NWScouter

The week after Christmas a Webelos Scout, a stepson of one of sons buddies in Scouting, passed away after 2 months in coma with an undiagnosable brain infection. He and his wife were and still active Scouters with only a four year daughter. It was devastating to lose a your child and for us to lose a young friend. Isaacs name lives on in the name of our evening day camp this summer: Isaacs Incredible Jungle Adventure. Also the he received the Spirit of the Eagle from the National Court of Honor. My prayers are with you and his family and may God give the strength to carry on.

Trailpounder, have you been reading Harry Turtledove? In his alternative history he has a black uprising under the red banner of socialism/ bolshevism and a series of wars between the Confederacy and the Union, with British North America and Mexico involved. Abraham Lincoln comes back to lead the Socialist Party. Fun reading, but doesn't change history.

He doesnt have to have the cards if he has backup somewhere else, i.e. Troop or Council copies of advancement reports. He just has to turn in the Eagle application with the dates he earned the various merit badges listed.

I was the weekend ranger at our council camp this weekend and there were 200+ Scouts and a 100 Scouters in camp. A district campooree, two Webelos dens on their overnighters (separate from the camporee), a troop of Girls Scouts, and Vigil going on. I could have looked for a uniform mistakes but I was so impressed with the rest of Scouting of that was going on that I didnt even notice. The only pain I had was from my recent ingrown toe surgery.

Herms, Thanks for the info. I found this on the BSA website: http://www.scouting.org/factsheets/02-582.html Speaking to that. Why they don't update the Guide I don't know. It wasn't till I searched for 'Community Organization Award' did I find the information.

Herms, see my above post where I quote the Insignia Guide. It specifically prohibits the wearing of military medals. So I would say pre published BSA material not unverified web rumor it is not authorized for you to wear Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal on your uniform.

It is true they cannot take the unit 'de jure' for the CO owns it, but they can take the unit 'de facto' to another CO by taking the boys, the leaders and the parents to a new CO. I think that is what is meant by most who say that even if they dont know all the rules and regulations.

Very interesting things get BSA logos on them. At one conclave around here they sold OA toothpick holders. They sure looked like shot glasses to me.

I didnt mean to sound mean but that is one of my pet peeves. The supply division does do special orders and you can get 12 done up for $5.60 per or $67.20 (gulp) total. Now I have heard that there are home sewing machines out there that you can program to do embroidery. You may be able to find someone at school or in the troop who has one or knows someone that would do it for you.

I hate to be picky but Wolf and Bear dens are known by their numbers only. The may have a have a totem but they should not be wearing patrol patches. Webelos DENS may be known by a name or number and may wear the Boy Scout patrol patch but they still are dens not patrols. Patrols are in Boy Scout troops.

In our council as courtesy they include in our recharter a enrollment form from an insurance company (for many years Mutual of Omaha, now a different one I cant remember the name). It cost so much per youth (different rate for cubs, scouts, venturers). Now for a few years the council had a blanket policy that you paid the council the money, but some units complained because their charter partner already had a policy covering them (in the case of LDS they were self insured). So check with your council on what is available in you area.

There are two types of insurance, BSA Liability coverage and Unit Accident Insurance. BSA Liability insurance covers the Charter Partner therefore the unit and the leaders if they accrue a liability due to the actions of Scouts and Scouters. If for example your little darlings decided to chop down a tree and it destroys a $100, 000 motor home or a participant is injured an you are sued for lost wages or pain and suffering and so on. This is one of the reasons for Guide to Safe Scouting it is to show that the BSA said you shouldnt do that and can reduce the BSA liability. The other is an Accident Policy purchased by the unit. They are more than one out there and are not issued by the BSA and the BSA is not a party to it. You need to look at the one your unit holds. They generally pay the out of pocket expenses for any injury. The amount of your co-pay and deductible of the the personal medical insurance. They may also have lump sum payment for loss of a hand or an arm and so on. They pay the entire medical bill if there is no personal medical insurance. The unit usually pays a set fee per youth and adult on their recharter. New boys and adults registered during the policy year are covered without any additional fee. It usually covers visitors looking to join the unit on an outing, and I think that means only the youth. I do know for sure that they do not cover unregistered parents or siblings. This is based on the couple I have seen and had in my scouting career and I again I recommend you read the one issued to your unit.

You are getting in to the no more, no less rule in Scout advancement. The example you give on hike could be counted for two requirements, yes that is correct. He did a hike with a map and compass and he did a hike with a 2000ft elevation gain. Those are two distinct requirements and he happens to do them on the same hike. Are you going to say if he is doing his hike for a second class requirement then he cant count it as one of the ten outings for first class? When you make rule like that advancement chair did, you are adding to the requirements. In the Communication and Citizenship in the Community merit badges there is requirement to go to a government meeting and they had to do something a little different with what they saw and heard. I encouraged them to work on both MB at the same time and complete those requirements with one trip.

Again depending on the state, you may get voter registration cards from the county and hold your own voter registration drive. A good unit service project to help to introduce scouts to the political process without being "political".

In Washington State you don't have to be 18 at the time you register to vote, just be 18 by the time the election rolls along. Other states may do this also. Remember there are deadlines to meet in order for you to get on the voting lists in time for the election.

I would say it violates the advancement rules by adding to the rules no more no less. In the seventies and eighties the requirements had a PLC run board of review for up to First Class. It was changed to adult run when the last major change in 1989 went into effect. One of the reasons given for that change and the new scout patrol was that surveys had shown that boys left scouting because of hazing and bullying by older scouts .

The Charter Partner can remove him him from any Pack Leadership. This one is harsh,you can have the charter partner, if they own the building your pack meets in, issue a no trespassing letter which bans him from the building. Then enforce it.

One thing you can have the Charter Partner remove him from leadership in the Pack. This one is harsh,you can have the charter partner, if they own the building your pack meets in, issue a no trespassing letter which bans him from the building. Then enforce it.

What this about "Canadian Prison Guards". They were US Army. Dont try to deflect the blame. Not only did this incidence reflect poorly on the individuals involved but on the Army, and the nation as a whole.

If the unit feels they need a second female then it is their responsibility to come up with one but their rules cannot trump the guide to safe scouting, the parent can come anyway even if the troop can't find a second female. If a parent wishes to spend the night then they have the right. That is no different than the daytime observation. The bottom line is you can't exclude a parent.

I took this from the guide to safe scouting youth protection section: All aspects of the Scouting program are open to observation by parents and leaders. By this even the LDS units would be required to allow any parent or leader attend any events, i.e. overnights etc. The LDS do have women on their campouts by the Church rules. But only peer pressure could keep a parent of scout in their unit from a non-LDS member's family from an outing. Though in their units there are no female SM or ASM, which is their right. I have heard of units in general not allowing non-registered parents from attending outings but this rule would stop a troop from doing that.

I think we can get so hung up proper uniform because it so visible. You can look and see quickly when someone has a mistake. In the other methods you have to look and observe very closely. No one person or unit is perfect in all the methods all the time. It does not means that we should be not striving for them all the time. You would not berate a young boy that he not showing enough boy lead leadership to lead his patrol but then berate him because his AOL is the wrong place. I think not.

Here is a review I got from a website Summary: Avoid this like the plague. Bad, bad, bad. How do movies like this get made? Badly written, poorly acted; I could go on, but why bother? As an aside, note that the characters' first names are the same as the actors playing them : this is a dead giveaway that no one on the set is even interested enough in their role to bother learning someone else's characters names! It doesnt sound like something I like to watch.

For many scouters, running events, breaking even mean bringing in enough money to cover the direct costs. What is hard for many to see is the overhead, the support the scout office staff gives, the DEs time, upkeep on the camp, the cost of the council newsletter and other general expenses.

Got this from our Council Commissioner: From Chief Executive of UK Scouts Betty Clay - 16th April 1917 24th April 2004 It is with deep regret that I announce the death of our Vice President, the Hon Mrs Betty Clay, CBE, and youngest daughter of our Founder. She died peacefully in her sleep in a nursing home alongside her home in Somerset, on Saturday morning 24th April 2004, just a few days after she and Gervas had celebrated their joint birthday her 87th and his 97th. In mourning her passing we give thanks for a life lived to the full, committed to the ideals of Scouting and Guiding and the vision of her parents. She was and remains an inspiration to the youth and Leaders of todays Movements. At the moment we await further information from the family but in the mean time the Association's Flag at HQ buildings and campsites will remain at half-mast until after the funeral. Derek Twine Chief Executive