is the same reason a district camporeee with donated camping space and volunteer run activities cost me $15 a head before I buy food. this is the same reason I am charged $100 a weekend to tent camp at our councils camps.... Ya you hit a hot button with me.......So I spent between $500-800 out of my pocket to put on a day camp and never got the money from the DE......I gave him my reciepts,,,,but he doesn't remember that earlier.... that is why I keep telling new members of the board the never trust a professional scouter.

Excellent post and summation Vivdi