Basementdweller

Krampus, follow your instinct. It has been my experience that boys who are weak in skills are really not that interested in scouting... As sstr3d suggested a pre election SMC might be in order to see if they want to be on the ballot. If the scout answered yes, I would voice my concerns about his weak skills and suggest we wait till next election and see if it improves. The boys aren't stupid, they know if they have the skills or not. Enjoy yourself king dong. We have a very solid program with the budget we have....The Patrol boxes were build by my committee members when they were boys in the troop in the early 60's. They have some pretty decent pots and chef kits in them. what do you us them for???? Well the patrol method....Your an expert on the subject..... I am limiting our troop size to 37 with the PLC...3 patrols with SPL and three ASPL....The program must be good because we went from 2 active scouts to 20 in about 3 years....I expect to cut off open membership in March of 2014.....Then you will have to wait for an opening. With several troops in the area closing their doors over the gay issue we may close registration sooner. With our definition of active, it may result in your being asked to leave if you do not meet the critieria.

I don't believe the policy was well know till the Dale decision.... as a youth in the 70's I don't believe the policy was well known at all. We had a gay ASM back then, single lived with his mother, No big deal, parents kinda raised their eyebrows when he was around never knew why to much later.... BTW, that was pre-youth protection.

There are two huge elements missing.... BPSA Troops...... While scouting can be completed alone per the lone scout program.......for me it misses the bulk of program benefit...Small group dynamics and leadership. Then the Eagle brand.......even though it ain't what it used to be with the watering down of the requirements......to the uneducated it is still an impressive achievement.

Most district and council camperships are due at the council office between February and April.... You probably missed he deadline. Our troop goes to summer camp out of council so we don't qualify for camperships...... Generally it is the Mr. B campership fund......This year it was only one scout who was short and I only ended up pay half of his fee..... Got off cheap this year. A boy coming to 10% of the meetings doesn't qualify for my scholarship. just that simple..... I am guessing the reason he doesn't have money for camp is the cost of the athletics. Since the Campmaster volunteered the troop without authority he should pay the fee for the scout.

Yesterday you were complaining about more eagles, arrowmen and leaders all of inferior quality.... All of the Quality control is unit level. So bad Eagles, who is responsible for that????? Yep the Troop or Crew that signed off on his advancement. Bad Leaders???? Local unit for not properly screening or training their leadership. Arrow men???? Local unit for letting everyone who is eligible get elected. So if every Troop's leadership cared enough about the program to do quality control we wouldn't have First class scouts that can't fry an egg or set up a tent. or Eagle candidates appealing to national because the troop and then district eagle board realized their mistake too late.

So the lad I removed from the election. He is disruptive, does not respect youth leadership, I have video taped his antics when I stepped out of the room to confirm a suspicion. He is larger than every scout in the troop and is a bully, I have caught him using his size to intimidate his patrol mates. I have caught him stealing and lying on a couple of camp outs. He has hid when we were carrying patrol boxes to the truck....He is first to grab his gear and disappear with mom when we get back to CO..... He is the scout that I would not wish on another scout leader and if we go to a council event I end up babysitting him when he goes because I simply don't trust him.... I have had SMC with him after meetings about all of the sex talk and talking about women in a degrading manner.... His response was sorry mr. b I forgot where I was at. So how can I send him to an ordeal where he is required to work under guidance of his peers???? I can't do it. To me this isn't arbitary......Other than a uniform this young man isn't a scout.....He repeats the words of the scout law and oath fails to live it.....

This has absolutely nothing to do with the guide to advancement..... I would never hold back a scout that I deem is advancing to quickly......there are other ways to slow a boy down.... Under eligibility in the link below is says that candidate needs approval of the Scoutmaster, crew leader or varsity coach. The election team that visited us brought this to my attention and I adjusted my list of eligible youth, removing one scout. Our scout camp requires a Scoutmaster recommendation to become a councilor...... Same for NYLT, Jambo and various council youth staff positions. [url=http://www.oa-bsa.org/misc/basics/]http://www.oa-bsa.org/misc/basics/[/url=http://www.oa-bsa.org/misc/basics/]

geezus, I could give a crap about tents.........WE SLEPT UNDER PLASTIC SHEETING BECAUSE THAT IS ALL WE HAD.....Just that simple....Thanks to some generous members on this board and spending money out of my pocket the troop has tenting..... So let me see camping under plastic sheeting or no outdoor program...... MB I am glad your scouting world is all warm and fuzzy......I am happy you joined an active program that has decent gear and program. Some guys are lucky that way.... The rest of us just play the hand we are dealt. Blake....my screen names comes from a period of time I ran a computer and engineering consulting business out of my Basement.......Wife started calling me basementdweller. I am not the Urban definition of a basementdweller.

Not for other awards like the Scouter Key, but I could see how someone would turn down a "purchased" knot. I know BSA says its not (or knot ), but when you donate money and they give you a knot, that's purchased in my book. who said something about rich folks??????

Last year I spray painted skeletal hands gold I picked up on clearance after halloween and presented the pack leaders with the golden working their fingers to the bone award. The boys still talk about it.

I am not sure what you get for your membership fee with the BPSA.....Most of the awards are out of canada. I will say I do like their uniforms better than the BSA. We are using the program with a sibling den in the Pack....Not paid the fee.. Again not sure what we are getting for the dollars. The BPSA Den leaders are BSA Pack members so they have been background checked with the BSA and have current BSA youth protection training.

Who cares........ Our local program will not change one bit.......... There are a couple of Units that have folded or will fold if it passes....... We have received a couple of refugee's at the Pack level and nothing yet at the troop. I have contacted the DE for rosters but he is refusing to give the one units to me because they are still active because they filed a charter 6 months ago.... If he waits till november or december to give them too me it will be too late and we will have lost the boys.

There is a very Key component of the OA quality control..... The Scoutmaster. The Scoutmaster needs to recommend the boys who are eligible. Sure he has the rank and the nights of camping.....But is he someone that will reflect well on the troop and scouting???? So scoutmaster need to grow a pair and not allow the boys who are marginal scouts be elected. Like many things Scoutmaster can control the quality of rank advancement, merit badges.....He can influence the quality of the local summer camp by withholding a signature that is required on the application......Scoutmasters recommendation. It can be a good learning experience... Bottom line......If you feel a youth is marginal as a scout......Don't let him be elected. This is just like all of the horrible Eagles and First Class scouts that can't make pancakes or start a fire. Reflects on the troop Leadership involved.....Youth and Adult.

Poke fun all ya want..... Ethnic and poor jokes never go out of style.

Cool I have a cyber stalker........ Glad you guys enjoy laughing at those doing with less. We sure did camp under plastic sheeting......because that is all we had.

Your gonna need to explain to me why he can't ' join the troop. He might be delayed by a couple of months but att the end of fifth grade he can join regardless of arrow of light or stll being 10 years of age. AOL just per.its a bit to join at 10 years old not having completed the Fifth grade

I wouldn't trust that van to pull a trailer and haul boys........... If I had another way I wouldn't use it at all.

you can look back thru my history of post if you like.......We are from an urban poor area surrounded by wealth or much better off areas......The scouters from this area guard their turf like rabid dogs. Don't sell popcorn in front of their walmart or lowes......Don't you dare try to sell door to door....They will call the DE and DC on you.....and they in turn will call you and tell you to stay in your own service area.....Mr. B you know better than to cross the belt way..... My point...... What happened to a boy, a bag and an adventure. Just seems lost in all of the gear.

Nope it was I and if your eluding that it violates YPT you are incorrect, no one on one contact.....

Church van hauls boys and my truck hauls gear....... Remember we are a two adult operation........My committee is made up of 70 year old eagle scouts who can't or won't camp and a bunch of single parent house holds or dads who work weekends. We still need the truck for the two extra seats. I would trade it all for a few more active adults When we take the van we have to be home sunday before 10 so they can use it for church........So what is the trash talk......

Sewing is a skill much like swimming....... It will last a life time.

Sundays are no longer a day of rest or the Sabbath for many Americans. Local youth sports leagues see it as just another day of the week....With soccer and baseball games being scheduled Sunday morning.

In the zero tolerance era of sexual misconduct I can see why the membership got pulled. I would assume both boys memberships were revoked. This could be our future with gay youth possibly being allowed membership.....

I think it is an unreasonable request Krampus with your line of thinking, which is flawed by the way....... Here the way your should actually read.... My boys earn tenderfoot, but the scout shop isn't open hours that are convenient to me....So I call the store clerk and ask her to drop the patches off at my troop meeting because my boys and I are too busy to make during their store hours. She says no......So I call her manager who says "why that is ridiculous we will have the entire staff show up and give your boys their patches even though it is a huge sacrifice for all of them and will impact their personal lives by taking time away from family and personal activities......" This isn't about the lodge not offering the service, it is just not when old MB can partake. I think my version is a bit more accurate example of what we are talking about here. I get it.....MB is looking after his scouts........ Thx for the blessing I can use all I can get.

Well Green bar and BP live in the inner city where the leaders and boys dream of the woods and stream.....Cloudless star lit nights and brotherhood around the campfire. Not some adult led gear fest......