NWScouter

Lived all my life in Washington State in the Great Pacific Northwest and have been in Scouts since joining Cubs in 1960. One the best place to be in Scouting. NWScouter

I would very careful about doing flag ceremonies for political events. To me there would be no problem to do it as Dsteele said at Republican Party annual dinner but at a fund raiser dinner or rally for Joe Local Candidate, it may be seen as supporting that candidate. I would stay away from passing out any partisan literature. It fact in our state and many others you cant pass them out any within certain distance from a polling place on election day. There would be no problem I believe with Cubs and Scouts passing out in the week before the deadline for registering to vote, information on how to get registered. Also on the days before and the day of the election reminding people to vote and where. Nothing against urging scouts to go campaign events (out of uniform) to see what is going on. Go see G.W. Bush and the other candidates when they comes to town. They will get to see at least one president and maybe more. Back last spring I saw people bring Scouts in uniforms to Support the Troops rallies that were run by the local conservative radio station (I know that because the signs had the call letters on them), that were anti-anti- war. More political than just supporting the troops. I felt that they were over the line with having them there.

As a District Commissioner I get involved in recruiting and retaining youth member through my staff supporting the units and the district advancement committee. I am working for the district to qualifying for quality district and a growth in membership is a must as one of the goals. I find that the fall Cub recruitment drives paperwork to be most frustrating. Some Packs hold on the applications till they turn in their recharter late in the year. Giving us only soft numbers and hope to work with, I swear that these have given some of our DEs ulcers. I have yet to find a way to get everyone to turn the apps in right after the roundup nights. Any good Ideas on how to get this done?

I am sorry if you took my comment about membership as anything about integrity. As a District Commissioner I get involved in recruiting and retaining youth member through my staff supporting the units and the district advancement committee. I am working for the district to qualifying for quality district and a growth in membership is a must as one of the goals. I find that the fall Cub recruitment drives paperwork to be most frustrating. Some Packs hold on the applications till they turn in their recharter late in the year. Giving us only soft numbers and hope to work with, I swear that these have given some of our Des ulcers. I have yet to find a way to get everyone to turn the apps in right after the roundup nights. I think Ill start a new topic on this.

Most council offices will sell badges as repleacments or for a second uniform. Some Troops have extra badges when scouts go to camp aand earn them and then don't show up for another scout meeting or court of honor to recieve them. This is the way that troop get a back stock of badges. Also some badges are not on the advancement sheets, such as segments. I know I just would have a bunch of Scout Sunday segments bought and the meeting after Scout week I would ask the Scouts who participated in a Scout Sunday activity to come forward. Dave Steele, Now as district commisioner I am conserned about memebership numbers. Years ago in our scout shop the staff would check each advancement report to see if all boy were registered before selling awards. Now with the time it takes to get that information on the scoutnet and in a readable fashion, they don't have time. So I know that lots of Cubs get their Bobcat badge before the membership paperwork gets in. Do you know what the national is doing to make scoutnet more user friendly?

Note on tap out, national OA changed it to a call out quite a few years ago. National standards dont allow you to touch the candidates. Rumor has it that some were tapped so hard that there were shoulder separations.

I'm in Sikhs Mox Lamonti 338, Vigil in 1999. I came from Kecelma 305 which merged into Sikhs Mox Lamonti in '95, where I became Brotherhood in '86. I went through my ordeal in T'kope Kwis Kwis 502 in '68. If you like lodge flaps check out this web site: oaimages.com It has the best and most complete collection of flaps picture. Also if you are wondering where lodges went this will help you figure it out. Just another note for you young arrowmen, it seems like there are a lot of adult Vigil members. Just remember there are more youth awarded Vigil but in few years they are adults. Sadly we adults can't go the other way. Now though most of us stay young at heart. WWW, Tyee Tumtum Chinook jargon for Cheerful Scoutmaster

It took me awhile to find it but I finally found it in copy of Cub Scout Leader Book copyright 1982 printing 1992. On page 90 it states the Religious principles of the BSA. Midway through it, it states by inference that all faith must be allowed in a unit and therefore an officialy all Catholic or all LDS troop is not allowed. .: Where a Scouting unit is connected with a distinctly religious organization, no members of other denominations or faiths shall be required, because of their membership in the unit, to take part in or observe a religious ceremony distinctly peculiar to that organization. To me it says that units can not be officially be all one faith. LDS units in my area have and welcome non-members of their church. Now you may find a kosher Jewish boy finding it difficult being in a troop not kosher so he may join a troop that is mostly Jewish. I know of a Scout that is Roman Catholic that didnt feel comfortable in a troop sponsored by his parish because he went to public school and most of the Scouts went to the parish School. Scouts can join any troop and they generally go to the one they feel comfortable in. After my search for the quote above I have come to the conclusion that this Religious Principles statement has been given short shift by the current national leadership. When I went through training in the mid 80s and it was mentioned prominently now I can find it any of the current leader handbooks. I couldnt find it on the official BSA website either. There is more to quote but my fingers get tired typing.

Why the rush? With 6 nights at camp and at least one overnight camping every other month (based this on missing an outing or a just a day one some months), a Scout should be able to make it in just about two years. Unless he is on the way to try to set a record for being the youngest Eagle that would be fine. You don't need it untill you are going for Eagle. There are 12 (or 15 depending on how you want to count) required merit badges plenty of them for Star and Life need of 7.

Not about the merit badges, but about temporary patches on the back. Sometime shortly after I started as an adult Scouter in the mid eighties the rules changed to allow temporary patches on the back of the sash. I don't like it. I think it looks messy. What do you think?

Troop Mom, I dont know about your area but out here REI has supported scouting for years and many of our Eagle projects have Home Depot donated material. REI stores have climbing walls and give free use of them to scouts and store personnel have meet with troops to give workshops on gear.

I do not believe that the US Constitution give a guarantee to education but check your states constitution. Here in Washington State it states It is the paramount duty of state to provide education. The courts have said that means basic education has to be funded out of general funds of the state not local levies . Local levies are to fund extras. The great debate is what is basic education. When this ruling came down in the late 70s or 80s special education was included in basic education. I believe that if you want federal funds you also have to comply with their guidelines which the least of them are the American with Disabilities Act.

Most of the old ads that you saw with scouts in them were in Boys Life and the back of the Scout Handbook. In the early years of scouting through the fifties, you would see a few ads like Coke and Buster Brown Shoes in the national magazines. Starting in the sixties there seemed to be a feeling that Scouts wasnt cool so those companies backed off but also I think BSA backed away from having Buster Brown Boy Scout Shoes and Kodak Boy Scout Cameras (I have one of these). Back to merit badges, about 10 years ago I took up leather work and started hanging around the local Tandy Leathercraft Store to take classes. I then helped scouts get the Leather Working merit badge. Boy, that book was right out of the Tandy instruction books but the only mention of Tandy was in the back of the book as a place to find more information. That kind of support for merit badges is what I would like to see. Maybe a bike company provides the text and illustrations for Cycling, a rod and reel company for Fishing and sewing machine company for Dsteeles Sewing Merit Badge.

I just came back from camp, where I was a volunteer commissioner. These tragic event hits home to many of our staff as like myself, some have been to Meriwether and many have trained together with their staff at camp schools. Our camp director, who has done national camp inspections at Meriwether and taught at national camp schools in camp management, believes that the use of cannons and rifle salutes at flags are tradition that many camps believe trumps the national camp standards. For his reading is that all shooting of any kind must in a approved range. Dont try to find a reference in G2SS, there is a bigger book of rules that are for safe operation of camps that BSA puts out. Never the less none of the articles we found on the web shed much light on what exactly happened. The quote of Oregon State OSHA inspector sums it up I just have never seen before a workplace accident with a cannon. The location of the camp is great and the view from my campsite the last year I was there on the top of the bluff looking out into the Pacific Ocean, the crash of the surf as you gather in the parade field make it a camp the scouts will remember all their life. If you can take you troop there do. Also Dsteele, just down the road from camp you can get the best cheese in US at the Tillimuk Cheese Factory. Our prayers should go out to the family and friends of the young man and the staff of the camp and council

On OA flaps they have you in a catch 22. You may only wear the flap of the lodge you belong and you may only join the lodge in the council you are registered in. So it excludes you wearing a flap from your youth if you have moved or the lodge is no longer around.

It is real easy to know when you are to wear the OA Sash. It is to be worn at OA Events: Chapter and Lodge Meetings, Conclave, NOAC, Lodge Executive Committee Meetings, Fellowships, Ordeals, Brotherhood Ceremonies, OA day at Camp, OA Service at Camps and elsewhere. OA staff at Camporee, Unit visitations and any other place where you are representing the OA. They should not be worn to Troop functions at all because even unit visitations are done by scouts from other units. Nothing should be wore on the belt. The last award wore on a belt by a Boy Scout was the skill awards. Since they went away in 89 there should be no scout eligible now. Tyee Tumtum, WWW Vigal member

BSA Lifeguard is a great way for adults to help their troop program. It isnt an easy program because it involves demonstrating that you are proficient in aquatic sports. I know when you take it at camp it takes the whole week. If you dont have scout that are able or have the time to do it, have a Scouter do it. Having them become one does not take away from Patrol Method and youth led troop.

You also seem foolish if you thought a major (gold oak leaf) was higher in rank than a lt. colonel (silver oak leaf). (This message has been edited by NWScouter)

Our new DE has earned the GS Gold Award. She also worked at hte BSA camp at her home council. One topic we had over coffee was should the BSA allow a knot to show that they had earned it. I would think that are many of our younger female leaders will have earned it. I also know a handful of now and former camp staff and Venturing Crew members have earned it. Here is another knot question when my daughters get around to having kids in the BSA and as leaders will they get to wear a knot for the youth religious award they earned as Campfire? It is the same awards (God and Me, God and Family) as the Cub Scouts earn.(This message has been edited by NWScouter)

BTS, you know there comes a time when you might just have to move on, Go to another troop that does camp or start a new troop. I will bet that if you start a troop that camps a lot you will pleasantly surprised how fast it grows.

FOG, that's less than one percent of the over 5,000,000 Scouts registered.

I know I've spread out alittle but I meant, It spread, the OA spread.

GOE, OA started just like any of the other Honor Societies. I just spread faster and the national made it the first the one they supported and then the only official society. So at the time the other honor society started, OA was just one associated with a council back east not a national program.

In the council I grew up they had Silver Marmot associated with their Camp Parsons. Back in the late forties and fifties the national encouraged, let's be correct forced most councils to abolish their own honor societies and start OA lodges. In sixties when I was in, the old timers in the council were not supportive of the OA. In fact there was an underground of Silver Marmots. In the last twenty years the Silver Marmots are back as mainly as a staff and camp/high adventure honor program. Their OA lodge name, TKope KwisKwis, they claim in Chinook Jargon means silver marmot but the rest of section loves to refer to them as white rats, a more accurate translation. If you dont know what a marmot is, it is a large rodent (a relative of the groundhog) that lives in rock fields high in the mountains. It whistles loudly as a warning.

I just looked at my last post. I forgot to add 'with a non-swimmer and beginner' after sailboat. Sorry.